realme retains no. 1 spot in the PH for Q2 2021, becomes fastest brand to sell 100M smartphones globally

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Global research firms Canalys, Counterpoint Research, and IDC recently confirmed realme’s no. 1 ranking in the local smartphone market for Q2 2021.

realme Philippines continues to dominate the local smartphone industry as it claims the no. 1 spot in the market once again, according to international research firms IDC, Canalys, and Counterpoint Research in their respective Q2 2021 reports.

With this milestone, the fast-growing tech and lifestyle brand has now managed to hold the top spot for two consecutive quarters—an impressive feat the brand attained in less than three years. The brand first held this position in Q3 of 2020, just less than two years since its entry to the Philippine market in November 2018.

According to Canalys, realme accounted for 26% of the local market share, besting four other smartphone brands in the category. It also reported a 51% year-over-year growth for the brand during this quarter.

The brand also ranked first in a separate report by Counterpoint Research, with a 21% market share. Similarly, realme also showed leadership in e-commerce channels. “realme continued to lead the Philippines online market with a 32% share”, according to the report.

In addition, realme’s industry leadership for Q2 2021 is further validated by IDC as the research firm also reported a number 1 ranking for the brand.

“We are truly grateful for the continuous support of our Filipino fans because without them, this success would not have been possible. Achieving the top spot for two consecutive quarters is no easy feat for a young brand, but we managed to achieve this milestone because of the love and trust of our Squad. Rest assured, this only drives us to reach greater heights and dare to leap with trend-setting innovations and better services for our community,” shares Austine Huang, realme Philippines’ VP for Marketing.

realme reaches 100-million mark worldwide

On the global scale, realme also achieved a milestone of 100 million smartphones sold. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, realme still managed to become the fastest global smartphone brand to reach this milestone in three years, according to market research consultancy firm Strategy Analytics. In addition, realme is also the fastest growing major smartphone brand globally in Q2 2021 with a year-over-year growth rate of 149%, as data from research firm International Data Corporation (IDC) showed.

This achievement further validates realme’s sales and business strategies across the globe. Established only in 2018, realme is now the 7th largest smartphone brand with presence in 61 different markets worldwide.

This 100-million milestone is the latest in line of realme’s spectacular global rise, as the company adds another ‘first’ to its name. “The past three years have really been about an entrepreneurial spirit and untamed growth for realme”, said realme’s CEO, Sky Li. “Thanks to the huge support from our young users, we have been able to reach our goal of shipping 100 million smartphones and have gained significant ground in the smartphone market. We will continue to provide young consumers around the world with products that have premium performance and trend-setting designs at affordable prices.”

Li added that realme's next goal is to achieve a dual-100 million target - shipping another 100 million handsets by the end of 2022 and completing the same milestone within the 2023 calendar year.

To achieve this, realme is counting on a comprehensive product development strategy that will see it expand its offerings in two ways. With the recent launch of its flagship GT Series devices, dubbed as ‘flagship-killer’ phone, realme is poised to compete at mid-to-high-end segments. The company is also evolving its vision of building out a full-fledged AIoT ecosystem for global users within the next five years. To this end, realme has unveiled its1+5+T strategy: 1 being the mobile phone, 5 for True Wireless Stereo earphones, wearables, TVs, tablets, laptops, and T stands for realme’s AIoT brand TechLife. realme believes in its ability to lead users to a technologically enhanced lifestyle in a way that is affordable and sustainable at the same time.

With an audacious vision and courage to take on the world, realme is poised to break down barriers in a competitive environment.

realme GT Master Edition Series to launch globally on August 18

In celebration of the brand’s recent achievements both locally and globally, realme will launch its 100M-milestone product: the realme GT Master Edition Series, along with new categories on August 18.

The realme GT Master Edition Series is designed by famous Japanese industrial designer Naoto Fukasawa, who explored new smartphone design elements in smartphone history. realme sees GT Master Edition Series as the most high-end flagship to celebrate its 100M sales achievement.

Apart from smartphones, realme is also set to announce its new product categories at the event, aiming to become the fastest-growing brand and disruptor in these new categories. These upcoming launches are a testament to realme’s mission of providing global young users with more trend-setting and leap-forward performance products.

The launch event will be held online on realme official social media platforms, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook.

For more info and updates from the country’s no. 1 smartphone brand, be sure to follow realme on Facebook at facebook.com/realmePhilippines, @realme_PH on Twitter, and @realmephilippines on Instagram. #realmePH

Whisky and Watches: Rediscover the finer things in life with Federal Land Conversations

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Fine watches and excellent whisky. These are two of the most popular choices of sophisticated people with discerning taste.  

To rediscover the world of time and spirits, Federal Land hosted a webinar series titled Federal Land Conversations - Living the Finer Life. The webinars showcase lifestyle and investment workshops aimed at reigniting passions and appreciating finer things in life.

 

The three-part webinar series is hosted by Carl Cunanan, Editor-in-Chief of Calibre Magazine and C! Magazine. As a prominent watch connoisseur, Cunanan also shared his expertise on watches during the first featured Federal Land Conversations. This was followed by a virtual whisky appreciation with whisky professional Kris Ong, founder of dramboxph and the Philippine liaison of Scotch Malt Whisky Society.  The third webinar will be all about the creation and appreciation of luxury cars airing on August 18. Carl Cunanan and Lexus Philippines Brand Manager Jade Sison will share the story of how to first-rate craftmanship and cutting-edge technology in every Lexus vehicle.

Watch connoisseur Carl Cunanan tackles the intricacies of handcrafted luxury watches at Watches 101, the first installment of Federal Land Conversations - Living the Finer Life webinar series

 

It is time

In the watches webinar, Carl Cunanan walked the audience through the wonderful world of watches, why they are considered a significant part of history, how they bond generations together, how they are prompting people to go back to the touchpoints of physical craftsmanship and attention to detail.  

 

Buying a watch may sound simple, but there are many things to think about before getting one, specifically the “complications.” Complications involve anything past the hour, minute, and second hand. The word complication includes functions such as the day-date, perpetual calendar, chronograph, power reserve, moon phase, repeater, tourbillon, to name a few. These all add value to the watch depending on how one wants to use it.

 

While some may prefer a simple wristwatch, others would choose a handcrafted luxury watch that serves as a legacy or investment. However, Mr. Cunanan cautioned that these expensive timepieces require a different level of understanding—from the brand, product, model, source, and future valuation if they are bought with an expectation of financial return.

 

“Treat watches as an investment, but if you want to know the value it will have in the future, you must do your homework. Not because it came from one brand, its price will skyrocket,” Cunanan said. “Watches as an investment are not only an investment in money. They are an investment in time, an investment in passion, an investment in your soul. Spend wisely,” he advised.

 

Just like property investments, watches are not only about the price but what one is buying them for, the value in the future, and the experience that can be received from them. The precision craftsmanship and unparalleled design are also the very pillars of Federal Land’s properties.  

 

In the same way that the market for high-end condominiums like Grand Hyatt Manila Residences South Tower and The Seasons Residences is different from those who want a simple corner home, watches also cater to different market segments. 

 

“If you look at the whole pyramid of needs thing, the further up you go, it’s more about you and what defines you than it is about the basics. But neither is right or wrong. It’s a matter of preference,” Mr. Cunanan said.

Whiskey professional Kris Ong explains the secrets behind the world’s beloved barreled spirit at A Virtual Whisky Appreciation, the second webinar under the series Federal Land Conversations - Living the Finer Life 

 

Water of life

Kris Ong took the audience through the whisky tasting process and explained the various influences of one of the world’s favorite barreled spirits known as “the water of life.” 

 

Whisky was first used as an internal anesthetic and external antibiotic. It originated in Ireland and Scotland and was made from different types of grain such as barley, corn, rye, and wheat. 

 

To pair whisky with food, Mr. Ong said it should be with complementing or contrasting flavors to create a balance or a proper counterbalance. For instance, a bourbon (whisky with 51% of grains made up of corn) tends to be on the sweet side and would be best paired with a saltier meal like a steak. A cream-based dish like Laksa, a whisky on the lighter side, or a bit more acidic would help cut through the fat. Adding a few drops of distilled or bottled water to some whiskies may also unleash more flavors.

 

When buying a whiskey, Ong stressed to never leave it under the sun for too long as the heat can diminish the drink. He also explained that a newly opened bottle of whisky could last for more than a year, but the air in the bottle creates oxidation. It will not ruin the whisky but may change the flavors, sometimes for the better. To preserve its original taste, an opened bottle should be consumed within a year. The contents may also be transferred to a smaller container to lessen the air.  

 

Whisky-tasting opportunity is available at The Peak of Grand Hyatt Manila, located at Federal Land’s Grand Central Park community in Bonifacio Global City.

 

Luxury living 

The next webinar under the Federal Land Conversations - Living the Finer Life will be all about vehicles, particularly Lexus Philippines’ line of luxury cars. It will be held on August 18, 2021, via Zoom Webinars.

 

Federal Land has lined up webinars to air in the following months. One will be about learning the basics of real estate investing considering your life stage. Another webinar will explore interior design for modern living, the latest design trends and hacks, and how to create live-work spaces at home to balance personal and professional life. There will also be a webinar that will show how to cook delectable dishes and take appetizing shots for posting and sharing online.

 

To join Federal Land Conversations - Living the Finer Life webinars, visit www.federalland.ph to register.

 

 

 

ABOUT FEDERAL LAND

Federal Land, Inc. is under GT Capital Holdings, a listed major Philippine conglomerate that is the primary vehicle for the holding and management of the diversified business interest of the family of Dr. George S.K. Ty. For more information, visit the Federal Land website at www.federalland.ph.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Defensil's Donation Drive to Vaccine Sites Helps Filipinos to Live Safe Now

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In line with their commitment to help Filipinos live safe now, Defensil Isopropyl Alcohol donated reusable personal protective equipment (PPE) and Defensil 70% Isopropyl Alcohol to several vaccination sites in Muntinlupa, San Juan and Pasig.

As more and more Filipinos get their vaccines, Defensil Isopropyl Alcohol is here to help ensure that frontliners and priority groups remain protected through proper sanitation.

Defensil Isopropyl Alcohol donated 600 PPE’s and 264 1-liter bottles of isopropyl alcohol to vaccination sites such as the Pasig Sports Center, Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan as well as at the Festival Mall and Ayala South Park in Muntinlupa, creating a safer environment as more and more Filipinos get their jabs.

“We are committed to supporting the government’s vaccination efforts to help more Filipinos to live safer. We hope that the PPEs and isopropyl alcohol we donated to the different vaccine sites can give fellow Filipinos a higher level of protection as they get vaccinated and will serve as a reminder of the importance of always disinfecting when they go out and start to go back to their regular activities,” said Nikko Cruz, Brand Manager of Defensil Isopropyl Alcohol.

With Filipinos returning to the workplace and slowly resuming outdoor activities like shopping, dining, and working out, regular disinfection of hands and high touch surfaces using rubbing alcohol remains a key solution to help prevent the spread of germs. Recommended by the Philippine Society for Microbiology, Defensil’s 70% Solution Isopropyl Alcohol allows Filipinos to live safe now as it kills 99.9% of germs. It also helps Filipinos to quickly and effectively sanitize as it starts to kill germs on contact and provides up to 12 hours of protection upon constant use.

On top of this, Defensil is hypo-allergenic and contains moisturizer, so Filipinos can sanitize as often as they need to, as they go back to their regular activities.

With vaccination sites given a higher level of protection, Filipinos can live safe now and have greater peace of mind as they get vaccinated.

For more information on how to live safe now, visit the Defensil Isopropyl Alcohol’s Facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/defensil.philippines

*Defensil 70% Isopropyl Alcohol was tested against Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella typhimurium, Escherichia coli or E. coli and Candida albicans

World Vision concerned by trending Covid-19 cases among children, urges more priority to their well-being

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With the latest health reports of an increasing number of COVID-19 infections among children, World Vision urges family members especially the parents and adult caregivers to be mindful of the prescribed minimum health standards even while at home to also protect children and prevent viral transmission amidst the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

World Vision, an international child-focused NGO, also expressed its support to all stakeholders in upholding everyone’s welfare especially of children amidst the ECQ, and heightened restrictions in selected areas threatened by the more contagious Delta variant.

World Vision National Director Rommel V. Fuerte raised the need for adults to take this development seriously and be aware of children's risks if they remain complacent.

As of August 12, the Department of Health (DOH) records 87,663 active COVID-19 cases, making the overall total number of cases in the Philippines since last year to 1,700,363. Infected children nine years old and below comprise 4% or 65,558 cases while those between 10 to 19 years old represent 7% or 116,035.

Nationwide, the top six most affected regions are the National Capital Region, Region II Cagayan Valley, Region III Central Luzon, Region IV-A CALABARZON, Region VI Western VIsayas and Region VII Central Visayas.

“While there is urgency for adults to be vaccinated, we also call for the government to hasten the testing and immediate availability of safe and effective vaccines for children,” he added.

“Together with our partners, we pray that the global milestones in fighting this pandemic can be realized here in our country as well,” hopes Fuerte, who is also a Board Member of the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC) under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Recently, a study by World Vision revealed that during lockdowns, children and their households suffer from a significant lack of access to basic health care services, increasing the risk of maternal and child morbidity.

During this pandemic, the child development agency also stressed the need to ensure babies' proper nutrition. World Vision technical program manager for health and nutrition Carleneth San Valentin, underscores the need to promote, protect and uphold exclusive breastfeeding among mothers, as a practical defense for infants zero to six months old against dreaded and preventable diseases

“The Implementing Rules and Regulations of laws that support breastfeeding are clearly provided in Executive Order No. 51 or the Philippine Milk Code and Republic Act 11148 or the “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Mag-nanay Act”, the Health and Nutrition expert said while warning that breastmilk substitutes that undermine breastfeeding should not be included in the general distribution of emergency food packs.

San Valentin also added that everyone complies with guidelines from DOH Nutrition Cluster Advisory No. 1, Series 2020 which states that family food packs should contain age-and culturally appropriate, clean and nutritious food items to promote proper nutrition of children.

As stricter community quarantine protocols are implemented, children, based on the same Rapid Assessment, have expressed negative emotions such as sadness, fear and worry. It stated that almost half of the respondent parents and caregivers admitted that they have used physical or psychological punishment to children.

“A number of children are unaware or unsure about child protection services in their communities,” shared World Vision Technical Program Manager for Child Protection Jezreel Domingo, “so we urge the government to activate and ensure the functionality of Violence against Women and Children Desks and Barangay Councils for the Protection of Children, as stated in the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Advisory of April 2020.”

She also said that ensuring the continued functioning of child-friendly reporting mechanisms such as SOS hotlines allow concerned citizens to report any incident of abuse or exploitation.

The Child Protection Expert also reminded community stakeholders to enforce and monitor the DILG-CWC Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2020-001, which provides for the reiteration of protocols on reaching out to children in street situations, in need of special protection, at risk, and in conflict with the law during the Enhanced Community Quarantine.

One of the recommendations of the said study is to also assist families in ensuring children are “in school”, which, for World Vision Technical Program Manager of Education Geomel Jetonzo, is crucial to all Filipino learners’ safe, impactful and sustained education. As most school-aged children and students are now adapting to distance learning mode, it remains imperative that parents and children are made aware of the risks and measures to protect themselves from Covid-19 even while studying at home.

To know more about World Vision and its other initiatives, you may visit www.worldvision.org.ph or follow World Vision’s official social media pages /worldvisionph on Facebook, @worldvisionphl on Instagram, and @worldvisionph on Twitter.

About World Vision

World Vision is a Christian relief, development, and advocacy organization dedicated to working with children, their families, and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Inspired by its Christian faith and values, it is dedicated to working with the world’s most vulnerable people. It serves and collaborates with all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.

New partnership makes OMRON blood pressure monitors available in Mercury Drug stores nationwide

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OMRON Healthcare, a global leader in the field of clinically proven, innovative medical equipment, announces that its blood pressure monitoring (BPM) devices will now be available at Mercury Drug, the leading drugstore in the country. The latest OMRON HEM 7156-A model is already out in selected Mercury Drug stores nationwide.

OMRON, alongside organizations such as the Philippine Society of Hypertension, continues to campaign for home blood pressure monitoring as a means to mitigate the effects of hypertension. Even amid the pandemic, high blood pressure continues to be one of the top causes of mortality among Filipinos, with the latest survey from the Philippine Heart Association placing the prevalence rate of hypertension at 37 percent.[1] Despite this alarming statistic, only about 25% of hypertensives monitor their blood pressure at home, the survey further reveals.

Through this collaboration with Mercury Drug, OMRON reaffirms its commitment to help more Filipino families achieve good heart health.

“Our partnership with Mercury Drug allows us to bring OMRON closer to more Filipinos. With Mercury Drug’s vast network of more than 1,200 stores nationwide, we have a larger platform to make our world-class and reliable healthcare technologies more accessible to Filipinos. As we continue to forge more partnerships and expand the channels where our products are available, we remain steadfast in our commitment to promote home blood pressure monitoring as a means to help prevent the complications resulting from hypertension,” shared Yusuke Kato, General Manager for OMRON Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd – Philippine Branch (Healthcare Division).

Mercury Drug has been offering branded and generic medicines, medical devices, and healthcare and personal care products since 1945. Through the years, it has established its reputation as the leading drugstore in the Philippines, making it one of the most trusted and awarded merchants in the country today.

Ms. Vivian Que-Azcona, President of Mercury Drug Corporation said, “This partnership aligns with our mission to serve our customers – to have what they want, when, where and how they want it. This OMRON blood pressure monitoring device is a welcome addition to our product range that will help our customers in managing their health condition.”

Effortless Accuracy from the Comforts of Home

The HEM-7156-A is a state-of-the-art device designed for ease of use.

One of the most notable features of the HEM-7156-A is the 360-degree IntelliWrap Cuff technology. A study by Perleberg Research in 2014 revealed that one in three people measure their blood pressure inaccurately when monitoring from home.[2] A big contributor factor to this is incorrect cuff positioning. OMRON’s IntelliWrap Cuff solves this through a preformed fit cuff that gives accurate readings at any angle and reduces measurement errors at home. The cuff is even designed to make wearing easy to do even with just one hand – a benefit that is indispensable for self-monitoring.

OMRON HEM-7156-A is also equipped with “Intellisense”, a standard among all OMRON blood pressure monitors. This means that the device automatically personalizes the cuff inflation to eliminate pain or discomfort for the wearer during measurement. This revolutionary technology pioneered by OMRON further minimizes possible misrepresentation in readings.

The device is programmed to signal when an individual is suspected to have highly elevated blood pressure through its Hypertension Indicator. It features Pulse Rate and Body Movement Capturing and Irregular Heartbeat Detection, the latter helping to detect abnormal heart beat rhythm for early intervention and treatment of possible cardiovascular diseases. The product package also comes with a universal adapter.

The OMRON HEM-7156-A is available in selected Mercury Drug branches nationwide for only Php4,380. 

For more information about OMRON Healthcare’s products and their availability, please visit https://www.omronhealthcare-ap.com/ph.