Enjoying Wonderful World

October 12, 2015

Having Good Times, Great Memories at Shakey’s, One of the Most Loved Brands in the Ph

I always love Shakey's for years, having great times with my family and friends. Shakey’s, the iconic pizza brand, the brand for the Filipino family, a chain of wholesome family restaurants from a network of dying rock band joints and fast food outlets. Shakey’s opened their first store in 1975 in Makati City. Shakey’s now has over 165 branches nationwide.

Shakey’s is one of the Most Loved Brands in the Philippines – Shakey's was voted one of Asia's Top 1000 brands, placing 58th in the Philippines, according to the Campaign Asian-Pacific in partnership with information and insights provider Nielsen. It also placed a strong second besting other brands in the food category.

The best legacies come from the most passionate endeavors. Shakey’s Philippines has been a strong brand in the pizza segment of the local food service since its inception in 1975 when they opened their first store in Makati. Developed by four of the food industry’s giants, Shakey’s emerged as an avenue for marketing San Miguel’s newest draft beer.

Almost four decades later, Shakey’s is now a successful nationwide franchise with over 150 restaurants. Their latest innovation exhibits a change in image and ambiance to feature the present family-oriented, wholesome, and fun atmosphere. Constantly in tune with their roots, the brand maintains the warmth and familiarity that have made their stores a sensation.

This time of digital age, Shakey’s has come out with gamechanging innovations like online ordering, where any person can ask for delivery to his family or friends in other locations. The Shakey’s App allows guests to customize his PC, iPad, tablet, or cell phone, when dealing with Shakey’s. They can place their orders online using their credit cards too. Pizza Padala is another innovation, where a person in a given location can send pizza and other foods offerings to persons in other locations.

Shakey’s in partnership with Microsoft, a powerfully functional, cloud ERP system that will support the company’s technology strategy.

To firm up its presence in huge and heavily populated areas, Shakey’s Legacy stores have been established to project size, strength, and stability. There are Legacy stores now operate inside and outside Metro Manila.

They have bigger spaces and FunZones, which allow children to play. In less penetrated areas, the Shakey’s On Wheels is the answer, as these ambulant restaurants move around to cater to guests.

They continue to satisfy loyal Guests, while gathering a new following, through their world-famous thin crust pizza and hand-tossed versions as well as a wide spectrum of delicious items including Shakey’s awesome twosome: Chicken ‘N Mojos, and pasta.

One of my favorite these days, Philly Cheesesteak Pizza: Made of premium beef strips, caramelised onions, green bell peppers, with cheddar and mozzarella cheese topped with Philly cheese sauce.

I also like Spice Chicken ‘N’ Mojos: This crisp, juicy flavor-packed Fried Chicken and our famous Mojos now feature a thrilling blend of peppers and spices, starts subtle and gets more exciting with every bite.

And the Mojito: A refreshing blend of soda and white rum made even more soothing with crushed mint leaves and cucumber slices

Try the new product, Frozen Margarita: This is how Shakey’s does the world’s favorite tropical cocktail. Sweet, tangy blue lemonade crush, spiked with Jose Cuervo Tequila.

Chicken ‘N’ Mojos Monday Madness: SuperCard holders were treated to awesome twosome favorite Chicken 'N' Mojos at 40 % off. The social media promo generated a total of 230,000 Likes on Facebook and was shared 13, 000 times.

This month of October, Shakey's newest hot product – Firehouse Pizza: Bite into this flavorful and spicy medley of Italian sausage, pepperoni and spicy sausage, served with fresh ingredients and chilli flakes all on top of our signature Thin Crust

And also the Onion Rings: Coated in our own seasoned beer batter, and fried until perfectly crisp. Served with your choice of any dip or dressing!

Watch out for October Feast: Get a free basket of mojos for a large or party size pizza. SuperCard holders can also enjoy a free pitcher of iced tea or softdrinks.

Shakey’s continues to provide the most mouth-watering meal packages like the Monster Meal Deal. It contains 2 large thin crust Manager’s Choice and Pepperoni pizzas, 2 generous platters of Classic Spaghetti and Carbonara Supreme, 12pcs Party Pack of the flavorful Chicken ‘n’ Mojos plus 3 pitchers of ice cold Coca Cola – a monster package of Shakey’s favorites for your group’s enjoyment served at a great value. This is totally how to eat, eat, eat without paying a lot, lot, lot.

Loyal Shakey’s Guests can also avail of greater value-for-money deals through the Shakey’s Supercard that just went through a cyber upgrade to give even more perks to cardholders.

From savory pies to delightful snacks and beverages, there’s always something to sweeten the deal at Shakey’s.

Its iconic products include the Thin-Crust pizza, and the awesome twosome “Chicken ’N’ Mojos.” The brand also offers Shakey’s Super Shakes to complement their menu favorites.

Shakey’s Celebrates Its 40th Year Through Awards, New Products and Promos! The Shakey’s SuperCard – Shakey's continues to show appreciation to Guests through customer service promos such as the Shakey's SuperCard that serves as a discount, loyalty, reward and VIP card in one.

Shakey’s Gets Bigger and Better – Shakey's F. Cabahug opens in Cebu and boasts of the largest branch outside of Luzon yet. With a floor area of 450 square meters it has the capacity to seat 52 tables or a total of 140 persons. It has a spacious parking lot of 21 slots and bigger function rooms for corporate functions, family gatherings, and birthday parties. It also boasts of a full service bar for sports games and events.

Shakey's Opens New Stores – Shakeys continues to expand. Its newest branches include. Mindanao Ave., F. Cabahug, Southwoods, Mandaluyong Circle, BGC Stopover, SM Light Mall, Tarlac. Shakey's targets to open 9 more branches before 2015 ends.

Shakey's Grows its Partners – Shakey's Zamboanga is scheduled to open this year while the first Shakey’s in Mindoro was recently opened in Calapan, with new franchise partners.

Congratulations and more power to Shakey's and to Shakey’s Executives: Leo Prieto, Jr. – Chairman, Vic Gregorio - President and CEO, Jorge Concepcion - General Manager, and Mauch Franco - Chief Information Officer.

Midea’s small domestic appliances debunk common home appliance myths

Are you worried of your household’s energy consumption?

Filipinos are smart buyers. Among household managers whose buying decisions are driven by factors like versatility and energy efficiency. The latter is especially noticeable in the domestic appliance market due to the fluctuating power issues that the country has been seeing in the past years.

Electricity remains as the most utilized energy resource used by households. An estimated 87 percent of 21 million households use it as a power source, placing it as one of the most important concerns of both established and starter homes.

“A lot of our daily activities now are dependent on technology so it is natural that the concern for energy rates is also growing,” explains Phillip Trapaga, General Manager of Midea Philippines. “Increasing costs of electricity usage is a reality that we all have to adapt to.”

The silver lining is that technology is also keeping up with the shifting demands of consumers. The small domestic appliance market, for example, is now being flocked by products that place energy-efficiency as top priority.

“If it’s only about finding ways to make electricity bills friendlier to the pocket, then there is no shortage of solutions in the market. The challenge is that some consumers still have these misconceptions that all domestic appliances eat up a lot of electricity,” explains Trapaga.

Answering common appliance challenges

In addition to concerns on energy consumption, there are also misconceptions on the efficiency and usability of innovative small domestic appliances. For multi-cookers, for example, consumers are under the impression that cooking can be complicated and not at par with the traditional way of food preparation.

Midea’s Digital Multi-Cooker and Pressure Cooker addresses these concerns with its suite of innovative features. Its Thermal Circulation technology offers perfectly steamed rice by providing even heating in the cooking pot while its 12 programmed functions and 7 pressure levels promises easy, effortless cooking that save time and energy. Additionally, this pressure cooker is also a good option for health-conscious individuals thanks to its feature of locking in nutrients during the cooking process.

Safety concerns are also a major consideration. Especially in the kitchen where most accidents happen, many fear that using appliances makes one more prone to danger.

“Safety features are an important element that consumers should also look for in appliances,” says Trapaga. “This is particularly important for households with children.”

Kettles, as unassuming as they are, can cause scalding, burning, electric shocks, and fires. Midea addresses these concerns with its Safety Kettle with Sure-Safe Double Wall Technology that makes the exterior safe to the touch. Additionally, it also has a UK Strix control that provides dry boiling and overheating protection and a cord storage for added safety and convenience.

Energy-efficient partners

Enjoying the benefits of innovative home partners do not need to be expensive. For Midea, the brand answers this concern with a solid collection of features dedicated to energy efficiency.

The Midea Multi-Cooker, which can be used to prepare a variety of dishes, cancels out the need to use multiple appliances to prepare a meal. It also only takes 8php of electricity usage to prepare a tender and flavorful Bulalo.

The same also goes for the Midea Safety Kettle which boils twice as fast than an electric stovetop kettle. Not only do you save time, it also provides 50% savings on electrical consumption.

“Misconceptions can get in the way of fully enjoying a lot of conveniences. Wise choices and awareness to these solutions can definitely let households experience these without the constant fear of electric bills and other concerns hanging over their heads,” Trapaga finishes.

Learn more about Midea’s energy efficient household appliances, visit www.midea.com.ph or www.facebook.com/MideaPhilippines.

October 11, 2015

TPB launches “Tag the Fun” photo contest

Enjoying your vacation or business trip in the Philippines? Share your best travel moments on camera and join “Tag the Fun”- an exciting photo contest organized by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), together with Agoda, that rewards local and foreign travelers for choosing the Philippines as their destination.

Get a chance to win a holiday break in the beautiful beaches and the underground wonder of Puerto Princesa, Palawan or in the white powdery sands and clear waters of Panglao Island, Bohol! Plus, you can also take home “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” premium items.

“Tag the Fun” photo contest runs from October 5 to November 13, 2015. It is open to participants 18 years old and above and has two categories: the local category, which is open to all Filipinos, and the foreign category, which is for the foreigners and visitors residing in and outside the Philippines.

To join, simply like the official Facebook pages of “Tourism Promotions Board”, “The Philippines” and “Agoda”; upload your best travel photo on the TPB Facebook page along with an English caption of no more than 500 characters together with the name of destination where the photo was taken; share the entry on your own Facebook newsfeed along with a mention of “The Philippines” and “Agoda” and the hashtags #tpbgovph, #tagthefun, and #itsmorefuninthephilippines. Don’t forget to set your Facebook post to public.

Submit as many entries as you wish on or before the following dates with the corresponding weekly themes—October 11: Business, October 18: Lifestyle, October 25: Sports, Adventure & Ecotourism, November 2: History & Culture, and November 9: Music, Arts & Entertainment.

There will be two winners for each week (1 local and 1 foreign) who will receive “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” premium items.

On November 13, 2015, best entries will be chosen (1 local and 1 foreign) among the 10 weekly winners to award the grand prizes. The grand winners will enjoy a free 3Day/2Night stay for two at the country’s two best beaches. The local winner will get to experience the paradise of Astoria Palawan Resort in Puerto Princesa, Palawan while the foreign winner will be treated to the white beaches of Eskaya Beach Resort and Spa in Panglao Island, Bohol.

Sharing your best Philippine travel moments has never been more fun. Join “Tag the Fun” photo contest and make your trip to the Philippines memorable, rewarding and worth coming back for more

For more information, visit the official TPB Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/tpbphl and to learn about special deals or promotions on hotels in the Philippines, connect at www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.com or go directly to www.agoda.com/morefunph.

Amaia tops off new condo project in Pasig

Among the first to avail of Steps Pasig units are Mr. and Mrs. Evite (4th & 5thfrom left) and Mr. and Mrs. Espino (2nd , 3rd from right). They are flanked byAmaia officials: (left to right) Robert Gil, Regional Sales Director; Jomel Madrid, Mdc BuildPlus Project Officer; Grace Guinto, Project Devt Manager; Ricky M. Celis, Amaia President; Nikie Lingad , Project Devt Head; Joel Punzalan, PD Geo Head.

Amaia Land, continuing its mission to provide quality home for Filipinos, and is unstoppable after celebrating two new milestones with the topping-off ceremony of Aria Building and the Groundbreaking Ceremony of the Clubhouse at the Amaia Steps Pasig last September 5.

The Aria Building Topping Off and Clubhouse Groundbreaking ceremonies were attended by guests and key Amaia officials together with the first unit owners. The Aria Building is expected to be completed within the year, while the clubhouse will be completed by early 2016.

Situated along Eusebio St. in Brgy. San Miguel, the mid-rise Amaia Steps Pasig promises its future homeowners greater space and comfort amid the sprawling residential landscape of Pasig City.

Amaia Steps Pasig is just one of 14 residential condominium projects currently being offered by Amaia Land. Amaia is, a fully-owned subsidiary of Ayala Land, Inc., which is engaged in delivering high quality yet affordable products to the broad property market.

Situated along Eusebio St. in Brgy. San Miguel, the mid-rise Amaia Steps Pasig promises its future homeowners greater space and comfort amid the sprawling residential landscape of Pasig City. With its contemporary and suburban theme, the new development will further enhance the area with its modern aesthetics.

Future residents will be close to their to work as the project is less than 6 kilometers from Ortigas CBD, five kilometers from BGC and four kilometers from C-5 road. Commuting won't be a problem as transport stations for shuttle services, cabs, tricycle and jeepneys are available in the area.

The project offers studio units (Studio, Deluxe and Premier) with sizes ranging from 23 to 42sqm at its first building, Aria. Meanwhile, bigger units such as 2-bedroom (Elite) and 3-bedroom (Grand) are available in the Esperanza building, with unit sizes from 41 to 50 sqm.

Amaia Steps Pasig will feature a host of amenities such as clubhouse, swimming pool, children’s play area and landscaped gardens. In the future, a cluster of retail outlets will rise at the front of the project. A jogging path around the buildings will also be possible for those who want to stay exhilarated after a long day's work.

Like all Amaia projects, safety and security will be a priority. Residents will be worry- free, as the development is designed with a 24-hour guarded entrance, perimeter fence, and CCTV cameras.

Easy-on-the-pocket financing schemes such as cash payment, deferred, bank and In-house financing are also being offered.

For inquiries, call (02) 451-2079 or visit www.amaialand.com.

Cherry Mobile's brand ambassador Piolo Pascual for #CherryChristmas promo for OFWs

For OFWs, and people missing their families, relatives and friends, Cherry Mobile Cares brings home your loveone for the holidays with #CherryChristmas promo, connecting families and helping bridge distances.

Cherry Mobile's brand ambassador Piolo Pascual inviting everyone to participate in the‪#‎CherryChristmas‬ promo by sharing a short video on Facebook via the Cherry Mobile app why they would like to have their loved ones abroad come home this Christmas. For the winning videos, Cherry Mobile will make their wish possible.

“For our OFWs, the happiest time of the year is also sometimes the loneliest. I saw first hand while I travel abroad how much Filipinos yearn for their home and families. There really is no place like home. For those who live in the Philippines, we are happy to give and receive gifts, but deep inside, there’s no greater joy than being with family. I’m proud to be part of a brand that supports, connects, and encourages the Filipino family to be together,” shares brand ambassador Piolo Pascual.

The‪#‎CherryChristmas‬ promo is a dream come true for a lot of our ‪#‎OFWs‬ and their families. This season, through the #CherryChristmas promo, Cherry Mobile rewards the hard work and sacrifices of our unsung heroes – the OFWs.

Cherry Mobile fulfills the deepest wishes of several of our OFWs and reunites them with their loved ones this Christmas through the #CherryChristmas promo. Christmas comes early as Cherry Mobile flies these lucky winners home for free, just in time for the holidays.

Maynard Ngu, president of Cherry Mobile, adds, “One thing holds true to every OFW out there, if they all had a choice, they would never leave their families. I know that they would do everything just to enjoy Noche Buena with their loved ones, to open gifts with their kids, to celebrate Mass with their family and friends, and to revel in the other Christmas traditions. So we would like to gift them with this opportunity. ”

Christmas season, the precious moments spent with family and loved ones. Many OFWs would prefer to be with their loved ones this holiday, however, distance and circumstance prohibit them. While hardworking OFWs brim with pride, sending their families Balikbayan boxes full of gifts and goodies, they are unable to see firsthand the joy and smiles that they bring.

Connecting families and helping bridge distances since 2009, Cherry Mobile has always put to heart the needs of the Filipino, especially OFWs - whether it’s designing quality mobile products or creating programs that uplift the lives of their consumers.

The promo is open to all Filipino active Facebook users who have a family member working abroad.

Cherry Mobile opens the doors and gives the opportunity for families to be together during the most special holiday season.

“Cherry Mobile, the leading mobile phone brand in the country that values your lifestyle, has always put the Filipino first, and so it is with great pride and pleasure that we bring together the Filipino family on the most important day of the year,” ends Kat Arceo-Ocampo, Cherry Mobile Marketing Head. “Please do join and spread the joy of Christmas!”