#EatLocal #BuyLocal #GoLokal #SupportFilipinoMSMEs - Paskong Maka-Pilipino

Tweet

A few days to go before Christmas, and the malls are starting to bustle with families, including seniors and toddlers now welcome to share in the holiday fun.

Taking advantage of the more optimistic economic prospects for the most important shopping season, the Department of Trade and Industry-Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (DTI-BDTP) has ramped up its promotional activities for micro-, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

With support from the DTI-Regional Operations Group, about forty MSMEs are showcasing their wares at the last major selling event to close off the year. The Christmas Grand Fest at the Festival Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa City, runs from December 15-19, 2021, and serves as the finale for the Bagsakan special project of DTI-BDTP.

Filipino MSMEs have been among the hardest- hit over the past two years, and they struggled to sustain their business operations to support their families, employees, and communities.

With the prospect of a brighter Christmas, the DTI is urging everyone to have a more meaningful "Paskong Maka-Pilipino," by patronizing locally-made products for their holiday feasts and for gift-giving.

Further, all the participating MSMEs have been carefully curated to ensure that they offer quality products that meet both local ang international standards.

At the Christmas Grand Fest event, there is a special Halal Corner to promote the domestic halal industry, with an eye to establishing a presence in the huge international halal markets.

There will also be coffee exhibitors at the KAPEtirya, spotlighting the resurgence of Philippine coffee among enthusiasts here and abroad.

Other product offerings include processed food and beverages, fresh produce and organic products, dried seafood, cooked food, condiments, and other cooking ingredients. There are also garments, footwear, fashion accessories, home decor, and other gift items.

For those who prefer to keep safe and avoid the holiday rush, the DTI has several e-commerce platforms, as follows:

• NTF (National Trade Fair) Digital Mall — https://ntfdigimall.linker.store

• NACF (National Arts & Crafts Fair) Artisanal Shop — https://nacf.linker.store

• NFF (National Food Fair)Digital Mall — https://nff.linker.store

• Go Lokal Digital Mall - https://golokal.linker. store

• LazMall Go Lokal @ LazMall — https:// www.lazada.com.ph/shop/go-lokal

• Go Lokal @ Shopee Mall — https://shopee. ph/golokalphilippines

• Shopinas — https:// shopinas.com/go- lokal

For more information about the DTI-BDTP and its projects for MSMEs, please follow its social media accounts on Facebook (DTI.BDTP), Instagram (dti.bdtp), and Twitter (@DTI_BDTP). You may also email Director Marievic M. Bonoan at bdtp@dti.gov.ph.

Have A Merry GCash: Here are the many reasons why Life is G this Christmas!

Tweet

GCash brings back the thrill of Christmas shopping, family gatherings over Noche Buena and the tradition of pamamasko with daily rewards and a chance to win over P50M worth in prizes

Everyone surely longs for the warmth that the holiday season brings, especially in a country known to celebrate Christmas as a tight-knit community. Holiday shopping at bazaars and fairs, Christmas carols around the neighborhood, homecoming reunions, pamamasko and gift-giving may have been reduced to a dose of nostalgia for the past year but this time, GCash shows us that we are headed for brighter days!

This Christmas, GCash, the leading e-wallet platform in the Philippines, is bringing to life these well-loved Filipino Christmas traditions and giving us more reasons to celebrate and be merry. GCash, the undisputed #1 financial app in the country with over 40 million users to date, is inviting everyone to Merry GCash, its biggest and brightest Christmas celebration, with guaranteed daily rewards and a chance to be the first GCash millionaire, digitizing your favorite Filipino Christmas traditions.

Showing that Life Is G during the most awaited season of the year, GCash enables users to share these well-missed holiday experiences with their loved ones, wherever they may be, and delighting them with exciting rewards and deals over the holiday season.

Mag-Enjoy sa Christmas GLife Tiangge

GCash invites users to experience a more rewarding thrill of fulfilling wish lists and Christmas shopping. No more going through the dreaded Christmas rush, as GLife merchants will offer exclusive discounts and promos open for all users to enjoy!

Simply click on GLife on the GCash app, select the MerryG category and shop from featured brands and MSMEs.

●       Globe at Home

○       Buy Globe at Home Prepaid WiFi LTE advanced modem and get a free TP-link extender

○       Buy Globe at Home Prepaid WiFi LTE Black Pink themed modem and get a free TP-link extender

○       Get 50% off when you purchase a TP-link extender

●       Auntie Anne's

Save as much as P115 when you get the Holiday Bundle, which includes a box of pretzel and 1 liter of lemonade for only P550

Food & Drink: Cafe Calypso, CiderBears, Dream Coffee, Mayani, Taste and Tell MNL

Health & Wellness: EYEPRO, VPharma, Other Options Lifestyle

Home: Shibui, Hamlet Kids Room, Magnificent Marketing, Orion

Retail & Fashion: Aug3 Clothing, Baby Cuddle PH, Bibs Manila, FanLife, Milkwear, Skinni 

Mamasko When You Send Love, Send Pamasko

The tradition of aguinaldo will continue to live on even if we can’t physically visit our ninongs, ninangs or inaanaks. With Send Love, Send Pamasko, GCash gives us a convenient and safe way to send love to our loved ones and share blessings with partner charities. Even OFWs who can’t make it home can send their pamasko from anywhere across the globe to anywhere in the country with GCash.

It only takes a few taps to make a difference and make Christmas more meaningful. With Send Pamasko, users can donate in GLife for participating charity partners. Sharing the spirit of goodwill, GCash is partnering with ABS-CBN Foundation, GMA Kapuso Foundation, Save the Children, OFW Family Club, UNICEF and WWF. To send love to these causes close to your heart, select GLife on the GCash app and click on GCash For Good.

If you are thinking of adding a special Christmas touch to your pamasko for your family and friends, Send Pamasko and Send with a Clip features allow you to use special themes created by partner charities and the GCash Barkada. Simply fill in their GCash number and total amount, add a thoughtful message, select from holiday themes and confirm the transaction to show them how much they mean to you.

Magsaya With A Chance To Win 50 Million Worth of Prizes

Brighten up your holidays with more chances of winning just by using your GCash app. Catch up and connect with your loved ones this holiday season with the Lucky Load promo. For every PHP 50 worth of transaction through Buy Load on your GCash app, you get a Lucky Load ticket. With each ticket, you get to pick 6 out of 30 icons, and when you match at least 3 icons, you get a share of the pot prize of up to PHP 100,000.

GCash brings you traditional Christmas parols that are not only delightful to watch, but also rewarding to light up. With Shake it Up, Light it Up, users can collect as many parols as they can through the GCash app and light them up for daily discounts and prizes!

For a minimum spend of Php 100 using GCash, users earn one unlit parol per feature per day, which will appear the next day on their Merry GCash page on the app. Users can also ramp up their entries when they transact using GCash Padala, GSave, GInvest, GInsure, GLife and GCredit — serving as multipliers to instantly receive two unlit parols with just one transaction. Simply shake these parols to light them up and reveal their prizes. The first parol will give the user a guaranteed merchant voucher while the other parol entitles the user an entry for a chance to be one of 5,000 winners of the Merry GCash raffle.

Aside from giving away different packages, GCash will give away a Sari Sari Store Showcase to 3 GCash users. During the Grand Draw on Dec. 21, one lucky winner will be the first GCash millionaire.

While waiting for the raffle draw, GCash users who participate in the Shake it Up, Light it Up will get daily discounts and prizes from partner merchants.

●       A+ Rewards x foodpanda

60PHP off with a min spend of 300PHP when you order from Jollibee via foodpanda

●       A+ Rewards x foodpanda

FREE DELIVERY with a min spend of 200PHP when you order from foodpanda

●       A+ Rewards x foodpanda

40PHP off with a min spend of 200PHP when you order from foodpanda

●       A+ Rewards x SHEIN

15% off when you purchase from SHEIN (no min spend)

●       A+ Rewards x TeraBox

2-week free trial with TeraBox

●       A+ Rewards

10PHP off with a min spend of 50PHP when you spend on Alipay+ Store

●       A+ Rewards x Mobile Legends: Bang Bang In-Game Voucher

30PHP off with a min spend of 200PHP when you make an in-game purchase on Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (Available for both Google Play Store & App Store)

●       A+ Rewards x Steam

10PHP off with a min spend of 50PHP when you purchase from Steam

●       DITO

P20 load voucher to buy DITO Regular Load or High Speed Data Promo, Min. Spend P199 

While the ways we celebrate Christmas have changed over the years, especially during the pandemic, we all know that the greatest gift we can give is connecting and sharing joy with our family, friends, loved ones, and our kababayan in need of love. This Christmas, GCash is one with Filipinos in keeping the Christmas spirit alive with all the holiday surprises and promos it has to offer. All set to have a #MerryGCash? 

Click https://go.gcash.com/merrygcash and experience the many reasons why #GPaRinAngPasko with GCash!

 

Making an entire generation fall in love: The power of John Lloyd and Bea as the One True Pair, Jollibee Studios’ newest offering

Tweet

 

Aside from delivering every Filipino’s comfort food, Jollibee has also made its name as a brand that delivers powerful and heartfelt stories through Jollibee Studios, their official YouTube channel that houses their ever-popular short films.

In its newest offering, Jollibee is tackling a deeper kind of love—something the brand has yet to talk about, until now—one that goes beyond romance.

“From our very first Kwentong Jollibee in 2016, to the laugh-out-loud Petsa de Peligro series of 2017, and the One True Pair shorts that started in 2018, our stories have focused on the everyday lives of Filipinos, with lessons and messages on hope, love, inspiration, and joy,” said Francis E. Flores, Jollibee Foods Corporation Philippines Country/Regional Marketing Head. “With One True Pair The Movie, which brings together one of the most loved and iconic love teams in the Philippines, John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo, we wanted to tell a heartwarming story about a love that lasts and transcends time and romance.”

The film is directed by award-winning director JP Habac and produced by Publicis JimenezBasic and Unitel x Straightshooters.

The film tells the story of Ian del Rosario (played by John Lloyd Cruz) and Gela Rosales (played by Bea Alonzo)—both famous celebrities who have worked together in the past and are collaborating on a new project. They talk about the lessons they learned about love and life, and how they both played a huge part in each other’s life.

“It was such a joy being able to work with Bea and John Lloyd for this film. As seasoned and award-winning actors who have also been lifelong friends, they bring maturity to the story that makes it highly relatable and gives weight to the message that when you love someone, you love them forever,” Direk JP said.

With John Lloyd and Bea being friends and co-workers for decades, and because the two found that some parts of the story mirror their relationship, both gave their insights and inputs during the script development.

John Lloyd and Bea started being the Philippines’ One True Pair in 2005, which was followed by a box-office hit a year after. Their chemistry and star power were such that they starred for more several box-office hits which cemented them as one of the top love teams in the country.

One True Pair The Movie shows how Ian and Gela reconnect and how their relationship evolved over time and how, despite things changing, many remain the same. 

“Kamusta ang puso mo?” Gela asks Ian.

“Ito may abs na, malakas na,” Ian replies.

John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo share the screen once again in Jollibee Studios’ One True Pair The Movie, a film about loving someone beyond romance.

These are some of the dialogues in the film that shows how it was crafted to show both the complexity and simplicity of loving someone.

A behind-the-scenes look at Jollibee Studios’ One True Pair The Movie featuring the country’s most iconic love team, John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo.

 

“When it comes to developing a Jollibee Studios story, the marching orders are always about making it real, universal, and full of hope and that’s what One True Pair surfaces effectively,” said Tats Cruz, Publicis JimenezBasic, Head of Agency. “It’s really a very simple story that tells hard-hitting truths about loving someone.” 

One True Pair The Movie is the first in a slew of original entertainment content from the revamped Jollibee Studios YouTube Channel--the brand’s hub for its powerful and compelling digital and truly Filipino stories. The film is also one of many that will be starring A-list celebrities, all of which will be exclusively available on Jollibee Studios.

Watch One True Pair The Movie via this link and don’t miss any of the new and exciting films and series from Jollibee Studios by subscribing to the channel.

 

The stars of One True Pair The Movie along with the Jollibee team and Creative Agency during the development meeting and script reading.

 

Experts agree: joyfulness is the best medicine

Tweet

When we focus on attaining overall health and wellbeing, we get to live life with joyfulness. With joy in our hearts, there is so much more we can do to lead a better quality of life physically, emotionally, mentally, socially and financially to complete our holistic health and wellbeing.

In a virtual discussion organized by FWD Life Insurance, specialists and professionals shared their thoughts on the topic: Joyfulness is the Best Medicine, and how it relates to holistic health and wellbeing.

According to acclaimed physician Dr. Ging Zamora, there is a scientific connection between joyfulness and overall health. “There is a science behind the saying that happy people live longer. Being joyful can have a positive impact on one's health, by improving the immune system, lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, and others. This is why choosing to be in a state of joy is an important exercise we must strive to do every day,” said Dr. Ging.

Turning to physical health, fitness consultant and coach Jim Saret affirmed Dr. Ging’s explanation, quoting various research and studies that prove joyfulness can influence a person’s health habits, “Studies show that joyful people are more likely to exercise, eat healthy foods, sleep better and avoid smoking. If you have a good sense of wellbeing, it's easier to maintain good habits: exercising, eating a balanced diet and getting enough sleep.”

Roche Vandenberghe, VP and Head of Marketing of FWD Life Insurance, also pointed out that financial fitness is an important part of holistic health and wellbeing. “There is joy in knowing you have yourself and your family’s future protected with insurance. For FWD, our commitment is to provide health protection plans that go beyond illness coverage by having built-in benefits that encourage health and well-being so they can do more and celebrate living with utmost joy,” Roche said.

Dr. Shake Hocson, on the other hand, emphasized the effect of joyfulness in an individual’s mental, emotional and social state, saying that “joyfulness is the best medicine because it is the true and pure delight of your heart and soul that transcends regardless of the person and condition.”

Roche made reference to FWD’s innovative Health Bundle, where customers can choose a variable universal life (VUL) base plan from either Set for Life or Manifest. These products, she said, not only provide protection against critical illnesses but also help customers grow and protect their financial investment. KanMend, on the other hand, is the starter plan that likewise covers for critical illness and gives cash reward for confinement due to COVID-19 or COVID-19 vaccination at an affordable price making it accessible to everyone, even for gifting.

Another novel FWD product is Set for Health, which offers “zero-waste health protection”. This means every premium paid works for plan owners: they can claim up to 3x for unrelated major critical illnesses and waives all premiums on the first major critical illness diagnosis so they can focus on their recovery. If they never make a major critical illness claim by age 75, they will get back 100% of their paid premiums. This way, the owner has the freedom to keep the money as additional retirement fund or savings to maintain their state of health and well-being.

Indeed, it is important to look after ourselves as a whole – physically, emotionally, mentally, socially and financially – so we can attain joyfulness and live a fulfilled life.

To know more about FWD Life Insurance health products, visit www.fwd.com.ph/products.

To learn more about how you can live the joy of wellbeing, visit www.fwd.com.ph/health-and-wellbeing.

 

About FWD Life Insurance 

FWD Life Insurance Corporation (FWD Life Insurance) launched its commercial operations in September 2014. As of end-2020, FWD Life Insurance ranks 2nd and 4th in terms of Paid-up Capital1 and New Business Annual Premium Equivalent2, respectively.

FWD Group is a pan-Asian life insurance business with approximately 10 million customers across 10 markets, including some of the fastest growing insurance markets in the world. In the Philippines, FWD has 17 business hubs located in key cities nationwide, with its headquarters in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

Established in 2013, FWD is focused on making the insurance journey simpler, faster and smoother, with innovative propositions and easy-to-understand products, supported by digital technology. Through this customer-led approach, FWD is committed to changing the way people feel about insurance.

For more information, please visit fwd.com.ph.

 

1 www.insurance.gov.ph > Statistics > Life > 2020 > Based on Paid-Up Capital

2 www.insurance.gov.ph > Statistics > Life > 2020 > Based on New Business Annual Premium Equivalent

 

Strong ties form a brighter future for kids under the USAID, NEAP and DepEd Evidence Based Literacy Leadership

Tweet

The journey of the young minds and the growth of their mental ability to learn has been the concern of the Department of Education, National Educators Academy of the Philippines and the USAID. Despite the absence of face-to-face classes due to the worldwide health crisis, this was never the stumbling block of the three agencies to pursue the continuous growth of the kids to learn and enhance their reading skills and ability to learn in the absence of a teacher physically present.

The tri-party has been advocating the need for the young minds to nourish at their young stage of growth where it matters most, to be able to absorb the right learning skills. Literacy at this stage is where the foundation must be laid.

USAID has been providing the ABC+ or its Advancing Basic Education where more than 10,000 beneficiaries from the Education sector primarily the teachers, school heads, supervisors and principals, and provided 9 million early grade learning materials.

Lucky recipients for this program were public schools in Regions V and VI, namely the Bicol region and the Western Visayas where the tri-parties focused on the how to further develop and strengthen the Literacy and Reading in light of the heightened difficulties brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The selected public schools in the said regions were able to focus with the adoption of technology using the internet as a medium of learning, with the new innovations and initiatives strengthening literacy instruction at the early grade level in the context of the new normal. 400 projects headed by the School Teachers attended the USAID led "Instructional Leadership Training: Strengthening Learning Conditions for Early Literacy."

The training focused on developing literacy leaders who can foster positive school climate and conditions integrating social and emotional learning, gender equity and social inclusion, and developmentally appropriate practices to support quality literacy instruction. USAID officials, DepEd representatives, teachers and officials from DepEd Regions V and VI, and other key partners and stakeholders attended the conference.

The event featured multiple activities, including a virtual poster and video exhibition of project initiatives, a virtual area featuring USAID-supported early grade learning materials, and read-aloud events featuring books in Filipino, English, and mother tongue languages developed through USAID support. The conference also included discussions on literacy leadership, home partners’ literacy programs, school climate, and gender equality and social inclusion.

The awarding of winners were set as the culminating part of the 3-day online event held last December 10, 2021 during a virtual conference. The winners are as follows :

It is with the highest gratitude to the USAID, the National Educators Academy of the Philippines, hand in hand with the Department of Education has continued to roll out such programs that enrich our young generations which will be the heroes of the future.

USAID has been helping the Philippines and the Local Government for the past 60 years in helping us achieve early learning ability for our children. The USAID has invested around P200M plus for this. USAID Advancing Basic Education (ABC+) project, has trained more than 10,000 teachers, school heads, supervisors and principals, and provided 9 million early grade learning materials since 2019.