#PlayItRight: 5 ways to know if a site is distributing content illegally

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One of the most popular sources of entertainment in the Philippines is streaming videos online. However, many people think that everything available online is legal. Piracy is a huge problem and  something that cannot be solved easily. Moreover, it exposes viewers to dangers like viruses, malware, identity theft, and affects the livelihood of those producing and starring in films and TV shows. Even more dangerous, illegal sites also carry child pornography content.

Globe has launched #PlayItRight, an advocacy to educate Filipinos to download or stream content from legitimate sources only, and to share the dangers of streaming or downloading from illegal websites.

Here are five ways to know if a site is streaming or distributing illegally:

1. It has a lot of dubious-looking ads

One of the hallmarks of an illegal streaming website is the number of ads that appear as pop ups. Oftentimes, viewers will have to go through several of the popups before they can even watch the promised content. This is dangerous because they may contain malware that can steal private information like passwords, bank account numbers, and credit card numbers.

2. The content has low quality

Content quality is usually low, with choppy or poor resolution, inaudible audio, or mixed-up subtitles. Some are even recordings at a cinema! Because these streaming websites obtained the movies illegally, their copies are inferior. Another sign that a film was stolen: the copy has a visible watermark that says it’s not for distribution.

3. You need to buffer a lot, even if your internet speed is fast

A fast and reliable internet connection doesn’t mean the viewer can watch from illegal streaming sites smoothly. These websites are not meant for content delivery so viewers will experience lag and buffering, especially if many viewers access the site at the same time. Legitimate streaming sites work with telcos to make sure that viewers get the best experience when watching content.

4. There’s no contact information

Websites normally have a “Contact Us” page where users can reach the administrators should they encounter a problem. A site with no such page is suspicious because it means they have something to hide. Illegal sources don’t want to get caught illegally streaming and distributing copyrighted content so they don’t put their contact information to avoid legal repercussions.

5. Movies currently showing in cinemas are already available online

The telltale sign of a site distributing illegal content is that movies still being screened in cinemas are already available in the site. Film studios rarely grant immediate distribution to films that are still in theaters, so sites peddling these are questionable and most likely acquired illegally.

Protect yourself from the dangers of illegal streaming and support the film and TV industry, make sure to #PlayItRight. Globe offers affordable access to legitimate content through international partners like Netflix, Disney, HOOQ, FOX+, and Viu.

To know more about how to subscribe to these streaming platforms, visit https://www.globe.com.ph/content. To report websites containing child pornography, you may submit a report to the Interagency Council Against Child Pornography through info@iacacp.gov.ph.

Women Redefined: The 3rd Belle de Jour Women’s Summit

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Nearly 500 participants gathered for the 3rd Women’s Summit recently organized by Viviamo! Inc., the company behind Belle De Jour (BDJ) Power Planner. With the theme “Women Redefined”, this year’s event aimed to equip millennials with encouraging messages from strong female role models who are redefining the society’s standards for women.

“Our society has constantly bombarded today’s women - especially the millennials - with unrealistic standards regarding beauty and career, making it hard for them to find themselves and lead an authentic life. Through the Women’s Summit, Viviamo! Inc. hopes to empower them as they pursue fulfillment while being true to their identity,” shared BDJ founder Darlyn Ty-Nilo.

At the summit, guests were treated to inspiring talks and fun activities at the Samsung Hall of SM Aura Premier. The day began with a keynote speech by Ty-Nilo, who talked about the importance of claiming one’s success.

“To own up to your success is not a form of bragging, rather a means to realize that all the sweat and tears that you put into your job are making a difference,” she said, adding, “Women should learn to acknowledge their achievements so that they can inspire others to reach for their dreams.”

Meanwhile, Rachel de Villa, co-founder and chief technology officer of Cropital, opened the first plenary session entitled Resilient Females, which focused on overcoming one’s circumstances and maximizing one’s blessings. De Villa shared that she has always considered herself a problem solver, so she developed Cropital when she found the opportunity to help Filipino farmers access financial support. Through Cropital, anyone can provide farmers with funds for proper equipment and training from agriculture experts. 

For her part, PinoyAkoBlog.com owner Jover Laurio continues to publish critical articles on the country’s political situation, despite the relentless cyberbullying and death threats. Laurio has drawn flak for being outspoken in her fight against fake news. 

At the second plenary dubbed Courageous Females, resource speakers talked about living their authentic selves and defying expectations regarding women’s roles in the society. Blu Pingoy, for instance, courageously pursued her dream of becoming a pilot, a job usually taken on by males. With her persistence, Pingoy became one of the first few female commercial pilots in the country.

Meanwhile, singer-songwriter and alopecia areata awareness advocate Abby Asistio did not allow the society’s standards to define her. As someone who suffered from alopecia or hair loss at an early age, she encouraged women to embrace their uniqueness and get over their insecurities. “Even if society says kailangan long hair para maging girly ka, eh hindi ako long-haired eh. Dapat manggaling sa sarili ko na, okay lang kahit hindi long hair, maganda pa ako with short hair. Just be open to embracing your own uniqueness.”

Aside from promoting resilience and courage, the summit also stressed the value of paving one’s path and sustaining success in the third plenary session called Resourceful Females, featuring businesswomen Audrey Tangonan and Kathleen Yu. 

Starting a business is risky, but Sinaya Cup founder Audrey Tangonan persevered because she believed that her idea can genuinely improve people’s lives. Now, her menstrual cup business has attained massive success locally and internationally. 

Kathleen Yu, owner of Manila-based tech start-up Rumarocket Inc., also shared the moving story of her business. From the initial failures, Kathleen resolved to learn from mistakes and bounce back. “As long as I was alive, I could always change and grow and learn and become different,” she said. 

These speakers’ thoughts echo the women’s advocacy of Belle De Jour, which has always aimed to empower modern Filipina women by equipping them with knowledge, confidence, and self-appreciation. As Ty-Nilo explains, “We hope to help build a world where women are bound not by societal expectations, but by their vision of who they really want to be.”

The 3rd BDJ Women’s Summit was co-presented by Chinoy TV, Lipault and Sun Life Financial. Major sponsors include Food Panda, Modess, Wacoal, GCash, Style Genie, Biore, Caronia, Celeteque, Cinnabon, Fitness Gourmet, Jergens, Jollibee, Kipling, Liese, MegRhythm, Parisian Shoes and Bags, Serenitea, Zenutrients, Features and Shades, and Award Extremes Inc. 

Ace Water Spa, Chef Tony, Frankie’s, Goldilocks, and McDonald’s provided loot bags and raffle prizes, while Adobo Magazine, Rappler, and When in Manila served as media partners.

Forum highlights growth potential of microinsurance

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Despite the lack of financial literacy and lack of insurance penetration in the Philippines, more and more low-income Filipinos are leveraging microinsurance thanks to the collaboration between government and the private sector.

The Microinsurance MBA Association of the Philippines (RIMANSI) recently held the 2018 National Microinsurance Forum, in observance of National Microinsurance Month, at the grand ballroom of the Century Park Hotel in Manila.

(L-R) Citi Philippines CEO Aftab Ahmed, Rimansi president Pelagia Mendiones, Insurance Commissioner Dennis Funa, Canadian Ambassador John Holmes and CARD MRI founder and chairman Dr. Jaime Aristotle Alip

The event, which was supported by Global Affairs Canada, was attended by more than 200 of the country’s microinsurance stakeholders from microinsurance mutual benefit associations (Mi-MBAs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs), regulators, promoters and supporters of microinsurance.  This year, the gathering of key microinsurance players and stakeholders provided the venue for discussions on the gains, challenges and prospects of expanding the reach of microinsurance, which included presentations on developments in regulations, outreach, market penetration, non-traditional products and distribution. 

Citi Philippines chief executive officer Aftab Ahmed outlined the bank's initiatives in promoting greater financial inclusion in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in the Philippines. Ahmed said, “Financial inclusion is a subject which is very dear not only to the government in terms of wanting to enhance financial capability in the country but it’s one initiative that Citi too is highly committed to. Over the last 5 years, Citi Foundation has invested over $50 million in financial inclusion efforts across Asia Pacific, where in 2017 alone, we invested $6 million in 10 countries, which supported 65 financial inclusion programs and positively impacted close to half a million people. Last year, Citi committed around P25 million in the Philippines and we have been supporting RIMANSI’s capacity-building program for Mi-MBAs since 2016. Now on its second phase, Citi Foundation’s grant supports the growth strategy of Mi-MBAs with the aim of impacting 5,000 households through the development of new distribution channels.” 

Keynote speakers of the forum were Canadian Ambassador John Holmes and Insurance Commissioner Dennis Funa. They talked about Canada’s support for the rehabilitation and recovery of supertyphoon Yolanda-hit provinces through microenterprise and risk protection development initiatives; and on the positive growth of the insurance industry based on all indicators, including microinsurance coverage of now 32 million Filipinos and the issuance of an enhanced framework for insurance providers to use mobile applications in the distribution of insurance products.

The forum featured panel sessions on the future directions of MFIs, pilot initiatives of Mi-MBAs in reaching hard-to-reach areas, non-life calamity microinsurance and the government’s subsidized agricultural insurance program.  

The discussions highlighted the growth potential of MFIs. The more than 5 million unserved households were potential sources of the growth of microinsurance providers, especially Mi-MBAs. Partnership with non-traditional channels of microinsurance distribution was also promising but could face the challenge of operational systems and efficiency.  However, while a wide range of life, non-life, pre-need and agricultural microinsurance and risk protection products were available in the market, consumer education and literacy, efficient distribution, and connectivity, among others, remained as key challenges to be overcome by the microinsurance sector.

MiMAP (RIMANSI), a microinsurance resource center, is an association of 19 Mi-MBAs regulated by the Insurance Commission of the Philippines. MiMAP members have a combined coverage of 5.34 million households nationwide, insuring 17.92 million people through its basic family life insurance program that covers at least four members of each family, which pays only a single premium. 

In 2017, Mi-MBAs’ contributions and premiums reached P3.68 billion; reserves, P1.52 billion in equity value, and paid claims benefits totaled P908 million.  The Mi-MBAs have a shared mission of reaching 12 million members and insuring 48 million people by 2024.

For more information, log on to www.citibank.com.ph. 

Finding the Perfect Family Car

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"Sponsored post."

In many places in the world, having a car is a necessity, not a luxury. 

Every family needs a car that fits the lifestyle, suits the needs.

For some, it’s hard to know where to start when choosing a car. It’s so confusing that many people just believe recommendations from friends or buy something that catches their eye with wonderful design or seen at advertisements. 

Figure out what you need. There are some practical considerations to keep in mind. There’s a much better way to pick the right car, a practical approach that also allows room for some fun.

Here are some tips on finding the perfect family car:

• Assess Your Needs
• Set your budget.
• Choose the right or what car you want
• Research 
• Make a decision.

• Assess Your Needs

Functionality - It's best to think about what car you need — not just now, but in the future, too. How many passengers do you need to carry? If you have a big family, do you need a spacious family car? Do you need room for six passengers, or more? Will you be using children's car seats? Do you need a lot of cargo capacity? For your family, you’ll want enough room for everyone plus ample cargo space.

• Set your budget

Decide how much you can spend for your family car. How will you finance your family car. First, are you paying cash for purchasing your car ? You'll need to think about financing your purchase or lease. Figure out what car you can afford and how much can you really afford to allocate toward a car payment every month.

• Choose the right car

Choose the right car or choose what car you want to purchase. Narrow the field and choose the model that best serves your needs for your family.  Use a car finder tool to match your needs and budget.

Safety is a top priority. Test drive is a must. You also should test at least three cars, and review other comparable vehicles in the same class to make sure you haven't overlooked an even better choice and setting the parameters that are important to you. You can also compare vehicles you chose to more easily contrast features and specifications.

• Research 

Research. Research. Research.  Make interviews and talk to friends and family, ask them many questions and most importantly check online.

Before buying for the family car you need, gather as much information as possible, it is really very important to have a proper information about the car you need to purchase, so that you don’t make mistakes.

There are a lot of information online so take advantage of that. One of the best places to visit when trying to purchase a new family car is Cars.Com -  This site provides extensive reviews and essential information about a wide variety of cars, with videos, reviews, photos and lots more.

• Make a decision

Then you’ll have a family car that you’ll enjoy and that serves your need.

Leave us a comment below and or tell us how you enjoy the wonderful world with your family car.

Shop easy at Robinsons Appliances with GCash Scan to Pay

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Buying new home appliances or electronic gadget requires a big amount of cash. For those who plan to purchase but are uneasy about withdrawing and bringing a lot of cash, using GCash scan to pay is one way you can eliminate the stress. 

With GCash’s latest partnership with Robinsons Appliances Corporation, customers can now easily use the GCash scan to pay feature at its branches by simply downloading the latest version of the GCash App on their iPhone or Android phone, registering an account and loading up their GCash wallet at any of the 12,000 GCash partner outlets nationwide—including Robinsons Business Centers.

Anthony Thomas, President and CEO of Mynt  with Hope Gokongwei-Tang, General Manager of Robinsons Appliances Corporation.

Robinsons Appliances Corporation is the appliances and consumer electronics format of the publicly-listed Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc.—the second largest multi-format retail chain operator in the Philippines and now one of the newest adopters of the scan to pay feature of GCash. It currently operates about 100 branches nationwide, offering a wide selection of quality appliances and consumer electronics to consumers.

“We are happy to partner with GCash in their new payment service.  This delivers on our commitment to continuously improve our service by offering a more convenient and better shopping experience to our customers here at Robinsons Appliances” says Hope Gokongwei-Tang, General Manager of Robinsons Appliances Corporation.

“Even if cashless payment is still a new concept in the Philippines, by extending the reach of GCash to more Filipinos we believe we can encourage more and more people to adopt this service which can provide them with an easier, more convenience, and more secure shopping experience,” says Anthony Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of Mynt, which operates GCash.

Robinsons Appliance and GCash are currently offering a promo for consumers in Metro Manila. Until the end of March this year, customers who will use scan to pay at any participating GCash QR merchants will get a 10 percent cashback of up to P500.

Using the GCash app, customers can easily pay by tapping Scan QR option on the app and point the phone's camera to the partner QR code to pay. By middle of April, Robinsons Appliances will be accepting cashless payments via GCash in all of its branches nationwide.