GUESS?, Inc. brings the Spring 2020 Guess x J Balvin Colores Capsule Collection

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GUESS?, Inc., an iconic fashion brand teams up with global music superstar J Balvin with Jamea Byrd and Sara Orregot to create an exclusive ‘GUESS x J Balvin Colores’ capsule collection inspired by his upcoming new album.

(Los Angeles, CA) – The GUESS and J Balvin partnership is in full effect once again, running it back with Colores for the second iteration of Balvin’s vision to complement his 2020 aesthetic sonically and sartorially. The Vibras collection was met with great success and complemented Balvin’s tour with unique pieces and designs for the road.  

With Colores, J Balvin is further expanding his role in the creative and design process - which will now feature even more pieces for men, women and kids.

The campaign features the chart-topping singer in his hometown of Medellín, Colombia, celebrating the capsule alongside models Jamea Byrd and Sara Orrego.  The shoot was art directed by Nicolai Marciano, Director of Brand Partnerships at GUESS, styled by techno DJ and fashion model Sita Abellan and shot by fashion photographer Tatiana Gerusova.  

The series of images spotlight Balvin wearing pieces from the vibrant capsule collection throughout the colorful streets of Medellín, where fans of all ages joined Balvin on his 2-day journey to shoot the campaign.  

The collection is inspired by J Balvin’s upcoming March album, Colores and incorporates red, yellow, green, blue and purple tones into each piece, weaving J Balvin’s latest venture into this fashion capsule.

“It provided wonderful creative inspiration to envision a new album and corresponding new fashion collection together from the beginning – both connected to how I’ve been exploring new music through a lens of individual colors,” says J Balvin.  “It has also been very exciting to shoot the GUESS x J Balvin Colores campaign in the city where everything started for me - to have this huge global campaign with GUESS, spotlight the vibrancy of the people and culture of Medellín. It is another opportunity to show the world how beautiful and amazing Colombia is, and the surging artistic vibes throughout the city and country.”

It’s important to see our collaborative efforts with Jose continue to grow parallel with the partnership over time. What initially started as a collection has turned into year-round energy. We organically elevated the partnership to wardrobe his whole tour and dancers, large festival merchandise moments, amongst other one-offs opportunities. With this new collection, Colores, we really pushed ourselves collectively and we’re excited to unveil our most robust collection for men, women and kids. Balvin’s passion and commitment as a partner is the ideal space to create within. – Nicolai Marciano, Director of Brand Partnerships for GUESS?, Inc.

Look for the campaign and other GUESS x J Balvin content in top fashion and lifestyle magazines, at www.GUESS.com.ph on GUESS’ social platforms, GUESS retail stores, outdoor media, and online.

The full GUESS x J Balvin ‘Colores’ collection will hit stores and online at  www.GUESS.com.ph  on Thursday, April 30th.

About GUESS?, Inc.

Established in 1981, GUESS began as a jeans company and has since successfully grown into a global lifestyle brand.  Guess?, Inc. designs, markets, distributes and licenses a lifestyle collection of contemporary apparel, denim, handbags, watches, eyewear, footwear and other related consumer products. Guess? products are distributed through branded Guess? stores as well as better department and specialty stores around the world. As of November 2, 2019, the Company directly operated 1,174 retail stores in the Americas, Europe and Asia. The Company’s partners and distributors operated 569 additional retail stores worldwide. As of November 2, 2019, the Company and its partners and distributors operated in approximately 100 countries worldwide. For more information about the Company, please visit www.guess.com.

About J Balvin 

“Reggaeton’s Global Ambassador” - J Balvin is now one of the top streaming music artists in the world, regardless of language, and has developed a legion of fans represented by over 65 Million social media followers. Hailed by Billboard as “the biggest breakout act Latin music has seen in many years” and Pitchfork as “the face of modern Reggaeton, Balvin is leading a second generation of Musica Urbana stars that have propelled Latin music to an unprecedented global embrace. 

Simultaneously, Balvin has become Latin music’s strongest cultural envoy to both the fashion and pop art communities, while becoming one of the music industry’s most in-demand collaborators, and worldwide major festival performers. 

2019 saw J Balvin perform in the opening segment of The GRAMMY Awards, named the Premios Lo Nuestro “Artist of the Year” for an unprecedented third consecutive time, collect his fourth LATIN GRAMMY and the “Favorite Latin Artist” American Music Award, and become the first Reggaeton artist on Saturday Night Live. Over the summer, J Balvin and Bad Bunny dropped Latin music’s biggest surprise and critically praised album of the year, with the release “Oasis”- which notched eight weeks as the #1 Latin Album in the country, landed on numerous Best Album of the year lists, and received J’s second Grammy nomination. Throughout the year, J Balvin also connected with millions of fans live by taking his visually stunning “ARCOIRIS (Rainbow) TOUR” across the United States and throughout the world, while further etching his name in Urbano music history as the first Reggaeton artist to perform on the mainstage at Coachella, leading EDM festival Tomorrowland, and as the first-ever Latin artist to Headline at Lollapalooza.

Having spent 14 consecutive weeks in the #1 position on YouTube Music’s Global Artist chart, and achieving a record-tying 8th video in the exclusive Billion View Club, J Balvin concluded 2019 as one of only two music artists in the world to exceed 10 Billion YouTube views within the year. His dominance was evident on other platforms as well, as he spent the majority of the year as the only Latin artist in the Top-5 of Spotify, was named the year’s #1 overall artist for Deezer and Shazam, and Music Choice’s “Latin Artist of the Decade.”  Most recently, J Balvin made a surprise performance appearance in the Super Bowl XIV halftime show, notched his impressive 19th #1 single with the cross genre success of “Ritmo (Bad Boys For Life),” and unveiled “Blanco” and “Morado” as the first two songs and videos from his eagerly awaited new album “Colores” set for release in March.

GUESS Philippines

For more information, visit www.GUESS.com.ph and

https://www.facebook.com/GUESSPhil

Canva releases new women in the workplace photography to celebrate International Women’s Day

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Design platform, Canva, is celebrating International Women’s Day by releasing a new collection of design templates and free stock photography, featuring its very own Canva employees who volunteered as models.

The photoshoot, titled Canva Studio Women, showcases Canva’s women at work, building on this year’s theme of #GenerationEquality which highlights the importance of a collective effort to forge a path towards gender equality.

Canva studio curator Elle Hughes explains the inspiration behind this special collection.

“With over 70% of women feeling underrepresented in everyday images in the media, our new stock photography collection aims to shine a light on the amazing diversity of women in the workplace.

“We have so many talented women in Canva — what better to showcase a diverse team than through a fun photoshoot — and then giving it away as a completely free stock photo collection?” she added.

Yani Hornilla-Donato, country manager of Canva Philippines added, “Since inception, Canva has placed a key focus on diversity and inclusion. Having our employees in the Manila office be part of this shows how committed we are to empower women and provide them with a platform to freely express themselves.”

Canva has also released an additional 50 design templates, encouraging its design community around the world to celebrate, praise and unite with women this International Women’s Day.

Check out the full photography collection here.

For more information on Canva, visit https://www.canva.com/.

All-women teams run McDonald’s stores in the Philippines for International Women Day

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McDonald’s Philippines’ celebrates Women’s Day with all stores staffed by women.

March 9, 2019 --- Female employees of McDonald’s Philippines’ took over all McDonald’s restaurants nationwide as they led store operations in celebration of International Women’s Day. The initiative aimed to demonstrate the strong representation of females in McDonald’s Philippines’ workforce.

To date, women employees account for 55% of McDonald’s Philippines’ total workforce, exceeding global benchmarks for a gender-equal workforce. Across over its 670 the restaurants, an average of 56% of Restaurant General Managers and 62% of service crew are women.

“McDonald’s Philippines takes pride in having women across the different department and levels in the company taking the lead. We are celebrating these employees this International Women’s Day as they have proven to be instrumental to the company’s continued growth. I’m very proud of the fact that 67% of key leadership positions are held by women—they are driving the business, and accelerating progress in creating a workplace that supports the growth and development of everyone in the country equally,” said Kenneth Yang, McDonald’s Philippines President and CEO.

McDonald’s Philippines also boasts that said women in key leadership positions are challenging gender narratives by thriving in roles that are traditionally handled by men like Real Estate, Construction, Legal, IT and Franchising.

“I am proud to be part of a company that gives all of its employees opportunities to grow in their roles. In McDonald’s, women are trusted and given equal opportunity to learn and develop, enabling them to lead. Women at McDonald’s are truly leaders who are empowered to drive the success of the company,” said Margot Torres, McDonald’s Philippines Managing Director.

Beyond its International Women’s Day celebration, McDonald’s Philippines remains steadfast in its commitment to continuously inspire employees, franchisees, suppliers and those beyond its system to build bias-aware workplaces with equal opportunities for career growth and development.

McDonald’s Philippines’ celebration of International Women’s Day is one of its efforts to promote gender balance and diversity within and beyond the industry. The celebration is in line with the company’s All Out culture where each one is equally supported and empowered. With such culture, McDonald’s Philippines is continuously working towards a gender-equal world.

Amid COVID-19 scare: KonsultaMD offers zero-rated Globe/TM mobile access to telehealth hotline

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With many people getting concerned about their health due to the continuous spread of COVID-19, Globe and TM customers who subscribed to KonsultaMD may now get in touch with a doctor via the 79880 telehealth hotline without incurring mobile call charges.

Maridol D. Ylanan, CEO of Global Telehealth, Inc. which runs KonsultaMD, said the company has decided to remove the P1 per minute charge for calls to the 79880 mobile hotline to make it easier for the public to avail of medical advice anytime they want to.

“We want access to trained and licensed medical practitioners to be as easy, affordable, and convenient as possible for every FIlipino especially these days when many people are afraid to leave their homes or visit the hospital because of COVID-19.  Since there is no physical interaction with our doctors, our customers avoid exposure from other illnesses when they seek advice for their health-related symptoms or queries,” she said.

KonsultaMD is equipped with modules and internal protocols in handling different health issues including COVID-19 and provides a telephone triage or a means of determining the urgency of the situation, whether it is an emergency or non-emergency.

Its team of doctors can also provide general health information, guidance and specific measures, interim care and self care recommendations, reading of laboratory and diagnostic results, health coaching and nutrition counseling, and permissible medication.

KonsultaMD offers unlimited immediate access to doctors 24/7 through flexible and affordable plans such as an individual subscription fee of P15 a week or P60 a month for Globe Prepaid and TM customers, deductible from their prepaid load.

For Globe Postpaid customers, they have the option to subscribe to a P99 per week plan which may be extended to one additional family member or P150 per month with four extensions, chargeable to their monthly bill.

Non-Globe and TM customers may also avail of KonsultaMD services through a one year subscription of P150 per month for group or P60 a month for individual, payable via credit card or mobile money and subject to regular cell phone charges if call is via mobile.

Subscriptions may be done by visiting  https://www.konsulta.md/subscribe, and calling 79880 toll-free via mobile (for Globe/TM customers) or (02) 7798-8000.

KonsultaMD is under 917Ventures, the largest corporate incubator in the Philippines and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom.

Simplify your Life and Spend Less

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Some places have many affordable, economically vibrant metropolitan areas that offer great job prospects, low living costs, and a bevy of lifestyle options for people from all walks of life.

One of the best things with living in the Philippines is the relatively low cost of living. As compared to other countries, we get to enjoy a lot of necessities and even luxuries at a lower price. Sadly, however, electricity is not one of them. 

The Philippines currently has the 2nd highest electricity rate in the whole of Asia. Given this fact, it’s only natural to look for all opportunities one can have in saving and being energy and cost efficient. 

LG Electronics, global leader and technology innovator, has been at the forefront of designing with the consumer in mind. Nowadays, it isn’t enough for home appliances and electronics to be just state-of-the-art. 

It has to be at the same time, cleanly designed, simple, minimalist, multifunctional, and above everything, energy and cost efficient. 

LG’s advances in Inverter technology has always been about innovating towards one goal - less energy consumption, more savings for the end user. Through efficient design, consumers can live a lifestyle they’ve always dreamed of without having to worry about the electric bill every second. Each product has been designed in such a way that it goes above and beyond what’s expected.

The LG Smart Inverter Washing Machine, for example, is so energy efficient that it can use only 67wh (watt hours) of energy to do a cycle – less than what it takes to iron a shirt or 4 minutes of using a blow-dryer. For refrigerators, LG’s Inverter Linear Compressor keeps yourfood fresh longer by maintaining temperature fluctuation within ±0.5℃. This allows you to cook with fresh ingredients every day for yourfamily, and minimizes spoilage. With air-conditioners, staying cool is made more efficient with the LG DUAL Inverter Compressor which reduces energy use up to 50％. Given our tropical climate and humidity, your family can enjoy a cool breeze whenever they want while using less electricity.

LG is designed to make life better. Whether it’s energy and cost efficiency, connectivity across multiple devices, or even artificial intelligence, every facet of LG’s design is conceptualized with efficiency and simplicity, giving you and your family more time and more savings. 

Sarap-In-A-Bun: Savor Max’s All-Time Favorite Chicken, Now In A Sandwich

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Max’s Restaurant has done it again with a classic reinvention of its all-time favorite Sarap-To-The-Bones® fried chicken: introducing Max’s Fried Chicken Sandwich!

The classic Max’s fried chicken is undoubtedly well-loved by Filipinos across all generations. Although, not a lot of people know that the truly original way that this Filipino classic was first consumed all the way back in 1945 was with fresh, hot rolls on the side. As a throwback to its roots, you can now treat your taste buds to a Sarap-In-A-Bun chicken sandwich.

What’s inside?

A filleted version of Max’s iconic juicy, no-frills fried chicken seasoned and spiced the signature Max’s way. Now, it wouldn’t be a true Max’s experience without the trademark blend of banana ketchup and Worcestershire sauce, and that’s what’s drizzled over the chicken meat to add tang. Pickled cucumbers and shredded cabbage are then generously spread from top to bottom in between two buttery brioche buns to complete this flavorful and filling experience.

“Creatively re-engineering our Sarap-To-The-Bones® fried chicken to a sandwich puts us forward in providing our customers with more delightful ways to feast over classic local dishes that have stood the test of time,” says Max’s Restaurant Head Culinary R&D Chef Adrian Azurin. 

“It’s Sarap-In-A-Bun, literally, with our hero fried chicken, now in a format that’s perfect for today’s adventurous, mobile consumers. We specially curated the blend of banana ketchup and Worcestershire sauce to stay true to the authentic Max’s experience. The pickled cucumbers are not something usually associated with our fried chicken, but we love how their tartness makes each bit surprisingly fresh and zesty.”

With the new Max’s fried chicken sandwich, you’ll be surprised by just how filling one bite can be. It’s also served with a side of Max’s sweet potato fries and a garlic mayo dip, making it even more satisfying for every diner’s appetites.

“Just one plate is an explosion of flavors. We’re proud to turn an everyday snack into every diner’s main course with the perfect meat-to-bun ratio, and toppings and condiments that make the whole dish shine,” adds Chef Adrian.

For 75 years, Max’s has continuously catered to the changing appetites of its diners with its product innovations, while also staying true to its culinary heritage built on Filipino values.

“Since 1945, Max’s has become the tradition and institution that it’s known to be now because of our founders Maximo Gimenez and Ruby Trota’s humble beginnings of befriending American occupation troops stationed in Quezon City and serving our Sarap-To-The-Bones® fried chicken with hot, fresh dinner rolls,” says Max’s Restaurant Marketing Director Mark De Joya. 

“Our new fried chicken sandwich is a loving, respectful tribute to that. We believe this demonstrates the ability of our brand to balance both its history and heritage with new formats, flavors, and experiences that make Max’s forever relevant across generations.”

Indeed, everyone will come running to their nearest store and savor a massive bite of Max’s Fried Chicken Sandwich, available starting March 9 for only PHP249.

For more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/maxsrestaurant/.

Providing access to the gatekeepers of the family’s finance: GCash empowers Filipino women to be included in the financial landscape

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For Filipinos, mothers are considered to be their light of the homes. They provide direction, clarity in difficult situations, and they manage the everyday lives of the Filipino family.

Women also play as the gatekeepers of the finances of Filipino homes. Typical in the Philippines, the husbands give their salaries to the wives, who then distributes the total household earnings to the daily needs and occasional wants of each member of the family.

Given this, it comes at no surprise that women are much more included in the local financial landscape, according to data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP). Based on the latest central bank survey on financial inclusion, 38.9 percent of women in the Philippines have formal bank accounts, while only 30 percent of adult men hold savings accounts.

But while this may sound progressive, it should be noted that only 32 percent of Filipino adults have accounts to formal financial institutions. This means that almost seven out of 10 adults in the Philippines are still excluded from the financial landscape.

Globally, people who are excluded from the financial space often cite the lack of funds, high costs, access, and documentary requirements as reasons for not having an account at a formal financial institution.

This dearth in access, banking costs, and issues pertaining to identification are problems that are now being addressed through financial technology (fintech). Leveraging mobile technologies and applying them to finance, people now have a much simpler way to participate in the formal financial landscape.

As managers of the family’s wealth, women, in particular, should have greater access to finance and have more knowledge about how financial tools and instruments could help them balance their needs and their funds.

“We at GCash recognize this strong need of Filipinos -- especially women, who handle the laborious task of managing household finances -- to be included in the financial landscape. By employing data-driven and people-centric strategies, we are harnessing the power of mobile digital finance to provide financial access to more Filipinos, and allow them to reap the immense benefits of being included in the finance space,” GCash Chief Technology and Operations Officer Pebbles Sy-Manalang said.

Through GCash, individuals have access to a spectrum of financial services such as credit, savings, insurance, and even investments, all of which are previously untapped by the masses due to various constraints.

With a GCash account, Filipino mothers are now empowered with the ability to manage their families’ finances with ease.

“By using GCash, Filipino women can now save money with better-than-industry rates. They can also tap into a credit line for emergencies, have her family members insured, and even invest in money market funds for her family’s future,” Sy-Manalang added.

GCash also believes that it is important that Filipino mothers are also educated with ways to effectively manage their finances through financial technology, and that is why it provides useful information for each financial service in the app, as well as its various channels online and offline.

“We need to have financially-educated and decisive mothers, as they will also be the ones to impart those characteristics to their children. As we celebrate International Women’s Day this month, we hope to empower more women -- especially Filipino mothers -- to have greater access to finance,” Sy-Manalang said.

UNIQLO 2020 Spring/Summer - LifeWear with Outdoors, Work & Craft, and Art & Design categories

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For this season, UNIQLO has shone new light on LifeWear with Outdoors, Work & Craft, and Art & Design categories that embody its enduring commitment to keeping people comfortable and making  life better.

LIVABLE CITIES 

Sustainable social systems are pivotal to shrinking modern environmental footprints and making urban living more comfortable and convenient over the long term. 

Outdoors - Bringing urban and natural landscapes together through design 

Manmade structures coexist happily with nature in many urban settings. Houseboats have long been a feature of Amsterdam’s canals, for example, and are popular tourist attractions. A new initiative generating international attention is in Lower Manhattan, New York. 

Here, a waterfront megaproject featuring natural landscapes is being engineered to resist natural disasters, and is scheduled for completion in 2022.

UNIQLO’s designs for 2020 Spring/Summer celebrate the convenience and functionality of cityscapes and natural environs to materialize better living.

BLOCKTECH Parkas protect from the wind and rain while at the beach or while strolling along the waterfront. Dry Sweatpants offer excellent ease of movement and offer quick-drying performance, making them perfect for everyday and sports use.

Pocketable UV Cut Parkas are incredibly light and compact, making them perfect to keep in the backpack in case the weather turns while cycling to work. Light Padded Parkas warm you after watersports. The modern silhouette makes them an excellent match for thick items, so they work well as everyday wear. 

Then there are Long Parkas employing a shiny parachute fabric that is reminiscent of reflections off calm waters and skyscraper windows. 

Work and Craft - Back to basics 

Ensuring responsible consumption and production patterns is one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Efforts to expand urban farming for local consumption are thus attracting tremendous attention. That is because such agriculture can slash transportation costs and lower food 

wastage, thereby reducing the carbon footprints of cities. Rooftop farming can cut noise pollution and enhance insulation from the elements, contributing to greater comfort for city dwellers.

For the Work & Craft category, we have focused on organic materials, functionality, and attention to detail. Our Jogger Cargo Pants look great at the office, and with their relaxed styling you can go straight to your farm after work without needing to change. Casually styled Linen Cotton Jackets match well with Polo Shirts in the bright hues of fresh produce harvested from rooftops.

We reduced the environmental footprint of manufacturing processes in crafting Denim Jackets andJeans in authentic, sophisticated cuts. The fading, crinkle effects, and pleat and gather irregularities are reminders of the diverse shapes and vitality of organically grown produce.

Art and Design - Inspiring creativity with functional beauty

In this category, we employed new ideas in minimalism, long and lean silhouettes, and a mineral color-inspired palette so people can always look their best and enjoy better, more comfortable living.

Trench Coats are wardrobe essentials for many people, and we have added tailoring touches and volume to enhanced styling, with contemporary monotone hues. Kando Jackets are perfect for spring

in their light colors and blazer styling, with light fabric offering exceptional stretch for easy movement.

Sporty Polo Shirts incorporate AlIRism comfort features that make them perfect for summer layered looks. Slim-fit Tailored Jackets employ a linen-like fabric to keep wearers looking and feeling elegantly cool.

Brother Philippines extends popular Switch to Tank promo until March

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Save on a new Brother Refill Tank System printer when you trade in an old model!




Brother Philippines continues to help Filipinos save more on their printing solutions for the home and the office with the return of their popular Switch to Tank promo, running this time from March to April 3.

As with previous runs of the promo, Brother customers can trade in their old printers, regardless of brand and working condition, for up to 50% discount on a brand-new a DCP-T310 Brother Refill Tank System Printer (and up to 30% on other Brother printer models).

As part of its efforts toward sustainability and environmentally-friendly waste management, Brother will take great care in handling and disposing of the old printers with its DENR-accredited recycling partner, HMR Philippines.

“Our Switch to Tank promos continue to prove to be truly popular, and by keeping it going, we want to make sure Filipinos always have the opportunity to produce the best output with our Refill Tank Series,” said Glenn Hocson, Brother Philippines President.

Brother’s Refill Tank Series is one of the company’s most sought-after printer lines for both personal and office use for its high-quality output, cost-efficiency, and user-friendliness.

With the Switch to Tank promo, it’s always better and easier to upgrade to Brother printers!

For more details and information about the Switch to Tank promo, interested customers can visit and pre-register at promotions.brother.com.ph/brotherswitchtotank. Customers may also visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BROTHERatyourside/. They can also call the Brother Helpdesk Hotline at (02) 581-9898, or through the toll-free line at 1-10-BROTHER or send an email to helpdesk@brother.com.ph.