by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 19, 2018 | Advocacy

Volunteers sign up for the beach clean-up
Recently, the Pioneer Adhesives Foundation, Inc. conducted a beach cleanup event at Villa Beach in Arevalo, Iloilo City. Over 100 volunteers participated in the event, which concluded with over 300 kilograms of trash being collected from the beach and properly disposed of.
The event was spearheaded by Pioneer Adhesives Foundation’s Executive Director Martina Spakowski, in fulfillment of the organization’s advocacy of education, disaster relief, and environmental protection.
“The Philippines is home to the most abundant and diverse marine ecosystems on the planet and it is terribly under threat due to several factors, one of which being that we are the third largest contributor of ocean trash in the world. This threat can be eliminated and we believe that by involving individuals in activities like this they will begin to realize the environmental impacts of our daily habits and this hopefully leads to smarter purchase decisions to reduce our trash output.”
The beach cleanup represented both a drive for awareness and a concrete action to help protect our environment. It was a timely gesture that reflects the values of World Environment Day, which took place just recently on June 5 and in which more than 143 countries are a part of every year. This year’s theme was “Beat Plastic Pollution” and Pioneer’s beach cleanup support this thrust by preventing over 300kgs of trash from entering the ocean and posing a threat to marine life.

The beach cleanup underway
In a time when trash is beginning to fill our oceans and marine life is being threatened, the call to action has never been louder for us to do our part and make more conscious decisions to help preserve the life of our oceans.
It is through The Foundation that Pioneer Adhesives, Inc. spreads its commitment as a responsible Filipino company.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 18, 2018 | Entertainment
Leading dental clinic, Gan Advanced Osseointegration Center (GAOC), led by its President and CEO Dr. Steve Mark Gan recently feted loyal clients, partners, and employees to a special block screening of the blockbuster romantic drama ‘Kasal’, in support of stars Derek Ramsay, Bea Alonzo, and Cherie Gil, all of whom are proud members of the growing GAOC family. Photo shows Dr. Steve Mark Gan and Derek Ramsay.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 12, 2018 | Advocacy

Thomas Buberl, AXA CEO
AXA, the leading global insurer, reaffirms its commitment to sustainability as it joins the fight against climate change. Thomas Buberl, AXA CEO, announced several initiatives and decisions that are to be set in motion in the areas of investments, divestments, and insurance.
“As a global insurer and investor, we know that we have a key role to play and are proud to have taken these decisions and to have inspired others,” said Buberl. “In the spirit of the Paris Agreement, we want to accelerate our commitment and confirm our leadership in the fight against global warming.”
In the investments front, AXA aims to reach Euro 12 billion in green investments by 2020, which is four times the 2015 achieved target of Euro 3 billion. This accelerated target is twice as high as the recommendation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is to invest 1% of assets into green and clean technology by 2020.
In the area of Divestments, AXA decided two years ago to divest Euro 500 million from the coal industry, targeting companies, which derive over 50% of their revenues from coal. Today, AXA has decided to increase its divestment to a record fivefold or Euro 2.4 billion, this time targeting companies that derive more than 30% of their revenues from coal, have a coal-based energy mix that exceeds 30%, actively build new coal plants, or produce more than 20 million tons of coal per year.
Similarly, AXA also announced the divestment of over Euro 700 billion from the main oil sand producers and associated pipelines, signaling the discontinuation of investments in these businesses.
In the field of Insurance, AXA said that as a group, it would no longer be insuring new coal construction projects as well as main oil sands and associated pipelines.
AXA has also partnered recently with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in spearheading an innovative USD 500 million fund to support climate related infrastructure projects in emerging countries.
AXA is currently the second largest life insurance company in the Philippines, based on Total Premium Income. Since 1999, AXA has focused on life insurance and providing solutions for savings and investments, health, education, income protection, and retirement. It pioneered bancassurance operations in the Philippines, which is the distribution of insurance products through banks.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 11, 2018 | Lifestyle

My Diamond Wedding Bands Set Commitment Collection
Turn your dream wedding into a reality by availing of My Diamond’s exclusive offers from some of the country’s seasoned wedding suppliers.
Buy your engagement ring and wedding bands from My Diamond by August 30, 2018 and get a 30% discount on all packages from Jake Olaso Wedding Films; and 20% discount on event coverage from Sunday Morning Studios Photography.
As an exciting bonus, My Diamond is also offering a 50% discount on engagement rings and wedding bands until June 30, 2018.

My Diamond Wedding Bands Set Devotion Collection
Turn a once-in-a-lifetime event into a timeless memory with the help of trusted wedding experts and My Diamond.
Visit MyDiamond concept stores at Ayala Center Cebu, Festival Supermall, Gateway Mall, Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Robinsons Place Manila, SM Lanang Premier Davao, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, and SM Aura Premier.
For more information, like and follow My Diamond on Facebook and Instagram: MyDiamondPH.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 11, 2018 | Business
Government employees are relatively happy and fulfilled at their jobs, a new study by JobStreet Philippines has found. This runs contrary to the popular belief that government workers are unhappy, as well as the unfounded stigma that the government isn’t beneficial to work for.
In the study, 1,008 government employees – 257 government employees and 751 from JobStreet’s database – were asked to rate their happiness in various criteria related to work environment, such as management/leadership team, job security, and work-life balance. They would rate their happiness in each category on a scale of 1-7, with 7 being the highest. Government employees recorded an average of 4.85 points on this scale. Indeed, in 2017, government emerged as one of the top 3 happiest sectors, alongside hotel/hospitality and food and beverage/restaurant workers.
The biggest drivers of government employees’ happiness were reputation of government agency, relationship with immediate boss, and the mission, vision, and values of their agency. Meanwhile, pain points included lack of travel opportunities, lack of performance bonuses, and low salary.
Job happiness is an important element of work performance and employee health – happier employees are 12% more productive, physically and mentally healthier, and stay with their jobs longer.
The purpose of the study was to inform JobStreet’s government partners what makes jobs in the government attractive to those who work in the private sector, determine the factors that contribute to job happiness in the government, and help partners form strategies to maintain current employees and secure new ones.
“Through the data gathered from this study, we aim to encourage more Filipinos to look past the stigma and prejudice and be more open to working for the government. After all, it does have its wonderful perks,” said Christine Sevilla, JobStreet Philippines’ Senior Manager for Government.
JobStreet also found that 80% of candidates want to work in the government, especially due to the benefits of job security, retirement plans, and career growth, yet only 37% are actually eligible for government work.
This research comes hot on the heels of the recent Civil Service Examinations, held last March. It’s up to JobStreet’s government partners to more efficiently and adequately disseminate information about eligibility for civil service, including the different levels of eligibility associated with the CSE-PPT exam. Another exam is coming up in August, and candidates should be well-informed about what to expect, and how to achieve their desired positions.
“With these results, we recommend that government human resources divisions conduct their own happiness surveys from time to time to help identify areas of improvement for the job satisfaction of their employees, as well as bolster efforts to improve areas where happiness is already at a high level.” said JobStreet Philippines General Manager Philip Gioca.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 9, 2018 | Family and Pets, Ponderings
All dogs go to heaven, that is what they say. I certainly hope it is true because the thought of our little ones not being in heaven right now would break my heart.
Mary
But I guess that correct term is “break my heart even more”. On May 30, 3 days after birth, Little Mary passed away. She waited for me to get home, allowed me to give her vitamins and a little milk, cuddled in my hand and a few minutes later, breathed her last breath.
I cried buckets. My chest hurt so much it physically felt like my heart was breaking in two. Tears rolled down my cheeks and wouldn’t stop. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t help but think that there must have been something I missed, something I failed to do that cause her to die.
I was in denial. I kept hoping that there was actually a way to revive her. I even put her in a towel and held her against my chest as I brought her to the vet all the while massaging her chest, hoping to stimulate a pulse. But when I got there Doc Allan took her from me, checked her for himself. He tried to massage her chest, check for a heartbeat, etc. He then looked at me with a sad face and said there was nothing we could do.
You see, he had seen the pups at 8am that same morning and noticed how much smaller and thinner Mary was than the other pups and he told us that we had to forcefeed about 1 ml. of milk 30 minutes to support her. It was all for naught. We tried our best but she just wasn’t strong enough.
Ylli
After Mary passed away there was one more tiny one left and we called her Ylli. She was a little stronger than Mary and because of what happened with Mary we were extra vigilant with Ylli. We took turns feeding and cuddling her. We made sure she had first dibs on Princess’ milk before letting her sibs anywhere near, just to be sure she does not starve.
At night when it gets cold she slept with me and yesterday morning she opened her eyes for the first time and (I hope) was able to see me. I was so happy! I thought, yes! This one will make it! In my mind I was even thinking “this pup we will keep”. An hour or two later her sibs also opened their eyes.

Ylli grew a little bit and was no longer skin and bones but she was still only 1/3 the size of her sibs. Doc warned me that it was possible that like the first one, she could also have a weak heart and that if she survived she would never be as strong as her siblings.
Now I am left with 3, three precious darlings – more precious to me now than they were before. These three are strong and healthy but I still can’t help but worry.

And though I truly believe that all dogs go to heaven I don’t want them to go there too soon.
Lord, allow them to live long, happy, and healthy lives here on earth. Give them the opportunity to be loved not just by me but also by the families that will adopt them.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 9, 2018 | Stories
A relentless provider, a shoulder to cry on, a jester, a reliable fix-it fellow — dads wear various hats to support their families, and they deserve nothing but the best on their special day. Especially amidst increasing living and leisure costs, there is more pressure for fathers to provide a comfortable life for their household, especially for their children.

Chester Sy with this wife, Juvilyn and their 5 kids. He started the shoe brand TANGGO on Lazada
Chester Sy, a dad to 5 kids, acknowledges this and continuously looks for more opportunities for his family. Three years ago, he started selling his own shoe line named Tanggo (click on the link to be brought to the page) in Lazada Philippines, the country’s leading one-stop online shopping and selling destination. He recognized the opportunity he saw in Lazada, and, “now, it’s a booming industry,” he says.
The entrepreneurial dad juggles managing his online shop with two other ventures, on top of his duties as a husband and as a father. “With an online shop in Lazada, you can control your time and spend more of it with your family,” shares Chester, although he admits that during big sale promotions like Online Revolution, he works longer hours since his store receives a lot of orders. “Even if I’m busy, I try to find time for them, especially at night. We like to watch Netflix.”

Jake Manongdo, owner of SHIPPED FROM PHILIPPINES with his wife Lovelyn and daughter, Summerlove
Like Chester, Jake Manongdo built his shop Shipped From Philippines (click on the link to be brought to the page) on Lazada to support his family. To do this, he welcomes revenue opportunities like being included in flash sales. “I was selected as one of the flash sale sellers during the Lazada Birthday Sale. I told myself, this is it! I’m going to concentrate on this profitable business,” says the pharmacist-turned-entrepreneur.
“Lazada has always helped me for my family’s needs,” Jake further shares. “I built a business focused on this platform and that helped my business grow. I’m investing time, money, and effort on Lazada because this business is inheritable by my daughter, Summerlove, in the future. When she grows up, she can manage it, and it will provide for her, too.”
Chester and Jake are joining thousands of online sellers in treating fathers on their special day! The Lazada Father’s Day Sale offers up to 80% off on gift ideas like gadgets, watches and accessories, and sports items.
To give families more time to prepare their surprises, hot deals and huge discounts will start flying off the shelves as early as June 8 until June 17 at http://pages.lazada.com.ph/wow/i/ph/PHCampaign/fathers-day.
About Lazada Group
Launched in 2012, Lazada is the number one online shopping and selling destination in Southeast Asia – present in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailandand Vietnam.
As the pioneer of the eCommerce ecosystem in Southeast Asia, Lazada helps more than 135,000 local and international sellers as well as 3,000 brands serving the 560 million consumers in the region through its marketplace platform, supported by a wide range of tailored marketing, data, and service solutions.
With over 210 million SKUs available, Lazada offers the widest range of products in categories ranging from consumer electronics to household goods, toys, fashion, sports equipmentand groceries.
Focused on delivering an excellent customer experience, it offers multiple payment methods including cash-on-delivery, comprehensive customer care and hassle-free returns through its own first and last mile delivery arm supported by more than 100 logistics partners. Lazada Group is majority owned by Alibaba Group Holding Limited (NYSE: BABA).
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 8, 2018 | Business
AXA Philippines chief human resource officer Jaspreet Kakar discussed how multinational companies build and sustain talent during the recent Talent Management Asia Conference 2018 at the SM Aura SMX Convention Center in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.
Addressing fellow human resource practitioners, Kakar shared how AXA takes care of its employees:
- by giving importance to purpose and culture;
- empowerment through decentralized decision-making; and
- embodiment of the agile mindset by encouraging active collaboration with one another.
AXA Philippines is one of the country’s leading insurance companies. For more information, visit www.axa.com.ph.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 6, 2018 | Lifestyle
Dad’s Day at SM 2018. Kids and moms can give dad the coolest gift this Dad’s Day season by inviting him to have fun Dadventures with the whole family at SM through the host of awesome activities, deals, and treats in 70 SM Supermalls nationwide.
The month of June marks another exciting season for the whole family as SM Supermalls invites everyone to have fun DAD-ventures on Dad’s Day with a host of awesome and fun-filled activities, deals, and treats in 70 SM malls nationwide.
“Over the years, SM Supermalls provides a second home for families, especially for celebrating important occasions such as Father’s Day. The malls serve as a venue to share family-first moments and to thank dad for all the things he does for his family,” said Jonjon San Agustin, SM Supermalls senior vice president for marketing.
Kids and moms can give dad the coolest gift by the experience of spending Dad’s Day at SM. Adventures include Dad-licious Dining deals, such as upsized meals, dining promos, and meal combos on June 13 to 24 at participating restaurants! Dad’s passion for speed and motorbikes is indulged at Extreme Wheels, an exhibit of pimped-up cars and bikes on June 13 to 18 or June 19 to 24.
Tech for Dads teaches interested fathers how to pilot a drone or remote-controlled gadgets at the drone demo or RC exhibition on June 15 to 17 or June 22 to 24 in select SM malls.
Dads and their families are welcome to shop at SM’s weekend of fun deals and discounts from June 22 to 24 for the #AweSM men’s fashion finds, as SM celebrates 60 #AweSM years in its malls across the country with exciting promos that laud the number 60, such as pay 60% off, pay only P60, pay P60 less, or pay only 60%.
Meanwhile, digital fans of SM can get a chance to win DADmazing prizes by simply joining the #IdolDADS Photo App promo via www.smsupermalls.com.
To know more about #DadsDayAtSM2018 and SM’s #AweSM 60 years celebration, visit www.smsupermalls.com.
For exclusive news about SM Supermalls, visit www.smsupermalls.com or follow SM’s official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and get an insider access to all the fun happenings at SM Supermalls nationwide through SM’s Viber Public Chat. Tweet your thoughts, upload and share your fun Dad-ventures at SM, then use the season’s official hashtag #DadsDayAtSM2018.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Jun 5, 2018 | Lifestyle
You can now buy Cristiano Ronaldo’s signature audio gear in the Philippines. Known as Roc Live Life Loud, the brand features two products: Roc Model II Sports Wireless Earbuds (PHP 6,599) and the Roc Model III Wired Earbuds (PHP 2,799). The headphones are exclusively available on Lazada Philippines. ROC By Ronaldo earphones are made from high quality materials and are equipped with advanced features to provide long-wearing comfort, sweat and water resistance, and superior sound that is high resolution certified.

Roc Model II
ROC audio and fitness gear has been specially designed to help active individuals focus on the music that propels them forward.
Whether you’re looking for premium sound, design, or technology to suit your active lifestyle — ROC is here to deliver.
ROC audio uses exclusive technology to achieve the highest precision sound experience without sacrificing style or functionality. That means that whether you’re listening through earbuds or headphones, on the field or at the gym, you’ll have the pure sound performance you need to focus and stay motivated for greatness.

Roc Model III
Quality materials, fit and finishing all help to ensure that ROC products continually look as good as they sound. With precision engineering and innovative features developed specially to meet the needs of an active lifestyle, you can be rest assured that every piece of ROC gear is designed to help you be your best.
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