Five Benefits of a Staycation

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Staycation, a combination of the word “stay” and “vacation” is not a new concept. It is simply when one chooses to stay at their home country or check-in at a hotel, instead of going abroad for vacation. A staycation or holistay, as defined by Wikipedia, is also a period in which an individual participates in leisure activities within driving distance of his or her own home. Lately, the trend has been increasing as more numbers of people now find more peace by spending time at home and have some needed rest and relaxation. More than that, staycations also offer a lot of quiet and humble benefits.

1. Staycation  save time

Living in the Philippines means having to battle at least 3 hours of travel going from home to work and vice versa. Just imagine how much worse the traffic can get when it is a drive going to the airport! More than that, long airline terminal queues also eat up a significant part of a traveler’s day. Add all the hassle of traffic, terminal queues, departure procedures, etc. One day could easily be wasted on preparation.

2. Staycations are good for the environment

Checking in at a hotel also means contributing less to your carbon footprint! You would not have to use airplanes which require a massive amount of carbon emissions. Staying in a hotel is less harmful to the environment and really just pampers you to the core.

3. Staycations give time for meditation

Our fast-paced lifestyle limits our time to meditate and value the importance of rest. Taking a break during a staycation allows you to spend your energy on your body and use it as a time for spiritual, emotional, and physical rest and healing.

4. Staycations can inspire

Having some down time also gives you a chance to explore more ideas. Quiet times away from chaos can generate fresh ideas and inspirations that can later be turned to productive projects.

5. Staycations save money

Staycations also save a huge amount of money. You need not worry about spending so much on food, budgeting travel expenses, and expensive air fares. All staycations really ask of you is to stay put and rest at your own terms.

Already convinced to hold your well-deserved, yet affordable R & R? Century Park Hotel (CPH) is here to make it happen! Located at the heart of Manila, CPH boasts facilities and rooms that are perfect for you to simply unwind and enjoy your time with your family. Currently, CPH has Summer Solstice Special Room Rate promo which starts at Php 3,500 (net) per room per night. Now reap the benefits of that staycation the quick, affordable, and easy way at your home away from home, Century Park Hotel!

Launched in 1976, the Century Park Hotel remains as one of the finest hotels in Manila. It is owned and operated by Maranaw Hotels and Resort Corporation and enjoys a mix of local and international patrons. The renowned establishment has over 500 rooms in varied types and facilities for a complete dining and leisure experience. To know more about Century Park Hotel, visit www.centurypark.com or contact information@centurypark.com.ph and telephone number: (632) 528-8888.

BDO Foundation, BSP and DepEd push financial education for pupils

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BDO Foundation, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and Department of Education (DepEd) are ramping up efforts to maximize the benefits of their financial education program for public school students through the K-12 curriculum. 

DepEd secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones recently issued Memo no. 32, Series of 2019, announcing the dissemination of the financial literacy learning resources in all public schools nationwide. Developed by BDO Foundation in partnership with BSP and DepEd, the resources consist of ten sets of educational videos, lesson plans and discussion guides on such topics as savings, budgeting and entrepreneurship, among others. The issuance of the memo formalized the integration of said materials in Kindergarten classes and subjects like Araling Panlipunan, Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao and Mathematics for elementary students. 

BDO Foundation, BSP and DepEd added more content to the financial education program for public schools with the release of new financial literacy videos covering topics like saving, budgeting, investments, managing debt, the responsible use of credit, entrepreneurship and avoiding scams. Photo shows (from left) BDO Foundation president Mario Deriquito, DepEd secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones and BSP Center for Learning and Inclusion Advocacy managing director Pia Roman Tayag at the launch of the second batch of videos.

The learning resources for Kindergarten pupils focus on saving and the value of money. The Araling Panlipunanmaterials teach students how to save and when to spend by identifying needs versus wants. The Edukasyon saPagpapakatao lessons discuss the importance of hard work and resourcefulness in earning extra income. The Math classes, on the other hand, cover budgeting and financial planning. These materials are available on DepEd's online learning portal, where they can be readily accessed by teachers and trainers. 

"The financial education videos, lesson plans and discussion guides developed by the foundation, BSP and DepEd encourage students to learn effective ways to manage their money early on in their lives," said Mario Deriquito, president of BDO Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of BDO. "With the support of our dear teachers--our partners in mentoring the youth--we hope to share lessons on money matters with young Filipinos to help them achieve financial independence when they grow older." 

PHINMA Education and Quest Aim to Inspire Filipino Youth to Fulfill Their Dreams

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Manila, Philippines — PHINMA Education, a network of schools fast emerging as a leader in providing accessible quality education, has partnered with musician Jose Villanueva III, also known as Quest, for a campaign to inspire young Filipinos to pursue their education and fulfill their dreams.

PHINMA Education has launched the campaign with Quest’s new song “Sasamahan Kita,” which talks about keeping dreams alive in the face of challenges and counting on a support system to achieve a brighter future. This supports the company’s longstanding mission of “making lives better through education.”

In writing “Sasamahan Kita,” Quest took inspiration from his own childhood. Battling poverty, Quest found his first mentor in his grandmother, a teacher, who taught him the value of education and the importance of having a strong role model.

“My grandmother took care of us from the start. I placed myself in her—a teacher’s—shoes and wrote about the experience. I saw how much she dedicated her life to her profession. I saw her dedication and hard work,” shared Quest. “She inspired me to work hard and never give up.”

For Quest, his grandmother’s example led him to value education and seek people who would support him and his dreams.

“I’m a big advocate of getting an education and having the right mentors. I had to learn that I needed to surround myself with the right people,” he added. “The people in my life gave me the confidence I needed to dream and achieve, no matter how small.”

It was Quest’s passion for education and desire to pay it forward that inspired PHINMA Education to link up with the artist.

“When the opportunity to work with a passionate partner like PHINMA Education was presented, I gladly accepted. Through this anthem, we aim to raise the spirits of the Filipino youth, remind them of the value of education, and even pursue their educational opportunities with PHINMA Education,” said Quest.

“At PHINMA Education, we believe that education is key to creating a better, brighter future,” shared PHINMA Education President Chito Salazar. “We share Quest’s advocacy giving Filipino youth a strong support system. Working on ‘Sasamahan Kita’ has given us the chance to highlight how education haschanged the lives of our own students and those of young Filipinos from households with limited income across the country.”

Quest’s music video for “Sasamahan Kita” features PHINMA Education institution Araullo University (Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija) and the stories of three of its students: Harry Bibat, a BS Criminology student who moonlights as a tricycle driver; Aldrin Aquino, a BS Civil Engineering student who works as a student assistant; and Erika Balaoing, a BS Civil Engineering student who makes a living as a farmer to help support her family and her studies.

With PHINMA Education, students like Harry, Aldrin, and Erika have access to an education that focuses on active learning; provides an industry-relevant, skills-oriented curriculum; and encourages them to develop their soft skills and leverage their motivations to create tangible results. They also have access to scholarship programs without a grade retention component, making it easier for students to stay in school and complete their degree programs.

To date, PHINMA Education’s network covers Araullo University (Nueva Ecija), Cagayan de Oro College (Cagayan de Oro), Southwestern University (Cebu), University of Iloilo (Iloilo), University of Pangasinan (Pangasinan), and Saint Jude College (Manila).

PHINMA Education’s structured, gritty approach to education has already started to bear fruit. More than 80% of its graduates find employment within a year of their graduation. In addition, the PHINMA Education schools have recorded a 100% passing rate for first-time examinees in 40 different board examinations, including nursing, civil engineering, accountancy, criminology, and education.

For more info on PHINMA Education, visit www.phinma.edu.ph. Stream “Sasamahan Kita” on Quest’s official Spotify channel and watch the official music video on PHINMA Education’s official Facebook page (@phinmaeducation) and YouTube channel (PHINMA Education). ###

Leading the midrange game: realme Philippines brings realme 3 Pro to the market

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Ready to lead in the midrange smartphone segment, realme Philippines introduces the latest addition to its lineup, the realme 3 Pro. Packed with outstanding smartphone essentials such as optimal system performance, superior cameras and long battery life, the #RealGamingPro is a champion designed to elevate the midrange experience.

Photo shows (L-R) realme Philippines Marketing Lead Eason De Guzman, realme Philippines CEO Neil Zhou, realme Philippines COO Jacky Chen and realme Philippines Marketing Director Austine Huang showing to the press their latest midrange champion, the #RealGamingPro, realme 3 Pro!

In order to give the fans and audience a first-hand look and experience of the gaming capabilities of the device, a Mobile Legends tournament was held after the reveal of the realme 3 Pro, making it the first smartphone launch in the Philippines that hosted a mobile gaming tournament.

The realme 3 Pro runs on a powerful Snapdragon 710 processor that can significantly accelerate the performance of AI-based applications and ensure smart power efficiency for a bug-free and optimized smartphone experience. The impressive processor is supported by RAM and storagehuge for this price segment -- 4GB RAM+64GB storage and 6GB RAM+128GB storage --guaranteed to rev up the device for full gaming speed. To further embody the promise of gaming power and speed, the phone’s aesthetic combines a good mix of racing elements and Le Mans track.

Raising the bar even higher for midrange smartphones is the realme 3 Pro’s imaging features. The phone has a combination of 16MP+5MP rear shooter camera supported by a Sony IMX 519 image sensors. Its selfie camera supports 25MP. It also packs the two unique camera features ofthe realme 3 -- Chroma Boost mode, which optimizes photos and produces richer color presentation, and the upgraded Super Nightscape, which smartly adjusts the exposure of images taken with extremely dim lighting.

The realme 3 Pro ensures many hours of use with its 4045mAh large-capacity battery, the biggest capacity in its price range. It also carries the brand-new VOOC 3.0 technology with a 20W (5V4A) charging power for efficient power transformation and charging speed.

“We see how mobile gaming continues to gain traction here in the Philippines and want to support the goal of a growing number of Filipinos to become gaming legends. With the realme 3 Pro, we know we have just the right device to help them be the gaming pros that they truly are. The realme 3 Pro is finally here in the Philippines, ready to slay in any battlefield with you with its powerful features that won’t cost you diamonds. Be the champs you aspire to be with our #RealGamingPro,” shares Jacky Chen, realme Philippines Chief Operating Officer.

Greater gaming power

The realme 3 Pro is supported by a 10nm process-manufactured Snapdragon 710 processor and Kyro eight-core architecture to achieve a clock speed up to 2.22GHz. It is also equipped with an Adreno 616 GPU to guarantee real visual sense and more efficient and advanced 3D image rendering compatible with the latest graphics APIs. 

The smartphone is also engineered with the brand new 14-bit Qualcomm Spectra 250 ISP to support still image capture of up to 32MP and video capture up to Ultra HD 4K, along with zero shutter lag, motion compensated temporal filtering and accelerated electronic image stabilization.

The Qualcomm multicolor AI engine in the realme 3 Pro is two times more powerful thanprevious AI engine. With the Snapdragon X15 modem, mobile applications will be downloaded much faster and the Wi-Fi coverage will get an apparent boost.

The realme 3 Pro boasts a 4045mAh large-capacity battery, allowing users to enjoy many hours of gaming fun without having to worry about running out of juice. Further boosting the phone’s power is the brand-new VOOC 3.0 flash technology, which charges the phone to 50 percent in just 30 minutes and 100 percent in 80 minutes. The built-in 10nm silicon reduces the risk of overheating while handling heavy-duty tasks.

Design enhancing gaming and visual experience

Complementing the phone’s speed and performance and to offer users better sensory experience, the realme 3 Pro’s design features elements from the Le Mans track and racing. It has a light grating effect and an oblique gradient colorway that comes with an irregular S-shaped pattern and unique rhythm as its back cover design.

To give customers a better grip and visual experience, the realme 3 Pro features double waistlines in the middle similar to those in cars to create a sense of rhythm and speed. Its 3D plastic shell makes for a more streamlined and lightweight body but with a better touch.

The #RealGamingPro features a dewdrop design that aligns the front camera and light and distance sensors. It has a 90.8 percent screen-to-body ratio with its 6.3-inch water drop screen top and 1.55-meter-wide bezel, delivering super wide view for even greater visual immersionperfect for slaying enemies in any mobile game.

Camera features for high-grade photography

The realme 3 Pro has 16MP+5MP rear dual cameras supported by Sony IMX 519 image sensors. Its 25MP selfie camera delivers high-quality color presentation, detail restoration and exposure. The camera can recognize 16 independent scenes and 100 scene combinations to automatically select the best exposure strategy for better dynamic range and contrast ratio. The realme 3 Pro further has a 960fps/720P slow-motion video capability for capturing all those wonderful moments.

The two unique features found in its predecessor realme 3 have been upgraded in the realme 3 Pro – the Chroma Boost and the Super Nightscape modes. The Chroma Boost feature uses AI technology to identify and optimize scenes and reveal richer details and highlights and shadows. The Super Nightscape mode, superior to other night photography smartphone features, provides definite exposure in extremely dim lighting and keeps noise under control to make photos much clearer.

Intensifying the user’s photography game is the Ultra HD mode that produces high-quality photos with high-pixel image sensors through multiframe synthesis technology.

Pricing and availability

Offering real midrange champion value, the realme 3 Pro is available in 4GB+64GB and 6GB+128GB storage variants for Php12,990 and Php14,990, respectively. It will be available exclusively in all realme kiosks and partner stores nationwide such as MemoXpress, PC Express and Fonestyle.

“In response to growing interest in our products and the robust smartphone market, we are diversifying and opening more channels to make the purchasing of realme products more convenient for our customers and users. This is why the realme 3 Pro will be offered exclusively offline for us to promote our kiosks, which are also expanding in number alongside our expansion as a brand,” shares Eason de Guzman, realme Philippines Marketing Lead. 

The realme 3 Pro is anticipated to set new records as it meets the needs of smartphone users. The #RealGamingPro will be available in three color variants, namely Nitro Blue and Lightning Purple, both of which have an oblique gradient colorway, and Carbon Gray, which comes with an optical coating that increases refraction and reduces reflection.

Pre-ordered realme 3 Pro smartphones can be redeemed beginning May 25. Realme fans can be the first ones to get their own realme 3 Pro through Home Credit’s 6-month installment with0% interest.

To celebrate the gaming champ's arrival in the Philippines, a parade of diamonds is in order. Ranked Mobile Legends Players can score diamonds when they purchase a realme 3 Pro anytime from May 25 to May 26. Grand master rank players get 100 free diamonds, epic rank players get 300 free diamonds, legend rank players get 500 free diamonds and mythic rank players get 1,000 free diamonds.

Customers are encouraged to follow the realme official Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts. Purchasers of the realme 3 Pro are also welcome to join the realme community on Facebook to see the latest news and discussions about the brand. Members also get exclusive invites to gatherings, special offers and many more.

ABOUT REALME

Realme is a technology brand that specializes in providing high-quality smartphones. Established on May 4, 2018, National Youth Day of China, the brand is committed to offering powerful performance, stylish design and quality services to Filipinos, in particular the youth, to enable them to explore and experience more possibilities with their smartphones.

America’s Got Talent Season 14 Returns with a Bang This May, Boasts New Host and Judges

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New weekly episodes will air on AXN within 48 hours of U.S. telecast with same-day encore telecast 

America’s top variety competition series, America’s Got Talent, is set to hit the screens with its 14th Season at the end of this month.

A stark departure from its previous seasons, fans of the global ratings juggernaut are in for a big surprise as the upcoming season will bring with it a few changes including a fresh host and two new judges.

“Brooklyn Nine-Nine” star Terry Crews will take over Tyra Banks as host of the hit series, a role he is familiar with, having emceed the highly rated spinoff “America’s Got Talent: The Champions”. Meanwhile, award-winning actress, author and producer Gabrielle Union as well as actress, dancer, singer and Emmy Award-winning choreographer Julianne Hough will debut as the series’ new judges, alongside executive producer Simon Cowell and fan favourite Howie Mandel, to shake up the judges’ table. 

Union and Hough will replace singer Mel B and model Heidi Klum who had both been sitting on the judges’ panel since Season 8. Together, the refreshed panel of judges will sift through hundreds of auditions nationwide in search of the most unique, jaw-dropping and show-stopping performers worthy of the chance to be crowned as the ultimate winner of America’s Got Talent. 

“The Got Talent is indeed a successful reality format due to its ability to move and bring fans and participants together despite of cultural and geographical differences. This year, we're looking forward to the new and bold changes that America's Got Talent Season 14 has to offer. It'll be another season of surprising highlights, wild and unimagined discoveries and tons of chatter. Seasons after seasons, we will continue to build AXN as the Home of Talent," said Virginia Lim, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Distribution and Networks, Sony Pictures Television.

Once again, this year’s series promises to be a season of spectacular talents and extraordinary participants. Fans can catch the brand-new season of America’s Got Talent from Thursday, 30 May 2019 at 6pm (5pm JKT/BKK) on AXN, within 48 hours of the U.S. telecast. Same-day encore telecast is available at 8pm (7pm JKT/BKK).

Watch America’s Got Talent Season 14 official trailer here.

For the latest videos and updates on America’s Got Talent;

Subscribe to @AXNAsia YouTube channel here​

Follow @AXNAsia on Facebook here

#AXNAGT #AXNAsia

About AXN

AXN is a leader of regionally produced original content in Asia, with notable ratings successes including two record-breaking seasons of Asia’s Got Talent, five seasons of the award-winning The Amazing Race Asia; The Elements: Cosentino; Adventure Your Way; Cash Cab Asia and Cash Cab Philippines; The Apprentice Asia; Cyril: Rio Magic; Cyril’s Family Vacation: Hawaii Edition; and Cyril: Simply Magic.

Launched first in Asia in 1997, AXN is a global channel brand with a presence in Latin America, Africa and Europe. In Asia, the channel is enjoyed in 133 million households across 21 territories and is available in both SD and HD. AXN Asia is wholly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment and managed by Sony Pictures Television Networks, Asia.

About Sony Pictures Television

Sony Pictures Television (SPT) is one of the television industry’s leading content providers, producing and distributing programming worldwide in every genre and for every platform. In addition to managing one of the industry’s largest libraries of award-winning feature films, television shows and formats, SPT is home to a thriving global production business operating 21 wholly-owned or joint venture production companies in 12 countries around the world. Sony Pictures Television is a Sony Pictures Entertainment Company.