October 22, 2017

Good News : Taiwan Approves VISA Free Travel For Filipinos




Taiwan in your bucket list as the island state has announced that it will soon allow visa-free entry for visitors from the Philippines as part of their “New Southbound Policy.”

Taiwanese Premier Lai Ching-te only recently approved the visa-free plan for Filipinos, but concrete details such as the starting date for the privilege have yet to be announced. According to a report by Focus Taiwan, however, visa-free travel to the country will be possible either by October or November.

Once finalized, Filipinos who visit Taiwan can stay on the island nation for up to 14 days, without a visa.

The visa-free policy aimed to promote people-to-people, tourism and commercial exchanges between Taiwan and the Philippines according to Winston Chen, director-general of the Foreign Ministry’s Department of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office’s Dr. Gary Song-Huann Lin had also teased the visa-free plan as early as July this year, during the 2017 Taiwan Tourism Workshop held in Manila.

Dr. Lin said that both Taiwan and the Philippines, despite being separated by a 2-hour flight, “tend to overlook each other,” underscoring the need to beef up relations, strengthen cultural exchange, and boost tourism in both countries.

Taiwan already has visa-free arrangements with a number of other countries, which include Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore.

​Power Mac Center presents an ultramodern music fest with Sync Sessions 2017



Save your Saturdays for this!

Everybody’s in for a musical treat as Power Mac Center holds Sync Sessions anew with not just four but 12 bands and artists who are shaking the industry with world-class sound.

Sync Sessions is an audio-digital crossover experience that provides Filipino musicians a platform to showcase their music style with the help of Apple devices and accessories. This fourth run of Sync Sessions will feature a stellar lineup of artists, who will turn Power Mac Center stores into an intimate stage for a laidback performance of their LSS-worthy songs, giving fans a unique way to enjoy music.

The artists will be using iOS apps like GarageBand for iPad, which allows musicians to create and record music through a variety of effects and virtual instruments.

​“We’ll get to listen to music that’s very modern and refreshing, all thanks to our performers, who are mostly millennials. With Sync Sessions, Power Mac Center is giving these artists an opportunity to redefine their music and share it. We also hope to inspire budding artists that they can harness technology to create beautiful music,” said Power Mac Center Marketing Director Joey Alvarez.

Kicking off the live concerts is indie/alternative rock band Rusty Machines of the “What Went Wrong” and “Forget You” fame. With Iggy San Pablo on Vocals, Joshua Andres on Guitar, Miko Miso on Drums, and Leandro Fabregas on Bass, Rusty Machines is out to conquer more hearts at the Sync Sessions stage.

Also set to live jam are OPM icon Barbie Almalbis, pop royalty Autotelic, which popularized heart-swelling songs like “Dahilan” and “Languyin,” as well as indie bandJensen and the Flips, dedicated to Soul/R&B/Motown tunes like “Dapat Sana” and “Slow.” 

Admission is free so catch the live in-store performances at the following dates and venues:

· 1st Leg (October 21, 2017 at Power Mac Center SM Mall of Asia)

-Rusty Machines at 4PM

-December Avenue at 5PM

-Ang Bandang Shirley at 6PM



· 2nd Leg (October 28, 2017 at Power Mac Center Greenbelt 3)

-Oh, Flamingo at 4PM

-Kidthrones x Curtismith at 5PM

-Barbie Almalbis at 6PM

· 3rd Leg (November 4, 2017 at Power Mac Center SM Megamall)

-QUEST at 4PM

-Jensen and the Flips at 5PM

-Reese Lansangan at 6PM

· 4th Leg (November 11, 2017 at Power Mac Center TriNoma)

-Ben&Ben at 4PM

-Cheats at 5PM

-Autotelic at 6PM

Don’t forget to take your photos at these events and post them on social media with the hashtag #SyncSessions.

Sync Sessions 2017 is powered by Beats by Dr. Dre, known for its line of high quality headphones, speakers, and other audio accessories, and IK Multimedia, which created the iRig and other popular music creation accessories.

Find out more about this year’s Sync Sessions by visiting Power Mac Center on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
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Jollibee is digital engagement leader among QSRs in PH

Brand tops share of voice and share of engagement in major social media platforms

The Philippines’ #1 fast-food chain is also #1 in digital engagement. For decades, Jollibee has been capturing the taste buds of Filipinos with its langhap-sarap treats. Lately, the brand has been winning over the hearts of millions online with hit-after-hit digital content. 

Outranking all other QSR brands, Jollibee garnered a 37% share of engagement on Facebook from January to June 2017 according to online content assessment tool Community Plus. Social media intelligence tool Thoughtbuzz also reveals that the brand registered 1.5 million mentions across digital platforms, almost triple that of its competitors in the same period, to become the #1 most talked about QSR brand in the Philippines.


According to a report by Community Plus, a social listening tool used by various global brands, from January to June 2017, Jollibee outranked all other brands in the quick service restaurant category, particularly in Facebook where it garnered a majority 37% share of engagement, twice greater than its biggest foreign competitor. Social media intelligence tool Thoughtbuzz also reports that Jollibee is the #1 most talked about QSR brand, registering 1.5 million mentions in various digital platforms; almost triple that of its competitors in the same period.

Jollibee Global Brand Chief Marketing Officer and PH Marketing Head, Francis Flores shares, “Jollibee’s stellar digital success has been key to sustaining our market leadership in the country, across all our major target markets.”

Flores adds, “Through world-class, highly engaging online content and digital innovations, we will continue to break the internet to reinforce our position as the Philippines’ most loved, most talked about brand. For us in Jollibee, capturing the hearts of the Filipinos online (and offline) is the ultimate reward.”


The Kwentong Jollibee Success

The brand’s original short-film series, Kwentong Jollibee, has gone viral multiple times this year, and has earned multiple accolades not only from netizens but from industry leaders globally.

In February, the highly-evocative “Vow”, “Date”, and “Crush” Valentine’s videos successfully wooed the online audience with over 50 million views on Facebook and YouTube, about 1.3 million shares, 7.5 million in engagement, and 82 million reach (72% organic reach). The buzz of Kwentong Jollibee’s Valentine series generated over P150 million in free PR and media values as well.

The viral success of the Kwentong Jollibee episodes continued towards mid-year with “Parangal” and “Powers”—back-to-back moving tributes to the sacrifices of moms and the heroic deeds of dads, to provide a comfortable life for the family—as the Mother’s Day and Father’s Day videos garnered positive reactions from netizens and received 8.1 million and 7 million views, respectively.

The Kwentong Jollibee series’ most recent viral hit, “Apo” is proof not only of the enterprise’s sustained success but of Jollibee’s digital content mastery. A Grandparents’ Day special, “Apo” follows a young man recalling his happy childhood memories as he makes his way back home to the embrace of his “second parents”. With a whopping 29 million reach, over 14.2 million views and an engagement of 1.1 million, Jollibee’s special grandparents’ day tribute solidified the brand’s online leadership.

The most recent viral short film was coupled with a heart-tugging CSR effort, Grand Thank You Project, and a special video feature titled “Handog para kay Lola Belen”. The project recognizes hardworking grandparents and gives back the love with a Grandparents’ Day feast for their family and other forms of support such as financial aid. On the Grand Thank You Project’s second year, Jollibee features Lola Belen, a grandmother from Pangasinan who tirelessly sells local delicacies at a nearby Jollibee branch to provide for her loved ones. The video feature reached over 7.7 million netizens and 5.2 million views.


An Array of World-Class Digital Content

Apart from the emotional Kwentong Jollibee short films, Jollibee has also produced a number of successful online campaigns that have gotten netizens abuzz: from the impressive dance skills of the lovable mascots Jollibee and Friends in the JolliDance Showdown series with more than 29 million Facebook and YouTube views, the quirky quick escape tricks of JolliSavers for every Petsa de Peligro that reached more than 24 million views, to the sumptuous and heartwarming Chickenjoy campaigns that generated more than 28 million views.

Jollibee also introduced digital engagement innovations such as the Twitter Intercept, which uses social listening to be able to suggest various Jollibee products depending on day part and topic. This exercise rendered a 50% growth in conversation and craving for Jollibee and its products on Twitter.

The brand also launched the JolliDance Showdown App—the first augmented reality experience in the local QSR industry. With the free app, kids can turn the Jolly Joy Box of their Jolly Kids Meal into an interactive platform to bring to life a dancing Jollibee, compose their own dance tunes, and personalize their avatars for a unique augmented reality experience. To date, the app has registered more than 100,000 downloads.

Together, these efforts have led to astounding share of voice and share of engagement results across the QSR market for Jollibee on the digital platform.

There are definitely more exciting digital content from Jollibee to look forward to in the coming months. Make sure to follow Jollibee on Facebook (facebook.com/jollibeephilippines), on YouTube (youtube.com/jollibeedigital1), and stay updated on Jollibee’s viral hits on Instagram and Twitter @jollibee.



Jobstreet HR Day Cebu bigger and better on its second year


Jobstreet holds HR Day in Radisson Blu Cebu on August 10, 2017 and attracts nearly 120 HR leaders in the Visayas region. Jobstreet Marketing Manager Eileen Go (far right) and Provincial Sales Manager Ryan Tordesillas (far left) are joined by industry leaders who led the discussions on the different generations in the workplace: (from left to right) SYKES Asia’s Senior HR Manager Mae Blanco, Nestlé Philippines’ Talent Acquisition Head Hannah De Lumen, SM Investment Corp’s VP for HR Joann Hizon, Asian Institute of Management’s Associate Professor Dynah Basuil, and Eudo Strengths-based Development’s Brian Quebengco. 


Immerse Yourself in Marvel Studios’ Thor:Ragnarok at IMAX!

Marvel fans were treated to an exciting cinema experience as they got the first preview of the much-awaited sequel of Thor in SM Megamall’s IMAX Theater.

In the movie, Thor is imprisoned on the other side of the universe without his mighty hammer, and is forced to team-up with the Hulk, Loki and new player Valkyrie to stop “Ragnarok”—the destruction of Asgard and its civilization, at the hands of the ruthless and all-powerful Hela.



Fans were left at the edge of their seat as they experienced the full glory of the movie in IMAX

Here are five reasons why you should catch it in IMAX too:
1. IMAX exclusively features 26% more of the action than a the regular screen 
With select scenes shot exclusively using an IMAX camera, the theatre has a special format that features a 1.9:1 ratio, meaning you will get to see 26 percent more of the scene than what you’ll see in a regular cinema. We all know how Marvel loves to hide Easter eggs in all their films; that 26 percent can play a crucial role in the entire story of the Marvel universe. If you’re a Marvel fan, you can’t miss out on this.

2. Asgard comes to life through IMAX’s vivid colors 
If you’ve ever seen the imagery of Doctor Strange or the first instalment of Thor in IMAX, you’ll easily conclude that color plays a huge role in the movie. Through psychedelic trips in and out of different universes, there is no better way to watch Thor: Ragnarok than with IMAX’s digital enhancement process which delivers 60% more brightness and 40% greater contrast than what you’ll find anywhere else.

3. Imagine the Hulk on IMAX’s giant screen 
IMAX has a wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling, curved screen that fills even your peripheral vision with increased viewing angles up to an average of 70 degrees. Can you just imagine the epic gladiator scene between Thor and the Hulk on its enormous display?

4. Hear the sonic boom of the Mjolnir with IMAX’s earth shattering sound 
With a customized sound system that distributes sound throughout the theatre, you can hear the krak-a-thoom of the Mjolnir to the slightest pin drop and be able to tell exactly where it fell.

5. IMAX’s 3D is out-of-this world 
IMAX’s 3D projector delivers unsurpassed brightness and clarity. Coupled with the screen’s increased field of view, the results are images that jump off the screen and land right in your lap. Slide through time and space and live like a superhero in your most immersive experience yet. 





Step into the movieverse and catch the god of thunder wtih the biggest movie screen in town. Marvel Studios’ Thor: Ragnarok hits IMAX theatres and SM Cinema branches nationwide on October 25. 



For tickets, log on towww.smcinema.com or follow @SM_Cinema on Instagram and /SMCinema on facebook for more details.

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