PIA rallies PH youth to be responsible online users thru #cyberREADI

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QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES – The Philippine Information Agency, the official information arm of the Republic of the Philippines, has taken huge strides to safeguard the youth against the dangers in the online world by aggressively pushing for the promotion of its nationwide cyber wellness campaign.

Nationwide cyber wellness campaign targeting the Filipino youth dubbed #cyberREADI stands for the five (5) ASEAN Core Values on Digital Literacy- Responsibility, Empathy, Authenticity, Discernment and Integrity.

This campaign is part of the ASEAN-Japan Media and Information Literacy (MIL) for the Youth Project which the PIA is spearheading in partnership with the InfoComm Media Development Authority of Singapore and with funding support from the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF).

The campaign official logo and branding focused on #cyberREADI – with READI representing the five (5) ASEAN Core Values on Digital Literacy adopted by the ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information in May 2018. These values served as a framework for the digital literacy programs in the region:

CORE VALUES DESCRIPTION

Responsibility  -  We should think first and be responsible for what we post online.

Empathy   -  We should be respectful and thoughtful of how our online interactions may affect others.

Authenticity  - We should be sincere in our online interactions and prepared to stand by what we post.

Discernment        - We should critically evaluate the online information before acting on it.

Integrity - We should do the right thing, stand up for what is right and speak up against negative online behaviour.

After the logo and branding were launched, the PIA has released various multimedia materials and resources developed with the help of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication Foundation Inc. (UPCMCFI). These materials are products of an audience analysis on youth’s level of awareness regarding online safety, using focus group discussions conducted with Filipino youth representatives in different areas in the country.

Also greatly considered in the production of these materials were the insights on the changing media consumption habits of the youth and initiatives and best practices in promoting media and information literacy as discussed by speakers from the Philippines, Singapore, Japan, UNESCO, and Facebook and in group workshops by representatives from public information, media, academe, and youth sectors of the ten (10) ASEAN Member States during the ASEAN-Japan Forum on Media and Literacy: Cyber Wellness for the Youth on March 2018.

o Cyberbullying

o Online gaming

o Online dating

o Online scam

o Online privacy

o Internet addiction

A dedicated webpage for the cyber wellness campaign is also in the works. PIA regional and provincial offices are rolling out their respective activities to further spread the cyberREADI advocacy.

H.E. Kung Phoak, Deputy Secretary-General for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community stressed that the Cyber-Wellness campaign is a timely project since digital media has increasingly become the primary source of information among ASEAN people. He says: “There is a need to build information resiliency among the youth and protect them from the risk of getting misled by fake news and misinformation. With enhanced media and information literacy, the youth is expected to become smart consumers and responsible producers of online information. Through this project, we hope young people would better understand, inquire, create, communicate and think critically while digitally engaged”.

To know more about #cyberREADI, visit https://web.facebook.com/CyberREADiPH/?_rdc=1&_rdr

About the Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund

The Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund (JAIF) was officially established in March 2006, based on a pledge made by then Japanese Prime Minister H.E. Junichiro Koizumi at the 9th ASEAN-Japan Summit held in December 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

JAIF aims at supporting integration efforts to create the ASEAN Community by facilitating the implementation of the ASEAN 2025: Forging Ahead Together, which consists of the blueprints for the ASEAN Political Security Community (APSC), ASEAN Economic Community (AEC), and ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC), as well as the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI) Work Plan III and the Master Plan on ASEAN Connectivity (MPAC) 2025. JAIF also aims at promoting greater cooperation between ASEAN and Japan.

About the Philippine Information Agency

The Philippine Information Agency is the official information arm of the Republic of the Philippines and is an attached agency of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO). It was created through Executive Order No. 100 signed by President Corazon Aquino in 1986.

Visit the website: http://pia.gov.ph

Tawag Ng Tanghalan’s Myko Manago releases his first digital single, STUCK.

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Myko Mañago is a jaw-dropping vocal sensation. Myko’s vocal performance is captivating to the soul and soothing to the heart. A three-time defending champion of ABS-CBN’s highly rated Tawag Ng Tanghalan show (an amateur singing competition in the Philippines that airs daily in Its Showtime), he easily became a household favorite in every Filipino home both in the Philippines and abroad. A gifted singer since childhood, Myko cites the Filipino Pop and R&B band, South Border, as his major influence. His musical influence also includes Ne-Yo, Chris Brown, Sam Smith, and Michael Buble.

San Francisco, CA Executive Producer Discovers the Golden Voice

In between TV and radio appearances, Myko also produces his own YouTube vlogs by singing internationally inspired Pop and R&B musical covers and posts them on his personal channel.  

As fate has it, these YouTube videos caught the attention of SF based RJA Productions LLC, and immediately called their local team in the Philippines to get in touch with the hottest new singing sensation. To the words of CEO Rosabella Jao-Arribas:

 “Myko has a golden voice… it’s very, very soothing… gave me goosebumps when I first heard him sing. I just knew I found a real gem. The world needs to applaud such talent.” 

Myko Launches His First Digital Single, “Stuck” 

In search for his debut album’s carrier song, RJA Productions LLC chanced upon an incredible song called “Stuck” from Robster Evangelista, a famous young composer who has a string of hit songs under his sleeve. Arranged by seasoned guitarist and musical director Jun “JT” Tamayo and produced by veteran label executive Reck Cardinales, “Stuck” got its final nod for its commercial release just recently. The music video is now also available in YouTube. 

“Stuck” is a nice, easy-listening type of song reminiscent of the coolness of Bruno Mars’ “Just The Way You Are”.  It is about how true love works in mysterious ways, leading you to someone who is destined for you… with whom you will be happily “stuck” with for the rest of your life. If you are one of those people who’s having a hard time expressing your true feelings, this song will resonate with you! This is the best song to get “stuck” with…especially on a traffic jam!  Your destiny might be listening to the same song, somehow, somewhere!  

Stuck is published by RJA Productions LLC and  distributed in all digital platforms by Curve Entertainment. 

A Regular Guy with an Extraordinary Voice and Dream

Just like anyone else, Myko enjoys various sports including badminton, swimming, basketball, and volleyball. He also loves eSports using Moba games, first person shooting games, and MMORPG games. 

He grew up with very supportive parents. His Dad is from Iloilo and his Mom is from his current hometown, Cavite City. He grew up loving music and started to explore his newfound love for singing at an early age of 9. 

His jaw-dropping performance at ABS-CBN’s Tawag Ng Tanghalan show is not his only celebrity stint. He also starred in the following TV and radio appearances:

● Diz Iz It daily contestant - singing competition (GMA 7)

● Wowowin Wil to Win - semi-finalist (GMA 7)

● Unang Hirit - viral guest performer of the day segment (GMA 7)

● Tee Radio Station - online radio guest

Myko dreams to become a global sensation someday. With his incredible talent, perseverance, and the support of many people - this dream is definitely not that far off… especially with an extraordinary voice like his. As one would say, “It’s just a matter of time…” Looks like we are (gladly) “stuck” with this hottest new Pop and R&B singer from Cavite City. We can’t seem to have enough of his golden voice!

JessaMae Gabon Releases Digital Single entitled ENSAYADO

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Jessamae’s authentic voice, style, and musicality conveys the strength and force that makes every Filipino proud… her influences cross between the likes of Carole King, Nina Simone, Lady Gaga, and local ballad singers like Lani Misalucha and Ebe Dancel. Listening to Jessamae’s songs is like listening to the legends and to contemporary poetry. 

As a singer and songwriter, her passion and love for her Filipino legacy and heritage is strongly interwoven into her soul as a musician. Her songs will simply grip your heart and nourish your soul – there’s nothing like it.

Encouraged by fans and loved ones, Jessamae has released her originally written and composed song entitled “Ensayado” in October of this year. Crafted by musical arranger Jun “JT” Tamayo and produced by label executive Reck Cardinales, this masterpiece was released and published by executive producer RJA Productions LLC and now being distributed on all streaming sites by Curve Entertainment.

The song is a mix of pop-rock and retro style, utilizing fast rhythm and electronic music. Ensayado is a fresh, upbeat, original Filipino song that talks about a common but very personal process of facing one’s reservations. Faced with too many missed chances to speak one’s heart and mind, one can only imagine different ways of what might have been or could have been. Ensayado harbors longing and loneliness submerged under the colorful rhythm and contemporary synths that expresses authentic (siguro puwede pong ‘her personal influences across artists and genres', authenticity is debatable kasi) artistry. 

Like a Phoenix Rising, Stronger than Ever… 

Starting out as an amateur singer (colloquially known as kontesera), vocal coach, and back-up singer, she began her singing career behind multiple cover albums and as the voice behind many karaoke VCDs. In time, Jessamae grew her experience and began to spread her contemporary influence across various platforms through her voice and the power of her lyrics:

● Recipient of South East Asian Region Award for the show “Search for Unsigned Talents in Asia” (SUTASI), produced by Asia Sounds (a Melbourne based music entertainment company, 2007)

● Released a contemporary Filipino music entitled “Bagong Henerasyon” under StarMusic (formerly known as Star Records Inc., 2009)

● Finalist of the Annual Multi-awarded Gospel Song Writing Competition (Song of Praise Music Festival, 2012)

● Song Interpreter of Grand Finalists for Two Seasons (Song of Praise Music Festival, 2012, 2014)

● Released her first digital showcase under a channel called DISRUPT, a program featuring Asian performing artists, produced by MediaCorp in Singapore (2014) 

Jessamae’s love for Filipino music and instruments grew even deeper in time as she delved into her musical training and as she opened herself to her local culture.

A True Lover of Local Languages, Poetry, and Filipino Sensibilities

Jessamae’s songs are known for the heart-wrenching lyrics and the deeper meaning it conveys to every listener. 

As the writer of her songs, Jessamae shares that her songs reflect her personal experiences, the inner workings of her thoughts, and the depth of her soul. It reflects her love for the local languages, poetry, and Filipino sensibilities.

Spreading her wings further, she started to also expand her songwriting gift and love for theater both abroad and locally. 

Her most memorable experience was co-writing, co-producing, and singing a number of children’s songs for a popular Singaporean children’s show entitled “Junction Tree”. She also remained as an active member of Teatrong Mulat ng Pilipinas, a puppet theatre group whose works cater to children’s literature and Asian puppet theatre touring around Asia and the world.

To sum up Jessamae and her music, here’s a famous quote from Roy Ayers, “The true beauty of music is that it connects people. It carries a message, and we, the musicians, are the messengers.”

Realme launches 64MP quad-camera Xpert realme XT in PH

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Realme, pioneering global smartphone brand for the youth, launches in the Philippines its flagship-class 64MP quad camera Xpert, realme XT. The realme XT is the first smartphone in the world to be announced with a 64MP quad camera technology. 

realme Philippines Marketing Lead Eason de Guzman, Marketing Director Austine Huang, CEO Neil Zou, COO Jacky Chen and Community Manager Anthony So during the official launch of the realme XT

The realme XT is shaking the midrange segment, redefining it with flagship features complementarily combined in one device. The realme XT undoubtedly has the best smartphone ecosystem in the sub-20K price segment.

The device packs a 64MP ultra high-resolution sensor, the first in the world to be announced with such. Thisflagship imaging capability is further boosted by 4-in-1 intelligent pixel binning, f/1.8 large aperture and 6P lens withsuperior light-gathering capability. Along with the ISOCELL Plus technology, the 64MP Samsung GW1 sensor uses Tetracell 4-in-1pixel technology to combine four adjacent pixels into a single 1.6μm large pixel. 

The phone is capable of taking 9216x 6912 ultra-detailed photos in the Ultra 64MP mode with a photo size that is four times larger than a 16MP shot for XTra-crisp details. The phone’s four lenses – a 64MP primary lens, an ultra-wide-angle lens, a macro lens and a portrait lens – enables a budding photographer to explore and master a broader range of photography work. 

Under the realme XT’s hood is a powerful Snapdragon 712 AIE, the best processor for a 64MP quad-camera smartphone in this price segment. It also features a 10nm process and improved clock-speed of up to 2.3Ghz for10 percent overall performance, and 35 percent graphic performance improvement over previous realmegenerations. Furthermore, the 3.0 AI engine greatly enhances speech recognition, image processing and optimization efficiency. 

The realme XT is also a gamer’s delight. Its Hyper Boost 2.0 brings the all-new Game Boost 2.0, featuring Frame Boost and Touch Boost to reduce game latency by as much as 73.7 percent. Users can store all the games into Game Space and enjoy a more immersive gaming experience. The Do-Not-Disturb mode and semi-transparent pop-ups help cut interruptions while gaming. Battery life is not a problem with the realme XT’s 4,000mAh battery, complemented by 20W VOOC Flash Charge 3.0, which allows full charging within just 80 minutes. 

The realme XT’s build and design hold the signature contemporary aesthetic gene of realme. Realme XT’s elegance is clearly displayed in its light-flowing 3D Curved Glass Design, reminiscent of the smooth geometric curve, hyperbola. The realme XT is ready to immerse its users in multiplayer tourneys, video streaming and net surfing with its 92.1 percent screen-to-body ratio, well-complemented by a sharp 6.4-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display. Capping off the phone’s visual theatrics is its 3D hot-bending Gorilla Glass 5 in the front and back. The realme XT is available in two colors: pearl white and pearl blue.

The realme XT also sports the latest optical fingerprint scanner module from Goodix 3.0. The latest solution doubles the sensitivity area, increases the signal intensity by 40 percent and requires only an average of 334ms to unlock the phone. It is currently one of the fastest fingerprint experiences in the market.

“The realme XT is a superphone that is perfectly aligned with the lifestyle of the vigorous and aspirational Filipino youth. We are confident this device can embolden this young generation to achieve their goals and dreams, may these be in photography, e-gaming or content creation. Get ready to go the XTra mile with the realme XT,” shares realme Philippines Marketing Director Austine Huang. 

The launch of the realme XT in the Philippines is one of the many milestones the brand has achieved this year. Recently, it was announced that realme has grabbed the 7th spot on the list of top smartphone brands in the world, recording an 808 percent year-on-year growth in shipment, as published in the Q3 2019 mobile phone shipment report of international analysis firm Counterpoint. Fueling the brand in its full-speed product distribution is its rapidly growing international customer base, which as of writing has reached 17 million, a 70 percent expansion in just two months. Locally, realme ranks 5th among the top smartphone brands in the country whose products are availed through the plans of the financing company Home Credit.

Intensified presence in different countries such as the Philippines and strong market initiatives continue to boost realme’s local and global position and enables it to secure a spot among the leading brands. Realme Philippines, which has the biggest and strongest smartphone community online and offline locally, is expecting more Filipinos to join the realme squad with the launch of the realme XT. 

Pricing and availability

The realme XT is available locally in the 8GB RAM+128GB storage configuration, the only 64MP smartphone in the country to have such. Priced at PHP16,990, the device is ideal for the tech-savvy, app-loving, file-heavy Filipino users. 

Pre-order starts today, October 29, until November 8 with a minimum down payment of PHP500.00 at any realmestore. Those who would avail of the pre-order promo will also get to claim a pair of realme Youth Wireless Buds worth PHP3,499. Customers may claim their pre-ordered units starting November 09. Currently, realme Philippines has 11 concept stores, 17 exhibits, 206 kiosks and 4,500 partner stores. The realme XT may also be availed through the 6- or 9-month 0 percent interest plans of Home Credit. 

E-commerce giant Lazada is giving giddy customers first dibs on October 29 through an exclusive realme XT online sale which starts exactly at 12 noon. Units purchased during the online sale will be delivered on October 31. 

Those who will purchase the flagship-class smartphone will also be welcomed to the biggest online smartphone community, the realme Official Facebook community, which now has 50,000 members and is continuously growing. Get pro tips, phone hacks and first dibs on all things realme straight from fellow realme squad members and the realme Philippines executives themselves.

For more updates and information on realme and its products, follow its official Facebook and Instagram accounts @realmePhilippines. 

Skip the holiday rush! 5 reasons why you should shop online this season

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Christmas may still be a few months away, but there’s no doubt that the holiday season is officially upon us. Unless you've been pulling a Grinch, we're sure you can hear it in the blasting holiday playlists and see it in the welcoming, twinkling lights of your favorite shops by now.

As jolly and merry the holiday season in the country is, it is also—undeniably so—one of the most stressful. Road traffic gets heavier. After the painful hours of crawling commute, the same traffic moves inside the malls as hordes of people go about the task of completing their Christmas shopping lists.

It is during this season when the perks of online shopping can be such a saving grace. Filipinos may love going to malls by nature, but let’s be honest here, who wouldn’t want to be saved from the Christmas shopping frenzy if given the chance?

Thinking of finishing your holiday shopping list as early as now? Here are all the reasons why you should consider online shopping:

1. You can browse for gifts for as long as you want online.

Shopping is all fun and games until you have to deal with worries of finishing everything before you get caught up in the rush hour. Shopping online gives you the freedom to browse for gifts for as long as you want without feeling pressured to finish a certain time to avoid the busy mall crowd. 

2. You have all the time to research about the products in your shopping cart.

Not sure if one product is better than the other? One of the best things about online shopping is that you can easily check for reviews and make product comparisons before hitting that Buy Now button. 

3. You save yourself from traffic 

Do we really need to elaborate on this further? Two words: holiday rush. Save yourself from the torture of spending hours stuck in traffic by shopping wherever and whenever—preferably at home. 

4. …And long lines

Who wants to spend hours waiting in line for their turn to pay at the cashier? For many, that’s enough of a reason to turn back and drop their shopping mission in the first place. Shopping online ultimately saves you from this torture. Just click Add to Cart, Buy Now, and you’re good to go.

5. Online shopping basically just saves  you from all kinds of stress

From the moment you’re surfing online for your gifts up to the time it gets delivered to your doorstep, you literally don’t have to think and do much when you shop online. On top of that, you also have the option to explore other flexible payment options when you make your purchases over the web.

Take for example Home Credit. In addition to providing installment loans in their physical partner stores, it has also recently become available at online stores like Abenson and Argomall where you can get products in friendly installment deals. All you need to do is visit the website, check if your item is covered by Home Credit, and fill up a form. Every step of the process is done online, from proving your identity to choosing the terms of your loan. An SMS will then be sent to your number confirming the status of your application, and advising you how you can retrieve your order.

Shopping for something as special as the holidays doesn’t need to be stressful. Shop online. We’re sure Santa won’t feel bad if you use a little bit of technology for your gift list.

Follow Home Credit’s official Facebook page or visit their website to stay updated on their products.