Celebrating Awe-Inspiring Talents

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i-Shine Talent Camp mentors, grand winners, and host Dimples Romana, are all-smiles as they culminate the successful fifth season of the first and biggest online talent search in the country

Watching your child learn and develop new skills is nothing short of rewarding. But as you do, it’s sometimes hard to remember that your child’s love and excitement for discovery is what’s behind all his or her new accomplishments. 

Young minds seek stimulation—and when your little one continues to show eagerness to learn, it’s important that you let support them him/her to foster creativity, growth, and a love for learning they that can nurtured through adulthood. 

i-Shine 5 Music Camp, Stage Camp, and Art Camp grand winners Seth Salada, Sean Bermudez, and Alliyah Umandal, through the support of their parents and mentors in nurturing their gifts, celebrate their well-deserved victory

This is precisely why PROMIL PRE-SCHOOL continues to aid parents in achieving their children’s potential by providing them with the unique combination of brain & body building nutrients which help support learning during the crucial window of talent development. Simultaneously, PROMIL PRE-SCHOOL continues to create platforms such as the I-SHINE Talent Camp, which gives kids an opportunity to hone their inherent talents to their maximum potential. 

Already on its fifth year, this year’s I-SHINE Talent Camp gave children a lot to work on, together with high caliber mentors meant to draw out their talents across various genres. Divided into three camps, each one features an expert in the field to help kids nurture their gifts to the highest potential. Teacher Georcelle Dapat-Sy and Rico Blanco team up to be mentors for the Stage Camp, Mr. Ryan Cayabyab shares his mastery of music among members of the Music Camp, and Robert Alejandro imparts his artistic vision to the creative minds being nurtured in the Art Camp. 

i-Shine 5 Art Camp mentor Robert Alejandro, together with the finalists, wave to the audience during the Talent Camp finale opening number

i-Shine 5 mentors Robert Alejandro, Ryan Cayabyab, Georcelle Dapat-Sy, and Rico Blanco watch the finalists with awe as their previous students showcase their inspiring talents

The grand culmination of this year’s I-SHINE Talent Camp was celebrated with the mentors, parents, and of course the children, who displayed everything they have learned at the Huseng Batute theater at the CCP. This year, Sean Hayden Bermudez won the top prize for Stage Camp after displaying exceptional moves and stage presence; Alliyah Umandal’s puppet art wowed judges who awarded her as the Grand Art Camp i-Shiner; and Seth Levi Salada, displayed his mastery of rhythm and took home the grand prize for Music Camp. 

“How you support your kids and nurture their brain and body are some of the best things the best investment you can make as a parent. I-SHINE serves as a way for PROMIL PRE-SCHOOL to give parents more opportunities to create unique experiences that can develop and foster potential in their child,” ends Yvette Villegas, Product Manager, Wyeth Nutrition Philippines. 

BGC Bus Now Accepts beep™ cards

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BGC Bus and AF Payments Inc. have announced that BGC Buses are now using the beep™ card system on limited public trial. Commuters who have a beep™ card may already use them to pay for their BGC Bus rides. Fare remains at P12 per ride.

“We are pleased to partner with BGC Bus as this will move us closer to our goal of making the beep™ card an all-in-one card for commuters in Metro Manila. BGC Buses serve thousands of commuters daily and our goal is to be able to provide them with a reliable and efficient payment system, especially those who hop from the MRT or the LRT to the bus,” said Peter Maher, CEO and President of AF Payments Inc.

“BGC Bus commuters can conveniently purchase and load their beep™ cards in the Ayala and Market Market Terminal. This is in addition to selected Bayad Center, Tambunting, Villarica and SM Bills Payment Counter locations, which also offer re-loading services for beep™ cards. There are also plans to add more loading locations in the coming months, including leading convenience stores,” added Maher.

“We are excited to announce this integration because this gives our BGCitizen commuters more convenience in their daily commute,” said Mr. Jun Galvez, GM of Bonifacio Transport Corporation.

The BGC Bus line connects BGC to EDSA and Ayala Center. It has a Euro-5 compliant fleet and operates 24/7 to serve thousands of commuters, mostly employees who work in BGC and Makati. BGC Bus also takes pride in its information systems, whereby waiting time for the next bus can be accessed using the BGC app, and are also shown in most bus stops within BGC.

BGC is a financial and lifestyle district in Taguig City. It is home to contemporary office blocks, storied high streets, and parks. It has grown into an urban oasis of unique selections for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

The beep™ card replaced the old Tap BGC stored value card. It can be purchased and reloaded at the BGC Bus Ayala and Market Market terminals as well as all LRT and MRT stations. It is reloadable and is valid for four years. More information about beep™ is available at and on Facebook (beep card) and Twitter (@beep_card).

About AF Payments Inc.

AF Payments Inc. is a consortium of Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC) and Ayala Corp. that provides contactless payment solutions in the Philippines through its integrated product and service offerings, thereby enhancing the transaction experience of every Filipino.

Its tap and go payment system, or the beep™ card, is available for use in all three elevated railways (LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3).

Website and Social Media

www.beeptopay.com

www.facebook.com/beepcardph

www.twitter.com/beep_card

Akita Epson Completes New Printhead Factory - New Plant to Triple Inkjet Printhead Production Capacity

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Akita Epson Corporation, a group company of Seiko Epson Corporation (TSE: 6724, "Epson"), has held a ceremony to celebrate the completion of a new factory. Epson invested approximately 3.4 billion yen on the construction of the plant, which will triple Akita Epson's current printhead production capacity. Construction began in October 2015 and the new plant went online earlier this month.

Epson provides printers and services based on original Micro Piezo inkjet technology to customers in the home, office, commercial, and industrial markets. The printheads produced at the new Akita Epson factory will be the core devices to be used in Epson's high-capacity ink tank printers and business inkjet printers.

Epson’s high-capacity ink tank printers meet the needs of customers for low-cost prints with genuine Epson print quality. Initially launched in October 2010, sales of these products had reached as many as 15 million units worldwide as of June 2016. The office market is also seeing annual growth in demand for high-speed business inkjet printers that produce outstanding image quality at a lower cost per print and lower energy consumption than laser printers.

"Akita Epson is an important domestic production site with advanced technological capability and a close working relationship with Epson's corporate R&D function," said Takashi Mitsui, president of Akita Epson. "We make a significant contribution to the manufacturing capability of the entire Epson Group, sharing with Epson's overseas manufacturing plants the technical expertise we have gained from manufacturing core devices. By using Epson's original production equipment and automating and rationalizing production lines, the new plant will further raise our production capability."

Epson is committed to advancing its original technologies and to delighting customers by exceeding their expectations with products and services based on original core devices.

Inkjet printer printheads

Micro Piezo printheads eject droplets of ink via mechanical pressure. This mechanical pressure is created when piezoelectric elements in the print heads contract in response to an applied voltage. Two main characteristics set Epson's technology apart from other inkjet printing systems. The first is that Micro Piezo printing systems do not use heat to eject the ink droplets. The second is that they precisely control the volume of ink contained in each ink droplet.

For more information about Epson's technologies, please visit the following web site: http://global.epson.com/innovation/

Okay na si Lolo: Coca-Cola Agos Program brings renewed hope to war survivor

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Agos Gravity-Fed Systems bring water from natural springs on higher grounds down to reservoirs near beneficiary communities like Barangay del Pilar in Baao, Camarines Sur.

Japanese airplanes were dropping bombs across Pili, Camarines Sur. People in the city fled the plains and went to different areas to save themselves, to save their families. Some ran to the fields, while the others decided to settle and create homes near or at the mountains. However, the safety of one’s life had a price to pay: there was no water.

Barangay Del Pilar is one of the communities that cradled the families who escaped the horrors of those bombings. Located at the upper section of the mountain in Baao, Camarines Sur, it is divided into three zones. As of 2014, it has become home to a total of 75 households, with a population of 384.

Lolo Cenederio Lopez, 74, spent most of his younger years hiking five kilometers away from his home to fetch water. Now that he no longer has the same strength and endurance to carry containers on his shoulders, Lolo Cenederio is more than thankful to have easily accessible water in his community. 

Among the residents is Cenederio Lopez. He is 74 years old, lives alone, and has never left Del Pilar since he was born. More than knowing the barangay like the back of an old friend’s hand, he never imagined in his lifetime that water would someday become easily available to them.

“It was really a sacrifice just to fetch water,” Lolo Cenederio shares. He recalls that it was a daily dilemma for most of his life, rooting back to when he was still a child. Whenever his family would run out of water, his father and older brothers would be up before the crack of dawn to fetch water with their containers and a carabao. Years later, it was still a problem, and it became part of the routine that Lolo Cenderio became accustomed to. 

Because of his old age, he could no longer hike the way he did when he was younger. What he would do is to buy a water container worth PhP20 from his neighbors, however, this exchange came with a price, he still needed to do an hour’s worth of walking. The situation was simple: he either walked and carried the containers on his shoulders, or there would be no water at all. 

The trip down from del Pilar was difficult since it would require roughly nine kilometers to the city proper of Baao and back, or a 5-kilometer hike on stiffer, more slippery and underdeveloped roads. Many times, safety was compromised in order to get water for taking a bath or for drinking. If none of the options were available, the community would wait and pray for the clouds to get dark and for rain to fall down on grateful residents. The longest time that the barangay went without any rain was about five months.

But finally, after centuries of depending on distant water sources, the dangerous and taxing travel was reduced from hours to just a few minutes away. Through the efforts of the community and Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines in partnership with the Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement, they paved the way for getting water without compromising the safety of the people.

Coca-Cola Philippines, through the Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines, and its partners have established the Agos Program to provide sustainable water access to water-deprived communities. Through Agos, residents of Barangay del Pilar in Baao, Camarines Sur became recipients of an Agos Gravity-Fed System, which brings water from natural springs on higher grounds down to a reservoir near the beneficiary community.

“I am extremely thankful to God, our barangay captain, and Coca-Cola Foundation for producing a project like this. Without them, we would not have water to drink,” Lolo Cenederio said. He added that instead of paying PhP20 per container, it has been reduced to just PhP2. It is a blessing that he no longer needs to hike or pay a large amount just to get water. 

For some, the project of Coca-Cola may just be a simple relocation of a resource, but Barangay del Pilar residents, it only proves that there is hope, there is love, and there is happiness.

The Company is also engaged in sustainability projects that aim to help economically empower women, and nourish the youth of today to build better and stronger communities of tomorrow.


Okay na si Lolo:  Coca-Cola Agos Program brings renewed hope to war survivor
by Ma. Teriz S. Castro,

University of Sto. Tomas Journalism Society

About The Coca-Cola Company:

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world's largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands and more than 3,800 beverage choices. Led by Coca-Cola, one of the world's most valuable and recognizable brands, our company’s portfolio features 20 billion-dollar brands, 18 of which are available in reduced-, low- or no-calorie options. Our billion-dollar brands include Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero, Fanta, Sprite, Dasani, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Del Valle, Georgia and Gold Peak. Through the world's largest beverage distribution system, we are the No. 1 provider of both sparkling and still beverages. More than 1.9 billion servings of our beverages are enjoyed by consumers in more than 200 countries each day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world's top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system associates. For more information, visit Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo, visit our blog, Coca-Cola Unbottled, at www.coca-colablog.com or find us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-coca-cola-company.

This Holiday Gift Idea : The Limited Edition Scraper Mixer Pro™ in Cranberry

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Create your own holiday goodies cakes, biscuits, bread and pastries truly scrumptious and overwhelmingly satisfying by preparing it professionally in the comforts of your own home kitchen or even at your bread shop. The Scraper Mixer Pro™ (BEM800) from Breville, Australia’s top kitchen brand, has come out with a limited edition Cranberry color. 

Guaranteed to add excitement to your kitchen the new Scraper Mixer Pro™ Cranberry has the same powerful and effective efficiency. Engage the “Planetary” Mixing Action in its 4.7-liter mixing bowl with handle to replicate the mixing action used in patisseries and bakeries and get evenly-mixed batter, creamy icing and pliable dough. 

You can also adjust its 12 pre-programmed settings from slow kneading to rapid whipping and aerating, and use the count up and down kitchen timer with pause function to achieve that precise mixing result. 

The Scraper Mixer Pro™ Cranberry with its die-cast metal mixer body and stainless steel bowl also comes with extra wide attachments, such as the standard flat beater, wire whisk, dough hook and Breville’s innovation—the Scraper Beater, all for P27,000. 

The product is available online through Breville’s webstore (THE WOW STORE) and on display at selected outlets within Metro Manila. Purchase the Scraper Mixer Pro™ until December 31 and get a FREE 5Q extra bowl. This Christmas promo is available for cash & straight card transactions. 

For more about Breville products, visit www.breville.com.ph or on Facebook.com/ brevillephilippines