The Chainsmokers mark first music release in two years with new single “High”

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Following a two-year break from touring and releasing music, and nearly being replaced by two new guys, Grammy® Award-winning and Billboard Chart-topping artist/producer duo The Chainsmokers have returned to unveil their highly anticipated new single “High.”

 

The song, which was co-written and co-produced by Alex and Drew, launches a new musical era for the band and kicks off the journey towards their upcoming fourth full-length album. The song’s official music video has also premiered today and follows the guys to death-defying heights as Drew chases his unattainable significant other through several surreal scenarios, and showcases navigating through a world where love is always fleeting.

The duo has also said of the single, "The song perfectly captures the spirit of today's relationships, the lengths we will go for someone we love, and the lies we tell ourselves to continue on unhappily. However, underlying these dark and often contentious lyrics is a production that feels celebratory because we all know at the end of the day, we never listen to advice, we do what feels best for ourselves and keep telling ourselves it will be different this time.”

 

Over the last few years, the band took their time to write and record their fourth album, while also focusing on philanthropy and other entrepreneurial endeavors such as their venture fund, Mantis, and their TV/Film production company, Kick The Habit.

 

The Chainsmokers’ “High” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music.

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Not physically and financially healthy enough? You only need one plan to boost both

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While the coronavirus pandemic has altered the way we live, some things will never change. For this reason, more people are turning to life insurance companies to better prepare themselves and their loved ones against all things inevitable.

In a 2021 survey commissioned by the AIA Group, AIA Philippines’ Hong Kong-based parent company, the majority of Filipinos acknowledged the severe impact COVID-19 has made on their well-being, not only in terms of their physical and mental health but also on their social lives and financial security.

About 71 percent of the respondents said the pandemic had a negative effect on their personal/family finances—driven mostly by mass layoffs, limited economic activities, and shrinking business confidence—with average income reduction measured at 29 percent.

Bleak outlook notwithstanding, the same survey found out that more people became conscious of their spending habits during the pandemic, with a larger number of respondents either planning to save more or buy an insurance product as soon as they recover financially. At least 77 percent agree to set aside a bigger chunk of their income to help them manage future uncertainties and other life emergencies, saying that despite their low confidence to achieve their target amount at present, they will look for ways to reach their savings goals.

This renewed interest to practice financial discipline among the majority of consumers is an encouraging sign for the financial services industry, in particular, as 75 percent strongly agree that saving up for better protection in cases of unforeseen circumstances deserve equal priority.

Consequently, demand for an all-around insurance product that can adjust to the customer’s needs is likely to increase over the years, which AIA Philippines is more than happy to address with its latest product, AIA All-In-One Plus.

“AIA All-In-One Plus is a comprehensive variable unit link whole life insurance plan with benefits. It protects the policyholder against four major risks: death, accident, disability and critical illnesses,” said Tennyson Paras, AIA Philippines Associate Director for Products, about their latest offering. “The product comes with an enrollment to the AIA Vitality program to promote better health among our customers. When you get AIA All-In-One Plus, you are not only protected against the four risks, but you are also rewarded for leading a healthy lifestyle,” Paras added.

AIA All-In-One Plus goes beyond basic insurance because it not only levels up your protection, but it also helps you live healthier as it sets you up for financial growth with a portion plowed into your chosen investment funds. With its Double Vitality Booster feature, AIA All-In-One Plus can help policyholders live a better lifestyle and improve their future claims and other benefits. AIA Vitality allows you to enjoy rewards for knowing and improving your health.

Leveling up the protection of one’s future is never too late for anyone who has yet to avail of an insurance plan. There’s no better time than now to start building a strong foundation with double protection through the complete benefits of AIA All-In-One Plus, and have peace of mind now, so you can live a healthier, longer, better life later.

Click here to know more about AIA All-In-One Plus, visit AIA Philippines on www.aia.com.ph, or on Facebook. You may also email philamlife@aia.com or call (02) 8528-2000.

UBX to double workforce in 2022

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New hires to drive further growth, inclusive finance vision of UBX

UBX, the leading open finance platform in the Philippines, plans to more than double its workforce this year to strengthen its goal of developing more digital financial solutions and better serve consumers and businesses.

After gaining traction in 2021, UBX plans to continue innovating to introduce more solutions in various financial segments, including, but not limited to payments, banking services, savings and insurance, identity verification and credit scoring, as well as cryptocurrencies, among many others.

To do this, UBX is looking to boost its workforce for business development and tech with plans to add more than 200 employees within 2022.

“Despite the pandemic, we were able to grow our workforce to a little over 200 in 2021, allowing us to grow rapidly and promote our goal of making finance inclusive for everyone. We are ramping up our hiring initiatives to reach our target headcount of 500 this year, as we implement our growth strategies and expand our spectrum of financial services throughout 2022,” UBX Chief Human Resources Officer Gladys Ocampo said.

UBX, a three-year old startup backed by UnionBank of the Philippines of conglomerate Aboitiz Group, recorded impressive growth in 2021, serving over 200,000 business to business customers, partnering with more than 2,000 independent banking agents and 250 financial institutions, and recording an annual gross transaction value of P20 billion.

This upward trajectory allowed UBX to quintuple its revenues last year, a growth momentum that is expected to ripple through 2022.

As part of its core value of being inclusive, UBX hires talent that fit the skills needed for the job, regardless of one’s gender identity, educational background, training, or experience.

UBX hires fresh graduates, especially in the field of technology, and provides them with free training through its Bootcamp on programming languages such as Appian and Outsystems.

“We provide our talent with resources and tools to develop their skills and knowledge in their field. At UBX, we are not afraid of investing in our people, who, in turn, invest in us as well with their talent,” Ocampo said.

UBX plans to mount open house roadshows in key areas outside the National Capital Region (NCR) to encourage talent from the provinces to join the leading fintech innovator. It plans to scout for tech talents in Iloilo, Cebu, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro.

“We operate an open, agile, innovative, experimental, and highly collaborative environment. We are looking for people who share our mission of embedding financial services into the activities and experiences, as well as giving access to the unserved and the underserved market” Ocampo said.

About UBX

UBX is the financial technology venture studio and fund of UnionBank of the Philippines. UBX is predicated on a future where financial services are invisible: seamlessly embedded into the experiences and activities that truly matter to businesses and people. For partnerships, email us at hello@ubx.ph.

For more information about the company and this article, please visit www.ubx.ph

Mekeni street foods – Kikiam and Fish Balls - are now available in the US

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Mekeni makes waves in the US, brings street food faves to the West Coast

Mekeni Kikiam and Fish Balls now available in Island Pacific Supermarket

Mekeni Food Corporation, one of the largest food manufacturing companies in the country, has laid its foothold in the US market by bringing its packed street food products to the West Coast this January.

“If there is one thing that Filipinos living abroad miss a lot, it is probably their favorite street food. Through our partnership with Island Pacific Supermarket, one of the biggest Asian/Filipino supermarkets in the West Coast, we are bringing them not just authentic Pinoy flavors, but also the feeling that they are closer to home through our products,” said Mekeni President Prudencio S. Garcia.

Mekeni Kikiam and Fish Balls are available in 17 branches of Island Pacific Supermarket across California and Nevada. According to Garcia, this is just the start for Mekeni as they are looking into making their products available in other parts of the US.

Mekeni street food products are available in all branches of Seafood Island Supermarket

“The past two years has been challenging. What inspired us, however, to push forward with this is our desire to showcase what Timplang Atin is like to the rest of the world. We want to give them access to quality and taste that Mekeni can bring,” said Garcia.

Aside from kikiam and fish balls, Mekeni is also eyeing to bring their flagship products such as tocino, gluten-free chicken longanisa, and hotdog to the US.

Before the US, Mekeni has maintained its supply of food products to existing international markets such as Dubai, Bahrain, Brunei, Australia, Canada, and UK. Mekeni is also the first Filipino food company allowed by the Japanese government to export products to the country.

Garcia noted that by expanding their market, they also get to uplift the lives of their communities that are depending on them. “We have always been committed to helping our communities through generating jobs and creating product lines that can sustain their income. Bringing our products to the US could mean expanding our operations and employing more people across the supply chain amid the pandemic,” Garcia closed.

Locally, Mekeni also exclusively manufactures Bayani, a street food line for entrepreneurs. Its product range includes Filipino snack favorites such as siomai, siopao, squid balls, fish balls, chicken balls, and kikiam.

For over 30 years, the Pampanga-based food manufacturing company has been known for its manufacturing capabilities recognized worldwide. Mekeni is the first in Asia and the second in the world overall to receive the certificate of compliance to ISO 22000 Food Safety Management System standard.

For more information about their products, visit Mekeni’s official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mekeniph.

Love never plays by the rules Bridgerton returns March 25

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Bridgerton returns for a second season on March 25, 2022. In keeping with the tradition of the novels, season two tells the romance story of Lord Anthony Bridgerton’s quest for love. Bridgerton comes to Netflix from Shondaland and is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes, Betsy Beers, and Chris Van Dusen. Van Dusen also serves as creator and showrunner.

About Bridgerton

From Shondaland and Creator Chris Van Dusen, the second season of Bridgerton follows Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey), the eldest Bridgerton sibling and Viscount, as he sets out to find a suitable wife. Driven by his duty to uphold the family name, Anthony’s search for a debutante who meets his impossible standards seems ill-fated until Kate (Simone Ashley) and her younger sister Edwina (Charithra Chandran) Sharma arrive from India. When Anthony begins to court Edwina, Kate discovers the true nature of his intentions — a true love match is not high on his priority list — and decides to do everything in her power to stop the union. But in doing so, Kate and Anthony’s verbal sparring matches only bring them closer together, complicating matters on both sides. 

Across Grosvenor Square, the Featheringtons must welcome the newest heir to their estate while Penelope (Nicola Coughlan) continues to navigate the ton whilst keeping her deepest secret from the people closest to her.

Bridgerton is a romantic, scandalous, and clever series that celebrates the timelessness of enduring friendships, families finding their way, and the search for a love that conquers all. The series also stars Adjoa Andoh (Lady Danbury), Lorraine Ashbourne (Mrs. Varley), Harriet Cains (Philipa Featherington), Bessie Carter (Prudence Featherington), Shelley Conn (Mary Sharma), Nicola Coughlan (Penelope Featherington), Phoebe Dynevor (Daphne Basset), Ruth Gemmell (Violet Bridgerton), Florence Hunt (Hyacinth Bridgerton), Martins Imhangbe (Will Mondrich), Claudia Jessie (Eloise Bridgerton), Calam Lynch (Theo Sharpe), Luke Newton (Colin Bridgerton), Golda Rosheuvel (Queen Charlotte), Luke Thompson (Benedict Bridgerton), Will Tilston (Gregory Bridgerton), Polly Walker (Portia Featherington), Rupert Young (Jack), and Julie Andrews as the voice of Lady Whistledown. The series is inspired by Julia Quinn’s novels.

Watch the teaser here

More on Bridgerton visit:

Netflix.com/Bridgerton

Twitter: @bridgerton

Instagram: @bridgertonnetflix