by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 7, 2019 | Safety tips
The summer season means going on vacations, long road trips, and fun and exciting out-of-town excursions with family and friends. To make your trip hassle-free and enjoyable, it truly pays to practice road safety before and while you are behind the wheel. Remember, safety first always!
Here are some road safety tips from AXA Philippines, one of the leading insurance companies in the country:
Have your car checked.
Take your car to your trusted mechanic and have the battery, lights, oil, water, brakes, air, and gas (B.L.O.W.B.A.G.) checked, as well as your air conditioner. Always have a tool kit and a usable spare tire ready, in case of a flat tire.
Get a good rest before you hit the road.
Driving long distances with very little sleep is dangerous as it can affect your alertness and your overall driving skills. Having coffee or a caffeinated drink may not be enough. So get that proper shut-eye — at least six to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep — before that trip.
Plan your route.
When going somewhere far for the first time, it’s best to do research first on the surrounding areas, the best routes to take, and the general road conditions there.
Use a paper map or download a navigation app on your smartphone so you don’t get lost or get stuck in heavy traffic.
Buckle up, even if you’re a rear seat passenger.
It’s important to wear your seatbelt — for the driver as well as front and rear seat passengers. This safety restraint system can protect you in times of collisions and prevent you from hitting the dashboard, the windshield, the seat in front of you, or worse.
Keep your distance.
Be conscious of braking distances and leave a safe space between your vehicle and the one ahead of you, so in case of an abrupt stop, a potential collision can be avoided.
Insure your vehicle.
Having car insurance, like the comprehensive insurance coverage offered by AXA Philippines, can protect you against losses and liabilities arising from road mishaps. AXA Car Insurance is available for purchase online.
Its policy holders can also avail of 24/7 emergency roadside assistance coverage across the country. This insurance product also offers the AXA Assist app, which presents a first-of-its-kind emergency red button. In case of emergencies, the application sends a distress message and location of the policy holder to emergency contact person/s, and AXA Assistance’s command center. What this brings is added peace of mind and security, so you can enjoy your drive and your trip!
To get a quote now, visit www.axa.com.ph.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 6, 2019 | Awards and Competitions
Danlord Kim, Computer Engineering student from San Pedro Laguna won The Big Beauty Challenge Year 3 top prize with his interpretation of the grand face-off theme, “Makeup Transformation”.
Kim competed against nine other aspiring makeup artists and took home a total of P70,000 cash and a trip for two to Phuket, Thailand.
The Danlord shared that he sees makeup as a form of art. “Four years ago, I started doing makeup for fun, but over the years, I started doing easy-fix makeup as well, then prosthetics. Recently, I learned how to do creative makeup.”
On normal days, the freelance makeup artist said that it usually takes him two hours to do his every day makeup. “I really take time with my brow and base foundation because prepping the skin is essential in having good makeup.”
First runner up in the Ever Bilena Big Beauty Challenge Year 3 was AJ Castro. Donald Ancayan came in as second runner up. The contest judges comprised of Ever Bilena’s marketing manager, Olive Padilla, EB Advance brand manager, Creole David, and past champion of Big Beauty Challenge Min Ortiz.
Now on its third year, The Big Beauty Challenge spurred students, makeup enthusiasts and professional makeup artists to create a tutorial on how to achieve a complete makeup look, following a specific theme, only using Ever Bilena products.
Ever Bilena, the country’s leading local cosmetics brand, also carries EB Advance, a full range of high quality products for makeup enthusiasts, and Careline Cosmetics, for edgy and trendy teens. They also include a product line for men and women’s fragrances and personal care products, under the brands, Blackwater and Blackwater Women.
To know more about Ever Bilena and The Big Beauty Challenge Year 3, visit Ever Bilena’s website, www.everbilena.com.ph and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/everbilenacosmetics.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 4, 2019 | Business
Maxicare, the country’s leading healthcare provider, recently partnered with Lalamove, the leading delivery app, to make quality healthcare more accessible to Lalamove partner drivers. Through the partnership, over 25,000 Lalamove partner drivers can avail of discounted healthcare cards such as MyMaxicare Lite, Maxicare PRIMA, and Maxicare E-Ready.
Partner drivers may avail of discounted Maxicare healthcare cards at Lalamove offices in Makati, Alabang, Quezon City, and Cebu. Photo shows (L-R) Lalamove strategic partnerships manager Akiko Sumulong, managing director Dannah Majarocon, together with Maxicare president and CEO Christian Argos, and chief consumer officer Rodelee Uy.
For more information, visit www.maxicare.com.ph.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 1, 2019 | Lifestyle
On its 5th season, the San Miguel Pure Foods Home Foodie Chefs Yen, Martin, and John together with real-life couple Drew Arellano and lya Villania, continue to teach and entertain Home Foodies with resto-inspired and classics with twists but with new and level-up ideas, easy-to-prepare as well as budget-friendly recipes.
Among the new elements for this season is that Home Foodie went out of the kitchen for a fresh ambiance. Some of the cooking demos are done on location with a refreshing view of the Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges as the kitchen backdrop.
Home Foodie also engages more with its Ka-Home Foodie community on recipe ideas, questions, and needs that can be addressed by the show. Drew will roam around the city to personally talk to the viewers and netizens.
And so, the recipes are ka-Home Foodie approved, can be easily replicated by more households, and are suited for every member of the family. Lucky Home Foodies are also invited to the remote kitchen to watch the cooking demos and try the featured dishes.
Join Drew and lya, as they cook various Madalicious and Affordalicious meals for their growing family, together with the San Miguel Culinary Center Celebrity Chefs Llena Tan-Arcenas, Martin Narisma, and John Valley in Home Foodie Season 5.
Chef Yen, Chef Martin, and Chef John of Home Foodie
Home Foodie season 5 will be aired on GMA 7, beginning June 10, 2019, from Monday to Friday, after Unang Hirit.
Home Foodie episodes can also be enjoyed online through their website at www.homefoodie.com.ph, YouTube (Home Foodie), Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts (Home Foodie ph).
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 31, 2019 | Events
To promote the good health and well-being of mothers and their unborn child through safe pregnancy and delivery, the SM Cares Program on Women and Breastfeeding Mothers, hosted an event titled “Mama’s Lullaby, A Musical Event for Expecting Mothers”. This is in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal on good health and well-being.
Held at the Event Center in SM Megamall, the event featured discussions with medical experts wherein attendees picked up useful tips on a safe and healthy pregnancy.
“Looking after yourself during pregnancy is very important, which is why we at SM Cares remain committed to providing awareness to all women and future mothers about proper ways on how to care for both you and your baby,” said Bernadette Velasco, SM Cares Program Director for Women and Breastfeeding Mothers.
Guest speaker Dr. Bianca Katrina Villanueva of the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, the premier organization of Obstetrician-Gynecologists, discussed the stages of pregnancy and shared tips for better intellectual and emotional development of the baby. Meanwhile, Medical Nutrition Physician Dr. Mariana Sioson, talked about breastfeeding and food that will boost nutrition for both mother and baby.
The highlight of the event was a symphony performance of String Fusion, which serenaded the mommies and their babies, as it is believed that music can have a potential positive impact on the baby’s mental and emotional development.
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).
As a responsible integrated property developer, SM ensures that its CSR programs serve as a catalyst for positive change in the communities that it supports. To know more about SM Cares, you may visit www.smcares.com.ph, www.facebook.com/OfficialSMCares or email sm*****@**********ls.com.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 29, 2019 | Business
The Insurance Commission (IC) recently renewed the business licenses of AXA Philippines, one of the leading insurance companies in the country, and its wholly owned subsidiary, Charter Ping An Insurance Corp.
The renewal signifies that AXA Philippines’ life and general insurance businesses are in good standing with the IC and that the companies can continue offering their superior life and general insurance products to their customers, thereby helping them to live better and more empowered lives. The photo shows AXA Philippines chief customer officer, Amor Balagtas with insurance commissioner Hon. Dennis Funa.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 29, 2019 | Business
LBC is consistently innovating to make sure their customers get above-par services, that make their lives easier and better. One of the upgrades they have introduced is their Online Booking- which is available through the LBC website.
Presently available in MetroManila and in the Middle East, LBC Online Booking is another premium service that lets customers schedule the pick-up of their “Padala” by logging on to https://online-booking.lbcexpress.com. Here, customers get to choose the most convenient schedule for their shipment’s pick-up by following three simple steps:
- Select the date of pickup.
- Input customer information and shipment details, e.g. document or package.
- An LBC representative will then contact the customer to confirm the booking so they can proceed to pick up the items
With Online Booking, LBC has given customers a convenient alternative to going to the branch themselves to personally process the shipment of their items to LBC-serviced areas in the Philippines and around the world.
LBC Online Booking is one of the value-added services that all its retail and corporate customers can avail as part of the company’s ongoing Digital Transformation. As LBC continues to enhance the transactional capabilities of their website, so have they started to speed up their logistical processes to complement the bookings. This means that, soon enough, the pick-up times offered by Online Bookings will be reduced from the current one day waiting time.
LBC is always looking for opportunities to help ease the everyday life of individuals, businesses and communities. And as the demand for digitization increase, LBC assures that they will be keeping stride to make sure that their customers get the kind of services they seek.
About LBC
LBC is the Philippines’ market leader in retail and corporate courier & cargo, money remittance, and logistics services. With a growing network of over 6,400 branches, hubs & warehouses, partners, and agents in over 30 countries, LBC is committed to moving lives, businesses, and communities and delivering smiles around the world.
Listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange through LBC Express Holdings, Inc., LBC aims to deliver value to all of its stakeholders, as it has for over 60 years. Founded in 1945 as a brokerage and air cargo agent, LBC pioneered time-sensitive cargo delivery and 24-hour door-to-door delivery in the Philippines.
Today, it is the most trusted logistics brand of the Global Filipino. LBC can move it for you:
- visit www.lbcexpress.com
- or call telephone +632 8585 999 (Metro Manila), 1 800 10 8585 999 (Provincial), +632 9086 522 (Solutions)
- and follow LBCExpress (Facebook and Twitter).
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 28, 2019 | Events
Last May 16 and 17, 2019, in celebration of Labor Day Month, FastJobs – Philippines’ fastest growing online jobs portal – gave away free tickets to Star City to 200 families, gathering over 800 at Rizal Park where the event was held.
“FastJobs came up with this event because we believe that family is the reason why our Jobseekers are motivated to find work and improve their family’s lives. This gathering gives them the opportunity to actually enjoy the fruits of their hard work and spend it with people they love most,” shares Sebastian San, the Assistant Director, Regional Partnerships of FastJobs. “At FastJobs, we understand and fully support the family-oriented culture of the Filipino.”
As a pioneering HR tech company, FastJobs has for years been the champion of the blue-collar worker, also regarded as the “forgotten, unsung heroes.” “They are the backbone of the economy, and it is only fitting that we make it easier for them to find the jobs that match their skills and which meet the needs of employers.”
The FastJobs App
FastJobs is a re-imagination of the ultimate hiring platform, built for speed and efficiency with mobile-first innovations such as FastChat, Resume Builder, and Group Broadcast Capabilities. This helps employers save time and resources to hire fast.
The platform works by having the jobseekers download the FastJobs App on their mobiles. After registering, they can immediately start submitting their job applications.
With FastJobs’ easy-to-use features, it is a quick and simple process for jobseekers to apply for job opportunities.
On the other hand, employers are also empowered. They are given access to a web-based dashboard to manage candidates and job applications, as well as provided analytics to hire more effectively. With FastChat, they save time and avoid missed connections with jobseekers through the instant messaging feature.
“What sets FastJobs apart is really our focus on the blue-collar workforce, mobile-first approach, and our innovative features,” adds San. “In addition, we believe that our after-sales support is extremely important. This is so that our employers receive the help they need and find the right talent. Fast!”
FastJobs is more than just a job searching portal, it helps build community and brings back dignity to manual labor. Here, Filipinos will find not only like-minded partners and jobseekers, but discover a world of greater work opportunity.
The FastJobs mobile app is now available for download in Singapore, Malaysia, and Philippines at the Android Play store and Apple App store.
About FastJobs
FastJobs is Philippines’ fastest growing online jobs portal that focuses on recruitment of the Blue-Collar Workforce.
Founded by Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) as a startup, the platform was officially launched in April 2015 and has been transforming the way people are connected to jobs, with over 1 million mobile application downloads across the region.
The company’s vision is, “To provide everyone equal access to job opportunities”. As FastJobs expands across Southeast Asia, the company utilizes key data insights to support better job matching; promoting greater personal economic growth and improving peoples’ lives.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 28, 2019 | Business
The PROVIDERS Multi-Purpose Cooperative (PMPC), a financial cooperative headquartered in the Province of Isabela, is embracing digital financial services. PMPC launched its digital transformation to better serve members of their cooperative.
For cooperatives like PMPC, exceeding members’ expectations and augmenting impact in their lives are measures of its service excellence. To continue growing and meeting their members’ changing demands, PMPC adopts innovations and new technologies to get ahead of a rapidly evolving business environment.
With this member-centric purpose, PMPC set its sights on a cloud-based core banking system to better understand and serve its members and community more efficiently. With the approval from the PMPC Board of Directors, PMPC’s leaders chose Oradian as its cloud-based core banking provider and partner in digital transformation.
With Oradian’s cloud-based core banking system, Instafin, PMPC’s team has a real-time, 360-degree view of their members’ financial activity with PMPC in one place, available with just a few clicks. In the past, PMPC’s team had to go through a complex, multistep process to see a comprehensive view of their accounts.
Instafin has enabled PMPC to serve its members better through more accessible financial services and improved service and led to financial growth. Providers’ commitment to financial inclusion in its community and its pioneering spirit to embrace modern technology has led to sustainable growth. In 2017, Providers increased its lending activity by 50% from P993.30 million in 2016 to P1.49 billion in 2017.
With more flexibility and cloud-based solutions Instafin can offer, PMPC is able to reach more individuals in its communities and provide access to digital financial services while maintaining high levels of security. PMPC’s operations and their members’ data is protected by best-in-class security practices.
The Financial Inclusion Report
According to the national financial inclusion report by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the future of the financial system lies in going digital with cloud technology. As Providers and over 75 other financial institutions using Oradian’s cloud-based core banking platform, cloud technology provides the gateway to this future.
About Oradian
Oradian is a financial inclusion company serving financial institutions in remote, hard-to-reach communities. Using insights from its community of customers, Oradian offers a cloud-based platform that visionary financial institutions leverage to access best practice and efficiency.
Its global community is made up of over 75 financial institutions in eleven countries. Collectively, Oradian’s community of financial institutions provides access to financial services for over 3.3 million end-clients.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 26, 2019 | Yummy Reviews
We love to eat. On my in-law’s side we find every occasion to meet up and just eat. When it comes to places to eat we like to try new places that are not too expensive and are reputed to serve delicious food.
For my mother-in-law’s birthday (May 25), Erika (my daughter) and I searched online and decided to try out Locavore. As half the family is from the south and half from the north we opted to try out the branch at BGC.
Appetizers
While waiting for the others to arrive we ordered the Street Food Platter, the Singkamas, Mangga, at Bagoong, and the Pulutang Lamang Dagat. Unfortunately, no pictures of these as we were so hungry we just dived into them. 😀 Taste-wise there was no surprises here but the presentation was beautiful.
The street food platter had squid balls, fish balls, kikiam, and kwek kwek and there were 3 dipping sauces to choose from – manong’s sauce (which is the standard sauce made by tusok tusok vendors), sweet chili sauce, and honey vinaigrette sauce.
The singkamas, mangga’t bagoong had three slices of green mango, 5 slices of singkamas and three dipping sauces to choose from – bagoong alamang, and two others I can’t recall.
Main dishes
There were so many things we wanted to try and with 12 people in the group it was easy to order anything we wanted and just pass the dish down the table. But we did exercise some restraint and ordered the following with a couple of platters of rice:
Gising gising
I knew that everyone was going to order a meat dish so the first order I placed was gising gising (sigadillas, french beans, shallots, and garlic) cooked in gata. The flavor just exploded in my mouth! The vegetables were crunchy and the sauce was just delicious! I am sure to order this again.
Oyster sisig and sizzling sinigang
While technically an appetizer we ordered the oyster sisig as a viand along with one of their best sellers, sizzling sinigang. The sizzling sinigang is Locavore’s reinvention of the Filipino staple sinigang. Instead of a tamarind based soup, they made a tamarind gravy instead.
The oyster sisig may take some getting used to for some as oysters (as you know) are slimy, but it was really good!
The sizzling sinigang, however, deserves all the praise it has been getting online. Muy delicioso to the last drop of sauce and to the last bite!
Beef Pares Stew (sorry for the blurry pic)
We know what beef pares tastes like but we wanted to taste what their take on this Filipino breakfast dish was going to be like.
We also ordered the Mac’s Boneless Fried Chicken but again, like before, we were too hungry to take a photo of it. 😀 Personally, I didn’t like it. I found it too salty but they seemed ok with it so maybe it was just me.
Dessert
Turon con Leche
At first, Erika was iffy about trying this because she isn’t a fan of banana but when I read the ingredients out to her and she discovered there was no banana she decided to go ahead and order this. Have you ever tasted a Portuguese Egg Tart? That’s basically what it tastes like. It is flaky and filled with custard and flan. Yum!
Torta Mangga
So many restaurants have their own version of this delicious dessert. Think of it as a sans rival with sliced mangoes on top. It is difficult to go wrong with ripe mangoes 😀
Other food orders
Champorado ni Speedy
We ordered Champorado ni Speedy because we were curious about how champorado would taste with cream cheese in it. Champorado is comfort food so we were curious how they could make it different and their own.
I personally loved this one. Chocolate rice pudding topped with powdered milk with a dollop of cream cheese and both evaporated and condensed milk served on the side. After mixing it up we all got a serving of this and I opted to take it without the additional milk. Perfect! I prefer the slightly bitter taste of dark chocolate so this suited me to a tee. I admit I went back for seconds. 😀
We also ordered Duck Lugaw (also no picture) which was lugaw with foie gras. As this arrived late I didn’t even get to taste it anymore but I am assuming that it tasted good.
All in all, we loved Locavore! While the price of the food items is a bit on the high side, it makes up for it in taste. Twelve people ate, all that food less senior and PWD discount and our total bill were a little over 6k. That isn’t too bad for a birthday dinner.
Locavore has more than just the BGC branch. If I am correct there is also one in Makati and another in Kapitolyo, Pasig. Find the one nearest you and try it out for yourself.
Driving long distances with very little sleep is dangerous as it can affect your alertness and your overall driving skills. Having coffee or a caffeinated drink may not be enough. So get that proper shut-eye — at least six to nine hours of uninterrupted sleep — before that trip.
When going somewhere far for the first time, it’s best to do research first on the surrounding areas, the best routes to take, and the general road conditions there.
It’s important to wear your seatbelt — for the driver as well as front and rear seat passengers. This safety restraint system can protect you in times of collisions and prevent you from hitting the dashboard, the windshield, the seat in front of you, or worse.
Be conscious of braking distances and leave a safe space between your vehicle and the one ahead of you, so in case of an abrupt stop, a potential collision can be avoided.
Having car insurance, like the comprehensive insurance coverage offered by AXA Philippines, can protect you against losses and liabilities arising from road mishaps. AXA Car Insurance is available for purchase online.
Ever Bilena, the country’s leading local cosmetics brand, also carries EB Advance, a full range of high quality products for makeup enthusiasts, and Careline Cosmetics, for edgy and trendy teens. They also include a product line for men and women’s fragrances and personal care products, under the brands, Blackwater and Blackwater Women.
On its 5th season, the San Miguel Pure Foods Home Foodie Chefs Yen, Martin, and John together with real-life couple Drew Arellano and lya Villania, continue to teach and entertain Home Foodies with resto-inspired and classics with twists but with new and level-up ideas, easy-to-prepare as well as budget-friendly recipes.
LBC is the Philippines’ market leader in retail and corporate courier & cargo, money remittance, and logistics services. With a growing network of over 6,400 branches, hubs & warehouses, partners, and agents in over 30 countries, LBC is committed to moving lives, businesses, and communities and delivering smiles around the world.
The platform works by having the jobseekers download the FastJobs App on their mobiles. After registering, they can immediately start submitting their job applications.
FastJobs is Philippines’ fastest growing online jobs portal that focuses on recruitment of the Blue-Collar Workforce.
You must be logged in to post a comment.