Franchisers optimistic on entrep growth under new admin

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The Association of Filipino Franchisers, Inc. (AFFI) has expressed big hopes for entrepreneurs after hearing President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s plans for the sector over the last few days.

Duterte has bared his 8-point economic agenda, which his administration plans to implement once he officially assumes office. He has also vowed to end red tape and corruption in the government to fast-track business processing, promising to cut business registration to only three days.

Ricardo Cuna

“We’ve been hoping to hear something like this from our would-be leader even before the elections,” says AFFI Executive Vice President Ricardo Cuna.

“We’re ranked pretty low in terms of ease of doing business here in the country, and that’s primarily because of our current entrepreneurial ecosystem. I think most of us in the industry agree that it’s the first thing we need to improve.”

Cuna cited the latest World Bank Group’s Doing Business 2016 report, where the Philippines ranked 103rd out of 189 economies with regard to “processing business permits and registrations”. It also came 6th place among its ASEAN counterparts, with Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, and Vietnam outranking the country for the first five slots.

“This situation is one of the factors that slows down the growth of entrepreneurship in the country. Hearing directly from President-elect Duterte that he plans to focus on resolving that gives us confidence that this will all change soon,” mused Cuna.

‘Strike while the iron is hot’

The business community is waiting to hear more of Duterte’s economic plans since his posting a landslide victory last May 9.

Armando “Butz” Bartolome

“Our economy has been tremendously growing these past few years, and it isn’t showing any sign of slowing down. We’re on a tight race here. We have to strike while the iron is hot. That’s why we want to learn more of what he intends to do so we could also act and do our part,” argues Franchise Guru Armando “Butz” Bartolome, one of AFFI’s founders and current Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Bartolome said the next administration’s primary steps are crucial in maintaining and increasing the country's momentum. He praised Duterte for taking cue from the Aquino administration and continuing some of the healthier economic policies the latter has made throughout his time in office.

“There’s no shame in continuing what has been proven beneficial for the nation,” stressed Bartolome. “What the incoming administration should do, however, is to throw in improvements on these reforms and accelerate implementation of programs for the economy and the entire entrepreneurial community.”

Celebrate Independence Day at Araneta Center

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Celebrate the spirit of Filipino freedom at Araneta Center with food, art and music events that are sure to entertain and rekindle your Pinoy pride!

Taste the flavors of the Philippines at the center-wide food expo from June 10 to 12. This delightful food event will be held simultaneously at Gateway Mall, Ali Mall, and Farmers Plaza and showcase products from different regions at the malls’ respective activity area. On June 11, a boodle fight will ensue headlined by the Binibining Pilipinas queens at the Farmers Market; those who will register on the Binibining Pilipinas official Facebook page can participate.

Love art? Visit the Araneta Center on June 11 at 10AM for a street mural painting activity at the Gateway Food Park. Watch local artists paint their interpretations of Philippine Independence on special installation provided by Megawide Construction Corporation, or grab your own paintbrush and unleash your inner Juan Luna! In conjunction with the Colors of the Philippines campaign of Davies Paints, participants also stand to take home goodies.

In the evening, the Gateway Food Park transforms into a music hub with the #ATMKalayaan Rock Concert. Powered by Pinoytuner, it features top indie acts Autotelic and Mayonnaise, headlined by Ebe Dancel, and supported by the UP Music Circle Band. This free event will culminate as the clock strikes midnight on Independence Day. Registrants to the #ATMKalayaan concert on Araneta Center’s official FB page will take home treats from Universal Robina Corporation.

Araneta Center has even more exciting offers for shoppers with its Independence Day Weekend Specials. Visit Gateway Mall, Ali Mall and Farmers Plaza from June 10 to 12 and enjoy amazing shopping discounts. @Araneta Center Twitter followers will also get the chance to win P5,000 in cash by answering a question between June 6 to 12, posted with the hashtag #ATMKalayaan. 

With plenty of exciting events and exclusive offers all year round, Araneta Center is truly the place for freedom and fun-loving Filipinos! For more event updates and promos, visit its official website at "http://www.aranetacenter.net" www.aranetacenter.net.

#ATMKalayaan center-wide event at the Araneta Center during the Independence Day weekend is brought to you by Davies Paints, Megawide, Universal Robina Corporation and Pinoytuner.

TOYCON 2016 & Pop Life FanXperience

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The Philippine Toys, Hobbies and Collectibles Convention, or TOYCON as it’s more widely-known, is Asia’s longest running convention for collectibles, toys, anime, comics, cosplay, gaming and anything and everything related to hobbies and collections. The convention has been ongoing since 2002 so it is now on its 15th year of thrilling fans and aficionados alike. It is, simply put, the biggest pop culture event in the country. 

Being a milestone year, the TOYCON reaches new heights as it readies itself to be the first international multi-genre entertainment and hobbies convention based in the Philippines. Held annually in June every year, it has grown in scale and popularity since its humble beginnings and is now regarded as the one of the most anticipated and visited events in the country, with event-goers filling the venue to capacity with close to 40,000 people attending.

TOYCON 2016 & Pop Life FanXperience 

After 14 conventions, TOYCON Philippines is proud to announce its partnership with Pop Life Entertainment to create the ultimate FanXperience for the Filipino pop-culture fans!

ToyCon 2016 + Pop Life FanXperience will be the biggest celebration of all things associated with pop-culture such as toys, games, movies, cosplay, anime and collectibles. 

FanXperience is the offshoot event of the Salt Lake City Comic Con, the 3rd largest comic convention in the United States with over 125,000 in attendance. Through its global partnership with Pop Life Entertainment, ToyCon 2016 will be the staging-ground of the "ultimate FanXperience for their international fan base with exclusive show merchandise, exhibitions, international cosplay competition COSFANX, celebrity appearances ” ”and much more.

The exhibits will feature some of the world’s biggest brands in entertainment with such licensed properties as Marvel, DC, Game of Thrones, Star Wars, Cartoon Network, UFC, Peanuts, Nickelodeon and the NBA to name a few. It will also highlight gaming brands such as Capcom, Namco and DOTA 2.

The ToyCon 2016 + Pop Life FanXperience will give ToyCon fans up close and personal FanXperiences with their favorite pop culture icons. These FanXperiences will feature big name local and international celebrity guests from movies, television, music, comics, gaming and anime. Stay tuned for exciting announcements on who will be our featured line-up of guests for the inaugural ToyCon 2016 + Pop Life FanXperience!

June 10 to12, 2016 

SMX Convention Center Halls 1-4 

Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City

Event highlights include:

1. Stan Lee Excelsior! Exhibit

2. Pop Life Exhibit - exhibit of the newest Funko Pop toy releases, including one of the most anticipated lines, Suicide Squad, the new Cosplay line and possibly prototypes of the new Encantadia line of Funko Pop toys 

3. CosFanX – The biggest and newest international Cosplay competition which pits the best cosplayers in Asia against each other in country eliminations, country finals and regional finals. Top prize in the local finals is P50,000 cash and the chance to represent the country in the championships in Thailand 

4. Suicide Squad Movie Exhibit – Warner Brothers Pictures exhibit of DC Comics newest cinematic blockbuster coming in July 

5. Voltes V Exhibit – It’s Voltes V 40th Anniversary and this exhibit is highlighted by a 20-foot statue of the iconic robot and various memorabilia from the creators of the hit anime series of the 70s and 80s

6. TOYCON Toy Club Gallery – The biggest toy collectors’ exhibit ever assembled under one roof featuring top toy brands, Kotobukiya, Enesco, Bandai, Hero Cross, Hasbro, Mattel, Hot Toys and Lego. This exhibit makes ToyCon one of the most photographed events in the country.

7. FanX Celebrity photo-ops and autograph-signing - fans meet and greet with the international guests during interactive stage panel interviews, one-on-one photo booths and autograph-signing 

8. Artists Alley and custom artwork - fans meet their favorite local and international guest artists for custom sketches, signing and art critiquing 

9. Multi-media entertainment – Interactive booths from top gaming companies, Capcom, Namco and DOTA 2 and also from top subscription video on demand company, iFlix 

10. The biggest dealer floor of around 240 merchants of various pop-culture merchandise, comics, accessories, cosplay merchandise, toys and collectibles

FanXperience International Celebrity Guests

Kristian Nairn, actor and musician, known for his portrayal as Hodor from Game of Thrones 

Mario Maurer – Thai pop-star, actor, model and brand endorser. Also known locally for various film projects with local celebrities 

Bronson Pelletier and Kiowa Gordon – Members of the werewolves pack in the Twilight saga: New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn movie. 

Frankie J – R&B/Pop Singer songwriter known for his hits Top 40 hits “Obsession”, “How T Deal” and “That Girl” 

Dean Cain – best known as Clark Kent/Superman in the 90’s series Lois & Clark and now portrays Jeremiah Danvers in the hit new TV show, Supergirl

Daniel Logan – New Zealand actor best known for his portrayal as young Boba Fett in Star Wars Attack of the Clones 

(More celebrities to be confirmed in the coming weeks)

The event is organized by the Asian Comics, Toys & Hobbies Collective Inc. and Pop Life Entertainment

For details contact: 

ToyconPh@gmail.com

toyconmarketing@gmail.com

Cholo Mallillin (Marketing Head) – 0917-8248176 

Vic Yap (Head of Operations) – 0906-5067616

Azrael Coladilla (Digital Content Manager) – 09087568622 

For event details go to:

www.toyconph.com

www.facebook.com/ToyConPh

The British School Manila continues partnership with One Million Lights, and CAS Week

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On Monday 23rd May 2016, The British School Manila’s Year 4 students went on a visit to a rural community in Tagaytay to distribute 75 solar powered lights to 75 families. The visit had a notable effect on the students and staff who spent time with the community, donating one light each to a family. 

The solar panel lights donated by BSM make a real difference to the lives of people living without electricity. The amazing fundraising efforts of our Year 4 students, parents and staff throughout the year should be congratulated. The students raised funds from a stall they ran during the BSM Fete in May, as well as designing, making and selling Mother's Day cards. It is wonderful to see all of the hard work result in such a life-changing contribution.

Year 4’s activity is part of the BSM Service Learning programme and happens in the same week our International Baccalaureate students set out for Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) Week with the highlight on Bayanihan.

The common aim of all of BSM Service Learning projects is to let our students engage with an issue of global importance and to plan and initiate a project to tackle this at a local level. Our students collaborated with a range of NGOs and charities, as well as community members; these were all committed and equal partners in the various endeavours. The range and diversity of the projects that our students were involved in last week was remarkable: building chicken coops, refurbishing computers, certificating adult education, modelling and developing interview techniques, engaging in art and drama workshops with elementary children and refurbishing a tired playroom for young children in hospital. The locations ranged from Alabang to Quezon City, from Tagaytay to La Union in the Ilocos Region, to BSM. 

Results from the various projects underscore how the BSM student’s service learning goals are highly achievable and the truly life changing impact this can have on local communities. However it is not only the practical outcomes that we consider valuable, but also the partnerships and sense of community engendered by this BSM Service Learning initiative. The smiles, hugs and handshakes at the farewell moments were powerful; this experience will remain in the minds of many, for a long time. 

It was indeed a privilege to see our students reach out to the local communities and work with external providers, seeking to understand local needs and empower local stakeholders to develop their own solutions.

Read about our Bayanihan initiative

Read about our partnership with One Million Lights

Read more of our community service activities

Read more about our curriculum

Read more about The British School Manila

The British School Manila (BSM) is a highly regarded co-educational British international school established in 1976. The School is proud to uphold the high standard of the British education system and we take full advantage of our multi-cultural setting. We are accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and also a member of The Federation of British International Schools in Southeast Asia and East Asia (FOBISSEA) and The Independent Association of Prep School (IAPS). 

At present 900+ students aged 3-18 are on BSM’s roll and 35 nationalities are represented. British children make up 33%, Filipino 22%, Canada 9% ,Australians 8% and American 6% of the total population.

DepEd promotes positive discipline in everyday teaching

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The Department of Education (DepEd), in cooperation with E-Net Philippines and Save the Children, will launch the Primer on Positive Discipline for Everyday Teaching on Monday, June 6, 2016, 9 am at the DepEd NCR Conference Hall, Department of Education-National Capital Region, Regional Office.

DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro FSC during the launch of the Primer on Positive Discipline for Everyday Teaching.

The Primer was created to help teachers apply a positive approach in classroom management and will be distributed to teachers nationwide. The Primer will also be used as a training tool for positive discipline.

"This Primer will be most valuable to our teachers so that they can cope with the day to day challenges of having to deal with young, active learners using positive reinforcement," Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC said.

Luistro pointed out that the primer is consistent with the DepEd policy on zero tolerance for any act of violence against children in school, including corporal punishment, as detailed in the DepEd Child Protection Policy (DO No. 40, s. 2012). "We recognize that teachers, administrators and staff, as stewards of learning institutions, are responsible for an enabling and supportive environment for effective learning based on the principles of positive discipline," the education chief added.

The Primer also comes with some pointers on ways to enhance teacher's well-being in order to help them cope with stress.

DepEd has earlier issued a Child Protection Policy that prohibits corporal punishment and all forms of abuse and promotes positive and non-violent discipline in schools.