Electrolux Delightful-E transforms worn out clothes into quilts with GawadKalinga’sTrese

I was first exposed to idea of service to others when a co-employee suffered a Dengue fever stage 4 and badly needed a blood transfusion. I have become a blood donor by accident, but continued on the deed after that,  I wanted to save lives by blood letting. Giving has a healing effect, believe me. Everybody has each share of helping the needy. I have  seen individuals inspired by others taking that first step, and have consequently taken the first step themselves.

 When I received an invite for the Gawad Kalinga's Trese Community in Payatas thru Electrolux (Fleishman-HillardPH) I said yes right away. It was a 45 minute drive away from QC on a sunny morning last October 14, 2014.  It was my first time to visit Gawad Kalinga's Trese, I wanted to meet the people behind the good cause.

The street going to Trese community

Electrolux Marketing Manager, Andrea Pionilla

Julius and Mike Go of Gawad Kalinga

Julius introduced us how to press photo silkscreen 

My first try on manual printscreen

My finished product

Electrolux with its long running advocacy of collecting and laundering clothes for calamity-stricken survivors, partners up with Gawad Kalinga's Trese in recycling worn out clothes into beautiful quilts for the new born babies and children in orphanages. What started as a small act of giving has continued to grow as each person deepens their commitment to service.

 Gawad Kalinga Trese' s Supervisor Ate Lita

Ate Lita's co worker sewing quilts

We witnessed how donated clothes sewn into colorful quilts that would make the most beautiful blanket an orphan could used. One of the most touching and inspirational stories I have seen and heard is that of Ate Lita, their supervisor at Trese Community, she started sewing quilts by herself and then recruited her neighbors, together they have earned enough to fend for their family. They have sewn quilts for distribution to orphanages, and accepted sewing job for other companies as well.

The finished quilt

Sharing with this tradition, Electrolux, a global leader in home appliances, has been collecting and laundering clothes for calamity-stricken survivors for several years now. This year, Electrolux, through its Delightful-E Simple campaign, innovated this long-running advocacy.

Together with Gawad Kalinga’s Trese community, Electrolux will upcycle unusable clothes into quilts for children and new born babies in orphanages and other communities.

“Electrolux believes that there must be dignity in the clothes that we donate. To make sure that every piece of clothing is in good condition, we will sort out the worn out, unwearable ones, then upcycle them into quilts with the help of Trese” said Andrea Pionilla, Electrolux Marketing Manager. “With this partnership, we aim not only to give quilts to children and new born babies but also another source of livelihood for this Payatas community.”

Be a part of this meaningful advocacy by donating some pre-loved clothes. You may drop off your donations in any of these locations:


• Electrolux Customer Service Hub
Grundfos Building, 5548 Osmena Highway, Brgy. San Isidro, Makati City

• Mommy Mundo Head Office
2nd Floor Fun Ranch Frontera Verde, Ortigas Center, Pasig City

• Unilever Philippines Head Office
1351 United Nations Ave., Paco, Manila

• Empire East Land Holdings Inc.
11th Floor World Center Bldg., Sen Gil Puyat, Makati City

• St. Mary's College
37 Mother Ignacia Ave., Paligsahan Quezon City

• Kodak Philippines
2901 88 Corporate Center Valero cor. Sedeno St., Salcedo Village, Makati City

• Morgan Stanley
16th Floor E-Services Building, Bonifacio Global City, The Fort, Taguig

• Center for Culinary Arts (CCA)
287 Katipunan Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City

• Dasmarinas Village (Homeowners Association Office)
1419 Campanilla St. Dasmarinas Village, Makati City

• BrandAction Inc.
Unit 4B ALPAP Bldg., 160 LP Leviste St., Salcedo Village, Makati City

• BrandAction Inc.
Unit 4B ALPAP Bldg., 160 LP Leviste St., Salcedo Village, Makati City

• Isla Lipana& Co.
29th Floor Philam Life Tower 8767 Paseo de Roxas Makati City


Visit electolux.com.ph and click the Delightful-E tab to know more about the Electrolux Delightful-E Simple to Share advocacy and for the full list of donation drop-off sites. You can also visit www.facebook.com/thelittlewhitebook or follow @ElectroluxPH on Twitter and Instagram.

University of the Philippines Diliman Wins CFA Institute Research Challenge Global Final

Left – right: Miguel Alfonso Solidum; Nigel Williamson Lee; Corrine Francesca Reyes; Geoffrey Archangel Bautista; Diego Mikhail de Ocampo

The University of the Philippines Diliman has been declared champion of the eighth CFA Institute Research Challenge Global Final, on June 17, 2014 at the Palawan Ballroon, EDSA Shangri-la Hotel, having won the Global Final in 2010. It is an annual competition considered ‘the investment Olympics’ for university students. The UP Diliman team beat out strong competition from the other finalists, Politecnico di Milano of Italy (representing Europe, Middle East, and Africa) and the University of Missouri, Kansas City (representing the Americas.)

The victory in Singapore earned UP Diliman the distinction of being the only university to win the Global Final twice, recognizing the world-class talent of future finance professionals in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific region.

“The UP Diliman team has proven again to be solid representatives of the future of our industry,” says April Lynn Tan, CFA, president of CFA Society Philippines.

“The team’s victory is an impressive feat as over 800 universities worldwide vied to make it to the finals and brings great honor to our country. We thank the team’s mentor and teachers who guided the team toward success. These aspiring financial professionals are the agents of the next era of finance – one of integrity, stewardship, and professional excellence. Through their strong leadership, knowledge, and ethics, we can move closer toward a more trustworthy finance industry.”

Commenting on nurturing financial professionals, Mr. Hans B. Sicat, President and CEO of the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) said, “The PSE is committed to providing continuing education to market participants and investors. As such, it commends the CFA Institute for its efforts in supporting the development of the next generation of financial professionals through the Research Challenge. The future of investment research looks even better when students are exposed to the excellence and ethical standards observed by CFA charterholders, and the team from the UP Diliman is to be congratulated for being the best in the field.”

CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals, and its over 140 member societies worldwide including CFA Society Philippines, host local and regional Research Challenge competitions leading up to the Global Final, where the winning teams from the three regional finals compete. In 2013-2014, more than 3,700 students from over 800 universities around the world participated in the Research Challenge.

The Research Challenge offers students the unique opportunity to learn applicable professional skills from leading industry experts and gain real-world experience as they assume the role of a research analyst. The UP team of Geoffrey Archangel Bautista, Diego Mikhail de Ocampo, Nigel Williamson Lee, Corrine Francesca Reyes, and Miguel Alfonso Solidum presented a buy recommendation on Meralco and defended their recommendation before an international panel of judges.  Raymund Abara, CFA, of Vicsal Investment Inc. served as mentor, while Professor Daniel Vincent Borja served as faculty advisor.

“We are very honored to share this achievement with the Philippine finance community. Our rigorous preparation every step of the way has helped us learn what it takes to excel in the finance profession. Financial skills are important, but so too is adherence to the highest ethical standards,” says Professor Daniel Vincent Borja.

The CFA Institute Research Challenge is an annual educational initiative that promotes best practices in equity research through hands-on mentoring and intensive training in company analysis and presentation skills. Throughout the course of the competition, which requires hundreds of hours of preparation, participants receive mentoring from an industry professional as they analyze a publicly traded company, write a professional research report, and present their research results and recommendations to a high-profile panel of experts. Ethics and professional standards are at the core of the process and all participants are held to the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct. Points are awarded to teams on the basis of their investment case, poise, and ability to answer the judges’ questions.

The winning team is awarded a USD$10,000 grant for the university, and each team member receives a scholarship for the CFA Program.
 

Delightful-E equipped Homes with Electrolux

Just thinking about my "tatay's" kitchen brings me back to my childhood. That smell of his soy squid with white wine and the recipe's he learned from his former boss-- and the times when I would hide hotdogs in my pockets everytime he cooked spaghetti (we were banned from eating anything with preservatives/processed meat back then) .

Not to be outdone, nanay would prepare her version of Mechado with coconut milk, which has become staple of every celebration--or by special request.

That was a time when life was less stressful, simpler and happier.

Electrolux seeks to bring back those happy moments of today, not only in the kitchen but throughout the entire house as it launches its Delightful-E campaign during a  "housewarming" party held at its new office in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. 

Delightful-E Yummy brings the delight back in everyday home activities with the family. These bonding moments become an avenue for enriching the culinary experience of food preparation and sharing meals with the family.

“Electrolux believes that the kitchen is the heart of the home,” shares Andrea Pionilla, Marketing Manager, Electrolux Philippines, Inc. “Delightful-E Yummy capitalizes on the simple yet most treasured family moments spent inside the kitchen as well as the stories that come with it.”

The event featured a cooking show with a twist wherein Electrolux brand endorsers—  celebrity chefs Chef Rosebud Benitez, Chef Bruce Lim, Chezka Kramer and daughter Kendra and mompreneur Janice Villanueva—shared family recipes that have touched their lives.

Delamar hosted the event with Electrolux endorsers Chef Bruce Lim and Janice Crisostomo-Villanueva.

To personify the campaign, Electrolux introduced its newest set of brand endorsers who best represent and embody what Delightful-E Yummy aims to promote.

“With everything I am juggling, sometimes it’s tough to find time to bond with my family,” shares Janice Crisostomo-Villanueva. Janice is the founder of Mommy Mundo, a family-focused online portal comprised of an active community of over 30,000 women.“This is why I enjoy weekends when there are less things to attend to. I spend more time in the kitchen baking and preparing our family’s favorite dishes—sometimes my children stay and watch, and learn how to do the recipes as well.”

“The best thing about being an Electrolux brand endorser is that I am able to promote strong family ties with the brand,” says Cheska Kramer, a celebrity mom of three and wife to basketball star, Doug Kramer.“Doing simple chores with the family becomes bonding moments with the help of Electrolux home appliances.”

Having a newborn baby in the house is a big joy to us,” says Chef Rosebud Benitez-Velasco, who recently gave birth to her baby, Kaeden. “But now I have less time for cooking and doing household chores. I love having Electrolux products because they are reliable and easy to use. Having these as my assistants in the kitchen and around the house really cut down the list of things I need to worry about.”

Chef Bruce Lim shares, “I am proud to be working with Electrolux, a brand that puts importance to the value of family. Families need not go out of the house to bond; even doing simple chores at home can be enjoyable when done together. I bring my son with me to the kitchen so he can watch and learn what I love to do, and I tell him stories about the dishes I make too.”

It was a day of delightful announcements as Electrolux also kicked off its digital campaign with the Delightful-E Yummy online photo contest, Delightful-E Yummy Web Series on Youtube, and Your Moments with Mommy consumer contest.

To know more about these exciting announcements, visit www.facebook.com/thelittlewhitebook or follow @ElectroluxPH on Twitter and Instagram.

Discover new kitchen experiences with Electrolux

With new recipes and fusion dishes that are made available to the market, it is important to have kitchen appliances that are multi-functional, reliable, and easy to use. With this in mind, Electrolux carries a range of kitchen appliances to help consumers discover new experiences in the kitchen.
 .

The induction technology is now available in an Electrolux cooking range. This kitchen appliance has four induction zones for quick and flameless cooking. This energy-efficient cooker features a 61L electric oven and grill to help you whip up a variety of dishes.The induction cooking range is perfect for any kind of dish, may it be an energy-boosting breakfast, a hearty lunch, or a delectable cake for dessert.

.
With its numerous auto-cook programs designed for your different needs, the Electrolux built-in microwave oven makes cooking easier and less time-consuming. It comes in a 25L capacity perfect for cooking bigger food servings. With numerous auto-cook programs and a grill function to assist you in preparing perfectly cooked meals. Whether it be reheating last night’s leftovers, or getting creative with a delicious mug cake, you are assured that your meals will be cooked perfectly in no time. Each of us were very lucky to bring home this microwave.

The sleek design  Electrolux 3-Door NutriFresh  refrigerator has an adaptive cooling system that saves energy and improves food preservation. It comes with a patented NutriLight feature that helps improve the vitamin content of vegetables and fruits and a flexible storage that organizes and maximizes the space you use. With the cooling power of this refrigerator, your creamy mango float cake will keep solid and tasty for a long time.

The Electrolux Powermix Silent Blender keeps your kitchen a peaceful place, functioning powerfully at a low noise level. It also comes with a grinder that can be used for dry foods such as coffee beans and nuts. This powerful blender is perfect for the health-conscious who enjoy a cold healthy, tasty drink like a carrot-mango and herb smoothie.

Meet the Artists Behind Icon Manila 2014 Entertainment and Design Conference

ICON Manila launches its first Entertainment and Design Conference in the Philippines

Get to know the artists behind your favorite animation like Thor, Mulan, Lilo Stitch, Justice League and many more by joining this one of a kind animation conference that will be held at SMX Convention Center on July 2014.   Top design artists from major animation studios such as Disney Animations, Universal Studios, and Warner Brothers are coming to Manila to break down the design process for students and professionals working in the entertainment design industry.

ICON Manila announces its International Entertainment and Design Conference 2014. It will be the first event of its kind in Asia, featuring top professionals in animation and concept design for feature film, television and games.
Speakers at the conference have decades of tenure and are esteemed members in their fields of expertise. All have relevant experience working with industry giants such as Walt Disney, Universal Studios, Nickelodeon, Warner Brothers, Sony Animation Pictures, and Marvel Productions among the others.

“The conference targets students and professionals alike,” shares Armand Serrano, Entertainment and Design Conference organizer, who has worked on animations like Lilo and Stich, Brother Bear and Mulan. “With our impressive line-up of top industry leaders, our objective is to present a progressive view through the entertainment design process and impart new ideas that will ultimately strengthen Asia’s impact on the industry.”

ICON Manila is a paid conference under ICON for Missions, a newly formed non-profit organization based in Eastvale, California. “By hosting various conferences all over the world, its purpose is to raise money to fund their Christian mission and humanitarian aid in needy communities,” says Sam Tanner, Executive Director of ICON for Missions.

The Entertainment and Design Conference will be held on July 3, 2014 at the SMX Convention Center. For more details on the conference speakers, schedule, and tickets, visit www.iconmanila.com.

Media partners are Adobo Magazine, Animation Council of the Philippines (ACPI), FleishmanHillard, ABS-CBN, Lifestyle Network, Hero, ANC, Portfolio MNL, Silver Drawing Academy, Ideal Media Entertainment, Online CG Master Academy, CTN Animation eXpo, Schoolism Education Evolved, and CHAVO Animation Studios.

Thank You for the Music 7107's Red Hot Chili Peppers

I started listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in the early 90's and  were the reasons my siblings and I got hooked to NU107 (when it was still cool) and MTVs as we patiently waited for their music videos all day.

Rumors of the RHCP performing in the Philippines first surfaced 12 years ago, unfortunately it seemed negotiations didn’t work out.

Fast forward January 21, 2014, I was sitting together a crowd of media at the Aracama listening eagerly to the confirmation that the Red Hot Chili Peppers were going to be part of the 7107 International Music Festival—at that time I still had my last minute doubts as the project seemed too ambitious.

As part of the generation who grew up with RHCP, it brought back a lot of flashbacks, from singing along with my friends and imitating Flea’s guitar solos.

So the thought of watching them live brought back those memories—unfortunately I also have the same problems then as I did back then-- their tickets were quite…make that very expensive.

Seeing them live, was part of my bucket list and seeing them now, 20 years later was all the more intriguing. I wanted to see how Anthony Keidis would like without his shirt off, or if he still sounded the same.

Thank God for blogging—and friends from Fleishman Hillard Ph.

I could barely sleep the night before, from all the excitement and messages from my brothers who are working abroad asking me for photos of RHCP to prove that I was indeed watching their concert, and friends asking if I still had tickets or if I wanted to sell them my ticket—As if the thought ever crossed my mind.

Trying to hide our excitement we were quite (very) early at the meeting point in Centris Quezon Avenue, last February 23. The travel time was about two hours to Clark GGLC and we waited for another half an hour for the gates to open.

Security was very tight and we had to leave all our “baon” (water and chips) back at the van and were advised that there was strictly no re-entry.

As soon as we entered, I was awed by the spacious grounds. It was HUGE I guess almost 3 to 4 times the size of the MoA concert grounds, there was a loooong row of portalets near the entrance, food tents on the left and on the far right were the two stages. One with a carabao horn where our local artists performed and the International stage decorated with the rays of the Philippine sun.

It was no wonder that many had been comparing the event to other international festivals like Coachella. It wasn’t just a concert event it was really a festival area.

There were souvenir booths selling souvenir Tshirts of RHCP Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, and other artists a long food tents with almost every kind of food you want and a separate beverage station for liquor, water, juice and of course the Jamba Juice truck.

As long as your wallet is full, your stomach will never go empty.

Besides the VIP area there was also a more noticeable Guess stay in tent with the small pool inside for those who want to take a dip but unfortunately it was for VIPs so even the media couldn’t get in.


Near the international stage was the Smart Hangout tent where Smart subscribers got pampered as they could watch the concert inside the airconditioned tent, get freebies and use the charging station to recharge their gadgets.

As the first bands like Pulso played we were still exploring the grounds and taking souvenir photos of the 7107 markers before deciding to cool it down at the Media tent.

It was quite difficult shuffling back and forth the two stages, and it was a good thing there was the 7107IMF app that would alert you of the bands currently playing on stage so you could choose which stage to go to.

In the early afternoon, we could go as near as the very front of the stage but as the crowd started to gather and set up their own areas with those mats, it became more difficult to get closer. And when Kendrick Lamar got on stage there was no getting
back once you leave your spot.

It was only fellow blogger Earth Rullan who braved the crowd and stayed at her spot for the next few hours to get the best view of the stage. The rest of us, on the other hand were content on seeing them from a distance instead of trying to squeeze our way back.

I enjoyed most of the local acts that day including Rocksteady, Itchyworms, and Radioactive Sago Project, which I should say made an impact on the audience especially with his witty lines and spiels.

I even noticed this teenage boy banging his head continuously as Lourd sang
Walang Basagan ng Trip and Alak Sugal Kape Babae Kabaong--- who afterwards sat in the middle of the field looking quite dizzy from all that headbanging.

As Empire of the Sun wrapped up their performance you could see the people lining up like ants to the stage as they prepared for the final act of the two-day festival.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers appeared on stage at about 10:30 pm and as much as we tried to squeeze ourselves closer but it already impossible as the crowd has gotten so dense near the stage.

The crowd erupted as soon as Flea struck the first chords of their opening song, and as soon as Anthony voiced out the words, it became a frenzy.

Everybody was in high spirits and there was generally a good vibe amongst the crowd. People would make way to let you pass and would even shine their cellphones so you wont trip over.

The stage was lighted up in different colors and I felt like I was watching them in a foreign land. The LED screens and the Sound system was by far the best I have seen in the country.


Contrary to rumors, the RHCP was in their groove and the only reason why people were not jumping and singing as much was because everyone was trying to steady themselves as they took videos of every performance.

Anthony gyrated topless before the audience, Flea nailed Californication, it was an awesome performance from RHCP,  everything  at the moment was truly amazing and we went a notch up for the international scene, we made history for 7107.

I was on cloud nine when RHCP made their final encore with  my personal favorite Give It Away, they ended up at 1200 am, with a grand fireworks display marking the end of the first of hopefully a yearly 7107 music festival. I just wished my siblings were with me to share the moments.

I did keep my promise of sharing the memories through pictures, and yes, I was a living witness to the history that was 7107. I instagrammed, twitted and FB status everything happened for the fest.  Long live the music scene!

And thank you Red Hot Chili Peppers it was worth my 20 year wait.

Skyscanner Your Way to EasyTravel.

Now searching for the cheapest flights, the best schedule, and avoiding the peak season is made more easier with the help of Skyscanner.

All you have to do is install the app, select your destination and choose the flight you like and Skyscanner will redirect you to the airline of your choice.

Less stress and less worry and best of all the app is free!

“Think Google but for searching flights,” was how Janet Ranola, Skyscanner Philippines Manager, simply described it during the first Skyscanner Bloggers Kapihan held January 23 at the M Café.

Skyscanner, Ranola said, is a leading global travel search site providing instant online comparisons for millions of flights plus hotels and car hire. It offers price alerts on all routes to enable flights to be monitored by email.

The Skyscanner app offers widgets for Android, Live Tiles for Windows Phone and “watch” functionality for iOS, all of which allow customers to track the latest price changes on a chosen route.

Founded in 2003 by three IT professionals, Gareth Williams, Barry Smith and Bonamy Grimes, Skyscanner is the no.1 travel search website in Europe and no.3 worldwide, receiving over 50 million visits per month. The travel search site is available in 40 countries and in 30 languages.

Skyscanner also shared a few tips on choosing the best time to book your flight

The study shows that on average, 3-4 weeks in advance is the optimal time to book flights. This suggestion, however, depends on the type of flight you book or the airlines you book with. When traveling with a budget airline, prices are likely to go up as the day of the flight approaches. If traveling on long haul flights or for more than 5 hours, prices are likely to fluctuate as the flight day grows near, and this does not guarantee the best seats.

In the Philippines, we have always loved the idea of discounts and because of this, booking early has always been a trend. Below are the top outbound destinations in the Philippines alongside the number of weeks you need to book in advance for maximum saving:


• China. If you book 28 weeks in advance, you can save as much as PHP 7 000 per flight which means more money for shopping and buying souvenirs.
• Malaysia. Because Malaysia is relatively near, it can be a go-to destination for last minute getaways and short vacations, but booking close to your departure date can be quite expensive. Consider booking 31 weeks in advance so you will only have to pay 46% of the actual flight cost.
• Japan. Book a flight to the land of cherry blossoms 14 weeks in advance and you can save as much as PHP 6300. Like with Thailand, booking four tickets will make way for another friend or relative to tag along in your trip.
• Thailand. Save as much as PHP 2990 if you book 16 weeks ahead. The discount you will get from booking four tickets is enough to get you another flight for free!
• Singapore. This country is the most visited by Filipinos in 2013 according to a recent study by

Skyscanner. The best time to book flights going to Singapore is 25 weeks in advance. By booking this early, you can save as much as PHP 1600. This is almost 24% less than the average flight cost.
According to the Best Time to Book study, on average, it is best to book 20 weeks in advance regardless of where you want to go. The study also suggests that the cheapest month to travel is in February and it is most expensive in April. This is for the reason that less people travel on February because they are making way for their summer travels which usually happens in April.

Booking flights during these suggested time frames enables you access to loads of discounts and the best seats possible. If you book early, you can save almost 18% less than what you will have to pay for the average ticket price. Moreover, you can skip the stress of looking for available flights at the last minute which are most likely to be overpriced. Booking your flights early will not just give you these perks but it will also help you focus on the other aspects of your vacation such as relaxation and educating yourself, which is ultimately the point of traveling.

Skyscanner also shared four simple rules to bear in mind to get the best price:
1. Book smart: Avoiding peak season travel and flying at less popular hours of the day, can really help to lower costs.
2. Be flexible:  Costs to different destinations can vary significantly depending on the airlines operating that route and the Thai airports offering these flights. If you are planning your next trip but are open to destinations, running a search to ‘everywhere’ can help find the countries that offer the best value flights at any time.
3. Compare and contrast: Using a travel comparison site like Skyscanner allows you to compare the widest range of airlines and online travel agents, so you’ll be able to see where you can get the best deal.
4. Track prices Skyscanner’s analysis has found that keeping an eye on the flight prices a few months in advance of travel, is the best way to find a good value flight. Using a flight tracker price alert service, either by email or via the app can help monitor when prices drop on a chosen route.

Some of the top bloggers attended the first Skyscanner Bloggers Kapihan at Museum Cafe Greenbelt, Makati.