Lessons from Israel: How to Build a Start Up Nation

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Israel has become a focus of companies seeking to diversify and globalize their innovation strategies. Global companies are tapping into Israel’s innovation pipeline. 

Israel’s innovation sector is an irresistible magnet for many of the world’s largest companies. The country has become a vibrant high-tech laboratory where global companies are testing new models for innovation, including hackathons, innovation labs, and other forms of networking and collaboration.

Israel, while located in the oil-rich Middle East, lacked natural resources which results in limited opportunities for growth. To address this problem, Israel turned their efforts toward investing in their people and focusing on the development on innovation industries.

L-R: Minju Park, TechUp Tuesdays host and Account Director at GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications Inc., Amor Maclang, TechUp Tuesdays panel moderator and Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at GeiserMaclang Marketing Communications Inc., and TechUp Tuesdays Panel: Miguel Cuneta, Co-founder of Satoshi Citadel Industries, Mary Rose Magsaysay, Chairman Emeritus of the Philippine Association of Digital Commerce and Decentralized Industries and Fintech Advisor to CEZA, Justo Aboitiz Ortiz, President of the Blockchain Association of the Philippines and Chairman of UnionBank, Itamar Gero, President of the Israeli Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Gilbert Camasura, President and CEO of Asia Select, and Bryan Makasiar, Associate Director of TechUp Pilipinas and host of the recently held TechUp Tuesdays at The Ark by UnionBank.

With the world's highest number of startups per capita and the second highest number of registered patents per capita, Israel has been dubbed the Startup Nation - the innovation capital of the world.  World Bank statistics show that Israel spends 4.27% of their GDP on research and development, the highest in the world. Almost every Forbes 500 company has an R&D team based in Israel, a testament to the progressive and globally-trusted research and development atmosphere in the said country.

In the July edition of TechUp Pilipinas held recently, the tech communities of the Philippines and Israel birthed a collaboration and knowledge partnership to be principally led by the Israeli Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines and the Blockchain Association of the Philippines.

Justo Aboitiz Ortiz, the President of the Blockchain Association Philippines and Chairman of UnionBank, opened up the session by encouraging the community to learn from one another and build that ecosystem. "We have a tendency to play in our own sandbox and test and learn by ourselves. But we know that blockchain and other technology is moving very quickly and we need more innovation rather than less. We need to encourage the community to learn from the best practices happening in other countries and industry players and take inspiration from that."

Tech enthusiast, Amor Maclang, moderated a panel which included Itamar Gero, the President of the Israeli Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, who discussed the environment and situation in Israel which allows for innovation and startup culture, Gilbert Camasura, President and CEO of Asia Select, who discussed the need to invest more in people, especially in tech, to make the Filipino workforce ready for the advances in technology, Miguel Cuneta, Co-Founder of Satoshi Citadel Industries, who discussed how quickly blockchain in the Philippines is growing and how Filipinos have a chance to be leaders in this field, and Mary Rose Magsaysay, the Chairman Emeritus of the Philippine Association of Digital Commerce and Decentralized Industries and Fintech Advisor to CEZA, who talked about how the community is formalizing and coordinating with the SEC and other regulators for the guidelines of this evolving economic financial tool.

Along with the partnership between TechUp Pilipinas and the Israeli Chamber of Commerce, the event also saw the joint announcement of the TechUp Pilipinas in Tel Aviv trip. TechUp Pilipinas in cooperation with the Israeli Chamber in the Philippines will be sending a delegation to the DLD Tel Aviv Innovation Festival (https://www.dldtelaviv.com/) in Israel this September. Fintech companies are welcome to apply to join the delegation. Aside from representing the country as a member of the Philippine delegation, the group will meet with tech companies in Tel Aviv for business matching. 

For more information on TechUp Pilipinas, future TechUp Tuesdays, and the delegation to Tel Aviv, please contact info@techuppilipinas.com .

AirAsia is Bohol’s official airline partner for Sandugo Festival 2018

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World’s Best Low Cost Carrier celebrates with Boholanos

BOHOL, 28 July 2018 – AirAsia, the world’s best low-cost airline for 10 straight years running, is Bohol’s official airline partner for Sandugo Festival 2018.

The partnership signed in February by Bohol Provincial Governor Edgar Chatto and the airline’s CEO Captain Dexter Comendador involves joint brand advertising, promotional activities and campaigns, familiarization trips for consumer and trade associations, media, travel agencies, greater tourism development and route network synergy, joint roadshows to trade partners, and many more.

The Sandugo Festival pays tribute to the historical blood compact between Spanish and Filipino leaders. For this year's festivities with the theme Legacy @ 30: A 30th year of Sandugo Festival, AirAsia is a major and the only airline sponsor for the festival which showcases a series of events such as the search for Miss Bohol pageant. 

“It brings us so much pride to be your official carrier. Boholanos are known for their excellent service culture which is also one of the hallmarks of AirAsia’s brand of service.

It’s going to be an exciting time for all of us and we look forward to working even more closely with the provincial government and the various hotel and tourism stakeholders not only for this festival but throughout the year, ” AAP CEO Captain Dexter Comendador said.

AirAsia awarded this year’s winner of Miss Bohol, Ms. Raclaire Stephan Dinsay Cesar Trigo who hailed from the City of Tagbilaran with free flights and the title Miss AirAsia 2018 while offering special fares to encourage tourists to travel to Bohol.

To celebrate, AirAsia is offering promo fares from as low as P1,190, all-in, one-way for BIG Members and from P1,258, all-in, one-way for Non-Members are available for booking from 30 July until 5 August 2018 at www.airasia.com for travel period between 30 July 2018 to 31 January 31, 2018.

Keep updated with AirAsia’s latest promotion and activities via twitter (@AirAsiaFilipino), Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsiaPH) and on Instagram (@AirAsiaFilipino).

Vivo brings gaming experience to the biggest pop culture convention in the PH - AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2018 with Ideal Vision

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Global smartphone brand Vivo rubbed shoulders with geek and pop culture fans at the recently concluded AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2018, the biggest annual comic and pop culture convention in this part of the world.

The Ideal Vision and Vivo gaming booth was a hit among gamers at the AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2018.

Held from July 27 to 29 at the SMX Convention Center Mall of Asia Complex in Manila, sunglasses and eyewear store Ideal Vision Center presented the limited-edition Comic Specs with Gamerspecs as complemented by the artificial intelligence (AI) Game Mode feature of the newest Vivo X21 for a one-of-a-kind gaming experience. Gaming enthusiasts tried their skills playing popular games such Tekken, NES, Mortal Combat, and CSR Racing at the Ideal Vision and Vivo gaming booth.

Ideal Vision materialized the Gamerspecs in partnership with Italian eyewear Sting. The country’s first lenses especially made for gamers are made with plastic resin material with layers of blue coating, AR (anti reflective) coating, UV coating, and sandwiched Photochromic material to allow longer game time.

Apart from the Ideal Vision tie-up where gamers got a chance to experience playing their favorite games on the Vivo X21 using Ideal Vision Center’s special gaming lens, Vivo also gave away special prizes to AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2018 attendees who took part playing games in the booth and also by simply liking the official Vivo official Instagram account. Ideal Vision also gave away special tokens during the three-day event.

AsiaPop Comicon 2018 fans show off the give aways they received from Vivo

The Vivo X21, popular for its industry-first in-display fingerprint scanner, also boasts of the AI Game Mode spec, where on-the-go gamers can play games minus the distractions. Because of this one-of-a-kind feature, the Vivo X21 transforms into a dedicated game console, blocking out background calls which makes for fun and uninterrupted gameplay.

AsiaPOP Comicon Manila 2018, an annual event, is the largest pop culture convention in the Philippines and in the whole of Southeast Asia which features international brands of comics, toys, animation, film, television, music, video games, books, and sports.

About Vivo

A global smartphone brand focused on introducing perfect sound quality and ultimate photography with cutting-edge technology, Vivo develops innovative and stylish products for young people. We now have over two hundred million users and are one of the preferred brands of young people around the world. As an Official Sponsor of the FIFA World Cup™, Vivo believes in the importance of encouraging young people to embrace self-expression and an energetic lifestyle. In the Philippines, Vivo is the top 3 smartphone brand in terms of market share with 1.5 million users nationwide.

For inquiries about Vivo, visit the Vivo website at vivoglobal.ph or check out their Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/vivophil), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vivo_philippines /), and Twitter (https://twitter.com/vivo_phil) accounts.

Unique and Special "Menu of Services" at Kitchenails: A Fresh Toss on Hand and Foot Care

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Loving yourself and taking care of yourself is something fundamental. Your decision to pamper yourself is just a reflection of whatever you’re feeling inside.

After all, you work hard, enjoy with a treat every now and then. Whether you’ve achieved a long-term goal that you have been working toward or simply had the most productive day ever, just give yourself a “Me Time” , pampering yourself,  you’re worth it and that you deserve it.

Getting a mani-pedi makes me feel instantly better. When my nails are done I feel so much better – It's the little things that make me so happy, and you literally feel polished, feeling beautiful inside and out!

Last my"Me Time", I experienced and enjoyed a unique pampering myself at the Kitchenails, with the chefs! 

Kitchenails is a fresh new concept in hand and foot care. Kitchenails located at the Robinson Galleria had a grand opening and blessing last July 28, 2018. Thanks to Mplify’s Miguel Dela Rosa, KitcheNails Marketing and PR Consultant, organized the the grand opening and give us the opportunity to experience the fresh toss on hand and foot care.

It offers a wide variety of flavorful scrubs, nail polish and oils that are organic and hypoallergenic. Its “Menu of Services” are a play on words associated with food like Honey Glaze for Paraffin Wax and Aperitif for Massage. The most recommended service would be a “Chef Specials” complete pampering service, choose your own flavor (Lemon Square, Candied Oranges, Spiced Plum Pannacotta, Verry Berry Muffin and Key Lime Pie).

At the grand opening of Kitchenails at Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas, personalities were Samie Anne Legaspi, Miss Lumiere International 1st Runner Up, Cindy Madduma, Miss Scuba International 2015 & Miss Scuba Philippines Pageant Owner, Ruel Rada, Mr Philippines, GMA Cavite, Atty.Minnie Bautista-Aldave, Atty Mark Aldave, Myrna Dela Rama, Operations Manager, Miguel De La Rosa, Marketing Consultant.

Kitchenails  started on December 2015 in Alabang Town Center. An innovation from a classic nail salon, Kitchenails added scents, flavors and ingredients from your mom’s and/or grandma’s kitchen. Month after, it opened a branch in Trinoma, Ayala Mall’s premiere mall in North Metro Manila. #ColorTheSouth for Alabang, South of the Metro, #ColorTheNorth for Trinoma became its hashtag in all of its social media accounts. #FeedYourSenses, is the mission of Kitchenails, to provide the overall experience of a nail salon with a home kitchen approach that would tickle all your senses. 

After two years of operations, Kitchenails is now open for franchise and looking for more locations in the Metro and key cities in country. Last July 28, 2018 opens its first franchise store located at Robinsons Galleria, one of the premiere mall in Ortigas Center. Its official hashtag #ColorTheEast, as the mall is located in the boundaries of Quezon City, Mandaluyong and Pasig, the eastern part of the metro. It would be in the newly revamp East Wing of the mall along with all other health and wellness stores.

"A concept nail salon made impact to me as a client much more as franchisee. I have always looked up to the dedication given by the owners and team members of Kitchenails. I know that with proper guidance and support, I will grow with them as embark on this journey to business success. Being part of a family is what they've made me feel even from the start and that alone assures me that I have made the right decision." Atty. Minnie Aldave, Kitchenails Robinsons Galleria Franchisee.

Kitchenails are located in Alabang Town Center (UGF Main Mall, 815-6350), Trinoma (3F Near Mindanao Parking, 625-2804) and Robinsons Galleria (Level 3, East Wing). 

For Franchising Inquiry contact Miss Myrna Dela Rama at (02) 281-8488. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @kitchenails

Taking some time to de-stress and escape the realities of a busy schedule can also help you refocus on what is important. Taking some time to yourself. Face tomorrow with a smile, feel happy and a look of contentment – pamper yourself.

#Kitchenails 

#ColorTheEast 

#FeedYourSenses

Chooks-to-Go announces nine winners of 100K pesos

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Chooks-to-Go, the leading roasted chicken chain in the country, recently announced the nine winners of Chooks-to-Riches, its ongoing nationwide promo.

The winners are John Jervie Dee of Misamis Oriental, Emanuel Moreto of Leyte, Angelica Olinares of Negros Occidental, David Villanueva of Bicol, Leslie Naval of Malabon, Antonio Tiu of Tacloban, Emmanuel Asuncion of Bulacan, Ma. Elena Biyo of Iloilo, and Cecile Senining of Cebu. Each received PhP 100,000 pesos in cash, tax-free.

From left to right, BAVI Tacloban Branch Head Edwin Arevalo and Chooks-to-Riches winners from Tacloban, Antonio Tiu and Emanuel Moreto

“Hindi ko po inakalang isa ako sa mananalo. Sa dami ng customers ng Chooks-to-Go, ako pa ang ma-swerteng nanalo. Masayang-masaya po talaga ako, malaking tulong po ito sa amin,” said Emanuel Moreto.

“Nagulat po ako nung may tumawag sa akin na taga-Chooks-to-Go. Nataranta po ako nun kasi hindi ko matandaan kung naitago ko yung resibo na nanalo. Maraming beses po kasi akong nagtext. Blessing in disguise po itong pagkapanalo ko at napakalaking tulong sa aming pamilya,” said Antonio Tiu.

Angelica Olinares, one of the winners of PhP 100,000, with her family at BAVI Bacolod.

With Chooks-to-Riches, Chooks-to-Go aims to reward its loyal and hardworking customers who have been making the deliciously roasted chicken a part of the family’s everyday meals. This promo is the brand’s way to return the love, appreciation, and support that the customers have shown Chooks-to-Go.

To qualify for the promo, customers must make a single receipt purchase of at least one (1) whole Chooks-to-Go oven roasted chicken of any variant (Sweet Roast, Pepper Roast, Fried Chooks).

To earn entries, customers need to send CHOOKS (space) <COMPLETE NAME> / <COMPLETE ADDRESS> / <OR NUMBER> / <TOTAL TRANSACTION AMOUNT> via text message to 2256.

Valid receipts may be registered until August 11 to qualify for the promo. Chooks-to-Go will draw the last set of winners on August 13.

Will you be one of the lucky six to win PhP100,000? Remember that the more entries you have, the more chances of winning! So what are you waiting for? Join now!