Cruise the World with Chef Anton Amoncio

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Celebrity chef Anton Amoncio embarks on an exciting adventure to start 2019. See him and fellow hosts Patty Lee, Yvonne Man, and Michele Lean as they cross the vast ocean on a cruise ship while presenting coastal destinations that will leave the viewers in awe with the new TLC show, Cruise the World.

On the first two episodes of Cruise the World, Patty and Chef Anton meet each other while on a cruise. Forging new friendship, they travel together and introduce their respective countries, Taiwan and the Philippines. Fun and adventure await them as they head to their two getaways.

The pair starts their journey on Patty’s homeland Taiwan where Chef Anton and the viewers discover something new on the island state. Chef Anton and Patty later venture to the Philippines and explore Palawan, one of the country’s famous tourist attractions where they experience local culture and cuisine.

“Traveling with strangers is something new to me. Working with Patty is super fun and cool. We had great chemistry while doing the show,” shares Chef Anton.

Chef Anton is the grand prize winner and the first Filipino to win in the Asian Food Channel’s Food Hero Asia in 2016. He is the host of Asian Food Channel and The Food Network Channel. Meanwhile, Patty is a host, actress, singer, and model from Taiwan. She is the host of the TLC travel show, Fun Taiwan First Timer, and the Taiwanese dive show, 30 Meters Underwater.

The other two TLC hosts are Yvonne Man (journalist and host of Bloomberg TV) of Hong Kong and Michele Lean (television presenter, Asia Food Channel host, and TV chef) of China. They will be featured on the third and fourth episodes of Cruise the World. 

The four-episode show will premiere on January 19, Saturday, at 7:10pm (SEA and PH) and 8:00pm (TW) as well as January 20, Sunday, at 6:00pm (India). 

Chef Anton Amoncio is a talent of Asian Artists Agency. For inquiries, please call (02) 855-4765 or (02) 405-4423, email info@asianartistsagency.com, and visit fb.com/asianartistsagency

EasyDebit: One of the Philippines’ leading fintech solutions celebrates significant growth with transaction volumes of over 1billion pesos processed since its launch in 2017

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• Growth of 466% in transaction value 2018 v 2017
• Growth of 375%  in transaction volume 2018 v 2017
• Over 100% growth in network locations across the Philippines 2018 v 2017

Manila, Philippines -  Fexco EasyDebit, one of the Philippines most innovative fintech solutions is today marking a significant period of growth having processed over 1billion pesos in transactions since its launch in 2017. The growth is further reflected in increases of cash withdrawal amounts (up 466% in 2018 v 2017) and transaction volume (up 375% in 2018 v 2017).

EasyDebit is a unique service that uses a mobile Point of Sale (or mPOS Pin Entry Device) and a mobile phone allowing customers in the Philippines to withdraw cash using their ATM card at any number of local accredited merchants including; payment and remittance centres, retailers, rural banks and cooperatives instead of having to travel to an ATM.

EasyDebit is a ‘plug and play’ solution requiring minimal installation for merchants who simply download the EasyDebit Mobile App. The solution has the capacity to reach over 100million people, many of whom are disconnected from the limited ATM infrastructure in the Philippines. Through merchant uptake and participation EasyDebit promotes financial inclusion by providing more secure access to cash withdrawal for the millions of unbanked Filipinos. Uptake of EasyDebit increased by 100% in 2018 (v2017) and the solution is now live with over 700 merchants across the country.

Speaking about the growth seen by EasyDebit this year, Ann Chan Foley, CEO at Fexco Philippines, Inc. commented, “2018 represents a significant year for the business. We have seen hugely positive growth trends across the county in terms of transaction volume, value and merchant growth demonstrating the robustness of the solution. We are excited to continue this growth in 2019 as we further expand the EasyDebit network helping to reach more unbanked and underserved Filipinos.”

About Fexco

Recognised as one of the world’s original and most established fintech organisations, Fexco employs over 2,300 people across its suite of companies headquartered in Killorglin, Co. Kerry located in the South West of Ireland.  Founded in 1981, Fexco now has operations in 29 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, North America and Latin America.

Fexco serves some of the world’s biggest brands across multiple industries, predominantly in the payments and FX sectors, through a wide range of innovative products and services including; Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), Multi Currency Pricing (MCP), Tax Free Shopping and Retail FX. Fexco also offers bespoke Managed Business Solutions and Outsourcing services as well as a full suite of payment management solutions through its Corporate Payments business.

Since inception, Fexco has been driven by an entrepreneurial and innovative spirit. This ethos has brought the company to new regions and industries of growth, connecting customers with exciting new opportunities. Through its commitment to partnership and innovation, the company has built an international network of customers. To find out more visit www.fexco.com 

About EasyDebit

FEXCO has developed a microATM card solution for merchants which allows merchants to offer cardholders cash out and balance inquiries. The EasyDebit solution acts as an additional revenue stream for merchants who earn a fee from each transaction. The solution is safe and secure, accredited to the highest security standards - PCI DSS and EMV Level 1 & 2 compliant. To find out more visit www.easydebitasia.com

Email Marketing - Some Information on Permission

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There are a lot of email marketers who are aware that permission is important but they do not understand why this is a vital part of email marketing. Do you know that email marketers who know how to do it often get emails that are clicked and opened by their subscribers? If your company would also get high revenues, then this is a sure sign that your email marketing works. 

What about businesses who do not understand what permission is for? They have a greater chance of having emails that are not opened. They miss out on things that might possibly increase their revenue and their overall sales. 

What is Permission? 

This is the process wherein you would like to get consent from your subscribers to make sure that they agree that you will be allowed to send them email messages regarding your brand. There are times when you can only get implied permission when you already have some sort of relationship with the person that you are sending the email to. 

If not, you may allow people to subscribe with their own free will to gain permission to access your newsletter. They may do this by signing up on your website. Usually, this would be done by entering their email address in a subscribe form. 

Make the Most Out of Permission 

You have been given permission to provide newsletters to your customers. What are you supposed to do then? You need to make the most out of it. Since it will always be their choice if they would continue receiving emails from you or not, you have to make sure that they would always like to get your emails. If not, they would surely unsubscribe. 

What happens when you send people emails even if they have not given any permission? One thing that can happen is they will completely ignore the email. They will send the email to trash without checking what you have to say. The worse option is if they label your email as spam. This will make it harder for you to send emails not only to that email address but the other emails on the same list. 

The more that you understand what permission is for email marketing, the better.

Fashion trends to look forward to in 2019

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The New Year means new beginnings and new trends. Be the first to know the newest fashion trends. SM offers a 2019 fashion forecast and useful tips to help up your style game. 

Here are the top fashion trends for 2019:

Shine with bright, bold colors. Add a punch of color to your wardrobe with coral, the Pantone color of the year. Lurid blue, yellow and red are also expected to reign supreme this year, as well as muddy brown and electric green. Match the bright colors with near-neutrals like beige for maximum impact.

Bring on the ruffles…lots and lots of ’em. These fabulous frocks are expected to dominate everything from casual to formal wear this year. It is the new fashion statement for women who want to make an entrance without showing too much skin. 

Experiment with scarves. Scarves can go a long way to inject fun changes to your every day look. They are versatile enough to be worn as a headscarf or around the neck with a bow. Consider playing with different materials and investing in a silk scarf for a more luxurious feel.

Walk on the wild side with safari fashion. To pull off this 2019 trend, treat every day like you’re going on an African safari. That means sporty silhouettes, shirt dresses, shorts, and capris.

Oversized suits and boyfriend clothes are here to stay. Overhaul your office wardrobe with oversized suits and jackets. Own the room with these suits that preserve comfort and exude power. 

For exclusive news about SM Supermalls, visit www.smsupermalls.com or follow SM’s official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and get an insider access to all the fun happenings at SM Supermalls nationwide through SM’s Viber Public Chat. Tweet your thoughts, upload and share your photos about your memorable moments at SM, then use its official hashtag #EverythingsHereAtSM.

Fuller and sweeter offer at Robinsons Supermarket

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Life is sweeter and fuller at Robinsons Supermarket as it offers lower-priced sugar and rice. White sugar is priced at P50 per kilo while brown sugar is sold at P45 per kilo. This is lower than the prevailing sugar prices in Metro Manila which ranges at P60 per kilo for white sugar and P48 per kilo for brown sugar. 

Shoppers can also buy rice at only P34-P39 per kilo. These price reductions are a welcome initiative supported by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Sugar Regulatory Administration as they have been encouraging retailers to provide Filipinos with more reasonable options.

“We thank the Robinsons Group for quickly offering to support the government’s Presyong Risonable Dapat program that can bring cheaper rice and sugar to all their outlets nationwide. This would make our kababayans happier as they will surely have easy access to these better-priced basic products,” said DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez.

This is not the first time that the supermarket lowered the price of basic commodities. Last September, Robinsons Supermarket and URSUMCO also reduced the price of sugar. This lower price on sugar is available in all Robinsons Supermarket and Easymart stores nationwide, while the special price for rice is currently available in 88 stores throughout Luzon.

Reasonably-priced rice and sugar. “Rice and sugar are staples in one’s grocery cart. Robinsons Supermarket is proud to support DTI’s initiative to provide reasonably-priced sugar to Filipinos,” said Robina Gokongwei-Pe, Robinsons Supermarket president & CEO. Joining her are (from left): JG Summit CEO Lance Gokongwei, Pure Rice Milling and Processing Corp., president Jojo Soliman, and DTI Secretary Ramon Lopez.

(From left): JG Summit president and CEO Lance Gokongwei, Sugar Regulatory Administrator Hermenegildo Serafica, Philippine Sugar Millers Association, Inc. deputy director for Legal Affairs Cocoy Barrera, Sugar Regulatory Deputy Administrator Rolex Beltran, DTI Sec. Ramon Lopez; Robinsons Supermarket president and CEO Robina Gokongwei-Pe, URC Sugar and Renewables vice-president and general manager Rene Cabati, and Pure Rice Milling and Processing Corp. president Jojo Soliman.