Epson Gift of Brightness names Top 5 Honor Roll Essay Writing Winners

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Mariah Jen P. Lorenzo, Hailey Seloterio and Marinzki R. Victorio receive their “Pabaon Package” from Epson Philippines. The three students from Ninoy Aquino Elementary School were among the top winners in the Gift of Brightness Honor Roll essay-writing contest.

Mariah Jen P. Lorenzo, Hailey Seloterio and Marinzki R. Victorio receive their “Pabaon Package” from Epson Philippines. The three students from Ninoy Aquino Elementary School were among the top winners in the Gift of Brightness Honor Roll essay-writing contest.

Epson Philippines recently awarded the Top 5 students in its Gift of Brightness (GoB) Honor Roll Essay Writing Contest, an activity that aims to encourage students from the beneficiary schools of Epson’s Gift of Brightness Program to share stories on how the Epson products helped them make learning an exciting and productive experience. 

The winners were each awarded an Epson Honor Roll Baon Package, while their respective schools received Epson inks and ribbons to be used in the previously donated Epson printers.

The Gift of Brightness Advocacy Program of Epson Philippines, which was launched in December 2013, aims to equip deserving schools and students who lack technology resources to support the faculty and to help students in their school requirements. Each of the beneficiary schools received Epson printers, projectors, document camera and other Epson products and supplies.

The GoB Honor Roll Essay Writing Contest was open to students of Batch 1 and Batch 2 beneficiary schools totaling 30 schools, and was concluded before the end of School Year 2016-2017.

The winning essays for the GoB Honor Roll Contest are:

• “Makabagong Teknolohiya” by  Jesamel A. Gamit – Grade 6

              San Jose Elementary School Pag-ibig sa Nayon Annex, Quezon City

• “Visualist” by Zean Clifford Gaut Dellera, Grade Vi-Camia                                                                                                                San Joaquin Central School,   San Joaquin Palo, Leyte

• “Uplifting the Youth to the 21st century” by Mariah Jen P. Lorenzo

School Ninoy Aquino Elementary School

• “My Door for the 21st century” by Hailey Seloterio

School: Ninoy Aquino Elementary School

• “The Change Just Came” by  Marinzki R. Victorio

School: Ninoy Aquino Elementary School

The schools of the winning students also received Epson inks and ribbons to be used in the Epson-donated printers. In photo are Ninoy Aquino Elementary School Teacher Coordinator Evangeline Sason, Science Teacher Edelynn Sampedro Calizar and Principal Marissa Cristobal.

“For this GoB Honor Roll essay-writing contest, we asked the students to write about how the Epson technology package helped them in their studies.  We were truly inspired by the stories we received from them, motivating us to help more schools under this program,” says Ms. Donna V. Ferro, Head of Marketing Communications and PR, Epson Philippines.   

Epson Philippines has just finished awarding a new set of 15 schools last March 2017, bringing the current total of GoB beneficiaries to 45 schools, with another batch for selection within this year.

“We are focusing on selecting schools from areas that have yet to receive a similar donation, and we are working with partners from both the private and government sectors to help us complete this latest batch. We also plan to continue initiating projects like the Honor Roll Essay Writing, so we can inspire the students in their learning journey,” concludes Ms. Ferro.

The Gift of Brightness Advocacy Program of Epson Philippines was launched in December 2013, and has now benefited a total of 30 schools nationwide. Epson Philippines is currently selecting another batch of beneficiary schools with the help of DepEd and other partners.

AXA launches Retire Smart to help you build a solid game plan for retirement

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AXA Philippines launched Retire Smart, a regular-pay, investment-linked life insurance plan that helps you strategically build a retirement fund so you can live the life you love.

Whatever dreams you want to pursue, it’s easier to make it happen by having a solid game plan. This is especially true for long-term goals like planning for retirement. After all, the hard work you put in over so many years should yield to a prize in the future. 

An inspirational and lively discussion during the AXA Retire Smart Media Launch held August 15, 2017, Makati Diamond Residences , Makati City.

The prize of living what you love when you retire is possible, whether it’s setting up your own business, ticking off places on your bucket list, or just spending more time with your family. 

Using its expertise and experience in investments, AXA employs modern portfolio management techniques to maximize the growth of your investment while you’re young, while minimizing volatility as you grow closer to your target retirement date. Have the flexibility to choose your investment fund – Retire Smart 2030, 2035, 2040, and 2045 – depending on which one is closest to your target retirement year. 

Retire Smart also comes with a life insurance coverage equivalent to at least 5 to up to 25 times your annual basic premium, to ensure that your family is taken care of in the event of any unforeseen circumstances.

“AXA Philippines knows the value of having a solid game plan. To be able to pursue what you are passionate about when you retire, you need the right plan to achieve financial independence. With Retire Smart, we offer a flexible investment package that allows you to truly enjoy your life when you retire,” said Rahul Hora, President and CEO of AXA Philippines.

Travelling around the world, opening your own business, and spending time with your family and friends may seem like distant dreams, but with your investment in Retire Smart today, you can start preparing to pursue those dreams and live the life you love when you retire.

AXA Philippines, a joint venture between the AXA Group and the Metrobank Group, is one of the country’s largest and fastest growing life insurance companies in the country, offering financial security to more than 800,000 individuals through our group and individual life insurance products.

ABOUT THE AXA GROUP

The AXA Group is a worldwide leader in insurance and asset management, with 166,000 employees serving 107 million clients in 64 countries. In 2016, IFRS revenues amounted to Euro 100.2 billion and IFRS underlying earnings to Euro 5.7 billion. AXA had Euro 1,429 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2016. 

The AXA ordinary share is listed on compartment A of Euronext Paris under the ticker symbol CS (ISN FR 0000120628 – Bloomberg: CS FP – Reuters: AXAF.PA). AXA’s American Depository Share is also quoted on the OTC QX platform under the ticker symbol AXAHY.

The AXA Group is included in the main international SRI indexes, such as Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) and FTSE4GOOD. 

It is a founding member of the UN Environment Programme’s Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Principles for Sustainable Insurance and a signatory of the UN Principles for Responsible Investment.

ABOUT AXA PHILIPPINES

AXA Philippines is a joint venture between the AXA Group and the Metrobank Group, one of the country’s largest financial conglomerates. AXA Philippines is 2nd leading life insurance company in the country, with P21.6 billion in gross premium income reported in 2016, and over 811,000 customers protected under various individual and group life insurance products.

Most recently, AXA Philippines announced its entry into the non-life insurance business with the acquisition of Charter Ping-An, the 5th largest non-life insurance company in the Philippines.

www.axa.com.ph

Night of nostalgia and great music, guaranteed in Rusell Thompkins, Jr. and the New Stylistics one night only concert !

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Audiences are definitely in for a musical treat like no other as Grand Leisure Corporation bring Russel Thompkins Jr. and the New Stylistics, in a one-night only concert this 7th of September, 8pm at the world class Theatre at Solaire.

Thompkins, together with Raymond Johnson and Jonathan Buckson, the singing trio is committed and dedicated to the mission of providing quality representation of the group’s original recordings.

Expect endearing and fresh takes to the iconic hit songs and the unmatched showmanship and stage wonder that the trio brings.

Be ready to be enthralled, and yes, even a little teary eyed even as their vocal harmonies and emotional commitment enliven their most popular hits, such as “Betcha By Golly Wow,” “You’ll Never Get To Heaven If You Beak My Heart,” “Stop, Look, Listen, ‘We Can Make It Happen,” “Miracle” and others.

Ably supported by their piano man and musical director, Kenny Thompson, 2017 marks the 14th year of the talented threesome. They will and shall continue with their tradition of delivering quality performances to their dedicated and supportive fans.

Russel Thompkins and the New Stylistics hold dear in their hearts in Manila that is why they are bringing in a night of nostalgia and great music.

Partnering with Grand Leisure Corporation in this concert are Steve O Neal Productions and Solaire Resort and Casino.

For tickets, please call TicketWorld at (02) 891 9999.

More Filipinos are switching to Online Shopping, Shopee paves the way for mobile commerce

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Shopee, the leading eCommerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, has leveraged this mobile trend to great success, converting shoppers from buying offline to online by creating a convenient platform that combines the authenticity of a marketplace with payment and logistical support. 

Shopee has amassed over 4 million downloads in the Philippines and has virtually replicated the traditional shopping experience online, like providing a live chat feature that allows buyers and sellers to communicate directly -- even allowing the very Filipino tradition of “tawad” on the app -- while providing multiple forms of payment including the popular Cash on Delivery option. 

A recent Google and Temasek study predicts Filipino online shoppers to grow to 42 million by 2025, spending $19 billion (₱918 billion) and a big contributor to this growth is the rise of smartphone users. Today, 61% of Filipino adults own a smartphone and use their devices to communicate, work, and shop wherever they are, creating more productive days, foregoing Manila traffic, and skipping crowded malls altogether. 

“Filipinos typically spend over 3 hours per day online using their mobile devices and are heavy social media users. Shopee users spend 25 minutes daily browsing the app and are highly social, with over 86% of buyers chatting first with the seller before making a purchase compared to only 75% in the other six countries Shopee is present in, mainly attributed to Filipinos wanting to feel more secure about their transactions by speaking personally with sellers. We take these and other user behavior into consideration when improving the platform, prompting us to develop features such as user ratings and reviews, live chat, and Shopee Guarantee, where sellers only receive payments when their buyers have received their orders,” said Macy Castillo, Head of Commercial Business for Shopee.

This focus on elevating customer experience on the platform has resonated well with Filipinos, as Shopee has reached the #1 mobile shopping app spot in the country on both Google Play and the App Store just 2 years since its launch. As more and more tech savvy Filipinos embrace online shopping, Shopee is looking to become the Philippines’ mobile commerce destination of choice, attracting new eCommerce users with its highly intuitive and user-centric platform that integrates social, business, and logistical functionalities.

“We realized early on that payments and logistics was a big barrier for a lot of users wanting to shop online, and we addressed this by giving all our buyers and sellers access to Free Shipping and Cash on Delivery nationwide. Listening and empowering our users has been key to Shopee’s success, and this will continue to be part of our strategy to leading eCommerce in the country,” Castillo added.

About Shopee

Shopee is the leading eCommerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. It is a platform tailored for the region, providing customers with an easy, secure and fast online shopping experience through strong payment and logistical support. 

Shopee aims to continually enhance its platform and become the region’s eCommerce destination of choice. Shopee has a wide selection of product categories ranging from consumer electronics to home & living, health & beauty, baby & toys, fashion and fitness equipment. Launched in November 2015, Shopee provides over 3 million brands and sellers with direct access to more than 40 million users across the region in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. 

Shopee is strongly supported by Sea (formerly known as Garena), Southeast Asia’s largest internet platform provider. For more information, please visit www.shopee.ph

Filipino Talents Shine in Bolt of Talent Premiere with Michael Bolton on Star World

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The show followed two aspiring Filipino artists presenting Morissette Amon as a co-host to Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Michael Bolton

Bolt of Talent, FOX Networks Group’s highly anticipated original singing competition hosted by award-winning American singer-songwriter and pop culture icon Michael Bolton aired its premiere episode last August 16 at 9:30 PM on Star World with the Philippines opening the season.

Guided with the principles of celebrating music and undiscovered talents, Michael Bolton travelled all the way to the Philippines to scout for up and coming singers with the help of Morissette Amon, one of the Philippine’s hottest young artist today. The season premiered with the scenic landmark, that is, Rizal Park which served as the perfect backdrop for a monumental opportunity presented by Bolt of Talent to aspiring singers everywhere. 

Driving around Metro Manila, Michael & Morissette visits Lance Busa and Hans Dimayuga. As the two go through the motions of their days, they get surprised by a meet and greet with Michael. Halfway through, he listens in on the two as they perform their hearts out to their chosen pieces. In the spirit of celebrating the Pinoy culture and to mingle with the contestants, Michael takes them out on a Karaoke night before the competition gets going.

Behind the powerful vocals in each contender sits a beautiful story in their search for their voices. “I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs. I was on the verge of quitting [music], working an 8 to 5 job, I was struggling.” Lance said as he scrambles to find the words to describe his moment with Michael Bolton. Further, he says “I want a big adventure, a big journey ahead of me. My heart is hungry for that.”

Hans shares the same, as he lets us in on his journey towards chasing his dream, “I used to be depressed when people keep telling me to get a job, a real job, get a desk job. But now, I sort of like the haters. It just motivates you to prove them wrong.” Till the day his perseverance paid off, he exclaimed “I was so overwhelmed and shocked. I did not expect it all, Michael Bolton asking you to sing your song in front of him. What an experience!” Hans said. 

The competition begins with the hit, hard and hot challenge of recreating a famous Michael Bolton song which will be specially-arranged and recorded on a studio before the contestants embark on a sing-off in front of Michael Bolton and Morissette Amon. In the spirit of presenting rousing twists and turns, the episode is rounded up through an exciting announcement — a live playback of the recorded studio version rendition of the winning artist, Lance Busa. 

Morissette Amon, a young Filipino singing sensation brings to the set an eerily familiar sense of comfort for the contenders as she understands the vehement disposition of both Hans and Lance as they embark on a life-changing experience of joining Bolt of Talent. Morissette shares, “The Filipinos are very creative and passionate people. We are chasers of passions and pursuers of dreams. We, are also very expressive, and we have this culture of celebrating everything through music. So, singing is innate to most Filipinos and we don’t take the backseat on competitions like this, we take centerstage.” 

The Philippines has a lot of vocal talents worthy of the international stage, and as the episode wraps up hailing Lance as the Philippine representative of the show. He [Lance] will be competing with chosen representatives from Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand as they all battle it out for a spot in Michael Bolton’s Asia Dream Tour and score a record deal with Bolton’s label. 

Fans of Star World, Michael Bolton and Lance Busa must keep their eyes peeled as we have another Filipino representative eager to win and take Asia by the chords in the ultimate quest of realizing their dreams. And, if you are as invested as we are, you can catch up on the latest episodes via the FOX + App.