by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 19, 2018 | Sports
AXA, the official insurance partner of the NBA in the Philippines, supported young Filipino basketball players as they participated in the Jr. NBA Philippines presented by Alaska Regional Selection Camp in Metro Manila.
AXA backed Johnrey Catalan, Jamir Baldomar, Christian Jaojoco, Dexter Lugmay, Razel de Torres, John Greg Gawat, and Jam Lachica, who joined over 800 young players ages 10-14 at the tryouts held in Don Bosco Technical Institute, Makati City.
AXA supports the NBA’s global youth basketball participation program, which teaches the fundamental skills and core values of basketball.
For more information, visit axa.com.ph/nba. Photo shows AXA chief customer officer Amor Balagtas (fourth from left) and coach Dick Gawat (leftmost) with the AXA-sponsored kids.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 18, 2018 | Awards and Competitions, Beauty

Trisha Denise Montero as an extra-terrestrial
Trisha Denise Montero, design graduate and young mother from Las Piñas City, won The Big Beauty Challenge Year 2 top prize with her whimsical rendition of the grand finals theme, Extra-terrestrial.
Montero, who first won in the weekly Disney Princess-themed challenge, bested nine other aspiring makeup artists. She took home P70,000 cash and P30,000 worth of Ever Bilena makeup products.
The cosplayer, who took a break when she became a mom, said, “I’m very grateful to have a family who supports my passions. Winning The Big Beauty Challenge will give me the opportunity to go back to cosplaying and support my family at the same time.”
Katherine Catiis won the special People’s Choice Award and P20,000 in cash. She had the most number of Facebook likes and shares. Hajie Alejandro received P30,000 as first runner-up while Zjhay Taupan P15,000 as second runner-up.
Competition judges were Ever Bilena executives, including key accounts manager Denise Sy-Muñez, marketing manager Olive Padilla and brand manager Christel Roca.
The contest, now on its second year, encouraged students, aspiring and professional makeup artists to create a tutorial on how to achieve a complete makeup look following a specific theme and using only Ever Bilena products.

Ever Bilena, the country’s leading local cosmetics brand, also carries Ever Bilena Advance, a full range of makeup essentials for young professionals, Ever Bilena Naturals for skin care and Careline cosmetics for teens. It also has the Blackwater brand for fragrance and other personal care products.
To know more about Ever Bilena and The Big Beauty Challenge Year 2, visit Ever Bilena’s website, www.everbilena.com.ph and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/everbilenacosmetics
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 17, 2018 | Advocacy
“One in every ten Filipinos aged 6 to 24 years is an out of school child and youth,” according to the results of the 2016 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey (APIS) by Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). That is a total of 3,900,000 out of school youth as of 2016. This number continues to grow as more students drop out of school, due to the inability to afford the high cost of education. One of the key drivers of the cost of education in the Philippines is school supplies.

Viviamo! Inc., makers of the Belle de Jour Power Planner and Navi: Your Life Navigator Journal, believes in the power of education in empowering the future generation. This inspired the company to create its newest product, the BDJ Advocacy Notebooks. These are not only made of quality materials but are also minimally designed to encourage artistry among students.

BDJ Advocacy Notebooks
The words on the cover are also intentional. The statement “Balang araw, ako’y magiging ___” (One day, I will become ___ ) intends to inspire the notebook’s users to dream for themselves. Meanwhile, the words Masigasig (Diligent), Maabilidad (Resourceful) and Malikhain (Creative) aim to motivate its users to keep on pursuing their dreams.
To kick off this project, Viviamo! Inc. launches The Pahina Project: Race to Raise 2000 Notebooks, a campaign that is geared towards providing quality notebooks to chosen beneficiaries for free. The goal of this campaign is to raise 2000 notebooks for donation to select public schools in the Philippines. To reach this number, the rules are simple: for every notebook you buy, we donate one. Viviamo! Inc. also gives options to buy and donate both notebooks to deserving students.

Darlyn Sandra Ty-Nilo, President of Viviamo Inc.
“As an organization, education advocacy is very close to our hearts,” says Darlyn Ty-Nilo, President of Viviamo!Inc.
“We know the challenges being faced by students who have big dreams but don’t have the means to achieve it. Through this advocacy, we can be instrumental in making their dreams come true,” she adds.
To purchase the advocacy notebooks, visit https://ilovebdj.com/the-pahina-project/. For more information about Belle De Jour’s campaigns, visit ilovebdj.com or check out BDJ’s official Facebook and Instagram pages @BDJBuzz.
You can also join in the community’s special groups for exclusive announcements and perks @thebellatribe and @bdjplanwithme.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 16, 2018 | Business
KTM Philippines recently launched its newest tool and one of Austria’s sharpest street weapons, the 790 Duke, at the country’s biggest bike fest, the Inside Racing Bike Festival and Trade Show held at World Trade Center.
It also officially announced its partnership with Ibero Asistencia, the pioneering company for global roadside and travel assistance, as well as its free Zero2Podium motorcycle riding clinic for those who purchased any of the following KTM motorcycles: KTM 200 Duke, KTM 390 Duke, KTM RC200 or KTM RC390 during the 3-day Bikefest.
Presenting the KTM 790 Duke to the guests and spectators were (L-R) Al Camba of Inside Racing, Julian Legazpi, Managing Director of KTM SEA, John Mckweon, Customer Service Manager of KTM SEA, Antonio Toledano, General Manager of Ibero Asistencia, Dino Santos, President and COO of Adventure Cycle Philippines Inc. (ACPI) and Carl Decloedt, Vice President and After Sales Head of ACPI.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 12, 2018 | Lifestyle
Gone are the days when moms were expected to stay at home and do domestic chores. Today’s modern moms have careers and are more active and more adventurous. They deserve gifts that can keep up with their multi-faceted lifestyles.
To complement strong yet elegant moms this Mother’s Day, TechnoMarine is offering newly designed timepieces that reflect their unparalleled courage, elegance, beauty and relentless energy.
Exquisitely crafted to reflect innovation and sophistication, TechnoMarine’s Sea Beauty women’s watch is created with the precision of the Swiss-Ronda movement.
It comes in a 32-mm case made of stainless steel. You can choose between a stylish rose gold and silver dial or a chic yellow gold and silver dial color. Perfect for adventurous and fearless moms, the Sea Beauty timepiece is innovated to withstand water pressure up to 30m.
Inspire mom to go further and explore the world around her. Surprise her with a new TechnoMarine Sea Beauty timepiece.
Visit TechnoMarine stores in Greenbelt 3, Robinson’s Galleria, Robinson’s Magnolia, Shangri-La Plaza, SM City Cebu, SM Lanang Premier Davao, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, and Uptown Mall. For more information, visit https://www.technomarine.com or follow and like TechnoMarine on Facebook and Instagram @TechnoMarinePH.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 11, 2018 | Business
DoubleDragon Properties, a listed property development firm, is keen on increasing its recurring income stream to as much as 90% by 2020. This was revealed during the recent launch of Hotel 101-Fort, the newest addition to their growing hotel portfolio that’s presently under construction in Taguig.

DoubleDragon president Ferdinand Sia (far right) with (L-R) Hotel of Asia general manager Lei Apostol, DoubleDragon sales head Tina Dy, and DoubleDragon chief investment officer Hannah Yulo at the grand launch of DoubleDragon’s Hotel 101-Fort
This comes on the heels of P2.53 billion net profit posted last year, up by 71.8 percent from the previous year, boosted by higher recurring profits with rental revenues growing by 238.4 percent to P909.2 million or 19.8 percent of total revenues.
“Our target for 2020 is to have 1.2 million square meters of leasable space,” said DoubleDragon chief investment officer Hannah Yulo. “We’re very focused on 2020 target and its 5.5 billion net income target by 2020 because our main focus is to deliver the leasable space in the portfolio of DoubleDragon.”
To achieve this target, Yulo also shared that the company expects to derive recurring revenues from its hotel management arm, Hotel of Asia, Inc., which manages Hotel 101 and Jinjiang Inn, as well as through its newest venture, CentralHub, its industrial leasing subsidiary offering standardized multi-use warehouses for commissaries, logistics, and cold storage facilities.
Hotel 101-Fort is a 33-storey business and leisure hotel set on a 1,224 sq. m. lot. Hotel 101-Fort houses a total of 609 units. The unit owner’s share in revenue is 30% of gross revenues.
DoubleDragon also aims to ramp up its CityMall brand by building 100 malls in the provincial areas and to expand its Metro Manila office leasing portfolio, which includes the DD Meridian Park in the Bay Area and Jollibee Tower in Ortigas, with the latter set to be completed by end of 2018.
For more information, visit www.doubledragon.com.ph.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 9, 2018 | Awards and Competitions
They come from different backgrounds and generations, but the new Century Tuna Superbods Ageless winners have one thing in common – they all want to serve as inspiration to other people.
Angel Jones, Johann Ludovica, Jules Aquino and Maureen Montagne have fulfilled their dreams after emerging as winners in the competition. They now serve as fitspirations so that others can become better versions of themselves.
Greg Banzon, EVP and COO of Century Pacific Food, Inc., said, “Through Century Tuna Superbods Ageless, we do not only recognize fit and sexy individuals but also promote healthy lifestyles for everyone regardless of age, gender and status in life.”
This year’s competition, which had its finals at the Cove in Okada Manila, was divided into two categories: the Superbods, which consisted of 20 finalists aged 18-37; and, for the first time, the Ageless category, which consisted of 20 finalists aged 38-50. Montagne and Aquino won in the Superbods category while Jones and Ludovica were the first winners in the Ageless category.

Ageless female grand winner Angel Jones
Jones, a 40-year-old mother of two, found the Century Tuna Superbods Ageless competition a good venue for meeting other people, learning their stories and inspiring others.
She said, “I want to show every woman that it’s possible to have kids, have a career and survive all the struggles but still look fantastic and gorgeous.”
Typical day for her consists of breakfast preparation for her actor son Tony Labrusca at 6AM, workout at 8AM, lunch preparation for her daughter at 10AM, errands and meetings in the afternoon, and finally, a quiet and cozy evening with kids.

Ageless male grand winner Johann Ludovica
On the other hand, Ludovica’s daily activities always include basic fitness routines like basketball, weight lifting and regular gym workout. He remains disciplined, responsible and driven despite the stress caused by his work as a BPO (business process outsourcing) trainer. The 42-year-old is fit, sexy body and self-confident. He advised his fellow contestants to “believe because you can. And if you need help, ask me.”

Superbods female grand winner Maureen Montagne
Although she grew up in the US, female Superbod winner Montagne had always been proud of her Filipino roots and showed her appreciation for her heritage by helping and inspiring Filipino children. The 24-year-old Fil-Am model said, “I hope to use my new found resources to continue volunteering and be able to give back to others.” Montagne stays fit by going to the gym 3 to 4 times a week or doing exercises on a yoga mat at home.

Superbods male grand winner Jules Aquino
Aquino, like Montagne, also believes in setting goals. His advice for achieving a healthy physique is to stay consistent and do something fun. “Enjoy the activities and have a positive outlook in life and you will reap countless benefits,” the 24-year-old said. His fitness routine includes Olympic lifting, calisthenics, plyometrics, high-intensity interval training or HIIT, animal flow, yoga, plenty of stretching and mobility work, running (long distances or short sprints), and gymnastics.
Indeed, through Century Tuna Superbods Ageless, these four winners have proven that whatever the age, there is no limit and no boundaries to what you can do to be fit, sexy and healthy.
For more details and updates, visit Century Tuna on Facebook: www.facebook.com/centurytuna.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 8, 2018 | Advocacy
Essilor Vision Foundation (EVF), the philanthropic arm of Essilor, the world’s leading ophthalmic optics company, in partnership with the Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists (IPAO), recently launched Marawi 2020, an advocacy campaign dedicated to bringing free eye care and 20,000 eye-glasses to residents of Marawi by year 2020.
It is also set to create a sustainable access to vision care by creating an Eye & Vision Clinic at the Department of Health (DOH) Hospital in Marawi and providing livelihood to local optometrists.
Present during the event were (L-R): Essilor Philippines marketing executive JV Velasco and marketing manager Jinky Navo, EVF ASEAN head Germaine Lye, Marawi City senior consultant on Health and Social Services Dr. Emelda Gandamra-Taib, Essilor regional VP for ASEAN and Korea Kathy Park, Essilor Philippines general manager Dr. Emelita Roleda, Essilor marketing head for AMERA (Asia Pacific, Middle East, Russia and Africa) Ivan Chuavon and Essilor commercial manager Dr. Kyle Galias.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 5, 2018 | Lifestyle
This Mother’s day, give mom the perfect gift to highlight her unique fashion style. TechnoMarine offers timepieces with newdesigns that reflect mom’s strength and elegance.
Crafted with the precision of Swiss-Ronda movement, TechnoMarine Sea Beauty women’s watch comes in a 32-mm case made of stainless steel. You can choose between the Sea Beauty stylish rose gold and silver dial color; or the Sea Beauty in a chic yellow gold and silver dial color. Perfect for adventurous and fearless moms, the Sea Beauty timepiece can withstand water pressure up to 30m.
Let mom’s fashion style shine this Mother’s Day with 30% discount on TechnoMarine’s Sea Beauty watches and other featured collections from May 2 to 13, 2018. Visit TechnoMarine stores in Greenbelt 3, Robinson’s Galleria, Robinson’s Magnolia, Shangri-La Plaza, SM City Cebu, SM Lanang Premier Davao, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, North Edsa, TriNoma, and Uptown Mall.
For more information, visit www.technomarine.com or like and follow TechnoMarine on facebook: www.facebook.com/TechnoMarinePH.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 4, 2018 | Lifestyle
The brightest gift for mom is within your reach this Mother’s Day. My Diamond offers a 45% discount on all jewelry from May 2 to 13, 2018 at all My Diamond stores nationwide!
You can choose an 18k white gold ring with six pieces 0.54 carat diamond surrounded with 109 pieces of 0.64 diamonds from the Dream Collection, sliding diamond bangles of 18k white gold with 174 pieces of 1.25 carat diamonds or 14k white gold with 119 pieces of 0.77 carat diamonds, or classic baguette pave bangle of 14k white gold with 71 pieces of 1.44 carat diamonds.
This Mother’s Day, give something completely precious to someone who is truly diamond worthy with jewelry pieces from any My Diamond concept store in Ayala Center Cebu, Festival Mall, Gateway Mall, Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 3, LuckyChinatown Mall, Robinsons Place Manila, SM Lanang Premier Davao, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, and SM Aura Premier.
For more information, follow and like My Diamond on facebook at www.facebook.com/MyDiamondPH.
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