Chasing the Korean Dream

Philam Life Unit Managers Grace Cruz (Mendoza Associates), Yolanda Santos (Mendoza Associates), and Jeanette Fabico (Monteverde Associates)

Philam Life Senior Director of Agencies for Metro Manila, Leo Tan, guest speaker John Chua and Philam Life Head of Agency Transformation Office, Stephen Segismundo




Taking the Philam Life career journey can take you to places all over the world.  That’s what’s in store for Philam Life Agency Leaders who were feeling the Korean vibe at the recently concluded One Manila Recruitment Congress, held at the KPUB BBQ restaurant at The Fort Strip, BGC.

Aside from the K-Pop-inspired motif and the sumptuous Korean buffet, the crowd’s excitement for everything Korean reached fever pitch when Philam Life’s Head of Agency Transformation, Stephen Segismundo announced that all attendees have a chance to enjoy a free trip to Korea.  All they have to do is to inspire other people to join and succeed in the career of becoming a Philam Life financial advisor.

It wasn’t all just a night of partying, there was some learning too as experts and keynote speakers from Philam Life’s Premier Academy shared the new training module for the new talents joining their respective sales teams.

To wrap things up, Philam Life invited John Chua, a past president of General Agents and Managers Association (GAMA) and a consistent Master Agency Awardee to share his practices in the area of Rapid and Quality Recruitments as he encouraged everyone to find quality recruits for 2016 to further strengthen the workforce of Philam Life.

Philam Life offers an exciting career path to those who want to be a Philam Life Financial Advisor. They can pursue their own passion, live an amazing adventure, while becoming a life changer for other people to achieve their dreams. Furthermore, while building their business as a Financial Advisor, they get to step into the world of entrepreneurship, allowing them to rule their world and to beat their best as they please.

If you are interested to know more about this exciting career at Philam Life’s Premier Agency, please visit http://www.philamlife.com/en/about-us/careers/agency-careers/

#KwentongJollibee captures real stories of love and and family

 Capturing the country’s largest fast food chain’s enduring love affair with generations of Filipinos, Jollibee’s four new made-for-digital videos are now available for viewing online in time for Valentine’s Day celebration. To tug at viewers’ heartstrings are stories inspired by real-life experiences that all show how Jollibee has played a meaningful role in the lives of Pinoys.

During the exclusive media premier held at My Cinema in Greenbelt 3, members of the press were treated to an advanced viewing of 4 heart warming “Mga Kuwentong Pilipinong pinasarap ng Jollibee” videos.

Jollibee Global Brand Chief Marketing Officer Francis E. Flores said, “Every Pinoy  can relate to the TV ads as they are based on real stories from our customers. They depict the everyday lives of Filipinos and how they express their love to their families, and the role that Jollibee plays in making each memory more memorable.”


The stories are told through the eyes of a real-life and long-time store manager, who through 22  years have seen more than her fair share of families bonding at Jollibee, which has served as a happy second home for most Filipinos. This is captured in the omnibus video which ties all the stories together.  

The “ALMUSAL” video  features an old couple who regularly gets breakfast at Jollibee, getting the same meals as part of their daily morning routine. The story takes a bitter sweet twist as the husband carries on the breakfast tradition with their daughter when the wife passes away.

The “TAGPUAN” video features a young boy who got lost in the mall and was found by his mom at Jollibee. The story capitalizes on accounts of real moms’ precautionary practice of telling their kids to go to the nearest Jollibee store if they get separated at the mall.

Emphasizing how Jollibee’s influence is strongest among kids, the “JABEE” TVC features a toddler who’s first word is “Jabee” (baby talk for ‘Jollibee’), and he utters this line all throughout the day, signifying his fondness for the brand.

Ianco Dela Cruz, TVC Director, said, “It is really quite a challenge to be able to capture the different kinds of bonding moments that Filipino families have shared inside Jollibee stores throughout the years. Lucky for the team, we had a wealth of personal experiences to draw from, coming from real customers through the years who have made lasting memories in a Jollibee store. We, the cast and crew, hope that these Jollibee videos bring you on a journey to be closer with your families.”

The Top 5 K-Beauty Products to watch out at ph.althea.kr

When Korean skin care started appearing in our newsfeed overnight, everyone got curious to what the fuzz is all about, when we are, admit it,  obsessed with French brands, and why Korean Beauty earned its ranking being a beauty staple.  I guess its because of the natural ingredients, formulation and the pretty charming packaging that appeal to us customers.

It all started with the BB cream followed by essences and then face masks and long before we knew it Korean beauty store sprouted in Manila one after another, Too Cool For School, Etude, Skinfood and Tony Moly to name a few. Suddenly, the Korean beauty craze is all over the country, but what made us love them more is their fun and informative way to present their products with their holy grail natural ingredients. From then on,  we are hooked.

But what if our favorite K beauty skincare products are not available on its physical store? So the hunting begin online,  that is when I discovered Althea.PH  last month before it was launched to the public, I got first dibs on my K beauty must haves.

The good news is that Althea.Ph opens for us K-beauty addicts at an affordable low price and an amazingly line up of hard to find beauty products!

Althea.ph will officially launch on Feb 15 and is giving away free php300 credits for every sign up at ph.althea.kr.  Shipping will be free of charge for every p1k spent on your favorite K-beauty products. Besides the low prices, there will be Daebak Deals 1+1 and Zero Peso Deals too!  #altheakorea #altheaph

It was a breeze shopping at Althea.ph, the line of products are overwhelming and the best thing is that my 5 favorite products that I love are available at Althea at a remarkably low price and I got it right in my doorstep in just 5 days!  My five Holy grail  K-beauty products are as follows.

The IOPE cushion powder is the first cushion that I have tried and it clears away my blemishes, that alone I will hoard, together with HERA, Innisfree, Peripera Peri tints and Sulwashoo skincare.

This pack a lot of anti aging component and works to give you smooth and wrinkle free skin, it is good  to use  as day moisturizer,  and night cream as well

 My first K-beauty cushion powder is IOPE, the powder is buildable and is not cakey and  lasts to 6 hours with primer on,

This Innisfree toner line has a powerful anti oxidant Red beet to combat sebum and dry skin, it delivers what it promise resulting to smooth and blemish-free skin.

Peripera Peri's tint water are the latest tint craze from Korea, if youre on the gradient lips trend, this is what you should try, its better than Benefit's Benetint, it is long lasting and has fun pigments to choose from. Peripera sells at only P260 from its original price of P420.

Althea ph carries all of the best and newest Korean makeup brands and skin care products to keep you looking good from head to toe.


Now is the best time to shop and indulge at Althea.ph

MANAGING MARKET VOLATILITY

After a six year bull run that saw unprecedented gains, the Philippine stock market experienced volatility throughout the year and finally ended 2015 with a loss of 3.85%. The fluctuations were caused by global factors such as China’s economic slowdown, a large drop in world oil prices, and indications of an increase in US interest rates. Although on a whole, the growth of the Philippine economy has been sustained, the common question is how the upcoming elections will affect the local markets.

Not surprisingly, the recent dips have affected market confidence. To address this, key figures in the financial sector spoke at “Checkmate 2016”, a recent forum intended to help clients make winning moves by equipping them with the right information. Philam Asset Management, Inc. (PAMI) President and CEO Ferdinand Berba reminded investors to remain levelheaded in the midst of uncertainty. “Volatility is a part of investing,which is especially seen in the stock market. Having the right mindset is critical. The focus should be on long-term goals.”

To underscore this point, Berba presented the 5-year and 10-year historical charts of the Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi). While volatility is seen on the short-term, both historical charts clearly displayed an upward long-term trend. “If you look at these graphs, there are attractive opportunities during market downturns, since stock prices become cheaper,” he emphasized. “Regular investing also reaps benefits, as it lowers average costs. It created less anxiety than timing the market.”

Apart from consistency, diversification is another proven method to balance out returns. To this end, Berba pointed out the usefulness and efficiency of managed funds in various asset classes. “These funds already have diversified asset levels and geographic portfolios to spread out risk,” he noted. “Moreover, they make it very easy to reinvest income, thus initiating the power of compounded interest and increasing total returns over time,” he concluded.

PAMI is Philam Life’s asset management subsidiary, whose assets under management have grown to P47.393 billion in 2014 from P21.903 billion in 2004. PAMI is one of the largest asset and wealth management companies in the country, managing mutual funds from different asset classes and is a major contributor to the development of the Philippine mutual fund industry. PAMI has won elevenawards from PIFA in 2015alone, and has consecutively been named Most Trusted Brand, Investment Fund Category by Reader’s Digestsince 2010.

To learn more about Philam Asset Management, Inc. (PAMI), visit philamfunds.com []

Philamlife launched "Wanderlust" An epic journey to your next big career adventure

Successful people are the ones who see opportunities and seize them. However, not all people truly appreciate how seizing opportunities can lead to a fulfilling life. Only those brave enough to explore possibilities and embrace change can truly enjoy life and live their dreams.

Philam Life launched its first ever MEGA Business Opportunity Program (BOP)at the SM Megamall cinema entitled “Wanderlust.” With over 800 guests, Philam Life introduced how this career of being a financial advisor can change their lives and the lives of the people they serve.

Record-breaking attendance with almost 800 passengers and Philam Life Financial Advisors

Three of the power speakers, Aileen Palmes, Nina Solomon, and Eric Nicdao are all proud travelers of the Philam Life Premier Agency career path. Each of them described how different their journey started at first and how similar they have become.

Aileen Palmes started out in the hospitality industry and then shifted to the retail industry. She wanted to have personal growth, own her time, and do the things she loves doing. She then decided
to make a career change and become a Philam Life Financial Advisor. At first,the adjustment was difficult because she would constantly find herself out of her comfort zone. But Aileen found this
career to be more meaningful in terms of providing serviceto her clients’ needs. This gave her strength and inspiration to overcome her challenges.

 District Manager Eric Nicdao, Unit Manager Nina Solomon and Premier Advisor Aileen Palmes answer questions by the audience and by celebrity host RJ Ledesma

“I realized that as a Financial Advisor, I’m still in the service industry,” said Palmes. “What I enjoyed in my previous work in a hotel, I still enjoy up to now and even more because servicing has rewarded me with engaging with clients, and really getting to know them to build lasting relationships.”

Unit Manager Nina Solomon likewise came to the same conclusion. Her personal experience strengthened her commitment to help others secure their future and those of their loved ones. “As a Philam Life Financial Advisor, I’ve made it my mission to make sure that my clients’ families will have a good life no matter what happens,”she said. Nina’s hard work has also been greatly rewarded with travels to 25 different countries for free. She was able to accomplish these while being the master of her own time, something that District Manager Eric Nicdao also affirms.

In the first seven years of Eric Nicdao’s corporate career,staying late in the office until 4am and reporting back at 7am was expected of him. This left him with no free time to be with his family. When he made the career shift to join the Philam Life Premier Agency,Eric truly appreciates being able to balance work and life.“A happy person should have a healthy body, a spiritual life,and a good balance between life and work,” said Nicdao.  “As a Philam Life Financial Advisor, you own your time thus enabling you more leeway to set your priorities and live a quality life.”

The three speakers have many traits in common--persistence, courage, and charm. They also attribute their success to a wide array of intensive training and development programs offered by the Philam Life Premier Academy. A combination of training and hands-on mentoring from well-experienced agency leaders has also helped them understand the business,build their client portfolio,bring out their leadership capabilities, and step up to be highly productive and profitable.

All these have made Aileen, Nina, and Eric achieve their Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT) status. MDRT is an organization whose membership is internationally recognized as the standard of excellence in life insurance and financial services.

To cap off the event, Philam Life Head of Agency Strategy Office Stephen Segismundo stressed the common bond that ties Philam Life Financial Advisors and their customers together.


“Being a Philam Life Financial Advisor is more than just a career. We are in the business of helping our customers live their real life passions and achieve their dreams. Taking on this career path will reward you in ways that you could never have imagined. In life, using the road less travelled can be worthwhile,” said Segismundo.

Philam Life offers this exciting journey to those who want to make a difference in their lives and in the lives of others. Indeed, life is full of possibilities worth discovering.

For more information, please visit http://www.philamlife.com/en/about-us/careers/agency-careers/

Pop Art Unleashed: Converse x Andy Warhol Collection

Andy Warhol who was responsible for the rise of Pop Art, whose deft and constant use of the media was a major change for the art world.  He is considered one of the two (with Picasso) most influential artists of the 20th century and is America's best known-artist.  Converse collab with Andy Warhol with his famous 1966 Art Print Banana,  channeled that iconic style and translated it for their classic Chuck Taylor All-Star sneakers.

Chuck Taylor All Star x Andy Warhol hi-cut banana printed sneakers, Php 4, 950.

The Andy Warhol banana printed sneakers is one of Andy Warhol’s most iconic graphics. It is made of premium Leather Upper, chrome eyelets with its famous Warhol banana print is now available in low cut and hi cut version.

Converse goes boldly into its Andy Warhol banana PRINTED sneakers collaboration. The partnership between two pop culture icons celebrates creative self-expression and pays homage to the visionary artist. Warhol’s vision and creativity opened the door for millions of artists and performers.

Converse celebrates his legacy with this collaboration—and hope it inspires you to push boundaries with your creativity.

                  Chuck Taylor All Star x Andy Warhol low-cut banana printed sneakers, Php 4, 450.

Gas up on Valentine's Day RED RIDE Fuel discount at TOTAL service stations!

Got anything red in your car? Time to gas up in select TOTAL service stations to avail of discounts on fuel products!

Valentine's Day will be a red-letter day for TOTAL consumers as the oil and gas giant is giving away discounts for gasoline and diesel on February 14. The one-day promo will run from 12 midnight until 12:59 PM in TOTAL service stations in Newport City, Tambo Paranaque, Greenhills, and NAIA.

Motorists can get ₱3 off per liter of gasoline and ₱1 off per liter of diesel at these service stations. You just need to drive by with your red car or present any red item inside your car to avail of the discount. All you need to do is drive up to any of these four service stations to enjoy the promo.

TOTAL Philippines is a French company that is the local arm of TOTAL S.A., the leading petroleum company in France. With products imported from France, consumers are guaranteed of quality and excellence. It has established a strong presence in over 130 countries, excelling in various fields from oil exploration to marketing and distribution of petroleum products.

Recently, it introduced its latest innovative product to the Philippine market. TOTAL Excellium is a fuel product that cleans and protects engines from the first gas-up, promises fuel efficiency, engine protection, and less emissions for consumers.

The Valentine's Day promo is the company's way of continuously treating its Filipino consumers for their continued support to the company.

"How To Be Single" and loving it

Single in New York City?  Or London, L.A., Munich, Miami, or anywhere in between?  These days, in cities big and small, there’s a nightlife rife with girls’ nights out, singles’ bars, online dating and one-night stands arranged on apps—no romance required.  Today’s singles aren’t necessarily looking for Ms. or Mr. Right, or drowning their sorrows in their lonely bachelor/ette pads.  “How to Be Single” is an all-out comedy that shows how they’re all out there making the most of the single lifestyle, in the most outrageous ways imaginable.

The film’s director, Christian Ditter, states, “I wanted to make a really modern and fresh take on the comedy genre as it deals with partying, having fun, dating—a snapshot of what it really means to be single today.  A lot of movies that deal with men and women and dating are about finding the right one, but this is not that; it’s about embracing the most fun and free time of life while you’re also finding your place in the world, finding friends, finding out what you want to do with your life.”

Led by an ensemble cast that includes some of today’s hottest comedic actresses, including Dakota Johnson, Rebel Wilson, Alison Brie and Leslie Mann, and such rising comedy stars as Damon Wayans Jr., Anders Holm, Nicholas Braun, Jake Lacy, Jason Mantzoukas and Colin Jost, the film follows a host of singles at various stages of—and with varying opinions on—the single state.

Producer John Rickard notes, “It’s a universal experience, being young, right out of college and discovering a whole big world.  Or a few years later, hitting another one of those crossroads: what do I care about, what do I want to spend my life doing, does another person even figure into the picture?  We often think it’s a partner we have to find, but it’s really ourselves, and that can be scary.”

Happily, what’s scary in real life can make us laugh the hardest when it’s played out on film. Screenwriter/producer Dana Fox, a comedy veteran, offers, “Romantic comedies are always centered on the romance, but this is a comedy about the time in between the relationships, when you’re out there to have a good time in this crazy age of staring at your cell phone, having entire conversations in 140 characters or less and ‘swiping right’ to meet people.  There are so many advantages to a film with so many funny stories to tell.

“In any movie,” she continues, “you want audiences to feel like they’re along on the journey.  We have Dakota Johnson’s character, Alice, to provide the heart and soul of the story, and we have all these other great women and men to follow along and laugh with.”

Or laugh at.  Returning to her comedy roots, Johnson deftly handles Alice’s fumbling attempts to meet men upon finding herself newly single, especially when paired with Rebel Wilson’s extreme party girl, Robin, the perfect tour guide through the world of free drinks, hook-ups and text message protocol.  Alison Brie’s Lucy is a girl on an online dating mission, and Leslie Mann’s Meg has been on the career track and sort of forgotten to have a personal life.  Along with the guys they all meet along the way, they exemplify the wide range of what it’s like out there.

Ditter says, “I loved the script, I thought it was hilariously funny but also true to life, and it continued to evolve once we got on set with Dana and all these amazing comedic talents and their incredible improv skills.  So what we ended up with in the film are characters and stories I see a lot of my own experiences in, and friends’ experiences, too.  I think that anyone who’s been single—and that’s, well, everybody—will have a lot of fun and find a lot to laugh about when they relate it to their own life.”

New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures present, in association with Flower Films, a Wrigley Pictures Production, “How to Be Single.”  The film will be released theatrically worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company on Feb 11, 2016.

*Photo images courtesy of "Warner Bros. Pictures".

British School Manila hosts annual "International Evening"

This coming Tuesday, 23 February 2016, Tuesday, The British School Manila (BSM) celebrates multiculturalism and raises funds for its charity initiatives. International Evening is an annual event that BSM hosts and features the cultural diversity of the community through food, music, travel and a host of other fun and entertaining activities

This year’s theme is “A Taste of our Cultures” and will showcase over 15 nationalities offering cuisine from around the world. All proceeds support the BSM Community Service Fund and BSM Service Learning Partner charities throughout the Philippines. Last year’s International Evening was a massive success with over 1,500 attendees. This year it will be an even bigger celebration.

Gringo Honasan – for Equality, for Progress, for Vice President

United Nationalist Alliance Vice Presidential candidate Gregorio “Gringo”Honasan II hits the campaign trail today with the battle cry “Patasang Laban,” and armed with almost 40 years of experience both as part of the military and as a member of the Philippine Senate.


His platform of government complements UNA standard-bearer VP Jejomar Binay’s “Gaganda ang Buhay” that when combined means EQUALITY leads to BETTER LIVES.

Senator Honasan is an advocate Pro-Poor Governance & Ideology by integrating poverty reduction, respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms to allow people to live with dignity.

“The key to progress is to adopt economic and social policies that are responsive to the people’s needs, while holding decision makers accountable to the people and make them adhere to the rule of Law,” he said of his platform of government.

“We need to harness our natural resources to ensure sustainable development, maximize the potential of an empowered citizenry, and the economic impact of the business sector, to attain the liberalization of the less fortunate citizens from poverty and unconscionable inequality,” Senator Honasan added.

Senator Honasan has fought for a lot of different causes throughout his life—17 years as a soldier, 7 years as a rebel and 21 years as a Senator, but the one thing that has remained constant is his guiding principle for God, Country and Family.

As a soldier, Senator Honasan gallantly fought for democracy earning him a number of medals, awards, decorations and commendations for gallantry in action including three Distinguished Conduct Stars, Gold Cross medals and Wounded Personnel Medals sustained in combat. In 1985, he was recognized as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men given by the Philippine Jaycees.

In 1986, Honasan was one of the young leaders who broke away from the martial law government and led his troops to ignite the EDSA revolution.

In 1995, SenatorHonasanran for office as the first truly independent candidate in Philippine political history to win a Senate seat.  He was re-elected in 2001, 2007 and recently in 2013.

Achievements And Accomplishments
He is principal author and co-author of, among others, the Clean Air Act of 1999, Clean Water Act, the National Security Policy, Disaster Risk Reduction Management Act of 2009, the Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms Law (CARPER). He is shepherding the Freedom of Information Act which he now refers to as the POGI Bill – People’s Ownership of Government Information Act, the National Mapping and Resource Authority Law and the Land Use Act.

Senator Honasan has proposed a Mini-Marshall Plan for Mindanao to help jumpstart economic development, peace and order, and political unity. The proposal will also help end centuries of armed conflict and terrorism.

To date, he has sponsored over 200 Medical-Dental-Surgical Missions in depressed areas of the country, serving at least 20,000 indigent patients.

He is a prime mover of the National Security Strategy Framework which seeks to define the country’s national security and strategy in the light of internal and external security threats and the consequent National Peace Policy.

Sponsored the computer education scholarship of 3,000 students thru the SulongDunongsaKaunlaran program and the college scholarship of 106 out-of-school youths.

Under the Gregorio B. Honasan Peace and Development Foundation, he regularly distributes relief assistance to calamity-hit areas in the country.

Served thousands of constituents requesting for claims for PVAO, SSS and AFP/PNP claims and refund of teachers’ loans through his Public Service Program aired over RMN-DZXL and DZRH-Radyo Natin and Gringo Honasan Reports aired over RPN-9 and PTV-4.

“This election is not about me. It is about you, your future and the future of the country. This may be the last time I will stand on a national platform to speak to the Filipino people. And my message to those who were born during that time and those who were not yet born, is this: ‘When the Filipino people get together with their soldiers under moral leadership, change is possible, that the systemic changes and the re-engineering of our society and our government that is required for real reforms can actually happen—we did it 30 years ago, I believe we can do it again. All we need to do is to make rational, intelligent, informed decisions based on facts, not on popularity or perception before we cast our vote.’”

“I have dedicated most of my life to my country, yet for a few times, history has placed me as an enemy of the government and the people I have sworn to protect. History may be written by the victors, but it is up to us to carve out our own legacy, and my accomplishments are proof of what I have done for our country.”

“I have stood in the grounds of Malacanang Palace three times in my life in full combat gear without an invitation except the invitation from my conscience, but after 42 years, now, I know exactly what to do.”

Gringo Honasan – for Equality, for Progress, for Vice President.

"It’s A Date! Meal for 2" at Taco Bell

Want to seal a romantic deal as soon as possible? Taco Bell suggests to do it over tacos for two, and plenty more! With the “It’s A Date! Meal for 2” promo, you and your special someone can enjoy your favorite dishes from the world’s leading taco food chain at a price that’s sure to send your hearts, tastebuds and even wallets soaring.

Savor two Crunchy Tacos filled to overflowing, just like your hearts’ feelings for one another. Spice up your conversation with two barbecue Nachos. Couple these with the shared velvety goodness of a Cheese Quesadilla. Finally, relish the sweet ending to your meal by enjoying a Chocodilla with Nutella together.