Realme Philippines to set a new standard of value with the realme 5i launch on January 29

Fastest-growing smartphone brand Realme Philippines offers tech-savvy, cost-conscious Filipinos another device that brings real smartphone value without the high price tag – the realme 5i! The quad-camera value hero will be launched in the Philippines on January 29.


Designed to offer hardworking Filipinos high-performing phones at more accessible price points, the realme 5i packs top-tier specs enjoyed by midrange smartphone users. The realme 5i is the first in its price segment to have a quad-camera setup comprising a primary lens, wide-angle lens, macro lens and portrait lens. It is also the first in its category to run on a Snapdragon 665 processor.


The realme 5i delivers immersive entertainment with its 6.5-inch screen with a large field of view. Its 5,000mAh large-capacity battery capacity ensures many hours of use while the new splash-resistant design that comes in two color variants – forest green and aqua blue – guarantees a stylish daily companion.

“We at Realme Philippines are very excited to start the year with a bang through the launch of the realme 5i. We heard the Filipinos’ demand for a smartphone that doesn’t compromise real value for its price. Our commitment to upgrade the smartphone user experience stays stronger than ever. This is just the first of many surprises in store for realme fans this year,” shares realme Philippines Marketing Director Austine Huang.

The realme 5i, packed with midrange features, caters to every Filipino user looking for an affordable smartphone that delivers over and beyond its cost, be it in gaming, photography or overall device performance.


Fans of realme products are also welcome to join the realme community on Facebook to see the latest news and discussions about the brand. Follow realme on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more updates.

Get Lucky with Lazada’s Chinese New Year Deals from OnePlus

From January 22-25, OnePlus will have a grand sale on smartphone units and accessories only at Lazada. 

Consider yourself in luck! Now’s your chance to own OnePlus premium items at great discounts:

OnePlus 7T Pro with 8GB RAM / 256GB memory in Haze Blue is available for Php38,990 (before: Php42,990). It has 90Hz refresh rate and features a 6.67-inch full-view touchscreen. It has a triple camera with 1440P resolution and super stable video mode, 16MP pop-up selfie camera, Dolby Atmos sound, Snapdragon 855 Plus mobile platform, Oxygen OS based on Android 10, and 30W fast battery Warp Charge.

OnePlus 7T with 8GB RAM / 256GB memory in Frosted Silver or Glacier Blue is available for Php27,990 (before: Php29,990). It features 6.55-inch waterdrop notch touchscreen with 1080P display resolution, with 90Hz refresh rate. It has 48MP ultra wide triple camera with 2x optical zoom, and super stable video mode; 16MP selfie camera, Dolby Atmos sound, Snapdragon 855
plus mobile platform, and Oxygen OS based on Android 10. It also has 30W fast battery Warp Charge 30T.

OnePlus Bullets Wireless earphones in Black is available for Php3,432 (before: Php4,290). Charge for only 10 minutes to get 5 hours of listening time. Its Magnetic Control allows you to pause or stop music simply by clipping the Bullets together. Separate them to turn the music on. Use them with Google Assistant and Voice Calls for added convenience.

OnePlus Dash Charge car charger is available for Php1,512 (before: Php1,890) and comes with a Dash Type-C cable. It’s compatible with OnePlus 3/3T/5/5T/6/6T.

OnePlus Type-C OTG cable is available for Php552 (before: Php690). Quickly transfer files to and from your OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7, OnePlus 6T, OnePlus 6, OnePlus 5T, OnePlus 5, OnePlus 3T, or OnePlus 3 by connecting your phone to a USB flash drive or other external storage devices.

Other promotions you shouldn’t miss:
- Php100 off on Protective Accessories for OnePlus 6 and below.
- Php500 off on Protective Accessories for OnePlus 6T units.
- 20% off on OnePlus 7 and 7 Pro Protective Accessories.

Be sure to catch the Lazada CNY Sale that will happen on January 22-25, 2020.

For more information, Lazada’s official store at https://www.lazada.com.ph/shop/one

Values education, financial literacy and family bonding in OFW Family Day

Values reorientation and financial literacy seminars and a whole day of fun bonding with their families were the highlights of the OFW Family Day 2019 attended by thousands of OFWs at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City.

The OFW Family Day is an institutionalized nationwide activity that aims to give honor to OFWs and provide them with timeless experiences with their families. It is spearheaded by Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE). This year, OWWA Regional Welfare Office – National Capital Region partnered with SM Cares, the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, SMX Convention Center and BDO. 

The event was participated by the OFW Family Circle (OFC) members in the National Capital Region (NCR) comprising of vacationing and former OFWs as well as their families. 

“Our support goes out to members of the OFW Family Circles who are the driving force and fruitful reminder of the hardships of our OFWs. You are the symbol of love, unity, and courage of all OFWs across the globe,” said OWWA deputy administrator Josefino Torres.  

“For OFWs who come home for Christmas, family time is important and that’s why we offer SM as their second home, for them to create wonderful memories. We thank OWWA for trusting SM Cares to be a partner for this year’s OFW Family Day,” added SM AVP for CSR Marketing Chito Bauzon.

Top officials of OWWA, deputy administrator Esther Margaux “Mocha” Uson, deputy administrator Josefino Torres and administrator Hans Leo Cacdac graced the event among other OWWA Officers. Also present for an inspirational message was Model OFW Family of the Year Awards 2019 National Winner for landbased category Josephine Jasa. 

The whole day event was filled with exciting games special numbers and surprises. Comedians MC and Lassie delivered their funny antics. Leah Patricio of “The Voice Philippines” Season 2 meanwhile, entertained the crowd with song numbers. Members of the OFCs donned Christmas costumes made of recyclable materials and formed chorale groups for the event’s competition. Face painting and games for the kids were also prepared for them to enjoy.

The participants also got the chance to bring home various prizes from OWWA – NCR including P300 and P500 gift certificates from SM and two 32” and 40” televisions during the raffle draw.

 To know more about OWWA’s program for OFWs, you may visit www.owwa.gov.ph

Best travel snack to bring abroad

When traveling with my partner, I always have snacks tucked in my backpack.  So that when hunger strikes, most of the times hahaha. I would just ask for a hot water for my cup noodles. Traveling with food helps you avoid some of these moments where you might go back to your accommodation hungry. 

Recently, we spent our holidays in Hongkong, we arrived late at night in our hotel. We were just lucky that I packed some cup noodles.  

Click the video what happened. 


#Tired + #Hungry is never a good combination especially when on a trip. Good thing I brought some #cupnoodles before my partner began his own #Hangry #Protest.

What about you? What's your favorite #travel #baon?

SM Cinema launches the newest entertainment complex in town — SM Cinema Mall of Asia!

If you want to experience relaxation and entertainment at its best.  Then its about time you go visit SM Cinema Mall of Asia together with your friends and family to enjoy your favorite movie.

Be sure to bring your jacket, shawl, cardigan or sweater to get you through 2 hours of screening time. Just because its fully renovated. The aircon inside the cinema is sooo cold, it can lull you to sleep. Hahaha.  I slept for 30 minutes lying in their Verona full-recliner leather seat. The cinema is equipped with a large advanced laser projection system and contemporary Dolby Atmos system. 

SM Cinema Mall of Asia now houses 16 theaters all in all. The new entertainment complex includes (11) regular cinemas, one (1) IMAX theatre, three (3) Director’s Club theatres, and one (1) event cinema. With the unveiling of the upgraded and refreshed theaters on Jan 22, SM Cinema seeks to give moviegoers a superb viewing experience.

With the opening of the upgraded theatres, SM Cinema Mall of Asia is now the cinema exhibitor’s biggest cinema complex, offering families and friends more ways to enjoy the latest movies through state-of-the-art technology complemented by modern architectural design.

SM Cinema’s redeveloped regular theatres boast of premium, upgraded features—from the most comfortable Opus Glide semi-recliner spectator seats and interior design, to Standard 7.1 Surround Sound setup and RGB Laser Projection System—giving viewers a much-elevated and immersive silver screen experience.

On the other hand, the 3 Director’s Club cinemas will each house Verona full-recliner leather seats, equipped with a large advanced laser projection system and contemporary Dolby Atmos system. Moviegoers also have the luxury of an in-theater butler service, allowing them to have a focused and in-depth movie viewing experience.

SM Cinema Mall of Asia introduces a new entertainment hub for people living in the South of Metro Manila. In the photo (L-R) SM Mall of Asia Mall Manager Amy Gonzales, Viva Artist Gab Lagman, 2019 Ms. Earth Janelle Tee, Pasay City Mayor Imelda Calixto-Rubiano, SM Cinema Premier 3 VP Perkin So, SM Cinema VP for Marketing Ruby Ann Reyes  Pasay City Councilor Mark Calixto, Viva Artist Julian Trono, and SM Cinema VP for Operations Edwin Nava.


As a pioneer in the local theatre industry, SM Cinema has revolutionized movie watching by introducing movie theaters inside a shopping center, almost three decades ago. Since then, it has become a household name for being an inevitable go-to movie house.

“At SM, we always think of ways on how we can better serve our target market. With the introduction of the new and upgraded SM Cinema Mall of Asia, we further cement our unique position of being a household name by providing our customers with a premium movie experience they deserve,” shared Ruby Ann Reyes, SM Cinema Vice President for Marketing.

Ushering a whole new cinematic experience, SM Cinema Mall of Asia steps into a new decade, branding itself as an entertainment hub where people can enjoy seeing their favorite movies come to life through year-round installations and movie-centric experiential activities.

So, hurry, visit SM Cinema Mall of Asia starting January 22, and join the conversations using hashtag #PremierCinemaExperience. 

For more updates, ‘like’ SM Cinema Mall of Asia’s official Facebook page, and follow @SM_Cinema on Instagram.

Teleperformance Philippines inducted as Philippine Financial and Inter-Industry Pride member, awarded for HIV/AIDS advocacy

Teleperformance Philippines has been inducted to the Philippine Financial and Inter-Industry Pride and received the 
Duyan Ambassador Award from Project Red Ribbon for the company’s strong support for the HIV/AIDS advocacy campaign

Teleperformance Philippines was recently inducted as the newest member of the Philippine Financial and Inter-Industry Pride (PFIP) at the 6th Annual PFIP Gala held at the Forbes Ballroom, Conrad Manila, Pasay City.

PFIP is a collaborative, voluntary and non-profit community of practice composed of dedicated representatives from LGBT+ Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) or Human Resource/Diversity Teams of the financial service industry. PFIP aims to foster an industry that is safe and inclusive for LGBT+, with key thrusts including promoting gender identity and sexual orientation to create an inclusive and safe working environment and to leverage on effective education programs and diversity training on sexual orientation, gender identity and expression across member organizations, among others. 

Teleperformance pledged to fully support the goals of the organization, as Teleperformance Philippines’ Diversity and Inclusion Manager Philip del Rosario shared, “Teleperformance is looking forward to working alongside our peers in the industry who share the belief that nurturing workplaces where people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression can bring and live their authentic selves in both ethical responsibility and a critical business imperative.”

During the event, Teleperformance Philippines also received the Duyan Ambassador Award from Project Red Ribbon for its strong support for the HIV/AIDS advocacy campaign. The award was received by Senior Director for Communications and Marketing Marilyn Ventenilla along with Manager for Diversity and Inclusion Philip Del Rosario. 

Teleperformance has been active in its advocacy and awareness campaign and holds the distinction of one of the first companies in the country to establish a comprehensive HIV/AIDS information program with strong ties with the Department of Health, and Project Red Ribbon Care Management Foundations, Inc.

To learn more about Teleperformance Philippines and their various programs, you may visit their website at www.teleperformance.ph/en-us or their Facebook page at /teleperformance.philippines.

UP screens Imelda Marcos docu ‘The Kingmaker’ Jan. 29

Due to popular demand for more screenings of the critically acclaimed documentary film “The Kingmaker”, the University of the Philippines Film Center, Dakila and Active Vista will mount an on-campus screening at Cine Adarna on Wednesday, January 29, at 7 p.m. The UP screening coincides with the 50th anniversary of the First Quarter Storm, the 1970 student leaders protest against the government of Ferdinand Marcos that prompted the declaration of Martial Law in 1972.

A gala screening will be held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on Jan. 29 as well.

The documentary by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker and photographer Lauren Greenfield centers on former first lady Imelda Marcos, the wife of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos whose regime was stained with atrocities including human rights violations, disappearance of political dissidents, and widespread corruption.

“The Kingmaker” highlights Imelda’s confident rewriting of the Marcos family’s disturbing legacy with a narrative of a matriarch’s extravagant love for her country.

Beginning in 2014, Greenfield conducted interviews and filmed verité footage with Imelda Marcos herself, chronicling her present-day effort to restore the family to power in the Philippines, as well as filmed Bongbong Marcos’ 2016 vice-presidential campaign.

During the same period, Greenfield also talked to victims of the Marcos regime, from former Martial Law detainees to an elder Calauit resident who had been evicted from the island to make way for the Marcos’ private menagerie. 

The 100-minute documentary had its world premiere at the 2019 Venice Film Festival, followed by screenings at the 2019 Telluride, Toronto, and London Film Festivals—the first documentary film to be invited to all four of these top festivals. “The Kingmaker” has since garnered a Writers Guild Nomination, three Critics’ Choice Nominations, as well as the Critics’ Choice honor for the “Most Compelling Living Subject of a Documentary.”

The screening will begin at 7 pm, followed by a panel discussion. Get tickets for Philippine premiere of “The Kingmaker” at http://bit.ly/TicketsKINGMAKER or purchase them directly at the UP Film Center Ticket Booth on the screening date for 200 pesos

Justin Bieber officially joins TikTok

Is it too late now to say sorry that we’re not sorry?
Justin Bieber is officially on TikTok! On the cusp of releasing his highly anticipated new album, the hearthrob who we’ve loved for over a decade posted his video.

The effect is used in the TikTok trend where users share their own transformations and glow-ups. Currently already has over 2.3M followers. 

Check him out at @justinbieber.

VIDEO

♬ Yummy - Justin Bieber

@justinbieber DO YOUR YUMMY

The short-form video app empowers others to be themselves and express their creative ideas through a suite of editing tools and creative effects. No matter what music you’re dancing to, TikTok is where you’ll find light-hearted, joyful and eccentric videos that you might not see anywhere else.

Get lucky this Chinese New Year with PayMaya’s amazing cashback deals!

 Gong xi fa cai! It’s time to usher in prosperity and good luck this Year of the Metal Rat. Whether you’re shopping or giving Ang Pao to your loved ones, PayMaya is making your Chinese New Year celebration more rewarding.

Sharing best wishes to celebrate Chinese New Year with Ang Paos? Make it digital! 

It’s definitely the perfect time for you to wish good luck to people who matter most with PayMaya’s Digital Ang Pao! Through the app’s Send Money feature, you can easily gift your Digital Ang Pao to another PayMaya user without having to deal with the hassles of cash and red paper envelopes. The best part is you can get up to P200 cashback when you participate in the Send Money promos. You can get up to P100 when you send at least P200 every day and an additional P100 when you send a total of P10,000.

Satisfy your Chinese food cravings and enjoy up to 100% cashback when you #ScanToPay at PayMaya QR partners such as Panda Express, East Asia Hotpot, Four Seasons Hotpot, Tong Yang, Mann Hann and select Chowking branches nationwide.

You can also double your luck when you #ScanToPay this January 25 - 26 because PayMaya is giving you two chances of getting up to 100% cashback when you shop or dineat partner QR merchants. On top of that, you can get an additional P150 cashback when you spend an accumulated P5,000.  


Of course, PayMaya’s popular shopping cashback promos are still here for you to enjoy. Attract good fortune and score up to 100% cashback when you use your virtual or physical PayMaya card online or in-stores! You can also get another P150 cashback when you spend an accumulated P5,000.

  

All of these amazing deals are part of PayMaya’s shopping promos which will run until January 31, 2020.


Start your good fortune by signing up for a PayMaya account today! Just download the PayMaya app for FREE on the Google Play Store or App Store, register for an account, and start shopping with the most rewarding and hassle-free way to pay! 


This Chinese New Year, welcome new beginnings and opportunities with the people you cherish– celebrate, forget past mistakes, and offer thanksgiving. Make your shopping and gifting this new year more convenient and rewarding by going cashless with PayMaya. 


To find out more about all the exclusive deals that you can get with your PayMaya account, visit www.paymaya.com/deals or follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

ALL-STAR LINE UP OF OPM ACTS AND CELEBRITY GUESTS LEAD GRAND CHINESE NEW YEAR 2020 CELEBRATION

Get ready for the biggest celebration to kick off the Year of the Rat! The Office of the Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, in cooperation with the Filipino-Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Inc. (FCGCCI), and Manila Chinatown Development Council is holding several activities to celebrate the new year. Join the Chinese New Year Countdown 2020 Street Party, happening this January 24, 2020 from 7PM-12MN at Plaza San Lorenzo Ruiz, Binondo, Manila. 

The show will feature special celebrity guests, and some of the biggest acts in OPM including Parokya Ni Edgar, Sponge Cola, Gloc-9, Shanti Dope, Ex-Battalion,  Darren Espanto, Angeline Quinto, Janine Berdin and many more musical acts to keep the night festive. Also joining the festivities are all-star celebrity guests from ABS-CBN and GMA including Joshua Garcia, Derrick Monasterio, and Rita Daniela. 

To top the New Year Countdown off will be a 30-minute grand firework display to start the year with a big bang. The following day, January 25 will see a Grand Float Parade which will travel along the streets of Binondo and Sta. Cruz, also featuring special celebrity guests. 

This is one grand celebration you wouldn’t wanna miss! ADMISSION IS FREE for all events.

PCV 10 and PCV 13 vaccines can save your child's life

My kids were vaccinated from childbirth until their teenage years. Since I worked in a hospital, immunization is free of charge to us, regular employees. I was just thankful that all of my  children (who are now grown ups)  availed all the vaccination and shots they needed during their growing up years. 

My children's pediatrician thought us that vaccinations not only protect your child from deadly diseases, such as polio, tetanus, and diphtheria, but they also keep other children safe by eliminating  dangerous diseases that used to spread from child to child. I remember my kids had the shots from BCG, DPT to boosters. I thanked God that they never had a complicated disease up to this day and was only hospitalized twice due to viral diagnoses. 

As of this writing I wasnt fully aware of PCV 10 and PCV 13 vaccines.  It was  only during a public health forum held at Manila Hotel that speaker Dr. Lulu Bravo informed us of the importance of the said vaccinations. PCV 13 is available from your Pediatrician from around P3k to P3500 per shot, it depends on the manufacturer or pharma. 

PCV is pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. Two pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) are currently licensed for infant vaccination against pneumococcus. 13-valent PCV (PCV13) and  Ten-valent PCV (PCV10). 
In layman's term, it protect against pneumococcal infections, which are caused by bacteria. The bacteria spread through person-to-person contact and can cause such serious infections as pneumonia, blood infections, and bacterial meningitis which are all deadly. 

Dr. Lulu Bravo, Executive Director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination joined by Atty. Tom Syquija, former Executive Director of Procurement Service- Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PS-PhilGEPS) helped us educate why is there a need for PCV 10 and PCV 13 to be administered and that a public bidding is needed for procurement of the said vaccines. 

A stronger push towards more competitive bidding is key to regaining public confidence in vaccines, said experts from both the public and private sector during a public health forum held at the Manila Hotel last Wednesday.

“It's always best to have a public bidding, because competition will give you the best price. It is transparent,” noted Tom Syquija, former Executive Director of Procurement Service- Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PS-PhilGEPS). “You get the same quality but at the lowest price. It's always best for the public if you have competition,” he added.

The budget for pneumonia vaccines alone is P4.9 billion, allotted for Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines (PCVs), which aim to guard against Invasive Pneumococcal Diseases (IPDs), the largest cause of death for Filipino children under five. 

Currently, there are two vaccines available for the government to procure during the next budget allocation, PCV 10 and PCV 13, two vaccines that global health experts claim are comparable in performance.

In February 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) reaffirmed an earlier position saying that the two available PCVs are equally effective in preventing overall pneumococcal diseases in children. The position paper also states that there is at present insufficient evidence of a difference in the net impact of the two available PCVs on overall disease burden.

“The WHO has already come out saying that there’s really no difference between the two,” said Dr. Lulu Bravo, Executive Director of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination, when discussing the efficacy of the two PCVs. “Many developing countries have already procured PCV 10.”

Similarly, the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) in its own study said that available evidence to date indicates significant impact of both PCV10 and PCV13 in the outcomes studied, with no evidence of the superiority of one vaccine over the other on pneumonia, Invasive Pneumococcal Diseases (IPD), or meningitis hospitalization reduction in children under 5 years old.

In turn, the International Vaccine Access Center (IVAC), in their 2017 PCV product assessment which was based on a comprehensive review of published data, also declared that current evidence does not indicate an added benefit with one vaccine over the other.

Syquija highlighted that the competitive bidding process should be accompanied by the scrutiny and recommendation of legitimate health experts, which would help allay concerns over whether the procured vaccine has carefully been studied or not.

“The first thing to ask is, what is appropriate for the Philippines? How many manufacturers make PCV13? How many PCV10?” said Syquija. “You need a decision on an expert level. What product do we need? Then it will dictate the modality of the procurement.”

Even when the procurement process is transparent, there is a danger in the way it is implemented, claimed Syquija. The bid posted by the government is required to list specifications regarding the item to be procured. It is possible to “tailor-fit” the bid by listing specifications that unnecessarily cut other options out, making it difficult to protect the sanctity of the contract.

“Do we need a PCV10? If that is sufficient, and has multiple suppliers, why would you go for 13 if there is only one (supplier)?” he said.

There is also a concern among health experts that the resurgence of diseases and the potential exacerbation of currently prominent sicknesses, like pneumonia and meningitis, will become a larger problem should the public's fear towards vaccines continues to persist.

Experts believe that vaccine confidence is a critical issue, especially since pneumonia is a very common disease in children here and abroad. Of the hundreds of countries in the world, the Philippines is included in the top 15 countries in terms of pneumonia deaths, and those 15 countries are responsible for 75% of all deaths from pneumonia.

“In the last year or so we had so many outbreaks. Since 2018, nawala ang vaccine confidence ng Pilipinas. Isa tayong country na naging number one anti-vaccine country in the world,” said Dr. Bravo, “The vaccine confidence of 93% in 2015 plunged to 30 percent in 2018.”

“Patients, people, and the community, would drive away the healthcare workers. They were being stoned, they were being driven away, and were even called child-killers,” she added.

In an earlier statement, the DOH pointed to vaccine hesitancy, or the refusal of vaccines despite availability, as one of the reasons for the recent measles outbreak in some regions of the country.