A New Foodies’ World awaits at Araneta City's Gateway Mall 2

Tweet

Wait for it! Exciting food brands and destinations are coming to the City of Firsts.

Gateway Mall 2, the latest lifestyle offering at Araneta City, is set to welcome the public this year. And with this new marketplace, expect to be amazed by new and additional choices of restaurants, cafes, and other food destinations.

Once fully open, Gateway Mall 2 will enhance the breadth and depth of gastronomic selection in Araneta City – making it the latest place to satisfy all sorts of food adventures in the metro.

Get ready for the mall's opening and keep an eye on these brand-new dining spots at the City of Firsts.

Restaurant Collection

Araneta City expands its selection of dining options with restaurants owned by Chef Margarita Fores and her family to open as part of Gateway Mall 2’s Restaurant Collection. The renowned culinary clan brings their unique brand of scrumptious dishes to the City of Firsts with a mano, Mamou, and Grace Park.

There are also other restaurants to watch out for. Savor the finest steaks, burgers, and other grilled favorites at Wolfgang Steakhouse Grill. Sate your longing for comfort food with beloved signature Pinoy dishes of Abe, and Cochi Bistro. For a burst of flavors from around the world, catch Choi Garden, Botejyu, Coco Ichibanya, and Tokyo Milk Cheese as they open in Gateway Mall 2. And for coffee lovers, UCC Park Café and Starbucks Coffee will open their branches in the new mall’s hard-to-miss location.

Coliseum Plaza

More choices are made available in Araneta City, especially to patrons of Smart Araneta Coliseum. Located just a few steps away from the Big Dome's Red Gate entrance is the Coliseum Plaza, which hosts a variety of options to satisfy any type of craving in one convenient spot.

Put a savory punch to your coliseum experience by enjoying some good meals and snacks from Shake Shack and Mo’s Burger, Hong Kong dim sum at Tim Ho Wan, Pinoy comfort fare at Manam and Nono’s, and a drinks and cocktails bar soon.

Restaurants at the Coliseum Plaza offer both indoor and outdoor seating, giving customers more options on how they want to enjoy their dining experience.

Palenque

Mallgoers who long for dishes from their respective hometowns don't need to go far, as Gateway Mall 2 will feature a food crawl called Palenque – a Pinoy-themed food arena with the best-of-the-best in Filipino food heritage.

At Palenque, diners can do a “food crawl” through a selection of signature cuisine native and unique to every province or region in the Philippines and prepared by celebrated chefs in their own inimitable way. Check out Bale Dutung of Chef Claude Tayag, Al Puruganan’s Ilocos cuisine, Chef Tatung’s Cebu offerings and delicacies, Palm Grill from Zamboanga, Sea Salt Davao Grill, Chinoy's Chicken Fandian and more Bacolod delicacies, and offerings like Diwal.

Behind this exciting food idea is Filipino chef and restaurateur Claude Tayag, who brings his vision and culinary expertise in Philippine gastronomy to the City of Firsts.

Asian Village

Foodies looking for a mouthwatering Asian culinary experience also don’t need to go far. Gateway Mall 2 is host to an inviting Asian Village that will showcase the richness of cuisine on this side of the globe.

Treat yourself to a tour around the region with delicacies from Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Thailand, Korea, and other Eastern nations, all within the comforts of Araneta City’s new mall.

More food choices

Expect an abundance of other exciting dining options when you explore the entirety of the 190,000-square-meter Gateway Mall 2.

Coliseum patrons entering or exiting via the mall’s upper ground floor access will be greeted with an array of nearby food choices such as Hawker Chan, BLK 513, French Baker, Tong Yang, Yoshinoya, Llao Llao, Pound, Panda Express, Subway, and more. Also, the largest Mary Grace Cafe in the metro will soon open alongside these restaurants.

More exciting food go-tos will spread in various parts of the mall. There’s Ramen Nagi, Red Crab, Burgoo, Tsokolateria, Dookki Korean, Banana Leaf, Bread Talk, Peri-Peri, Classic Savory, Via Mare, and more. Vikings—one of the go-to buffet restaurants of Filipinos—is also set to land on this side of Gateway Mall 2.

An exciting concept is also in store for K-pop and P-pop fans. Opening soon at Araneta City's latest mall is K Pop Town and Café—a first in the Philippines—which will provide an additional Korean and local pop experience beyond the City of Firsts' usual entertainment scene.

Araneta Group-owned brands Pizza Hut, Dairy Queen, and Taco Bell will have more presence in Araneta City with additional branches in Gateway Mall 2.

There's plenty more to expect when Araneta City opens its new mall this 2023. So watch out for Gateway Mall 2 and get ready to try these new dining destinations at the City of Firsts.

Street culture, art, music and drinks intersect at Alfonso Brandy’s Alfie Alley

Tweet

Alfie Alley graffiti wall was unveiled during the program.

Feel at home at Alfie Alley as it heads to Tagaytay and La Union next

Having been in the Philippines for more than 20 years to date, Alfonso Brandy has always been known for its premium ingredients and imported quality. Made from the finest grapes of Spain’s La Mancha region and aged in the biggest single bodega in Jerez, Alfonso Brandy has made its way into more Filipino homes, and has now expanded its market – ang tropang Alfie.

As a way to thank and celebrate tropang Alfie, Alfonso Brandy brought together street culture, art, music and drinks at Alfie Alley, held at The Pop Up Katipunan in Quezon City last April 15, 2023.

Urbandub keeping the party alive as the audience sang along closing the Alfie Alley Program

Mr. Dennis Bato the designer behind the new bottle design Alfonso Brandy's giant bottle and Alfie Alley graffiti wall

Guests enjoy the event with participation in booth activities and some alfie quiz games where they can play and win prizes

Sales and Marketing Director of Montosco Inc. Ms. Lauren Tanganco together with Alfie Alley host Alex Diaz and street artist, Mr. Dennis Bato

I Belong to the Zoo serenading the audience during the Alfie Awitan segment

Branded as its first-ever street culture-themed outdoor event, Alfie Alley invited tropang Alfie to feel at home while enjoying the company of their friends and good music as they sip on Alfonso Brandy, whether on the rocks, with cola or with ginger ale and lemon. Showcased were the three Alfonso Brandy variants in their respective sari-sari-store-inspired booths, which also had their own limited edition merchandise and games for guests to enjoy.

Over at the Alfonso Light Booth, guests had the chance to snap a picture at the Alfie Alley Photobooth with their Alfie caps and shirts. Meanwhile, the Alfonso Zero Booth set up a thrilling Al-Flip Cup game where winners took home exciting prizes. Finally, the Alfonso Platinum Booth presented a Jenga-inspired game, Jengalfie Platinum, where one had to pick out the Alfonso Platinum block from the stack to win a special prize.

Art formed a huge part of Alfie Alley as well, as they unveiled a larger-than-life street-art-inspired Alfonso Brandy Bottle installation and a huge Alfie Alley mural created by artist Dennis Bato. Then, capping off the fun-filled event was Alfie Awitan, a string of musical performances by some of today’s biggest acts. The line-up included SSUT, Hulu, John Roa, I Belong To The Zoo, and Urbandub.

Following Alfie Alley’s launch in Quezon City, the street culture-themed event is set to delight tropang Alfie again next month. Alfonso Brandy’s Alfie Alley will be making a stop at Papa Doms Bar and Restaurant in Tagaytay on May 20, to be followed by a run at Daluyon Beach Resort in La Union on May 27.

Make sure to drop by and feel at home sa #AlfieAlley by following #AlfonsoBrandy on facebook.com/alfonso1brandyph/, instagram.com/alfonsobrandyph/ and https://tinyurl.com/alfonsobrandyph

Igloo underscores importance of device and health protection for mobile gamers

Tweet

Unleash your full gaming potential with Igloo’s device and health protection for mobile gamers

eSports is experiencing incredible growth globally with analysts projecting that the eSports market as a whole will grow to US$5.48 billion by 2029 from US$1.44 in 2022.

The Philippines is one of the countries where eSports is becoming increasingly popular. The country is home to the biggest eSports organization in Southeast Asia and to some of the most talented esports players in the world, ranking 8th in the world in terms of skills. As a rising gaming juggernaut, 95.8% of Filipino internet users play video games across different devices. In fact, 76% of Filipino gamers prefer to play on mobile phones due to its affordability and accessibility.

​​With the continued growth of the industry and its recognition as an official sport in events including the Olympics, it’s not surprising that many Filipinos are beginning to view becoming a professional gamer as a career option and are investing in good quality gear to upgrade their gaming experience and performance.

Improving one’s skill takes time and logging in hours upon hours of playtime can lead to the wear and tear and damage in gamers’ devices. Continuing to play on a damaged phone or one with a cracked screen not only presents challenges to gameplay performance, it can also cause injuries to the player.

Regional insurtech Igloo understands that fixing damaged parts or in more serious cases, replacing the entire phone itself, can be very expensive, which is why it introduced various insurance products to not only protect mobile devices from unwanted incidents such as cracked screens and water damage but also the health of mobile gamers.

With the Cracked Screen Protection and the 360-degree Phone Protection, mobile users are provided complete protection for their mobile devices for as low as P21 a month through the GCash GInsure Marketplace and Shopee.

“The global gaming industry is growing at such a rapid rate, with Southeast Asia accounting for over 50% of this growth. At Igloo, we aim to provide insurance products for every kind of lifestyle and that includes mobile gamers,” said Igloo’s Country Manager for the Philippines Mario Berta. “Through products like the Cracked Screen Protection and the 360-Phone Protection, we aim to ensure that Filipinos are able to access affordable comprehensive protection through convenient, easy-to-use platforms like GCash and Shopee.”

The health risks of mobile gaming

The loss or damage of one’s gaming smartphone isn’t the only risk when embarking on a mobile gaming career as long hours of gaming and spending hours in one position can also lead to health issues such as carpal tunnel syndrome or even heart attacks.

The World Health Organization has sounded the alarm over Video Game Addiction or Gaming Disorder as legitimate illnesses that plague gamers from all over the world. Understanding its role in providing protection to mobile gamers, Igloo, together with leading Indonesian e-wallet platform DANA, introduced Gamers’ Protection last year.

The award-winning product provides coverage for heart attacks and carpal tunnel syndrome, illnesses that can be caused or exacerbated by frequent and long gaming sessions.

“While we share the world’s enthusiasm for mobile gaming, we understand that gaming for long periods of time can also pose health risks for gamers. Understanding our role as an insurtech company providing protection, has spurred us to create Gamers’ Protection,” said Mario. “Gaming is more than just having the best device or skills–it’s also about having protection for yourself and your devices to unleash your full gaming potential.”

Gamers’ Protection is currently available in Indonesia but Igloo is looking to bring the product across Southeast Asia in the near future.

“We’ve seen how this insurance product has benefited gamers from Indonesia and are currently seeking to introduce said product to other countries within the region in the near future as we believe Southeast Asian gamers will benefit from the protection this product provides,” Mario added.

-----------------------

About Igloo:

Igloo is the first full-stack insurtech firm to emerge from Singapore. It has offices in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia and tech centers in China and India. With a mission of making insurance accessible for all, the firm leverages big data, real-time risk assessment, and end-to-end automated claims management to create B2B2C insurance solutions for platform companies and insurance companies. Igloo’s insurance solutions enable companies to eliminate their exposure to operational risk, create new revenue streams, and optimize and enhance existing products and services. Igloo has partnered with over 55 well-known brand names across the markets in various verticals, including insurance, telecommunications, e-commerce, hospitality, health tech and financial services.

For more information, please visit https://www.iglooinsure.com/.

Dasurv mo ang coolest upgrades na ‘to this summer with Home Credit!

Tweet

Uy, summer na! Together with the scorching heat that challenges us every day, we need something to beat it with - whether it be planning a beach getaway, a trip to Baguio, or buying the latest appliances to keep you cool without leaving the house. Home Credit holds the answer to your summer needs this year, from electronics to the newest gadgets that you dasurv, they have it all!

Home Credit Philippines, the shopping partner of every Filipino, is coming in hot with its big summer blowout! Products ranging from gadgets, cooling equipment, and home appliances are now made more accessible at 0% interest rates that will not just keep you cool, but your budget and wallets heat-free, too!

Make this summer the most fantastic and coolest one ever. Who says you have to go far this summer to please yourself, the family, and the barkada? Home Credit lists down some items that you definitely dasurv and will bring you a cool vibe this summer. Check these items below now!

Stay cool and hydrated!

Are you going to let the summer heat keep you down? One way to keep cool this summer is to drink the most refreshing drinks. Stock up your Sharp Two-Door J-Tech Inverter Refrigerator with ice-cold beverages that will keep you energized throughout the day! Its No Frost technology automatically adjusts and controls the temperature and humidity level inside the refrigerator, saving you from future frosting stress!

If you cope with the summer heat by eating frozen treats, Toshiba’s Two-Door Inverter Top Mount Refrigerator might become your best friend. Together with a Dual-Cooling Zone, allowing you to cool food items faster and feel the cool, icy breeze when you open it, this refrigerator may be for you.

Beat the heat in seconds!

Is the summer heat taking away the excitement to go out? Everyone deserves their own cool place to hang out and feel refreshed. Haier’s Split-Type Air Conditioner is equipped with a UVC generator module that will keep you safe and cool throughout the day. It also has the ability to self-clean and has a faster and much more powerful cooling performance, saving up to 63% of energy.

Staying indoors is also a trend this season, simply because it’s cooler inside. Together with LG’s Inverter Window Type Air Conditioner, keep the four corners of your home comfy. Enjoy LG's innovative inverter technology that's both powerful and quiet, and saves up to 70% energy when used!

Revolutionize your summer!

Everybody has their own way to keep cool and celebrate summer, whether it’s by buying a new item or chilling in the comfort of their homes. For staycationistas, the LG Smart 4K UHD TV is the right upgrade for you! It easily gives you the power to effortlessly stream movies and TV shows from your favorite entertainment apps in a new standard of high definition using your home wireless network.

For our resident multitaskers who prefer to enjoy the beach and work at the same time, on-the-go gadgets are the right fit for you! Acer comes through with a feature-packed Aspire 5, powered by the latest processors and graphics to give a crisp multitasking performance that will definitely not leave your work and screen frozen.

Hustling work and life during the summer vacation is not an ordinary thing, so make those extraordinary memories last with a mobile phone built for everyday life. Oppo A96 must be your reliable best friend this season because not only has it passed a lot of environmental tests, but this phone is also dust and water-resistant!

So, what’s the hold-up? Be summer ready and get those well-deserved purchases now! Visit the nearest Robinsons Appliances and Savers Appliances and get those summeresque purchases all at affordable costs, low-interest rates, and free last installments through Home Credit because dasurv mo 'to!

To know more about the latest updates from Home Credit Philippines, visit its official website www.homecredit.ph. You may also follow its official Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts. Customers are also encouraged to download the My Home Credit App on Google Play to learn more about the latest promos and see what’s new in the Marketplace.

Home Credit Philippines is a financing company duly licensed and supervised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).

Solving community problems through innovation: Samsung Philippines partners with DepEd to launch Solve for Tomorrow program for aspiring young STEM leaders

Tweet

Samsung Philippines is ramping up its efforts to support young Filipino innovators through the launch of its globally recognized educational program, Solve for Tomorrow.

In partnership with the Department of Education, Samsung's Solve for Tomorrow is an innovative competition that fosters critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and teamwork to encourage social innovation ideas that address pressing community issues.

Samsung Philippines presents a Certificate of Appreciation to the Department of Education for the Solve for Tomorrow partnership. In the photo are:   (L-R) Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation (SEPCO) Chief Financial Officer Taekyun Kim, Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation (SEPCO) President Minsu Chu, Department of Education Director IV Margarita Ballesteros, Samsung Electro- Mechanics Philippines (SEMPHIL) President Hangkyu Cho, and Samsung R&D Institute Philippines (SRPH) Managing Director Yongduk Hwang.

Since its global launch in 2010, Solve for Tomorrow has provided an opportunity for students worldwide to turn their imaginative ideas into practical solutions. It aims to empower STEM students to share and realize their ideas to solve societal challenges and make an impact in their local communities.

The competition offers a unique learning experience, enabling participants to leverage their STEM expertise and acquire valuable skills throughout the entire journey. As of 2020, the CSR program has benefited over 2 million people and expanded to over 50 markets, including the Philippines in 2023.

STEM in the Philippines

In the 2022 edition of the Global Innovation Index, which measures economic progress and competitiveness, the Philippines slipped eight spots to rank 59th in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) scales in reading, math, and science.

In the first participation of the Philippines in the PISA in 2018, Filipino students ranked the lowest in reading comprehension among 79 countries and second lowest in both mathematical and scientific literacy.

Mr. Minsu Chu, president of Samsung Philippines, stated that the company is committed to giving back to the community through STEM education. “Every young person deserves to unlock his or her full potential, regardless of circumstances. Samsung believes in developing young minds and equipping them with resources and opportunities that nurture their dreams, so they can generate positivity that also inspires fellow young people,” said Mr. Chu.

How to join

Targeted towards the youth who are taking on the STEM track from Grades 8-12, the Solve for Tomorrow program aims to enhance the students’ technical and 4C skills (cooperation, communication, creativity and critical thinking).

Interested applicants, which should consist of students and a teacher, can submit an application through the official Samsung website. Entries are welcome from individuals or teams with a maximum of eight (8) members. Schools may enter as many individuals or teams.

Applicants are required to submit a written plan (maximum of 1,000 words) about the issue or problem they wish to solve, a poster or diagram of their plan, a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation (maximum of 10 slides), or a 5-minute video presentation.

Solve for Tomorrow will run in three stages from May to December. Qualified entries will go through a preliminary round in June. Shortlisted teams will move to the semi-final round that will last until October where they will be subjected to workshops and mentorship in order for the teams to build a prototype of their solution. Only five (5) teams will advance to the final round. During the final round in December, the students will present their prototypes to a panel of judges and three (3) individuals or teams will be announced as winners.

Prizes worth over P1.5 million await the winners including their respective teachers and schools. Stay tuned for further contest updates to be announced soon.