New OPPO F3 Ushers Next Wave of Stunning Groufies Latest addition to F3 Series debuts in PH

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Global electronics brand OPPO is driving the next wave of the groufie revolution with the launch of its latest dual selfie camera phone, the OPPO F3. For only P16,990, the newest member of the F3 Series family will go on sale starting May 13 in the Philippines as well as in India, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Indonesia.

“We at OPPO always strive to reinvent the mobile experience, and the release of the F3 reflects our relentless passion for even better smartphone photography,” OPPO Philippines Brand Marketing Manager Stephen Cheng said. “Through our continued innovation, we hope to cement our brand’s position as the leading camera phone in the industry.”

OPPO’s recent focus on creating the perfect groufie follows a growing trend in groufies especially among younger users on social media: “Filipinos are known for our strong relationships with family and friends,” Cheng explained. “With a phone like the F3, it becomes easier for us to turn even ordinary events into special moments with the people we love best.”

Perfect Groufies Anytime, Anywhere

Like its predecessor the F3 Plus, the OPPO F3 is designed with a 16-megapixel selfie-focused main camera paired with a sub-camera capable of capturing groufies through a larger field of view. This wide-angle camera also inherits the earlier model’s distortion-minimizing features to prevent image warping, while OPPO’s Beautify 4.0 photo editing software ensures a fresh look with every snap.

Farewell to the Selfie Stick

Fitting an entire gang inside a single shot will no longer be a struggle, and travel selfies won’t have to crop out the background and look like they were done in the backyard.

With twice the size of a selfie camera’s field of view, the secondary camera can easily include either a large group inside the picture frame or the background during a memorable trip—all without a selfie stick. This helps reduce the number of accessories needed for groufies and travel selfies.

Superb Inside and Out

For added sleekness without compromising gripping comfort, the OPPO F3 is crafted using exclusive U-rail spray technology that allows the body frame width to go as thin as 2.0 millimeters—27 percent slimmer than the F1s. The aluminum body has also undergone 220 fine zirconium sandblasting treatments to achieve its polished, delicate look that appears natural.

The screen is built with 5.5-inch 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 5 with pre-applied protective coating for unmatched durability and scratch-resistance. FHD in-cell technology further gives the phone display crystal-clear visibility and vividness despite the glare of the sun on the glass surface.

To fulfill the user’s need for speed, the OPPO F3’s home-button fingerprint reader provides lightning-fast touch access in just 2.0 seconds—the fastest in the market. 

Backing the OPPO F3’s advanced features is an octo-core processor supported by 4GB of RAM and a 64GB ROM. A triple-slot tray also accommodates two Nano 4G SIM cards and one micro SD card to expand memory up to 128GB.

Even the rear camera offers high-quality performance. Powered by PDAF technology, the back camera is capable of fast focusing speeds to capture precious moments without causing any blurring.

“Our latest Group Selfie Expert is a total package that comes at an affordable price,” Cheng added. “With its combined features from the front and back cameras to the aesthetics and battery life, the F3 holds great potential in taking the groufie trend to new heights.”

The Gold variant of the OPPO F3 will come out in Philippine stores beginning May 13. For more details, visit https://www.facebook.com/OPPOPH/ or log on to http://www.oppo.com/ph/index.html.

EastWest issues EMV-compliant cards

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EastWest Debit Card equipped with EMV and Visa PayWave

In line with with the mandate of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) to migrate to the more secure chip technology, EastWest has been issuing EMV and Visa payWave-equipped debit, credit, and Travel Money cards. The bank’s ATM switch is already EMV compliant and all its ATMs are EMV-capable. 

In 2016, ahead of BSP’s deadline, EastWest completed the shift for all its credit cards to EMV & payWave. This was followed in January this year by the release of the EMV & payWave-equipped EastWest Travel Money Card, the first multi-currency prepaid card in Southeast Asia, and EastWest Debit Card.

EastWest has been issuing EMV debit cards as early as May 2015. Customers who opened accounts from that period onwards already have chip cards. Starting this year, EastWest began issuing debit cards that have both EMV and payWave for enhanced security, convenience, and global acceptance. Meanwhile, the bank is providing customers who opened accounts before May 2015, with free debit cards with EMV & payWave to replace their magnetic stripe-only debit cards.

EastWest Debit cardholders are advised to go to their store of account to claim their free replacement cards until May 31, 2017. Card replacement is automatic for non-EMV debit cardholders. 

EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard, and Visa, and is the global standard in card payment security. Its chip-on-card technology feature serves as an anti-counterfeit fraud solution that provides strong security features against theft, cloning, and card fraud. Meanwhile, Visa payWave is a contactless payment feature for quick tap-and-go transactions. It is also a more secure way of paying because the card does not leave the customer’s hand at checkout.

EastWest’s chip cards are accepted at over 30 million Visa-affiliated establishments worldwide, over 350,000 Visa-accepting online merchants, over 2,000 BancNet-accredited establishments nationwide, and more than 1.9 million ATMs in the Philippines and abroad. Customers can also use the cards to enroll in EastWest Online to enjoy secure and convenient internet banking. In addition, EastWest Debit cards are ideal for receiving remittances from other countries via Visa Direct.

LANDBANK, RiteMed, FINTQ launch #TxtMED medicine loan service

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The partnership between LANDBANK, RiteMed, and FINTQ, the financial technology arm of PLDT and Smart's Voyager Innovations  provide digital access, for affordable and quality medicines within easier reach through the Tamang Alaga TxTMED program – “Kapag kailangan ng gamot, dapat may gamot." 

TxTMED leverages the LANDBANK Mobile Loan Saver (LMLS) as a digital platform to provide borrowers the option to allocate a portion of their approved net loan proceeds to purchase medicines.

A first in the country, the medicine loan service allows employees from the government and private sector with payroll accounts with LANDBANK, including Overseas Filipinos to electronically order and purchase medicines through their mobile phones without the hassle of outright cash payment. This is available across all telco providers.

From left) RiteMed Philippines, Inc. General Manager Vincent Patrick Guerrero, LANDBANK SVP Liduvino Geron, LANDBANK President and CEO Alex Buenaventura, LANDBANK EVP Julio Climaco Jr., and FINTQ by PLDT Managing Director Lito Villanueva lead the press launch of the Tamang Alaga TxTMED program at the LANDBANK Plaza in Manila.

RiteMed will offer a whole range of maintenance medicines at special prices through TxTMED, where medicines will also be delivered for free.

“This partnership with RiteMed and FINTQ attests to the endless possibilities in terms of financial technology and the value of public-private sector collaboration, as we work towards optimizing digital transactions to improve access to quality healthcare across the country,” said LANDBANK President and CEO Alex V. Buenaventura.

"RiteMed is committed to providing access to quality and affordable medicines for our fellow Filipinos. TxTMED is a collaboration of leaders in the healthcare, telecommunications, and finance industries that enable us to fulfill this mandate," says Vincent Patrick Guerrero, general manager of RiteMed.

“Through technology and the strong backend support of a financial institution, our fellow Filipinos can now carry the burden of chronic illnesses who need to take medicines for life. According to a study by the Department of Health in 2016, households spend 50% on out-of-pocket healthcare expenses when a member of the family is sick," Guerrero adds.

Lito Villanueva, Managing Director of FINTQ

"This is another first in the world in providing access to healthcare through a digital lending channel. A high-impact initiative that promotes universal health care and social support access among Filipinos even at the grassroots, which is a basic human right,” said Lito Villanueva, Managing Director of FINTQ.

"The power of digital lies in its ability to address gaps, and we're confident that the TxTMED service will help bridge access gaps for everyone's benefit," Villanueva stressed.

Reinvent Mother’s Day Memories using Original HP Inks

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Gift-giving is most special when done for loved ones. For children, it’s when they give their parents heart-felt presents—not only on birthdays and Christmas, but on special occasions like Mother’s Day. However, finding the perfect token of appreciation can sometimes be difficult, especially when usual gift ideas become less exciting.

Of course, moms will surely appreciate any form of present. From everyday things to wonderful gestures like spending time with them, moms are mostly easy to please. But for those looking for fresh gift ideas—ones that are original, creatively personalized and can last for years—HP printers and Original HP ink cartridges can definitely help make Mother’s Day gifts even more memorable.

From simply printing out mom’s personal recipes into a DIY book, to designing and ironing-on pictures and decals onto her kitchen apron, HP printers and Original HP ink cartridges assure kids of visually-stunning personalized gifts. And with more than 500 years of combined experience, HP’s ink cartridges deliver 36,000 drops of ink per second to produce lasting prints that reinvent memories, especially when used on HP Photo Paper.

For special moments captured in digital images, creating a personalized photo album is made easy—photographs printed using Original HP ink cartridges remain accurate, vibrant, and fade-resistant, to let mom’s most memorable moments stand out even years after. Original HP ink’s fast-drying and anti-curling properties also make it the ideal tool in creating such personalized gifts that involve high volumes of printing.

So whether it’s crafting a simple graphic greeting card or a hardworking picture collage, gifts for Mother’s Day are always made extra special when printed using reliable HP printers and Original HP ink cartridges, as they are built to work the first time, every time. With equal or minimal effort, compared to searching for the perfect present in stores, using Original HP Ink also makes for low-cost, superior-quality prints for such important occasions.

Indeed, when it comes to a unique way of creating do-it-your-own, personalized gifts that will reinvent memories on Mother’s Day, the HP printer and Original HP Inks are truly the best tools to make each gift-giving moment an unforgettable feat.

Want to reinvent memories today? Head on over to the nearest HP printer reseller to get an HP DeskJet printer and Original HP Inks that can produce print-outs that will last a lifetime.

Ascott to open first property in the north

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The Ascott Limited, world-renowned international serviced residence owner-operator, recently announced it will be opening its first property in the northern part of Manila, Citadines Milennium Ortigas Manila. Developed by property developer, CDC Holdings, the milestone property is strategically located in the central business and commercial district of Ortigas. The serviced residence is also the 7th property in the fast-growing Ascott Philippine cluster, set to open in the second quarter of this year.

Citadines Millennium Ortigas Manila is just a stone’s throw away from Ortigas’ row of corporate establishments including the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Philippine Stock Exchange as well as health and lifestyle hubs such as malls, restaurants, and fitness centers. The new property is also easily accessible to other key areas in the metro like Makati City, San Juan, Taguig, and Quezon City. 

“By building Citadines Millenium Ortigas Manila in the central business and commercial district of Ortigas, we are providing young business executives and couples, a space where they can both work and enjoy a dynamic city lifestyle,” said Arthur Gindap, regional general manager, The Ascott Limited, Philippines and Thailand.

The 32-storey, 293 contemporary apartments also offers spacious units to its residents. Each unit is fully equipped with necessary home amenities such as a fully functioning kitchen and wireless internet. 

Elsie Chua, president and chief executive officer of CDC Holdings, shared, “All throughout the building, from the lobby to the amenities to the serviced residence floor, we have applied greenery and green features so residents may find serenity and beauty of nature amidst the bustling city.”

Citadines Millenium Ortigas Manila has also incorporated energy-and water-saving features throughout the property to help reduce carbon footprint. The building was built to conform to global environmental specifications by using energy-efficient lighting, which makes use of LED lights that burn less energy. 

Apartment toilets feature water-saving fittings like the dual flush toilet cisterns to cut down on water consumption. Citadines Millennium Ortigas Manila makes good use of natural lighting and ventilation to minimize environmental impact. More importantly, the apartments have double-glazed windows that prevent unwanted heat from coming in and help reduce medium to high frequency noise from outside. 

The property also features pockets of green with its garden deck found at the building’s 4th floor, as well as guests’ lounge, swimming pool, and fitness center where guests and residents are rest assured to have an enjoyable stay. 

The artsy vibe is also reflected all throughout the building. Apartment designs also incorporate touches of indigenous art to provide total local experience and home-y vibe to its residents. It is uniquely mixed with bio-mimicry that showcases designs bearing elements of nature such as stones, grass, leaves and chartreuse colors.