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Monday, February 16, 2015

Unilever together with Smart and Cebuana Lhuillier strengthens partnership for sachet recovery program



Unilever and its number one brand Surf, Smart Communications and Cebuana Lhuillier renewed their commitment for environmental preservation through sachet recovery program last February 11, 2015 at Mandaluyong Elem.School. Smart president and CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno,  Unilever Philippines’ chairman and CEO Rohit Jawa, and Cebuana Lhuillier’s president and CEO Jean Henri Lhuillier graced the event for ceremonial turnover of 7,000 cement pavers to Mandaluyong Elementary School. The pavers are made of empty recovered shredded sachets that are turned into construction materials for school grounds.




With their shared mission to improve Filipino lives, the partners launched the third year of their Sachet Recovery Program. Through their joint efforts to create a process that is easy, convenient and rewarding, the program involves and educates more consumers about sustainability and waste recycling. During this event, Smart President and CEO Napoleon Nazareno told that empty sachets of Surf can be exchanged for 10 free SMS from Smart at any Cebuana Lhuillier’s 1,946 branches nationwide.  

Unilever Philippines Chairman and CEO Rohit Jawa thanked their partners for their continued support in the endeavor to reduce the environmental impact of sachets. This, according to Jawa, is in line with the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan that aims to double their business while cutting their environmental footprint in half, and in the process, bringing a brighter future to one billion people worldwide.






“We owe the Sachet Recovery program’s success these past two years to the valuable contributions of Smart Communications and Cebuana Lhuillier. This year, their bigger participation will definitely produce greater results for the benefit of the environment and Filipino communities,” Jawa said.


Since 2013, the Sachet Recovery Program has been teaching proper waste segregation and recycling by encouraging millions of Filipinos to collect empty Surf sachets in exchange for free Smart texts at any Cebuana Lhuillier branch nationwide.





Unilever Philippines Vice President for Home Care Benjie Yap shared the achievements of the Sachet Recovery Program from the previous years. “In Year 1, we collected 4.5 million sachets, which we converted into 45,000 pavers. In 2014, we collected an additional 7.5 million empty sachets nationwide,” Yap said, adding that some of the pavers were readily donated to Barangay Union Coastal of Mayorga, Leyte and served as foundation to the environmentally-friendly laundry facility, Surf Labahan.

In 2015, the three industry leaders plan to make the Sachet Recovery Program bigger and better than the first two years. For every sachet surrendered in any of the close to 2,000 Cebuana Lhuillier outlets, consumers will receive 10 free texts from Smart. With this increased incentive, more people will be involved in and educated about recycling empty sachets.



Cebuana Lhuillier, on the other hand, will add newly-opened outlets to facilitate the redemption of Surf sachets. “Our growing branch network, which now totals close to 2,000 outlets, will provide a convenient way for millions of consumers nationwide to participate in the Sachet Recovery Program,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier President and CEO.



Sunday, February 15, 2015

#UseYourPower to Change Climate Change! WWF Celebrates Earth Hour 2015


#UseYourPower to Change Climate Change!
Here is the Earth Hour 2015 Official Video



Earth Hour 2015 will be held on Saturday 28 March between 8.30PM and 9.30PM. The event is held worldwide towards the end of March annually, encouraging individuals, communities households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour as a symbol for their commitment to the planet.


"SINGKUWENTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL OPENS THIS FEBRUARY 21!"





All roads lead to the SINGKWENTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, which will start on February 21, 6pm, at the Tanghalang Leandro Locsin  of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, at the NCCA Building, 633 General Malvar Street Intramuros, Manila.

A total of 51 filmmakers and 53 films will be showcased in this year's Singkuwento International Film Festival.

Three movies that tackle the harsh realities faced by impoverished Filipinos here and abroad, will open the weeklong film derby on February 21.

They are, Roberto Reyes Ang's “TNT” (Always on The Run), a short film that tells of the life of an illegal immigrant living in the United States.



Ang's short film recently won the Best Ensemble award from the 2014 International Film Festival Manhattan in New York City.

Perry Escano's “Ang Platinong Buhok,” a short docu-film about the late theater, TV and film actress Amable "Ama” Quiambao. The docu talks of the much missed Quiambao and her life  as mother, friend, teacher and actress.

Nash Ang's “Paraiso," a 60-minute documentary that follows the lives of child survivors and their remaining families one month after the tragedy of Supertyphoon Yolanda. It reveals their struggles as they live on and rebuild their lives in what was once their “paraiso” or paradise.
These screenings will be followed by  Jun Lana's award-winning drama “Barber's Tales,” which features Eugene Domingo, Iza Calzado, Nonie Buencamino and Eddie Garcia.


The Singkuwento Film Festivalfest, with screenings until February 28, started in 2013 as a non-competition festival that showcased short films by a small group of filmmakers.

This year, it will start its first competition that is open to the public. Fifteen short films will battle for awards for Best Short Film, Best Cultural Short Film and Best Documentary Short Film, among others.

The festival's objective was to “give Filipinos both here and abroad a channel where they can share their impressions of the Philippines and its people,” said festival director Perry Escano.

Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony on February 28.

For his invaluable contributions to the movie industry, filmmaker Brillante Mendoza will be the recipient of this year's Singkuwento International Lifetime Achievement Award.

Aside from the competing short films, the Singkuwento International fest will also exhibit 15 shorts and screen full-length films from directors Jason Paul Laxamana, Nick Olanka Olanka, Rica Arevalo, Ellen Ramos, Sarah Roxas,Diane Ventura, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo, Mes de Guzman Will Fredo, Francis Xavier Pasion, Benito Bautista, Peque Gallaga and Lore Reyes.

Films by young directors Kip Oebanda (“Tumbang Preso”) and Don Gerardo Frasco (“Waves”) will likewise have their first international film fest screenings during the Singkuwento fest. Screening schedules will be announced soon.

Concluding film of the Singkuwento Film Festival is Joselito Altarejos' “Kasal” on February 28 at 6 p.m.

The movie, a slice of life of a gay couple played by Arnold Reyes and Oliver Aquino, bagged the Best Film award (Directors' Showcase) at the 2014 Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival.

After the screening, awarding of the Best Short Film, Best Cultural Short Film and Best Documentary Short Film happens at 8pm.

The weeklong event is in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and MPJ Entertainment Productions. For tickets, visit ticketworld.com.ph.



"Hot Pursuit" teaser trailer stars Academy Award Winner Reese Witherspoon



Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and New Line Cinema have just released the teaser trailer of its upcoming comedy “Hot Pursuit,” starring Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara. The trailer may be viewed at http://youtu.be/G7oyLLeI6tE.




In “Hot Pursuit,” an uptight and by-the-book cop (Witherspoon) tries to protect the sexy and outgoing widow (Vergara) of a drug boss as they race through Texas, pursued by crooked cops and murderous gunmen.

Anne Fletcher (“The Proposal”) directs from a screenplay written by David Feeney (TV’s “New Girl”) & John Quaintance (TV’s “Ben & Kate”) and Dana Fox (“What Happens in Vegas”) & Katherine Silberman (TV’s “Ben & Kate”). John Carroll Lynch (“Crazy, Stupid, Love.”) and Rob Kazinsky (“Pacific Rim”) also star.



Set for release across the Philippines on May 7, “Hot Pursuit” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.


Catch good luck this Year of the Sheep with Kakao Talk infographic



To those born in the Year of the Sheep. Let KakaoTalk Chinese New Year Infographic on how to Catch Good luck this Year of the Sleep be your guide this Lunar New Year!



Make the best of the long weekends with Kakao Talk tips



The government has declared 8 long weekends caused by holiday this 2015. Getting to know when these long weekends will fall is important so you can plan your vacation, or staycation, ahead. With this, KakaoTalk, one of the leading messaging application in the world, comes up with an infographic that pins down these long weekends and gives you tips on how you plan these days ahead.



Saturday, February 14, 2015

BINALOT GOES VISAYAN




For the Lenten season, Binalot has chosen favorite dishes from the Visayas region: Bangus Sinugba, Kinilaw and Laswa. Healthy favorites from the South will be offered at selected Binalot branches starting Feb 18, Ash Wednesday and throughout the Lenten Season.



Sinugba means “grilled”, Kilaw means “vinegared” and Laswa means boiled vegetables. The bangus sinugba is filled with chopped onions and tomatoes and then slowly grilled to a nice finish. Healthy not only for the body but also good for the soul.

Binalot recently celebrated its 18 years in the business and recently signed up a foreign franchise for Dubai, UAE. Binalot was founded by Rommel Juan and his friends in 1996 when they realized there were no real Pinoy options for dining that was fresh and portable using eco-friendly packaging.

Binalot now has 45 branches all over the country, all serving Filipino food favorites in its trademarked wrapper of banana leaves, naturally preserving the food’s freshness. It now also offers Franchising options with a number of pre-approved sites for the interested applicants. You can visit www.binalot.com for more information. Find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, too.



KINILAW NA ISDA- The freshest fish marinated in Pinoy vinegar and Ilocos onions and garnished with red hot peppers. A favorite of our Visayan brothers, now at a Binalot near you! Perfect for the Lenten season.






LASWA- What could be healthier for body and soul but a fresh boiled vegetable medley of local greens and other Pinoy vegetables called Laswa. BINALOT offers this Visayan favorite to start its Lenten specials. Check www.binalot.com for the branch nearest you.






BANGUS SINUGBA- Our national fish is now available stuffed with chopped onions and tomatoes and grilled to a nice finish. Sinugba is the Visayan term for "grilled". Catch our Visayan specialties starting this Lenten season. Visit a BINALOT store nearest you. www.binalot.com. Find us in Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, too.


Friday, February 13, 2015

A true love's kiss inside the #Dentiste Box


 #DentisteKiss revealed what happened inside the #MysteryBoxinBGC last February 13, 2015.  When a couple stepped inside the shadow box and lovingly kissed each other creating a beautiful and intimate silhouette outside the box amidst the crowd's noise.

Its time for some intimate moment and get ready to kiss your partner and savor the moment. Visit the #MysteryBox and put your arms into her shoulder and let her taste the true love's kiss.




*Video courtesy of OrangemagazineTV.



The perfect getaway that is Guam


We all deserve a short stress-free weekend away from our busy work schedules in Manila. With the Christmas season already over, we look forward to the summer season to unwind and relax. Just three and a half hour away from Manila lies a destination that will surely make you fall in-love with the neo-island lifestyle. Guam offers every Filipino traveller a unique yet familiar vacation destination with its esquisite showcase of culture coupled with exotic beaches, breath-taking sceneries and world-class duty-free shopping.



Located West of the Pacific, in the Mariana Islands, Guam is the closest United States destination from the Philippines, and is also home to thousands of fellow Filipinos. It is currently accesible via Philippine Airlines and United Airlines.

The island offers a relaxing weekend getaway for friends and families that aim to experience something new for their vacation as it offers something to satisfy every visitor’s desire. With the island’s natural beauty, the best way to get to know the island is to indulge in Guam’s culture at the Lina’la Cultural Park or Wednesday Night Chamorro Market. If you wish to experience a different dining experience, you can also enjoy one of the entertaining and interactive cultural BBQ dinner shows around Tumon, Guam.


Scenic spots also await visitors around the island with Two Lovers Point, Fort Sta. Agueda, Inarajan Natural Pool and Fort Nuestra Senora de la Soledad reachable within a few minutes from the island’s main tourism hub via Southern and City Island Tours. Exotic beaches on the other hand can be located at different points of the island wherein you can relax in Guam’s sandy coastlines while enjoying the company of your loved-ones.



A neo-island experience is also instore for shopaholics with the island’s extensive line-up of luxury to budget shopping establishments for your much-needed retail therapy – all tax-free. If you’re shopping trip becomes too exhausting, you can also unwind at Guam’s luxury spa facilities for a rejuvenating mind and body experience.

With these array of acitivies, there is truly no ironclad itinerary to fully enjoy your trip to Guam. However you plan to explore the breath-taking island of Guam this summer, you’ll undoubtedly fall in love with its people and natural beauty.Stitched Panorama

Guam is truly beyond your typical paradise. It’s where the delight of sight, sound and taste, richness of culture, thrill of adventure, and pleasure of shopping all come together to give you a total travel experience. Booking your next weekend trip to Guam will definitely give you the perfect weekend getaway you truly deserve.

To get a taste of Guam’s unique Hafa Adai island experience before your trip, you can catch the Guam Visitors Bureau as they showcase the island this upcoming PTAA Travel Tour Expo from February 13 to 15 at the SMX Convention Center. You can also book your summer vacation to Guam at special rates with the hundreds of participating travel agents, or through United Airlines and Philippine Airlines.





Beyond the island’s array of activities and tourist spots, Guam also holds annual events one of which is the Shop Guam Festival, which aims to further excite tourists with additional shopping discounts across the island, on top of Guam’s tax-free shopping perks. Sporting and Cultural events are also held annually such as the Guam International Marathon, Ko’ko’ Road Race, and the Guam Micronesia Island Fair.

To know more about the latest events and news in Guam, you may also visit the Guam Visitors Bureau’s Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/visitguamusa.


The Shell Fuel Save Fact or Fiction Driving Challenge winners




Shell wrapped up the ‪#‎ShellFuelSave‬ Fact or Fiction Driving Challenge last February 11, 2015 by announcing the winners at Hotel H20. The Challengers from media won the much coveted title.  Driving the recently-launched models of the All New Honda Jazz, All New Honda City, and All New Honda Brio Amaze, the Challengers with select media personalities competed with Bianca Gonzales team on a road trip from Manila to Clark, Pampanga. In this Driving Challenge, the participants went through pit stops that revealed interesting habits Filipino motorists practice on saving fuel. The teams distinguished between fuel efficiency fact and fiction to manage their fuel consumption, coupled with teamwork and determination, to outwit each other.





Is warming up the engine or burping up before setting off will let you save on gas? This and other more interesting myths were answered during the event.

The Shell Fuel Save Fact or Fiction Report,which analyses the behaviour of 1,000 Filipino drivers aged 18 to 40, reveals that while 92%  see being fuel efficient as important, but 75% admit they don’t know how.

What’s even interesting, more than half (53%) of the drivers surveyed say they feel anxious trying to decide how best to save fuel, leading many to believe in a collection of absurd fuel saving myths. The research shows 80% of drivers believe warming up their engine before setting off will make them more fuel efficient, while 57% think filling up at night does the same trick. Shockingly, nearly half (45%) even believe ‘burping’ their cars to release air pockets in the tank will help them save fuel. Unfortunately for the majority of the Philippines’ driving population, none of these fuel efficiency myth help in reducing fuel costs.



Commenting on the findings, Anthony Lawrence Yam, Vice President for Retail of Pilipinas Shell, says: “The Shell FuelSave Fact or Fiction Report shows just how important saving fuel has become to motorists,along with the incredible ways they try to be more fuel efficient. Some of the beliefs revealed through the study were actually wasting fuel rather than helping to conserve it.”

To help sort fact from fiction, Shell is out to turn the nation’s myth-followers into fuel efficiency pros –both through using fuels like Shell Fuel Save that are scientifically designed to last longer and by demonstrating more effective ways to drive smartly.




Bianca Gonzalez says:“As young Filipino scientists and engineers prepare to compete at Shell Eco-marathon, I want to help Shell inspire all motorists to learn how to drive more fuel efficiently. Is switching off your engine in stationary traffic more effective than keeping it running? Does a warm engine equal a more efficient engine? And can a car really burp? These are the questions that we will be aiming to answer.”





TheShell Fuel Save Fact or Fiction Report also reveals that the confusion on the road is in stark contrast to what goes on inside the nation’s homes, where Filipinos conserve energy by limiting their electrical use but not their fuel consumption. Indeed, while88% of peoplesay theyfrequently turn off the lights to save energy when leaving the house, only4 in 10 (42%)will frequently remove excess weight from their boot or backseat to make their vehicle lighter and effectively helping drivers to save on fuel.

To learn more about Shell Eco-marathon and discover toptips on howto make your fuel last longer, visit www.shell.com.ph/fuelsave.


Thursday, February 12, 2015

“CRAZY STUPID LOVE” DIRECTORS BACK WITH “FOCUS”




Directors Glenn Ficarra & John Requa (“Crazy, Stupid, Love”) are back with Warner Bros. Pictures' new con artist movie “Focus” starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie (“The Wolf of Wall Street”), Rodrigo Santoro (the “300” films) and Gerald McRaney (TV’s “House of Cards”).

In the film, Nicky (Smith) is a seasoned master of misdirection who becomes romantically involved with novice con artist Jess (Robbie). As he’s teaching her the tricks of the trade, she gets too close for comfort and he abruptly breaks it off. Three years later, the former flame—now an accomplished femme fatale—shows up in Buenos Aires in the middle of the high stakes racecar circuit. In the midst of Nicky’s latest, very dangerous scheme, she throws his plans for a loop…and the consummate con man off his game.

In the following interview, the directors talk about deception coexisting with love and what castmembers Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Rodrigo Santoro impressively brought to the film.



Question: This is your second film involving the world of con artists and sleight-of-hand, after “I Love You Phillip Morris.” What about it fascinates you and inspired you to make “Focus”?

Glenn Ficarra: Cons are about trust, but they’re on opposite sides of the trust spectrum—one is when you earn false trust and the other requires absolute trust—so the question is: can they coexist?

John Requa: Can you find true love and trust in this world and this currency of lies. We got really interested in exploring that concept in a movie about four years ago. We would call it ‘The Con Artist Love Story.’ No matter what else we were doing, we kept playing with it, and it evolved into this notion of having the first part of the movie being about a rookie con artist falling in love with a pro, and the second half about them coming back together when she’s not a rookie anymore.

Q: In “Focus,” the rookie is Jess, played by Margot Robbie, and the pro is Nicky, played by Will Smith.

Glenn Ficarra: Yes, Nicky is the dominant force in the first half of the movie, and Jess takes that role in the second half. They each have their hands on the control stick in different parts of the film, so you see the story from two different perspectives.

Q: Can you talk about the title, “Focus,” and how that idea is woven into the film?

Glenn Ficarra: The movie is about con artists and their ability to draw focus away from a crime towards something else, and we explore that on a number of levels. On the simple level of pickpocketing, how do you distract someone and pull a wallet or watch out of their pocket? But, in a larger sense, how do you make someone think that one thing is happening, when, in fact, another thing has already happened? On the emotional level as well: how can you use prewiring of the human brain for love to manipulate and use someone? So, that notion of focus was central to everything we’re exploring, big and small, in this story.

Q: What was it like to work with Will on this film?

Glenn Ficarra: He’s a joy. He’s a really good person, ever-interesting, ever-hungry—he’s always on the hunt to win.

John Requa: Transcendent. Not only is he a tremendous actor and incredibly professional, he’s a lot of fun. He’s like a big brother.

Q: What qualities does Will bring to the character of Nicky?

Glenn Ficarra: It’s the idea that the Will Smith we all know is this charismatic, smiling, nice guy. That’s so easy for him to embody in a character, but what if it was all an act? That really appealed to us, the idea of having that quality unfold in the first half of the movie as just something he turned on whenever it was convenient. Then, as you watch Nicky unravel over the course of the second half of the movie, you still love him, even when though he does some bad things.

John Requa: This is essentially a movie about two criminals—these fast and charming people who you’ll love even though they’re doing crimes. It’s tricky stuff, but Will and Margot fit the bill.



Q: What was it about Margot Robbie that resonated with you for the role of Jess?

John Requa: We auditioned a lot of incredibly talented women, and she came in and she just blew our socks off. Everybody. She walked out of the room and that was it. We knew our job was finished and that’s good. Hopefully she would say yes. [Laughs] It was nothing more complex than that. She blew us away.

Glenn Ficarra: And the chemistry between Margot and Will was so clear. It was undeniable. As John said, we auditioned a lot of women and started specifying types—she should do this and she should do that—and ultimately we said, ‘Look, let’s just get the best person for the part and take it from there.’

Q: You’ve previously worked with Rodrigo Santoro on “I Love You Phillip Morris.” Did you always have him in mind to play Garriga?

John Requa: Yeah, from the very beginning.

Glenn Ficarra: We didn’t want a kind of mustache-twirling Spaniard, and Rodrigo is just so welcoming and real. He’s an excellent actor, and he rarely gets to be funny, so we thought it would be fun to see him in this role.

Opening across the Philippine on February 25, 2015, “Focus” is distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment company.

PAL Business Class Awaits—Just Connect Your Mabuhay Miles via Maya!

  What if we told you that your next business class adventure was just one tap away? With Maya, the #1 Digital Bank app, your Mabuhay Miles ...