Xiaomi launches Mi 10T Pro and powers creativity with its Mi Pass10n Project

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Creativity knows no boundaries. Even as Filipinos stay at home and take precautionary measures with physical distancing there are those who have found ways to express themselves through art that reflects the new normal.

Three Filipino indie filmmakers have taken on the Mi Pass10n Project challenge to produce short films that reflect life under lockdown, powered by the features of the Mi 10T Series. Che Tagyamon, Glenn Barit, and Sonny Calvento were able to create stunning short films using the impressive camera features of the newly launched Mi 10T Pro phones, which come with a 108 MP camera for Mi 10T Pro, 64 MP triple camera for Mi 10T and 144 Hz AdaptiveSync Display.

Xiaomi Film Fest

Visual storytelling

Two short films were screened simultaneously with the much-awaited Philippine launch of the latest Mi Series, to highlight the capabilities of the phones and to inspire aspiring artists to create their own visual stories. 

Che Tagyamon and Glenn Barit were impressed with the quality of the images produced by the latest Xiaomi phones. Their short film, titled Maski Papano chronicled the journey of a discarded face mask, who traipsed through the city and found companionship in another mask. Their stop-motion images using the Mi 10T Pro’s camera have captured the quieter pace of the metropolis, offering an immersive experience for those who have not left their homes in the past months. “We love how easy it is to shoot and edit the film with a phone camera that made powerful features portable,” says Tagyamon. “It was easier and safer for us to go around the city and shoot on location without having to use heavier equipment, and we even only had to charge it once during the shoot.”  

Maski Papano by Che Tagyamon and Glenn Barit

For his short film titled “Sunshine, Sunshine”, Sonny Calvento color-graded his character to reflect her personality and perspective. Sunshine, the lead character eventual transformation towards self-love. The story tackles the feeling of loss and isolation especially during the lockdown, with a turning point catalysed by conversations with a stranger leading to Sunshine’s enlightenment. “Editing to achieve that desired effect around my characters was easy with the video that was produced because of Mi 10T Pro’s color profile. With the camera capturing the interiors in vivid detail, it was easy to be more creative and playful with my vision using the Mi 10T Pro.”

 

Sunshine, Sunshine by Sonny Calvento

Tech guru Carlo Ople unboxed the Mi 10T Pro at the exciting launch event and was impressed by the features of the new Android smartphones. “Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro are game changers when it comes to capturing crisp images. The 7P lens offers impressive light gathering that unlocks the full potential of the 108MP camera setup plus, it is combined with AI Pixel that offers comprehensive pixel optimization for more vibrant pictures. This is a pro-photo, pro-video phone that allows the users to get creative with no boundaries –even under lockdown.”

The Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro that are equipped with the LOG Mode that adds depth and color to editing and the RAW mode that helps you to create the perfect shot even under the toughest lighting conditions.

 

Empowering creators

The Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro are fitting flagship products to launch at the company’s 10^th anniversary. Ava Castillo, Head of Marketing of Philippines, Xiaomi, says that its advanced features offer its users the power to create their own content by capturing their ideas and bringing them to life. “We are very proud to be a supporter of the local indie creators, who are bringing a whole new dimension on art and how we see the world around us through their visual stories.”

With the inspiring films that were produced by Che Tagyamon, Glenn Barit, and Sonny Calvento using the Mi 10T Pro, Xiaomi Philippines is launching the Mi Pass10n Project to power the creativity of independent and aspiring filmmakers, inviting them to produce a 5-minute short film in 10 days that creatively explores their passion and illustrates how they can still pursue it within their borders. Chosen entries from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao will be provided a Mi 10T Pro and a grant of PHP 40,000 to produce the film.

For more information about the Mi Pass10n Project and for an in-depth look at the exciting features of the Mi 10T and Mi 10T Pro which are now available at the Xiaomi Flagship Store on Lazada, visit the Xiaomi Philippines Facebook page.

Watch “Maski Papano” here.

Watch “Sunshine, Sunshine” here.

These 3 #HisenseHomeEssentials are Exactly What Your Living Space Needs

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 Spruce up your home with these essential appliances from global brand, Hisense.

Every home deserves to be filled with appliances that provide both style and function. The best ones can add comfort and ease to day-to-day life, while also elevating the aesthetic of a room. Whether you are furnishing a brand-new house or upgrading your current living space, the right pieces can transform your house into a home.

When choosing appliances, consider these 3 #HisenseHomeEssentials as must-haves to complete your space.

For the Living Room - A Hisense SMART TV

Hisense has clearly kept up with advancements in television technology, as seen through amazing products like the 100” 4K UHD Laser TV.

For the Bedroom - A Hisense Air Conditioner

An air conditioner helps turn your bedroom into the relaxing space you need. Hisense inverter split type air conditioners come with features like Super Cooling, a 24-hr on and off timer, and Smart Running, which enables the AC to run at a comfortable mode based on the room’s temperature.

 

For the Kitchen - A Hisense Refrigerator

No kitchen is complete without a reliable refrigerator. Whether you are looking for an energy saver with a practical design or a high-tech, stylish fridge, Hisense has fantastic options that you can choose from.

 

For anyone in search of the perfect television for their living room, a Hisense 4K ULED Smart TV is a great option. The Hisense 4K ULED Smart TV A6505 Series offers high-end specs and outstanding picture quality at a reasonable price.

#SeetheIncredible through four key features, which create an elevated viewing experience for all - Ultra color, Ultra HD resolution, Ultra Smooth Motion, and Ultra Contrast. Watching with a TV never felt so real!

Built on the Hisense proprietary operating system, Vidaa U, this smart TV is easy to use with a simple interface. It boots up within seconds, and comes with a customizable home page to suit your preferences. Switching between apps such as Netflix and YouTube is easy to do, too, on this reliable and stable TV.

Other features include Bluetooth, Hi-view engine, DBX-TV and Anyview Cast. With the Remote Now App, you can control the TV using your smartphone. And, with a slim and sleek design, the Hisense 4K ULED Smart TV fits nicely into any space.

Price for the 55” TV starts at P33,950, and for the 65”, price begins at P52,950. Get a free soundbar when you buy any Hisense 4K ULED Smart TV from partner retail stores or e-commerce sites. Promo runs until October 31, 2020 only.

Check out other Hisense products at any leading appliance stores nationwide.

For more updates, visit the Hisense website at www.hisense.com.ph. Follow the official Hisense social media accounts on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/HisensePhilippines/) and Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hisenseph/).

Growing Together: A Tale of Two Businesses

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For a small business, growing at a comfortable pace can be tough. Not only do you have to worry about keeping yourself out of the red, you’ll also have to make the right amount of profit so you have enough to invest back into developing your business. 

The Express Clean branch in San Fernando, Pampanga was the first of many in a fruitful partnership with Alfamart, the first and only Super Minimart chain in the Philippines. 

This was pretty much the reality that Arles Uy was faced with when he started Express Clean, a self-service laundromat, back in 2017. “It was a total risk with doubts and uncertainty involved,” Uy related. He added that starting his business was a gamble with whatever savings he had at the time. “As an entrepreneur, you need to be ready to take those calculated risks.” 

But a chance meeting with Alfamart, the first and only Super Minimart chain in the country, changed everything. Fortuitously, Alfamart was looking for partners to grow with, by subleasing some of their space to small businesses. Express Clean began their partnership with Alfamart in December 2017, opening their first branch in San Pedro, Laguna, right beside the store. 

Since then, Express Clean has expanded to seven branches; each beside an Alfamart store. “Alfamart provided us the platform to jumpstart our growth in the industry,” Uy said. “We saw remarkable potential in the concept of a self-service type of laundry. Our partnership with Alfamart helped us realize it,” he added. 

Ever since its entry into the Philippine market in 2014, Alfamart has kept its development grassroots-focused, constantly looking for partners to grow with “When we brought the brand in from Indonesia, we didn’t just take the Alfamart name,” said Alfamart Philippines COO Harvey Ong. “We also brought with it the philosophy of starting from the bottom up, growing with the communities we serve and the partners that we engage with,” he continued. 

The self-service laundry shop remained operational and lucrative even during the pandemic and ensuing quarantines.

Much like other small businesses, Express Clean was also affected by the recent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID19) pandemic’s economic impact. “Undeniably, this pandemic has tested the mettle of many businesses, including ours,” Uy said. “Fortunately for us, our operational system has already been established, hence, enabling us to withstand the situation. With the support of Alfamart, as well as the flexible arrangements they provided their tenants during this crisis, not only were we able to consolidate our operations, but we were also able to open up new branches during the lockdown period,” he explained. 

“It is through the help of reliable partners that we were able to overcome the challenges of the pandemic,” Ong concurred. “We can rely on them, and they can rely on us,” he concluded. 

For more information on how your business can work together with Alfamart, you may visit https://www.alfamart.com.ph/be-a-tenant/. 

ABS-CBN launches new TV barkada to love in "Bagong Umaga"

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A new TV barkada will inspire viewers and offer life lessons with their intertwined stories in ABS-CBN’s new series, "Bagong Umaga," which will air starting October 26 (Monday) on A2Z channel 11, Kapamilya Channel, and Kapamilya Online Live.

Follow Tony Labrusca, Barbie Imperial, Kiko Estrada, Michelle Vito, Yves Flores, and Heaven Peralejo in their journeys through life and as they discover the stories from their past that reveal their true connection with each other.

Her family’s tragic past will motivate Tisay (Heaven) to become a successful journalist. Amidst the hardship, she gets support from her parents Jose (Keempee de Leon) and Monica (Nikki Valdez), her adoptive brother, Dodong (Yves) and her best friend, Angge (Michelle Vito). 

Ely (Tony) falls in love with her because of her outlook in life. Like Tisay, Ely also has dreams of being successful, but as a doctor so that he can take his mother, Irene (Bernadette Allyson) and sibling, Gab (Ali Abinal) away from his abusive father, Matthew (Richard Quan). 

However, Cai (Barbie), Ely's best friend, will resent the budding relationship between the two and will try to keep them away from each other, even if it means using Dodong. 

Things become even more complicated when Otep (Kiko) tries to befriend Tisay to use her to avenge her family’s painful past. 

Follow the barkada as they navigate life amid the lies, envy, and anger. Find out what mysteries from their pasts will test them and eventually reveal how they are connected. 

Joining the six teens are premier actors Sunshine Cruz, Criz Martinez, Peewee O Hara, Glydel Mercado, and Rio Locsin. 

Under the production of Rizza G. Ebriega, “Bagong Umaga” offers another value laden series following the success of its previous shows, "Nang Ngumiti Ang Langit " and "Pamilya Ko." 

Don't miss the pilot week of "Bagong Umaga" from Monday to Friday, 2:30 PM on Kapamilya Channel on cable and satellite TV (SKYcable channel 8 SD and channel 167 HD, Cablelink channel 8, G Sat Direct TV channel 22, and in most channels operated by members of Philippine Cable and Telecommunications Association). 

It is also available on A2Z channel 11, which is available in Metro Manila and in some parts of Cavite, Laguna, Quezon, Rizal, Bataan, Batangas, Bulacan, and Pampanga. It can also be accessed via cable TV at satellite TV nationwide.

The show is also on the Kapamilya Online Live YouTube channel and the ABS-CBN Entertainment Facebook page, as well as on the iwant app or iwanttfc.com. For updates, follow @abscbnpr on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit www.abs-cbn.com/newsroom.

WWF Continues to Fight Against Plastic Pollution, Advocates for an Extended Producer Responsibility Scheme in the Philippines

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WWF-Philippines launched a study about the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system that will implement the basic principles of a collective responsibility in waste management, from collection and sorting to recycling and recovery.

Plastic pollution has reached gigantic dimensions worldwide and has caused serious consequences to marine life and the well-being of society. In a recent study, it has been estimated that about 11 million tonnes enter the ocean every year. If no action is made, this can triple by 2040 which is equivalent to 50 kg of plastics for every coastline meter worldwide.

The Philippines, based on 2015 modelling the study has been considered as one of the 10 top countries contributing to plastic pollution, has been continuously challenged with increasing waste generation and the lack of a sound waste management system. This calls for a comprehensive approach among policymakers, corporations, cities, and consumers to ensure that no plastics reaches nature.

Snapshots from a recycling facility in Quezon City, taken during a field visit last February 2020

Photograph ©Czarina Constantino / WWF-Philippines

Building on its No Plastics in Nature initiative, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines releases a report entitled “Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Scheme Assessment for Plastic Packaging Waste in the Philippines”. This report, undertaken with cyclos GmbH and AMH Philippines Inc, highlights EPR as a critical and effective policy tool in holding manufacturers accountable for the end-of-life impacts of their plastic products and packaging. EPR as a policy instrument also encourages the adoption of holistic eco-design among the business sector. The proposed EPR scheme has been based on the findings of the first Material Flow Analysis of plastic packaging waste in the Philippines.

The report shows that Filipinos consume the yearly average of 20kg of plastics, from which 15.43kg/cap/year becomes waste. Insufficient recycling capacities for high-value recyclables (i.e. PET, PP, HDPE) and the high volume of low-value plastics (including sachets) are factors that affect the country’s low plastic recycling rate, at 9%. The report further estimates that the Philippines leaks about 35% of plastic wastes into the environment.

These waste reduction and management conditions shaped the proposed customized EPR scheme in the Philippines. It proposes a mandatory EPR scheme for all product packaging with a three-year transition phase for obliged businesses to redesign their product packaging and eliminate unnecessary plastics. For this customized EPR scheme to work, the report emphasizes that the responsibility of implementing the scheme for building high-quality recycling capacity should be assumed by a non-profit Producer Responsibility Organization (PRO), acting as the system operator, with strict monitoring and control systems carried out by the government.

 “We in WWF believe that a mandatory EPR system is a way for businesses to be more engaged in eliminating unnecessary plastics through eco-design and strengthening waste management by being responsible for the end of life impacts of their plastic packaging. It is a driving mechanism for businesses to transform their models and push for circular solutions to reduce plastic generation including refilling and ultimately to eliminating leakage of plastic in nature. Adopting the EPR scheme in the Philippines is a great driver for us to stop plastic pollution,” says Czarina Constantino, WWF-Philippines’ National Lead for the No Plastics In Nature Initiative and Project Manager for Plastic Smart Cities.

A key first step is a clear, effective, and unambiguous legal framework towards EPR. This can only happen if policymakers take a bold and decisive step to put this globally recognized waste reduction and management scheme in place. A legal framework for EPR should outline clear objectives, responsibilities, enforcement mechanisms, and a timeline for implementation and targets. The effectiveness of the EPR system relies on the active role of the government to regulate and supervise the system and its operator through a legal framework. This is also aligned to the ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris that enjoins member states like the Philippines to develop and implement EPR policies and schemes.

Facilitating partnerships among relevant stakeholders, most notably the government and the private sector, WWF-Philippines advocates for the adoption of the EPR scheme in the country to stop plastic pollution.

“Addressing plastic pollution requires both upstream (production/pre-consumption) and downstream measures (consumption and post-consumption). Working on the entirety of the plastic life cycle, stakeholder collaboration is important in both reducing the production and the consumption of unnecessary plastic, and also in managing plastic products and packaging, ensuring that materials are used as long as possible in our society,” says Joel Palma, WWF-Philippines’ Executive Director.

Nestlé Philippines, one of the leading producers of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) in the country, encouraged fellow stakeholders to do their part for nature by supporting the localized EPR scheme.

“At Nestlé, we believe that tackling plastic waste cannot be successfully achieved by a single or linear solution. It requires the attention and action of different stakeholders. We must look into different options both upstream and downstream, and take a holistic approach as we continue accelerating our initiatives to tackle plastic waste and EPR is a major instrument. We support the creation of a localized EPR scheme that we believe can help increase collection and recycling rates. We cannot achieve this alone, we must work together, to achieve a waste-free future," says Arlene Tan-Bantoto, SVP and Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications of Nestlé Philippines.

The study is part of the No Plastic in Nature Initiative - WWF’s global initiative to stop the flow of plastics entering nature by 2030 through the elimination of unnecessary plastics, doubling reuse, recycling and recovery, and ensuring remaining plastic is sourced responsibly. Through this initiative, WWF-Philippines has been working with cities on plastic leakage, policymakers to advocate for a global treaty on plastic pollution, businesses to transition to circular business models, and the general public to campaign and act.

Take part to #ChangeTheEnding for our planet and help work towards a vision of no plastics in nature.