DepEd receives over Php 8.4M worth of donations during Brigada Eskwela Kick-off

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Private partners turn over bicycles, boats, solar-powered lamps, school supplies, and ceremonial library keys to Department of Education officials during the Brigada Eskwela kick-off program at Sta. Cruz Pingkian National High School, Nueva Vizcaya.

With the Brigada Eskwela 2016 kick-off and the preparation for the opening on June 13, various partners from the private sector donated boats, bicycles, solar-powered lamps, and school supplies that amounted to at least Php 8.4 million.

San Miguel Foundation, Inc. donated 1,000 bicycles worth Php 3,000,000 for several schools nationwide. 81 bicycles were distributed to students of Sta. Cruz Pingkian National High School, while 150 bicycles were given out to students of Kakiduguen National High School in Nueva Vizcaya.

Meanwhile, a boat was donated by Samsung Electronics Philippines Corporation to ferry 24 children to and from school in a remote community in Nueva Vizcaya.

ICAD Foundation donated 1,443 solar lamps while One Meralco Foundation, Inc. donated 10,000 lamps.

The Latter Days Saint Charities likewise donated a total 2,825 solar-powered lamps worth Php 847,500.00.

In addition to these, the National Bookstore Foundation, Inc. donated an additional 5,000 sets of school supplies and also pledged to build libraries in 5 schools in Nueva Vizcaya.

The donations amounted to Php 8,397,500 benefitting thousands of students from various elementary and secondary schools.

Brigada Eskwela kick-off program

The bicycles, boats, solar lamps, and ceremonial library key were turned over to the Department of Education (DepEd) officials at Sta. Cruz Pingkian National High School, Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya, where the Brigada Eskwela 2016 natonal kick-off program was held.

Brigada Eskwela is a nationwide program that aims to bring together teachers, parents, and community members to prepare schools for the start of classes in June. 

In his welcoming remarks, DepEd Nueva Vizcaya Schools Division Superintendent Samuel Soliven expressed gratitude to all the donors “who have come here to share their resources to the last, the least, and the lost.”

DepEd Region II Regional Director Estela Carino said she is deeply thankful for giving her office the chance to hold the Brigada Eskwela kick-off program before DepEd Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC steps down as education chief.

“We have decided to hold Brigada Eskwela here in Nueva Vizcaya. Every year, we bring the national kick-off ceremonies to different regions to convey the message that Brigada Eskwela is for all,” Undersecretary for Partnerships and External Linkages Mario Deriquito said.

Deriquito added that, “We have been doing this for 14 years since 2003. Let us make sure that everything in our schools gets fixed... let us emphasize and give priority to safety. Let us identify the underserved schools and let us help them.”

“Brigada Eskwela is not just for schools but for the whole community,” Luistro said. 

‘Kayang kaya pa’

In a separate press conference, Luistro said that DepEd wanted to hold the Brigada Eskwela kick-off program in an indigenous community.

Sta. Cruz Pingkian National High School caters to learners from indigenous communities.

“K to 12 is about the last mile also. It’s also about non-formal education. It’s also about the IP (indigenous peoples) communities. It’s also about 6th class municipalities,” Luistro said.

“If you look at the map of where we are putting up the senior high schools, we wanted to make sure that all the way to the 6th class municipalities, there are senior high schools. The special groups that we have included in the last mile efforts—street children, those with disabilities, IP groups—they are all part of this,” he added.

“Looking at the landscape, Kayapa has the best population of all of those last milers; besides, Kayapa can also be read as ‘Kaya pa.’ Last push, kayang kaya pa,” Luistro noted.

80 Years and Counting: Lotus Biscoff’s Sweet, Sweet History

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Before Lotus Biscoff biscuits traveled the world and became a favorite in-flight treat, it first made its rounds door to door in the Belgian town of Lembeke on a signature red truck. The Boone brothers, founders of the Lotus Bakeries, opened their first shop in 1932 and came up with a recipe that gives biscuits a unique caramelized flavor and crunchy texture. More than eight decades later, this recipe—which uses only the highest-quality ingredients—remains the same.

In the 1950s, Lotus popularized the pairing of their biscuits with a fresh cup of coffee (hence, “Biscoff”, from the combination of the words BIScuit and COFFee). What used to be a hometown specialty soon became the national coffee break tradition. The pairing became a part of the everyday Belgian’s routine and was served even in various coffee shops, restaurants, and hotels all across the country.

Lotus Biscoff’s caramel flavor and crunchy texture goes so well with coffee that it didn’t take long for its popularity to spread to Belgium’s neighboring countries. By the 1960s, cafés throughout Europe have also started serving the biscuits with their coffee, and Lotus Biscoff has earned the reputation of being “Europe’s Favorite Cookie with Coffee.”

In 1985, the United States first got a taste of Lotus Biscoff through in-flight samples. Whether they were flying out for business or coming home from a vacation, exhausted on a long trip or rushing through multiple connections, travelers have found an added comfort and sweetness in their flight in Lotus Biscoff. Europe’s favorite biscuit with coffee became America’s favorite biscuit with air travel, and three decades later, it is still being served on a majority of domestic airlines in and outside of the US.

The demand and excitement for Lotus Biscoff became worldwide, so it was made available to its fans outside of Europe, first through catalogues and mail orders in 1990 and then a decade later through Biscoff.com’s online store. In the succeeding years, Lotus Biscoff’s distribution continued to expand to major retailers across the world.

Lotus Biscoff’s product line also evolved to include the Lotus Biscoff Spread—an irresistible alternative to nut butters and chocolate spreads made with original Lotus Biscoff biscuits—that first appeared on Belgian television show “De Bedenkers (The Inventors).” Culinary enthusiast Els Scheppers created a recipe that transformed Lotus Biscoff biscuits into a sweet, creamy spread, which earned her a spot in the show’s finals, besting 2,000 other Bedenkers. The Boone family contacted and worked with Els to perfect her deliciously innovative creation. Lotus Biscoff Spread (or Lotus Biscoff Cookie Butter) sold out within three hours of its initial release in Belgium and a worldwide culinary phenomenon was born.

Today, Lotus Biscoff continues its mission of bringing a touch of delectable comfort to those enjoying their coffee break, flying miles and miles in the air, and savoring their Lotus Biscoff-infused snack. From its humble beginnings in Lembeke to 80 years and counting of crunchy, caramel magic in every bite, Lotus Biscoff is still making sweet, sweet history.

To know more about Lotus Biscoff, visit www.biscoff.com or join our Facebook community at www.facebook.com/LotusBiscoffPH.

Lotus Biscoff is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Fly Ace Corporation and is available in all leading supermarkets. The biscuits are available in 125 g, 124 g, 156 g, and 250 g packets, while the spreads are available in Crunchy and Smooth variants.

Fly Ace Corporation is one of the leading food and beverage consumer goods companies in the country today. Propelling limitless multiple-category growth by bringing the best of the world closer to Filipino homes, Fly Ace Corporation’s portfolio of food and beverage products includes strong house brands,such as Jolly, Dona Elena, Goodlife, Al Dente Vermicelli, and Goodlife and leading global brands such as Happy Day, Old Orchard, Welch’s, May, Mott’s, Cocio, Gerolsteiner, Franzia Wines and , Concha Y Toro Wines. . Learn more at www.flyacecorp.com.

Goldilocks celebrates 50 Golden Years with Birthday Caravan

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As one of Goldilocks' initiatives to commemorates its 50 years of giving joy to many Filipinos, Goldilocks treats its employees, and the kids of its chosen charitable organizations, loyal customers, and us - bloggers with Birthday Caravan to Enchanted Kingdom last 1st of June, 2016.

The Birthday Caravan, which includes a two-day visit to Enchanted Kingdom in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, is part of its 50 Golden Years celebration.

We really enjoy the birthday caravan, party, games and program. . . and free rides! 

Goldilocks – a bakeshop chain in the Philippines that produces delicious cakes and pastries – was founded in May 15, 1966, started by the sisters...And they named it Goldilocks, a character from the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears . . . and here's the Goldilocks' history.

Goldilocks: 50 Golden Years of a Filipino Fairytale 

As Goldilocks celebrates 50 Golden Years of being the country’s number one bakeshop, its fairytale story still evokes delight and sweetness. Though their company history is not exactly an underdog tale, it does have the elements that Filipinos love: a small but exceptional start up, driven by pure determination, flourished by ingenuity, and topped with a uniquely Pinoy entrepreneurial spirit.

Even after five decades in the industry, the guiding principles of its founders (sisters Milagros Leelin-Yee and Clarita Leelin-Go) are are still very much alive and articulated in the Goldilocks vision statement: to be the leading Filipino global brand that will fulfill the changing customer needs through world-class products and services in markets served. Accordingly, from its initial offering of rolls, chiffon slices, and pastries, Goldilocks now offers full meal and merienda choices, catering services, and is now recognized as the foremost specialist when it comes to decorated cakes. 

The cakes, pastries, and well-loved dishes that have become so associated with Goldilocks (such as its Fluffy Mamon, Cheesy Ensaymada, Chiffon Cake Slice, Classic Brownies, Chicken Pie, Classic Polvoron, Classic Mocha Roll, Classic Chocolate Roll, Brazo de Mercedes, dinuguan, fresh lumpia, palabok, and laing, just to name a few) have since become the gold standard by which all others are measured.

Thus, for 50 years, the true taste of the Pinoy is still the anchor of their business. Indeed, Goldilocks encompasses everything that is unique, delicious, and delightful about the Filipino people.

The two sisters started their business small. Milagros, a professional nurse, supplied Manila school canteens with chiffon slices, while Clarita baked and decorated cakes for special occasions in Bicol. A twist of fate brought the sisters back together in Manila, and they decided to expand their hobby into something more fulfilling. Together with their sister-in-law Doris, and armed by their love of food, baking, and cooking, they opened a small bakeshop on Pasong Tamo in 1966. From just 10 employees and two display stands, Goldilocks has grown to 490 stores – both here and abroad – with some 5,000 local employees. It was a third sister, Maria Flor, who named the store based on prosperity and providence: Gold and Luck. From the P574 total sales in 1966, the company has multiplied its earnings thousands of times over, reaching a system-wide total of almost P10 billion as of last count.

Today, even after fifty years – five decades filled with sweet moments and countless Filipino celebrations – Goldilocks continues to build its legacy while staying true to its foundations. Even as the brand pursues innovation and finds new and meaningful ways to connect with a whole new generation of customers, total customer satisfaction still governs every activity.

As a result, Goldilocks is still moving forward, even after half a century of leadership. Indeed, a Filipino Fairytale was born and developed between 1966 to 2016, and it continues to grow stronger…. Happily Ever After.

More Goldilocks stories, visit website at : www.goldilocksat50.com

Follow them on instagram: Goldilocks

and hashtags #GoldilocksAt50 #GoldiBirthdayCaravan

Happy Birthday Goldilocks!

'Outcast' - New Horror Series From Creator Of The Walking Dead Premieres On FOX On June 4

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Asia’s leading pay-TV network, FOX Networks Group (FNG), has announced that a new horror- drama series from The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, "OUTCAST" which will be thrilling audiences all over the world when it premieres in June on FOX.

Outcast, which is based on the comic book of the same name by Kirkman and co-creator and illustrator Paul Azaceta, is a compelling story about a young man fighting manifestations of demonic possession, and it premieres on FOX on June 4, 2016, in the Philippines and Southeast Asia, with a simulcast on FOX Filipino and STARWorld. The series is simulcast in the country day and date, within hours of the US premiere on June 3, 2016.

Outcast is set to be FOX’s next global hit series, and is FNG’s first original scripted drama. The series features an award-winning production team and cast, including Patrick Fugit (Almost Famous), who plays the lead character of Kyle Barnes, Philip Glenister as Rev. Anderson, Reg E. Cathey as Chief Giles, showrunner Chris Black, director Adam Wingard, and composer Atticus Ross. The cinematic treatment of a genre previously unexplored on TV makes Outcast required viewing for fans of horror and stories about exorcism.

The premiere episode introduces the lead character of Kyle Barnes, a young man from the small town of Rome in West Virginia who returns home after a long absence. What marks Kyle is his dark history of having witnessed his loved ones undergo demonic possession—and it’s the reason why he left Rome in the first place. He returns years later to find the answers behind his family’s suffering, in the hopes that he can help Joshua Austin, an 8-year-old who lives in front of the Barnes house and is believed to be possessed by a demon that seems mysteriously connected to Kyle. Together with Rev. Anderson, a West Virginia evangelist who believes he is a soldier in God’s holy war against the forces of evil on Earth, Kyle revisits Rome to face his past, discover his fate, and possibly change the world forever.

To drum up excitement for Outcast, a series of huge wall murals was unveiled in locations with high foot traffic in 13 countries around the world including the Philippines from May 28 to June 3 to reveal a scene from Outcast’s first episode. Each city’s mural was painted by a local artist based on illustrations provided by Azuceta to depict one panel from the scene’s storyboard, similar to panels in a comic book. Renowned graphic design team Team Manila was assigned to create the Outcast mural in Manila, coloring in Azuceta’s black-and-white sketches and adding their own flourishes of Filipino culture to the art.

Every few hours, one mural in one city was unveiled online at https://outcastart.tv/ and on social media until all murals could be arranged by fans in the correct sequence to see a sneak preview of Outcast’s premiere episode. This global rollout of Outcast that includes countries in Europe and Latin America as well as Hong Kong and Southeast Asia was kicked off on May 28 at the London Comic Con, where stars of Outcast were present.

FNG also took promotions of Outcast to the digital realm in order to encourage fans to interact with the murals. The interactive and immersive website has become a hub for images and video content created during production of the murals and allows fans to follow them online and through social media.

Those who can visit a mural in person could also unlock previously unavailable content on their personal devices using geolocation, and if enough visitors log in to this they will be given access to a longer clip from the first episode of Outcast for an exclusive, more-detailed preview. More information on how fans can interact with the murals can be found on the website.

“FOX is excited to be featuring another show that pushes the envelope for the horror genre on TV, and an original scripted drama by FNG at that. We’re confident that Filipino fans who have loyally been tuning in to Kirkman’s previous work on The Walking Dead will embrace Outcast as another fine example of edgy storytelling, relatable characters, and excellent production,” said Charo Espedido, Director and Head of Marketing at FNG Philippines. “Our collaboration with Team Manila for Outcast was also another great opportunity to showcase local artistic talent on an international platform.”

Catch Outcast every Saturdays at 8:55pm beginning June 4, exclusively on FOX.

PMA’s 47th National Marketing Conference says “Hello ASEAN”

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The ASEAN market is teeming with untapped opportunities for Chief Operating Officers and Chief Marketing Officers and their teams to make a distinctive entry into this emerging economic powerhouse within the Asian Region.

Realizing an urgent need to spread this knowledge, the Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) set the theme of its 47th National Marketing Conference (NMC) this year as, “Hello ASEAN”. The conference will feature stories and scenarios from top-tier business experts and practitioners, marketing masters and disrupters, including CEOs of Philippine, Asian, and global brands that successfully launched or grown their businesses in the ASEAN trade sphere. The event will happen on July 28-29, 2016 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom in Newport City.

The speakers will share their success stories and learnings from exploring and filling the gaps in the market. These insights will feature the strategies and tools that helped their companies conquer multiple challenges. Aside from the invaluable content that attendees will get from the conference and an accompanying trade exhibit, “Hello ASEAN” will feature the ASEAN Pavilion that houses the embassy representations from ASEAN member nations and other guest Asian countries.

“This will give our attendees opportunities to explore, on more concrete grounds, possible partnerships. These business meet-ups are fertile ground for networking, exchanges, developments, and partnerships,” PMA President, Ms. Pinky Yee shared.

Photo shows, from left: Willy Arcilla, Adviser for Program; Faith Abano, Co Chair National Marketing Conference; Yayu Javier, Adviser for Program; Germaine Reyes, EVP Director-In-Charge 47thNational Marketing Conference; Nadia Tantuco, Cignal TV; Gigi Rodriguez, Chairman 47th National Marketing Conference; Dr. Nards Garcia, PMA Past President

PMA also teamed up with the No. 1 Business Channel, Bloomberg, which recently opened its Philippine office after establishing its partnership with TV5 Network Inc. and Cignal. Being the first business news channel to air on a 24/7 basis in the country, Bloomberg TV Philippines is now set to reach out to its audience by co-presenting PMA’s 47th NMC.

“Bloomberg is really privileged to take part in the Philippine Marketing Association’s National Marketing Conference,” Vice President and Head of Channel Management for Cignal TV, Ms. Sienna Olaso shared. “It is our privilege to meet the people in the marketing industry, because our network’s presence in the conference will definitely do something good for Bloomberg. By the same token, we hope that Bloomberg’s integrity and credibility can lend itself to the success of the event. We are looking forward to meet everyone in the event and we are all excited in Bloomberg.”

Some of the speakers who are set to give their invaluable insights on the ASEAN market are, Philippine Airlines (PAL) veteran Jaime J. Bautista who has a long and credit-worthy record of professional service in the travel and tourism business. He recently assumed the presidency of PAL in October 2014 after the Lucio Tan Group took over management control of Asia’s longest-running airline.

Other Notable Speakers

Asian Brand advocate Joe Baladi brings his extensive experience in business communications across multiple geographies to the conference with his talk on How Asian Brands Can Conquer the World. This well- traveled marketing consultant is credited for shaping and repositioning major SME and MNC brands. He is a frequent speaker on the conference circuit, a regular guest on business television programs, and regularly contributes thought leadership articles to business magazines and newspapers across the region. As the CEO of BrandAsian, Joe divides his time in providing one-on-one business and branding advice and counsel to CEOs of some of the Asia’s largest companies.

Joseph “Chay” Cruel, currently the Vice President for Asia Brewery – Non-Alco Marketing, Business Development and International Business, is responsible for the popular domestic non-alco products such as Cobra Energy Drink, Absolute Distilled Drinking Water, Summit Water, Sunkist, Nestea, and Vitamilk. He spearheaded the international business and strategic partnerships for Asia Brewery.

Prof. Enrique Soriano is a Certified Professional Marketer and a PMA Agora Awardee for Excellence in Marketing Education who will examine the nature of Asian Family Businesses. As the Executive Director of the W+B Advisory Group, a Strategic Consulting Group servicing ASEAN corporate organizations on strategic leadership matters, Soriano will discuss growth in Asian family businesses, organizational change, and competitive strategies.

Angelica Suiza is the Chief Product and eCommerce Officer at Triple Pte. Ltd. With her expertise in omni-channel inventory resources optimization, she is responsible for providing category merchandising strategies for Under Armour in Southeast Asia as aligned with the company's aggressive global merchandising directions.

Lucien Dy Tioco is the Senior Vice President for Sales and Marketing at The Philippine STAR and concurrently heads the sales and marketing of the country’s leading business newspaper, Business World. He oversees the sales and marketing programs of The Philippine STAR across all platforms: from print, digital, and most recently, television. His presentation will cover the overall strategic direction of media conglomerates , through his company's own Brand directions, as they venture overseas.

PMA hopes to focus the spotlight on the ASEAN region, which is seen as the 3rd largest consumer market after China and North America, but still overlooked by companies within the region. MNCs have been aware of this potential for some time as even Euromonitor acknowledges this region as one the fastest growing markets in the 21st century. Through its theme “Hello ASEAN”, the 47th NMC aims to shed light on these opportunities especially for those who are motivated by success and growth for their businesses.

For inquiries and or registration, please contact the PMA Secretariat at (+632)638-7700; (+632)634-5722 or email helloasean@philippinemarketing.net.ph.