Ready, Set, Seoul: RCBC takes lucky winner on a special trip to Korea

Tweet

Whether it is the cute and heartwarming stories of their dramas, the catchy rhythm of their pop music, or the wonders of their fashion and beauty products, the Korean fever has caught the Pinoys by storm. That is why it is no surprise that Filipinos have developed a strong desire to visit and experience Korea for themselves.

Ready, Set, Seoul winner Amy Adona made the best out of her travel experience as she and her husband explored the streets of Korea dressed up in hanbok. (Photo from Brea Adona)

Last year, RCBC launched its Ready, Set, Seoul campaign where it gave customers an opportunity to have an ultimate Korea experience with their MyDebit Mastercard. Dr. Amy Tagaloguin Adona won the prize and embarked on a 4-day trip to Korea with her husband and daughter, enjoying five-star superior room accommodations at the Lotte World Hotel, free shopping and taxi vouchers from Shilla and Shinsegae Duty Free, and passes to some of Lotte World top attractions.

The great Seoul adventure

To start their Seoul vacation, the Adona family dressed up in traditional hanbok costumes and roamed around the Bukchon Hanok Village to explore the quiet neighborhood that is home to Korean culture. They also tasted the various street foods which Korea is known for – from fried skewers and tteokbokki (spicy rice cake), to pajeon (Korean pancake) and big ice cream.

The family had a magical experience at one of the biggest amusement parks in Seoul, the Lotte World. With free passes courtesy of Mastercard, the Adonas enjoyed sightseeing around Lotte World Aquarium, Sky Tower Observatory, and Lotte World Adventure.

“We’ve always wanted to take a break from our busy schedules and spend quality time together as a family. When we were in Lotte World, it was a nice opportunity to bond with my daughter and do fun things together,” said Dr. Amy. “The whole experience at the amusement park was something I really enjoyed and it brought out the child in us again.” 

The Adona family made unforgettable memories and enjoyed a day of adventures at Lotte World with free passes from Mastercard. (Photo from Brea Adona)

Dr. Amy also shared that they were really looking forward to going on a shopping spree in Korea. She said, “We know how Seoul is popular for its affordable beauty products and fashion items so we wanted to maximize our trip and buy what we want.”

Shopping was definitely the highlight of the family’s Korea vacation especially with Dr. Amy’s RCBC MyDebit Mastercard. With her card loaded with the P40,000 prize, the family enjoyed cashless transactions as they spent a day shopping in the malls of Seoul.

Amy and her family got to try one of the things that Seoul is known for: their great-tasting street food. Photo from (Brea Adona)

“Sobrang saya mag-shopping kapag hindi ka nagwo-worry about not having enough cash in your wallet. When you have your debit card, you can be assured na lagi ka may pang-bayad kasi nandoon na ‘yung savings mo.Nowadays, most stores, even in abroad, accept debit cards for payment so I didn’t have to worry about bringing dollars for the trip.”

On how grateful she is for the amazing Korea experience, Dr. Amy shares, “My family and I are really thankful to RCBC, Mastercard, Lotte World and Openbay Korea for giving us an opportunity to unlock great moments in Seoul. I didn’t think something as simple as using my RCBC MyDebit card can bring us to Korea.”

Aside from a trip to Korea, RCBC also gave other MyDebit Mastercard holders a chance to win exciting vacations to Japan, Thailand, and New Zealand. Want to experience the fulfilling feeling of traveling with RCBC MyDebit Mastercard? Apply for your own card at any RCBC branch nationwide. Just bring a valid ID, proof of address, and deposit a minimum amount of P3,000 and you can start enjoying hassle-free transactions with RCBC MyDebit Mastercard.

Global, PH Design Leaders at Int’l Design Conference 2018

Tweet

Local and foreign design rock stars, change makers and industry leaders are participating in the International Design Conference (IDC) 2018 on September 21 at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura. 

Theme of the conference is Dangerous Ideas: Unleashing Design Leadership. Organized by the Design Center of the Philippines, an attached agency of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), the one-day event will seek to outline the different ways to make ideas that are nothing short of dangerous the norm in a world of hyper-change. 

Keynote speakers include Quotient Design Research founder Michael Barry and Aidea, Inc. president and chief executive officer Abelardo “Jojo” M. Tolentino, Jr. 

Barry, an engineer and product designer, will contextualize craftsmanship in the wake of Industrialization 4.0 that makes more digitization and mechanized fabrication more and more sophisticated. With his artistry rooted firmly in Philippine culture, Tolentino will discuss his journey as a homegrown talent. 

He will also share the secret that enabled Aidea to become the first and only Philippine architectural firm included in Building Design’s World Architecture100, a ranking of the top firms in the world. Aidea is ranked 47th. 

Launched in 2017, the International Design Conference embodies the ethos of Design Center – to nurture a strong community of creative and act as a catalyst for the design community to thrive. 

For more information, visit https://designcenter.ph/ and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/DTI.DesignCenterPH/. 

Essilor volunteer tops optometrist board exam

Tweet

Morel Paul Abesamis, Essilor volunteer for eye health care campaign and graduate of Manila Central University (MCU), successfully topped the 2018 Optometry Licensure Exam with a rating of 87.23%. Conducted by the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC), this year’s Optometry Licensure Exam recorded 188 successful passers, out of the 222 who took the exam. Last year, Essilor scholar Jennifer Parmerola, who is also a graduate of MCU, also topped the 2017 Optometry Licensure Exam. As the world leader in ophthalmic optics and a key player in visual health, the Essilor Group provides solutions to protect visual health, as well as correct and prevent visual problems. Essilor is also dedicated to providing underprivileged people the opportunity to live a better life through various global philanthropic and scholarship programs. 

For more information, visit Essilor’s website at www.essilor.com.ph, and follow @EssilorPH on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

5 Ways to Protect the Future You’ve Built for Your Family, Lay the foundation for their future, and go beyond it

Tweet

The future is made of the small, everyday decisions that shape the kind of life you’ve envisioned for the people you love. 

Starting a family? Scrimp and save to build your dream home. Striving to send your children to the best schools? Work hard at your day job and… your “rakets.” Planning to leave a legacy to your children and grandchildren? Wisely invest your earnings. 

But don’t stop there because things don’t always go as planned. Jobs are lost. Unexpected expenses crop up. Not all investments pan out. It’s not enough to just build a future, you have to make sure that your loved ones get to enjoy it, too, in the future. 

How to do that? Here are five easy ways to ensure that all your hard work will not go in vain, no matter what! 

Set up an emergency fund 

Don’t let life’s unwelcome surprises—a major home repair, a health emergency, or worse, unemployment—throw you off guard. Make sure you have an emergency fund saved up that is at least 3 to 6 months’ worth of your living expenses. How to compute? Add up your expenses for a month (Don’t forget to include the monthly equivalent of your annual expense like school tuition, insurance premiums, taxes, etc.) and multiply it to three months (or up to six months). That’s how much money you should have, kept, right now! This is your financial safety net when the need arises.  

Pay your debts 

Avoid debt at all cost! But if you have to have debt, prioritize paying them. If you don’t, all your mortgage, car loans, and other debts will be your loved ones’ burden. Yup, there’s no escaping them. And remember, don’t just pay the minimum. Pay in full and on time. Don’t let money that could have gone to your retirement fund or your kid’s educational fund just go to interest payments. 

Protect what you built 

Don’t let uncertainties take away the things you worked hard for. Whether it’s the house that you’ve taken a loan for or the college education that you’ve been saving up for, make sure your family will get to enjoy the fruits of your labor! Insurance plans like Set for Tomorrow protect what you have built so you don’t have to worry about your family losing what you’ve worked for. This new product from pan-Asian insurer FWD Life Insurance Philippines has three affordable variants: Short Term Cover for your loans and financial obligations; Income Protector for your family’s living expenses and your children’s education; and Estate Protector for smooth transfer of wealth to your heirs. Want to calculate how much it’ll take to ensure your family’s better tomorrow, no matter what? Visit FWD’s calculator, CALI at http://bit.ly/SetforTomorrow-Cali and get a quote! 

Develop new skills 

From volunteering to manage a project to finding a mentor and attending seminars, developing new skills add value to your career and is crucial for your growth (and promotions)! Don’t be scared to veer away from your corporate comfort zone. Turning on and upgrading hobbies like baking, photography, blogging, etc. could mean new streams of income for you and your family. The possibilities are endless when you don’t stop learning! 

Diversify your investments 

Remember the old adage “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket”? That’s investment diversification in a nutshell. Diversification is investing in different funds from different companies and industries so you don’t run the risk of losing all your money when one of your investments suffers. That way, the money you intend to grow for your family’s future needs are secure. 

Want to make sure your tomorrow is made better today? Visit http://bit.ly/IwanttogetSetforTomorrow. 

Restaurateurs and foodies unite to fight hunger and child malnutrition

Tweet

Action Against Hunger, a global humanitarian organization that fights against the causes and effects of malnutrition, launches Restaurants Against Hunger!  - the campaign aims to unite chefs, restaurant owners, and foodies all over the world to help raise donations for their cause. 

Now on its third year in the Philippines, the campaign started in France in 1998 and has also been implemented in other countries such as Bolivia, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Guatemala, India, Italy, Peru, Spain, United Kingdom and the USA. 

Dale Nelson Divinagracia, Action Against Hunger Fundraising and Resource Development Manager, shared “Malnutrition is prevalent in the areas where Action Against Hunger is working. In North Cotabato, there was a 5-year old child who was practically skin and bones, he was pale and his hair was not growing. He was suffering from wasting because he was not eating enough food and not having a varied diet. For months he was only eating boiled cassava, banana, and sweet potato."

The Philippines is facing a serious problem with malnutrition. 33% of children under 5 are malnourished. That’s 1 out of 3 children. Being in the food industry, restaurants are natural allies in the fight against hunger and child malnutrition. 

That's the idea behind this campaign - the participating restaurants will choose a dish (or dishes) from their menu and for every order of those dishes, a portion of the profit will be used for projects to fight hunger in the Philippines.

Action Against Hunger organization do this campign for the third time in the Philippines, and this year it will run from October 1 to December 1.

6 simple resons to join the campain: 

• Be part of an international campaign
• Saving the lives of malnourished children in the Philippines
• Minimal costs, easy implementation
• Media exposure in traditional media and social networks
• Benefit of positive PR: attract and retain customers
• Motivate your staff in supporting a life-saving cause

The key is to unite our voices to highlight the problem and provide sustainable solutions. You will be part of an international campaign spanning four continents that has been supported by world renowned chefs and restaurants. 

Here's how to join the fight against hunger with some easy steps:

• Restaurant owners can easily participate by answering the form online and diners can help by patronizing the restaurants. You can sign your restaurant up to become a participant at www.restaurantsagainsthungerphilippines.org. 

• They don’t have a minimum or a maximum amount for the donations and it’s very easy to implement. You also don’t have to worry about having extra work because Action Against Hunger will provide the marketing materials like the posters, table-tops, “dishes that feed more” stickers to label the menu and information notes for the staff.

• For everyone, you can participate in the campaign by patronizing the participating restaurants and ordering their chosen dishes that will help raise donations for Action Against Hunger. The menu items will be labeled with “dishes that feed more” or you can ask the servers about them. 

• You can help combat hunger and malnutrition in the Philippines because if you order the featured dishes, a portion of the profit goes to their projects!

During the press conference last September 5 held at Acceler8, Paseo de Roxas, Makati, they shared to us that as of now, participating restaurants are: Alba Restaurante Español, Aracama, Azuthai, Café Mediterranean, Calderon, Chef Laudico OK Café, Chelsea Kitchen, Chotto Matte/Izakaya Sensu, Corner Tree Café, Cyma, Friends & Family/Coconut Club, Green Pastures, Grilla, Ikomai, Ilustrado, Kabila, Museum Café, Providore, Saboten, Sangkap, Simple Lang, Sobremesa, Terraz Bistro & Meetings, Terry’s Bistro, The Old Spaghetti House, The Shrimp Shack, Wild Ginger, and The Bistro Group

To know more about the campaign, visit www.restaurantsagainsthungerphilippines.org

 or follow these social media accounts 

www.actionagainsthunger.org / www.restaurantsagainsthungerphilippines.org

FB: @RestaurantsAgainstHungerPH / @ActionAgainstHungerPH

IG: @RestaurantsAgainstHungerPH 

Twitter : @EndHungerPH