Chowking launches the ALL-NEW Spicy Chao Fan with Kim Chiu

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Chowking, the #1 Chinese quick service restaurant brand in the Philippines, has recently unveiled the all-new Spicy Chao Fan – made with the perfect blend of spices for that signature Spicy Wok-Sarap flavor. The new product was launched by celebrity actress and longtime endorser Kim Chiu at the #ShareTheSpice press event held on July 3, 2023.

Chowking’s Chao Fan has always been a crowd favorite, and now it just got a spicy upgrade with the new Spicy Chao Fan. It has a unique take on spicy, as its level of spiciness holds just the right amount for anybody and everybody to enjoy. This flavorful and hearty meal is ready to spice up your life, and it’s too good to not share.

At the press event last July 3, Kim Chiu introduced the #ShareTheSpice challenge, where she invited everyone to try the new Spicy Chao Fan. To join the movement, all you have to do is try the product, post about it on any social media platform with the hashtag #ShareTheSpice and #SpicyChaoFan, then tag two of your friends who you want to share the spice with. When you post and join the movement, you get the chance to win gift certificates and special prizes from Chowking!

“When we were creating the Spicy Chao Fan, we deliberately wanted it to have the right level of spice that everyone can enjoy. It’s not spicy for spicy’s sake, it has just the right Spicy Wok-Sarap kick that will leave you wanting more,” said Jonathan De Quiroz, Chowking Brand Director for Chao Fan & Brand Operations.

Join the #ShareTheSpice movement and try the all-new #SpicyChaoFan, available via Dine-In, Take-Out, Drive-Thru, and delivery through chowkingdelivery.com or the Chowking App.

SM Cares launched Emergency Preparedness Forum, making PWDs, Seniors disaster-ready

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In celebration of National Disaster Resilience Month, SM Cares recently launched this year’s Emergency Preparedness Forum for senior citizens and persons with disabilities (PWDs). The first of eight forums was held last July 5, Wednesday, at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay City.

Photo highlights during the Emergency Preparedness Forum on July 5, 2023

(L-R) SM Markets AVP Rey Del Valle, UPRI Executive Director Dr. Mahar Lagmay, NCDA Executive Director Don Fradejas, NCSC Chairperson Atty. Frank Quijano, OCD Administrator and NDRRMC Executive Director Ariel Nepomuceno, SM Supermalls SVP and SM Cares Director of Program for Persons with Disabilities Engr. Bien C. Mateo, MMDA Acting Asst. General Manager Atty Vic Trinidad, PHIVOLCS Supervising Science Research Specialist Jeffrey Perez, and PAGASA OIC Administrator Esperanza Cayanan, during the Pledge of Commitment signing.

Prior to the forum, a pledge of commitment signing was held between SM Supermalls and its partner organizations. Present at the signing were SM Supermalls Senior Vice President Engr. Bien C. Mateo, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Administrator Usec. Ariel Nepomuceno, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Acting Asst. General Manager Atty. Victor Trinidad, National Commission of Senior Citizens Chairperson Atty. Franklin M. Quijano, and National Council on Disability Affairs Executive Director Joniro F. Fredejas.

Meanwhile, Senators Risa Hontiveros and Loren Legarda, as well as Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Renato Solidum, gave special video messages addressed to the forum’s attendees.

Aside from being signatories, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) OIC Administrator Dr. Esperanza O. Cayanan, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) Senior Supervising Science Research Specialist Jeffrey S. Perez, and University of the Philippines Resilience Institute Executive Director Dr. Mahar Lagmay shared their insights and observations in a panel discussion on understanding natural hazards, such as earthquakes, floods, and volcanic eruptions, and how to prepare for such situations.

Disaster Management Specialist, Emergency Medical Technician, and Wilderness Search and Rescue Philippines Instructor Gerard “Doki” Natividad was also invited to share survival tips and tricks tailored to the needs of the attendees.

Disaster Management Specialist Doki Natividad teaching a PWD delegate the cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) technique without using mouth-to-mouth breathing

Participants in the forum were provided an SM Emergency Pack, which consists of an emergency string bag, a 4mm rope, an emergency blanket, a whistle with lanyard, a mini-flashlight, and a survival tool card. Earthquake and flood simulators were also prepared by PAGASA and DOST to add to the participants’ learning experience.

Delegates from Tahanang Walang Hagdan, Inc.

Senior citizen attendees pose for a photo op with their SM Cares emergency go-bags

“In preparing for emergencies and calamities, SM Cares believes that no one should be left behind. That is what inspires us to continue mounting this Emergency Preparedness Forum,” said Mateo. “Our goal is to empower our senior citizens and PWDs with the essential survival skills and know-how so that they will be ready for any circumstance.”

Since the forum first began in 2015, SM Cares has been able to provide training to 7,417 senior citizens and PWDs across the country since the forum’s conception, and was awarded Gold in 2020 and Silver in 2023 at the Public Relations Society of the Philippines’ annual Anvil Awards.

This initiative shows SM Cares’ support for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly “SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being”, “SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities”, and “SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities”.

SM Cares is the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, supporting initiatives focused on communities and the environment. Its advocacies include Programs for the Environment, Persons with Disabilities, Women & Breastfeeding Mothers, Children & Youth, Senior Citizens, and the SM Bike-friendly initiative.

To learn more about these programs, visit www.smsupermalls.com/smcares.

MMFF announced the first 4 official entries to 49th MMFF on December 2023

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The Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) announced on Monday, July 10, the first four officials entries for its December edition this year.

MMDA chairman Don Artes, who also serves as concurrent MMFF chairperson, said the four films were chosen by a committee headed by Jesse Ejercito whom he described as a respected producer and industry stalwart of the film industry.

The four officials entries were 

• “A Mother and Son's Story” which is produced by Cineko Productions and starred by Sharon Cuneta and Alden Richards;

• “(K)AMPON” starring Beauty Gonzales and Derek Ramsay under Quantum Films; 

• “Penduko” by Sari Sari Network with Cristine Reyes and Matteo Guidicelli as lead actors; 

• “Rewind” under ABS-CBN Film Productions starred by Marian Rivera and Dingdong Dantes.

"I thank the members of the MMFF Selection Committee for dedicating their time and effort in the thorough deliberation and selection process to choosing the initial set of quality films that moviegoers will surely love," said Artes.

Artes said the remaining four official entries to complete the MMFF 2023 will come from finished film submissions.

The deadline for the finished film submission is on September 29.

The 49th MMFF is set to run in December 2023 until January 2024

Art meets philanthropy: Globe partners with ATIN Global and SEE Global to battle hunger through Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Exhibit

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Globe has joined ATIN Global and SEE Global Entertainment in introducing "Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition" to the Philippines and Southeast Asia, using the transformative power of art to battle hunger.

(L-R) Yoly Crisanto, Globe Group Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer; Sabrina Co, Founder and creative director of ATIN Global Inc; Martin Biallas, CEO, SEE Global; Marlon Chen, Manila Symphony Orchestra Conductor; and Dr. Christie Monina Nalupta, Assistant Secretary General of the Philippine Red Cross

This initiative brings together the beauty of Michelangelo's masterpieces with a noble cause – feeding the hungry and providing livelihood programs to uplift lives. It comes at a time when an estimated 13.5 million Filipinos* continue to grapple with daily sustenance amid persisting challenges such as unemployment and the high cost of basic goods.

To support the cause, a portion of proceeds from every ticket sold will go to the Hapag Movement, a program spearheaded by Globe that leverages technology and brings together an ecosystem of partners to address hunger and unemployment through supplemental feeding and livelihood programs.

Together with Hapag Movement mobilization partners Ayala Foundation, Caritas Philippines, Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines, World Vision Philippines, and Scholars of Sustenance, Globe aims to address involuntary hunger among 100,000 families in four years to create social impact at scale.

“At the Globe Group, we believe that great art, especially this one, should be shared with everyone, particularly with our kababayans. We understand that not all of us can afford to visit Rome so this is one of the best ways of doing it,” said Yoly Crisanto, Chief Sustainability and Corporate Communications Officer at the Globe Group.

“We are grateful to have Globe as a partner for this landmark cultural event in the Philippines. Through this partnership, not only are we bringing historic art to Filipinos, we are also able to spread awareness about involuntary hunger and encourage our patrons to help,” said Sabrina Co, Founder and Creative Director of ATIN Global Inc.

Citing the depictions of hell and purgatory in Michelangelo’s paintings, Crisanto pointed out how they are similar to the torment that millions of Filipinos are going through due to hunger.

“When you see hell, when you see purgatory in the Michelangelo paintings, maybe you can imagine what kind of hell people who are going hungry in this country are actually experiencing. And that is why we partnered with ATIN Global and SEE Global because we want to be able to put in the hearts of the people the appreciation of great art, but also to use this exhibition as a way of helping our fellow kababayans,” she said.

The internationally acclaimed exhibition, which has toured over 100 cities around the world, from New York to Shanghai and London to Melbourne, features reprints of 34 of Michelangelo's most renowned frescoes, including esteemed works like "The Last Judgment" and "The Creation of Adam."

Visitors of the exhibition will be transported to the Sistine Chapel through an ingenious multi-sensory experience, with the frescoes complemented by ambient Renaissance music especially curated by Manila Symphony Orchestra conductor Marlon Chan, and subtle scents reminiscent of the era curated by Sabrina Co, Founder of ATIN Inc.

Guests are allowed to photograph these magnificent works of art and enjoy numerous selfie opportunities throughout the exhibit. An Art Room is also open for parents and children to bond over coloring images that will adorn the Art Wall. For food enthusiasts, Caffe Michelangelo is there to offer a unique dining experience with Italian desserts and coffees.

The exhibition will run from July 1 to September 30, 2023 at the Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Pasig City. Tickets can be purchased online or at the venue, with rates at PHP 500 for students, Senior Citizens, and Persons with Disability, P650 for regular visitors on weekdays and P750 on weekends, and PHP 950 for VIP Priority Access.

For tickets and more information about the exhibit, visit www.sistinechapelphilippines.com. Stay tuned for updates and announcements on Instagram and Tiktok @sistinechapelphilippines, and Facebook @chapelsistine.

Know more about ATIN Global via www.thisisatin.com. To learn more about Globe, visit www.globe.com.ph.

*SWS, March 2023

Prince Retail Group partners with RELEX Solutions to automate inventory management and drive expansion

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Prince Retail Group recently announced its collaboration with market-leading supply chain and retail planning firm RELEX Solutions to automate demand forecasting for its 70+ supermarket stores nationwide. The technological investment by the homegrown retail chain strengthens its position to strategically expand its reach in remote areas across the Philippines.

Prince Retail and RELEX established the partnership in 2020, when COVID-19 peaked, and access to essentials was crucial. However, access to retail channels in rural communities in the Philippines has always been challenging due to regional infrastructure hurdles. Prince Retail’s mission is to close this accessibility gap. The pandemic's emphasis on the problem only pushed the retailer’s commitment to finding the means to reach and serve more marginalized people.

At the time, Prince Retail was also burdened with persistent supply chain challenges, which, if not resolved, posed a severe threat to the business’s financial viability. Demand forecasting was an entirely manual process, leaving teams with significant risks for error when internal variables and local developments such as lockdowns, shortages of raw materials, or adverse weather conditions occurred. Maintaining a steady and accurate inventory flow and optimizing operational costs in preparation for expansion was taxing, as almost every Prince Retail store was about 100 kilometers from the nearest port.

Implementing the RELEX unified retail planning solution enabled Prince Retail to maximize their resources and streamline operational costs and processes while improving service levels for even the most far-flung stores. The retailer’s forecasting and allocation teams can easily input and view inventory information on a single platform, including intricacies and constraints unique to a specific vendor or store. The result significantly reduces discrepancies brought by disparate, manual forecasting methods.

The platform, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), automates the complex and time-consuming decisions of calculating forecasts based on user data and harnesses machine learning to optimize predictions.

"Automating our demand forecasting helped us increase our availability by at least 10%, enabling us to flourish and deliver a better customer experience despite the uncertainties brought by the pandemic," shared Rina Janine Go, Chief Merchandising, Marketing, and Distribution Officer at Prince Retail Group of Companies. "The use of AI greatly supported us to improve our decision-making with data-driven insights that ultimately catalyzed our growth and enabled us to serve our customers better than ever before. It helped us seamlessly expand, even with an online channel and other initiatives to reach more customers who were struggling with where to buy their essential necessities.”

In 2021, the corporate group’s subsidiary Prince Hypermart partnered with the B2B application, “My Suki”, to launch an e-commerce app to cater to the growing number of digital customers, particularly the large base of resellers who source their goods from Prince. The unified tool for demand forecasting allowed the retailer to seamlessly integrate inventory for both online and offline channels in real time.

Prince Retail, which prides itself on being one of the organizations that quickly pivoted to digital when the pandemic happened, advocates digital transformation for other homegrown businesses due to its positive impact on stakeholders. "Agile digital transformation helped us to streamline our forecasting, better serve our existing customers, and even reach more of the market through our online shopping app—all contributing to the increased confidence and trust in our retail stores.”.

"I believe it’s also equally important to recognize that investing in technological tools that enable us to move away from manual operations increases the digital skills of Filipino workers, which are essential to being future-ready," Go added.

Stefano Scandelli, Senior Vice President EMEA and APAC at RELEX Solutions, said, "The collaboration with Prince Retail is a great opportunity to show how Filipino companies can take advantage of automation and AI to realize further growth. We are committed to helping more local retailers digitally transform their supply chains to remain relevant in today’s digital economy.”

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About RELEX Solutions

RELEX Solutions helps retailers and consumer brands drive profitable growth across all sales and distribution channels by maximizing customer satisfaction and minimizing operative costs. Our market-leading, unified supply chain and retail planning platform helps retailers and consumer goods companies align and optimize demand, merchandise, supply chain, and operations planning across the end-to-end value chain. We drive record-high product availability, increased sales, improved sustainability, and the best return on investment in inventory, space, workforce, and capacity Leading brands like Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, Coles, Siam Makro, Pharmacity, Delivery Hero, and Prince Retail trust RELEX to optimize their supply chain and retail planning.

Go to relexsolutions.com for more information.