Jasmine Curtis-Smith stars in Philippine's adaptation of popular Korean soap, ‘My Fair Lady’

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Young actress and model Jasmine Curtis-Smith leads the cast of Philippine's adaptation of Korean soap teleseries "My Fair Lady." Having proven her mettle in film, television and most recently, theater, actress Jasmine continues to take on challenging projects that further enhance her standout acting skills.

The upcoming romantic comedy series, “My Fair Lady,” the Filipino adaptation of the 2009 hit Koreanovela will premiere September 14, 2015, Monday exclusively on TV5.

Following a couple of “Wattpad Presents” mini-series episodes, Jasmine is once again headlining her own regular series, this time as the title role in “My Fair Lady.”

The story :

Jasmine plays Audrey Tiuseco, the richest “it” girl in the Philippines. Audrey is the heiress of Tiuseco Land, a continuously growing corporation with a diverse business profile that includes farming, agricultural technology, and now venturing into shopping and lifestyle malls. 

As expected of anyone coming from a prominent family, Audrey is blessed with beauty, intelligence and a very regal demeanor. But because she lost both of her parents at a very young age, Audrey also grew up to be a major pain in the neck to everyone from her grandfather, Lolo Matteo (Eddie Gutierrez) to her personal assistants who are constantly at her beck and call. 

That was until she finally meets her match in Hero (Vin Abrenica), her new all-in-one assistant who is just as temperamental as she is and is probably the only one who is not afraid of her. 

The plot further thickens when Audrey meets Benjie (Luis Alandy), a kind-hearted environmentalist who bears a striking resemblance to her ex-boyfriend who cheated on her and who she is not totally over with. 

But that’s not all. Audrey will soon find herself in a situation where she will need Hero in order to solve a very important mystery. Her very own future depends on that mystery’s solution.

“For the most, the local version stayed faithful to the original materials save for very few tweaks which the Philippine producers felt was important in order to make the series more relatable for Pinoy viewers,” says Noel C. Lorenzana - TV5 President and CEO.

With its perfect balance of comedy, drama and mystery, “My Fair Lady” is an ideal vehicle that will allow Jasmine to show a wide range of emotions and allow her to showcase her depth as an actress.

“My Fair Lady” directed by Ricky Rivero, with a stellar cast that also includes Joross Gamboa, Chanel Morales, Yayo Aguila, DJ Durano, Jenny Miller, Katrina Legaspi and the return of actress Marjorie Barretto to television.

The show will premiere September 14, 2015, Monday exclusively on TV5, will air weekdays at 9:30pm for 30- minutes.

SM celebrates longest Grandparents' Day

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SM Supermalls gives its shoppers the longest Grandparents' Day celebration, where grandmas and grandpas take the spotlight in all of SM's 52 malls nationwide for two whole weeks.

 As a sign of solidarity with the Filipino family's inherent respect for elders, from August 31 up to the actual Grandparents' Day on September 13, SM malls will have their "Grand Gifts and Treats" activities where special treats and discounts are offered by various mall tenants during the whole two-week celebration.

As an attraction for all families, a "Grand Memory: I Love You Lolo & Lola" photo wall is also installed  It is a special spot where families can capture their precious bonding moments with their elders while inside their favorite SM malls. Also not to be missed is the "Grand Market" activity which will happen in select malls from September 7 to 13. It is a bazaar showcasing items produced by grandparents.

Come September 12, at 7am, a "Grand Walk" warms up the grandparents for the days with special exercises and a massage therapy session conducted by accredited Red Cross volunteers. Registration for the activity is open to 60 years old and above.

Finally, on Grandparents' Day (September 13), all SM Supermalls will go full force to delight all grandfathers and grandmothers with dining offerings, entertainment, and event gadgets and technology products.

Setting the mood right are the malls' 9am Thanksgiving Mass for Grandparents, where the priest will administer a special blessing for grandparents and grandchildren, who will offer flowers to their lolos and lolas.

SM Cyberzone will have an all-day play gaming event at SM Dasmariñas, SM San Mateo and SM Masinag.

A "Grand Music" event will serenade the senior SM shoppers with oldies but goodies tracks that will not only make them reminisce about the good old times, but also introduce the timeless music to their grandkids.

To capture all the special bonding moments of the families celebrating in their favorite SM malls, a special Grandparents' Day photo booth will also be present per mall on the actual Grandparents' Day on September 13. 

In SM Supermalls’ social media assets, several Grandparents' Day online promos will be ran from August 31 until September 13.

Shoppers can visit SM Supermalls' official website at www. smsupermalls.com; follow its official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; and get an insider access to all the fun happenings at SM Supermalls nationwide through Viber Public Chat. 

Customers can tweet their thoughts, upload and share photos while celebrating Grandparents' Day inside the SM Supermalls, then use the season’s official hashtag #GrandparentsDayAtSM.

Own Your Dream MacBook Air thru Beyond the Box Limited Offer - Zero24 Installments Lifestyle Bundles

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Living digital life to the fullest! One amazing MacBok is now in Zero24 Installments at Beyond the Box’s MacBook Air Lifestyle Bundles.

Now is the perfect time to turn your dream into reality. Starting September 1st, the MacBook Air 11” & 13” 128GB variants will be available in super easy Zero24 installments and will be offered with three unique lifestyle bundles at no extra cost.

The Most Beautiful Laptop You Can Own. It’s not an overstatement. The MacBook Air is the most beautiful laptop you can own. 

From the outside, the aluminum unibody design looks modern and minimalist. The tapering edges also make the laptop genuinely attractive and impressive. Although it’s the same chassis design we’ve been seeing since 2010, there’s really nothing tocomplain about since it resonates with ’premiumness’ that you can only get from Apple. 

Measuring 17mm in diameter and weighing at 1.4kg, the MacBook Air is gorgeously thin and surprisingly light. It’s light enough that it’s barely noticeable in your bag and robust enough that you don’t feel like it’s going to break when you use it. 

Overall, this laptop sends an unequivocal message: the MacBook Air is an engineering feat – one that cannot be copied.

Form September 1 to 30, 2015, the MacBook Air 11" and 13" 128GB variants will be available in super easy #Zero24 installments at Beyond the Box in three unique lifestyle bundles at no extra cost.

Which of the following Lifestyle Bundles fits you best? 

To help you get the most out of your new MacBook Air lifestyle, Beyond the Box is including three unique lifestyle bundles that you could choose from without any extra cost.

Lifestyle Bundles – TRVLR - EXCTV - SCHLR

Check them all out so you can get most out of your new MacBook Air lifestyle by taking full advantage of the complimentary add-ons.

Free-spirited, always out and about. #iAMTRVLR

Bundle inclusions: MacBook Air + Coloud Pop, ACME Made Skinny Sleeve, and Nude Audio Speakers. 

There is no greater feeling than packing your bags and knowing you’re heading to another adventure. That is what the TRVLR Bundle is all about. This bundle is targeted at individuals who travel constantly whether it’s for leisure or work. If you’re a correspondent covering the latest stories, a carefree tourist, or just someone who is in a perpetual working holiday, this is the bundle to get. 

Driven to succeed, a paragon of excellence #iAMEXCTV 

Bundle inclusions: MacBook Air + Soundfreaq Pocket Kick, ACME Made Sleeve 

Nothing compares to the overwhelming sense of accomplishment executives get at the end of each day. The EXCTV Bundle is for high achievers who lead by example and don’t settle for second best – ideal for office professionals and entrepreneurs. 

Inquisitive, thirsty for knowledge #iAMSCHLR

Bundle inclusions: MacBook Air + Urbanears Plattan, Speck MacBook Air Case, JRC Keyboard Protector

The pursuit of knowledge never ends. The SCHLR Bundle seeks to cultivate inquiring minds, nurture curiosity, and aid academics in their quest to learn and educate. If you’re a student or an academic by profession, this bundle is the perfect option.

Promo Mechanics: 

This promo is open to existing credit cardholders with good credit standing. Participating banks are: BDO, BPI, Citibank, Maybank, Metrobank, PNB, and Security Bank, Union Bank

Promo period is from September 1 to September 30, 2015 only.

This promo is not valid in conjunction with any ongoing Beyond the Box promotions.

The approved installment transaction is automatically deducted from the cardholder's available credit limit.

To take advantage of the said promo, cardholder must personally present his or her Credit Card to the Beyond the Box branch with one valid Identification Card and sign the bank charge slip when the transaction is approved.

Applicable to MacBook Air 11" and 13" 128GB only.

Visit Beyond the Box for more information to be in this promo today.

This is the most opportunity to enjoy living digital lifestyle.

Participating Beyond the Box Branches

-Century City Mall

-One Rockwell

-Market! Market!

-Forbestown

-Resorts World Manila

-Lucky Chinatown

-Robinsons Ermita

-Robinson Galleria

-VMall

-Wil Tower

-Veranza

-Ayala Fairview Terraces

Health and happiness in a convenient package for employees

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Happy and healthy employees lead to improved morale and higher productivity. This is why providing attractive medical benefits for a company’s workforce is essential. It is also one of the key considerations of employees in choosing which company to work for.

While providing employee medical benefits is a sound investment for employers, many are still daunted by the cost and challenges of medical insurance application for their employees. Luckily, there are companies that provide medical benefits to large groups that don’t cost as much as employers think.

Philam Life, the country’s premier life insurance company, recently launched a comprehensive Group Medical Insurance plan through its Corporate Solutions arm. Employers can now avail of flexible and extensive medical insurance for their employees depending on their need and budget.

Philam Life CEO Axel Bromley discussing the benefits of the Group Medical Insurance during the launch.

“Companies need to take care of their workforce if they want them to be efficient and productive,” said Philam Life CEO Axel Bromley. “With the new Group Medical Insurance plan, Philam Life empowers employers with the right solution to address the real life needs of their employees,” Bromley emphasized. 

In partnership with Medilink, the pioneer in state-of-the-art technology solutions in the healthcare industry, Philam Life introduced Health Link, a packaged plan for micro and small businesses that gives employees the best of both HMO and medical reimbursement programs while providing life insurance benefits. 

"We believe that healthcare is a universal human need. It should be affordable, accessible and efficient," explained Medilink President and CEO Esther Go. "We are pleased to support Philam Life's newest product. Trust that our commitment to quality services and innovation will remain as strong as ever."

Employers can choose from any of Health Link’s basic benefits like Basic Medical/Inpatient Benefits, Group Life Insurance, Accidental Death, Dismemberment & Disability Benefit and Total & Permanent Disability Income Benefit. 

They can also add optional medical benefits such as Annual Physical Exams, Dental Benefits and Outpatient Benefits which include physician/specialist consultations and x-ray and laboratory tests. The benefits and premiums of Philam Life’s Health Link can be customized depending on the budget or needs of the employer.

Philam Life’s Health Link is available for small business owners with at least five regular employees. Employees may also enroll their legal spouse, children, parents and siblings as their dependents. For large companies or non-employee-employer groups, Philam Life can customize a plan specific to their requirements, too.

Insured members who need financial and medical assistance must simply present their Philam Life membership card to any hospital, clinic or doctor accredited by Medilink. In case their preferred hospital, clinic or doctor is not accredited with Medilink, members can still avail of their services and subsequently, reimburse the expenses incurred. All benefits will be subject to their plan limits.

To know more about Group Medical Insurance or Health Link, contact Philam Life Corporate Solutions via phone at (02) 528-5363, or email at PHI.PAL-CSNewBiz@aia.com. 

You may also visit www.philamlife.com.

Google Philippines crowdsourced “Miss Ko Na” OFW song first 360-degree video

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Tapsilog, Halo-halo and noche buena, among the things overseas Pinoys miss

Google Philippines recently launched  its crowdsourced song entitled “Miss Ko Na” for OFWs. Also, the music video of the song is the first 360-degree video in the Philippines.

Together with 5 well known bands and musicians, Google released the “Miss Ko Na” song featuring crowdsourced lyrics from Filipinos here and abroad. Sponge Cola, ItchyWorms and Kjwan, along with vocalist Ebe Dancel, and YouTube star Mikey Bustos worked together to put melody and structure to the answers to Google’s question “Anong namimiss mo sa Pilipinas?” (“What do you miss most in the Philippines?”) Google asked for submissions from OFWs using Google Forms and on their social media accounts using the hashtag #GoogleMissKoNa, which were then used as lyrics to the song.

The “Miss Ko Na” music video is also the first 360-degree YouTube video in the Philippines, which viewers on Chrome browser can tap on and drag to see different perspectives of the video. Viewers on Android phones using the YouTube App can simply move their phones to watch the video from different angles. 

The video found on https://youtu.be/gD8RPX3NoQs can also be saved on the YouTube Offline playlist for viewing within 48-hours without an internet connection. 

“The submissions of our kababayans were very inspiring and made it easy for us to come up with a song that speaks of their longing for home. “Miss Ko Na” is not only about the story of OFWs; it is also a story about sacrifice and selfless love that Filipinos are known for,” shares Kelley Mangahas of Kjwan.

The song captures famous Filipino traditions such as celebrating noche buena with family, going to fiestas with friends, playing basketball with relatives, and eating with bare hands, among others. It also showcased Filipino food that OFWs crave for such as halo-halo and tapsilog.

Yael Yuzon of Sponge Cola said “It’s a simple catchy song that captures the Filipino spirit. It reflects how we celebrate the good and we pummel through the bad with a smile and a positive outlook.” 

“We are very thankful for the participation of our kababayans in this initiative. To show our gratitude, Google and the collaborators donated a peso for every submission we got, and the overwhelming replies from Pinoys allowed us to donate Php 1 million to the Blas Ople Policy Center & Training Institute. This will be used to build halfway houses for overseas Filipinos in need,” says Ryan Morales Google Philippines country marketing manager.

Filipinos can sing-along using the YouTube Karaoke version at http://youtu.be/71ozeiT7Kq8. 

For National Heroes Day, five Pinoy musicians (Ebe Dancel, Itchyworms, Kjwan, Mikey Bustos, and Sponge Cola) wrote this song for OFWs, with a little help from Filipinos all around the world.

The song is exclusively available on YouTube.