Families of Marawi heroes receive help from top companies

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LT Group President, Michael G. Tan (left) listens to the story of a grieving family during the Go NegosyoKapatid For Marawi turnover of financial assistance from various companies and business groups in the country. Among those who immediately responded to the call of support for government forces and assistance for the displaced residents of Marawi City are the companies under Lucio Tan (second from left) that include Asia Brewery. The country's flag carrier Philippine Airlines has also been extending help by providing two tickets for each family that attended the turnover. Humanitarian cargo grants through PAL Foundation totalling 5,326 kilograms or P361,410 have also been extended. Also in photo are Bonifacio Sam of PAL Express and Gianina Napo of Go Negosyo.

Families left behind of the 101 soldiers and police personnel who have been slain in the ongoing operations in Marawi received financial assistance from some of the country’s top businessmen in a tribute event dubbed as “Salamat Magigiting na Mandirigma” organized by Go Negosyo’s Kapatid For Marawi program.

The families – widows, parents and children of the slain – came from different parts of the country and some were flown in to Manila, with Philippine Airlines providing two free tickets for every family.

Elementary school teacher Nilda Santos, widow of TSgt Jessie Santos who also left behind 14-year-old Jenyl Rose and 11-year-old Jay Michael, expresses her thanks to the business sector for celebrating the lives of the fallen soldiers in the Go Negosyo event where some families were flown in by Philippine Airlines.

According to elementary school teacher Nilda Santos, widow of TSgt Jessie Santos who also left behind 14-year-old Jenyl Rose and 11-year-old Jay Michael, the support shown by the people, in particular the business sector, is inspiring because the sacrifice of their loved ones are recognized.

“Nakaka-inspire na pinahahalagan nila ang buhay ng mga asawa namin. Malaki ang pasasalamat namin sa tulong nila, kasi yung mga namatay na iba hindi ganito ang pag-treat, hindi tulad ngayon. Yung pamasahe lang na papunta kami dito malaking bagay na tulad ng mga ticket galing sa PAL. (It’s inspiring to see that the lives of our husbands are considered worthy. We are very grateful for the assistance, because those who died before were not given the kind of treatment we are seeing today. The fare alone was already a big help, like the tickets provided by PAL),” the widow said.

When the call for support for government forces and the displaced residents of Marawi came, among those that immediately responded were companies under Lucio Tan that include Philippine Airlines and Asia Brewery.

Safe water for the soldiers. Just as fighting on the battlefield is dangerous, contaminated water can be just as hazardous. It can compromise a mission or the troops themselves. Agua Vida, a subsidiary of Lucio Tan’s Asia Brewery, knows the importance of providing safe and clean drinking water to soldiers on active duty in Iligan and Marawi cities. The water company has sent two mobile water stations to provide a total capacity of 4,000 gallons of water a day to the military camps.

To date, the country's flag carrier, through the PAL Foundation, has airlifted more than six tons of donations amounting to about P370,000 from various donors including the airline's personnel to the residents of Marawi who have been displaced by the ongoing conflict.

Along with the existing 20% discount for regular economy fares granted to AFP and PNP - whether on official business or personal trip, PAL has also extended a maximum of 40 kilos baggage allowance to all military personnel traveling on official duty such as deployment to critical areas, peacekeeping assignments or other official travel.

Agua Vida, a subsidiary of ABI, sent two mobile water stations to military camps to provide a total capacity of 4,000 gallons safe drinking water per day for soldiers on active duty in Iligan and Marawi cities. ABI also distributes Absolute white-label bottled water to both the evacuation centers and military camps.

MRT commuters can now access internet through EDSA Free Wi-Fi Project

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Free internet access in public areas can now be experienced in EDSA 

Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) leads the inauguration of the ‘EDSA Wi-Fi’ project for commuters along EDSA to foster connectivity and improve public access to the Internet. 

The NTC’s National Capital Region Office conducted internet speed tests via OOKLA on July 6 to 7, which showed average download and upload speeds of 156.6Mbps and 135.8Mbps, respectively.

The highest recorded download speed was 325.48 Mbps in Ortigas station and the highest recorded upload speed was 310.57 Mbps in Magallanes station.

In stations with the most number of commuters, namely Taft Avenue, North Avenue, Cubao, Ayala and Shaw Boulevard, the monitoring report indicated that download speed ranged from 106 Mbps to 208 Mbps, while upload speed hit 82 Mbps to 167 Mbps. 

Started with airports in key cities approximately 230,000 commuters are now benefiting from EDSA Free Wi-Fi Project in 13 Metro Rail Transit Line 3 stations.

Working with the DICT on the EDSA Free Wi-Fi project are the NTC, the DOTr MRT 3, Metro Rail Transit Development Corp., Light Rail Transit Authority, Light Rail Manila Corp., Metro Manila Development Authority, Department of Public Works and Highways, Manila Electric Co., Philippine Reclamation Authority, the local government units of Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasay and Quezon City, A&A, PLDT-Smart and Globe.

The Pinnacle of Mountain Condo Living: Woodridge Place at Tagaytay Highlands

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Tagaytay Highlands has long been the standard of luxe, mountain resort living in the country with its wide-array of themed residential offerings, and top-notch amenities embraced in unparalleled nature views and weather — setting the tone of a premier mountainside haven like no other. 

Woodridge Place stands out on its own. Inspired by the elegant Colorado Rockies mountain resorts, Woodridge Place fuses the countryside mountain retreat experience with modern living conveniences. Here, residents are treated to a worry-free, rustic escape, assured of access to city-like facilities and amenities 24/7.

Residents can relish quiet family time in one to four bedroom units ranging between 41 to 241 square meters. Each unit features strategically-located, generous balcony areas to enjoy perpetually unobstructed views of the lush land— and mountainscapes, the Highlands fairways, and Laguna de Bay. Large panel windows are also in place to help maximize natural lighting and cross ventilation for energy efficiency, not to mention enjoy the cool Tagaytay breeze perfected by the fresh scent of surrounding Norfolk pines. 

Award-Winning Mountainside Condominium Development

Woodridge Place is certainly one of Tagaytay Highlands’ charms that its developer, Highlands Prime Incorporated, takes great pride of. The residential condominium was recently named the Best Residential Development in the Resort category of the 2017 Philippines Property Awards. Organized by PropertyGuru, the Philippines Property Awards recognizes the up and coming, and best of the best in Philippine Real Estate. 

“This mountain retreat hits the mark for a resort residential development. Woodridge Place sits in the center of the thriving township of Tagaytay Highlands with the right amenities that cater to its target investors”, said the awards judges. 

Indeed, Woodridge Place is a testament of Tagaytay Highlands’ vision coming to fruition – providing a refreshing take on living amidst Tagaytay’s best bounties together with a nurturing community, giving the best mountain resort lifestyle for the family. 

Tagaytay Highlands is the premier mountain resort development of the SM Group in Tagaytay. Nestled among the highest elevations of the city, it is a leisure destination that speaks of exclusivity and luxury, where stunning nature views and a breezy, cool climate come together to redefine relaxation. For inquiries about owning a Highlands home, call +632 5052422 and +63917 5150158 or visit www.tagaytayhighlands.com

GCash launches GoPay, Philippines’ 1st mobile money QR payment

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Paves the way for cashless ecosystem

Leading mobile money service provider GCash launches the nation’s first QR payments via smartphone, a move which is expected to change the landscape of how Filipinos usually pay for their purchases.

Dubbed as “GoPay”, it is the newest feature within the GCash app which allows customers to use their GCash account to pay for goods and services by simply scanning QR codes displayed by merchants and establishments. For the consumers, this eliminates the hassle of bringing money, waiting for change, or getting into misunderstandings over payments. Merchants, on the other hand, would no longer need expensive machines to process mobile money transactions but only QRs with a unique code that is linked to their GCash wallet.

By making QR codes available to anyone, even to ambulant vendors and sari-sari store owners, GCash will be paving the way for a cashless society which means faster, more convenient, and secure transactions for both merchants and consumers.

"Our goal has always been to make finance more inclusive by building a cashless ecosystem. GoPay QR payments solution will close the loop and drive merchants accepting GCash payments. We plan to extend this service from all types of retailers nationwide down to our favorite fishball vendor." said John Rubio CEO and President of Mynt, a subsidiary of Globe Telecom dedicated to developing payments solutions using GCash.

“JM Aujero, Mynt Merchant Acquiring Head added: With GoPay QR, consumers don't even need to bring cash when they go shopping or when they eat out. It is the best option for people who do not want to use credit cards but are either wary of having cash with them due to safety reasons or just want the convenience that mobile money offers.”

To use GoPay, a customer with an iPhone or an Android smartphone just needs to download or update to the latest version of the GCash App, register for an account, and fund his GCash wallet at any of over 12,000 GCash Partner Outlets nationwide. Once done, he has to open the GCash App and swipe left on the page. The GCash App will bring up the phone’s camera, at which point he has to “scan” a partner store’s QR code and enter the amount to be paid.

GoPay will be rolled out within the next few weeks at select partner stores. Its introduction is in line with the thrust of Ant Financial, parent company of Alipay and strategic partner of Mynt, to accelerate financial inclusion and upgrade payment services in the Philippines. Alipay popularized QR code payments in China.

About Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc. (Mynt)

Mynt is a fully-owned subsidiary of Globe Capital Venture Holdings, Inc. that provides innovative and first-in-world fintech solutions to consumers, merchants, and organizations. Its purpose is to enable financial access for consumers and merchants by disrupting traditional channels through digital financial technology services. It operates two fintech companies: GCash, a micropayment service that transforms the mobile phone into a virtual wallet for secure, fast, and convenient money transfer, and Fuse, a tech-based lending company that enables Filipinos to get personal and business loans through use of mobile technology, alternative data, and innovative credit scoring methods. For more information, visit www.mynt.xyz .

The must-have jeans for every woman - SM Woman launches its Premium Denim Collection

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We all love a good pair of denim. It’s stylish and versatile, a great match for practically any top. And now, this favorite fashion staple literally becomes more dynamic as SM Woman introduces its newest denim collection designed for comfort, movement, shapewear, and style.

Every woman – no matter what age, body type, and lifestyle – willsurely find the perfect fit from the SM Woman denim collection:

Athleisure

Your pair of SM Woman Hyperform denim is so flexible that you can wear it to the office and to your work-out after. Go smart office casual with it in a white tank top and blazer then switch it up in just the tank top as you make a quick session at the gym, for yoga, dancing, or running, after work.

The SM Woman Hyperform denim, which ranges from skinny, relaxed fit to jeggings, allows the body to move naturally or for big-time activities. Its shapewear also flattens the tummy, slims the thighs and contours the backside. 

Meanwhile, try the double denim ensemble with the Power Stretch for an ultra stylish daytime to nighttime look. Even if it’s newly washed or newly purchased, you don’t need to break it in as its 4-way stretch allows jeans to snap back in shape wear after wear. 

Comfort chic 

Who says comfort means sacrificing style? Throw in an oversized shirt with the Cool Smart to save yourself from turning into a puddle of sweat amid the Philippine heat; the Knit Denim for maximum comfort with its soft and luxe feel of knit wear or the Soft Denim which gives the illusion of worn-in denim but with a nice soft feel. 

Wonder jeans

Women of various body types can find the perfect pair of jeans in Wonderfit. This super stretch jeans can fit sizes 25-35 as it stretches to fit multiple sizes making it comfortable when worn by a full figure or a slender figure. Its highly elastic fabric content makes it go back to its original size and shape after worn/washed.

Fashion denims

Finally, from stepped hem to raw edges and fringes, to wide leg and extra long cuffs, women can sport the latest denim trends with the Trendy collection. 

Whether you’re running errands, working out or having a night out with friends, women of all body types can feel comfortable and confident in denim jeans with SM Woman’s denim for every woman.

To know more about SM Woman, visit www.thesmstore.com, their Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/SMWoman/ and Instagram page, https://www.instagram.com/smwoman/.