LTO Opening in Estancia

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Estancia Mall welcomes a new Land Transportation Office located at the 4/F East Wing. Nearby residents and mall goers can now enjoy the convenience of renewing their driver’s license and getting their student-driver’s permit every Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM. Requirements such as theoretical driving course and medical exams can be taken within the area as well. Avail of their excellent service while enjoying a wide selection of global and lifestyle brands, and unique café and restaurant concepts at Estancia! To stay updated, follow the Estancia at Capitol Commons Facebook page or download the Ortigas Malls app.

(From left) Jackree Luz, Owner of Alert Driving Academy; Julia Jatico, Managing Director of Think Wise Medical Services; Arch. Renee Bacani, VP of Ortigas Malls, Estancia Mall in Pasig City; Asec. Edgar Galvante, LTO ASEC; Usec. Mark Steven Pastor, DOTr USEC; Frank Alido, President of DLRO; Alex Uy, Managing Partner of Think Wise Medical Services; Willy Lim

Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin star in the music video of Ace Banzuelo’s streaming hit “Muli”

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The Gen Z superstars portray a romantic couple struggling to put their love back together

ABS-CBN stars Francine Diaz and Seth Fedelin reunite onscreen for the music video of Ace Banzuelo’s chart-topping electronic ballad “Muli.”

The visual narrative captures the disintegration of what used to be a promising relationship, with ‘FranSeth’ struggling to process their pain.

Going the abstract route, the MV depicts an imagery of a home on the verge of breaking apart: burning couches, dying lights, and a smashed piano. Ace Banzuelo himself, makes a significant appearance as the ‘inner emotions’ of Seth.

“Everything was heavy on symbolism, but still reflects the intensity of the song,” says Chapters’ very own Jake Soriano, who directed the music video of “Muli.”

Soriano has worked with both Francine and Seth in the past, but according to him, this project was the first time that he witnessed the loveteam deliver a nuanced performance and showcase their range as dramatic thespians. “They’re easy to work with, because aside from being good actors, they’re also very kind and professional, and both are super funny. We always get a good laugh during shoots.”

For his part, Ace was very much involved in the brainstorming and creative process of the music video, and was very open in collaborating with Francine and Seth.

“At first, I was okay to do the music video alone with what I had, and then we started to get tweets, comments, and messages from multiple fans that they wanted to see me collaborate with local actors,” shares the young singer-songwriter and producer. “Our team reached out to the loveteam, and we were so happy that they were game! Working with Seth and Francine was super fun, I’m proud that we were able to capture the vision of song, and present it through the long-awaited video.”

Few hours before the premiere of the music video, FRANSETHxACE MULI MV immediately topped Twitter Philippines trending list at No. 1, with fans expressing their excitement on the teamup.

“Muli” has been the most streamed OPM song on Spotify and Apple Music for more than a month now. It continues to make an impact on several music charts worldwide, reaching No. 1 on Apple Music Viral Hits – Philippines, No. 2 on Spotify Top 50 – Philippines and Spotify Viral 50 – Philippines, No. 3 on Apple Music Top 100: Philippines, and No. 6 on Spotify Viral 50 – Global. “Muli” has also landed on Spotify Viral 50 charts in four other territories: UAE, Singapore, Canada, and New Zealand, making it one of the biggest crossover hits that came out in the country this year.

Ace Banzuelo’s “Muli” is out now on all digital music platforms worldwide via Sony Music Entertainment. Watch the music video here.

Xiaomi Reaffirms Commitment to Data Security and Privacy

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Xiaomi, the world's leading consumer electronics and smart manufacturing company, recommitted itself to protecting customer data during its annual Security and Privacy Awareness Month completed today. It held employee training events and expert seminars at the Xiaomi Technology Park in Beijing, China and at Xiaomi's Technology Operation Center in Singapore.

This was the third consecutive year that it held special classes for its engineers and other employees and led discussions with industry executives, IT security experts, and the public about the importance of data security and user privacy protection. Xiaomi also released updated white papers on security and privacy along with its annual transparency report detailing its data security activities.

The purpose of the month-long series of events was to bolster its user security and privacy protection practices and to build trust in Xiaomi’s products through transparency and accountability.

Xiaomi has built a comprehensive governance structure to protect data security and user privacy. This involves cooperation between cybersecurity experts, smartphone operating system engineers, lawyers, and legal compliance experts. Overseeing these specialists is a Security and Privacy Committee led by senior executives.

Cui Baoqiu, Xiaomi Vice President and Chairman of the Xiaomi Security and Privacy Committee, called data security and user privacy protection a key to the long-term, sustainable development of the company's global business. "Protecting the data security and privacy of our users is the top priority,” he said. “Our customers care about this issue more than any other. Xiaomi is committed to offering safe and reliable Android smartphones and IoT products."

Eugene Liderman, Director of Android Security Strategy of Google, highlighted Xiaomi's contribution to the Android system. "One of Android's biggest strengths is the diverse ecosystem of partners. Xiaomi is a great example of this and it's great to see their continued investment in cyber security hygiene across their product portfolio", he added.

Professor Liu Yang, School of Computer Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, said, "As the security challenge is becoming the focus of many technology discussions, industry stakeholders attach more importance to the urgency of managing vulnerabilities at hardware, software and even in the massive open-source space. Xiaomi has made tremendous effort to address the issue, safeguarding users with technology expertise, and continuously exploring new methods for better data protection."

With the world's largest consumer IoT platform, Xiaomi is constantly working to improve IoT security and privacy protections. Xiaomi held its fifth annual IoT security summit on June 29 and 30 in Beijing. Industry executives and experts discussed a wide range of issues from data security governance frameworks and cross-border data transfers to the security of internet-connected electric vehicles and solutions for software supply chain security threats.

During the June event, Xiaomi announced that its Electric Scooter 4 Pro obtained IoT Security Rating Gold level certification from Underwriter Laboratories Inc, an international safety research institute based in the U.S. This designation made Electric Scooter 4 Pro the world's first electric scooter with such a high-level safety rating. The certificate also indicated that the security baseline of Xiaomi's IoT product development is in line with international standards.

Xiaomi created its Security and Privacy Committee in 2014. In 2016, Xiaomi became the first Chinese company to receive certification from TrustArc. Xiaomi adopted the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of European Union compliance assessment in 2018. In 2019, Xiaomi security and privacy practices were certificated on ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27018. Last year, Xiaomi published its first transparency report, making it the first Android smartphone brand to do so. Xiaomi this year obtained the certificate of registration of NIST CSF (National Institute of Standards and Technology, Cybersecurity Framework), further strengthening its data security protection capabilities.

For the white papers and reports mentioned above, please use the Xiaomi Trust Center at https://trust.mi.com/

Board topnotchers, 97% NLE passing rate, and high employability of graduates: Stellar Results Mark PHINMA Education’s 18 Years of Serving the Underserved

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More than a decade ago, Elbert Kay Serrano wanted to be a nurse. His parents, a farmer and a canteen helper, didn’t have the resources to help him finish college. Elbert worked any job he could get -- a caregiver, a service crew at a fast food chain, a clerk, a helper-while taking up nursing at PHINMA Araullo University.

Elbert is just one of the thousands of underserved Filipinos whose chances of getting into college and finishing their degree is hampered by their circumstances. “Getting into college and graduating can often be prohibitively expensive for poor families,” said Dr. Chito B. Salazar, PHINMA Education President and CEO. “This barrier to entry is one of the many challenges that we are tackling because we believe that every Filipino deserves to have quality education.”

Owing to its mission to serve the underserved, PHINMA Education schools do not have entrance tests to make it easy for students to enroll and get the quality education they deserve.

An education network for the underserved

Recent data from the Commission of Higher Education (CHED) shows that only 33% of college-aged Filipinos are currently enrolled. PHINMA Education, by intent and design, has been addressing this issue for the past 18 years. The education network, which now operates 10 schools in the Philippines and Indonesia, prides itself on crafting programs and interventions that make it easy for underserved students to get the quality education they want and deserve.

To date, PHINMA Education has over 95,000 students across its ten campuses in the Philippines and Indonesia. Of this number, around 60% are benefiting from theHawak Kamay Scholarship program that provides discounts of up to 75% on enrollment fees. There are no entrance exams to make entry less prohibitive. It also monitors Students-at-Risk (StARs) and conducts home visits to help students return to school.

In 2021, PHINMA Education launched KANLUNGAN, a free individual therapy program for both employees and students. “We don’t stop at simply giving out scholarships. We make sure that their mental and emotional needs as first-generation college students are also taken care of,” Dr. Salazar said.

Beyond giving out scholarships to the majority of its student population, PHINMA Education also ensures that students are mentally and emotionally well through interventions, assistance, and therapy sessions.

Learning strategies that adapt to changing needs

“When the pandemic started, we resolved that nothing should stop our students from learning and

we prepared models that would provide them the flexibility they require in order to learn unhampered,” Dr. Salazar explained. “Our models proved to be so successful that we are now making them a permanent option for our schools.”

The two models, Flex Learning and Remote and Distance (RAD) Learning, relied on printed activity sheets combined with strong teacher and peer support through a mobile data allocation that renewed every month. At no additional cost, students were able to access Facebook Messenger

and G-suite tools to do their course work and attend webinars. FlexLearning students will have in-person classes once regulations allow, while RadLearning students will continue to be home-based.

While the pandemic brought difficulties, it also brought opportunities as PHINMA Education piloted two new learning models that allowed students flexibility. The success of these models made them permanent options across the education network

High board passing results across schools

Elbert Kay Serrano graduated in 2013 and is now a municipal representative for the Department of Health (DOH) in Nueva Ecija. He is also working on getting his doctorate. Those who want to follow in his footsteps are in good hands: PHINMA Education has a 79% board passing rate for first-time takers. Even better, in the recently concluded Nursing Licensure Examination (NLE), the five PHINMA Education schools with first-time takers averaged 97%.

PHINMA Education creates models that help students learn unhampered. These efforts have shown great results with schools under the network garnering 92.54% overall passing rate in the NLE and 79% passing rate for first-time takers in other board examinations.

“We are proud to have six topnotchers in the NLE with PHINMA University of Pangasinan (PHINMA UPang) students placing 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th, and 10th, while a Southwestern University PHINMA (SWU PHINMA) student placed 9th,” shared Dr. Salazar. “PHINMA UPang was also cited as the second top performing school in the country for having a total of 62 passers, including second takers, and a 92.54% overall passing rate,” he added.

From 2004 to May 2022, the network has had 122 board exam topnotchers in the Philippines across courses such as Nursing, Education, Criminology, Electrical Engineering, Medical Technology, and Medicine.

Affordable education towards employability

More than 70% of PHINMA Education graduates are employed within a year after graduation, a percentage expected to increase as the economy bounces back from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We believe that the school’s responsibility does not stop the moment a student graduates. Rather, schools should keep supporting their students, including ensuring that they get the help they need to get employed after graduation,” Dr. Salazar stated. PHINMA Education partners with companies that provide training and internships to help students become work-ready.

PHINMA Education’s placement office, Alumni and Corporate Engagement (ACE), currently has 259 active companies in various industries that provide hiring, internship, and training for its students.Aside from online career fairs, graduating students go through mock interviews and feedback sessions with their teachers to prepare them for actual job interviews. Students also attend a series of webinars and career talks with industry partners.

For almost two decades, PHINMA Education has shown that quality, private education does not need to be expensive to be effective. Serving underserved students by tailoring its strategies to their needs, resources, and aspirations, has enabled it to make lives better through education. It’s a mission that the company is determined to pursue even more diligently in the years to come.

PHINMA Education, through strategic partnerships with companies and industries, provides students with assistance and resources to help them land jobs after graduation.

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PHINMA Education Holdings, Inc. (PEHI) under the conglomerate PHINMA Corporation, started investing in the education services sector in 2004 through the acquisition of PHINMA Araullo University in Nueva Ecija. It has since expanded its presence across the country with its network of schools namely: PHINMA Cagayan de Oro College, PHINMA University of Pangasinan, PHINMA University of Iloilo, Southwestern University PHINMA in Cebu City, PHINMA Saint Jude College in Manila, PHINMA Republican College in Quezon City, PHINMA Rizal College of Laguna, and PHINMA Union College of Laguna. It also aims to expand across Southeast Asia beginning with Horizon Education in Indonesia. For more information, please visit: https://www.phinma.edu.ph

Marian Rivera’s top 3 tips for homemakers plus her Shopee home essentials you need to checkout this 7.7

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Score less than ₱100 home improvement items at the Shopee 7.7 Mid-Year Sale, where you can also enjoy ₱49 deals and below, shipping discount vouchers, and 10% off daily!

Upgrading your home isn’t always easy. And with having so many options but with limited time and budget, sprucing up each space can be a challenge. But take it from Shopee Primetime Queen and hands-on homemaker Marian Rivera, whose tips on home design and budget-friendly must-haves will help guide you as you do home improvements without breaking the bank:

1. Always set a budget

Even with her current superstar status, setting a budget for everything is still an important aspect for Marian especially when buying her essentials for home and living. And just like most of us, Marian also looks out for the best deals on Shopee! As for her tip to new homeowners? Marian shares: “Always look for a peg. In that manner, mas makikita mo kung ano yung kailangan mong bilhin, kung anong kulang. [Always look for a peg. In that manner, you’ll see exactly what you need to buy and what’s still missing.]”

And for 7.7, you can maximize your budget and enjoy shipping discount vouchers, 10% off daily, and ₱49 deals and below when you add-to-cart and check out your home must-haves at the 7.7 Mid-Year Sale. You can also score a variety of ₱7 deals every 15 minutes at 12-1PM and 8-9PM during the Lightning Flash Hour Sale this 7.7 Mid-Year Sale. To know more about these amazing deals, visit the Lightning Flash Hour Sale page on Shopee.

Want to get an idea on what to check out this 7.7? Here are Marian’s recommended swak sa budget home items to add to your essentials:

Too much clothes but not enough space? This Hanging Closet Organizer is a lifesaver thanks to its multiple pockets perfect for small items. You can also hang this either inside your closet, in the bathroom, and even in your laundry area. Maximize every bit of space in your home with the help of this Wall-mounted Rotatable Hook and easily mount it anywhere without damaging your walls. Avoid spilling your toothpaste products with the help of this Automatic Toothpaste Dispenser, which also serves as a toothbrush storage to keep your sink neat and tidy. Organize your grocery items with the help of this Refrigerator Storage Box, which has a space-saving design that makes stocking up supplies easier and more convenient.

2. Know your priorities when it comes to decorating your home

Known for her multiple roles both on and off screen , the most important role Marian considers is being a mom to her kids, prioritizing everything that they need. “Mahilig kasi ako mag-ayos-ayos sa bahay lalo na pag walang ginagawa. Syempre first thing na kinoconsider ko is ang safety ng mga anak ko. Syempre bata, maligalig, mahirap namang makatabig-tabig sila or malapit sa disgrasya so I always make sure na kid-friendly ang mga gamit at ayos namin sa bahay. [I love decorating everything in our house especially when I’m not busy. Whenever I decorate, the first thing I consider is the safety of my kids. Since they’re kids, they’re very active and prone to accidents so I always make sure to have a kid-friendly home design.]”

If you’re like Marian who keeps things safe and sound at home, then better consider these budget-friendly and kid-friendly items on Shopee:

Have a go-to tumbler you bring everywhere? This Protective Bottle Sleeve has a non-slip, anti-scratch, and anti-collision surface to keep your tumbler protected at all times. Make use of this Multipurpose Bath Ladle for your daily home tasks including watering the plants, washing ingredients in the kitchen, or even for your next bath time session with the kids. Avoid cluttering harmful items kids can reach with the help of this Under Desk Organizer, which you can also use for your home office setup. Prevent any accidents in the kitchen with the help of this cute Cartoon Bottle Opener, safe to use in opening bottles and jars with ease.

3. Choose convenience when shopping for your home necessities

Marian is an avid shopper, and Shopee is her go-to source for all things home essentials. On what she usually buys, Marian shares: “I am very fond of kitchenwares; mga ingredients ng kung anu-anong niluluto ko, lalo na minsan of course may mga ingredients na mahirap hanapin sa grocery, so sa Shopee agad ako magchecheck. [I am very fond of kitchenwares; some ingredients are hard to find in the grocery, so I immediately check Shopee for those.]”

Want to make things hassle-free while cooking? Better add-to-cart these affordable items to have a more enjoyable time in the kitchen:

 

If you love cooking just like Marian, then go for this Condiments Organizer to help keep your spices in place in an aesthetic way. Make cooking a fun and safe experience with these non-slip Silicone Oven Gloves, which you can use to hold and transfer hot objects. Replace your plastic containers with these Sealed Jar Containers, which come in different sizes where you can store extra ingredients and food items. Always keep your cooking station spotless clean with this quick drying  Multipurpose Kitchen Towel, which you can also use on kitchenwares.

This 7.7 Mid-Year Sale, don’t miss out on ShopeePay-exclusive load deals, shipping discounts and bills payment cashback vouchers. Thinking of purchasing these home essentials? Make sure to check out with ShopeePay if you’re just like Marian who puts importance on convenience and budgeting.  Access rewarding perks when shopping, as well as exciting deals when you buy load, pay bills, and send money with ShopeePay. Be updated with the latest promos by following ShopeePay’s Instagram and Facebook pages. 

To know more about the 7.7 Mid-Year Sale, visit the 7.7 Mid-Year Sale page on Shopee.