TGIF PH holds 2019 Bartender Championship on August 28 at Alabang Town Center

It’s flair bartending season again!  This means exhilarating action at the TGIFridays bar as best bartenders fight for the plum prize the “SHAKE, RATTLE & POUR 2019 PHILIPPINES  BARTENDER CHAMPIONSHIP” happening this Wednesday (August 28) starting at 4 pm at the restaurant’s Alabang Town Center branch.

Expect bottles tossing, shakers bouncing off elbows, glasses flying in the air and other exceptional bar tricks. The rhythm is intense and the energy, geared to the maximum level. These barkeeps consider bartending an art form and a competitive sport!

 Who among the contenders will snatch the King of the Bar title?  Winners in their own right, they all underwent rigorous competitions in their respective branches before they earned the privilege to represent their store at this year’s TGIFRidays’ nationwide competition.  After all, it’s not just about tricks and bar flairs.  There’s a lot of hard work involved such as the technical or compulsory stages that tested their mettle in pour accuracy and mastery of recipes among others.

This year’s winner will represent TGIFridays Phils in the Asia-Pacific Bartender Championship to be held in Indonesia in October.  The regional winner will then be pitted against the best of the best around the world at the 2019 TGIF World Bartender Championship in Dallas, Texas.

Our very own Yohan “The Pilot” Jara of Solenad branch represented the Philippines in the Asia-Pacific Championship held at Fridays Mall of Asia last October.

TGIFridays Philippines has an impressive record of producing world-class bartenders who have won in international competitions. In 2017, Jholan Peñafiel was named grand champion at TGIFridays World Bartender Championship held in Dallas, Texas, showing that she was at the top of her  game when she  bested  competitors from the USA, Latin America. United Kingdom, and Europe. 

   
Peñafiel is the second Filipina bartender to win the world championship, the first being Rizza Umlas who won the title in 2015 also in Dallas, Texas.  Eric “El Terrible” Martinez brought home the World Title in 2006 at the  World Bartender Championship held in Las Vegas, USA.

Be at TGIFridays Alabang when the flairtending action starts at 6 pm on August 28 .  The lively bar with the elite bartenders’ showmanship will definitely wow you!

To know more about TGI Fridays, check out its social media sites: TGI Fridays Philippines (Facebook) @tgifridaysph (IG) and its website - www.fridays.com.ph.)

Nadine Lustre is the new face of the Philippines’ mobile wallet, GCash

L-R: Franz Weber, Head for Branding and Strategic Planning, Nadine Lustre and GCash Chief Marketing Officer Chris Manguera




The country’s favorite young artist and model Nadine Lustre is the new face of the Philippines’ leading mobile wallet, GCash.

The multi-awarded actress headlines GCash’s “What Can’t You Do?” campaign to power the dreams of young adults who constantly want to do more, to expand possibilities, and to achieve beyond their own expectations.
 

“Nadine is the perfect fit for GCash because she represents the true aspirations of young adults and is at that point in her life where taking charge of your finances is becoming more important. She shows how young adults can be independent and take charge of their own lives, and with the help of GCash, “What Can’t You Do?” means so much more,” Chris Manguera, Chief Marketing Officer at Mynt, which runs GCash, said. 

After starting out as a singer in a pop band, Lustre evolved to become a much-sought-after actress on TV, with her primetime hits "On The Wings of Love" (2015) and "Till I Met You" (2016).

The 25-year-old actress has fared as well on the big screen, winning the Best Actress awards from Young Critics Circle, FAMAS Awards and the Gawad Urian Awards in 2019 for  hit movie, “Never Not Love You.” Her latest film, “Indak,” a dance musical movie, shows Lustre’s flexibility as an actress. 

Early this year, one of world’s biggest fast fashion brands, H&M, launched Lustre as its first Filipino ambassador. The actress, named by a top magazine as Sexiest Woman in 2017, has her own line of swimwear with H&M. 

“She has built her brand and can create the image of a lifestyle that everyone will want to follow. We hope for that to happen with GCash as well,” Manguera said. “We also want to activate her big fan base to help spread the word of financial inclusion and empowerment.”

Lustre, who was voted Artist of the Year and Favorite Female Artist at the Myx Music Awards 2019, is a social media savant who has 6.8 million followers on Instagram.

GCash’s “What Can’t You Do?” campaign pushes the limits of what mobile phones can do for young adults with its innovative financial services accessible through mobile. With over 50,000 partner merchants and 20 million users, GCash remains the country’s leading mobile wallet.

Like Lustre, who has won over the entire country  and has kept everyone’s attention throughout the years by relentlessly adapting to change, GCash continues to evolve not just as digital platform but as a lifestyle brand.

Share the benefits of going cashless with PayMaya

Paying with your PayMaya account gives you so much more than when you pay with cash, and now getting your friends and family to sign up for an account just got more rewarding too.    

Earn as much as P5,000 by simply referring your friends and family to PayMaya until August 31! For every successful referral, you and your friends get P50 in your PayMaya account. Use it for shopping online without a credit card, skip the line when paying your bills, buy discounted load and other goodies in the in-app shop, send money to your friends when you split bills, and so much more.    

To start earning, all you have to do is follow these three easy steps:     

1.      Make sure your PayMaya account is upgraded   

2.      Once your account is upgraded, open the PayMaya app and tap the Menu button   

3.      Tap Invite Friends, where you will see your unique invite code, which you can share to friends and family for them to use when they sign up for a PayMaya account   

To be able to receive the reward for you and your friend, make sure to ask your friend to upgrade his/her account by clicking the "Upgrade for Free" button within the app and submitting the requirements. It only takes a few minutes to process the upgrade with approvals usually done in as fast as 30 minutes, provided that your application requirements and complete and satisfactory. 

  

Once all these steps are completed, both of you will instantly get P50 each and enjoy convenient cashless transactions with PayMaya! 

  

Even more perks than cash when you get a PayMaya account  

For new users, the freebies do not end there. After getting the P50 reward from the unique invite code, they can also unlock an additional reward of P60 by completing the welcome challenges from PayMaya. After upgrading their account, the new user instantly gets P20, on top of the P50 from the referral. By sending at least P20 to a friend, he gets another P20, and by paying at least P20 using scan-to-pay with PayMaya QR, he can also get P20 more from PayMaya.    

This is on top of all the amazing perks and discounts that all PayMaya users can get when they shop online, pay using QR, pay their bills, or buy load and gaming PINs in the shop through the services' exciting cashback and discount promos every month.   

Once you already have an account, adding money is also quick and hassle-free as you can do it through more than 30 bank partners via Instapay, or through the more than 40,000 PayMaya Add Money channels nationwide that include Smart Padala by PayMaya centers, Smart stores, Bayad Center, SM Business Center, Robinsons Business Center, Gaisano Capital Business Center, 7-Eleven, ExpressPay, Palawan Pawnshop, Cebuana Lhuillier, RD Pawnshop, Shopwise, Wellcome, UnionBank ATMs, BDO, Metrobank, RCBC, iBayad, ECPay, VMobile and Touchpay, eTAP & Pay&Go Kiosks, among many others.

  

PayMaya, the digital financial services arm of Voyager Innovations, is the only FinTech company in the Philippines offering integrated consumer and merchant payment solutions with the widest on-ground branch network. It is the first to give millions of Filipinos an e-wallet that allows them to pay cashless transactions at any time of the day, anywhere in the world, and from any device.     

To know more how you can maximize your PayMaya account, visit www.paymaya.com/deals or follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. [END]    

*when you refer 100 friends  

Per DTI-FTEB Permit No. 15239, Series of 2019 

Per DTI-FTEB Permit No. 15241, Series of 2019

The Best Place to buy an original art piece at affordable price

I always anticipate Art for Everyone held every year at the SM Supermalls. It is a must for every art lover like me to visit the place, for you will be mesmerized by the beauty of some pieces. 

Last year's Art for Everyone exhibition was thought provoking that I spent an hour to check out the pieces. I loved the theme. The bonus point was  I get to mingled with the artists, curator behind the art. If youre planning to buy, just look around and compare prices. 

This time around, I am planning to buy a piece for our office. 

Everyone  ̶  art enthusiasts, artists, parents, students, and more  ̶  unite! SM Supermalls is bringing this year’s Art For Everyone to 18 participating SM malls nationwide this August till the second week of September, showcasing thousands of new and unique paintings, sculptures, and photographs from a curated roundup of renowned and budding artists.

“Art for Everyone 2019 is SM’s way of reaching out to the art-loving public. We want to feature all types of artists and connect them with different audiences, and this includes both student and seasoned artists. The art works also inspire a refreshing vibe in the malls as shoppers and their loved ones bond over art,” says Jonjon San Agustin, SM Supermalls SVP for marketing. 

Art For Everyone was launched  last August 22 at the Mega Fashion Hall – host to a series of exhibitions, including a retrospective of Juvenal Sansó’s Felicidad Sy series and of art from SM Megamall’s art galleries from August 20 to 25. Artworks of students and enthusiasts will be showcased from August 27 to September 1.

Take your friends and family to the Art For Everyone 2019 Art Fair in the following SM malls:

SM Megamall (Aug. 20 to Sept. 1), SM Sucat (Aug. 18 to 31), SM Angono (Aug. 19 to 30), SM San Jose Del Monte (Aug. 19 to 31), SM Cebu (Aug 26 to Sept. 4), SM Lanang Premier (Aug. 26 to Sept. 7), SM Legazpi (Aug. 26 to Sept 8), SM Marikina (Aug. 26 to Sept 8), SM Novaliches (Aug. 26 to Sept 8), SM CDO Downtown Premier (Sept. 1 to 7), The Podium (Sept. 2 to 15), and in following malls from Aug. 19 to Sept. 1: SM Mall of Asia, SM Aura Premier, SM Batangas, SM Bacolod, SM Molino, SM San Pablo, SM Telabastagan.

For more information, visit https://www.smsupermalls.com/artforeveryone/.

Cetaphil Celebrity moms share tips on how to look good when youre pregnant

Cetaphil, the most prescribed skin care brand by dermatologists in the Philippines recently launched National Healthy Skin Mission, an educational campaign that aims to educate Filipinos on how to achieve healthy skin.

The Cetaphil National Healthy Mission event led by expecting celebrity moms  Mariel Padilla,  Dani Barretto and Mom Patti Laurel was held at SM Makati last August 17. The celebrity moms talked about how to keep their babies skin healthy and moms skin glowing,  even when pregnant. They keyword when youre pregnant is to moisturize a lot.

It was the most informative topic and celebrity moms even shared secrets on how they keep their skin smooth  and how to avoid stretchmarks at the most.

Healthy skin looks and feels smooth. The key word is consistent. It does not have to be as smooth as glass. Consistent skin color is also a sign of good health. Plump skin is also a sign that it is well hydrated.

"National Healthy Skin Mission is an effort initiated by Cetaphil in partnership with Watsons. As Cetaphil’s brand purpose is to improve lives of Filipino’s through healthy skin. It is consistent with Galderma's commitment to promoting healthy skin as part of a healthy lifestyle. To be completely healthy, you also need healthy skin," said Cetaphil Brand Manager, Francesca Sy

"We are very happy to be partnering with Galderma and Cetaphil for National Healthy Skin Mission. At Watsons, we believe that you can look good, feel great by being healthy inside and out," said Watson’s Category Manager, Aimee Pernia

As part of the National Healthy Skin Mission, Cetaphil imparts that there are different skin types. A complicated skin care routine is not the key to healthy skin. What is important is to come up with a skin care routine that is geared toward your skin type and skin issues.

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser is the most iconic product of Cetaphil. It is fragrance-free, has a pH level of 5.5 and is even gentler than water. It is the gentlest cleanser you can use on your skin, whatever your skin type and concern.

The Cetaphil routine is simple but effective and includes three steps: Cleanse,
moisturize and protect.

Cetaphil is launching a roadshow to different parts of the Philippines so Filipinos could try out the products for themselves.

Visit Cetaphil Healthy Skin Mission activations in SM Makati, SM Megamall, SM North EDSA and SM Lanang Premier on August 16-18, 2019 and in SM San Lazaro, SM Mall of Asia, and SM Fairview on August 30-September 1, 2019.

Got ID? Send money for free with GCash

We use identification cards or IDs in practically all aspects of our transactions, whether it’s government or private. It is as important as having cash, ATM cards or credit cards in our wallets. 



In the Philippines, a valid ID is required when we open a bank account, apply for credit cards, apply for telephone or mobile phone lines, get our own meter for power and water, claim a package from the Post Office, or receive our orders from online shopping—all in the name of verification. Everyone asks for an ID. 

One of the best uses of your valid ID is to get fully verified with GCash so you can send money to anyone, anytime for FREE. GCash has more than 30 partner banks, many of which are already charging fees for money transfers. With GCash, sending money is still free, and it’s just as safe and fast as online apps. This is my favorite feature of GCash because it’s so convenient, and frankly, I don’t want to pay any charges for money transfers.



Of course, you have to make sure you have enough funds in your mobile wallet to send money, and you can do this by cashing in. You can move money online from your bank to your GCash wallet if you’re a fully verified user. If you’re transferring money to GCash from an international account, you may choose from one of the remittance options like Western Union, AlipayHK or Moneygram. For over-the-counter cash-in, it’s as easy. There are more than 15,000 partner outlets that will accept transfers to your GCash account; choose just one.



Cashing out is also easy. Use any of the 20,000 ATMs across the country using your GCash Mastercard. You can also access the country’s first fully mobile credit line through GCredit, earn high intertest on saving through GSave, access investments options through Invest Money or insurance through GCash Insure.



So if you’re planning to access all the features of GCash, which I always recommend to my friends and family, first make sure you have a fully verified account. All you have to do is download the latest version of GCash app from Apple or Google store. Then click any of the access points through Send Money, Cash-In via PayPal or debit card, GCredit or Invest Money. Ready your government-issued ID and follow the instructions, after which you will receive a confirmation message.



Wait 48 hours for verification and voila! You’re now ready to enjoy the full GCash experience! 

Ph Bossa Nova Queen Sitti To Perform “Anak” At Malaysia Jazz Festival

Re-recorded in more than 100 versions, released in 53 countries and translated in 29 languages, stayed at the number 1 spot for 2 weeks in the US Billboard charts with 33 million copies sold worldwide.  



It’s been four decades since Freddie Aguilar released Anak—recognized as the all-time highest selling record of Philippine Music yet its message continues to be as fresh and relevant as the first time he performed it at the first Metropop Song Festival in 1977.

Now a new generation of music aficionados will be introduced to the song when Sitti performs it at the upcoming Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival (KWJF) in Malaysia.



The country’s bossa nova queen will be representing the country  at the outdoor jazz festival happening this September 27 and 28 at the Waterfront Walkway of Grand Margherita Hotel overlooking the beguiling Sarawak River.  

“Since this is an opportunity for me not just to share my artistry but to also be able to let the audience listen and experience Filipino music, that is why we’ve decided to include a very special arrangement of the timeless OPM song Anak,” Sitti shared with us over lunch last week. 

Sitti adds she’ll be performing some of the most memorable bossa nova hits as well as several of her original songs like “Para Sa Akin” and “Ligaya” during her 45-minute set. 



We asked her how she feels about being part of the jazz festival and she said it has always been one of her dreams. 

“At first, I couldn’t believe it when my management (Asian Artists Agency), told me that the organizers of the Kuching Jazz Festival were inviting me to be part of the international lineup of performers.”

She said it was one of those dreams she wrote down a long time ago and had already forgotten until she got the call. 

“This opportunity is a gift from God  and a dream come true for me,” she adds. “I have always wanted to perform in an international jazz festival, and to be able to represent the Philippines will be such a great honor.”

Sitti has been taking some time off the music scene after giving birth to her first baby Issiah Dañelle last November and although she has been doing a few corporate shows, she says nothing compares to performing in front of a big crowd and feeling their energy. 



To prepare for the Kuching Jazz Festival, Sitti said she is going back to the basics, listening to the songs of great bossa artists such as Astrud Gilberto, Rosa Passos, Gel Cosa and others. 

The Kuching Jazz Festival will feature a lineup of international performers including Dawn Wong and The Shanghai Jazz Club (Singapore), Q Sound (USA/Malaysia), Harvey Malaihollo (Indonesia), Xanaduduo (UK/Sarawak), Ushera (Malaysia), Saxx In The City (Indonesia), Ning Baizura (Malaysia), Dave Brewer and The DooDaddies (Australia), Z Yan (Malaysia), and Nisa Addina (Sarawak/USA). 

“Music fans will surely be delighted to attend the jazz festival and it’s going be a spectacular musical treat for everyone. I’m very excited to perform and groove to the rhythm with the audience. I’ll give them a best performance they will always remember,” says Sitti.

The first edition of Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival (KWJF) in 2017 was a great success and ended on a high note. Today, everyone is looking forward excitingly to the upcoming KWJF 2019. The Grand Margherita Hotel, a subsidiary of Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) was the organiser of the Kuching Waterfront Jazz Festival as well as the official venue and hotel. 



The first of its kind outdoor jazz festival overlooking the majestic Sarawak River saw a lineup of 17 performing groups from 7 regional and international countries. The performers were Jeremy Monteiro and The Asian All-Stars Power Quartet feat Melissa Tham (Singapore), Sheila Majid (Malaysia), Ernie Watts, Lewis Pragasam & Asia Beat feat. John Kaizan Neptune (USA/Japan/Malaysia), Andy Peterson (Malaysia), Balawan Magic Fingers (Indonesia), Abdul & the Coffee Theory (Indonesia), Sri Hanuraga Trio ft. Dira Sugandi (Indonesia), Kunto Aji (Indonesia), Mellow Motif (Thailand), Baihana (Philippines), Shanghai Sisters (Malaysia), Diana Liu (Malaysia), Akoustik Connexion (Malaysia), Jolynn Joelle Chin (Malaysia), Big Band Borneo (Malaysia), and UKBD Band (Malaysia). 



Held from 29th to 30th September, KWJF 2017 became the first event to kick-start WAK or What About Kuching 2017, a month-long event spread out all over Kuching with various smaller niche events throughout October. Apart from the jazz performances by the world-class musicians, KWJF 2017 featured a bazaar which saw participation from local vendors. A total of 22 vendors comprising arts and craft, including food and beverage vendors participated in KWJF 2017 Bazaar. The bazaar increased the value of the festival, giving festival goers a more holistic experience, especially tourists, where they were able to purchase local Sarawak wares and food. The bazaar also included booths by non-profit organisations such as SSPCA & Lim Kok Wing, 10 Ringgit Club, Blind Massage Centre and Heart Treasures. 



The number of festival-goers to KWJF 2017 was recorded at about 4000, far exceeding the target of the organisers. The jazz festival was a success as it was created as a family oriented event with emphasis given for an audience of all ages. Apart from the entertaining music concerts, the view of the spectacular Sarawak River together with the lively bazaar made KWJF an event to be remembered. KWJF 2019 this year promises to include a greater lineup of performers and a complete event with activities for the whole family to enjoy



Tickets are now on sale at www.kuchingwaterfrontjazz.com.



Sitti is a talent of Asian Artists Agency. For inquiries, please call (02) 855-4765 or (02) 405-4423, email info@asianartistsagency.com, and visit fb.com/asianartistsagency

Global cybersecurity solutions leader continues to invest in PH’s cybersecurity talent through new solutions center and certification programs

What to do if your computer has been compromised or hacked? or infected with a virus or other malware you need to take action,  to keep your files from being destroyed and also to prevent your computer from being used to attack other computers?

Last August 20, we were able to attend Trend Micro, Inc. event in Pasig. The event was graced by Max Cheng, Chief Information Officer at Trend Micro and other Trend Micro executives. 

Mr. Ian Felipe, Country Manager, Trend Micro Philippines, Max Cheng- Trend Micro Chief Information Officer , Myla Pilao - Director, Threat Research

Alma Alvarez - Threat hunting and threat training



Trend Micro, Inc. is further strengthening its commitment to continuously invest in Filipino talent through its establishment of a new solutions center in the Philippines. The global cybersecurity solutions provider today formally launches a state-of-the-art center for its Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service in Manila.

MDR is a highly in-demand service offering round-the-clock alert monitoring, correlation, investigation, and prioritized threat-hunting activities leading to detailed remediation options and actionable recommendations for fixing and preventing threats. Trend Micro’s MDR service, Trend Micro Managed XDR, employs extensive sets of data from a greater pool of protection points that make it more comprehensive, accurate, faster, and effective in finding obscure threats. 

With an XDR approach, email, endpoint, server, cloud workloads, and/or network sources can all be correlated, enabling faster detections and better insight into the source and spread of advanced attacks. 

Trend Micro Managed XDR Solutions and Expertise

“Our MDR service provides organizations a broader visibility over threats, while alleviating overburdened security teams through better flexibility in deploying their solutions,” said Max Cheng, Chief Information Officer at Trend Micro. “Managed XDR addresses three main factors that serve as challenges to organizations: quickly detecting cyberattacks which account for billions of threats annually; achieving better visibility into the scope and scale of cyberattacks across security layers; and alleviating the pain of the skills gap due to scarcity of security experts.”

Due to its complexity, Managed XDR is exclusively carried out by a dedicated team with the advanced security expertise and skills in investigating sophisticated threats. Some of Trend Micro PH’s 1,000 local engineers are now assigned to the Managed XDR service, which covers global services across four strategic vectors—endpoint, network, email, and server and cloud workloads. 

“Trend Micro Managed XDR is global, servicing customers in key regions. We invested in our Philippine office to be among our headquarters for Security Operations Center (SOC) as it is backed by 20 years’ worth of expertise in cybersecurity. This is also Trend Micro’s new growth engine in our services and operations, and we believe that it will usher a new era and new generation of IT workforce, both locally and internationally,” Cheng added.

Trend Micro’s local workforce has grown from just 14 engineers when it was established in the Philippines in 1998 to over 1,000 to date. That is about 17 percent of the firm’s current total global workforce of around 6,000 employees. That has also been translating to better figures for Trend Micro PH—for the past 5 years, revenue growth of the unit has been growing at an average of 32 percent year-on-year, while industry penetration has expanded into banking, foreign services, governments, telecommunications, broadcasting, and manufacturing.

Certified Professional Programs
Aside from recognizing the world-class Filipino talent in the area of cybersecurity, Trend Micro is also aiming to further develop more experts and in a way help counter a possible talent/skills shortage for such expertise. Thus, the cybersecurity vendor is also formally launching today its Trend Micro Certified Professional Programs.

“Trend Micro will equip IT professionals from across the country with real-world experience in detecting and managing threats. The goal is to empower more Filipino professionals with the knowledge and skills to face evolving cybersecurity issues and develop into global cyber guardians” Cheng explained. 

The Certification Program to be offered will focus on Security Operations Center (SOC) Fundamentals, a 5-day course that will be offered at the Trend Micro Philippine headquarters in Pasig City. SOC Fundamentals is recommended to Security Analysts, System Administrators, Cyber Threat Investigators, Threat Hunters, and Security Monitoring Specialists of various organizations.