Say goodbye to bulky coins and bills! You can now receive e-sukli at SM, powered by PayMaya

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Receiving a handful of coins and bills as change can be pretty inconvenient, especially if you need to carry them around as you go about your day. Sure, you can stuff them neatly in your wallet or coin purse, but as they pile up, there should be another solution to hold your endless barya.

And who hasn't encountered the perennial "meron po ba kayong exact amount" question when paying at the cashier?

The good news now is there is e-sukli! Digital financial services leader PayMaya and the Philippines' largest department store, The SM Store, launched this innovative solution to make receiving change more convenient for shoppers. e-sukli allows customers to receive a change of up to P50 directly to their PayMaya accounts instead of taking bulky coins and bills from the cashier.

Now available in over 60 The SM Store branches nationwide, E-sukli makes receiving change much easier and eliminates the need to find a smaller bill for your purchases. It is also a great way to accumulate funds in your PayMaya account so you can use it when paying cashless the next time you go shopping, dine at your favorite restaurant, or pay bills.

Not only is using e-sukli easy and convenient, but just like any PayMaya experience, it can also be rewarding. From April 1 to 30, 2022, those who use e-sukli in any of The SM Store branches will get an additional bonus of P5, P10, or P25 on top of their actual change. Be sure to avail yourself of this unique promo by SM and PayMaya for a hassle-free shopping experience that can help you earn a little extra for yourself!

E-sukli can be used at the checkout counter in The SM Store by simply asking the cashier to send your change via PayMaya. On your PayMaya app, tap the icon in the upper-left corner and tap the QR code beside your name. The cashier will then scan your PayMaya account QR code and transfer your change.

The e-sukli initiative with The SM Store is just among the many programs and innovations that PayMaya is rolling out to its enterprise partners to encourage more Filipinos to adopt digital payments for their everyday transactions.

PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines, with platforms and services that cut across consumers, merchants, communities, and government. As of end-December 2021, PayMaya provides more than 44 million Filipinos access to financial services through its consumer platforms. Its Smart Padala by PayMaya network of over 63,000 partner agent touchpoints serves as last-mile digital financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved access to digital services. Through its enterprise business, it is the largest digital payments processor for key industries in the country, including "every day" merchants such as the largest retail, food, gas, and eCommerce merchants, as well as government agencies and units.

Sylvia depicts a mother's strength in iWantTFC's "Misis Piggy"

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Sylvia and Ria’s first mom-daughter series streaming for free this April 25

After portraying multiple mom roles, Sylvia Sanchez stars alongside her daughter Ria Atayde for the first time in a heartwarming series about a mother’s unconditional love in “Misis Piggy,” iWantTFC’s early Mother’s Day offering which streams for free in the Philippines this April 25.

“Misis Piggy” is a poignant love letter to all mothers who strive to shower their kids with all the love and care despite enduring their own seemingly insurmountable struggles and pains.

In the iWantTFC original series, Sylvia plays the role of Marivic, a selfless and strong-willed single mom of three middle-aged kids. Marivic wants nothing but the best for her children that is why she whole-heartedly dedicates her time in running a meat stall at the market.

As her children get older, Marivic struggles to grapple with the fact that they are mature enough to live their own lives as they carve their own career paths in different countries. Her eldest daughter Lani (Ria) aims to boost her job as a nurse by going to Canada; Steffi (Iana Bernardez) is a teacher taking up a master’s degree and gets a scholarship offer in the United States; Jeffrey (Elijah Canlas), meanwhile, is Marivic’s youngest son who intends to pursue an internship in Australia as he finishes his studies.

Marivic’s relationship with her kids further gets complicated when they suddenly make an effort to reconnect with their estranged father Rupert (Ricky Davao). This leaves Marivic in an emotionally difficult situation - should she allow her kids to rekindle their relationship with their father despite their failed marriage? Or should she shut Rupert out of their lives forever for abandoning their family?

“Misis Piggy” is written and directed by Carlo Catu and produced by ABS-CBN Entertainment, iWantTFC, Dreamscape Entertainment, Nathan Studios, and Epic Media. A new episode drops daily at 8 PM beginning April 25 on the iWantTFC app (iOs and Android) and website (iwanttfc.com). Viewers can get easy access to iWantTFC's content library with its "watch now, register later" feature. Watch iWantTFC on a larger screen with select devices, including VEWD, ROKU, and Amazon Fire streaming devices, Android TV, select Samsung Smart TV models, Telstra TV (in Australia), and VIDAA in select countries. Additionally, iWantTFC is available via Chromecast and Airplay. Visit https://iwanttfc.com/help#tfc-on-smart-tv for a complete list of compatible devices, sign-in instructions, and account activation.

For updates, like www.facebook.com/iWantTFC and follow @iwanttfc on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to www.youtube.com/iWantTFC. For inquiries and concerns about the service, users can also send a message on iWantTFC’s Facebook page or e-mail support@iwanttfc.com.

Catch Your Favorite Artists Live This April at Market! Market!

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Don’t miss out on ALive!, the rebirth of the local concert scene!

Pinoy artists are raring to perform live for their fans, and the day has finally come when they can take the stage once again. ALive!, a concert series happening at the Market! Market! Activity Center this April, will feature some of the country’s biggest stars, side by side with rising artists in a long-awaited live entertainment showcase.

Catch These ALive! Performances at Market! Market!

ALive! at Market! Market! kicks off with singer-songwriter Zack Tabudlo on April 23, 2022 at 6:00 PM. He will be serenading fans with his hit song, “Binibini”, along with other favorites from his album, “Episode”. To get one guest stub for the event, shoppers must present single or accumulated receipts worth Php 1,000 dated April 18-23, 2022, from any Market! Market! stores.

A heart-stopping show featuring Nadine Lustre is coming next to Market! Market! The actress will be joined by the cast of the hit movie, Greed, on April 24, 2022 at 4:00 PM. Special musical numbers await everyone at the event. To enter the Greed Mall Show, shoppers may either buy a one-month Viva Max subscription or download the Zing app and present Php 500 single or accumulated receipts dated April 24, 2022 from any Market! Market! merchant. Redemption is open to the first 100 customers only.

Finally, on April 30, catch artists from the Happy Plays Music Festival group, including popular Filipino rock bands 6cyclemind, Moonstar88, and Gracenote. Also on the lineup are Banda ni Kleggy, Bey, Hey June, and Kiss N Tell.

Market! Market! looks forward to welcoming both concert-goers and performers into its safe and worry-free venue this April. In the interest of everyone’s safety, protocols will be put in place, including wearing of face masks. Guests will also be required to present their updated vaccination cards and get a temperature check before being granted admission to the event area.

For more information on mall activities, schedules, and promotions at #iLoveMarketMarket, like and follow Facebook.com/MarketMarket, @ilovemarketmarket on Instagram and TikTok, and @MarketMarketBGC on Twitter. You may also visit www.ayalamalls.com.

Mekeni: Fire up your entrepreneurial spirit with your own timpla of success

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The Philippines is a country of resourceful and resilient people. Despite the loss of livelihood and business closures during the lockdowns, the entrepreneurial spirit of Filipinos never seemed to falter.

Mekeni Food Corporation, one of the leading food manufacturing companies in the country, embodies the unfaltering entrepreneurial spirit of Filipinos. It started as a backyard business of a simple Kapampangan family, but through hard work and dedication, it became a homegrown food brand that offers products here and abroad.

Mekeni's story continues to inspire and drive other businesses to aspire for something greater. Through the years, and the ups and downs that the company experienced, it has developed its own timpla of service and care. To fire up every Pinoy’s entrepreneurial spirit, Mekeni shares their recipe to success, which Filipinos can replicate to fit their goals.

Stand out by offering the best products

Customers nowadays are more discerning. They want to get the best product for the best price. There is a wide-range of products you can offer—both for food and non-food. Mekeni’s rule of thumb on this aspect is to commit to offering the best quality products at reasonable prices. Remember that your skill at choosing the best product is crucial to your success.

Have a trusted business partner

Selling is the easy part of owning a business, but sustaining its growth is a whole new level. Find a reliable partner to help you grow your venture. For Mekeni, having a good relationship with its distributors, retail partners, and customers has helped them weather storms and challenges. It is also important that your values and objectives are aligned to ensure that you are headed towards the same direction.

Know your customers

As a micropreneur, knowing your customer base is the first step to being on top of the game. Mekeni puts emphasis on the importance of doing market research for a micropreneur to know more about the customers and their competitions.

Find out what matters to your customers. Does premium products matter to them most? Or do they put more importance on price point? How do they consume information—through digital or traditional media?

Knowing your competitors will also help you determine how to position your products and what niche you want to conquer.

With information such as these, you get to know what kinds of offers, products, and services would be appealing to your prospective target market.

Maximize your social media use

Almost everyone these days is online. Step up your marketing by putting an effort to tell your customers who you are, what you sell, and why they should buy from you. You do not need to be everywhere, but you need to be where your customers are and be consistent.

“It has always been our mission to uplift the lives of our communities and beyond—whether by offering quality products or forging partnerships. Knowing your stakeholders and valuing what is important to them is one of the keys to become a successful entrepreneur,” said Mekeni President Prudencio Garcia. “More importantly, setting a clear goal is an important ingredient to success.”

There is no specific formula to driving a business to success. However, Mekeni believes that embedding these fundamental principles in your processes can definitely propel your business to greater heights.

To know more about Mekeni, its products, and business opportunities, visit its official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/mekeniph

Salamat sa Joy: Jollibee shares in the collective gratitude of Filipinos in the new normal

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For many Filipinos, Jollibee is a place that holds many joyful memories. From family celebrations, impromptu work lunch dates, thesis meet-ups after school, and even simple family lunch out on weekends, Jollibee has been witness to these countless memorable moments.

These ordinary joys, however, were temporarily put on hold because of the pandemic and the restrictions that had to be set for everyone's safety. While Jollibee continued to serve its customers as they stayed home or experienced limited mobility, most still longed for the joy of getting together and eating out at their go-to happy place.

Now, with the continuous vaccination roll-out and easing of quarantine restrictions, people are slowly having the confidence to enjoy their pre-pandemic activities again. After two years of lockdown, people have a newfound sense of joy and gratitude as they look forward to making more happy memories with their loved ones.

Jollibee shares in the joy and excitement while still ensuring the safety of its customers as it releases its latest safety video – Salamat sa Joy ng Muling Pagsasama. Featuring a cover of the song “Salamat” originally sang by the Dawn, the video captures the experience of dining out in the new normal and the greater appreciation of being able to spend time again with family and friends.

As people slowly embrace the new normal, Jollibee hopes to bring back

the joyful moments that Filipinos miss in its stores

Jollibee’s store teams are fully vaccinated, ensuring the safety of customers as they enjoy 

their Jollibee favorites

Nothing compares to the joy of eating out and getting together again 

with one’s family and friends at Jollibee

“Much has changed in the past two years, but one thing that remains constant is the joy that Jollibee offers families and friends whenever they dine in our stores. We’re grateful that our stores are now at 100% capacity and our store teams are fully vaccinated, and our goal is to keep offering our customers the same ‘Alagang Jollibee’ customer service that they’ve known to trust. This way they can continue having joyful moments safely as we embrace the new normal,” shared Francis Flores, Jollibee Global and Jollibee Philippines Marketing Head.

Since the start of the pandemic, the country’s leading fast-food chain has strictly adhered to COVID-19 protocols. Specific safety measures have also been implemented for Dine-In, Take Out, Drive-Thru, and Delivery operations to safeguard the well-being of both employees and customers as they enjoy their Jollibee favorites.

What are you waiting for? Invite your friends and family to the nearest Jollibee store to experience the joy of eating out once again. If you’d like to find out what to expect, watch the latest Jollibee safety ad on the brand’s YouTube and Facebook pages.

Your Jollibee favorites are also available via Take Out, Drive-Thru, and Delivery through JollibeeDelivery.com, Jollibee App, #87000, GrabFood or Foodpanda.