Five Mother’s Day gifts you can easily get online even while you're staying at home

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It's Mother’s Day  and while we're all on stay-at-home quarantine mode, it’s still more than possible to make your mom feel special on the day of the year that’s just for her! 

With many businesses now opening online stores with delivery and cashless payments options, finding a good gift for your mom should be a breeze. 

Here are some hassle-free gift ideas: 

1. For the movie junkie mom 

If your mom loves movies, why not give her access to all her favorite films and series with a Netflix subscription? You can even set up a movie night for the entire family complete with your go-to snacks. 

Subscribing to Netflix with your PayMaya virtual or physical card is easy. Buying snacks online at supermarkets like Landers and Super8 is also convenient, now that you can pay by simply keying in the mobile number linked to your PayMaya account. You can even score up to 100% Balik Bayad for your purchases!

2. For the mom who’s the senti type 

If you’re feeling a little crafty, you can also create a scrapbook for your mom. Compile photos of your favorite moments together as well as little memorabilia like theme park tickets, and use materials that are readily available at home. Include heartfelt letters from the entire family and get ready for some happy tears from your senti mom. 

If you don’t have art materials available, you can easily order them via National Bookstore at Lazada and pay with your PayMaya account. 

3. For the foodie mom 

What better way to spend a Mother’s Day than with the people she loves most? Plan a nice and warm Sunday meal with the whole family at home, and take the pressure off her hands by having her favorite food delivered. What’s even better is you can order food online at a PayMaya partner restaurant like McDonald's, Goldilocks, Army Navy, Shakey's, Red Ribbon, Chowking, Burger King, Domino's Pizza, Sariwon Korean Barbecue, Soban K-Town Grill, and Sibyullee Unlimited Korean BBQ, and pay using your phone number for up to 100% Balik Bayad! 

4. For the mom who’s practical 

One great way to show your love for your mom who keeps the house together is by helping out with the household expenses. Take care of groceries by ordering online, and settle her bills for her, all with the help of your PayMaya. You can even get P100 Balik Bayad when you pay a PLDT bill worth at least P1,000 this month, as well as P50 Balik Bayad for Smart and Sun postpaid bills. 

5. For the extroverted mom 

Does your mom miss all her friends and relatives? How about setting up one big video call with the whole family to greet her and her fellow moms a happy Mother’s Day? You can make sure you stay connected by buying data packages for your and the rest of her friends at discounted rates through the PayMaya app! 

This Mother's Day, let PayMaya’s help you show just how much you love your mom at the safety and comfort of your own home. 

If you don’t have your own PayMaya account yet, it’s easy to sign up in time for Mother’s Day! Just download the PayMaya app for Android or iOS, register your own account, and start shopping with the fastest, safest, most rewarding, and hassle-free way to pay for anything both online and in-stores! 

Better yet, teach your mom how to set up her own PayMaya account by checking out paymaya.com/quick-guide. 

For more details on the awesome PayMaya promos you can enjoy, check out paymaya.com/deals. 

Don’t forget to follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more news and updates! 

PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines with platforms and services that cuts across consumers, merchants, and government. Aside from providing the payments acceptance for the largest e-Commerce, food, retail and gas merchants in the Philippines, PayMaya is enabling national and social services agencies as well as local government units with digital payments and disbursement services. 

Through its PayMaya app and wallet, it is providing millions of Filipinos with the fastest way to own a financial account with over 40,000 Add Money touchpoints nationwide, more than double the total number of traditional bank branches in the Philippines combined. 

She Didn’t Give Up on Mayor Isko

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Happy Mother’s Day!

As the old adage goes, “Behind every great man there’s a great woman.” Mayor Francisco Domagoso or simply YORME, shares his heartwarming Mother’s Day message to a great woman behind his great success and to all the Filipino MOMS – the Real VIPs!

Watch the full video at https://bit.ly/35O5F3S

As the elected City Mayor of Manila, endearingly called by most Filipinos as Yorme, he never wavered amidst adversities hurled at him for taking several steps in making a better version of the city he fondly calls his home and crowning glory. 

On this special occasion, Yorme encourages all Filipino moms to be stronger for their families while consciously maintaining a healthy work-life balance and to continue their selfless dedication amidst the uncertainties of this pandemic war - “Believe in yourself! You’ve got nothing to lose.” 

How about making your mom feel that she’s the real VIP today? Discover a natural female hair loss treatment at https://bit.ly/2SjZ9wc

Formulated with 19 of nature’s finest ingredients, NOVUHAIR® offers a natural hair loss solution that helps address the early warning signs especially for those in search of a natural alopecia treatment - nothing doubtful compared to home remedies for hair loss, nothing worrisome versus chemical-based treatments and nothing disadvantageous unlike most instant fiber hair loss solutions that provide temporary baldness cures. 

Find out more at www.novuhair.com

#NothingToLoseNovuhair #ChooseNatural #NovuhairCares #NovuhairVIPmoms

How to #COVID19-proof your finances

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As the enhanced community quarantine is scheduled to end on May 15, it is expected that there will be a limited return to normal activities. It means some people will be going back to work and public transportation will also be allowed--also in a limited manner. That said, hard to say that life will go back to the way things used to be in the immediate future.

One of the pressing concerns will be the country’s economic position. Since economic activities are not back to normal yet, it’s expected that the global and national economies will go through a slowdown, if not a recession. This will naturally affect everyone -- from businessmen to workers and consumers. The question in the minds of many is how should people cope with this situation?

According to Fitz Villafuerte, a registered financial planner, the first thing people need to do is have the proper mindset to help them see see the situation clearly, accept reality, and respond in the right way. 

“The best mindset in dealing with these uncertain times is that of a Stoic,” Villafuerte said. The Stoics are ancient Greek philosophers who taught people the proper way to think and live life. 

“One of the basic tenets of Stoicism is drawing a line between the things we can control and the things we cannot control. We don't have much control over the global and local economy. There are so many factors at play that affect it,” he said.

Since economic movement is beyond everyone’s control, Villafuerte said it’s better to focus on the things that people have control over.

“We have a lot of control over our personal economy -- our cash flow is most affected by our own decisions, actions, and habits. It’s important to be aware of what’s happening but at the end of the day, we should remain focused on our personal finance because that’s where we have control,” Villafuerte explained.

Villafuerte shared five tips to put personal finances in order during the pandemic:

List down your expenses. Live simply and spend wisely. Study how you are spending your money during these financially constrained times. Adjust your spending by living a simpler lifestyle and be strict on spending mostly on your needs. 

Spending on your needs is the priority, of course. However, that doesn’t mean you should give up on some of the wants that make you happy. Just be sure that when you buy certain wants, these are still within your set budget and will not compromise your needs. 

“As long as you are able to save, then just continue your habit. But if you're up for a challenge, then see how you can increase your monthly savings rate when things start to go back to normal. If you're not a saver before, then it's a good time to learn practical saving strategies such as the concept of paying yourself first, and applying it as soon as you can,” he said.

Explore and learn mobile and online banking, digital banking, and digital wallets. 

With public transportation either non-existent or few in number, and business operations still limited, it’s better to switch to online and digital transactions. Not only is this more convenient, it also achieves physical distancing to lessen exposure to the coronavirus. 

Clean your house. Use up the time at home to organize your house. Group your household items into four categories:

Keep, Sell, Donate, and Throw. Doing this helps practice your mind to be more organized, free of clutter, and able to prioritize what’s most important. Do this same checking and organizing with your financial and legal documents. 

Define, revisit, and reassess your financial goals. The COVID-19 pandemic is going to change our world in the short, medium, and long-term. This means that our financial goals will also have to be adjusted. It’s a good time to re-think them now and plan accordingly. 

Explore, learn, and make money online as a freelancer. While there isn’t any vaccine or cure for COVID-19, many of us will either work from home or need to find freelance work that can be done online. This provides us an opportunity to learn new skills as a freelancer, so we can make money online. 

Besides these five tips, Villafuerte also has some advice regarding investments. As the world economy struggles to recover from the financial shocks caused by the pandemic, Villafuerte says the best rule of thumb when choosing an investment is to look at your own financial goals. 

“Usually, we have short-term, medium-term, and long-term financial goals. You have to choose different types of investments based on the time you allot for attaining those goals. For example, if you have a long-term financial goal that you want to achieve in 10 years, then you can invest in the stock market or equity funds. 

“Since your time frame is long term, there’s enough time to ride through the ups and downs, the volatilities in the market, like what’s happening now with the pandemic. This allows your investment to make money many years in the future,” he said. 

However, for short-term goals, Villafuerte recommends investing in low-risk investments like time deposits or money-market funds. For medium-term goals, then medium-risk investments like bonds and balanced funds would be the better choice. 

“Moreover, it's important to understand that investing is not a one-time thing. It's not something you do only when you feel like it or when someone says it's a good time to invest. It should be a habit that you do regularly, month after month if possible, and continuously for many years.”

“Always invest according to your financial goals. Before investing, you need to ask first, when are you planning to use the money? What will it be used for? Once you know this, it will be easier to choose which investment to go into,” he said.

Finally, Villafuerte says times like a pandemic are a good time to buy insurance. “It’s one of the best tools for financial protection. As we cope with a lot of uncertainty, it’s good to have insurance that will protect the family in case something happens to the breadwinners. Insurance is a necessity for breadwinners,” he said.

BDO, the largest bank in the country, continues to operate select branches during the enhanced community quarantine in Luzon. This is in keeping with its commitment to address customers' financial needs and to help keep the economy running.

For inquiries on which branches are open and for online services go to www.bdo.com.ph. 

#BANKyanihan

Celebrate special Mom’s Day at home with The Manila Hotel

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Make Mother's Day special even in quarantine situation.

It's more important than ever to celebrate every moment and make Mother's Day extra special with an intimate party even at home, or deliver something to pamper Mom on this special day! 

Everybody is staying at home. You can make Mother’s Day special for you and your family when you celebrate by ordering food from a top-notch hotel in Manila. 

With The Manila Hotel, special women in our lives—mom, grandmas, and aunts, special treats on Mother’s Day they deserves.

The Manila Hotel pulls all the stops for you to still be able to give her a memorable Mother’s Day.

This home celebration will have a five-star hotel feel and The Manila Hotel will make sure it gets close to a real feast. 

Clockwise from bottom: Mango Cheesecake, Ohaina Chocolate Gateau,

 Opera Cake, Trio of Chocolate Mousse

The Manila Hotel’s Mother’s Day Surprise gives you discounts when you choose to order the food-and-cake bundle and pay online on or before May 8, 2020 (Friday). You may choose items from the A La Carte Menu or Home Buffet sets (Filipino, Italian, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese favotires, as well as Certified Halal items) and get a 20% discount on your food bill, and a 10% discount on the cake of your choice. 

Because mothers deserve the only the best, you can choose from our awesome selection: our decadent Opera Cake; Ohaina Chocolate Gateau, a Lifestyle Inquirer Best Dessert Winner; the mouthwatering Trio of Chocolate Mousse, and our amazing Mango Cheesecake. 

To order or for more information, please call 8527 0011 or message 0998-9501912. 

#MeaningfulBanking : From Passbook to Phone: Embracing the mobile banking lifestyle

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The COVID-19 pandemic has definitely changed the way the world works. The need for social distancing and quarantine travel restrictions have made previously-straightforward tasks such as banking transactions far more challenging.

So what is the best way to cope? As in many cases, the use of available technology can make things a lot easier.

Metrobank, one of the country’s top banks, is actively encouraging all of its clients to transition to mobile banking. While their staff is ready and fully capable to serve clients face-to-face, online options have added a layer of safety amid the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

Most banking tasks can now be done via your phone or computer, so you don’t have to go out and line-up to a teller to manage your finances. 

Here are just some of them, and their practical applications.

1. Balance monitoring

You don’t have to go to your ATM or ask a teller to know how much money your accounts have. All you have to do is fire up your Metrobank Mobile App and you can see your balance in real-time.

You can even monitor your recent activities, both debit and credit, so you don’t have to guess if you really did or did not approve of certain transactions.

Apart from aiding financial discipline, this helps detect and prevent fraud.

2. Fund transfers

Needless to say, the most fundamental transactions can be done online. Transferring money to another account, same bank or otherwise, can be done with a few taps or clicks.

In the case of the Metrobank Mobile App, all you have to do is put in the recipient’s Metrobank account number or their app-registered mobile number, the amount you need to send, confirm, and you’re done. The transfer is also reflected in real-time so the recipient won’t have to wait for a day or so before checking to confirm if they’ve received the funds.

You can also choose to enroll “Peer” accounts that you regularly send money to so you don’t have to always input their account number or mobile number. You can even schedule these transfers to happen automatically in a given period if you choose.

Sending money to other banks is also possible via InstaPay, which credits funds real-time, or PESONet. Fees for these transactions are waived during the ECQ when done using the Metrobank Mobile App.

This is especially useful if you’re looking to send money to help out friends and family, or paying for goods and services that you procured online.

3. Bills payment

Even though malls and some payment centers are closed during the ECQ, the Bills Payment utility in the Metrobank Mobile App allows you to pay your bills directly from your bank account.

After enrolling the most common payable bills to your account (Meralco, PLDT, Globe, Smart, etc.) and selecting them, all you have to do is to enter the account details and amount due to complete your payment transaction.

4. Cardless Withdrawal

In a situation wherein you need to withdraw cash but forgot to bring with you your ATM Card, you will find useful the Cardless Withdrawal feature in the Metrobank Mobile App.

Cardless withdrawal allows you to withdraw a certain amount from your account without having to use your ATM card in any of the 2,300 Metrobank Group ATMs. 

To facilitate this feature, open the Metrobank Mobile App then simply key in the amount you wish to withdraw and a four-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) of your choice. The app will then provide you with a six-digit PIN that pairs with yours.

Once confirmed, go to the nearest Metrobank ATM or PSBank ATM, press ENTER in the ATM Keypad, key in the amount and the PINs, and the machine will dispense the requested amount.

Even before the ECQ, these mobile banking features have been available, but they are particularly useful during these times. One of the things that we can take from our current stay-at-home situation is to change our banking habits and transition into a more convenient and secure digital banking lifestyle.

To know more about the features of the Metrobank Mobile App, please visit the Metrobank website at metrobank.com.ph or Metrobank’s Facebook page at facebook.com/metrobank.

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Metrobank is the country’s premier universal bank and has one of the largest domestic networks with over 950 branches and over 2,300 automated teller machines (ATMs) nationwide, and over 30 foreign branches, subsidiaries and representative offices. For inquiries, please contact Corporate Communications Department at 8-857-5526, or Investor Relations Department at 8-857-9783 and investor.relations@metrobank.com.ph. Or call the Metrobank 24/7 Customer Hotline at 8-870-0700, or log on to www.metrobank.com.ph. For provincial areas, call toll-free 1-800-1888-5775.