PH welcomes home Louie Sangalang, cancer survivor and Filipino North Pole Marathon finisher

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Welcome Home multi-sport athlete Louie Sangalang, the first Filipino cancer survivor to conquer the FWD North Pole Marathon, and was given a homecoming party by Pan-Asian insurer FWD Life Insurance after successfully completing the marathon held on April 16. 

Filipinos have another source of national pride as FWD Life Philippines representative Louie Sangalang conquered the FWD North Pole Marathon, the world’s coolest marathon.

Sangalang’s triumph is an amazing testament to the resilience of the Filipino spirit, having finished the race in 11 hours and four minutes amid severe weather conditions.

62 participants from 23 countries took part in the marathon, which marked the second year of FWD’s title sponsorship and the first region-wide participation of 11 FWD-sponsored runners, dubbed FWD Team Asia. The entire trip to the North Pole was approximately two weeks long as participants needed to acclimatize and train before the race. FWD Team Asia raised over USD32,000 as they completed the race for the organizations they support, including Special Olympics, the largest sports organization for people with intellectual disability.

The marathon participants ran on a 42-kilometer path in a terrain with temperature ranging from negative 30 to negative 33 degrees centigrade. Adding to the challenge of the race was the icy path which was in parts soft and powdery and sometimes solid and slippery. 

“Around 75% to 80% of the course was in snowy, uneven terrain which made it difficult to find firm footing. As a result, we had to walk on some parts of the race course,” Louie said. 

“We had great weather with clear skies and minimal wind. However, the extreme cold made the race very challenging.”

Louie also said that the hardest part of the race was managing the cold and running at nighttime with the midnight sun. However, despite the highly challenging marathon path and the freezing weather, not once did he ever think of giving up during the course of the race. He faced the challenges before him, embraced them as he was determined to live his life to the fullest!

FWD Life Philippines President and Chief Executive Peter Grimes extended his congratulations to Louie for completing the run. “We are very proud of Louie! His healthy lifestyle and background as a multi-sport athlete made him the perfect choice to represent FWD Life Philippines in the North Pole Marathon,” said Peter.

“How Louie overcame all the challenges in his life, including this latest one, truly embodies what FWD Life Insurance stands for. FWD believes in grabbing the things you want out of life, to not let anything stand in the way of living your best life. Louie was determined to finish this marathon despite all odds, and he did it!” Peter added.

Roche Vandenberghe, FWD Life Philippines Head of Marketing, said, “The FWD North Pole marathon was a great and equally unique platform to celebrate living, which is what FWD is all about. As the country’s most exciting insurance brand, we are here to encourage people to overcome their fears and fulfill their biggest dreams!”

“That may be as extreme as fulfilling their bucket list by running a marathon on the North Pole or as simple as planning for their future today with proper insurance protection. If it helps them live their lives to the fullest, FWD Life Insurance definitely has got their back!”

FWD Life Philippines launches Community Care partnership with Special Olympics Philippines

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FWD and Special Olympics Philippines celebrated the beginning of the partnership with a bowling friendship match participated by athletes from both organizations as well as members of the media, held on April 23, 2018 at The Palms Country Club in Muntinlupa City.

With its vision to empower people to live fulfilled lives, FWD's Community Care program supports the Athlete Leadership and Unified Schools programs of Special Olympics, the world's largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities.

FWD Life Insurance

Through the partnership, FWD is embracing the power of sports to let people with intellectual disabilities discover new strengths and abilities.

FWD Group is donating US$1.25 million across the Asian markets where it operates: Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam.

Pan-Asian insurer FWD Life Insurance believes there is a champion in all of us and that anybody can make a difference no matter the challenges they face. In line with this belief, the most exciting insurance brand in the country today launched its global partnership with the Special Olympics, the world’s largest sports organization for people with intellectual disabilities.

“Through this partnership, FWD aims to champion the dreams of young people with intellectual disabilities by creating an inclusive environment that provide equal opportunities,” said FWD Life Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Grimes. “FWD supports the vision of Special Olympics: using the power of sports to let people with intellectual disabilities discover new strengths and abilities. Through this partnership, we are excited to bring to life our Community Care vision—to empower people to live fulfilled lives.”

Asia-based FWD Group, which launched their region-wide support to Special Olympics in Hong Kong in February, is donating US$ 1.25 million across the markets where it operates: Hong Kong, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and Japan.

 

Special Olympics

Special Olympics is a non-profit charitable organization that provides year-round sports training and competition in a variety of Olympic- type sports for children and adults with intellectual disability. Aside from sporting activities it is the world’s largest provider of healthcare to people with intellectual disability.

- Young Athletes program for children with intellectual disabilities aged 2-7 years - Family support network encouraging family engagement - Athlete Leadership Program to promote self-advocacy - Youth Activation committee to create advocacy opportunities

- Healthy Athletes to improve the health of people with intellectual disabilities through health screening, follow up care and health education for athletes and their families. 

15% of the world lives with a disability1. Of these, more than 200 million2 have an intellectual disability making them one of the world’s biggest disability groups and one of the most underserved populations. People with intellectual disability face enormous attitudinal, structural, and logistical barriers to obtaining healthcare and getting a job. These compounding factors mean that many struggle with poverty and have significantly shorter lifespans than the general population.

Encouraging inclusion through sports

“FWD Life Philippines has always been keen about addressing the needs of people across different lifestyles by teaching them and equipping them to live life to the fullest," FWD Life Philippines Head of Marketing and Community Care Lead Roche Vandenberghe noted. "Through the partnership with the Special Olympics, FWD hopes to change how society perceives people with intellectual disabilities, that despite their condition, they can make valuable contributions to society and should be given opportunities to do so," she added.

Roche Vandenberghe,  FWD Life Philippines Head of Marketing and Community Care 

Kaye Samson, Special Olympics Philippines National Director, said, “We are delighted to welcome FWD to the Special Olympics family. This new partnership with FWD in the Philippines will make a difference to the lives of our athletes and young people. Together, we will collaborate to create a unified generation—people with and without intellectual disabilities working together for an inclusive society, where respect, tolerance, and human equality prevail.”

FWD to support Special Olympics’ Unified Schools and Athlete Leadership programs

To fulfill their dream of an inclusive environment with equal opportunities for people with disabilities, FWD, through its Community Care program, will support two (2) Special Olympics programs—the Unified Schools and Athlete Leadership programs.

For the Unified Schools program, FWD will partner with Special Olympics in engaging thousands of young people in workshops and unified activities to educate them about people with intellectual disabilities and train them to develop ways to create social change. FWD also plans to invite schools and communities to various sports and non-sports activities involving Special Olympics athletes, to celebrate acceptance and inclusion.

On the other hand, for the Athlete Leadership program, hundreds of athletes with intellectual disabilities will undergo training to be empowered, develop leadership skills, utilize their abilities to undertake leadership roles in the Special Olympics movement, and create inclusive communities all over the world. These activities will be done under the umbrella of FWD’s 2020 Community Care program whose goal is to improve the quality of life of individuals with disabilities in Asia by promoting inclusion through rehabilitation and vocational training and generate positive change for the disabled, their families, and their communities.

“Stop the ridicule, choose to include.”

During the FWD-Special Olympics Philippines partnership launch, FWD Life Philippines also launched its support for the campaign to end "the R-Word." During the event, guests and participants of the bowling match pledged to stop using the R-Word, which is short for the word "retarded," considered exclusive, offensive, and derogatory. The said R-Word aims to drive people to stop saying the R-word and other similar words as a starting point toward creating more accepting attitudes and communities for a more inclusive society. 

FWD is focused on creating fresh customer experiences, with easy-to-understand products, supported by digital technology. Through this customer-led approach, FWD aims to become a leading pan-Asian insurer that changes the way people feel about insurance. 

For more information please visit fwd.com.ph.

Special Olympics Philippines is an accredited Program under Special Olympics, Inc. It was founded in August 1979, and provides year-round sports training and athletic competition to over 6,000 people with intellectual disabilities (also known as “athletes” in Special Olympics) in 13 official sports, delivered by over 200 trained volunteer coaches.

For more information on Special Olympics Philippines

Email: specialolympicsph@gmail.com Facebook and Instagram: Special Olympics Philippines Twitter: @SOPhils

Cathay Pacific-Citi Summer Sale is still on!

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Enjoy unbelievably affordable travel deals only from Citi and Cathay Pacific, from April 23 to May 1, 2018!

The Cathay Pacific-Citi Summer Sale—with exclusive travel deals—is now on from April 23 up to May 1, 2018!

If you were unable to drop by the Cathay Pacific-Citi Summer Sale last weekend at the Shangri-La Plaza, Grand Atrium, Main Wing, you can still book exclusive low fares with your Citi Credit Card! Travel to Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Israel, Australia, New Zealand, Maldives, South Africa, select locales in Europe including London, Paris, and Amsterdam; select areas in the East and West coast including Boston, New York, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco; and select destinations in Southeast Asia including Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore!

Take advantage of fares for as low as USD 530 to the US, USD 106 to Hong Kong, USD 562 to London, and USD 424 to Australia!

Plus, enjoy 0% Citi PayLite for 3 months when you book via the participating travel agencies!

Conveniently book online at http://bit.ly/cathaysummersale or visit the Cathay Pacific ticketing office at the 22F LKG Tower, 6801 Ayala Avenue, Makati City. You can also call the Cathay Global Contact Center: 1800 1441 1011 (PLDT/Smart) or 1800 8739 5117 (Globe), or book through the following participating travel agencies:

• Adventure Travel*: (632) 884 9491
• Ark Travel Express Inc.: (632) 816 1999
• Baron Travel Corp.: (632) 817 4926
• Horizon Travel & Tours, Inc.: 310-2308
• Pan Pacific Travel: 02-243-6666-81
• Rajah Travel Corporation: (632) 894 0886

*Adventure Travel accepts straight transactions only.

Travel period is until December 15, 2018. Fares are exclusive of PH tax, government taxes and other surcharges. Fares are subject to change due to currency conversion rate; and all flights are via Hong Kong. Booking of discounted fares will depend on the customer’s chosen dates.

Truly with your Citi credit card, you can experience more of the world with these great travel deals!

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

HYPE, the newest ride-hailing service to be available this May

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Good News ! A truly Filipino-owned ride-sharing service app, has come to bring a new light and hype up the solution for the commuting public’s transportation life problems. 

A 100% Filipino owned, HYPE Transport Systems, Inc., a transport network company (TNC) has recently been given a Certificate of Accreditation by Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

HYPE will start its operations  and the app is available to download for iOS and Android users starting May 19. Beta testing will start May 19 and the official launch will happen at SMX Convention Center on May 27 and will present their popular celebrity endorser. 

(L-R) HYPE main executives,  Chief Technology officer, VP for information Technology, Nicanor Y. Cordoniz, Jr., President and CEO Nicanor L. Escalante and Chief Operating Officer, Jennifer Silang during the bloggers conference, April 26, 2018, Quezon City.

" HYPE is dedicated to uplift the daily life of the regular drivers and operators by providing a customized solution needed for their daily living, not only in the monetary form but including legal assistance and training programs among others. 

Hype is also dedicated to make the riding public’s experience more comfortable, easy and affordable. 

Hype as a Filipino company is also dedicated to abide by the government agencies’ policies and guidelines in every step." 

HYPE is the acronym for: 

H-onest
Y-outhful
P-rofessional
E-nabling / Empowering and Elite Drivers

With their theme, #PowerOfChoice, HYPE is expected to rival the operations of Grab. As compared, HYPE President and CEO Nicanor L. Escalante said, it will definitely be a lot cheaper because it will only charge per distance. 

Similar to other TNVS, riders may book using cash or cards plus other payment options plus a new feature - SMS booking for free. If the rider has no internet connectivity you can still book using SMS text. The rider would just need provide his or her name and details, and communication will be thru text. The SMS text will be free of charge for the passenger or client.

Payment options, this transport network operator is paying through Cash, Debit and Credit Card, and/or with POS that you can swipe your Credit Card. Hype will also honor SC/PWD/Student discounts. 

HYPE will have an in-app SOS button where you can enter your complaints, comments and reports. Its customer service is also multi-platform: SMS text, email, voice call and in-app messaging. 

HYPE is also encouraging the drivers to form a cooperative type of organization thru which the company with give financial assistance on a monthly basis for the benefit of the members.

The initial operation of HYPE will be in Metro Manila only, but will operate in key cities like Cebu and Davao in the coming months. 

Interested operators and drivers and may register via www.hypetransport.com. 

Visit HYPE Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HypePilipinas/ for more updates on @HypePilipinas.

OPPO F7 breaks new ground in capturing true beauty, unveiled its latest flagship model OPPO F7

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OPPO, a global leader in smartphone photography, unveiled its latest flagship model OPPO F7 in a grand star-studded event graced by endorsers Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto.

The OPPO family unveils its newest flagship smartphone, the F7. (L-R): OPPO Philippines’ Public Relations Manager Eason de Guzman, actress and singer Janella Salvador, popular love team JoshLia, actor and program host Robi Domingo, OPPO Philippines’ Brand Marketing Director Jane Wan, and OPPO Philippines’ Key Accounts Manager Mark Del Mundo.

The groundbreaking OPPO F7 ushers in the next generation of selfies with its A.I. Beautification 2.0 for unrivalled, personalized beauty.

New flagship model redefines selfies with best-in-class A.I. Beautification 2.0 for next-level, personalized beauty

Now available for Philippine smartphone users, the all-new, highly anticipated OPPO F7 brings forth a new standard to smartphone photography with a new 25MP front-facing camera, powered by a best-in-class A.I. Beauty Technology 2.0 for natural-looking selfies.

This selfie powerhouse is just the right mobile accessory in this grand launch event held at the Marriott Hotel Ballroom, which was also attended by OPPO social media influencers and selfie experts Robi Domingo and Janella Salvador.

The venue was dressed to reflect the cutting-edge technology that powers the OPPO F7, complete with thoughtful touches that allowed media guests to experience and enjoy the all-new features of the flagship smartphone. These include the experiential product display area and other zones catered to trendy interests such as art, photography, fashion, travel, music, and of course, selfies.

OPPO Philippines’ Brand Marketing Director Ms. Jane Wan announced that OPPO has sold over 4 million smartphones in the Philippines since 2014. She also shared the brand’s latest advocacy in combating online negativity and its role in capturing true beauty.

OPPO Philippines’ Public Relations Manager Eason de Guzman talked about the F7’s powerful performance, encased in a stunning body in solar red and moonlight silver colors.

Industry-leading selfie features and more

Powered by industry-leading front camera with 25MP and the second generation of OPPO’s groundbreaking A.I. Beauty Technology, the F7 has the right tools to deliver unique beautification for the user, plus up to three other people in the frame. The new and improved A.I. Beauty Technology 2.0 targets 296 facial recognition spots for never-before-seen precision and customizes up to four faces regardless of gender. Capturing the real you with next-level, personalized beauty technology is fast and easy with this new selfie powerhouse.

Apart from the best-in-class selfie technology, the F7 also comes with a 6.23-inch Super Full Screen Display with 2280x1080 Full HD+ resolution for a crystal-clear, immersive viewing experience. It also is powered by 12nm Octa-Core processor with two dedicated A.I. cores and 4GB RAM that deliver hardware performance of up to 80% faster than its predecessor, and upgraded storage of 64GB with option to expand with a MicroSD card.

“The OPPO F7 definitely changes—and upgrades—the selfie game of users with its groundbreaking features,” said Eason de Guzman, OPPO Philippines Public Relations Manager. “With a best-in-class 25MP front-facing camera, improved performance for multi-tasking, and a sleek, stylish body, the F7 will surely be a hit among Filipino smartphone users and selfie enthusiasts.”

Capture the real you with JoshLia

Popular love team Joshua Garcia and Julia Barretto, known among their fans as ‘JoshLia,’ stand as the OPPO F7’s celebrity ambassadors and the brand’s spokespersons for its advocacy against online bashing. The on- and off-screen couple stars in OPPO F7’s latest TV commercial that encourages everyone to find and capture their real self for the world to see.

“This project with OPPO is so timely. We truly believe in the message of the campaign and we’re glad that OPPO has empowered us to the inspiring message of capturing and showing the real you with more people,” said Julia.

OPPO endorsers Julia Barretto and Joshua Garcia, also known as JoshLia, are all on board with capturing each person’s true beauty.

“Apart from the relevant message of the campaign, I’m also happy that OPPO chose us to be the endorsers of the F7, which is for me is the pinakamagandang model ng OPPO to date. All the features we want in a smartphone, they brought together in one unit,” Joshua added.

OPPO F7 Availability

As of April 19 at 6PM, the number of pre-orders has reached a total of 25,133 units. “We are pleased with how well the public is receiving the OPPO F7,” said de Guzman. “The number of pre-orders has surpassed our expectations and shows that the OPPO F7 is able to capture not just real beauty, but also the hearts of our fellow Filipino selfie enthusiasts.”

The OPPO F7 garnered an outstanding pre-order number of 25,133 in a span of only one week, according to OPPO Philippines’ Key Accounts Manager Mark Del Mundo.

The new OPPO F7 retails for PhP 17,990.00 and is available in solar red and moonlight silver. The 128GB, 6GB RAM variant meantime retails for PhP 21,990.00 and is available in diamond black and solar red. All stocks will be available starting April 21, 2018. For those interested in purchasing the F7 under a service plan, OPPO’s partners include Home Credit at nine months with 0% Interest, Globe (Plan 1499), and Smart (Plan 1499).

Actress and model Janine Gutierrez joins OPPO’s star-studded roster of influencers and selfie experts.

On top of the experiential product display area, the venue was dressed to reflect the cutting-edge technology that powers the OPPO F7 while catering to trendy interests such as art, photography, fashion, travel, and music.

For more information on the OPPO F7 and upcoming promos and roadshow events, like OPPO Philippines’ official Facebook page or follow @OPPOPhilippines on Twitter and Instagram.