ASUS solidifies commitment to sustaining an incredible future, collects over one ton of recyclable waste with CORA

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ASUS solidifies its commitment toward an incredible, sustainable future and its thrust toward a circular economy and collected a landmark 1.67 tons of plastic and other recyclable wastes through a series of activations in partnership with nonprofit organization Communities Organized for Resource Allocation (CORA). 

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ASUS culminates its partnership with the nonprofit organization CORA after a successful three-phased project that involved ASUS employees, partners, dealers, and the public in its thrust toward sustainability and reducing plastic waste.

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The ASUS x CORA sustainability campaign spanned three phases, each focusing on and involving various stakeholders for a holistic approach toward promoting eco-friendly products, reducing waste, intensifying awareness about circular economy and climate action, and educating people on how to lead an eco-conscious lifestyle.

“At ASUS, we believe that innovation and sustainability go hand in hand. As we continue innovating our products, we strive to be more sustainable. We are immensely thankful for everyone, including our partner CORA, the ASUS Philippines employees, our partners, dealers, and all the Filipinos who helped us in this meaningful mission to protect and save our environment through recycling plastic and other everyday waste, giving them a second life, and promoting a sustainable and incredible future for the people and the planet,” ASUS Philippines Country Manager George Su said.

In 2007, ASUS launched its first sustainable notebook, the ASUS Bamboo Series. It received numerous environmental certifications and accolades for its revolutionary engineering and design. Early this year, ASUS launched the most sustainable Zenbook ever, the Zenbook S 13 OLED (UX5304), underscoring the company’s 2025 Sustainability Goals and its commitment to environmental stewardship. Taking a significant step toward circular product design, the Zenbook S 13 OLED is an EPEAT Gold registered product with a positive environmental impact across the entire product lifecycle, from material use and manufacturing to assembly, use, and end-of-life.

Circular economy starts with us

ASUS held a knowledge-sharing activity with its employees dubbed ASUStainable Solution: Circular Economy Starts with Us. CORA and its Circular Center Women Champions (CCWC) presented the country’s current plastic situation. They educated ASUS employees on how they can contribute to a circular economy by recycling typical household wastes, such as plastic bottles. Aside from instilling personal change, the workshop encouraged employees to disseminate what they learned to their family and friends. After the seminar, a two-month recycling activity among ASUS employees was held, where they collected plastic bottles, soft plastics, sibak, colored paper, and cartons. These office and home wastes were collected through CORA’s Eco-Ikot Center pop-up, where dedicated trash bins were set up in the ASUS office. ASUS employees generated 840.6 kg. total waste. The waste collected was then brought to CORA’s partner Sentinel Upcycling Technologies to transform them into high-quality products such as benches, school chairs, and mobile trash bins.

Under the innovation and value creation pillar of the ASUS 2025 Sustainability Goals, ASUS also donated two ASUS Zenbook laptops to CORA to aid them in their administrative tasks. This includes recording data from their Eco-Ikot Center in Parañaque City and managing other programs and campaigns with public and private organizations.

The CORA Eco-Ikot Center is an inclusive and holistic recycling system that allows communities to exchange recyclables for points, which can be redeemed for various incentives. The first of its kind in the Philippines and the world, CORA’s Eco-Ikot Center provides a sustainable solution to the plastic pollution crisis.

ASUS x CORA Mall Caravan

For the second phase, ASUS installed CORA Eco-Ikot Center pop-ups in three ASUS Exclusive Stores, making it accessible for Filipinos to recycle and reduce plastic waste. Filipinos got to take home ASUS and CORA merchandise in exchange for clean and dry plastic bottles. The CCWCs educated them and other mallgoers what is circular economy and the benefits of recycling common plastic waste.

Mallgoers were also able to experience the Zenbook S 13 OLED and learned the importance of supporting and using eco-friendly products, further cementing ASUS’ sustainability thrust.

The ASUS x CORA Mall Caravan collected over 1,100 plastic bottles, equivalent to 28.5 kg. It was held at SM Cyberzone in Megamall, North EDSA, and Mall of Asia.

Celebrating International Coastal Cleanup Day

For the final leg, ASUS celebrated 2023 International Coastal Cleanup Day by combing the shore of Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park (LPPWP) of trash and debris led by Zenbook S 13 OLED Ambassador and CORA Founder Antoinette Taus, together with volunteers from ASUS employees, media, influencers, partners, and dealers. This joint effort of 75 volunteers collected 646.2 kg. of plastic waste, Styrofoam, rubber materials, and stuffed toys. The trash accumulated was segregated to send the recyclable materials to CORA’s recycling partner.

The data collected during the event will help CORA and government agencies address the dire waste problem in Manila Bay. The LPPWP is part of the Manila Bay coast and was reported to carry an estimated 9.46 billion pieces of plastic waste.[i]

United Nations Goodwill Ambassador and CORA Founder Antoinette Taus also shared, “We need to reduce our waste overall and make sure that the waste we do produce ends up in the right places, to the circular economy.”

The collective efforts of ASUS Global and its local markets contributed to the significant strides in sustainability focus areas. In the recently announced ASUS 2022 Sustainability Report, the global technology leader detailed that it exceeded ENERGY STAR standards by 34%. Its eco-friendly products also accounted for 87% of total product revenue. These and more led ASUS to bag multiple 2023 Asia Sustainability Reporting Awards and receive international recognition. ASUS will continue to create local and global initiatives toward being a net-zero enterprise in 2050.

Experience worry-free travel with SafetyWing

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Travelling takes you on a journey into new worlds that you would have never been exposed to, allows you to meet people of different cultures, with diverse traditions and distinctive lifestyle, gives you thrill, exposure and excitement of adventure.

With or without much of planning, travelling becomes an adventure with uncertainty and the excitement of delving with the unknown. Regardless of how careful you are, it is important to prepare for the unforeseen. Even the most carefully planned travel, experiences can go unexpectedly wrong.

To have a medical and travel insurance is a must. To give you the peace of mind and comfort when you are traveling during these times, SafetyWing offers a range of products tailored to the needs of different travelers. 

What is SafetyWing

SafetyWing is the world’s first international travel medical insurance to cater to the needs of entrepreneurs, remote workers and travelers, traveling or living abroad worldwide.

Understanding SafetyWing

SafetyWing offers :

Nomad Insurance

• A travel and medical incident insurance built specifically for digital nomads. It can be purchased while already abroad, covers home trip visits and operates like a monthly subscription.

Remote Health

• Remote Health insurance is a fully fledged health insurance for remote teams and entrepreneurs. It gives global companies a truly flexible solution that no other insurance company offers.

Remote Doctor

• See a doctor from anywhere around the world, no matter where you are. Get premium medical care from the comfort and privacy of your own home (at a much lower rate).

Remote Retirement

• A retirement product for globally distributed teams that works in any country to help ensure your employees’ futures.

Why SafetyWing is a reliable choice for the adventurous traveler.

Insurance for nomads

• Nomad Insurance is a global travel medical insurance that covers people from all over the world, while outside their home country – COVID-19 coverage included. You can buy it even if you are already abroad.

Insurance for remote teams

• Remote Health is a global health insurance to cover your employees and contractors worldwide under one plan, regardless of where they live. Add or remove members through a user friendly dashboard.

SafetyWing offers various insurance plans for digital nomads and remote workers/teams. Their Nomad Insurance plans cover people from all over the world, even when traveling and living outside their home country. SafetyWing has affordable rates, depending on which coverage you choose and what your deductible is.

This insurance fits you best. SafetyWing  gives you peace of mind against the various risks of life.

SafetyWing insurance solutions can even be tailor-fit to your various needs depending on where you are in life. Visit  SafetyWing as they help you experience worry-free travel with its plans.

Stay safe  and enjoy the wonderful world, travellers!

Sing your heart out at Ortigas Cinema’s ‘Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour’ premiere

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You don’t need to fly abroad to experience Taylor Swift’s history-making The Eras Tour. Ortigas Malls is making Swifties’ “Wildest Dreams” come true with the premiere of Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Film at Ortigas Cinemas on October 13, 2023 in Estancia Mall, Pasig City.

Swift’s The Eras Tour is an ongoing concert tour where she performs her greatest hits from her entire discography spanning over 17 years and 10 albums. Swifties all over the globe flock to her shows to experience this cultural phenomenon.

Filipino Swifties can finally watch The Eras Tour on the big screen at 4F East Wing of Estancia. On October 15, there will be a Meet and Greet with a Taylor Swift look-a-like, fun games, and merchants where you can get colorful friendship bracelets for you and your friends. Don’t forget to show off your “Style” with your Eras Tour-inspired outfits!

Don’t miss out on this “Enchanted” experience and book your tickets to Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour Film at Estancia via Ortigas Cinemas’ website. Regular tickets retails for P550, while The Screening Room is P750.

Here's your one-stop app for all your Larger Than Life experiences: Sign up for the Ortigas Community Card via the Ortigas Malls app to get first dibs on amazing deals, discounts, and perks.

For more information and updates on Ortigas Malls’ events, download the Ortigas Malls app, like Ortigas Malls on Facebook and join Ortigas Malls’ Viber Community.

This Dolly de Leon, Zanjoe Marudo, and Elijah Canlas Starrer is the Quintessential Netflix Family Drama this Holiday Season

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Grab your lumpia & ready the tissues for this heartwarming family dramedy!

Christmas lights are on, bibingka vendors are lining up the streets, and the family holiday plans are abundant – that’s right, Pasko na naman! And what better way to tide the family holidays over than with a heartwarming film that’ll surely hit all the right notes (pun intended)?

Keys to the Heart is the Filipino remake of the beloved Korean film of the same name, starring Zanjoe Marudo as Joma. He plays the role of a washed-up boxer whose life takes an unexpected turn when he is suddenly reunited with his estranged mother Sylvia, played by Dolly de Leon, and his brother Jayjay, portrayed by Elijah Canlas. Recently fired from his job, Joma reluctantly agrees to stay at his mother's house, where he is eventually left to care for his special-needs brother, a piano virtuoso preparing to participate in a prestigious music competition.

Aside from top-notch acting and the chaotic (yet oddly familiar) family plot line, here’s why you should add Netflix’s Keys to the Heart to your holiday watchlist.

It shows that families aren’t always perfect – and that it’s okay.

At the heart of Keys to the Heart lies its central theme: the reconciliation between Joma and his mother, Sylvia, whose awkward reunion is shadowed by a shared tragedy from decades past. Joma, hardened by years of living on his own, is suddenly thrust into an unconventional family unit, attempting to find his place alongside a mother he barely knows and a brother he had never intended to connect with. In a world often dominated by idealized images of family dynamics, the film beautifully portrays the complexities and raw emotions that come with reuniting fractured families. It provides a refreshing reminder that real families are far from perfect–and that it’s absolutely okay. We’re reminded that familial love – in all its messy, unpredictable, and sometimes heartbreaking nature – can thrive amidst these imperfections.

It touches on the theme of forgiveness.

Christmas is often associated with themes of giving, kindness, goodwill, and most importantly, forgiveness – which masterfully portrayed in Keys to the Heart. Over time, even the gritty Joma finds himself becoming protective of a brother he initially wanted nothing to do with and showing concern for a mother he despised. We witness his journey of letting go of the grudges and letting in compassion and understanding – virtues some of us might struggle to embrace, especially during the holiday season.

It emphasizes the magic of and in music.

And what’s Filipino Christmas without music? Or better yet, what are Filipinos without music, period? One of the most significant aspects of the film is embedded into Jayjay’s musical ingenuity; it underscores the enchanting magic of music, laced throughout the narrative and into the lives of its characters. These transformative melodies bring healing and solace – not only for the characters but also for the viewers. Keys to the Heart reminds us that music, as a universal and unifying language, has the extraordinary power to touch and transform the hearts of people.

It teaches us the value of perseverance.

An effective Christmas movie not only brings joy to the viewers, but also imparts valuable lessons that carry into the new year. And what better way to show that but with tenacious protagonists who carry on and persevere amid their circumstances? There’s Joma and his dedication to his craft – even after years of being stripped of his boxing license – and Jayjay with music and how he, in his own ways, pushes through in spite of his special needs. Together, the two remind us of possibilities and the strength and power of resilience.

It is simple yet comforting–a perfect watch for the holidays!

As the holiday season nears, we seek the cozy embrace of heartwarming films that capture the spirit of togetherness paired with the magic of the season, and Keys to the Heart effortlessly captures that through moments of laughter, tears, and heart-stirring moments. With a beautifully uncomplicated storyline, it offers a much-needed respite from the hustle and bustle of the season – and of life, really.

Prepare to be moved, entertained, and inspired by this Filipino remake. Watch Keys to the Heart, now showing on Netflix. Check out the trailer below:

Keys to the Heart | Official Trailer | Netflix Philippines

The 12th Regional Travel Fair Heads North For A Three-Day Event in Ilocos

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The Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) Philippines, the marketing and promotions arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), will hold the 12th Regional Travel Fair (RTF) in the Ilocos region. Businesses and consumers can discover the best that the region offers, as the event takes place from October 13 to 15, 2023.

The RTF is one of the signature events of the TPB being held in different parts of the country to give host regions an opportunity to present their rich local culture and their unique tourism offerings to the public.

“The 12th Regional Travel Fair is a great opportunity for people to learn what there is to love about the Ilocos region. Through this fair, both businesses and consumers can discover the unique attractions awaiting them in the northwestern part of our country. I’d like to invite everyone to join us at this significant tourism event, so that we can discover and explore the different sides of Ilocos,” said TPB Chief Operating Officer Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles.

The first day of the event will be an onsite Business-to-Business session with at least 50 local buyers and 70 sellers/exhibitors. This B2B session is a platform that provides an opportunity for both buyers and sellers to develop travel-related business operations and expand their business networks in the region. The buyers and sellers will also participate in a post-event tour that aims to keep them up to date with the different attractions that can be found in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, and Pangasinan.

A two-day Business-to-Consumer (B2C) fair will also be conducted at Robinsons Laoag to allow interested local consumers to purchase tourism offerings. The public can get discounted domestic tour packages, airline tickets, accommodation, and other tourism-related products and services. On top of that, this fair will feature exciting activities that can ignite one’s interest in the Ilocos region, such as product demonstrations of local artisans, samples of local cuisine, live selling of products, and educational interviews.

TPB COO Maria Margarita Montemayor Nograles further stated that, “The Ilocos region deserves the spotlight for the 12th Regional Travel Fair because it is rich with well-preserved historical sites and pristine nature attractions.”

Ilocos Norte offers majestic sand dunes for adventurous travelers, while San Juan in La Union serves as a surfers’ paradise in Luzon. On the other hand, Vigan City in Ilocos Sur takes tourists back into the past through its Spanish colonial architecture. Pangasinan also wows travelers with its centuries-old churches and white-sand beaches.

Discover all the things that will make you love the Ilocos region by joining the 12th Regional Travel Fair. Great travel deals await you at the fair, so register now at https://rtf.tpb.gov.ph/!