Announcing the official Philippine National Volleyball Team lineup for the 2019 SEA Games

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The Philippine national men’s and women’s volleyball teams have released their official line-ups for the games, featuring a pool of talented professional and competitive players. 

Here is a look at our Volleyball representatives eyeing a podium finish in the regional meet.

MEN’S NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL TEAM

Joining the men’s national volleyball team are talented players who have made their mark in the sport. Headlining the team is a powerful trio collectively known as BAE (a playful acronym of their surnames), and their team captain John Vic de Guzman.

John Vic de Guzman

Men’s national volleyball team captain John Vic de Guzman is a stellar pro athlete with the PLDT Home Fibr Ultra Fast Hitters. He shot to prominence through his winning collegiate career, leading De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde to an NCAA championship in Season 92, as well as earning the MVP honors along the way.

Bryan Bagunas

Bryan Bagunas is a collegiate MVP and Japan-based pro player. Bagunas led the Bulldogs to two UAAP championship runs and finished his storied collegiate career with two MVP titles. The 6-foot-5 athlete portrays his power on the court through his long wing-span and powerful spikes, taking his talents not only to the Philippine national team, but also to the Oita Miyoshi Weisse Adler volleyball club in Japan.

Alnakran “Ranran” Abdilla

Alnakran “Ranran” Abdilla is a standout pro from Tawi-Tawi, Mindanao. He is a BS Criminology graduate from DLSU-Dasmarinas, where he helped the team win three national championships from the Private Schools Athletic Association, two from the National Capital Region Athletic Association, and three from the Universities and Colleges Athletic Association. He currently plays in the Premier Volleyball League for the Philippine Air Force, in which he also serves as an airman 2^nd class. Folks in his hometown of Bongao revere him as a hero and a role model for the youth.

Marck Espejo

Marck Espejo is the country’s first ever “Mr. Volleyball,” proving himself a force to be reckoned with. Espejo’s crowning achievement is winning the Most Valuable Player in Ateneo de Manila University’s three consecutive championship seasons from UAAP Seasons 77 to 79, along with Rookie of the Year, Best Attacker, Best Server, and Best Scorer awards.

Together with Bagunas, Abadilla, Espejo, and De Guzman, the Men’s National Team, coached by Dante Alinsunurin, is completed by these talented players:

• Francis Saura – Philippine Air Force
• Kim Malabunga – Philippine Air Force
• Ricky Marcos – Sta. Elena-NU Bulldogs
• Esmilzo Polvorosa – Cignal HD Spikers
• Jessie Lopez – Philippine Air Force
• Ave Joshua Retamar – Sta. Elena-NU Bulldogs
• Rex Intal – Cignal HD Spikers
• Mark Alfafara – PLDT
• Jack Kalingking – Philippine Navy
• Joshua Umandal – PLDT
• 
  

WOMEN’S NATIONAL VOLLEYBALL TEAM

The star-studded and jam-packed women’s team is headlined by the best and brightest volleyball stars of this generation. Led by Coach Cesael delos Santos, the team hopes to earn home-court advantage as they look to bring back the glory days of Philippine volleyball. Some of the headliners are:

Aby Maraño

A champion professional and collegiate MVP, women’s national team captain Aby Maraño plays with a burning passion under the mantra Beast Mode Don’t Care, or BMDC. Maraño shot to fame in her college days playing for the De La Salle University Lady Spikers, where she helped the team win an impressive three consecutive UAAP championships, earning two MVP awards along the way. Maraño has also had a successful pro career thus far, winning six championships in the Philippine Super Liga, five of which were with the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers. With this dazzling resume of accolades under her belt, Maraño will be looking to lead the team in dominating the field at the 2019 SEA Games this November.

Alyssa Valdez

Alyssa Valdez, affectionately known as “The Phenom,” is one of the most popular athletes of her generation. She’s best known for her time as a star player of Ateneo de Manila University during her college days, where she unceasingly led her team to two UAAP and two Shakey’s V-League championships, as well as numerous individual awards for her amazing play, including three MVP awards. Valdez has also been a standout in donning the Philippine tri-color in international tournaments, as well as in her pro career, leading her current team the Creamline Cool Smashers to two Premier Volleyball League championships in 2018 and 2019.

Majoy Baron

Majoy Baron is another champion pro and collegiate MVP.  She is truly unpredictable when she starts hitting it out on the court. She led the De La Salle University Lady Spikers to three consecutive UAAP championships, where she also won individual awards because of her commendable performance. Baron’s pro career is also flourishing, helping take the F2 Logistics Cargo Movers to five PSL championships, including the recently-concluded 2019 PSL Invitational Conference, in which she also won MVP. Baron is not new to international volleyball tournaments—just recently, she was named the Best Middle Blocker in the ASEAN Grand Prix held in Thailand and the Philippines.

Jia Morado

Jia Morado is an award-winning pro MVP and former college standout who has previous experience representing the Philippines in the SEA Games. During the recently concluded 2019 ASEAN Grand Prix, Morado made noise by setting the pace for the national team during its five-set victory against Vietnam. Netizens praised her outstanding performance, with some describing her playmaking as a “game changer.” Her pro career with the Creamline Cool Smashers has seen incredible accomplishments so far, with two Premiere Volleyball League championships playing for the club.

Completing the promising women’s national volleyball team in the 2019 SEA Games are:

• Rhea Dimaculangan – Petron Tri-Activ Spikers
• Ces Molina – Petron Tri-Activ Spikers
• Eya Laure – Foton Tornadoes
• Kalei Mau – F2 Logistics Cargo Movers
• Mylene Paat – Cignal HD Spikers
• Jovelyn Gonzaga – Cignal HD Spikers, PacificTown-Army
• Maddie Madayag – Choco Mucho
• Mika Reyes – Petron Blaze Spikers
• Dawn Macandili – F2 Logistics Cargo Movers
• Kath Arado – Generika-Ayala Lifesavers

Cheering as Sambansa in the 2019 SEA Games

Now that we know who will represent the Philippines at the SEA Games this November, don’t be shy to show your support! Both the men and women’s teams have been busy preparing with the help of various organizations and companies such as Rebisco, and they will need all the support they can get from their Filipino fans as our players look to play their best against the top talent of Southeast Asia and bring home the gold.

The volleyball tournament of the 2019 SEA Games will be held from November 28 to December 10 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, Rizal Sports Complex, Manila.

For more info and updates on the Philippine national volleyball team, follow Rebisco Pilipinas on Facebook (facebook.com/RebiscoSambansa/), and on Twitter and Instagram at @RebiscoSambansa.

Millenial Pop Princess Janah Zaplan releases first Christmas Single under Star Music

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Janah Zaplan finds a new home. After signing an exclusive digital distribution deal with the country’s leading record label, Star Music, Janah is set to conquer new heights with the release of her very first Christmas single, “Sana Lagi Ay Pasko”, produced by the award-winning SonicState Audio Services helmed by songwriter/producer Brian Lotho. This is a big leap for Janah as she is now joining the star-studded line-up of artists distributed by Star, ABS-CBN’s music label arm. 

“Sana Lagi Ay Pasko” is a mid-tempo pop track penned by Brian Lotho, a young songwriter who has worked with big-named artists such as Christian Bautista, Maja Salvador, Jennylyn Mercado, among others. The song reflects the sentiments of our overseas workers who endure the loneliness of being away from their families, but look forward to the Christmas season to spend it with them.

Being an official Kapamilya excites the young singer. She hopes to be given the chance to work and collaborate not just with Star Music artists but with the network’s superstars as well like her idol, Sarah Geronimo. 

With “Sana Lagi Ay Pasko” Janah hopes to finally be recognized as one of OPM’s next big thing, a title she rightfully deserves.

Don’t pay cash, just send to bank with PayMaya! You can now instantly transfer funds to more than 40 banks with your PayMaya account

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Getting turned off by the hassles and extra transaction fees of moving money to another bank account? Did you wish you didn’t have to line up at a bank branch just to make a deposit? Now there’s no need to worry–you can now skip the line and send money the most convenient way with PayMaya’s Send Money to Bank feature powered by InstaPay!

That’s right, with your upgraded PayMaya account you can send money* to more than 40 local banks and financial institutions that can receive money via InstaPay. The best part is it’s absolutely instant and secure–helping account holders save time and effort whenever they need to send money to another person’s bank account.

“This new feature will definitely make it easier for PayMaya account holders to manage their money conveniently. Whether they’re sending money to an online seller or transferring money from one of their bank accounts to another, everything is instant and seamless with PayMaya’s new Send Money to Bank feature,” said Shailesh Baidwan, President of PayMaya.

It’s really easy to Send Money to Bank via PayMaya. In the app, go to Send Money and select To Bank Account. In the next screen, choose the bank or financial institution you’ll be sending money to, put in the amount you want to send, and fill in all the important details of your recipient. It’s so simple, and your recipient will get the money in an instant, and as of now PayMaya is not charging any transaction fees for the service until further notice.

This new feature is also in accordance with the efforts of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to increase the percentage of digital transactions in the country to 20% by the year 2020, under the National Retail Payment System (NRPS).

So if you’re looking for a better way to manage your money between accounts or you just want to avoid the hassles of falling in line at the bank, now is the best time to have a PayMaya account so you can take advantage of this exciting feature. 

Get your own PayMaya account by downloading the PayMaya app now for iOS or Android, and signing up today to feel the joy of sending money to anyone, anytime in the fastest, most secure, rewarding, and hassle-free way!

To know how you can get even more from your PayMaya account, check out www.PayMaya.com/deals or follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

PayMaya, the digital financial services arm of Voyager Innovations, is the only financial technology company in the Philippines offering integrated consumer and merchant payment solutions with the widest on-ground branch network. It is the first to give millions of Filipinos an e-wallet that allows them to pay cashless transactions at any time of the day, anywhere in the world, and from any device. It is the financial technology arm of Voyager Innovations, the leading technology company in the country backed by PLDT, KKR, Tencent, World Bank’s IFC and the IFC Emerging Asia Fund. 

*up to P50,000 or five times per day and until the account’s aggregate monthly limit has been reached

Coleen and EA’s on-screen chemistry sizzles in “Mia” trailer

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LEAD ACTORS Coleen Garcia and Edgar Allan Guzman displayexceptional on-screen chemistry in the official trailer of their latest film,“Mia,” released by Insight 360 Films in partnership with Viva Films.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Veronica Velasco, “Mia” is a romantic comedy filmabout a doctor Mia Salazar (Garcia) and a nerdy forester Jay Policarpio (Guzman).

Jay, who transforms mined-out land into rainforests, pursues the self-destructivealcoholic, Mia, who recently joined the government’s Doctor To The Barrios program to heal from the tragedy of her fiance’s death.  

Showing that conflict sometimes belies an undercurrent of passion, Mia and Jay’s occasional clashes soon create compelling chemistry between them.

The trailer, which was released on various prominent Youtube and Facebook channels including Insight 360, Mia: The Movie, CinemaBravo, and Design Pirate PH, also features the film’s official soundtrack titled “Sa Iba Na Lang” performed by duo B.O.U. and written by Jayson Dedal.       

Other cast members include veteran actors Yayo Aguila and William Martinez, Billy Crawford, Star Orjaliza, Jeremy Domingo, Sunshine Teodoro, Pau Benitez, and Xenia Barrameda.  

The screenplay was co-written by Velasco and Jinky Laurel while Noel Teehankee served as its director of photography.

Produced by public relations and digital marketing expert Chris Cahilig, “Mia” is scheduled to be in cinemas on January 15, 2020.

'Tis the Season to Thrill your Tastebuds with Yellow Cab's Potluck Holiday Bundle

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MANILA, Philippines, November 2019—Holiday get-togethers are best done over servings of tasty and generous meals. This year, Yellow Cab brings a burst of flavor to the holidays with its all-new Party Trays, the perfect addition to you and your squad’s rewarding festivities. Let the good times roll with Yellow Cab's signature edge-to-edge pizzas, and complete the experience with these filling trays!

Want to recharge your hungry squad? Light them up with Yellow Cab’s Baked Mac Pasta Tray, with perfectly cooked macaroni and savory ground beef in a sweet and tangy tomato sauce, or the Mac & Cheese Pasta Tray, an oven-baked macaroni and cheese dashed with spices and topped with crumbled bacon.

Looking for a fun, protein-packed star for your next gathering? Get the Wings Tray for a crispy and juicy addition to your holiday spread! Enjoy 32 pieces of these perfectly cooked wings and choose up to four variants per tray, which include the original Hot Chix, buttery Garlic Parmesan, lip-smacking Sweet Soy, sweet and tangy Sriracha, zesty Lemon Pepper, and fiery Smoked Chipotle, to give your holidays a bit of a kick.

Indulging a big crowd? Get all these new Party Trays and more with Yellow Cab’s Potluck Holiday Bundle! This deal includes one Pasta Tray of your choice, one 32-piece Wings Tray, two 10-inch Cheese pizzas, and two 10-inch pizzas with flavors of your choice. You may pick from Yellow Cab’s assortment of Classic and Signature selections such as Manhattan Meatlovers, Garden Special, BBQ Chicken, New York Classic, and Hawaiian. Enjoy these for only PHP 2,799—save up to PHP 835!

“Yellow Cab is here to make your holidays a fitting celebration to the end of the year,” shared Charlene Sapina, Marketing Head of Yellow Cab Pizza Co. “With our new Party Trays and Potluck Holiday Bundle, you can add excitement to your next gathering with our flavorful deal that packs a punch, served in satisfying and generous portions.”

Customers can avail of Yellow Cab’s Potluck Holiday Bundle promo until January 15, 2020 for take-out, delivery, or curbside pick-up.

Celebrate the holidays with your squad and feast on Yellow Cab's edge-to-edge pizzas, crisp and juicy wings, and mouthwatering pastas with the Potluck Holiday Bundle! For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/YellowCabPizzaOfficial/.