Monthly Archives: May 2019

Zaldy Bueno, a 37-year old teacher from Gumaca, Quezon was hailed as the 4th Happiest Pinoy, winning Cebuana Lhuillier’s Search for the Happiest Pinoy which honors and celebrates the Filipinos’ innate “optimism, resilience, and hope amidst different life crises.”

Zaldy bested nine other finalists from different categories, winning one million cash and a trophy.

The board of judges composed of Usec. Zenaida Maglaya, Gang Badoy Capati, James Deakin, RJ Ledesma, Love Anover-Lianko, Jonathan Yabut, Winston Maxino, Rommel Arellano, and Richardson Navor chose Bueno unanimously by virtue of his advocacy to see more children’s lives change through education. Zaldy volunteered as an ALS teacher and taught on weekends, he even had his mother as his student at one point and helped her finish her secondary education. Zaldy also co-founded project PADYAK in 2017, PADYAK stands for Pidal Apakan Dunong Yayaman, Asenso’y Kakamtan, which aims to provide bicycle units for students who could not afford to travel to school.

The project turned out huge with so many people donating new and used bicycle units from all over the Philippines even getting donations from OFWs abroad. This project drastically increased attendance for students at school for which their school received a perfect attendance award.

Much like the movie’s thrilling magic carpet ride over the port city of Agrabah, Disney’s Aladdin, the live-action adaptation of its animated classic, flew high and soared above every other movie as it posted as the No. 1 film during its opening weekend.

Filipinos can stay tuned for Shopee and Sarah Geronimo’s first television commercial airing on June 1

MANILA, 31 MAY, 2019 – Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, announces Popstar Princess Sarah Geronimo as their new brand ambassador in time for the Shopee 6.6 – 7.7 Lowest Price Sale, happening from June 3 to July 7. On June 1, Filipinos can stay tuned for the first-ever television commercial of Shopee with Sarah Geronimo.

Martin Yu, Associate Director, Shopee Philippines, said, “We are very happy with how Shopee performed in 2019 and to ramp up our efforts, we are following this up with a big campaign featuring our new brand ambassador, Sarah Geronimo. We believe that Sarah’s approachable and bubbly personality is a perfect representation of the Shopee brand and we are thrilled to have her become part of the family. We invite everyone to join us in celebrating the Shopee 6.6 – 7.7 Lowest Price Sale.”

Happening from June 3 to July 7, the Shopee 6.6 – 7.7 Lowest Price Sale promises five weeks of unbeatable deals with up to 90% off from leading brands including P&G Hair, Huawei, Colourette, Colgate, Silverworks, Maybelline, Unilever Personal Care, Watsons, and Olay. Users can enjoy free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend on selected brands or categories daily as well as one million Lowest Price Deals, daily 100% cashback vouchers, and ₱1 Deals.

Bigger and better surprises in store for users

Shopee 6.6 – 7.7 Lowest Price Sale will feature 35 days of themed promotions happening from June 3 to July 7. Key highlights include:

• Category days such as TV, Audio, & Gaming Sale on June 28, Mobile Sale on June 30, and Korean Skincare Sale on July 4.
• Mechanic days including:
  • Vouchers Sale on June 3, featuring seller, category, and sitewide vouchers up for grabs
  • Free Shipping Sale on June 4, featuring free shipping with ₱0 min spend across the platform
  • Flash Sale on June 12, with an upsized Flash session happening 10 times across 24 hours.
• Super Brand Days from June 17 to June 21 featuring leading brands across categories including Huawei, Maybelline, Hanford, Unilever Homecare, and Unilever Personal Care.
• Exclusive deals from partners including BDO, Cebu Pacific, and the official store launch of iWant.

For more information on the Shopee 6.6 – 7.7 Lowest Price Sale, please visit https://shopee.ph/m/double-double.

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

Visit https://shopee.ph for more information.

Enter the unknown in new American drama series premiering May 31 at 10:35PM express from the U.S.

Justice can be painfully slow in a cold-case murder, but what if the victim can reach out from beyond the grave? In the upcoming crime series, The InBetween, airing on Blue Ant Entertainment this May 31, the unhappy dead provide clues to help unravel the mystery of their demise and even help solve the most challenging cases through supernatural means.

Harriet Dyer plays Cassie Bedford, a psychic who uses her gifts to help solve mysterious cases and find peace for the dead.

Cassie Bedford (Harriet Dyer) was born with a rare gift—or curse—that allows her to see ghastly visions and communicate with the dead. With her “sixth sense,” she often contends with restless spirits seeking help in resolving their untimely deaths.

Paul Blackthorne as Detective Tom Hacket will do whatever it takes to crack Seattle’s most bizarre cases before the tracks run cold.

The dead aren’t the only ones that appear at her door for assistance, however. Detective Tom Hacket (Paul Blackthorne), and his new partner, former FBI Agent Justin Cornwell (Damien Asante), race against time to solve some of Seattle’s worst felonies. And when the tracks run cold, the two sleuths turn to Cassie. Will she hesitate to use her abilities, or will she risk her own sanity to crack the city’s darkest cases?

Former FBI Agent Justin Cornwell, played by Damien Asante, joins Detective Hacket in tracking the clues behind seemingly unsolvable cases.

Catch The InBetween every Friday, 10:35PM, starting May 31, express from the U.S., on Blue Ant Entertainment, available on SKYcable channels 53 (SD) and 196 (HD), SKYdirect channel 35, Cignal channel 120, and Cablelink channel 37.

Bringing the series closer to viewers, Blue Ant Entertainment has partnered with Breakout Philippines for a puzzle game that will run from May 30 to June 19, 2019, at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall. Unlock the secrets of Missing: An Escape Room Based on the TV Show The InBetween in a one-of-a-kind suspense that will let the most daring teams experience the show’s paranormal, crime-solving thrills in the flesh. The first 100 participants to break out within the time limit will take home a special prize from Blue Ant Entertainment.

For more thrilling updates, follow Blue Ant Entertainment on Instagram @BlueAntEntertainment, @BlueAntEnt on Twitter, and at www.facebook.com/BlueAntEntertainment/ on Facebook.

(From Left to Right) Miguel Capistrano III, Country Market Manager of Traveloka Philippines; Issa Delos Ama, Director of Revenue Management and Marketing of Go Hotels Ermita, Janice Tiambeng, Director of Sales and Marketing of Discovery Suites Manila Philippines, Julie Ann De Vera, Sales Manager of Lub D Philippines Makati; Joy De Castro, Hotel Manager of Casa Bocobo Hotel; RT Paler, Reservations Officer of I’M Hotel Makati; and Jojo Naag – Property Manager of Skyloft Hotel

Traveloka Philippines recently gave out the first Traveloka Philippines Hotel Awards 2019 to recognize the efforts of its hotel partners in helping the online platform’s continuous success in the country.

This year’s gathering at the Diamond Hotel, Traveloka handed out four awards that acknowledged their contribution to the company’s growth in the Philippines in the previous year.

Currently, Traveloka has an inventory of over 4,300 hotel partners in the country, which can be accessed through web or mobile app.

Here are the awards and the respective winners and nominees:

Most Engaged

This award recognizes the most cooperative hotel partner of Traveloka who finds time to consistently provide updates and plans on how to further grow the business—primarily by ensuring room availability and competitive price points. Together with Traveloka, the hotel partner develops and implements suggested rate plan discounts and participates in scheduled promotional campaigns to boost demand.

Best Content

Quality content of a hotel page helps in good conversion of bookings. The recipient of this award has consistently ensured that the photos of the property highlights the experience that awaits each guest—from the hotel rooms to the various amenities. The winner of the award has also been consistent in providing updated data that would help guests decide on their bookings and further appreciation of the property.

Best Reviews

Hotel guest review scores can greatly influence a guest’s decision to book a hotel as these reviews are from actual Traveloka guests and are about their stay experience. A good average score of 8.50 and up, together with an average of 40 reviews, often brings higher conversion.

The award recognizes three hotels that have received great feedback from their guests. Each of the three winners were selected from their respective categories.

Best Rookie

This award recognizes the new partner hotels of Traveloka Philippines that shows high potential in terms of production performance.

To entertain guests during the event, Traveloka hosted exciting games dubbed as “Games of Our Time.” The fun-filled activity was composed of traditional Pinoy and other familiar games inspired by Family Feud and Guess the Logo, among others.

“For Traveloka, this awards ceremony is our own little way of acknowledging and appreciating strong and reliable partnerships we have developed through the years. Let’s all continue to work together to provide each guest and traveler the best hotel experience,” said Miguel Capistrano III, Traveloka’s Country Market Manager, during a speech.

Traveloka is present in eight countries across the Asia-Pacific region, namely the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, India, and Australia. Customers in the Philippines can conveniently book Flights, Hotels, Flight + Hotel Packages, and Xperience (attractions and activities) via Traveloka’s website and app. More products and services will be made available soon.

Get the best deals and book your hotels with Traveloka!

Actor Derek Ramsay will suit up for Batangas City-Tanduay Athletics for this season’s Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

This is not the first time for the television and movie personality to play basketball, as he was previously with Kettle Korn team in the now defunct Philippine Basketball League. Ramsay has also excelled in the sports of ultimate frisbee and beach football.

As an actor and host, he has appeared in numerous TV and film productions in three of the country’s top media networks. He recently signed a contract with GMA-7.

“Derek is not only a good actor, but a good basketball player as well. We are happy to have him on our team,” Batangas City-Tanduay Athletics team manager and Absolut Distillers, Inc. COO Gerry Tee said.

Ramsay has been an endorser of Tanduay since 2014. The talented actor and host has helped the World’s Number One Rum further expand its market in the Philippines and the global market.

Tee said that Ramsay will see action with in the opening game of the MPBL at the Mall of Asia Arena this June 12. He will also play in their Dubai game in September.

“I love the game of basketball. Joining Team Tanduay is an honor. I always considered myself an athlete before an actor. I know there will be haters and people who will doubt me, but that’s okay. This is a challenge that I’ve decided to take on. I hope to help the team in any possible way I can,” Ramsay said.

The Batangas City-Tanduay Athletics was crowned the inaugural champions of the fastest-growing regional amateur basketball league in the country. They reached the South Division Finals in the Datu Cup before falling to eventual runner-up Davao Occidental Tigers.

“Derek will surely add more excitement in our games. With him on board, fans can expect an even stronger Batangas City-Tanduay Athletics team,” Tee said.

Ramsay joins fellow celebrities Gerald Anderson, Xian Lim, Mark Andaya, and Andre Paras in this year’s MPBL.

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Kuala Lumpur, 26 March 2019) The world’s largest and fastest growing international health & beauty retailer A.S. Watson Group celebrates an important milestone as it opens its 15,000th store.   Dominic Lai, Group Managing Director of A.S. Watson Group (middle) is joined by two Watsons Malaysia Elite members (3rd from left and 1st from right) , together with Malina Ngai, Group Chief Operating Officer of A.S. Watson Group (4th from right), Alan Heaton, Group Finance Director of A.S. Watson Group (3rd from right), Ann Lau, Group People Director (Asia) of A.S. Watson Group (2nd from right), Rod Routley, Regional Managing Director (Asia) of A.S. Watson Group (4th from left), Caryn Loh, Managing Director of Watsons Malaysia (2nd from left) and Nur Rashmeen, Store Manager of Central i-City store (1st from left) at the opening ceremony of the A.S. Watson Group 15,000th Store Opening Event.

For the fourth year in a row, A.S. Watson’s new store opening continues to be at an average speed of one store every seven hours across its 25 markets in Asia and Europe.

The worldwide 15,000th store opening of A.S. Watson coincides with its 500th store opening of Watsons in Malaysia, one of the fastest growing countries for beauty and wellness products. Watsons is the flagship retail brand of A.S. Watson with over 7,200 stores in 13 markets in Asia and Eastern Europe.

In the Philippines, Watsons has already 752 stores. In the province of Bulacan there are twenty (20) stores including stores inside SM City San Jose del Monte, SM City Marilao, SM City Baliwag, and SM Center Pulilan.

A child is mesmerized by the photographs of Heritage churches display at SM City San Jose del Monte in celebration of the National Heritage Month.

Century old churches around the Philippines have stand as silent witness to the country’s colourful history and rich cultural heritage. Known as one of the cultural treasures of the nation, these colonial structures served as sanctuaries, landmarks, and popular destination among tourists.

In partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Filipino Heritage Festival, Inc. (FHFI); SM Malls in San Jose Del Monte, Marilao, and Baliwag celebrates the National Heritage Month with the unique exhibition of Philippine colonial churches from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

Dubbed as Up Front: Encountering the Sacred, the exhibit consists of photos taken by members of FUNtastic Philippines. The vast collection aims to promote the tangible heritage in the Philippines through featured photographs of churches declared as National Cultural Treasure, National Historical Landmark, an Important Cultural Property or a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

A 7-year old kid is innocently enjoying the photographs of heritage churches, pointing and looking around the display during the celebration of National Heritage Month at SM City San Jose del Monte.

Mall goers will have the rare opportunity to see the architectural legacy of Filipino craftsmen across the regions through the range of intricate design and function present in the colonial churches. The exhibit will also encourage viewers not only to appreciate the form and ornamentation of the structure, but also the history that shaped our nation and makes us Filipino.

“Each church has a unique story. By understanding its significance, we gain better knowledge of the nation’s diverse and multi-faceted identity” shares SM City San Jose Del Monte Mall Manager Jose Mari Emmanuel Correa.

The exhibit highlights the popular churches — like Barasoain in Bulacan, the Basilica Menor de Sto. Niño de Cebu, Miag-ao in Iloilo, and Daraga in Albay. Other featured churches are the San Agustin Church in Intramuros, Manila; Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church in Ilocos Sur; Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte; Miag-ao Church in Iloilo.

The Barasoain Church in Malolos, Bulacan photogrpahed by Lino Jubilan Jr., FUNtastic Philippines.

“We hope that the exhibit will serve as a platform for viewers to ponder, contemplate and preserve the country’s cultural heritage” said SM City Marilao Mall Manager Emmanuel Gatmaitan.

Up Front: Encountering the Sacred is currently at SM City San Jose Del Monte and will run until May 26. Exhibition in other SM Malls are slated on May 27 to 31 at SM City Marilao and June 03 to 07 at SM City Baliwag.

This May, lots of fun-filled water adventures and new swimming buddies awaits JolliKids with the latest Jolly Kiddie Meal offering, the Jolly Water Play.

With the floating collectible toys from the country’s leading fast-food chain, kids will surely have a wonderful time swimming and playing in the backyard, pool, or beach as Jollibee and Friends show them a different water play experience.

Kids will enjoy roaming around with Jollibee on his Jet Ski and playfully squirt water with their playmates with a push of a button. They can also make Popo spin around in the water by pulling a ripcord in his orange swim ring.

JolliKids can also sail away to new adventures with Twirlie by attaching the main sail to her boat and blowing in it or they can watch and cheer scuba diver Yum as he jumps in the water from a floating platform. They can also play a fun water game by shooting rings with Hetty as she floats with her swim ring.

Collect all five toys with every purchase of a Yumburger (P80), Yumburger Meal with Drink (P100), Jolly Spaghetti (P95), Jolly Spaghetti Meal with Drink (P105), 1-piece Burger Steak (P95), 1-piece Burger Steak Meal with Drink (P105), 1-piece Chickenjoy with Rice (P120), or 1-piece Chickenjoy Meal (P135), each with its own Jolly Joy Box.

So, let Jollibee and Friends give your kids an enjoyable summer playtime with Jolly Water Play. Hurry! Get started on collecting the five Jolly Kiddie Meal toys which are available until May 31 only.