January 25, 2023

Miley Cyrus releases new single “Flowers”

Multi-platinum selling recording artist, songwriter, and trailblazer Miley Cyrus has released “Flowers” the first single from her forthcoming eighth studio album Endless Summer Vacation, available globally on March 10th.
Watch the music video—a powerful visual expression of self-empowerment

The track finds Miley opining on self-love and courage, noting that “Started to cry / But then I remembered / I can buy myself flowers / Write my name in the sand” before ultimately and powerfully declaring “I can love me better than you can.”

The themes of the song and buzz surrounding the music led fans to declare that 2023 is the year of Miley.

Unsurprisingly, Miley has delivered fans a fashion-forward video for “Flowers.” The video was created by Miley and directed by Jacob Bixenman, with Stephen Galloway serving as creative movement director.

There have been many visuals for Endless Summer Vacation; Miley first announced the album with a powerful trailer. The album cover, photographed by Brianna Capozzi and fully executed by Miley without visual effects, was also revealed. Recorded in Los Angeles and produced with Kid Harpoon, Greg Kurstin, Mike WiLL Made-It and Tyler Johnson, Miley describes the album as her love letter to LA.

Endless Summer Vacation will be available globally on both digitally and at physical retailers. Fans can pre-order multiple physical configurations on shop.mileycyrus.com. There is also a special all-white vinyl, available only at Target. Fans can also pre-save the album on streaming services here.

UBX, AIM Global and its newest subsidiary Orbix Victus International join hands to launch financial super app for 3M distributors

Alliance in Motion (AIM) Global together with Orbix Victus International (OVI) the leading direct-selling company in the country, has tapped UBX, the leading open finance platform in the Philippines, to develop a super app that will enable its over three million distributors to offer digital financial solutions to their clients.
Under the groundbreaking partnership, UBX, OVI and AIM Global will work together to develop a mobile app that will enable AIM Global distributors to process digital financial transactions, such as accepting payments for products, bills payments, loans, remittances, and money transfers.

The app will be powered by UBX’s banking-as-a-service vertical i2i as well as its online lending marketplace SeekCap.

“Our goal in developing this super app with AIM Global and OVI is to expand its suite of products from food supplements and herbal products to digital financial services. This not only empowers its distributors to expand their businesses but also enables their clients to conduct financial transactions without the need to go to a bank,” UBX Business Lead Marc Gorospe said.

AIM Global is the leading direct-selling company of food supplements and herbal products with five million distributors across the globe. In the Philippines alone, it has a network of more than three million distributors. On its 15th year the company decided to expand its reach by opening their newest subsidiary Orbix Victus International (OVI) not only by offering health and wellness products but to further promote the awareness on financial literacy to its distributors and add more value by opening access to its people into digital financial services thru UBX.

“Partnering with UBX assures us that we get nothing short of the best digital solutions to expand our suite of products. With its status as the country’s leader in open finance, we are excited to learn the tricks of the trade and expand our knowledge in helping more Filipinos nationwide.” AIM Global and OVI’s CEO Dr. Eduardo Cabantog said.

The mobile app will be launched within the first quarter of 2023.

Last year, UBX partnered with various players in different industries such as the metaverse, insurance, the women’s sector, and even government institutions to forward its goal of including everyone.

As part of its commitment to promote genuine financial inclusion, UBX is open to partnering with other organizations to develop tailor-fit digital financial solutions to help bridge the financial and social gaps.

“Our partnership with AIM Global and OVI signals that more and more organizations beyond finance are interested and willing to support the goal of promoting financial and social inclusion. We are committed to working together with more partners to push this agenda further so that more Filipinos will be able to participate in and leverage the financial systems,” Gorospe said.

Regional insurtech Igloo eyes more opportunities to drive financial inclusion in the Philippines with US$ 27-M in fresh funding

(MANILA, PHILIPPINES) - Following a successful $27-M Series B+ funding, regional insurtech Igloo is gearing up to further accelerate financial inclusion in Southeast Asia. Seeing tremendous growth in the Philippines, Igloo will be allocating a portion of the funding to deploy more insurance solutions and increase coverage across the country.

The first investment in Southeast Asia, the recent funding round was led by a group of global institutional investors, highlighting their shared mission of protecting the communities they serve. The investors have expressed interest in Igloo’s initiatives in the Philippines which include providing credit line insurance to entrepreneurs, half of which are women, through its partnership with Philinsure. The firm also pioneered Foodpanda’s PandaCare initiative, a comprehensive insurance package for platform workers that includes accidental death, accidental dismemberment, medical reimbursement, hospital assistance, and burial expense.

“With an insurance penetration rate of less than 2%, we entered the Philippines by listening to the unmet needs of Filipinos to ensure we are filling the gaps that other players have yet to address,” said Mario Berta, Philippine Country Manager for Igloo “With the success of the B+ funding, this ensures that we can strengthen our current tech capabilities and allow us to introduce new solutions that would reach more underserved sectors in the Philippines.”

Igloo is currently in talks with insurance and government partners to bring the first blockchain-based Weather Index Insurance, a new technology that would provide immediate financial assistance to farmers in times of adverse weather conditions. With an average of 20 typhoons traversing the Philippines every year, Weather Index Insurance will not only fast-track farming communities’ recovery but also guarantee the sustainability of their livelihood.

While Igloo helps insurance partners onboard their products into digital platforms, the firm is also finding more solutions to support direct sales intermediaries. As the industry transforms itself, there is also a need to help agents and brokers prepare for the increasing demand for insurance. The firm intends to introduce Ignite by Igloo, an intuitive AI-powered digital solution, that enhances the productivity of agents by automating manual paperwork and inefficient procedures.

With the increased ease of purchase of low-cost protection, latest data from the Insurance Commission (IC) showed microinsurance premiums jumped by 15% in the first quarter alone. Riding off the growth of the segment, Igloo has facilitated over 100 million through local insurance partners in the past four years it has been in the market.

“The Philippines being one of the most digitally connected places in the Southeast Asia region is an advantage for insurtech companies because technology is heavily involved in the lifestyle of Filipinos.“ said Berta “We will leverage technology to reach out to sectors within the Philippines since every Filipino deserves to have access to insurance, no matter where they live.”


--------------------------
About Igloo:

Igloo is the first full-stack insurtech firm to emerge from Singapore. It has offices in Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, The Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia and tech centres in China and India. With a mission of making insurance accessible for all, the firm leverages big data, real-time risk assessment, and end-to-end automated claims management to create B2B2C insurance solutions for platform companies and insurance companies. Igloo’s insurance solutions enable companies to eliminate their exposure to operational risk, create new revenue streams, and optimise and enhance existing products and services. Igloo has partnered with over 55 well-known brand names across the markets in various verticals, including insurance, telecommunications, e-commerce, hospitality, health tech and financial services.

For more information, please visit https://www.iglooinsure.com/.

Barbie Almalbis, Mark Escueta, Pochoy Labog and Jarlo Bâse team up for inspiring powerhouse track “PIRASO"

The star-studded tune emphasizes the importance of faith during trying times


Alt-rock icon Barbie Almalbis, Rivermaya lead singer/drummer Mark Escueta, Dicta License vocalist Pochoy Labog, and fast-rising singer-songwriter/producer Jarlo Bâse have collaborated on a soulful track that unfolds with tenderness and power in equal measure.

Released under WATERWALK RECORDS, “PIRASO” tackles the journey of healing and spirituality amidst the crippling fear of uncertainty that all four artists have personally experienced in recent years. The song not only articulates the collective frustrations and sacrifices that people have to go through in order to cope with depression caused by the pandemic, but also reveals how faith has become a source of comfort and strength during trying times.

According to Almalbis, producer-extraordinaire Jungee Marcelo was responsible for bringing them together. She immediately said yes after finding out about the other musicians involved in the project and what the music stands for.

I have always been a fan of Mark and Pochoy, and I was also looking forward to working with Jarlo, because Mr. Jungee really looked up to him as a young producer,” the Silaw hitmaker admits. “We started writing the song virtually, just exchanging ideas via a chat group, then eventually met up in person to tie everything together.”

Despite their busy schedules, the four powerhouse acts managed to squeeze time to record the song before the year ended. Almalbis reveals that the entire team behind “PIRASO” felt a strong sense of achievement with how the final product turned out. “On the day we finished writing the song, we made a makeshift vocal booth in our house, which turned out to be a great sounding room for vocals. Pochoy then went home to do the bass track. A few days later, we hung out at Mark’s studio to finalize the drum parts. I did a bit more guitar work at home, and Jarlo did the rest of the production, recording his vocals and adding piano, samples, and synths in his own place.”

Dicta License’s Pochoy Labog admits that the collaboration was out of his comfort zone, but the experience, according to him, was an absolute joy. “We flowed so well and nothing was forced. Writing the lyrics was like being in a discipleship group or household –we plugged in words while sharing life experiences and our own walks with God. It was one of the most profound moments in my musical journey.”

Surprisingly, the all-star collaboration turned out to be a very moving piece that raises the bar for all the musicians involved in terms of songwriting and artistry. Bâse, in particular, was grateful and honored to be part of this massive endeavor that brought a different kind creative synergy and excitement.

“I’ve always looked up to Sir Jungee and everyone at WATERWALK/Sony Music for their love and excellence in making music,” says the young singer-songwriter. “I hope people would enjoy and be blessed with the song we all made together.”

“PIRASO” is also Mark Escueta’s first project with WATERWALK RECORDS. He is thankful to be part of a music project that aims to inspire people from all walks of life. “It's an honor and a blessing to be part of this project and I know that WATERWALK RECORDS will continue to touch so many lives in the years to come.”

PIRASO” is out now on all digital music platforms via WATERWALK RECORDS.

For more updates on the new tracks, artists, and upcoming events, please follow:

WATERWALK RECORDS: Facebook | Instagram

 

ABOUT WATERWALK RECORDS

WATERWALK RECORDS is a music label under Sony Music Entertainment that is focused on bringing fresh Christian music to a new, streaming generation. The label features faith-based entertainment artists from across the length and breadth of the country, who represent the best of Christian music combined with their own unique styles.

January 24, 2023

Enjoy sulit-sarap merienda with Mang Inasal Snack Savers

Looking for delicious and affordable snacks this 2023? Mang Inasal, the country’s Grill Expert, treats its customers with Snack Savers -- the sulit-sarap merienda treats.

“Mang Inasal has been a dining partner of our customers for two decades and we know how important merienda meals are for them. So this year, we are offering everyone our Snack Savers composed of our best-selling snacks at affordable prices,” said Mang Inasal’s Business Unit Head Mike V. Castro.

Choose from Chicken Empanada at P52, Palabok at P75, or small Extra Creamy Halo-Halo at P69, and enjoy your sulit-sarap merienda anytime of the day! Check out the Snack Savers at all Mang Inasal stores nationwide.

Want more Mang Inasal exclusives NOW? Visit www.manginasal.com for the latest updates, https://manginasaldelivery.com.ph for delivery deals, and follow Mang Inasal on social media!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
enjoying wonderful world