Liza Soberano surprises fans as a Maybelline beauty advisor!

Indeed, Liza has shown how she can make things happen! Manila’s IT-girl Liza Soberano surprised her fans in an exclusive meet-and-greet activity at SM North EDSA by disguising herself as a Maybelline beauty advisor.

During the #MakeItHappenwithLiza event, Liza gracefully entertained and interacted with unsuspecting customers who were browsing the Maybelline counter while waiting for her on stage. Liza took on the role of being a Maybelline Beauty Advisor, allowing her to face customers, give them beauty advices, and recommend the right Maybelline products perfect for their needs. Two lucky girls where given the opportunity to know the perfect confidence booster straight from Liza herself.

When asked about her experience as a Maybelline Beauty Advisor,Liza shared, “It was actually really fun! I loved it most when I gave beauty advices to the customers. It was such an empowering feeling! It truly validates how much Maybelline helps Filipinas to be empowered through beauty.”She added, "First, to be empowered means to feel confident and comfortable with who you are. And how to do that? Acknowledge your flaws and improve from there, some little help from a good set of people around you would help heaps, and, of course, a dash of makeup wouldn’t hurt!” Liza then shared one of her Maybelline favorites – “My personal favorite is Maybelline’s Clearsmooth All in One powder foundation because it gives me that flawless, shine-free, natural makeup look that’s perfect for everyday use. For example, ako, when I go off-cam, it gives me the boost of confidence I need kahit na parang no-makeup look lang ang peg. I love how it’s super perfect for the Filipina skin so that’s why every Filipina should try it.”

Achieve the naturally beautiful look and get shine-free, flawless coverage that’s perfect for the Filipina skin with Clearsmooth All in One Powder Foundation. Created to be 2X lightweight in order to have you look and feel naturally beautiful – it’s as if you’re not wearing makeup! It is available in 4 shades and dermatologically tested. Be confident as ever, just like Liza, with Clearsmooth All in One!

Grab Liza’s most favorite powder foundation for as low as Php149 in all designated Maybelline counters nationwide.

For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/MaybellinePhilippines or follow us on Instagram at @welovemaybelline.

Don Papa concluded their Art Competition with the announcement of winners in Art Fair Philippines

Don Papa Rum a small batch rum from the island of Negros, visually connect with Arts when it comes to its label and packaging. That's why after the Don Papa Art Competition last 2015, it continues to support local artists in their quest to break through the international market with the Don Papa Art Competition. With Don Papa receiving numerous international awards for its unique and bespoke packaging design since its launch in 2012, it recognizes the commonality between its own design aesthetic and the works of the Philippine artistic community – bold, complex and multifaceted.

Now on its second year, Don Papa concluded their Art Competition with the announcement of winners in an event during Art Fair Philippines, on February 17, 2017 at The Link. The Top 10 Finalists of the Art Competition was carefully deliberated by a panel of judges consisting of prominent figures in the Philippine Art Industry.

The Grand Prize was awarded to Henrielle Pagkaliwangan with her work “Field Notes for Papa Isio” in pen, ink, and watercolor on canvas. Henrielle, 22 years old, is the youngest artist from this year’s competition. She graduated from the Philippine High School for the Arts in 2011 and graduated magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines Diliman, College of Fine Arts where she received one of the Outstanding Thesis Awards in 2011. She is a resident artist of Tin-Aw Gallery, a gallery that traces its roots from the island of Negros.

Henrielle Pagkaliwangan's canister

Pagkaliwangan’s work consists of detailed ink drawings of various objects on paper that adopt the taxonomic format of natural history prints and illustrations. She utilizes illustration to frame material and visual culture by the grouping of objects, presenting order as a kind of language in the realm of the visual. Henrielle Pagkaliwangan_with logo

The artwork shows the story behind the Masskara festival – a symbol of Negros’ resilience and positive disposition during a time of crisis. This dark story behind the lively Masskara festival inspired the amalgamation of contrasting yet coexisting elements of the work: the inevitable symbiosis of sugarcane and the pests, the rum barrels and glasses representing the production of succulent rum, the beautiful yet endangered species of Negros, and the ornate, smiling, ‘moustached’ Masskaras (in honor of Negros’ unsung hero, Papa Isio) that conceal the difficult past.

Dexter Sy's canister

First Runner Up is Dexter Sy of 1335 Mabini, created “Papa Isio,” in mixed media on canvas. Dexter is a seasoned Filipino artist who has had various art expositions both in the Philippines and abroad.


His work depicts the story of Papa Isio and his heroism during the colonial struggle in the Philippines. In his artwork, Papa Isio is imagined as the “Christ” indigenized through a native loincloth printed with the Sacred Heart. Surrounding him are smaller figures and scenes juxtaposing indigenous peoples, icons and traditions, workers toiling in sugarcane plantations, and the supposed manifestation of our Christianized culture, the fiestas.

Second Runner Up is John Paul Antido of Pinto Art Museum, with his work entitled “Journey to Paradise Island,” in oil on canvas. John Paul is also an award-winning artist who hails from Antipolo City. He has joined several art competitions and has held various solo and group exhibitions in the Philippines and in other Southeast Asian countries. His work represents the richness in character and culture of Sugarlandia.

The People’s choice of the Art Competition was awarded to Ricky Ambagan of Gallery Anna with his work entitled “The Origin of the Black Gold” an acrylic on canvas. The artwork is a modern take on a local story on the search for “black gold” in Negros. Papa Isio, the hero of the story is prominently displayed with colorful images related to him: his Ilonggo lineage, the hacienderos who owned the sugarcane plantations, and an ethereal Michael Angelo looms around the painting concocting your favorite divine cocktail. The whole feel is completed with old barrels, and endemic Philippine animals, which adds that festive feel.

Monica Llamas-Garcia, Brand Director.

“We’ve released last year’s Art Canisters in the Philippines, France, Germany, and the Netherlands. To them, art is the most tangible connection they have to the Philippine culture aside from our exotic and lush landscape. We are very happy with the response of the consumers and Don Papa lovers for the Art Competition and the Art Canister Series,” says Monica Llamas-Garcia, Brand Director.

As the grand prize winner, Pagkaliwangan’s winning artwork will be the visual basis of Don Papa Rum’s limited edition Art Canister Series, which will be released in the Philippines and internationally for the Holidays 2017.

Henrielle, will be granted with a four (4) week Artistic Sojourn in Florence, Italy, complete with airfare and accommodations, allowances and an artistic immersion to key locations, courtesy of Bleeding Heart Rum Company, the makers of Don Papa Rum. Tin-Aw Gallery will also receive a round trip ticket to Florence, Italy.

Don Papa Rum continuous to support and empower Filipino artists through their art ambassadorship with the brand, not only in the Philippines but also to the world.

Don Papa is a premium aged small batch rum from Negros Occidental, Philippines. Distilled from some of the finest sugar cane in the world, Don Papa is aged for more than 7 years in oak barrels in the foothills of Mount Kanlaon before being blended to perfection. Don Papa 10 is a limited edition product released during the holidays of each year. For more information, check our website, www.donpaparum.com, or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DonPapaRum or even follow us @donpaparum on Twitter and Instagram.

Share the Ride and Fare with GrabShare

Here's some good news to those who frequently ride GRAB,  as the leading ride-hailing platform in Southeast Asia, formally announced the launch of GrabShare last Feb 16 at The Brewery, BGC.

Grabshare is the company’s first on-demand commercial carpooling service and the Philippines and Malaysia will be the first two countries where the service will be available.

With GrabShare, passenger demand for rides can be met more efficiently with the existing car supply, helping to reduce the number of cars on the road. In exchange for sharing their ride, passengers enjoy cheaper fares and a maximum of only one additional detour; drivers earn more by completing two bookings in one trip.

“After the success of our first run in Singapore, we’ve decided to bring GrabShare to Manila for the benefit of the Filipino commuters. With it, we can deliver more affordable rides to our passengers and provide higher incomes for our drivers,” said Brian Cu, Grab Philippines’ Country Head. 

First launched in Singapore in December 2016, GrabShare has successfully attracted new riders to the Grab platform. In two months, Grab completed two million GrabShare rides --- a total distance of about 20 million kilometres. Along with the rapid passenger adoption of GrabShare, Grab has seen a 15 percent improvement in its passenger matching rate. With more passenger bookings completed, drivers’ monthly incomes have also increased 10 percent on average. The dramatic success of GrabShare in Singapore has inspired Grab’s confidence in offering its commercial carpooling service to more countries.

“Carpooling is instrumental to achieving our most important goals: to make transportation accessible for our passengers, and to improve the lives of our drivers. With GrabShare, Grab makes the everyday commute of Filipinos even more cost-efficient and hassle-free: Grab passengers won’t have to waste their time because GrabShare keeps detours to a minimum, while drivers are given the opportunity to earn more by completing two bookings in one trip,” said Cu. 

GrabShare combines a maximum of two separate passenger bookings with similar routes into a single ride. Passengers experience only one additional stop before reaching their respective destinations. Drivers can also maximize their potential earnings by completing two jobs in the time it previously took to complete one; this enables them to finish more jobs per hour, boost their incomes and reduce their fuel consumption.

Conceptualized, designed and engineered across Grab’s three research and development centers in Singapore, Seattle and Beijing, GrabShare’s matching algorithm ensures that passengers get to their destinations in the shortest possible time. The algorithm determines a match by factoring in the closest available drivers, travel time, overlap of trip routes, detour distance and current traffic conditions before intuitively sequencing pick-ups and drop-offs.

“Grab is continually refining our carpooling algorithm to ensure we tailor our GrabShare passenger matchings for a hyperlocal carpooling service which mirrors the optimal driver and passenger carpooling habits of a city. This is critical for Grab as each of our cities have unique passenger travel patterns and the app learns to customize how bookings are efficiently matched. In a nutshell, the more people use GrabShare, the more robust and efficient the algorithm ultimately becomes,” said Dominic Widdows, Software Engineer for GrabShare. 

Filipinos have long been accustomed to sharing a vehicle with their fellow commuters. From jeepneys to the UV Express shuttles, getting around the city has, in majority, involved some form of carpooling.

GrabShare aims to disassociate carpooling from the notion of squeezing a passenger into an already-crowded shuttle, or compromising one’s safety. Passengers can now think of carpooling and commuting with the ease and comfort GrabCar is known for, for a fraction of the cost.

“Grab has always supported multi-modal transportation. We would like to think that we have successfully positioned ourselves as a feeder service to the buses and train stations. Our data indicates that a majority of our passengers use Grab to travel to and from these points during the rush hour. We’re optimistic that the convenience and affordability of GrabShare will cement this role further,” said Cu. 

Benefits of GrabShare to passengers include:

1. Cheaper fares
GrabShare fares are up to 30 percent cheaper than GrabCar (Sedan) fares. Fares are fixed and displayed upfront. 

2. Ride with a friend (per booking)
GrabShare users can share their trip with up to one other person as long as they have the same pick-up and drop-off point. Fares are fixed so there’s no need for an additional fee to share the ride with a friend. 

3. Maximum two-stop guarantee
Passengers can expect no more than one additional drop-off during their ride. This ensures everyone reaches their locations fast for less. Drivers will wait up to five minutes for each passenger during pick-ups. 


4. Instant booking
Passengers can book a GrabShare ride on-demand from anywhere, at any time and enjoy socializing with fellow commuters on the ride.

5. Ride with peace of mind
Safety is Grab’s utmost priority. All Grab rides are insured while drivers have gone through regular customer service trainings and a thorough application process.  

Benefits of GrabShare to drivers include:

1. Higher earnings 
Drivers can double the bookings they serve on a single GrabShare trip, with minimal effort. This translates to higher combined fares and an increase in their earnings. 

2. Cost-efficient trips
Every GrabShare trip helps drivers maximize the utility of their vehicle, fuel and time, which means fewer resources are needed to yield the same amount of productivity.

INQUIRER.net and Philippine Bowling Federation (PBF) unveils philbowling.inquirer.net

I remember bowling when I was in college. It was my sport then, and it helped me lose weight by speeding up my metabolism. The constant movement helps burn excess fats. Bowling can burn anywhere from 170 to 300 calories per game. So if you are looking for a sport that that has all the health benefits. Choose the easy sport, and it is bowling. Im glad that Inquirer.net and PBF partners to reintroduce bowling to the masses.

|INQUIRER.net and Philippine Bowling Federation (PBF) unveils philbowling.inquirer.net website on Feb 17 at the V Corporate Center, Makati.  INQUIRER.net executives President, Paolo Prieto,  Chief Operating Officer, Gary Libby,  and PBF officers graced the event together with  PBF President  Steve Hontiveros, and PBF Secretary-General and Asian Bowling Federation (ABF) executive board member, Alexander Lim and Philippine Olympic Committee chairman Jose “Peping” Cojuangco

The launch is to keep up with the bowling hobbyists and to re-introduce the sport to the younger generation with its official website.

It was a day to remember for both companies, as select members of the media and invited guests were not only able to discuss this newly created venture, but they were also treated to good food and the music styling of the Ryan Cayabyab singers.

This partnership aims to support PBF's goal of "promoting the appeal of tenpin bowling as a sport for excellence and sport for all."

Even famed Bowling champions and medalists, Olivia “Bong" Coo, Biboy Rivera, Rene Reyes, Gina Avecilla and Casiano King, attended the event to support both parties’ latest project launch.

Philippine Olympic Committee chairman Jose “Peping” Cojuangco

Don’t miss out on more of the latest happenings in the world of bowling, Visit philbowling.inquirer.net

For more details on the Philippine Bowling Federation, visit facebook.com/phiIippinebowlingfederation, or follow |NQUIRER.net at

Converse and Vince Staples explore LA Culture

Latest installment in celebration of the Forever Chuck Scenes showcases
Chuck Taylor’s influence on LA Culture with Long Beach, CA recording artist and style icon Vince Staples

Capturing the daring spirit of youth Converse continues the celebration of the Forever Chuck Scenes videos, with the latest release of Chucks and LA Culture. Directed by award-winning filmmaker Karim Huu Do, the video is hosted by Long Beach, CA recording artist and style icon Vince Staples, who takes viewers on a powerful journey through the urban culture of Los Angeles and Chuck Taylor’s influence on street style and hip hop music.

The video taps into the youth culture in Los Angles and bring to life how music and fashion played such important roles. Along the journey, Los Angeles Lakers player Jordan Clarkson and Spanto, founder of Born x Raised also provide colorful commentary and insights.

“Los Angeles has played an important role in revolutionizing youth culture far beyond the west coast — from the style to the music scenes” said Julien Cahn, Chief Marketing Officer at Converse. “And Chuck Taylor was a part of that cultural movement, as a symbol for underdogs, rebels and individualists in Los Angeles and all around the world.”

“Love in the 21st Century #mayForever” with Dr. Margie Holmes on March 18

Do you believe in forever?

The Maryknoll/Miriam College Alumni Association or MMCAA, invites everyone to a seminar on modern love and relationships with renowned psychologist, author and Miriam alumna, Dra. Margie Holmes.  

“Love in the 21st Century #mayForever” will address relationship concerns in these modern and fast-paced times, ending with a lively and interesting Q and A with Dra. Holmes.

Dra. Holmes obtained her degree in Psychology, magna cum laude from the University of the Philippines and her  Masters degree in Public Health from the University of Hawaii. She obtained her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Ateneo de Manila University.

At present, Dr Holmes teaches at Pamantasan ng Lunsod ng Maynila and is a regular columnist at rappler.com and at  Abante.  She has written 16 best selling books.   Her first book, “Life Love Lust had” 7 reprints and sold 21,000 copies in its first year alone.  Her latest book (to date) is the 25th anniversary edition of Life Love Lust, and includes topics like relationships via social media and dating apps like tinder, neuroscientific treatment models for addictions, and many others. Her work has been reviewed in international perodicals such as Newsweek, TIME, the Far Eastern Economic Review, Associated Press, Agence France Press, Asiaweek, Asia Magazine and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Don't miss this opportunity to be up close and personal with Dra. Holmes on Saturday, March 18, 2017, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Environmental Studies Institute (ESI), Miriam College, Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City.  Registration Fee is P450 for adults and P300 for students with valid ID, inclusive of lunch and snacks.

For other queries, please call the MMCAA office at 580-5400 loc. 1187 or email alumni@mc.edu.ph

Get that perfect artsy selfie bokeh effect with Vivo V5 Plus’

In this age of selfies, netizens enthusiastically take self-shots with camera-focused phones and continually seek ways of enhancing these through filters and editing—deemed essential for creating beautiful, share-worthy selfies.

Now comes Vivo V5 Plus from top five premium global brand Vivo. Called the perfect selfie phone, it is equipped with the world’s first dual front camera, which helps you shoot artsy selfies with ease.

The perfect selfie phone features a primary 20-megapixel Sony IMX376 dual front camera and a secondary camera at 8 megapixels, which collects depth-of-field information.

Because of its dual front camera, the Vivo V5 Plus is able to create a true “bokeh” effect. Bokeh, favored by photography- and selfie enthusiasts, is the aesthetic quality produced when out-of-focus parts of an image are blurred.

The term “bokeh” is of Japanese origin, from the word “boke,” which means blur or haze. Creating a “good” bokeh—or a blur that is pleasing to the eye—is tough. In the past, the technique requiredthe use of an advanced digital camera with special lens, according to photography website photographylife.com.

Smartphone-camera-wielding selfie enthusiasts eventually resorted to editing for adding a beautiful blur effect to photos.

With the Vivo V5 Plus perfect selfie phone now rocking the selfie generation, producing a good bokeh effect in your selfies and other photos is as easy as a single tap on the capture button.

Vivo V5 Plus’ bokeh effect will soon be a highly covetable feature. At least 200 engineers from Vivo and its partner organizations spent eight months studying the algorithm behind blurring effects to develop a highly accurate algorithm ideal for portrait shots.This defines objects in such a way that the details in focus are artfully separated from the background.

The Vivo engineers also did research on the blurring effects of 96 types of large aperture SLR camera lenses and simulated each of these lenses in the algorithm of the Vivo V5 Plus dual front cameras. Thenspecial enhancements were added to achieve good results in various lighting situations.

With Vivo’s research and development centers, the brand continually studies and improves selfie technology and other smartphone aspects. In fact, in its effort to improve smartphone technologies for its consumers, Vivo has two new research centers in California—one in Silicon Valley and another in San Diego.

Now, with Vivo V5 Plus’ advanced selfie technology, your artsy selfies will look like they were captured by a professional photographer.



For inquiries about Vivo V5 Plus, visit the Vivo website at vivoglobal.ph, or check out their Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/VivoPhil), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/vivophil/) and Twitter (https://twitter.com/vivophil) accounts. #

1according to International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker (http://www.idc.com/promo/smartphone-market-share/vendor;jsessionid=7595C1498F4F0FBF496CC767E273121B)

Epson launches tablet-friendly Point-of-Sale (POS) receipt printer, TM-m30

Epson, a world leader in printing and digital imaging solutions, is launching its latest POS printer, the TM-m30 printer designed for tablet-based systems. One of the smallest desktop receipt printers in the world, the stylishly compact printer is suitable for retail and hospitality environments, especially those with limited space, and can easily be fitted in any workspace.

Suitable for retail businesses looking to move towards a smart device POS system, the TM-m30 is designed for fast and trouble-free set-up on iOS, Android and Windows mobile devices. Its innovative ePOS-print technology enables direct printing from any tablet, laptop or mobile device through the web browser, without the need to install or update drivers.

It comes with a wide variety of connectivity options including USB, Ethernet, Bluetooth, as well as NFC, which enables the printer to be easily paired with the device. Wireless printing and communications via QR code pairing or optional Wi-Fi adapter is also possible for added convenience.

The sleek POS printer allows for flexible placement and can be placed horizontally or vertically, with flexibility of front or top loading options. It also comes with an optional wall mounting bracket for the smallest retail environments. It also has paper-saving features which include backward paper feeding for printing of other information such as logo.

“Occupying only half the size of a traditional POS printer, the Epson mobile POS printer is the first of its kind in the market and is designed exclusively for today’s advanced POS environment. Its superior connectivity and ease of set up makes it the ideal solution for businesses looking to enhance their business retail operations, and to move towards a seamless tablet POS system,” said Ms. Thea Austria, Product Manager for POS Systems, Epson Philippines.

Anne and her #BeefyEverAfter at Jollibee

Jollibee welcomes Celebrity endorser Ms. Anne Curtis to its family last Feb 15 at Glorietta, Makati and reunited to where it all began.

Anne Curtis, who sported a short hair and was beaming in her red dress joins Jollibee family ' "I’ve come full circle with this endorsement,” says the Fri-Australian actress.

Jollibee, the country's number one fast-food chain, is proud to welcome another star to its ever-growing family of celebrity endorsers. Anne’s first project for the homegrown QSR brand is an ad campaign featuring the best-selling Burger Steak, which premiered last February 12, 2017.

“Anne is dynamic and talented, and her cheerful demeanor brings joy to everyone around her,” said Francis E. Flores, Jollibee Global Chief Marketing Officer and Philippines Head of Marketing. “We hope the nation shares our excitement over Anne being the newest endorser of one of Jollibee’s most populaf products, the Burger Steak.”

A joyful discovery 2017 marks Anne‘s 20th year in Philippine show business, where she had made waves through a slew of TV shows, critically acclaimed blockbuster hits, and in recent years, sold-out concerts at some of the country’s most prestigious event venues.

Her journey to stardom began exactly twenty years ago, at a Jollibee store along Boni Avenue in Mandaluyong City.

“Jollibee brings me so much joy,” she said. “At a young age, my mother introduced me to the Filipino treat that is Jollibee. This is where I got to taste the sweet Jolly Spaghetti, the joys of Chickenjoy, and of course, the Filipino version of steak, the Burger Steak with rice! It started my life here in the Philippines,”

A 12-year-old balikbayan visiting relatives from her mother’s side, Anne was discovered by a talent scout while she was enjoying Jollibee’s signature treats.

“I remember having Chickenjoy and Jolly Spaghetti,” said Anne, who excitedly recounted her ‘discovery’ story. “I wouldn’t be the star I am today if I was not eating at Jollibee 20 years ago. It’s just one of the reasons why Jollibee has a special place in my heart.”

“It is such an amazing story,” added Flares. "Anne just proves how instrumental Jollibee is in introducing relatives and friends from abroad to the Pinoy experience.”

“With Jollibee, there’s always a treat to look forward to, from mainstays like Burger Steak and limited time offers like the Tuna Pie. You’ll never get tired of eating at Jollibee, because there’s so many treats to choose from. The food really brings me so much joy,” said Anne.

With a truly joyful discovery story, Anne believes that her Jollibee endorsement could not have come at a better time.

“I’ve always come so near, yet so far,” she said. “There were plans before, but they never pushed
through. Finally the time has come and it’s really a big dream come true for me. I feel like I’ve come full circle in my career.”

Witness Anne find her beefy ever after with the latest Jollibee Burger Steak TVC, which began airing in the Philippines last February 12, just in time for Valentine’s Day.