Must Watch: McDonald’s latest TV commercial celebrates the unconditional love of parents for their children

Remember wanting to win trophies or contests as a child but never making a podium finish? How about falling in love with art but not being able to perfectly color inside the lines? Were you the kid who loved dancing but had two left feet? No one ever starts out being a pro at anything, but many would agree that the support and love received from mom and dad can make all the difference.

For parents, no defeat can make them love their child any less. As long as they do their best and follow their dream, mom and dad couldn’t be any prouder. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether they finish first, last, or not at all. They will always be number one for their parents.
                                                                                                                                                           
McDonald’s launches its newest TVC titled, “Laging Mahal ni Nanay at Tatay,” which candidly depicts the silly, not-so-picture-perfect moments that make family life challenging and rewarding at the same time. Watch it here



The TV commercial humorously and heartwarmingly affirms how unconditional love goes both ways—that kids, though still learning, try their best and give little tokens of love in ways they know how. Similarly, it pays tribute to the unwavering support parents pour into their children’s passions and quirks, regardless of the outcome.

Combining the element of nostalgia and the joys of parenthood, the video tugs at the heartstrings of viewers both young and old and shares a valuable truth about the precious moments of parenthood.

Got a similar story of unconditional love you want to share? Watch the video and tell us all about it on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/McDo.ph, or tag @McDo_PH on Twitter or Instagram.

Join The BIG Beauty Challenge by Ever Bilena and get to win P50,000 cash

Unleash your inner artist and win big cash prizes as Ever Bilena dares you to experiment with different looks through The BIG Beauty Challenge – a weekly make-up tutorial video contest following different themes.

Open to video bloggers, aspiring and professional make-up artists residing in the Philippines, the contest requires participants to create a tutorial video on how to do a complete make-up look, following a specific theme, using only Ever Bilena products.

Ever Bilena, the leading local cosmetics brand, carries Ever Bilena Advance, a full range of make-up essentials for young professionals; Ever Bilena Naturals for skin care; Careline cosmetics for teens; Blackwater for fragrance and other personal care products.

The contest, which began on the first week of December and will end on the last week of February, will test the creativity of the participants as they create their versions of Ever Bilena’s weekly theme which will be announced every Monday on Ever Bilena’s Facebook page,

www.facebook.com/everbilenacosmetics. One winner will be announced every week and will take home P10,000 cash.


Weekly winners will qualify for the grand finals where the grand prize winner will take home P50,000 along with three winners who will win P10,000 for Special Award; P15,000 for 2nd runner-up; and P30,000 for the 1st runner up.

Entries must be public and uploaded on Facebook with hashtags #EBBigBeautyChallenge and #EverBilena and tag Ever Bilena Cosmetics, Inc.

Participants will be judged based on the following criteria: 40% most number of Ever Bilena products used in the video; 30% creativity; 20% make-up executions and skills; and 10% most number of views and shares.

Show off your inner artist and join the biggest and most beautiful challenge this season!
 
To know more about Ever Bilena and The BIG Beauty Challenge, visit Ever Bilena’s website, www.everbilena.com.ph  and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/everbilenacosmetics. 

TELCOS DROP CALL RATES; P1 PER MINUTE VOICE CALL POSSIBLE?

Expect more voice calls from your friends and  loved ones this year as PLDT and Globe Telecom are anticipated to aggressively offer cheaper voice rates through their “all-net” promo offerings, according to a news article from Malaya.

“All-Net” services is one way of reducing  voice call rates which would drive traffic to voice services which in recent years had  been declining as subscribers opt to use the cheaper over-the-top services such as Viber, Facebook Messenger  among other offerings using data, Edgardo Cabarios, National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) deputy commissioner was quoted in the article.

Telcos have committed to lower voice calls by as much as 40 percent following the lowering of  interconnection charges by P1.50: (from P4 to P2.50 per minute) for mobile-to-mobile calls across operators and landline-to-mobile voice calls  and from P3 to P1.50 for mobile-to-landline voice calls  effective Jan. 1, 2017. 

According to the NTC, the lower interconnection charge between the different networks is expected to cut down the current retail rate of P6.50 per minute for mobile-to-mobile calls and P7 per minute for mobile-to-landline calls.

Under a memorandum of agreement signed last November , the two telcos committed to take steps to lower retail rates for voice, taking into consideration the reduction in interconnection rates. Both parties also committed to maintain GOS (grade of service) in interconnection.

Eric Alberto, PLDT chief revenue officer, said the company will be aggressive in offering all network calls promos this year as way of passing on the lower interconnection fees charged to subscribers.

Alberto notes that voice calls are already part of the (service) buckets last two and that they will be a little more aggressive in all net-bundles.

Bucket or bundles offerings are comprised of call, text and mobile data services at the lower rates with short period of validity.

Before the lowering of the tariff on voice calls, bucket and unlimited offerings were only limited within each network. PLDT has three mobile brands in the market: Smart, Talk and Text and Sun Cellular while its rival has two, Globe and TM . 

Globe Telecom, for example, is planning to offer P1 per minute call to other networks under a bucket price offer.

Prior to the reduction of interconnection charges,  Globe  has started offering all-net calls  for prepaid subscribers at P200, P300 and P500 bucket offerings inclusive of 6 hours and 50 minutes of calls to all networks; 9 hours and 40 minutes of calls to all networks and 11 hours and  50 minutes of calls to all networks, respectively .

Smart, meanwhile has yet to announce any bucket offerings and its all-net service is still  limited to its three mobile brands.

The country has over 127 million mobile subscribers as of September last year of which 80 percent are making voice calls at much lower rates through the unlimited and bucket prices offering and around 20 percent are still making calls at regular rates.

Consistent with global trends, voice revenues remain challenged given the migration of voice traffic to alternative channels that make use of internet-based applications, such as Viber, Facebook, Skype, and Whatsapp, among others. Against the previous quarter, mobile voice revenues increased by 3 percent.

SOURCE: Telcos drop voice call rates via aggressive all-net offers; By Myla Iglesias
 http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/business/telcos-drop-voice-call-rates-aggressive-all-net-offers

Grab your favorite Buena Mano Monday Meal only at your favorite Goldilocks Foodshop branch

We are all too familiar with the dreaded feeling of our alarm going off early on a Monday morning, signaling the start of another long week. When faced with the challenges of school or work, it is important not only to treat ourselves every once in awhile, but also to stick to a budget. Getting out of bed may be difficult, but it gets a little easier when we know that there’s an delicious new meal and a sweet deal waiting for us at some point during a day.

Tender Pinoy Chicken Curry

While Mondays may be tough, the Tender Pinoy Chicken Curry from Goldilocks is far from it. This latest addition to the Goldilocks menu is sure to brighten up your week, accompanied by only the finest potatoes, carrots and bell peppers, brought together by a satisfying Pinoy-style curry sauce.

With rice and a 12-oz drink, this tasty meal is surprisingly affordable at only P110, and during Buena Mano Mondays, customers get a box of free polvoron mallows to add something sweet to their week! This delicious new meal will tantalize your taste buds, and the polvoron mallows will leave you wishing that it was a Monday all over again!

Hurry and grab the curry at any Goldilocks Foodshop branch nationwide. For more information, you may also follow Goldilocks on Twitter or Instagram at @GoldilocksPH, on the Goldilocks Facebook page, or at the official Goldilocks website at www.goldilocks.com.ph []

National Broadband Plan to boost fixed-line internet service penetration

The country’s fixed-line broadband speed and penetration expected to further improve once the national broadband plan implemented.

National Telecommunications Commission Deputy Commissioner Edgardo Cabarios made this comment after Akamai, a leading content delivery network services provider for media and software delivery and cloud security solution, noted in its third quarter survey that the Philippines had registered marked improvements in terms of connectivity.

Based on Akamai’s Q3 report, the country’s average connection speed (IPv4) for mobile internet was now ranked first in the Asia Pacific region, registering an average speed of 13.9 Mbps up from 8.5 Mbps in the second quarter.

On the table presented in the study, the Philippines’ average mobile speed 13.9 Mbps came in the fastest in the Asia Pacific cluster, topping the speeds of Australia (12.8 Mbps), Japan (11.6 Mbps), South Korea (11.2 Mbps), Indonesia (10.9 Mbps), New Zealand (10.8 Mbps), Taiwan (9.4 Mbps), China (8.9 Mbps), Singapore (8.5 Mbps), Hongkong (6.1 Mbps), Thailand (6.1 Mbps), Sri Lanka (5.4 Mbps), India (3.5 Mbps), and Vietnam (3.4 Mbps).

The report also cited an improvement on the “above 10 Mbps broadband adoption” category, of which Philippines adoption rate is now at 5.4 percent, representing a growth rate for the country of 9.1 percent QoQ and 517 percent YoY.

The Philippines also showed an improvement in the “15 Mbps broadband adoption” category, of which the country is now at 2.4 percent adoption, or an improvement 11 percent QoQ 645 percent YoY.

According to Cabarios, the significant improvement in the mobile internet speed may be attributed to the recent activation by Globe and Smart of Long Term Evolution (LTE) cell sites, making use of the 700 MHz spectrum.

He added that once the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT) has finalized the national broadband plan, it will give a boost to fixed-line internet speed and improve coverage across the country.

MYNP Announces Winners for 2nd Sine Nanay Short Film Festival

The Make Your Nanay Proud (MYNP) Foundation Incorporated is proud to announce the winners for the 2016 Sine Nanay Short Film Festival. Now on its second year, the Sine Nanay Short Film Festival is led by TV, movie and theater actor Mr. Arnold Reyes as Festival Director. It aims to develop and discover the creative talents of students from different schools, colleges and universities in the Metro, while staying true to its Mission and Vision of making our Nanays Proud by being the best of what we can be.

This year, the theme is open, so as long as it highlights mothers. Dr. Boy Abunda, Founding Chairman of MYNP stressed that motherhood should not be limited to traditional biological mothers- they can be LGBT Mothers, spiritual mothers, adoptive mothers, so as long as they play a maternal role in the lives their children.

The response was overwhelming. MYNP received a record breaking one hundred twenty (120) entries in its initial call. A panel of experts conducted round table discussions and deliberations, a very tedious process, to come up with a short list of twenty seven entries. From there, further deliberations were conducted and a final list of ten films was chosen.

The winners for the 2nd Sine Nanay Short Film Festival are the following:

Best Ensemble Performance
Life in Videos (Angelicum College)

Best Cinematography
Uyayi
De La Salle-College of St. Benilde

Best Sound
Uyayi
De La Salle - College of St. Benilde

Best Production Design
Uyayi
De La Salle-College of St. Benilde

Best Supporting Actor
Miguel Medenilla
(PaskilniInay)

Best Supporting Actress
No winner


Best Screenplay
Dawn Capales
(Life in Videos)

Best Actor
JeremieRaizen
(Silent Hope)

Best Actress
Christine Calawod
(TataynasiNanay)

Best Director
AldaDalisay
(Uyayi)

Best Film
Life in Videos
Angelicum College

The Final Board of Judges was composed of respected film and movie personalities and mentors in the industry which includes Direk Hannah Espia, Ms. Moira Lang, Mr. Ronald Arguelles, Direk Mac Alejandre, Mr. Sid Lucero, Ms. AngeliBayani, Direk Mikhail Red and Ms. Tara Illenberger.

Ms.Angeli Bayani, jury member, has this to say about the Best Film LIFE IN VIDEOS

“This film is my number one choice, for the sheer sincerity of the filmmaker.  The filmic language is simple and clear, the shots capture the relationship between the mother and her children and grandchildren.  The story, simply told, is beautiful because even as the mother suffers from progressive mental deterioration, her heart remembers.  And as shown in the film, her children will not tire of taking care of her and reminding her who and what she is to them.  The filmmaker shows that a mother's love goes beyond infirmity, disease or disability.”

Ms.Bemz Benedito, Managing Director of MYNP and Festival Secretariat head is very happy with the huge turn out and the variety of talents and materials submitted this year. “It only goes to show that MYNP is making a difference and indeed, inculcating the value of love for our mothers through our activities especially the Sine Nanay Film Festival. While it might just be in its infancy, considering it is only our second year, we are hopeful that this will grow bigger year after year. The imagination and talent of Filipino students are simply boundless. Maternal love is the cornerstone value that the Filipinos should never ever forget. We hope we can continue to improve Sine Nanay Festival in the years to come.

The 2nd Sine Nanay awards ceremony was held on December 16, 2016, Friday, 7:30PM at the Philippine Women’s University Concert Hall.

The 2nd Sine Nanay Film Festival was made possible by the generosity and support of Festival Patron and MYNP Council of Advisers member Mr. Tony Tuviera. Other sponsors were Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office; SEAOIL Foundation, Inc.; Mother Lily Monteverde; Ms. Rica dela Merced; AdGarlic; Great Image; Dannon Clothing; Philippine Star; IntermatrixKatipunan; FLM Creatives and Productions; BDO T. Morato-Kamuning; Offices of Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian; Sen. Francis Pangilinan; Sen. Cynthia Villar and Sen. Loren Legarda.

For further details, please visit www.makeyournanayproud.com and FB fanpagewww.facebook.com/MYNP.OfficialFanpage or email makeyournanayproud@yahoo.com. #30

Jimmy Fallon hosts The 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 9!

Jimmy Fallon, late-night talk show  entertainer, has been named host of the “74th Annual  Golden Globe Awards,” set to air on RTL CBS Entertainment, live from the U.S. on Jan 9, Monday at 8am (7am JKT/BKK)./B

The Emmy- and Grammy Award-winning Fallon, who’s hosted “The Tonight Show” since February 2014 and has since guided the classic franchise to dominance in every key ratings category, previously won rave reviews for his performance as host of the 2010 Primetime Emmy Awards. “The Tonight Show” is currently nominated for two Emmys this year, including Outstanding Variety Series Talk.

January’s three-hour Golden Globes telecast will serve as the official kick-off to the 2017 awards season.

“Jimmy Fallon is an exceptionally talented and dynamic entertainer and we couldn’t be more excited that he’ll be hosting the 2017 Golden Globes,” said Lorenzo Soria, President of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. “His charm, wit and incredible spontaneity will play exceedingly well both to everyone at the show as well as the millions watching at home from around the world.”

“Jimmy Fallon’s brand of comedy will continue the tradition of cutting-edge excitement viewers have come to expect from the host of the Golden Globes,” said Allen Shapiro, CEO of dick clark productions.

Additionally, the 2016 telecast saw an upward trend in digital and social media statistics. On Twitter, beginning three hours before the live show and through 10 minutes after it ended, 4.4 million Golden Globe Awards-related tweets were sent globally, resulting in a total of 1.2 billion views. On Facebook, more than 9 million users globally participated in a total of 19 million interactions on show day, which included posts, comments and likes.

Nominations for the Golden Globes were announced Monday, Dec. 12. Winners are voted on by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

Produced by dick clark productions in association with the HFPA, the Golden Globe Awards are viewed in more than 236 countries and territories worldwide and are one of the few awards ceremonies to include both motion picture and television achievements.

Optometry: an underrated profession

When we have eye troubles, we are usually asked to get our eyes checked. But how do we really know which eye care professional to consult?

If you need primary eye care like prescription of eyeglass lenses and contact lenses, glass fittings, refractions and postsurgical care, you should first consult an optometrist. An optometrist is an eye care specialist that mainly performs eye exams and prescribes corrective lenses.

“We are often the first responders when it comes to vision problems. People usually come to optical shops and have their eyes checked for possible issues. That’s why optical shops like EO Executive Optical have at least one licensed optometrist always available for customers,” said top optometrist and EO Operations Team Regional Manager Dr. Josephine Yap.

“Seeing our patients smile as we help them care for their eyes is more than enough. This job is very rewarding because we get to be instrumental in them achieving better eyesight.” said EO Group Manager and optometrist Dr. Angel Reyes.

Data suggest that there’s a high demand now for optometric services with the kinds of lifestyle people lead. That’s why EO is an advocate in making this profession thrive. “Not a lot of people know that it is actually a viable profession – that they, in fact, specialize in different fields to better serve the customers,” said EO president/CEO Dr. Maximino S. Uy.

According to the Integrated Philippine Association of Optometrists, fields of specialization in optometry include developmental and behavioral optometry, sports vision, contact lens and cornea, and low vision.  Developmental and behavioral optometry is concerned with how the brain processes the visual input and how vision affects behavior. While Sports vision deals with eye care services for athletes, Contact lens and cornea focuses on the proper use of contact lenses to enhance eyesight. Then there’s low vision which mainly centers on treating patients with a reduced level of vision that cannot be completely corrected by glasses.

EO Executive Optical ensures its optometrists continuously undergo trainings and seminars to be up-to-date with the latest technology and research findings in their field. So get your eyes checked by an EO optometrist today.

Welcome 2017 with mouth-watering Espresso and food pairings from Starbucks PH

Nowadays, I pay much attention to the food that goes around with my favorite cup of coffee or frappe. Im glad that Starbucks partners my hot caramel macchiato with delicious sandwiches, pies, and or pastas. Starbucks comes up with savory dishes perfect for your favorite frappe or hot drinks.

Chestnut White Chocolate Truffle

Salted Caramel Mocha Crumble

Starbucks start the year on a positive note by indulging in the heavenly treats and whips up some favorite nibbles to your favorite espresso.  Check out the latest wave of frappe concoctions and savory dishes for your next Starbucks visit,

From its newest Espresso Confections, delectable food and returning favorites, your go-to coffeehouse has got your cravings satisfied.

Excite your taste buds with the newest Salted Caramel Mocha Crumble which combines all the goodness of espresso, milk, mocha sauce and toffee nut syrup. Topped with whipped cream, caramel drizzle, Starbucks Sea Salt and brownie bits, this espresso confection is truly perfect for those who love to indulge.

You may also delight your senses with the Chestnut White Chocolate Truffle, a combination of Starbucks signature espresso, chestnut flavor and white chocolate sauce. It is topped with whipped cream and chestnut drizzle.

Both espresso confections are available in hot, iced and blended formats.

Great coffee calls for great food. Pair the returning Starbucks Guatemala Casi Cielo, a bright and elegant coffee with a smooth cocoa finish, with new featured food items which include desserts like the Mango Cake, Vanilla Crepe Cake, Purple Yam Cookie, Chocolate Doughnut Éclair and Vanilla Doughnut Éclair.

Vanilla Crepe Cake

Vanilla Doughnut eclair

Purple Yam Cookie

Starbucks has also released new food items perfect for any time of the day, like the Chicken Pot Pie, a buttery and flaky crust filled with delicious creamy chicken topped with mashed potato, the new Sausage Roll and the Longganisa Pandesal, a soft and buttery bun with sautéed garlic Longganisa filling.

Chicken Pot Pie

Longganisa Pandesal

If you’re craving for more savory dishes and hearty food items for lunch, try your favorite espresso beverage with Farmer’s Ham & Emmental Cheese on French Baguette or Pork Carnitas Wrap.

Farmer’s Ham & Emmental Cheese on French Baguette

Pork Carnitas wrap

Chicken Pot Pie

Mango Cake

What’s more, Starbucks Coffee Rolls are back in a special tin can packaging perfect for welcoming the Lunar New Year. It’s a new take on the crispy wafer rolls, infused with Starbucks Espresso Roast.

Starbucks Coffee Rolls

Sausage Roll

Welcome the New Year with these newest product offerings by visiting any Starbucks store nationwide. For more information, go to www.starbucks.ph

Welcome the New Year with the New Starbucks Reserve Card!

To all Starbucks card lovers! Welcome the new year with the new Starbucks card!

The Starbucks Reserve Card which features the Starbucks Reserve Logo and wordmark in a sleek black background will be available with an initial consumable load of ₱300 and is only available in Starbucks Reserve stores starting January 9.

Visit this link to see the list of stores:
http://www.starbucks.ph/promo/reserve-store 

Welcome the New Year with these newest product offerings by visiting any Starbucks store nationwide. For more information, go to www.starbucks.ph 

Treat yourself to these 5 Body Pampering Skin Care Korean Products from Althea PH

I have been reviewing Althea Christmas Box since last year because the brands they have been carrying at their site are some of my hard to find Korean Beauty Products like Laneige, Innisfree, Clio and my ever reliable Missha Time Revolution.  So far, I have reviewed products from the two boxes that I have ordered from them, links are here:

http://lemongreenteaph.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-top-5-k-beauty-products-to-watch.html,  http://lemongreenteaph.blogspot.com/2016/09/i-discovered-korean-skincare-and-beauty.html.

It was always a breeze shopping at Althea online. If you are looking for some hard to find Korean Beauty Products that are not available at any physical store in Manila. chances are you can find it at http://ph.althea.kr/ at an affordable or at a discounted price.

My  Althea Holiday Box,  arrived Dec. 30 of this year. I got my Althea Holiday Body Box #4 delivered just in time with some of my favorite Korean brands inside!

It contains Body pampering skin care from head to toe wih the lovely Etti Shower ball!

Wonder Shiny Body Scrub

The Wonder Shiny Scrub smells like grapefruit and has walnut bark grains to wash away the impurities, dead skin cells off  your body to give you soft smooth skin after each use. The product itself is also good enough for your feet.  To slouch off dead skin cells from your soles to give you soft baby feet feel after each wash.

Innisfree My Body Cotton Flower Body Cleanser

This Innisfree My Body Cotton Flower Body Cleanser is a body wash that smells divine with Jeju Island inspired scent from Korea. Lavish yourself with this body wash, to keep the fragrance linger for hours, you can layer it with Innisfree Cotton Flower lotion right after your shower.

Innisfree Cotton Flower Body Lotion

After using the Cotton Flower Body Wash from Innisfree, seal the deal with  Innisfree My Body Cotton Flower Body Lotion. If you like to keep the fragrance lasts, you could layer with this body lotion. It smells fruity, almost like peaches.  It has shea butter and hyaluronic acid to keep your body smooth and moisturized.

Demeter Juicy Oil White Musk

If you are a fan of Demeter Fragrance Library, chances are you have encountered their White Musk in version of #7 , #9 or #15. Their fragrance line smells like CLEAN perfume.  Demeter Juicy Oil White Musk on the other hand has that powdery smell. It has a fresh scent ,  like a baby fresh from the shower kind of smell.  The scent is buildable.  So you can spray as long as you want.  This is good for everyday use.

Wonder Bikiny Body Patch

The Wonder Bikiny Body patch is a hydro gel fat burner patch, It is made with capsaicin, caffeine and orange extract.  Remove the film off the gel patch and attach to your desired body parts. Such as thigh, under arms, sides, hips and or stomach belly.  It lasts for 8 hours. You can put the patch into fridge before using for that cooling effect.  I used one patch over my beer belly and you could feel that it works because the gel heated up in that area.

Etude's Etti Shower Ball

Make shower fun time with this pink cute scrub from Etude House!

For that one foot spa addict.  You can now do it at the comfort of your house.  With these Korean Foot Pamper Kit.

Every month Althea will be curating 3 boxes called the “Althea Beauty Box.” Each box contain a bunch of goodies according to a specific theme for the month.

There is no subscription needed, so its up to you to order if you like what you see. But you have to decide quickly as this limited edition set is offered in very limited quantity.

The prices are also a steal because you get to try out these great KBeauty Products based on a theme without having to search and buy each item individually.

The beauty boxes can be found here http://ph.althea.kr/althea-box.

Grab a limited Edition Althea Box Today.