Monthly Archives: February 2019

Shopee Unveils BLACKPINK as Official Campaign Ambassador for Shopee 3.3 Mega Shopping Day

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Look forward to free shipping, flash sales starting at ₱33, ₱3 million worth of Shopee vouchers, and more from February 15

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, announces BLACKPINK as the official campaign ambassador for Shopee 3.3 Mega Shopping Day, and debuts the eagerly-anticipated BLACKPINK television commercial in the Philippines. In addition, Shopee launches the first YG Official Shop in the Philippines on February 11, giving Filipino K-Pop fans exclusive access to official YG merchandise from their favorite artists, including BLACKPINK, WINNER, and iKON.

Shopee is offering fans exclusive deals to celebrate the launch of YG Official Shop and the brand new BLACKPINK commercial. Users can score 10% off the official BLACKPINK lightstick on YG Official Shop from February 11 to 18, and 20% off in a special flash sale on February 12.

Happening from February 15 to March 3, Shopee 3.3 Mega Shopping Day promises yet another wave of unbeatable promotions. Users can enjoy free shipping for purchases as low as ₱99, flash sales starting at ₱33, and ₱3 million worth of vouchers up for grabs. Stay tuned for further exciting updates about Shopee 3.3 Mega Shopping Day this week.

For more information about Shopee 3.3 Mega Shopping Day, visit http://shopee.ph/3-3

Visit the official YG Official Shop on Shopee at https://shopee.ph/ygofficial.ph

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

Citi strengthens partnership with Land Bank with cross border payment solutions

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Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed (3rd from right) celebrates the partnership with a handshake with Land Bank of the Philippines president and CEO Alex Buenaventura (3rd from left). They are joined by (L-R): Treasury and Trade Solutions country head Arlene Nethercott, Land Bank Treasury and Investment Banking Sector head Carel Halog, Citi ASEAN Treasury and Trade Solutions head Debopama Sen and Corporate and Investment Banking head Vikram Singh.

Citi, through Citibank Europe PLC, has signed an agreement with Land Bank of the Philippines to be the exclusive payment service provider for cross border solutions via Citi’s WorldLink® Payment Services. The partnership enables Land Bank to extend their payment service networks to include over 40 currencies, allowing the government-owned bank to deliver funds to beneficiaries around the globe in the currency that they need.The partnership was commemorated last November 8 by representatives of Citi and Land Bank of the Philippines, led by Land Bank president and CEO Alex Buenaventura, Land Bank Treasury and Investment Banking Sector head Carel Halog, Citi Philippines

CEO and country officer Aftab Ahmed, Citi ASEAN Treasury and Trade Solutions (TTS) head Debopama Sen, Treasury and Trade Solutions country head Arlene Nethercott, Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) head Vikram Singh, and CIB Public Sector head Aesha Pabillon.

At the event, Citi and Land Bank recognized the importance of the partnership and potential for the platform to drive improved operational efficiency through cost savings for Land Bank and other government agencies.

“Through this partnership and with the use of WorldLink®, we hope our government agencies will be more efficient, transparent and provide better service to Filipinos here and overseas,” said Land Bank president and CEO Alex Buenaventura.

According to Citi’s ASEAN TTS head Debopama Sen, “We value this partnership with Land Bank and the opportunity to showcase Citi’s comprehensive range of digitally enabled treasury, trade and liquidity management solutions.”

WorldLink®, Citi’s leading cross-border payments solution is used by over 1,200 financial institutions globally, to efficiently make payments in more than 130 currencies and 195 countries. WorldLink® offers an unparalleled solution delivering cost efficiencies, automation, consistent reporting, robust security, and compliance with evolving and complex regulatory requirements.

La Festa Degli Innamorati with Villa Del Conte

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No one is more passionately in-love with being in-love than the Italians. In fact, in Italy, they have a celebration called “La Festa Degli Innamorati” or Feast of Lovers, which lasts for four days to a month and is strictly celebrated between couples, where they exchange flowers, love notes, romantic candlelit dinners and delicious chocolates.

This Love Month, Villa Del Conte shares the Italian tradition of La Festa Degli Innamorati with their Amore Gift Collection of creative, rich and authentic Italian chocolates masterfully handcrafted from Padova, Italy. You can choose from Villa Del Conte Amore Chocolate Gift Box that contains 115 grams of rich assorted pralines; Amore 5g square with 50% dark chocolate; Amore 100g chocolate bar; or Amore Crate Gift Set.

The Amore 100g chocolate bar is available in two flavors: dark chocolate with crunchy toffee and sea salt, and milk chocolate with hazelnut chips. Meanwhile, the Amore Crate Gift is a romantic combination of decadent Villa Del Conte chocolates, fresh roses and fragrant wine on a rustic wooden crate. Visit Villa del Conte stores in Greenbelt 5, SM Megamall, and Robinsons Magnolia. For bulk orders and to know more about Villa Del Conte’s indulgent creations, contact 893-2575, visit www.villadelcontecioccolato.com, or follow them on Facebook and Instagram: @VillaDelContePh and on Twitter: @villadelconte.

Cebuana Lhuillier wins international customer service awards for second time

Cebuana Lhuillier officers join Jean Henri Lhuillier, President and CEO in posing with the International Service Excellence award was during the company’s Client Experience Awards. (from left to right : Rolando Dario, Regional Manager, Jose Miguel Jimenez, First Vice President and Head of Pawnshop Operations, Ergilio Ong, First Vice President and Head of Information and Communications Technology, Marissa Ancog, First Vice President and Head of Corporate Planning, Jean Henri Lhuillier, President and CEO, Feliciano Vizcarra, Regional Manager, Vincent Gomez, Regional Manager, Joel Da Costa, Regional Manager)

Cebuana Lhuillier, the Philippines’ largest microfinancial services provider, won once again the distinction of being the ‘Best of the Best’ at the recently concluded 2018 International Service Excellence Awards (ISEA) by the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA). The award cemented the company’s legacy as a global leader in service experience.

“To receive this award for the second time validates the positive results of our tireless efforts to continuously improve and provide only the best customer experience to every client we serve,” said Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier. The well-respected Filipino businessman and philanthropist added, “On behalf of the company, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to CSIA for recognizing Cebuana Lhuillier once again as a pillar of excellence in quality customer service. We will continue to find new and innovative ways to offer products and services that are more accessible and relevant to our patrons and that adhere to international customer service standards.”

CSIA Managing Director Christine Churchill noted that the winners of this year’s ISEA are organizations and individuals that are committed to service excellence by using a brilliant combination of their people and cutting edge technology to enhance their client experiences.

“The 2018 awards race was absolutely outstanding! The calibre of entries and variety of industries represented were the most to date,” added Churchill who is also the vice president of the International Council of Customer Service Organizations (ICCSO). “It is exciting to see the great strides these organizations and leaders are taking.”

ISEA adheres to the International Customer Service Standard (ICSS), which provides a comprehensive and practical framework to assist organizations in delivering consistently high levels of service. This standard, based on the balanced scorecard methodology, reviews organizations to determine if the customer is the focus of the business and how that is supported through culture, processes, procedures, training, hiring practices, and daily actions.

It was in 2016 when Cebuana Lhuillier bagged its first “Best of the Best” award. In the same year, the company also secured its re-certified ICSS Gold status and achieved an overall average score of 8.70, the highest achieved by an organization, for the second year in a row.

JUXTA:POSITION; An Impressive Exhibition of Traditional Cordillera pieces

For the first time in the Philippines, an impressive collection of traditional Cordillera pieces will be seen in public alongside artworks by 20th and 21st-‐century Filipino abstract artists.

Owned by Hong Kong-‐based AsianArt:Future (AA:F), which is chaired by Swiss Martin Kurer, some of the collection will be on display at 1335Mabini in Karrivin Plaza, Pasong Tamo Extension, Makati, from February 16 to March 2, 2019.

Aptly titled “JUXTA:POSITION”, the exhibition comes as a result of Kurer’s particular interest in the universal and widespread use of the aesthetics of reduction, something present he says in the carved wooden figures or bulul, which are closely associated with the Ifugao peoples of Northern Luzon.

A three-‐part book, JUXTA:POSITION (The Aesthetics of Reduction), will be made available to the public. In it, Kurer goes into greater detail on the aestheticism of the carvings of the Cordillera peoples, which he says can also be perceived and described utilizing an artistic vocabulary similar to the one of the Abstract Art movement. The second and third parts highlight the bululs, boxes, kinahu, and spoons of the Cordillera peoples, mostly from the 19th century and earlier, and a number of abstract paintings from Filipino artists, as photographed by At Maculangan of Pioneer Studios, Manila.

Similar exhibitions have been done before by the Museum of Modern Art, New York in 1988 and accompanied by William Rubin’s catalogue “The Primitivism of Modern Art”, and in 2009 at Fondation Beyeler in Riehen/Basel titled “Visual Encounters, Africa, Oceanic, and Modern Art”, which showed tribal masterpieces alongside works of Vincent van Gogh, Paul Cezanne, Vassily Kandisnky, Rousseau, Constantin Brancusi, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian, and Mark Rothko.

More recently, the exhibition of Les Collections Barbier-‐Muller “100 Years of Passion” showed tribal art pieces from Africa and Oceania in the context of contemporary art of Baselitz, Jeff Koons, and others.

“I am not looking at the use of these aesthetic principles from a scholarly point of view,” Kurer says. “Rather, I look at pieces of art from different backgrounds and periods, and attempt to search some aesthetic interaction or connection among them.”

Each bulul, a box or bowl from AsianArt:Future’s collection, most of which were gathered from old collections, assembled in the last century, will be shown with a corresponding artwork from José Joya, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz, H.R. Ocampo, Lee Aguinaldo, Cesar Legaspi, Arturo Luz, Fernando Zóbel, Lao Lianben, and Gus Albor, who created a painting specifically for the exhibition.

Kurer invites the audience to look at the partnered pieces and perhaps spark a dialogue on the aesthetic vocabulary of the two genres of artistic creation, which, on the face of it, may not have much in common.

Yet, through the simplicity, directness, discipline, the reduction to the essence, understatement, and the ability to show a hidden reality, it does according to Kurer.

This approach, Kurer adds, is not to subordinate traditional Cordillera art to the viewpoint of “modern” or “fine” art point of view but to allow both sources to be looked at on the same level.

“That also means to avoid looking, in the traditional approach, at the Cordillera pieces shown from the perspective of their anthropological, ceremonial, and functional background and use,” Kurer says. “What the exhibition and juxtaposition focuses on is the artistic implementation of the carver’s dealings with the spiritual world in their natural environment, and the search for the unconscious, and how it co-‐relates or connects with the same search for aesthetics of their modern artistic counterparts.”

In the January/February 2017 edition of Asian Art Magazine, AsianArt: Future published an article that looks in detail into the art of the Cordilleras people and their counterparts around the globe. The write up points out that pieces they have created match the quality of the pieces of African and Oceanic tribal art. Kurer also published a book titled Simplicity.Ifugao Sculpture.Power (Hong Kong University Press/Columbia University Press).

As a collector, Kurer remains fascinated by the fact that artists from different continents, with very distinct cultural heritages, and from very different epochs, could end up employing—or be perceived to be employing—very similar aesthetic approaches and furthering this dialogue is what he hopes the exhibition will achieve.

Thai Getaways For Starters: A Festival To Experience For Every Season

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Manila, Philippines – Some places appeal best to travelers at certain times of the year. Some destinations, however, never run out of attractions whatever the time or season of the year it is. In Thailand, for instance, there’s always a time and place where you can immerse yourself in a fusion of sights, sounds, and experiences. And where else can you best experience these feasts for the senses aside from Thai festivals?

Whether you’re headed for a summer adventure or a year-end retreat, there’s a festival in any corner where you can experience the best of Thailand’s people, culture, and way life. Festivals combine the best of Thailand’s arts, music, cuisine, hospitality, and other aspects of everyday life to give each traveler a full experience of the ‘Land of Smiles.’

If you plan to visit, Thailand this year, here are five must-experience festivals that will offer you a glimpse of the Southeast Asian kingdom’s long history and vibrant culture:

Pattaya International Music Festival (March 14-16, 2019)

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When this international music festival starts swinging, pop, rock, hip-hop and R’n’B artists from Thailand and around the world perform for celebrating crowds at the stretch of the Pattaya beach road. If you’re headed to Thailand to party with friends from sundown to midnight, you might as well be in one of the world’s largest beach festivals.
Songkran Festival (April 13-15, 2019)

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The Songkran Festival marks the start of the traditional Thai New Year, where people all over Thailand engage in the ultimate water fight. If you’re taking part in the Songkran Festival, you can expect to stay drenched for three days, so you better be armed with a bucket or a water pistol. Among the best places for Songkran celebrations are Bangkok’s Khao San Road, Chiang Mai, and Ayutthaya.

Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival (July)

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This festival commemorates a Buddhist event called Asahna Bucha, when Buddha delivered his first sermon. Held at the beginning of the Buddhist lent called Khao Pansa, the festival puts the spotlight on the work of local artisans: elaborate candles, wax carvings, and decorated floats. For art and history junkies, the Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival is one that cannot be missed.

Loy Krathong (November 13, 2019)

Known as the Thai Festival of Lights, the Loy Krathong Festival is held during the first full moon of the traditional Thai Lunar calendar’s 12th month. At this festival, you can join the crowd in letting lotus-shaped, candlelit containers float down the river, relish the visual spectacle that follows, and share an unforgettable memory with loved ones. One of the best places to celebrate Loy Krathong is Chiang Mai, where it coincides with the lantern festival called Yee Peng.

Wonderfruit Music and Arts Festival (December 12-16, 2019)

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An annual arts, music, and lifestyle festival that made its debut in 2014, Wonderfruit brings together the arts, eco-living, and music at The Fields at Siam Country Club in Pattaya. During the four-day long festival, you can watch musical acts, visit art installations, attend wellness activities, and feast on local cuisine by renowned chefs. If you’re looking for a year-end trip worth remembering, this might be the festival for you to attend.

While these festivals can be your top choices for a Thai getaway this year, there are still a lot more choice of months and places to go to. Whether you’re on a solo trip, an adventure with friends, or a family holiday, there’s a festival to provide the setting for your #THAIMazing story.

Formally introducing these festivals to the Philippine market, the Tourism Authority of Thailand gathered selected print and online media at the PTAA Travel Tour Expo. With TV host – Robi Domingo, on hand, attendees were given a taste of what’s instore during their next Thailand adventure.

To know more about Thailand and its events, visit www.tourismthailand.org, or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TATPhilippines.

CELEBRATE LOVE WITH MINISO

Adorable Grizzly plush toy is great to hug and to hold. Available at Miniso.

Surprise your loved ones this Valentine’s Day with gifts of love from Japanese fast fashion brand Miniso.

There are gifts to hug and to hold – cute and cuddly “We Bare Bears” plush toys –with valentine messages. These adorable Grizzlies, Ice Bears, and Pandas are great for bear hugs.

Valentine inspired Ice Bear plush toy available at Miniso stores nationwide.

Feel the magic of love this season with this Panda plush toy in Valentine inspired shirt from Miniso.

There are also exquisite and invigorating fragrances that express Perfect love, Immortal Romance and Lightsome Lady Perfume. There are also love-ly scents Sweet Girl, Romance Blossom and Elegant Perfume perfect for a romantic date night.

SCENTS OF LOVE. Miniso’s Pink love, Lightsome Perfume and Immortal Romance fragrances have a sweet and exquisite scent. Available at Miniso.

Miniso’s sweet and stylish fragrances. Romance Blossom for a rich refreshing scent; Sweet Girl is mild and tender for all-day use; while Elegant Perfume’s chic and fashionable scent is perfect for every woman.

Spread the love this Valentine’s Day and check out these gifts of love at Miniso stores in SM City San Jose del Monte, SM City Marilao, and SM City Baliwag. Also, follow @MinisoPhilippines at Facebook for more stylistic gift ideas and updates.

Snag the Ultimate K-Drama Date this Valentine’s Day with the Shopee Win-A-Date contest

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Spend a minimum of ₱250 on Shopee to score a complimentary makeover and an exclusive Valentine’s Day date with hit Korean singer and internet celebrity JinHo Bae

Get ready for the season of love as Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, introduces the Shopee Win-A-Date contest to give users the chance to create their own K-Drama ‘kilig’ moment this Valentine’s Day. From now until February 12, users who spend a minimum of ₱250 on Shopee can stand a chance to score an all-expenses paid makeover and an exclusive lunch date with hit Korean singer and internet celebrity JinHo Bae on Valentine’s Day.

To join the contest, users must enter the special code “SHOPEEWINADATE” with a minimum checkout of ₱250 on Shopee. One lucky winner will be chosen on February 12 to receive an all-sponsored full makeover and a dream lunch date with JinHo Bae on February 14.

Create the ultimate K-Drama date with Shopee this Valentine’s Day.

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

Pinoys’ undying love affair with soft drink

My earliest memory of drinking this “prohibited” concoction (according to my dad) was when I was a young kid with high fever and my mom had to give in to my heart’s desires just to put a smile on my gloomy face. It was a taste of heaven; paradise in a bottle. My folks were worried that if I had too much of it, I might evolve into the Energizer bunny or worse the Tasmanian devil and wreak havoc around the household.

Filipinos are arguably the greatest consumers of soft drink also known as pop, soda, and cola. An occasion seems incomplete without this power beverage. After a tiring game of basketball, a 1.5 liter of soda becomes the ‘trophy’ for the winning team. The losers on the other hand had to settle for plain “ice tubig” aka ice water. Likewise, fiestas are not the same without downing a glass of ice-cold soda after devouring on the savory and crispy skin and luscious meat of a roasted pig. In local movies as well as in real life, visitors are welcomed with a trayful serving of the same along with Pansit and other local merienda. Lastly, who would forget buying soft drink from the sari-sari store served on a long transparent plastic bag with a colorful straw just like purchasing Goldfish from the pet store?

What’s with this drink and why do we love it, anyway? It’s pretty simple! It perfectly complements any kind of food! Plus, it’s gotta be the lingering sweetness that satisfies the thirst. Nothing makes a dull spirit feel contented and full other than a loud resounding burp! Moreover, I recently attended a party and came across Sinalco, a German cola brand. What does it have that other sodas don’t? Apparently, it uses 100% natural sweeteners and the highest quality ingredients which is also safe for most consumers due to its less acid content. That means it can be taken on an empty stomach and won’t give you a bloated feeling.

To Filipinos’ delight, the brand is finally in the country. Circa 1905. Sinalco is older than your grampa and and suffice to say, the oldest soft drink brand that was ever successfully marketed in Europe. It got its name from the Latin words ‘sine alcohole’, which translates to “without alcohol. I love trivias! Personally, I prefer the pink variation labeled mixed fruits. The first time I tried it is with my most fave dish comfort food in the world–PIZZA!

Indeed, it’s a match made in heaven. Make sure it’s served freezing cold to savor the best taste. Sinalco is available at the following outlets: -7-Eleven stores nationwide -Puregold nationwide -All Day Supermarket -Landmark -Hi-Top -Merkado UP Town Center, Ayala Vertis North -Pioneer Center Supermarket -South Supermarket -Cash & Carry -Makati Supermart -Sta. Lucia Supermarket -Tropical Hut Grocery – SuperFreshto -Quincy Mart – Royal Duty Free Store Subic -International Free Port Exchange Store Subic -Iloilo Supermart.

Nadine Lustre on why Jollibee Tuna Pie is her favorite snack

The multi-talented celeb dishes on the two-na sarap snack that perfectly captures her amazing personality

Actress-singer-director-beauty and fashion maven Nadine Lustre shows off her amazing personality in the latest digital ads for the best-selling Jollibee Tuna Pie. A commercial depicting contrasting yet complementary traits—sporty and feminine for Nadine, and crispy and creamy for Jollibee Tuna Pie will start airing this month, to coincide with the return of the limited-time offer snack earlier this February.

“Tuna Pie has been a favorite snack treat for many Pinoys because of its unique combination of textures and flavors,” said Mari Aldecoa, Jollibee Marketing Director for Core Category. “It’s crispy and creamy at the same time, traits that seem like complete opposites but actually make for a joyful experience with every bite.”

“A long-time member of the Jollibee family, Nadine possesses different facets to her image and talents that make for a delightful whole—just like Jollibee Tuna Pie,” added Aldecoa. ‘Complex, yet simple’

Nadine, who has made a name for herself not only for the box-office hits and high-rating TV series in the recent years but also for her various creative endeavors, is a staunch Jollibee fan. Nadine Creamy

“Even as a child, love ko na talaga ang Jollibee,” the 25-year-old actress shared. “From Chickenjoy to Burger Steak, I’ve loved everything. And when they first came out with the Tuna Pie, talagang kine-crave ko na siya.”

The multi-talented celebrity also shared that her love for this crispy, creamy snack goes beyond simply satisfying her cravings.“Siyempre it’s so flavorful! Every bite brings you that flaky texture of the crust, which is complemented by the creaminess of the tuna filling. It’s perfect for anytime of the day, any day of the week when you just need to enjoy something delicious, wherever, whenever,” she added.

Even before shooting the commercial, Nadine admitted to being excited upon seeing the concept and script.

“Natuwa ako because it really captured what the product is all about. Crispy and creamy are like opposites, ‘di ba, but when you bring them together, it works so well. Like in the ad, it’s “Two-na sarap”. And with the concept of the ad, we tried to show the different looks and aspects of myself that work well together despite being “opposites.” I love that we were able to capture that idea, in a complex, yet simple way that is very much like Jollibee Tuna Pie,” she added.

Tuna Pie has captured the taste buds—and hearts—of many Filipino snacking “connoisseurs” because of this complex combination of textures and flavors in a simple form one can enjoy even on-the-go. With a golden pie crust fried to a perfect, flaky crisp and a savory, creamy filling, Jollibee’s Tuna Pie indeed offers two-fold deliciousness with every bite. It’s hard to stop with just a bite—or even just one pie!

Indulge in the incomparable Crispy & Creamy two-na sarap of the Tuna Pie for only P45.00* (solo), available in all Jollibee stores nationwide for dine-in, take-out, delivery, and drive-thru transactions starting February 1, 2019.

For more information on Jollibee’s products and promotions, like Jollibee Philippines on Facebook, subscribe to Jollibee Studios on YouTube, and follow @Jollibee on Twitter and Instagram.

* Prices may vary across different locations

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