For Singapore's 50th birthday, Singapore Air and MasterCard offer discounted fares to Europe, Australia

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In celebration of the 50th birthday of Singapore, the country’s flag carrier and the global payments giant partnered to offer amazing all-in, round trip companion fares.

This promotion launched by Singapore Airlines and MasterCard. With the greatly discounted prices,

you can now fly from the Philippines to these continents with a friend.

Without a doubt, seeing all beautiful places becomes more special when accompanied by a loved one. Europe and Australia are home to some of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, such as the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, Sydney Opera House, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and the Blue Mosque. 

From now until June 8, MasterCard branded credit, debit and prepaid cardholders can get the second ticket to Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney for as low as USD500, and to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Istanbul, London, Manchester, Milan, Moscow, Munich, Paris, and Zurich, for only USD650!

In addition, single ticket purchases come at “celebratory prices:” from only USD680 to the Australian cities, USD920 to Barcelona, and USD990 to the European cities.

To avail of the discount, MasterCard cardholders simply must use their MasterCard card to purchase a Singapore Airlines or SilkAir Economy Class airline ticket, from Manila, Cebu, Davao or Kalibo to Australia and selected Europe destinations, from Singapore Airlines or SilkAir ticketing offices.

Ticket purchases made using a MasterCard card also entitle the cardholder to a complimentary Singapore Stopover Holiday (SSH) package which includes 1-night hotel stay in Singapore, transfers, unlimited rides on SIA Hop-on bus and admission to major attractions including Sentosa Island, Madame Tussauds, Singapore River Cruise and Gardens by the Bay. 

Finally, cardholders can shop, dine or lounge at Singapore Changi Airport with a free SGD20 Changi Dollar Voucher.

“Through this promotion, MasterCard joins Singapore in celebrating its 50th birthday, while also offering our cardholders this amazing opportunity to experience these wonderful cities of Australia and Europe at exclusive fares,” explained MasterCard VP for Marketing Ailea Zialcita.

To book, visit Singapore Airlines Ticket Office at 33F LKG Tower Ayala Avenue 6801 Makati City or call Singapore Airlines Reservations at 756-8888, Mondays to Fridays (except holidays), from 8:30am to 5:00pm. 

Truly, MasterCard lets its cardholders make priceless travel memories!

Aiza Seguerra with “Araw Gabi: Mga Awit ni Maestro Ryan”

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Aiza Seguerra pays tribute to Maestro Ryan Cayabyab in new album entitled “Araw Gabi: Mga Awit ni Maestry Ryan.”

Sometime years ago, Universal Records has gathered the biggest rock acts to pay tribute to the APO Hiking Society in the album “Kami NApo Muna.” 

This was followed by Ogie Alcasid’s tribute to George Canseco (“Ngayon At Kailanman”) and Christian Bautista’s tribute to Jose Mari Chan (“Romance Revisited”).

And now, her first album under Universal Records, Aiza Seguerra pays tribute to Maestro Ryan Cayabyab in the album “Araw Gabi: Mga Awit ni Maesto Ryan.”

The album, composed of some of the most-loved Ryan Cayabyab compositions, also features Mr. C playing the piano for the first single “Tuwing Umuulan At Kapiling Ka.”

“Napaka-special ng album nito kasi binigyan ko ng sarili kong take ang pinakasikat na compositions ni Mr. Ryan Cayabyab,” says Aiza. “Ang sarap ka-trabaho niya kasi maski Maestro na siya, he listens to my inputs.”

Aiza also shares that the people working on the album prefer the execution to be very “organic.”

When asked about some of the realizations the singer had during the recording of the album, Aiza shared, “his songs are very familiar, but if you get technical about it, like when you are already recording, ang hirap pala kasi komplikado ang mga notes niya.”

The album also includes “Araw Gabi,” “Minsan Ang Minahal Ay Ako,” “Kay Ganda Ng Ating Musika,” “Kahit Ika’y Isang Panaginip Lamang,” “Paano Na Kaya,” “Tunay Na Ligaya,” “Iduyan Mo,” among others.

1."Araw Gabi”
2.”Tuwing Umuulan at Kapiling Ka”
3.”How Can I”
4.”Kahit Ika’y Panaginip Lang”
5.”Paano na Kaya”
6.”Can This be Love”
7.”Kailan”
8.”Limang Dipang Tao”
9.”Iduyan Mo”
10.”Mama”
11.”Minsan Ang Minahal ay Ako”
12.”Kay Ganda ng Ating Musika”

Epson Leads Dot Matrix printers and Point-of-Sale (POS) categories

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Epson Philippines Corporation (EPC) known for producing premium printing and visual communications products and services. 

Epson  extends the company's winning streak in the category of Dot Matrix printers and Point-of-Sale (POS) systems.

Based on Epson's internal data, Epson remains as the world's leader in the dot matrix impact printer category and is still the undisputed leader in the country. The Epson brand continues to be the brand of choice in the Philippines for the past 17 years - holding an outstanding 96% market share in this category.

Dot matrix printing is a type of computer printing which uses an impact print head that strikes the paper surface. It is an established means of creating prints coated with microencapsulated ink on its reverse side, or sandwiched with carbon paper. This single-pass process is able to produce multiple copies, and offers an economical alternative to other printing technologies if a full-color output is not required.

Another area that Epson excels in is the POS systems category. Epson's POS printers continue to be the leading brand in the Philippines for the sixth year in a row. POS printers are the thermal modules (TM) typically used by retail and service-oriented industries for printing receipts. They are specifically designed for speed, accuracy, and cost efficiency with the aim of reducing capital investment and facilitating faster customer turnaround time.

Offering future-ready POS solutions, Epson's Intelligent Business Solutions are designed for easy integration and optimization. The company's Intelligent Series Printers are built to be scalable to suit the needs of businesses of any size, providing a variety of intelligent functions delivered by compact, space-saving printers.

One such intelligent solutions printer is the Epson TM-P20 mobile POS printer. Its compact and rugged design disguises a fast print speed of up to 100mrn/sec, while the best-in-c1ass operational battery life, fast Near Field Communication (NFC) pairing, and a versatile compatibility with multiple smart devices make it ideally suited for on-the-go printing.

Thea Austria, Product Manager for POS systems

"Technology is an ever-changing landscape and we constantly see companies using obsolete systems simply because of the rost and effort it would take to constantly overhaul their Point-of-Sale (POS) systems," says Thea Austria, Product Manager for POS systems. 

"Our new Intelligent Series ensures that the system can grow with the business and adapt with the changing times, making it an essential tool for our partners."

Teachers laud first Tboli SHS TSHS seen to promote global competence and cultural preservation

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Teachers of the recently-launched TSHS at Lake Sebu, South Cotabato said that this program will surely promote global competitiveness without compromising the cultural preservation of the indigenous peoples in the long run.

The teachers perceived the program as a beneficial tool to boost the livelihood status of the Tbloli community since the TSHS offers technical-vocational tracks that are in line with the culture of the Tboli people. 

“Ang diwa ng kultura namin ay naisasalin at ang kaalaman ay made-develop pa kung kaya’t ilang henerasyon man ang magdaan, ang kultura namin ay buhay pa rin. Ang kaalaman at ang kasanayan ay nagmula mismo sa kanila [mag-aaral na Tboli] upang matuto na silang makihalubilo sa mundo,” said Benji Manuel, a Tboli teacher at Tboli Senior High School (TSHS).

This project of the Department of Education (DepEd), in collaboration with Ateneo de Davao, aims to produce graduates who are equipped with entrepreneurial and management skills and are capable of managing and improving their own resources and coming up with sustainable livelihood and opportunities for the Tboli community.

Manuel said that through the program, he now sees the teachers of TSHS as carriers of the plan of the Tboli elders.

“Sa tulong nito, nakikita namin ang aming sarili bilang tagapagdala ng plano ng elders ng pamayanan ng Tboli na dalhin ang indigenous knowledge, cultural and intellectual heritage sa loob ng classroom,” Manuel added.

Ateneo de Davao President Father Joel S. Tabora, SJ said that the Tboli SHS is “the most sophisticated, anthropological, pedagogical project in the country relative to Senior High School”.

"Davao entered into this program--to be able to help the K to 12 create a program that will not make the students foreigners to their own culture, but will make them imbibe the values and the cultural traditions of the tribe even in a global age, even in an age when the Tboli also want to be able to be world-class, to be able to enjoy the advantages of globalization and modernization. The Tboli, it has to be clear, also want first and foremost to preserve their own cultural traditions and their cultural identities. This is the reason why Ateneo de Davao has been really priveleged to be part of this program," Tabora said.

Through the help of Ateneo de Davao, the program commenced through a research wherein they consulted the Tboli community if they would want a program that is appropriate not only to their culture but also to the standards of DepEd. After the research, the Tboli community gave positive feedback, which means that they are willing to have the program being proposed to them.

TSHS will be initially lodged at Lake Sebu National High School and will be catering to approximately 45 students upon the first implementation of Grade 11 this coming school year 2015-2016.

"We are developing ourselves and we are achieving our goals and aspirations but we should not forget our culture. That is our intention," Manuel said.

The right drink for the right reasons

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Water has always been my drink of choice. It just makes me feel good. I always tell my kids to drink water if they have a craving, a headache, are constipated, hungry, etc. 

Water is so beneficial, so easy, so free yet so easily overlooked. It’s really a no brainer (actually your brain is 90% water!. Your body is about 70% water, the majority of your blood and every cell in your body is composed of water. Therefore, you need water to function properly.

The human body loses at least 2.5 litres of body fluids even without having any strenuous activity or any kind of physical training. We lose this much even on a quiet day at work or at school. Because the body doesn’t stop its bodily functions to keep us going and these body fluids are very important in maintaining proper circulation of the nutrients needed by every part of the body and also in keeping it from overheating.

While physical stress has always been attributed to lost body fluids, mental and emotional stress could also contribute to dehydration. Exposure to hot weather also makes the body perspire greater amounts of fluids just to keep our bodies cool. One might think that we are just losing water from dehydration, but along with these are the minerals and electrolytes that our body needs. Every time we lose these fluids is the time when we should rethink about what we drink.

There are many options out there in the market, but nothing comes close to Pocari Sweat’s safe and trusted formulation. From one of Japan’s most trusted pharmaceutical and nutraceutical companies and currently the Philippines’ number one Japanese pharmaceutical company, Otsuka (Philippines) Pharmaceutical, Inc. (OPPI) has brought Pocari Sweat in the country to bring wellness that doesn’t only make you get better, but also keepyou to be better.

Unlike other electrolyte drinks available in market, Pocari Sweat is still much safer to drink. “It does not contain artificial colouring, preservatives, caffeine and is non-carbonated,” said Janeth M. Leus, OPPI Asst. Brand Manager. “Though the acidity level has been an issue to isotonic drinks which has an erosive effect on the dental enamel, with Pocari Sweat containing vitamin C and other acidic ingredients, its ingredients such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium turn alkaline once metabolized by the body,” Ms. Leus expounds. “Since the volume of these alkaline-forming ingredients contained in Pocari Sweat is greater than the acidic ones, it is classified as an alkaline-promoting beverage.”

There is no particular limit on the amount of Pocari Sweat one can drink, provided that your body is in good condition. To anyone doing their usual work out, training, or other physically strenuous activity, it is best to gauge how much fluid they lost and replace it in small amount of intakes. “But for people who have medical conditions such as diabetes or gastritis, or they are in a sugar or salt-restricted diet due to obesity or high blood pressure, consider your daily limits when drinking Pocari Sweat, because it contains salt and sugar,” Ms. Leus explains. “It is still best to consult your dietician or doctor on when is the best time to drink Pocari Sweat.”

Pocari Sweat right now is seen as another sports drinks that benefits athletes in their hydration needs, but OPPI sees this opportunity to widened its reach and not be limited to just the sports market. “Being far healthier and safer to drink compare to other electrolyte drinks, we see Pocari Sweat, years from now as the #1 Health Hydration Drink here in the Philippines,” Ms. Leus said.” Our formulation is safe to drink everyday even by an ordinary individual who does not have that much physical and strenuous activity to deal with. And yet the need for replenishing body ions is still needed with the right drink.”

“Pocari Sweat provides all the daily hydration needs in a healthy way,” Ms. Leus adds. “And it starts by rethinking your drink.”

Pocari Sweat comes in 330 ml. can, 350 ml. PET bottle, 500 ml. and two-liter PET bottle. Pocari Sweat is available in major chain drugstores, supermarkets and convenience stores. 

For more information on Pocari Sweat visit www.otsuka.com.ph.