FWD Life Insurance announces new Tacloban Hub

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FWD Life Insurance announces the official opening of its 18th and latest hub in Leyte’s capital city of Tacloban. The FWD Tacloban Hub simultaneously serves the Eastern Visayas region to expand the coverage in the country.

Pintados performed to celebrate living during the opening of FWD Tacloban Hub.

The FWD Tacloban Hub opened in November 2020 amidst the pandemic and proceeded with its operations and local recruitment. With the easing of pandemic-related restrictions this year, FWD held festivities featuring a cultural dance by local pintados (tattooed “warriors”) that Tacloban is known for.

Li Hao Zhuang, FWD Life Insurance President and CEO said the resilience that Taclobanons have shown against difficult events, from typhoon Yolanda to the pandemic, shows the positive spirit of Filipinos.

A motorcade converges right in front of the Tacloban City Center Park where the new FWD business hub is located.

“We celebrate this spirit through the new Tacloban hub to provide better access to life and financial insurance that aims to help Taclobanons get back on their feet and improve their lives,” Li Hao said. “Our newest hub in Tacloban motivates us to continue to work to reach more Filipinos. The hub opened during a challenging time, but we celebrate living with the people of Tacloban and we remain optimistic.”

FWD continues to innovate with product propositions that cater to the evolving needs and lifestyles of Filipinos. Li Hao affirms that the new FWD Tacloban Hub allows Taclobanons and the rest of the Eastern Visayas region to experience a brand of insurance that is easy to know, easy to buy, easy to claim, easy to engage, and easy to love.

Jun Marasigan, FWD Life Insurance Chief Agency Officer added that the new Tacloban hub continues to recruit Taclobanons as FWD agents. He emphasized that FWD has a strong agency team with multiple Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) awardees serving Tacloban. MDRT is the global benchmark of excellence in the life insurance and financial services industries.

“Our agents have grown, performing well and creating an impressive track record in servicing the people of Tacloban,” Jun said. “We strive to support Tacloban and the rest of Eastern Visayas. We see a huge potential in the region and plan to grow aggressively, and we’re looking for talents to join us as financial advisors. We’re committed to work towards reaching and covering more Filipinos and change the way they feel about insurance.”

FWD Tacloban hub is accepting local talents to hire as financial advisors.

FWD recognizes Tacloban's resilience against challenging events.

"We celebrate living with the people of Tacloban and we remain optimistic," says FWD Life Insurance President and CEO Li Hao Zhuang.

FWD Tacloban hub provides life and financial insurance for Tacloban and the rest of Eastern Visayas.

To find out more about FWD insurance products, visit fwd.com.ph/products/. FWD Tacloban business hub is located at the Tacloban City Center Park, Real Street in Brgy. Aslum, Sagkahan.

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About FWD Life Insurance

FWD Life Insurance Corporation (FWD Life Insurance) launched its commercial operations in September 2014. As of end-2021, FWD Life Insurance ranks 2nd and 5th in terms of Paid-up Capital1 and Total Premium Income2, respectively.

FWD Group is a pan-Asian life insurance business with approximately 10 million customers across 10 markets, including some of the fastest growing insurance markets in the world. In the Philippines, FWD has 18 business hubs located in key cities nationwide, with its headquarters in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Established in 2013, FWD is focused on making the insurance journey simpler, faster and smoother, with innovative propositions and easy-to-understand products, supported by digital technology. Through this customer-led approach, FWD is committed to changing the way people feel about insurance.

For more information, please visit fwd.com.ph.

1 www.insurance.gov.ph > Statistics > Life > 2021 > Based on Paid-Up Capital

2 www.insurance.gov.ph > Statistics > Life > 2021 > Based on Total Premium Income

Lenovo opens concept store in Tacloban

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 Technology leader, Lenovo, has recently opened its newest concept store in Tacloban City, Leyte, as part of efforts to bolster presence in the Philippines. This is the company’s first concept store in the Eastern Visayas region.

Located in Robinsons Place Tacloban, the store features Lenovo’s ever-growing product portfolio of notebooks, laptops, and desktops, designed and customized to cater to the different lifestyles and tech needs of various market segments.

Leading PC and smart devices developer Lenovo recently opened its first concept store in Leyte as part of efforts to bring its services closer to customers in the region. Located in the second level of Robinsons Place Tacloban, the store features Lenovo’s ever-growing product portfolio of notebooks, laptops, and desktops, which can be designed and customized to cater to the different lifestyles and tech needs. This process is part of the company’s overall thrust to focus more on customers in its overall strategy to achieve growth by delivering excellent service solutions. In photo from left to right: Eddie Uy, Managing Director of Electrocomputer Data Systems, Katherine Uy, CFO of Electrocomputer Data Systems, and Michael Ngan, Lenovo Philippines Country General Manager.

“Lenovo position as a global leader is not just because of our innovative products, but because of our efforts in making them more visible and accessible to the public, especially in key cities with a bustling local economy such as Tacloban. Through our concept stores, which we plan to expand all over the country, customers can have a unique first-hand experience of our products and at the same time discover what suits their lifestyle and needs through the advice of our professional staff,” said Lenovo Philippines Country General Manager Michael Ngan.

With the unique, face-to-face experience that customers can get from visiting the concept store, Lenovo gains crucial insight about its customers, which enables it to develop the best customized solutions to meet market requirements. This process is part of the company’s thrust to focus more on customers in its overall strategy on achieving growth by delivering excellent service solutions.

This strategy has helped position Lenovo as a worldwide leader in terms of PC and smart devices sales. Between the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2017-2018 and the first quarter of fiscal year 2018-2019, the company experienced double-digit growth and improved profitability as its revenue reached $11.91 billion, a 19-percent year-on-year growth. These figures earned Lenovo the number one spot in PC shipments by Gartner.

Further growth is expected with Lenovo’s new and upcoming offerings. Customers in Tacloban can expect some of the recent additions like the IdeaPad 330, 330S, and 530S, the three powerful yet budget-friendly PC devices that run on Windows 10. Avid gamers can also expect to get their hands on the new Legion Y530.

”We’ll continue to develop more innovative products in the years to come. Hopefully with the help of our concept stores, we can introduce them to our customers in a simple, flexible approach. We know that in the Philippines, actual hands-on experience with devices is an important part of the buying decision. Through our concept stores, customers are given a unique and personalized experience that puts their needs first,” Ngan said.

There are currently 19 Lenovo Concept Stores serving clients in key cities across the nation. Lenovo Concept Store Tacloban is located at the second level of Robinsons Place Tacloban. It is open daily during mall hours from 10:00AM to 9:00PM.

Paul Salas and Sassa Dagdag at theVIVO V9 Mall Tour in Tacloban

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Paul Salas and Sassa Dagdag had a jampacked show at the VIVO V9 Mall tour at Robinsons  Place, Tacloban City last May 19 – 20, 2018. 

Paul and Sassa are also proud members of the Vivo Family, a roster of the top smartphone brand’s influencers.

Vivo is a global brand known for its selfie-centric smartphones which represents the brand’s mission of empowering self-expression of the next generation. It features the most advanced technologies, not only for the cameras but for all aspects, from photo shooting to display, helping media-savvy and social media-devoted consumers capture and enjoy their most significant moments. Vivo signed the hottest celebrities in the Philippines in an effort to extend the brand to the local consumers, especially the young and the hip.

Paul Salas

Actor-dancer Paul Salas entertains Vivo fans and selfie lovers.

Young actor-model Paul Salas brought entertainment to a whole new level as he showcased his slick dance moves during the premium global brand Vivo at the mall tour. 

Paul, who rose to fame following his stint as finalist of GMA’s reality talent search “Starstruck Kids,”and also became as Kapamilya star.

The lucky mall audience bring home brand new unit of the Vivo V9

Paul  elicited loud cheers and applause from an enthusiastic crowd of Vivo fans, selfie lovers, and mall goers who got a chance to capture a perfect selfie with the young star.

Sassa Dagdag

The newest pop soul princess, Sassa entertains with amazing soul numbers and wows the mall shoppers and Vivo mobile phone lovers at the Tacloban mall tour. 

Sassa first rose to fame as a finalist on The Voice Kids PH Season 2 under Team Bamboo. She's now with the Polyeast Records. Her soulful voice, which people likened to Beyonce, won the hearts of many. 

Lucky audience members got the chance to bring home brand new units of the Vivo V9 and other special prizes and merchandise. The mall tour, which aims to bring the superb selfie experience closer to mallgoers and potential consumers as it promotes the “perfect selfie” V9 line.

Vivo V9

The Vivo V9 features a FullViewTM Display and 90% screen-to-body ratio with its 6.3-inch display and side bezels of 1.75mm. It delivers AI-powered photos with its 24-megapixel selfie camera and 16MP+5MP dual rear camera. The V9 is a sleek and stylish smartphone that can take the “perfect shot” and provide the “perfect view.”

Vivo's newest flagship smartphone is also equipped with the latest Android 8.1 OS and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 octa-core processor, 4GB RAM, and 64 ROM.

The Vivo V9 is packed with features that makes it a powerful and reliable smartphone for only Php17,990.

For inquiries about Vivo, visit the Vivo website at vivoglobal.ph or check out their Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vivophil, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/vivo_philippines , and Twitter https://twitter.com/vivo_phil accounts.

Pope Francis' Apostolic Visit to the Philippines - Message of President Aquino on the preparations for the visit of Pope Francis

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The country prepares and getting ready for Pope Francis' Apostolic Visit to the Philippines on January 15 to 19, 2015.

President Aquino will meet His Holiness upon arrival and during a welcome ceremony at Malacañan Palace. On Saturday, Pope Francis will travel to Tacloban City, where he will meet with Typhoon Yolanda survivors.

In view of the visit of the Pope, the Head of State of the Vatican City, President Benigno S. Aquino III appeal to the public to cooperate with authorities to ensure His Holiness’ safety.

Yesterday, President Aquino addressed the nation regarding the government's preparations for the visit of Pope Francis.

Mensahe ng Kagalang-galang Benigno S. Aquino III Pangulo ng Pilipinas Hinggil sa pagbisita ng Santo Papa 

[Inihayag noong ika-12 ng Enero 2015]

Mga Boss, malaking karangalan po ang pagbisita ng Santo Papa sa ating bansa; kaakibat nito, humaharap din po tayo sa isang malaking hamon. Tingnan na lang po ninyo noong 1995 nang idinaos ang World Youth Day sa ating bansa, na pinamunuan ni Pope John Paul II. Punong-puno ang Luneta at dikit-dikit ang mga tao. Dagdag ko lang po: ganito na kapuno noon nang 68 million ang populasyon natin; ngayong 100 milyon na tayo, gaano karami pa kaya ang darating sa misa ni Pope Francis sa Luneta?

Siyempre po, lahat ng tao, gustong makita nang personal ang Santo Papa. Nariyan ang libo-libong mag-aabang sa convoy ng Santo Papa, at ang milyon-milyon na lalahok sa Luneta. Ang pagsisiksikan at pagkagigil na makalapit sa Santo Papa, maaaring maging mitsa para magkagulo. Isipin na lang po ninyo: Kapag maraming tao ang kumilos nang kahit isang pulgada paharap, malaking espasyo ang masasakop. Kung wala nang lugar na gagalawan, malamang ay may maiipit sa mga barikada. Nagsimula lang po ang lahat ng iyan sa kagustuhang makalapit sa Santo Papa.

Paano pa kaya kung magkahabulan dahil sa may mandurukot? O kaya may isang walang magawa at biglang magpaputok ng labintador? Pihadong magtatakbuhan at magkakatulakan, at nariyan ang potensiyal na marami ang masaktan.

Pansinin din po ninyo: disiplinado ang tao noong wala ang convoy; nang dumating po ang convoy, kanya-kanya na. Kung nagtagumpay ang mga nakaharang na makalapit sa Santo Papa, at tumigil ang convoy, ang dating moving target naging stationary target na. Isipin ninyo kung may nadaganan pa, o kaya naapakan dahil sa pag-uunahan. Di naman kailangang may mapahamak na sinuman.

Tingnan na rin po ninyo ang video na ito: inatake si Pope John Paul II sa loob mismo ng Vatican. Nariyan din ang insidente nang magmimisa si Pope Benedict XVI, nang sunggaban siya sa loob ng katedral; pati na rin ang paglundag ng mga tao patungo sa kanyang pope mobile.

Tandaan po natin: Pastoral visit ito, at layon ng Santo Papa na makahalubilo ang pinakamarami sa ating mga kababayan. Ang bawat pagtatagpo ay nagdadala ng panganib. Ang gusto natin: Bawasan ang mga panganib sa buhay ng Santo Papa, at balansehin ang seguridad ni Pope Francis at ang kanyang hangarin.

Walang duda na sa malaking pagtitipon tulad nito, posible ang gulo. Maski walang banta ng terorismo, at lalo na kung may planong magpasimula ng gulo, nagbabadya ang peligro na magdadala ng pinsala sa napakaraming lalahok.

Kaya naman, para maging makabuluhan ang pagdalaw ng Santo Papa, kailangan natin ng pagdadamayan at pagbabayanihan. Malinaw na napakalaki ng hamong dala ng pagbisita ni Pope Francis sa ating bansa; nakataya rito ang kaligtasan niya, ng nakaparaming dadalo sa kanyang mga gawain at mag-aabang sa kanya. Ang mismong karangalan ng ating bansa, malalagay sa alanganin. Ang tanong ko nga po: Gusto ba nating matala sa kasaysayan na nangyari sa Pilipinas ang isang trahedya na may kinalaman sa Santo Papa?

Obligasyon ng gobyerno ang inyong kaligtasan, at para magampanan ang tungkuling ito ay may obligasyon din kayo. Sa mga darating na araw, maglalabas ng mga paaalala hinggil sa patakarang panseguridad sina Secretary Mar Roxas at Undersecretary Manuel Bautista. Ang panawagan po namin: Makinig po tayo, at makiisa sa pagbabahagi ng impormasyon.

Pihado po: Malalaktawan natin ang napakalaking hamon na ito sa inyong pakikisama at pagbabayanihan.

Ipakita po natin ang pakikisama at pagtutulungan, nang matiyak nating magiging mataimtim at mapayapa ang pagbisita ni Pope Francis sa ating bansa.

Magandang gabi po, maraming salamat, at inaasahan ko ang pakikiisa ninyo.

Discovery Channel marks first anniversary of Super Typhoon with HAIYAN: AFTER THE MEGASTORM

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Typhoon Haiyan – locally known as Typhoon Yolanda and one of the strongest tropical cyclones in history – hit the Philippines last year, leaving thousands dead, infrastructure destroyed and livelihood sources disrupted. Seven months after the megastorm, Discovery Channel and Filipino-British TV star Trey Farley returns to the typhoon-ravaged city of Tacloban to share the Filipinos’ resiliency to the world.

- The 60-minute special which premieres on Saturday, November 8 at 8 PM revisits Tacloban months after it is pummelled by one of history’s most intense storms -

On the first anniversary of typhoon Haiyan, Discovery Channel – in partnership with Filipino documentary makers, Caelestis Productions Inc. – returns to Tacloban to uncover and honor the heroic human effort undertaken to rebuild the storm-ravaged city and the surrounding islands in an exclusive 60-minute documentary. 

HAIYAN: AFTER THE MEGASTORM, hosted by Filipino-British television presenter and actor Trey Farley, will premiere in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia on Saturday, November 8 at 8:00 p.m. on Discovery Channel.

In the early morning of November 8, 2013, mega-typhoon Haiyan tore through central Philippines, wreaking havoc across the country and causing widespread devastation. The sheer magnitude of the super storm was unprecedented, and the scale of damage it left in its wake was shocking. Haiyan left thousands dead, cities flattened, crops ruined and a clean-up operation that will last for years. 

HAIYAN: AFTER THE MEGASTORM picks up seven months after Haiyan’s deadly wrath, with Trey returning to his native country to examine the typhoon’s impact on Tacloban, the worst-hit city, what is being done to pick up the pieces and how fellow Filipinos are coping with the aftermath. Tacloban still bears the indelible scars of Haiyan’s destructive path with evidence of it everywhere; the Daniel Z. Romualdez airport has only been partially rebuilt, and much of the city is still on the road to recovery. HAIYAN: AFTER THE MEGASTORM goes behind the scenes to gain unique insight into the current situation. 

In HAIYAN: AFTER THE MEGASTORM, the Mayor of Tacloban, Alfred S. Romualdez takes host Trey on an up-close inspection of the incredible destruction. They board a grounded cargo ship that remains manned by the stranded crew to this day, and visit a temporary burial site where thousands of bodies had to be identified before being exhumed for placement in permanent graves later. Trey also stops at a school that remains eerily frozen in time after being completely gutted by the typhoon’s storm surge, which was fuelled by winds that reached an average of 195 mph (310 kmph). The program also visits a healing camp where affected children are being taught to forget what they have experienced, and to begin to trust the ocean again.

Tacloban’s recovery has been arduous and reconstruction is still underway, but it is beginning to move forward. HAIYAN: AFTER THE MEGASTORM uncovers everything that is being done – from the ongoing harrowing aspect of corpse management, to keeping the local airport open as a lifeline in conjunction with the U.S. military, to reconnecting power, helping survivors cope with the emotional trauma of the disaster and the pain of loss, clearing the countless number of downed coconut trees and logging the remaining dead trees to prevent infestation, and preparing for the next possible megastorm.

HAIYAN: AFTER THE MEGASTORM encores on Sunday, November 9 at 10:00 a.m., 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

HAIYAN: AFTER THE MEGASTORM was executive produced by Emile Guertin for Discovery Channel, and Sally Jo Bellosillo and Renato Romero for Caelestis Productions Inc.

Watch out for HAIYAN: AFTER THE MEGASTORM, airing one year after the tragedy on Saturday, November 8 at 8:00 p.m. on Discovery Channel. Catch it as it encores on Sunday, November 9 at 10:00 a.m., 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

About Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel, the flagship network of Discovery Communications, is devoted to creating the highest quality non-fiction programming in the world and remains one of the most dynamic networks on television. First launched in 1985, Discovery Channel now reaches 196 million subscribers in Asia-Pacific. Globally, Discovery Channel is one of the world’s most widely distributed television brands, reaching 441 million subscribers in more than 220 countries in 45 languages. It offers viewers an engaging line-up of high-quality non-fiction entertainment from blue-chip nature, science and technology, ancient and contemporary history, adventure, cultural and topical documentaries. For more information, visit www.discoverychannelasia.com.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world’s #1 nonfiction media company reaching 2.5 billion cumulative subscribers in more than 220 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through more than 190 worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science and Investigation Discovery, as well as U.S. joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network and the Hub Network. Across the Nordic region, Discovery owns and operates SBS Discovery Media, a top-three portfolio of television brands that feature leading nonfiction content, as well as locally produced entertainment programs, sports and the best scripted series and movies from major studios. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools, including an award-winning series of K-12 digital textbooks, and a digital leader with a diversified online portfolio, including Discovery Digital Networks. In Asia-Pacific, Discovery brands reach 624 million cumulative subscribers in 37 countries with programming customised in 15 languages and dialects.

David Beckham's Valentine in Tacloban helping Yolanda survivors

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The International  Football legend and formerly LA Galaxy midfielder, superstar David Beckham arrived in Tacloban on Thursday, February 13, 2014  to visit the survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda. David Beckham first landed at Cebu-Mactan International Airport via Hong Kong at around 11:00 AM via Cathay Pacific flight CX 931, a few hours later he arrived at Tacloban City.

The recently retired player arrived in Cebu at around 11 a.m. and then left for Tacloban on board a Dornier 228 plane with registry UNO 117H along with seven other people.

Beckham is visiting Tacloban with the United Nations International Emergency Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Beckham is accompanied by seven other passengers from UNICEF as they boarded a Dornier 222-200 aircraft flight UNO-117H to depart from Cebu at 12:00 noon and arrived at Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban at exactly 12:30 PM.

He will also spend his Valentines Day with the survivors of the super typhoon.

This is the second visit of the legendary soccer player in the Philippines when he previously played in an exhibition match in the country on Dec. 3, 2011 with his former club Los Angeles Galaxy of the Major League Soccer against the Philippine Azkals.

David Beckham is one of the UNICEF ambassador since the year 2005, his visit in the country is to oversee the relief and recovery efforts of the UN agency focused on children in Tacloban City. 

Aside from being a UNICEF ambassador, David Beckham and his wife Spice Girl Victoria, also raised funds for the typhoon survivor and personally donated a total of 20 boxes of clothes to the British Red Cross.

Photos of David Beckham’s Arrival in Tacloban City: (Photo Credit: Twitter)