Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza, the newest brand ambassadors of Platinum’s Alpha Mic Karaoke

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Maine Mendoza and Alden Richards

Platinum Karaoke goes to the Next Level! 

Speaking of going to the next level, no one comes close to being most deserving of being introduced as the newest brand ambassadors of Platinum’s Alpha Mic Karaoke than the hottest and most sought after tandem in the country – Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza, better known as “ALDUB.” 

Like the Platinum’s Alpha Mic Karaoke, both embody an element of wholesome fun and entertainment with a vibe that’s fresh and pulsating.

Makers of high quality and high definition karaoke machines and accessories perfect for every home, Platinum Karaoke, has soared to the NEXT LEVEL with the launch of its new and exciting product – the Platinum Alpha Mic Karaoke, a major game changer in the karaoke industry.

Platinum Alpha is a portable karaoke that boasts of unique features, which will definitely bring one’s karaoke experience to a whole new level. It comes with full HD capabilities that promise superb video and high fidelity sound output quality.

Being a 24Gb multimedia console, you can store and watch your favorite movies and listen to your well-loved collection of songs.

It is developed as a Smart Karaoke that features browsing and surfing the net, and sharing your phone’s display on the big screen, which makes the Alpha Mic Karaoke an all-in-one entertainment package. What’s more, it’s portable and convenient to set up so you can enjoy your karaoke bonding moments may it be outdoors, in picnics, at the beach or even road trips!

It is also the first ever karaoke unit that can be bank-powered or via USB port. And with over 17,000 collection of OPM and English songs, and 100 new song updates monthly, what more can you ask for?

“Platinum Karaoke knows that Alden and Maine embody the same personality and vibe of the new Alpha Mic,” quipped Ruth Ana Bautista, Platinum's assistant marketing manager.

“Aside from that, both of them are also known to strengthen bonding relationships, having strong ties with their respective families, and attesting that karaoke is a big part of their momentous family bondings.”

And just like the Platinum Alpha Mic Karaoke, ALDUB is a truly a game changer. They are the phenomenal love team that rocked afternoon television’s audience – nothing like anyone has ever seen and experienced before. Their tandem is organic, fresh, believable and full of life.

This is what continuously endears them to their fans.

After the anniversary of their famous characters and the launch of their first movie together, Alden and Maine are set to reach a whole new level in their careers – next level as they would say. They are still set to go to new heights and who knows, to a new level in their "love team" relationship.

Platinum Karaoke, is definitely ready for the next level as together with Alden and Maine , it brings music to life and life to music!

And with thousands of songs more than what its competitors provide in the market, top brass sound quality and convenience, and with their array of innovative and revolutionary products made available locally and globally, there is definitely no other choice for these two amazing and inspiring performers.

Platinum Karaoke is available in all leading music stores nationwide.

For more information or online orders, please visit www.platinumkaraoke.ph, like The PlatinumKaraoke in Facebook and follow Twitter and Instagram accounts @platinumkaraoke.

SM wins in London awards

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SM SUPERMALLS WINS THE PRESTIGIOUS BRAND OF THE YEAR AWARD, National Tier 2016-2017, during the World Branding Awards ceremonies at London’s Kensington Palace. The Awards recognizes the achievement of some of the best brands in the world. In photo, from L-R, are Richard Rowles, Chairman, World Branding Forum, and Steven Tan, Senior Vice President, SM Supermalls. The World Branding Forum is a global, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing branding standards for the good of the branding community as well as consumers. For more information, visit brandingforum.org.

Another Filipino brand has made it to the global stage. 

This year, SM Supermalls was given the prestigious Brand of the Year Award under the National Tier 2016-2017, during the World Branding Awards ceremonies held in an exclusive black tie gala dinner at the iconic Kensington Palace in London.

The award, given by The World Branding Forum, was the only one conferred to a local brand from the Philippines in the Shopping Mall category.

Aside from SM, other winning brands include ICBC (China), Bang & Olufsen (Denmark), Hermes (Frances), Nivea (Germany), Chow Tai Food (Hong Kong), Prada (Italy), Sukiya (Japan), Safaricom (Kenya), Maybank (Malaysia), Dulux (Netherlands), Sagres (Portugal), QNB (Qatar), Sberbank (Russia), Raffles Education (Singapore), Amore Pacific (South Korea), Santander (Spain), Zurich(Switzerland), Chunghwa Telecom (Taiwan), King Power (Thailand), Dubai Duty Free (UAE), and Prudential (UK), among others.

SM’s SVP for Operations Steven Tan was present during the ceremony to receive the award.

“We are proud to be recognized in the global stage,” Tan said during his acceptance speech. “SM is a brand that reflects the Filipino people's indomitable spirit of excellence. We resonate because we celebrate people's hopes and aspirations, and we bring these a step closer to reality. Through our malls, we strive to create memorable destinations that broaden our shoppers' experiences, and allow them to participate in a greater, global world.”

World Branding Forum Global Chairman Richard Rowles emphasized that the objectives of the Forum “are to advance the standards, skills and education of the branding community for the good of the industry and consumers.”

“The Awards celebrates the achievements of some of the greatest brands around the globe. With 70 percent of the scoring process coming from consumer votes, winning brands have managed to build a good trust score with their consumers,” said Richard Rowles, Chairman of the World Branding Forum.

The selection of winners is determined through brand valuation (30%), public online voting (30%), and consumer market research (40%). The latter was conducted through one-on-one phone interviews in each country. SM Supermalls came out as the most exceptional brand in the Philippines to merit the recognition under the National Tier – Shopping Mall category, affirming the brand’s position as a household name in the country.

World Branding Forum Chief Executive Peter Pek emphasized on brands’ ability to provide customers with memorable experiences more than just good products and services.

“The quality of brands competing for the awards is very high. Winners set the standards of what brands need to be in order to win,” Pek added.

The World Branding Forum (WBF) is a global, non-profit organization dedicated to advancing branding standards for the good of the branding community as well as consumers. Its premier recognition program, has so far recognized some of the world’s largest and best-known brands such as Apple (US), British Airways (UK), Louis Vuitton (France), and Mercedez-Benz (Germany).

The World Branding Awards is the premier awards of the World Branding Forum. It recognizes the achievements of some of the best brands in the world.

Robin Padilla presents how MoneyGram Making Dreams Possible with Educational Partnership with Black Pencil Project

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MoneyGram Global Brand Ambassador Robin Padilla during the MoneyGram and Black Pencil Project partnership media presentation held at The Manila Peninsula Makati, September 21, 2016.

MoneyGram, a global provider of innovative money transfer services, through the MoneyGram Foundation, strengthens its thrust of helping children around the world gain access to educational facilities and learning resources, with its new partnership with the Black Pencil Project for the “School-in-A-Box Program.” 

 Andrea Maramotti, MoneyGram International’s Vice President for
Marketing -AMEAP, Russia & CIS, 

On September 21, 2016, MoneyGram International’s Vice President for Marketing -AMEAP, Russia & CIS, Andrea Maramotti, and hands over their donation worth Php1million to the Black Pencil Project’s founder Mon Corpuz through a symbolic RED PENCIL turnover. This is a momentous turnover of the 1 million pencils to the children for the ‘”School-in-A-Box Program”. 

MoneyGram Foundation’s mission is firmly rooted in the belief that education is the key to better economic opportunities, healthier families and individual freedom and empowerment. 

“Our Php1million will go a long way. The School-in-A-Box program will provide complete study packs, teacher’s kits, and relevant learning resource materials for the marginalized children from the indigenous communities,” says Andrea Maramotti, MoneyGram International Head of Marketing for Emerging Markets.

Mon Corpuz, Black Pencil Project Founder

The Black Pencil Project is an independent civilian volunteer organization that assists select schools from far-flung areas all over the country. Founded in June 2008, the Black Pencil Project was founded by photographer Mon Corpuz.

“We are prioritizing critical cultural communities, and we’ve worked to improve children’s education, health, and well-being with indigenous people’s (IP) rights in mind,” says Mon. “We believe that by helping the children of IP communities, we contribute to their plight for survival amidst the threats of cultural degeneration,” he adds.

MoneyGram’s donation will benefit at least six barrio schools equipping them with basic school supplies for both children and teachers during the school year. The donation will provide at least 2,500 students from kinder to grade 6 with prescribed pencils, writing pads, notebooks and art materials relevant to their current grade level.

Target communities include the Ivatans and Ifugaos of Banawe from Cambulo Elementary School, the Dumagats of Rizal from Casili Elementary schools, and the Aetas of Tarlac from Labney Elementary school in Mayantoc Tarlac. The MoneyGram employees will personally visit and hand these school supplies to the children. 

Other communities that will benefit from this donation include the Ivatans of Batanes from Sabtang Central Elementary School, the Palawanons of Palawan from Cagayan Elementary School, and the Mangyans of Mindoro from Sablayan Elementary School. 

“This our way of reaching out to our brothers from the marginalized communities to let them know that they are not alone in reaching their dreams. We firmly believe that education is the key to a better tomorrow,” said Alex Chan Lim, Philippine MoneygGram Country Manager. He also pointed out that "this activity, along with the four classroom structures MoneyGram donated in Bohol last March 2016 and November 2015, exemplifies our company's thrust and commitment in transforming the lives of the communities and customers we serve by providing them with meaningful access to education. We are optimistic that these activities will help uplift and enrich the lives of children through education". 

About MoneyGram International, Inc.

MoneyGram is a global provider of innovative money transfer and payment services and is recognized worldwide as a financial connection to friends and family. Whether online, or through a mobile device, at a kiosk or in a local store, we connect consumers any way that is convenient for them. We also provide bill payment services, issue money orders and process official checks in select markets. In 2016 MoneyGram received the “Remittance Product of the Year” award from The Asian Banker. More information about MoneyGram International, Inc. is available at moneygram.com

About MoneyGram Foundation 

MoneyGram established the MoneyGram Foundation in 2012 to help children around the world gain access to educational facilities and learning resources. Its mission is firmly rooted in the belief that education is at the heart of better economic opportunities, healthier families and individual freedom and empowerment. The MoneyGram Foundation is focused on inspiring minds and improving lives and grants funds to deserving organizations with this mission in mind. To learn more, please visit moneygramfoundation.org or connect with us on Facebook. 

MoneyGram and the Globe are marks of MoneyGram. © 2016 MoneyGram.

Beware of fake skincare products that may harm your skin

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Filipino consumers need to be more vigilant when buying skincare products after news of alleged counterfeit of a popular skincare product have reportedly entered the local market.

Galderma Philippines, the authorized distributor of Cetaphil, a brand recommended by dermatologists for sensitive skin, received initial reports that counterfeit beauty bars and moisturizers bearing the brand’s name are being sold in the Philippines. These counterfeits place consumers at risk of potential skin harm and severe health issues in the long run. In particular, these include Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar, Cetaphil Cleansing Antibacterial Bar, Cetaphil Restoraderm Skin Restoring Body Moisturizer and Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion 591mL.

Especially for people with sensitive skin, the formulation of the counterfeit products may cause mild skin irritation to serious flare-ups. Moreover, consumer may face the risk of exposure to harmful chemicals. 

“Laboratory tests conducted on samples of counterfeit products show that these counterfeits do not follow established quality specifications of our product. Also, key ingredients found absent in the counterfeit products” said Atty, Edmund Jason Baranda, counsel of Galderma.

Without proper quality control to ascertain the right formulation that goes into each product, the counterfeit item may seriously put the safety and health of consumers at risk and they end up paying more, especially when they expose their skin to unnamed and unchecked ingredients that go into the counterfeit items.

A cheaper price may not always be a good indicator to know if the item is counterfeit or not, as some are produced to look almost the same as the genuine ones - but there would be marked differences in terms of the product’s odor, appearance and packaging, owing to the lack of strict quality control during manufacturing and the fact that counterfeit items are produced at cheaper rates to scale.

Here are some consumer guidelines on how to spot counterfeit items: 

• Check if there is a difference in the product’s odor or color with the original; 
• Look at the physical casing or packaging 
• Check if the box has lot number, expiry dates, and brand stickers 

“Galderma is committed to provide only quality products to consumers which is why we adhere to strict manufacturing protocols and quality controls. The safety of the consumers is of foremost importance to us, especially since we provide products that care for the skin. Galderma has open communication lines with its consumers so as soon as we received information about the counterfeit items, we promptly sought the assistance of the authorities for appropriate action” said Atty. Baranda.

In case you have bought a suspected counterfeit item, kindly report the details of where and when you bought the product to Cetaphil’s official Facebook page Cetaphil Philippines. A customer service representative will respond to your notification.

Haier TVs let homes enjoy digital broadcast without a “digi-box”

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Ready for the future of television?

In three to five years, Philippine television is expected to shift from analog broadcast to digital, said the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) last May. The shift promises consistently clear audio-visual quality no matter the distance from the station, on top of having more channels to watch from local networks.

The transition does come with a catch: homes will need to upgrade their analog TV setups. This is currently being satisfied by “digi-boxes,” or external digital tuners, offered by cable providers to subscribers.

For households that are only after local programs, having to pay for an external digital tuner along with cable subscription might be too much for a limited budget. Fortunately, TVs are now being designed to address that possible problem.

“Advances in TV broadcasting shouldn’t become an inconvenience to the average Filipino family,” Haier’s Director of Product Planning for TV and PC Joseph Bandol said. “That is true especially when it comes to the cost. Television is meant to be enjoyed, not cause worry.”

Haier responds to the upcoming transition with the introduction of digital TVs. Designed with a built-in ISDB-T-compliant digital tuner, these new sets not only make the shift less of a hassle, they also come with features for fully immersive entertainment the whole family can enjoy.

Crisp, crystal-clear reception

Unlike their analog counterparts, digital TVs receive signals without degradation or interruption. This means that viewers get to fully enjoy channels that offer shows in high definition with Dolby Digital audio.

To add to image quality, Haier digital TVs are designed with in-plane switching (IPS) panels for the LCD screen along with the latest in picture enhancing technologies. The sleek, two-tone design and metallic strip detail further create a polished, classy look without the high price.

Haier also adds a “Timeshift” feature for those who want to record shows either in real-time or by schedule. This lets families avoid rushing home to catch their favorite programs, with the benefit of getting to watch together for that much-needed quality time.

“Ultimately, Filipinos look forward to quality family time at the end of the day, which is usually spent in front of the TV after dinner,” Bandol added. “This makes the viewing experience important. With a TV that delivers great image and sound quality, families can fully appreciate the rare moments they spend together.”

Haier currently offers two digital TV lines: the B8500 series and the K5000 Smart digital series. Available in 32-, 40-, 50-, and 55-inch screen sizes, the K5000 has a YouTube TV feature for browsing online videos, as well as a Smart Share function that enables users to connect their smartphones to the TV and play media.

All Haier digital TVs come with a two-year warranty on parts and labor.