EkoSummer Wind and Power Bundle Promo

Tweet

Summer is here! Ready for some outdoor fun under the sun this summer? How about those rolling blackouts? Don't worry, Ekotek and Hanabishi​ have got you covered with the new EkoSummer Wind & Power Bundles!

That's right! Get a FREE USB mini fan when you buy any of our Ekopacks from March 13 - 31, 2015! 

Interested? What are you waiting for? Click on this link: http://j.mp/ekoteklazada to get your bundle today!

Or you can head on over to any of our kiosks nearest you. We've got one in SM Mega, SM North, SM Fairview and Victory Mall Pasay! 

Click here to learn more about your favorite Ekoproducts: http://ekotek.com.ph/

PROMO PRICE LIST

Ekopack 3000mAh bundle: Php 999

Ekopack 6000mAh bundle: Php 1199

Ekopack Slim 4000mAh bundle: Php 1199

Ekopack 9600mAh bundle: Php 1599

Ekopack 11000mAh bundle: Php 1749

Ekopack 13000mAh bundle: Php 1999

Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2015

Tweet

MANILA, Philippines– Pia Wurtzbach, of Cagayan de Oro City, was crowned Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2015 on Sunday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.  

It was Wurtzbach’s third time in a row to join the contest. She was Bb. Pilipinas 2013 first runner-up and also made it to the Top 15 last year. 

Wurtzbach, was also now awarded Bb. Creamsilk, triumphed over 33 other competitors from across the country.

Being one of the pageant’s crowd favorites, the 25-year-old professional model and culinary arts graduate was tearful and beaming as she received her crown and sash from the outgoing Bb. Pilipinas Universe Mary Jean Lastimosa.

During the question and answer portion,  she was asked by Rep. Leni Robredo about her thoughts on Internet censorship.

“I think that we should be careful with what we post online especially our thoughts and our opinions that we don’t hurt anybody. Especially selfies, we have to be careful with what we post, especially with our bodies and our faces. So always think before you click,” Wurtzbach answer.

Janicel Lubina, of Palawan, was proclaimed Bb. Pilipinas International. She also won the Best in Long Gown and Best in Swimsuit awards.

Ann Lorraine Colis, a BS Management Accounting graduate, took home the Bb. Pilipinas Tourism title.

Bagging the Bb. Pilipinas Supranational award was 23-year old Rogelie Catacutan.

Christi Lynn McGarry, of Nabua, Camarines Sur, was declared Bb. Pilipinas Intercontinental.

One spot shy of the crown was first runner-up Hannah Ruth Sison. Kimverlyn Suiza was second runner-up.

Teresita Ssen Marquez, daughter of actor Joey Marquez and actress Alma Moreno, seized the Best in Talent, Best in National Costume and She’s so Jag 2015 awards.

Other winners include Toni Alyessa Hipolito (Ms. Friendship), Cannielle Faith Santos (Ms. Photogenic and Manila Bulletin Readers’ Choice awards) and Kylie Versoza (Bb. Philippine Airlines).

Among those who made the Top 15 cut were: Princess Joy Camu, Brenna Cassandra Gamboa, Teresita Ssen Marquez, Maolin Yalung, Alaiza Flor Malinao, Justine Beatrice Felizarta, Anja Vanessa Peter and Kylie Versorza.

Binibining Pilipinas, now in its 52nd edition, is the longest-running and most prestigious beauty pageant in the country. It chooses the country’s representatives to major international beauty contests.

Binibining Pilipinas Universe 2015 Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach

The most awaited Binibining Pilipinas coronation night was hosted by Kapamilya stars Toni Gonzaga and Xian Lim together with former Miss Universe runners-up Shamcey Supsup-Lee, Venus Raj and Ariella Arida as co-presenters.

The panel of judges was led by Secretary Leila de Lima and Binibining Pilipinas pageant director Stella Marquez Araneta. Other famous personalities in the panel of judges include basketball player Kiefer Ravena, TV personality and comedian Vice Ganda, Sofitel Hotel general manager Bernd Schneider, International Model Sarah Meier, COO of Robinsons Land Corporation Frederick Go, Chief of Staff of AFP General Gregorio Pio Catapang, Ambassador of the Republic of France to the Philippines Gilles Garachon, Ambassador of theRepublic of Chile to the Philippines Luis Lillo and Camarines Sur Congresswoman Leni Robredo.

Here is the complete list of Binibining Pilipinas 2015 Winners:

Miss Universe Philippines: Bb Pilipinas Candidate 10, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach 

Bb Pilipinas International: Bb Pilipinas Candidate 11, Janicel Lubina 

Bb Pilipinas Supranational: Bb Pilipinas Candidate 25, Rogelie Catacutan 

Bb Pilipinas Intercontinental: Bb Pilipinas Candidate 19, Christi Lynn McGarry 

Bb Pilipinas Tourism: Bb Pilipinas Candidate 24, Ann Lorraine Colis 

Runners-up: 

1st runner-up: Bb 28, Hannah Ruth Lulu Sison 

2nd runner-up: Bb 8, Kimverlyn Suiza 

Bb Pilipinas Tourism: Bb Pilipinas Candidate 24, Ann Lorraine Colis 

Bb Pilipinas International: Bb Pilipinas Candidate 11, Janicel Lubina 

Bb Pilipinas Intercontinental: Bb Pilipinas Candidate 19, Christi Lynn McGarry 

Bb Pilipinas Supranational: Bb Pilipinas Candidate 25, Rogelie Catacutan 

1st runner-up: Bb 28, Hannah Ruth Lulu Sison 

2nd runner-up: Bb 8, Kimverlyn Suiza 

Janicel Lubina , Binibining Pilipinas 2015 Best in Swimsuit

Best in national costume: Bb 34, Teresita Ssen Marquez 

Special awards: 

Bb Friendship: Bb 6, Toni Alyessa Hipolito 

Bb Talent: Bb 34, Teresita Ssen Marquez 

Miss Photogenic: Bb 5, Cannielle Faith Santos 

Best in national costume: Bb 34, Teresita Ssen Marquez 

Best in swimsuit: Bb 11, Janicel Lubina 

Best in long gown: Bb 11, Janicel Lubina 

Bb Phil Airlines: Bb 12, Kylie Verzosa 

Manila Bulletin choice award: Bb 5, Cannielle Faith Santos 

She’s so JAG 2015: Bb 34, Teresita Ssen Marquez 

Miss Cream Silk: Bb 10, Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach

DRAGONPAY: An act of trust and persuasion

Tweet

One can say that Dragonpay’s success was built through partnerships. One can say it is because of their services. Or one can even say that it is because of the founder’s educational background. Though these remain true, Robertson Chiang, the founder of Dragonpay, says that his business’ success and legitimacy was established through honesty and integrity. It may sound cliché but in reality these traits, when tainted, are hard to form once more. Trust between or among parties can last forever, but can also disappear in a snap.

You can say that Robertson Chiang was the prodigy student of his batch in Ateneo de Manila University. Graduating top of his class with a Bachelor Degree in Computer Science, he pursued a career in Citibank as a Systems Analyst. This career path was scissored short when he flew to the US in pursuit of an MBA degree, which he deservingly received in Babson Graduate School of Business. Going back to Manila, he opened up his own Internet Service Provider (ISP), which was later acquired by the biggest private commercial ISP of that time. He joined forces with the bigger company as head of technology but he eventually left to become his own boss. The combination of his undergraduate degree, MBA degree, and work experience only made him better in all angles of his intellect – giving birth to Dragonpay.

Dragonpay started as a side business of Mr. Chiang while he was still under his previous employment. Starting up, his vision was set to processing online payments through credit card and paypal, then to online banking payments. But with the limited results from these channels, he realized that the credit and banking market would not cut his desired target. The truth is only an estimate of 5% in the Philippine population have access to credit cards and only 20% have access to Internet Banking. Knowing that the market is composed in this manner, Mr. Chiang thought of the majority, who the e-Commerce merchants have not tapped. This gave way for Dragonpay to expand their services to over-the-counter payments, which unsurprisingly rocketed the venture from a sideline to a frontline, single entity business. With this big shift in attention, he opted out from being an employee and became a full time parent to Dragonpay.

Ever since Dragonpay acknowledged this truth about the Philippine market, business has been consistently performing – although as with any business venture, barriers must be overcome. The main barrier to this venture is gaining the trust of merchants and of course, the consumers. There is no exact science to this, leaving Dragonpay to resort to the classic act of persuasion. Being a startup company themselves, there is no other way but to make other merchants understand the idea of the business. Fortunately enough, at the right place and time, merchants understood that with the statistics laid out, there is a need to acquire Dragonpay in their e-Commerce business. Along the way, Mr. Chiang was able to partner up with bigger companies who trusted their word from the very beginning. Showing that their service is full of potential and beneficial to all parties, these bigger names in different industries pursued the relationship and aided Dragonpay’s legitimacy as a full-grown business. 

Today, Dragonpay champions in three services – namely, online payment solution, mass payout, and recurring payments. These well thought-of services are steadily growing to what Mr. Chiang envisioned from the very beginning. It truly was a trial and error process for Dragonpay, but they made it to where they wanted to be one way or another. Mr. Chiang exclaimed, “Find out what went wrong, fix it; do it all over again.” This advice of his seems obvious. One could say, “I knew that.” But not everyone can say, “I made it.” 

In late 2014, GMO Payment Gateway, the biggest payment gateway in Japan, made a minority investment in Dragonpay. The partnership is expected to take the company to its next level of growth. More than anything else, the investment is also a testament to the soundness of the company’s business model and its prospect for further growth.

To know more about Dragonpay and their services, visit them at www.dragonpay.ph. This may be the missing payment solution to your business. 

Three Industry Leaders: PLDT SME Nation, Samsung Philippines and Microsoft Philippines forge a Partnership to Empower SMEs with Broadband and Digital Solutions

Tweet

The Philippines’ fast-growing digital, social and mobile users definitely creates unprecedented opportunities for the 800,000 strong small and medium enterprise (SME) market segment. However, the challenge today is how SMEs can efficiently tap and engage this community.

Today, there are over 34 million Facebook users, over 10 million Twitter followers and with over 44 million Filipino internet users and counting. 

With this, PLDT SME Nation partners with Samsung & Microsoft Philippines to create innovative business solutions that will enable entrepreneurs to run their business better, grow faster, be more globally competitive and engage with the country’s digital, social and mobile population.

SMEs can now enjoy the benefits of having PLDT SME Nation’s premium and faster fixed and wireless broadband solutions running on our latest fiber and LTE network. These broadband offerings provide unlimited access which give entrepreneurs the ability to continuously conduct online activities without the fear of bandwidth throttling. Our services also feature committed information rates or CIR, which guarantee minimum bandwidth speeds for businesses and a static IP used to power up their websites and enable faster inter-office data transfers.

Second, PLDT SME Nation boasts of its most robust network and nation-widest reach for its fixed, wireless and now satellite service, ensuring that entrepreneurs will have the best broadband service suited for their business wherever they are. 

Lastly, these new broadband packages come with supercharged flexible freebies ranging from relevant and business enabling Cloud Solutions such as Microsoft Office 365 and PLDT Cloud apps for video monitoring, asset tracking, POS, infrastructure and more. SMEs will also be able to get for free and choose the latest array of smart devices from Samsung Philippines and High Definition (HD) TV content from Cignal.

In an event entitled “Growing your Business in the Digital Age”, PLDT SME Nation together with two other industry leaders, Samsung and Microsoft, announced this partnership to create and introduce groundbreaking technologies and tools that will enable SMEs to efficiently manage their businesses anytime, anywhere. 

In his welcome remarks, PLDT Executive Vice President and ePLDT President and CEO Eric Alberto highlighted the significance of the partnership saying, “This collaboration and synergy among today’s leaders in the telecommunications industry ushers in a new era of enablement for the small and medium enterprise market segment.

Through this strategic partnership, SMEs will have access to game-changing business tools such as faster and nationwide fixed and wireless broadband solutions, latest gadgets and devices and relevant collaboration cloud applications which should ultimately lead to higher levels of operational efficiencies, expanded market reach, higher profit margin levels, and in the process create higher economic multiplier for our country” Alberto adds.

PLDT SME Nation showcased some of this technology’s capability during the event, inviting several bloggers from Cebu and Manila to virtually take part of the press conference from remote locations using Microsoft Office 365.

To signify the formalization of the partnership among the three companies Alberto was joined on stage by PLDT First Vice President and Head of SME Business Kat Luna-Abelarde, Samsung Philippines Managing Director Harry Lee, Samsung Philippines Business Manager James Kwon, Samsung Philippines Enterprise Director Irene Catane, Microsoft Philippines Director for Small, Midsize Solutions Partners Diana Tibbs and Microsoft Philippines Business Group Lead Tovia Va’aelua for the push-button inauguration. 

Abelarde pledged PLDT SME Nation’s commitment to provide SMEs with the best broadband and digital solutions saying, “PLDT SME Nation reaffirms its support for Filipino SMEs as it continues to innovate and form partnerships with industry leaders to provide our country’s aspiring entrepreneurs with only the best broadband solutions for their businesses.”

Pipelining Sustainability by Neltex, showcase their precise state-of-the-art, health-safe pipes, joints and seals at the Worldbex 2015

Tweet

Neltex Development Co. Inc., the biggest PVC Pipe Manufacturer in the Philippines with the state of the art plant, showcase their precise state-of-the-art, durable and reliable, 100% leak-free, yet environmentally-friendly and health-safe pipes, joints and seals, during the biggest construction show exhibit last March 14- 15, 2015 at Worlbex, World Trade Center Pasay City, with the theme of “Pipelining Sustainability”.

Neltex is one of the most-visited brands at the Worldbex 2015. Many curious visitors have seen eye-catching exhibit of Neltex.

A transparent presentation and features major parts of the house that points out the important role of pipes.

Neltex offers solutions to major pipeline problems. 

One of the most common problems is leakage caused by poor jointing and loose gasket resulting to non-revenue water and system loss. Pipe leak is highly caused by improper pipe fitting due to conventional installation and non-secure working condition.

For this, NELTEX offers the use of its PVC NELTEX PRESSURELINE PIPE with machine-installed fixed seal solution that leaves no margin for error.

Major infrastructures constructed decades ago can no longer adapt to climate and environmental changes. Floods and waste water still go through reinforced concrete pipes that are corroded by the hydrogen sulfide present in waste water. These should be changed to the chemically-resistant PVC PIPES of NELTEX.

Road construction is often slowed down due to pipe laying of reinforced concrete pipes. Concrete pipes are only one meter in length and heavy. Jointing these pipes are tedious and could be inaccurate, thus difficult to form long, straight pipes. With concrete pipes jointed in unevent slopes, water could not flow as fast as in smoothly straight pipes, and clogging often occurs.

NELTEX suggests the use of flexible, lightweight, six-meter long PVC NELTEX SEWERGUARD PIPE with SEWERLOCK SEAL that ensures fast installation and less jointing.

Urbanization requires that electrical cables should be contained in pipes and installed underground. Since electrical pipes are installed beside water pipes, it is a must for these pipes to be highly durable, non-corrosive, water tight and air tight. NELTEX meets these requirements with its impact modified PVC POWERGUARD PIPES joined together by means of a fixed seal technology called the POWERLOCK that renders the pipes to be 100% waterproof and air tight.

Climate change and urbanization have certainly affected the requirements expected form the pipeline industry.

Typhoons, averaging 20 times per year, and storm surges cause heavy flooding in thoroughfares and these put unnecessary pressure on water pipes and underground electrical pipes. Environmental wastes seep through the sewers at accelerated speeds and amounts as a result of the ever increasing population. Seemingly endless road construction and repairs that bring about heavy traffic in the metropolis and suburbs have become part of our daily lives. Then, there are also skyscrapers, buildings and houses sprouting like mushrooms almost everywhere.

Without a doubt, much is expected from Neltex. Neltex Development Corporation never stops to develop pipes that respond to the needs of the times because a pipe, after all, is an important component of life in the modern society. 

To know more about this, check the NELTEX website at www.neltex.com. 

Visit: https://www.facebook.com/neltexpipes

Photos: Arts Travel Magazine