Enjoying Wonderful World

November 19, 2013

Celebrate Happiness with McDonald’s at the BABY & FAMILY EXPO 2013

Join the biggest family celebration at the BABY & FAMILY EXPO 2013 on December 06-08, 2013 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex. For more than three decades, McDonald’s has been the Filipino family’s first choice when it comes to sharing great tasting meals and creating memorable moments with one another. A huge part of the enjoyable experience McDonald’s creates for families is because of one of its most loved icons: the Happy Meal.

This coming Baby & Family Expo Philippines 2013, McDonald’s will bring this delightful experience to the biggest family event of the year.

After the successful first round of #BibongBaby photo contest, which gathered 300 entries, Baby & Family Expo 2013 will be capturing kid’s happiness through the #BibongBabyKiddie Edition. Entries can be submitted through the online photo contest application found at the Baby Expo Philippines Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/babyexpoph/app_599788450050788). The photo entry must show the kid ages 3-6 years old, holding the iconic McDonald’sHappy Meal Red Box. Weekly winners will be determined through online voting, while the grand winner will be judged based on the criteria identified by McDonald’s and a percentage from the number of likes. The winners will receive a McCelebrations package from McDonald’s.

Chief Happiness Officer Ronald McDonald, together with friends Grimace, Hamburglar and Birdie will be in attendance to play with the kids during the first day of the Baby & Family Expo 2013. Exciting games and prizes awaits the expo visitors. Across the three-day expo, McDonald’s will be exhibiting new themes of the McCelebrations.

Organized by MediaCom Solutions Inc. and co-presented by Cordlife, the country’s premier biggest family event of the year to nurture family development and child care dubbed as “Welcoming Life, Love and Care” will cover the stages of family growth from pregnancy, maternity, newborns, toddlers and early childhood. The event will also feature educational talks and seminars, fun-filled activities and exclusive discounts from over 200 exhibitors.

Join the biggest family celebration for by registering for free at the Baby& Family Expo Philippines 2013 website http://babyexpo.ph/registration.php.

For queries and updates, you can call +632.843.2174,

email info@babyexpo.ph and join the community at

http://www.facebook.com/babyexpoph and

http://twitter.com/BabyExpoPH.

November 18, 2013

Moët Hennessy Asia Pacific extends relief, donates to Philippine Red Cross

People all around the world, and from different countries brought out sympathy and support during this most trying time for our country.

Moët Hennessy Asia Pacific – Philippine Representative Office sympathizes with the entire Filipino nation as the devastation brought by the typhoon Yolanda shattered landscapes and left massive number of Filipinos in the Visayas region displaced due to lack of shelter, food, water, and medicines.

While countless of lives were also appallingly swept away by what is known to be the strongest typhoon in the world to date, thousands are still in dire need of help.

In this light, the Moët Hennessy Asia Pacific – Philippines Representative Office puts aside its much sought Hennessy Artistry Halo 2013 slated on November 15, at the NBC Tent in Global City to empathize with the Filipinos and extend relief assistance.

Moët Hennessy Asia Pacific will be in direct coordination with the Philippine Red Cross to provide donation in aide of the organization’s ongoing disaster management services and humanitarian relief operations.

The disaster is indeed unimaginable and the scope is heart wrenching. If we could heed the call for “The Global Art of Mixing” for the annual Hennessy Artistry Halo and bring together various genres of music from artists of diverse and multicultural act, let us join hands for another purpose: to bring hope and music back to the lives of countless Filipinos. Though the night of good music for Halo 2013 shall be put on hold, we encourage everyone across the world that have been supportive of the Hennessy Artistry events to take a moment of prayer and find ways to help rebuild spirits of Filipinos through little acts of generosity and sacrifices.

Put together each of our efforts, no matter the volume, we can make positive change.

The Halo event would have had international and local artists performing both solo and in collaboration, to be headlined by Swedish DJ Duo Cazzette with their unique brand of house, dub-step, trance and funk. Other artists that were also set to join the Halo 2013 event are Australian pop star Timomatic, our very own Nicole Asensio, including Urban Dub, hip-hop DJ and Drummer Duo Motherbasss and DJ Jessica Milner.

Hennessy Artistry Halo Manila is rescheduled on January 24, 2014.

Global Humanitarian Group in NY Picks Filipino Ambassador, Helps Typhoon Victims

Metro World Child is a global faith-based, humanitarian organization serving nearly 100,000 children each week with after school programs, Sunday School services, child sponsorship, special programs and personal home visits.

In 2001, Metro World Child began a work in Manila, Philippines. The goal was to reach children and families who were living in situations that were in most cases, beyond their control. Metro World Child went to some of the most needy areas such as Smokey Mountain, Tondo, Navotas, and other impoverished locations throughout the Philippines. Over a decade later, we now reach 20,000 children and their families on a weekly basis here in the Philippines alone. Metro World Child has grown to include other nations such as South Africa, Kenya, Romania, and India, and combined, now reach over 100,000 children around the world.

Top-ranked speaker and master trainer, Boris Joaquin was recently appointed the Philippine Ambassador for the Private Sector by the Metro World Child Foundation based in Brooklyn New York, USA.

Joaquin is delighted by this new appointed following his stints with World Vision and involvements with HOPE Foundation, Scholars for Jesus, World Teach and Bible League, his role to help connect Metro World Child’s programs for the street children with right partners and corporate donors.

“This is timely…” Joaquin quips, “ ..After Typhoon Yolanda, children lost their families, families grieved for their children. Despite this, however, we still believe that there is something that even the strongest storm cannot take away from them.”

With only a few days before the holiday season, you can assure these children and families that the Christmas spirit will not be lost. A small gift of love from you can make a big difference in their lives this year. It is in times like this that we are called to give what we can, and we believe that our gifts can serve as the light they very much need in their lives today. We can hope that these presents will bring the love they need from God in these trying times, given through us.

Boris continues, “We are working right now putting together shipping containers filled with desperately needed relief supplies. They are being prepared as we speak. Metro World Child reaches close to 20,000 children a week in the Philippines. We are determined to do “whatever it takes” to get this aid as well as the Gospel to those who need it most. Please help us.”

Metro World Child has program called Operation Holiday Hope, which gives Noche Buena grocery packs and Christmas gifts to these affected children. With the private sectors help this Christmas, Metro World Child can reach over 20,000 children in the Manila area. For P1000, you can provide one child and their family with a Noche Buena, Christmas dinner. Or for just P500, you can provide a child with a Christmas gift.

To be part of Operation Holiday Hope, please contact 846 0083 or 0915 709 3386.

You can also email us at friends@metroworldchild.org.

For online donations, go to www.metroworldchild.org.ph and on the

upper right corner, click “GIVE” button.

Click “Donate Now!” button then select campaign

Operation Holiday Hope: Christmas Basket / Toy

Majestic sleep with the Kensington® Collection by Uratex Premium Mattress

The majestic premium Kensington mattress collection from Uratex has been launched last Thursday November 14, 2013 held at Our Home in SM Megamall.

The event was hosted by Ms. Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan and Anthony Pangilinan and attended by celebrity guests, Victor Basa, Christine Babao, Julius Babao, Ricardo Cepeda, Marina Benipayo and other guests of the society.

The new majestic collection, three different models - the Kensington® Classic, Kensington® Luxe and Kensington® Opulent, Uratex Premium Mattress, allows anyone to sleep on its royal and majestic elegance and magnificent comfort that will suit everyone’s varied needs and tastes in comfortable style.

Kensington® Collection by Uratex Premium Mattress is expected to capture the attention of Filipino modern mattress lovers. This time, Uratex partners with leading lifestyle furniture store chain Our|Home in order to provide better sleep solutions to Filipinos and further set the standard in wellness, elegance, comfort, durability and functionality in today’s modern beds.

Made from a combination of classic bonnel spring, an hour-glass shape and knotted end rings at the top and the bottom with a round helical wire that connects the spring together, and further made relaxing and restful with Uratex Nuovoluxe foam, Kensington® Classic provides a comfortable balance of softness on the surface and firmness deep down. With knitted fabric to cover the mattress, everyone is assured of a good night’s sleep every time.

Kensington® Luxe, on the other hand, is made from high quality visco-elastic foam on top of a pocket spring material that will cradle the body to ease up pressure and provide utmost comfort to the whole body. With its soft comfort feel, anyone who sleeps on a Kensington Luxe mattress is assured of an all-over feeling of relaxation and comfortable sleep with less of the discomforting tossing and turning.

And finally, Kensington® Opulent is specially designed with the combination of five-zone pocketed springs, visco-elastic foam and natural latex foam topper to ensure optimum support with its firm built and superior comfort to provide everyone a good night’s sleep.

To complete the royal sleeping experience everyone needs night in and night out, the Kensington collection also includes the Kensington® Pillow. It's a super soft pillow that will definitely lull anyone to sleep by providing excellent back support, perfect relaxation and an exceptional level of coziness and contentment.

Anyone with a Kensington® Collection by Uratex Premium Mattress will definitely enjoy its royal beauty and comfort for a very long time since Uratex Premium Mattress and Our Home guarantees superb quality and durability as each of the mattresses from the Kensington® Collection has a warranty— Kensington® Classic with 7 years and Kensington® Luxe and Opulent with 15 years—that protects the mattresses from inherent manufacturing defects and damage, or wear and tear under normal usage.

Aside from the warranties and other snug features, all items under the Kensington® Collection is treated with Sanitized®, which prevents and controls the growth of allergens to provide long-lasting, safe and effective protection against bacteria, fungi, dust mites, mold, mildew and unpleasant odors.

Get to know more about the Kensington® Collection by Uratex Premium Mattress, and find out how you can have a majestic sleep experience any time, every time. Exclusively available in Our Home stores nationwide. Visit www.uratex.com.ph for more details.

Mostly appreciated the heart of Uratex for giving donations of 4,000 sets of mattresses, P2 million worth of shirts and blankets, and P2 milllion cash donation to help rebuild classrooms in Tacloban and for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda.

Here are some of the pictures during the Kensington mattress collection launch. (Photo by Joan Meg Roman.)

For more details and updates visit www.uratex.com.ph

URATEX PHILIPPINES facebook

Follow @uratexfoam on twitter

and @OURHOME_PH on Instagram

Visa Requirements Dictating Two-thirds of Filipino’s Travel Choices

A survey conducted by Skyscanner, a leading global travel search site, reveals that the logistics of securing visas are having a huge effect on the holiday destination choices made by Filipinos.

Currently, Philippine passport holders can only visit 25 countries without a visa. These countries include neighboring Southeast Asian countries and some Latin America destinations such as Brazil, Peru, Bolivia and Costa Rica.

According to the survey, 73% of the 1000 Filipino respondents consider visa issues before choosing their holiday destination. Only 26% of the respondents have been to two or more destinations that required a visa. When the respondents were asked to rank their top destinations are if visas were no option, they ranked America on top of the list followed by Canada, Europe, Japan and Australia.

“Right now, ASEAN passengers can just hop on and off a plane within the region without the hassle of planning months before to meet visa requirements,” Janet Ranola, Philippine Marketing Manager for Skyscanner. “There have been a lot of Filipinos traveling within the ASEAN region in the past few years because of the increased number of flights within the region offered by budget airlines and the convenience of the no-visa travel agreement in the region.”

89% of the respondents support a single visa system across ASEAN countries to ease travel across the region. “19% of our Filipino respondents have had their visa applications rejected. With a single visa system across ASEAN countries, non-ASEAN nationals are able to travel around the region without the need to obtain a visa for each country,” Ranola added. “This would definitely boost tourism within the region.”

About Skyscanner

Skyscanner is a leading global travel search site offering a truly comprehensive, free flight search service as well as instant online comparisons for hotels and car hire. Founded in 2003, Skyscanner receives over 25 million unique visitors each month.Skyscanner is optimised worldwide and is available in 30 languages.

Skyscanner’s highly-rated free mobile apps are available on iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and Windows 8 devices and have been downloaded over 25 million times.

The privately-owned company employs over 250 staff and has its global headquarters in Edinburgh with regional hubs in Singapore, Beijing, Barcelona and Miami.