BDO Remit Spain sets up donation drive for Taal eruption victims

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BARCELONA, SPAIN—BDO Unibank's remittance office in Barcelona, Spain has organized a donation drive to the distressed victims of the Taal eruption by putting up drop-off boxes for Filipinos who want to donate in kind.

DONATION DRIVE FOR TAAL VICTIMS. BDO Kabayan savings account holder Lee Mababangloob (far left), together with other members of the Filipino community in Barcelona, do their part in donating in kind to the victims of the Taal eruption, as facilitated by BDO Remit Spain. Assisting them is Marissa Manonson (far right), a BDO Remit Spain representative. Among the items that were donated include towels, mats, toiletries, and Euro coins, among others.

These donation boxes will then be delivered to BDO's corporate social responsibility arm, BDO Foundation, in the Philippines for distribution to the affected areas. Filipinos living in Barcelona are mostly from Batangas and Cavite, areas that continue to bear the brunt of the volcanic eruption.

Officers and staff of BDO Remit Spain have also visited Filipino communities in Barcelona including Filipino Asian stores, restaurants, medical providers, clinics, freight forwarders, travel agencies and grocery stores to promote their donation campaign. 

The St. Agustin Parish in Barcelona has likewise utilized the parish community to spread the word on the said charitable efforts. They posted BDO Remit's materials about the donation drive within church premises and regularly announced during the Sunday mass that drop-off donation boxes were put up.

"We have already filled up the first box of donations and is now on our 2nd box. More people are now donating and sending as a result of our info drive," said Gerard Ian M. Belarmino, marketing officer in BDO Remit Spain. "We are receiving positive responses from our Kabayans for our efforts especially the waived fees for those who want to donate anonymously. Filipino community leaders are also grateful to us for accepting coin donations to be remitted to the Philippines."

Local banks in Spain charge commissions for coin transactions. By remitting this through BDO instead, every Euro cent would be sent to the Taal victims.

These coin donations have totaled 700 Euros to date.

Last January 14, BDO waived its remittance fees on cash donations sent through the different BDO Remit offices abroad for the victims of the Mt. Taal eruption. This campaign runs up to March 31, 2020.

Cash donations sent through BDO Remit offices will then be coursed through different foundations namely BDO Foundation, ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc., GMA Kapuso Foundation, Inc., and Philippine Red Cross. In turn, these foundations will facilitate the purchase and distribution of relief goods in evacuation centers that temporarily house the Taal victims.

BDO has extensive remittance coverage across the globe, with overseas remittance offices and partners across Asia, Europe, North America, and the Middle East. 

Aside from the different BDO Remit offices, the Bank's global remit partners are also receiving cash donations for the benefit of the Taal eruption victims, including Remitly, Small World, WorldRemit, Azimo, UAE Exchange Centre, and Xpress Money. Regular remittance charges apply.

XTREME Summer Xtravaganza Promo!

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Be summer ready this 2020 with the XTREME Summer Xtravaganza Promo!

Get up to Php 3,995 worth of item (TV, Microwave oven, or rice cooker) when you purchase  select products from XTREME from March 1, 2020 to May 31, 2020! 

WHAT: XTREME Summer Xtravaganza Promo

WHEN: March 1, 2020 to May 31, 2020

WHERE: XTREME Stores Nationwide

How: Get a free item when one you purchase select XTREME Appliance

Hete's the Promo list:

Ghie Pangilinan opens 2020 with successful “Skin Magical Learn and Earn Caravan” and Skin Magical Cares

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The award winning entrepreneur and recognized as Most Influential Entrepreneur of the Year under the 14th Gawad Pilipino Awards, Ghie Pangilinan of Skin Magical knows how to start the new year with a bang.

Ghie Pangilinan, the CEO and the woman who has grown Skin Magical to be the best distributors of beauty products in the country in a period of four short years. 

On the second day of 2020, Pangilinan kicked off the First Skin Magical Caravan in her hometown of Morong, Rizal. About 150 people took part in the caravan where they learned about Skin Magical, how they could start their own business and how online selling works.

“I really want to share this business with as many people as possible,” Pangilinan said. “I give them tips on how to succeed in this business and I always tell them that they should treat their clients as friends, that they should focus on this business and that they should remain loyal to the brand.”

Pangilinan added that she will never get tired of sharing her story because if it were not for Skin Magical, her husband Jerry might still be an overseas Filipino worker.

“It takes perseverance, determination and a lot of hard work to make it big in the online business,” she said. “You also have to be honest in all your dealings with your partners and clients.”

The highlight of the caravan, which also took place in Quezon City, Bulacan, Pampanga, Caloocan and Laguna for the month of January, was the Live selling portion titled “Gandang Palaban Reseller.” The participants showed off their selling skills and the winners were awarded reseller packages.

The second wave of the Skin Magical Caravan is currently ongoing. For the month of February, the caravan has already made waves in Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Tarlac and Bataan. 

The Skin Magical team took a break from its caravan activities when Taal Volcano erupted last January 12, 2020. Through Skin Magical Cares, the team led by the Pangilinan couple, responded to those in need by conducting relief operations in the towns of Bauan, Tanauan and Alitagtag, all in Batangas. More than 400 families benefitted from the relief operations.

“We know how it feels to be down and out and taking part in relief operations is our way of helping our fellow Filipinos to literally rise up from the ashes of Taal,” Pangilinan said. “There is only one way to go for those who are already down and that way is to go up. We are just doing our share to help them overcome this calamity.”

This year, Pangilinan is scheduled to launch her own book and Skin Magical brochure to be published by ABS-CBN Publishing.

“Please watch out for the launch of my book because I will share with you tips on how to make your own Skin Magical business a success,” she said. “We will keep you posted.” 

Heads up, podkids: SM Supermalls teams up with #TheLinyaLinyaShow for a special ‘self-love’ podcast episode

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Who said love month is just for couples? It’s for singles (a.k.a. self-partnered), too! 

SM Supermalls and The Linya-Linya Show team up for special podcast episodes featuring pop-doctor-slash-love-guru Gia Sison. 

Let’s talk about self-love this Valentine’s season as SM Supermalls and The Linya-Linya Show team up for special podcast episodes featuring pop-doctor-slash-love-guru Gia Sison with show host Ali Sangalang! 

“We value self-love just as much as any other forms of love. With our diverse retail offerings and leveled up malling experiences, we give our shoppers all the reasons to celebrate love at SM whether they are single or partnered,” said SM Supermalls senior vice president for marketing Jonjon San Agustin. 

With their crazy antics and playful banter, Ali and Doc Gia take listeners on a #WisdomWalk at SM Megamall as they talk about the true meaning of self-love in this day and age, and how they can practice it through the many fun lifestyle experiences available in SM malls nationwide. 

Make sure to catch the latest #TheLinyaLinyaShow special podcast episode on Spotify here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1DiyfIBzjAh6plD0CF3H4k. 

While you’re at it, you may also listen to your favorite valentine hits on SM Supermalls’ “Pinoys In Love” playlist. 

Join SM’s #MeForMe online promo for a chance to win a Linya-Linya shirt! Check out the @smsupermalls Facebook page to know more. For updates on SM Supermalls’ latest activities and events, visit www.smsupermalls.com. 

Filipino Design Thinking: Why the Philippines Pavilion is the Story of the Filipino

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Bangkota, the Philippines Pavilion at the 2020 Expo in Dubai is more than just an architectural masterpiece showcasing the Philippines. Woven within its undulating and free-flowing form is the 4,000-year journey and history of the Filipino people. 

Designed by visionary architect Royal Pineda, the “Bangkóta is a living coral reef, pulsating with people, movement, activities, flora and water features, all functioning as one global ecosystem.” Measuring a total outdoor area of 1,268 square meters and 385 square meters of winding path, with a total landscaped area of 676 meters that includes water features, the Bangkota is surrounded by a see-through and free-form wire mesh that exoskeleton that shelters visitors from morning and afternoon sun. 

Tapping into his own design philosophy of ‘Nature is Peace’, Royal took inspiration from the fact that coral reefs spread and thrive across the oceans, just as how Filipinos thrive across the world. This makes the Bangkota a transcendent architectural masterwork as it is as much about Filipinos as it is about the Philippines. 

The Philippines Pavilion is both an indoor and outdoor experience, with the undulating external structure acts as a protective, fertile habitat to the hidden treasures within. It thus becomes a venue to appreciate nature and its light and shadows, depth and expanse, widths and heights, breeze and humidity, warm and comfort, and the feel of raw and refined. 

At its core, the Philippines Pavilion is a monument to the creativity and compassion of the Filipino, as well as their unique bayanihan spirit. Further, Architect Pineda sees the Bangkota as an exploration of the Filipinos’ history that spans well before 1521, when Spanish colonizers first arrived in the Philippines, with famed curator Marian Roces responsible for piecing together the Filipinos’ millennia-long story, to ensure that the exhibits within the pavilion are based on solid historical and cultural facts. 

Inside, visitors play an active role in creating the narrative sequence by being given freedom to roam the pavilion’s spaces and exhibits. The interior spaces are designed to elicit both thought and action, offering varying levels of immersive experiences through art and film installations. Each visitor thus becomes part of the story, where digital interactive art forms cinematically surround the viewer. 

In the same vein, the Bangkota is a celebration of the Filipino creativity. This is the reason why an entire network of collaborators such as National Artist for Music Ramon Santos, visual maverick Avid Liongoren, and 11 of the Philippines’ prominent artists have been called upon to contribute their own interpretation of the Bangkota’s overarching theme of permeability, connectivity, and sustainability. With artists, designers, and creators lending their skills and talents, the Bangkota is truly a product of the bayanihan spirit and a genuine example of design thinking that Filipinos can call their own. 

The Bangkota will open in Dubai on October 20, 2020.