Enjoying Wonderful World

November 3, 2017

Mr. and Ms. BPO Top 40 Finalists Revealed

After a careful deliberation, Royale Chimes Concerts and Events Inc., makers of Mr. and Ms. BPO, finally revealed its Top 20 male and Top 20 female finalists after the three closed-door screenings held at I'M Hotel in Makati last October 7, 8 and 14.

Prior to the final selection of the Top 40 candidates, these hopefuls presented themselves to the Mr. and Ms. BPO Screening Committee composed of officials from Royale Chimes Concerts and Events Inc., former beauty queens, top-notch fashion designers, ace fashion and lifestyle photographers and beauty pageant social media influencers.

#1 Nykhi Arines, Alorica Mezza

Here are the official 40 finalists of Mr. and Ms. BPO presented to the press last October 24, 2017 at Antidote Bar in I’M Hotel Makati:

#1 Derick Bocito, Teleperformance Philippines

#2 Magic Sa-onoy, Acquire BPO Shaw

#3 Lee Bueno, Teletech Pioneer

#4 Brent Selma, Opsify Cebu

#5 Job Aiax Simpas, NTC Voice Solutions Makati

#6 Arthur Bilog, Sykes Asia PH - BGC

#7 Iversen Vasquez, RingCentral EDSA Shaw

#8 Victor Relosa, Sitel Eton

#9 Ariel Noval, Accenture Eastwood City

#10 Simon Delos Reyes, Teletech Mall of Asia

#11 Al Calilung, Sutherland Global Services Clark Pampanga

#12 Yuichi Sekiguchi, IQOR Philippines SM Dasmarinas

#13 Daniel Sindo, Acquire BPO Eastwood City

#14 Jonel Roncales, Teletech Mall of Asia

#15 Rnel Mangahas, Transcom EDSA Shaw

#16 Josh Perez, Accenture Robinsons Pioneer

#17 Esthan Obusan, Acquire BPO Robinsons Cyberspace Beta Ortigas

#18 Giovanni Guillermo, Convergys Megamall

#19 Ronnie Cadag, Teleperformance Philippines

#20 Shadid Sidri, Stellar BPO Eastwood City

Ms. BPO Top 20 Finalists:

#1 Nykhi Arines, Alorica Mezza

#2 Angelique Elizario, Microsourcing Inc. Ortigas

#3 Trish Cabilao, Teleperformance Philippines

#4 Christine Vigo, Conduit Global KGB Philippines Sta. Rosa, Laguna

#5 Glydel Espero, Concentrix Tera Tower QC

#6 Abigail Chua, Sun Life of Canada, Inc. BGC

#7 Jannies Alcantara, Teletech Sta. Rosa, Laguna

#8 Julia Mae Mendoza, VXI HPI Munoz

#9 Andee Infante, ADP Philippines Makati

#10 Shane Cortez, Startek PH

#11 Ja Maranan, VXI Makati

#12 Khristine Dignomo Corpus, RingCentral Manila

#13 Jen Bohol, TaskUs Cavite

#14 Jaztine Balagtas, VXI Panorama

#15 Airene Gogo, Teletech Mall of Asia

#16 Danna Leviste, Convergys Alabang 1

#17 Jam dela Luna, The Results Companies Lipa Batangas

#18 Bianca Abejero, Sykes PH Shaw 500

#19 Winzel Magbuo, WNS Global Services Eastwood

#20 Micca Rosal, Teletech Makati

Upcoming Mr. and Ms. BPO Pageant Activities

Mr. and Ms. BPO aims to empower the candidates with a Mentoring Workshop composed of mentors for fitness and well-being, communication skills, emotional intelligence and modeling that will help them gain confidence and boost their morale.

The mentors are Jonathan Yabut (first The Apprentice Asia winner), Jun Macasaet (Mr. Manhunt International 2012 winner), Jennifer Hammond (Binibining Pilipinas – Intercontinental 2016), Mauro Lumba (Century Tuna Superbods 2014 winner) and Ruby Manalac (Emotional intelligence expert).

The 40 aspirants will also headline a Pre-Pageant Night at I'M Hotel in Makati on November 11, 2017 as they highlight the talent, swimwear and brand wear competition.

Grand Coronation is on November 21, 2017, 8PM at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Tickets are available at SM Tickets starting October 27 with the following ticket prices: VIP 4,500; Patron 3,500; Lower Box 2,500; Upper Box 1,500 and General Admission 750.

The Mr. and Ms. BPO pageant is for the benefit of Habitat for Humanity Philippines.

Follow the candidates’ journey on Mr. and Ms. BPO social media accounts: facebook: /MrandMsBPOofficial, twitter: @MrandMsBPO and instagram: @MrandMsBPOofficial.

The Mr. and Ms. BPO pageant is sponsored by Centro Hair Salon, Discovery Primea, EDC Photography by Edward Dela Cuesta, iSkin Aesthethics Lifestyle, I’M Hotel, K-Pub TriNoma, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Profiles Asia Pacific / People Dynamics, Unified Makeup Artists of the Philippines, Voyager Innovation and 360 Fitness Plus – Commonwealth.

Epson launches the new compact L-series integrated ink tank printers - Epson L-series Integrated Ink Tank Printer

Epson, a global leader in printing technologies and market leader for ink tank printers, has launched its new A4 duplex integrated ink tank printer, the new L-series printers that offer one of the lowest printing costs in the market.

Sporting a brand new sleek design, the new L-series integrated ink tank printers have been re-designed into a compact size with the ink tank integrated into the printer, offering the smallest footprint amongst all brands of ink tank printers.

Designed with the customers’ experience in mind, its easy-to-use spill-free ink bottles offer users ease and convenience when refilling the ink bottles. The ink bottles are designed to prevent re-filling errors with each ink bottle nozzle uniquely customized to fit its matching color tank.

The new integrated L-series printers significantly lower the total cost of ownership to businesses with its ultra-high page yields. Each complete set of 4 ink bottles increased its yield to 7,500 black and white pages and 6,000 color pages to help businesses lower their operating costs. The pigment-based black ink also provides laser-like quality, making documents water and smudge-resistant when printing in mono.

The new L-series ink tank printers come with auto-duplex print function which affords users up to 50% savings on paper cost, reducing running costs even further. Epson is currently the only brand offering ink tank printers with auto-duplex function in the market.

Since Epson first launched its breakthrough ink tank system printers, the company has continued to provide innovative modifications to further improve productivity for business and home users.

Epson’s long-term product development and manufacturing philosophy is aligned with the company’s motivation to innovate for the future to realize the company’s business goals, and at the same time ensure customer satisfaction and preserve the environment with its limited resources.

“Epson printers have also taken steps to drastically reduce environmental impact by lessening the amount of consumables used. Compared to laser printer’s toner cartridges which gives low black page yield and made from more plastic materials, customers can print 7,500 pages with the Epson L- series resource-friendly ink bottle,” explains Russer Cabrera, Product Manager, Inkjet Printers, Epson Philippines.

The new L-series printers come with PrecisionCore printheads for high performance, achieving high ISO print speeds of up to 15ipm for standard black and white printing and 33ppm for draft printing, for improved business efficiency. Delivering a maximum print resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi, Epson’s PrecisionCore printheads are composed of Micro Thin Film Piezo print chips for precise multi-size droplet control capabilities, ensuring the greatest details and extremely smooth gradations in documents or photographs.

The integrated ink tank printers deliver exceptional quality black and white prints with the use of black pigment ink that produces water and smudge-resistant printouts. For photo printing, the printers offer outstanding lab-quality photos when printing on photo media. Large-sized photo printing is made possible as the printers support borderless printing of up to A4 size.

Additional features include a 30-page Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) for unattended scanning and copying of multi-sheet documents.

The ink tank printers support printing on-the-go and comes equipped with Ethernet2, Wi-Fi, and Wi-Fi Direct connectivity, enabling users to print wirelessly within a network, connect to mobile devices or print remotely from anywhere via Epson Connect, Epson’s suite of connectivity solutions.

As the brand with the widest range of ink tank printers worldwide, Epson continues to lead as the number one ink tank vendor, achieving the largest market share of ink tank printers among ink tank vendors across South East Asia. There are now over 20 million Epson ink tank printers sold worldwide since its launch in 2010.

“We have redesigned the experience of our L-series ink tank printers to bring greater convenience and ease-of-use to users, as well as added new features that support the business needs of our customers. The new integrated ink tank printers are designed with the customers’ experience in mind to offer one of the lowest printing costs in the market. We look forward to offering solutions that support businesses by helping them to manage their operational costs and improve business efficiency,” said Eduardo Bonoan, General Manager and Head of Marketing, Epson Philippines.

The new integrated ink tank printers consist of the L4150 and L4160 models, and the L6160, L6170 and L6190 models.

Citi sees positive economic outlook in the face of global challenges, market headwinds

Citi, the country’s leading foreign bank, remained positive on the Philippines while sharing its mid-year economic outlook for 2017at an event exclusively held for Citigold clients.

Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed welcomed clients to the event, and thanked them for their unwavering support and continued confidence in the bank. “Your presence here means that we have your trust. Without your trust, we would not have your business,” he said. “Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be your financial partner, providing financial solutions that meet your needs.”

Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed (center) flanked by (L-R) Citicorp Financial Services and Insurance Brokerage Philippines, Inc. President Lester Cruz; J.P. Morgan Asset Management’s Supreet Bhan; Citi Philippines Retail Banking Head Rene Aguirre; and BlackRock’s Eric Mueller.

Ramon Tejero, Investment Product Head of Citicorp Financial Services and Insurance Brokerage Philippines, Inc., provided an insightful overview of the Philippine economy in the 1st half.

According to Tejero, the tax reform agenda presently being pushed by the administration should help prop up the economy to a higher level. While the economy is still very much driven by OFW remittances, he said the tax reform with its aim to reduce income tax payments, can play a big role in boosting local consumption.

In the same event, J.P. Morgan Asset Management Executive Director and Southeast Asia Funds Head Supreet Bhan gave an outlook on Asia, while Eric Muller of BlackRock’s Multi-Asset Strategies Group gave an update on global markets.

In his closing remarks, Citi Philippines Retail Banking Head Rene Aguirre assured clients that Citi will continue to offer personalized services and deliver world-class investment capabilities through Citicorp Financial Services and Insurance Brokerage Philippines, Inc. (CFSI), Citi’s brokerage arm.

As the preferred wealth management partner in Asia and in the country, Citigold helps clients grow, manage and protect their wealth, and secure their financial future with its team of experts, unmatched research services, world-class products, global access, and exclusive privileges and rewards.

For more information about Citigold, visit www.citibank.com.ph, go to the Citi branch nearest you, or call (632) 995 9888 for more details.

‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Grosses P201.56-M, Biggest October Weekend Ever in PH

Like a champion gladiator, Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok conquered the Philippine box-office for the Oct. 25 – 29 period, raking in a thunderous P201.56-M for the No.1 spot and bragging rights as the Biggest October Opening Weekend Ever in PH history.

The latest Thor action-adventure also claimed the 4th Biggest Opening Weekend for 2017 (following Beauty and The Beast, Wonder Woman and Spiderman Homecoming), as well as the Biggest Opening Weekend for a solo Thor title.

In comparison with recent Marvel Studios blockbusters, Ragnarok’s weekend rollout is 35% higher than that of Guardians of the Galaxy Vo. 2, 43% more successful than Doctor Strange, and outplayed Captain America: The Winter Soldier by 30%.

The three highest ranking cinemas in terms of sales are SM Mall of Asia (P7.92-M), SM Megamall (P7.38-M) and SM North EDSA (P7.06-M).

In fourth to tenth notches are Trinoma (P5.48-M), Glorietta 4 (P4.37-M), Greenbelt 3 (P4.04-M), Power Plant (P3.35-M), Greenhills Promenade (P3.15-M), Alabang Town Center (P3.07-M) and Uptown Place (P3.056-M).

Completing the Top 20 are Venice Cineplex (P3.052-M), SM Cebu (P2.94-M), Robinsons Magnolia (P2.92-M), Ayala Malls Cebu (P2.84-M), Shang Cineplex (P2.74-M), SM Aura (P2.63-M), Bonifacio High Street (P2.62-M), U.P. Town Center (P2.586-M), Eastwood (P2.582-M) and SM Southmall (P2.42-M).

Internationally, Thor: Ragnarok has topped the box office with $107.6 million in 52% of overseas markets, a week ahead of its U.S. release on Nov. 3.

Directed by Taika Waititi from a script by Craig Kyle & Christopher Yost and Stephany Folsom and Eric Pearson, Thor: Ragnarok picks up after the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron.

In the film, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer and finds himself in a race against time to get back to Asgard to stop Ragnarok—the destruction of his homeworld and the end of Asgardian civilization—at the hands of an all-powerful new threat, the ruthless Hela (Cate Blanchett). But first he must survive a deadly gladiatorial contest that pits him against his former ally and fellow Avenger—the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).

The film stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Karl Urban with Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Hopkins.

Now showing across the Philippines, Thor: Ragnarok is distributed by the Walt Disney Company.

GCash now available in Messenger!

This is it! The convenient cashless lifestyle! Cashless payments and other services are available for all via Messenger .

Facebook is the new norm online, one of the most used online communication platform in the Philippines enabling people and companies to reach a wider audience and offer better service.

GCash transaction is now accessible on Facebook Messenger.

With Messenger as the platform for the payment app GCash users will now be able to easily and safely send and receive money, buy load, and pay bills with the push of a button.

To start using its services on Facebook, you simply need to register to GCash, then link your account to Messenger by accessing the GCash bot or searching GCashOfficial.

With GCash app, you can see instructions on :

How to buy mobile

How to pay bills

How to send money via Messenger

Now I can pay bills and buy prepaid load.

Last night, I really need to reply on a text message from a client. It was really late night. I found out that the mobile I used was empty, no load to use, no way to get out of the house to buy load. I check my GCash through my mobile and I did it! Cashless lifestyle experience!