PLDT, Smart launch rolling store for frontline AFP workers Through the PLDT-Smart Foundation

Frontline workers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are now able to avail of the special offers of PLDT-Smart products and services through the recently launched PLDT and Smart rolling store stationed in Camp Aguinaldo. 

Some of these offers include discounts on PLDT, Smart and TNT products and services. This includes a PLDT Home WiFi for only P995, the unli Fibr Plan 2899 with speed up to 100 mbps and a switch offer of 50% off for six months which is inclusive of free installation and activation fees. 

Meanwhile, PLDT mobile subsidiary Smart Communications and TNT will offer sims, discounted prepaid load top-up and Sim Upgrade to LTE. Both also include a retailer recruitment with a free Giga 99 for every new retailer with a purchase of P2,000 load wallet.

Moreover, Smart also offers a discounted Smart Bro Pocket WiFi for only P999 that comes with a free P250 Surfmax Load Card. For those wanting to upgrade to affordable LTE handsets, you can get discounts and exciting freebies for every purchase and best paired with our Postpaid plans from Smart and Sun.

PLDT and Smart continue to support the AFP through the latter’s long-term partnership with the PLDT-Smart Foundation (PSF). 

The PLDT-Smart rolling store launch is attended by, from left: Mrs. Editha Lorenzana, Maynilad AVP and Head of Government Relations Anette de Ocampo, MVP Media Bureau Head Atty. Mike Toledo, Secretary of National Defense of the Philippines Maj. Gen. Delfin Negrillo Lorenzana, PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan, PLDT-Smart Foundation President Esther Santos, One Meralco Foundation President Jeffrey Tarayao and Smart Sales Department Head Gia Palafox. 

“We are committed in helping our frontline military and checkpoint officers in fighting this disease. We are utilizing our resources to ensure that they are better equipped when it comes to serving our country amid this pandemic,” said PLDT Chairman and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan. 

Protecting our frontliners 

The PSF also turned over to AFP 20 packages of thermal scanners with a complete protection set. The package includes a high quality non-contact thermal scanner, one-gallon of 70% isopropyl alcohol, 10-pieces of face shields, 20-pieces of surgical gloves, 20-pieces of head cap/shoe cover and 25-pieces of 3 ply reusable face masks.

Together with One Meralco Foundation, PSF is also donating 6,000 liters of ethyl alcohol for use in the Camp’s Hospital and other facilities.

Earlier, the PSF also supported over 4,000 individuals in Quezon City through the AFP’s mobile kitchen initiative “Kapwa Ko Sagot Ko”. 

Continuing its efforts in serving the underprivileged communities in the metro, the PSF recently turned over 1,000-pieces of whole chicken and 500-kg of vegetables for the AFP mobile kitchen. Moreover, the foundation is also donating vegetable seeds from its partner nursery in Pampanga for the Community Garden in Camp Aguinaldo.

The foundation also turned over 3,000 CDO canned goods, 1,000 Sari-Roti Wheat Breads and 300 meal packs for AFP frontline personnel. 

“We value our partnership with the AFP. In these critical times, the AFP has been an indispensable ally in bringing our help to the people who need it most. As frontliners, they also face risks to their health, so we would like to support them even more,” said PLDT-Smart Foundation President Esther Santos. 

Aside from its recent efforts through the AFP mobile kitchen initiative, the PSF has been constantly supporting the AFP by providing grocery packs to the frontline personnel and their families and turning over PPE donations such reusable masks. The foundation also sponsored decontamination services in public hospitals and AFP offices as well as donations of ascorbic acid and ready-to-eat meals to frontline checkpoint officers.

To know more about the efforts of the PLDT Group in beating the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit https://beta.pldt.com/covid19/.

Made with joy and passion, Cardinal Cakes bestsellers: Dark Chocolate Cake, Naked Red Velvet Cake, Walnut Carrot Cake, and Caramel Cake

Celebrating life continues during lockdown – this optimistic proposition is what helped this cake business thrive in the tough COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the quarantine, people went on to celebrate special occasions with family, becoming an accidental opportunity for Cardinal Cakes, the offshoot of an events catering company known as Cardinal Cuisine.

"Our business provides catering services for birthdays, weddings, baptisms, and other parties. But with the abrupt ban on mass gatherings, we had to pivot to survive. Truly, necessity is the mother of innovation. We came up with a line of cakes, and marketed them to friends and family via social media," said Eric Bandola, co-owner of Cardinal Cakes.

Prior to ECQ, Cardinal Cuisine made cakes as ordered, and only as part of their catering events. But in the early stage of the lockdown, the big cake companies were closed, creating a void. Cardinal Cuisine was quick to take on this sudden opportunity, quickly mobilizing production and accepting orders for delivery. And that’s when Cardinal Cakes began.

After gaining traction on social media, Cardinal Cakes saw sales jump, and it continues to serve up whole cakes for delivery across Metro Manila. “Last Mother’s Day, we turned over more than 60 cakes for delivery,” shared Bandola. "Around 90% of our customers are from Metro Manila, but we also have regular patrons from the Southern Tagalog region," Bandola said.  

Currently, Cardinal Cakes has four regular offerings – the moist and decadent Dark Chocolate Cake; the sublimely luxurious Naked Red Velvet Cake; the satisfyingly delightful Walnut Carrot Cake; and the light and fluffy Caramel Cake – with prices ranging from Php 450 to Php 1,000. The freshly baked cakes are sold immediately, thus turnover is quick, with rarely any inventory staying too long on the cake display. It’s best to order at least 12 hours in advance to make for enough lead time. 

Bandola explained that all their cakes are ordered as gifts to celebrate life and rightly so, because the cakes are baked with joy and passion. "We make our cakes like how mom makes them: full of love, sprinkled with joy, and carefully baked with tenderness. Good teams make good cakes, and our highly engaged and passionate team bake each cake as a product of that passion, and the desire to be part of our clients’ momentous occasions," he said.

With a clear path towards business progression, Cardinal Cakes has plans for expansion and digital integration to deliver both happiness and excitement to more households across the country. "We love how our cakes are part of our customers’ celebrations. Celebrations are happy occasions and no lockdown can keep us from celebrating life with our families and loved ones," Bandola said.

For more information, visit facebook.com/CardinalCuisine. To order, you may contact 0905-420-4030 or 8821-0057. You can also reach Cardinal Cakes via Facebook Messenger at m.me/CardinalCuisine.

Canva launches its largest content update

Photo 1. Stock videos, photography, icons, elements, animated stickers, audio tracks, illustrations, and more are all available for access to all Canva Pro Users. Photo credit: Canva

Global online design platform, Canva, has launched the biggest update to Canva Pro in history, with 15 times more content now available at no extra cost.

The major upgrade is taking on traditionally expensive stock subscriptions by including more than 60 million premium images, over 20 thousand videos along with a huge collection of audio tracks, and more than 3.5 million graphic elements as part of its subscription-based product Canva Pro, saving its design community up to 10 times the cost of comparable platforms and stock subscriptions in the market today.

At no extra cost, Canva Pro subscribers will now have access to everything from stock videos to photography, icons, elements, animated stickers, audio tracks, illustrations, and more as part of the monthly subscription priced at $9.95 USD (based on a 1-year plan).

“We’re thrilled to be bringing even more value to Canva Pro as part of this improvement which has been designed to help small-medium business owners, marketers, and others save time and money while creating more amazing content without having to pay for multiple subscriptions or individual assets. This upgrade will also extend to more than 50,000 organizations around the globe who are using Canva Pro as part of our Nonprofits program,” said Head of Canva Pro, David Burson.

With 80% of Canva Pro users using the platform in a marketing capacity, Canva Pro also includes access to an additional 25,000 premium templates and tools such as Canva’s Background Remover, Brand Kit, Transparent Backgrounds and ‘Magic Resize’ which can instantly resize designs to be used as flyers, social media posts, posters, invitations, and many more design formats, with a single click. 

“We’re really excited to be providing our design community with even more amazing content at no extra cost. This upgrade was designed to be especially useful for the many small and medium Filipino businesses using Canva who will now have access to even more premium content and powerful tools designed to help them unlock their creativity and productivity,” said Yani Hornilla-Donato, Canva Philippines, Country Manager

Canva Pro is available from $9.95 USD per month, with a free 30-day trial for new subscribers.

For more information on Canva, visit https://www.canva.com/.

“TikTok Stage With HIPHOPPLAYA”, features over 20 of the biggest artists in South Korea including Jay Park, Zico and more

As part of its coordinated COVID-19 relief efforts around the world, TikTok, the leading destination for short-form mobile video, is launching for the first time, two live vertical-format K-POP concerts - “TikTok Stage Live From Seoul” on 25 May, 4PM PHT, and “TikTok Stage With HIPHOPPLAYA” on 27 May, 7PM PHT.

The star-studded concert series is open to viewers in the Philippines and around the world. Fans will get the chance to enjoy their favourite K-POP acts from the comfort and safety of their homes, while doing their part to aid COVID-19 relief efforts. For every live viewer who tunes in, TikTok will donate US$0.50, and all funds raised will go towards supporting charity efforts for those most affected by COVID-19. 

The full-fledged concerts will go live on the TikTok Stage in-app channel, featuring purely live performances and no pre-recordings. The glitzy line-up for “TikTok Stage Live From Seoul” on 25 May includes 9 popular K-POP idol groups, such as Monsta X, iKon, Kang Daniel, AKMU, Apink and more. On 27 May, the excitement continues with “TikTok Stage With HIPHOPPLAYA”, where eager fans can look forward to another jaw-dropping concert with the breakout roster of Jay Park, Zico, Epik High, Crush and Dean, and more superstars. 

These massively talented groups have not only risen quickly to popularity in the Philippines, but  are also dedicated to engaging fans and helping raise funds through their music. In the spirit of spreading positivity through good tunes and great entertainment, local viewers and fans will also get to interact with the performers live, and be asked to participate in fundraising via fun TikTok in-app challenges.

Video link here

“We're grateful for all the artists and entertainers who use TikTok to connect with their fans, and can’t wait until we can see them live on stage again. Till then, we’re committed to connecting our community and fans with these massively talented acts from home - all while doing our part to aid COVID-19 relief efforts,” said John Castro, User and Content Operations Manager, TikTok Philippines.

As a platform created to inspire joy and creativity, TikTok will continue to actively seek more ways to contribute to global COVID-19 relief efforts, including identifying the most effective ways to allocate resources to support ongoing needs. Alongside the community, artistes, organisations and ordinary people across the globe stepping up in this critical moment, TikTok is committed to playing its part in this global outpouring of mutual support and giving

FIVE NEW PINOY FILMS TO LAUNCH ON NETFLIX THIS JUNE IN TIME FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY

Netflix today announced a new slate of beloved and critically-acclaimed Pinoy films across a variety of genres – from horror, comedy, to critically-acclaimed drama. Partnering with leading production studios, including Viva, ERJ Found Films, Black Cap Pictures and Changhe Films, the latest lineup opens Netflix members to a world of diverse storytelling from the Philippines.

“We are constantly amazed by the creativity of storytellers and the quality of talent coming out of the Philippines,” said Raphael Phang, Manager of Content Acquisition at Netflix. “Filipinos are avid entertainment fans, so at Netflix we are committed to bringing the best stories locally and from around the world to our members here.”

“With the world’s inevitable shift to digital platforms for content, it is reassuring that Netflix gives us a showcase of Filipino titles for more audiences and markets to have access to,” said Liza Diño, Chairman and CEO of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

“Of the five films that Netflix will be releasing, at the FDCP we are especially excited about the inclusion of ‘Lola Igna’, a heartwarming film from our very own Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino which won Best Picture, and the multi-awarded 2016 film ‘Pamilya Ordinaryo’ (‘Ordinary People’) which is one of our Cine Lokal hits when it screened in theaters and a winner in Venice Days of the Venice International Film Festival.

This growing slate of Filipino content on Netflix is a true reflection of the diversity of what Philippine Cinema has to offer. And Netflix giving space to more Filipino films is an affirmation that the Philippines has the potential of globalizing its local market.”

These films follow the success of other Pinoy titles on Netflix, including Eerie, The Girl Allergic to Wi-Fi, and Miss Granny, which were among the top ten most popular titles in the Philippines in 2019, as well as the December 2019 release of Filipino Netflix Film Dead Kids by award-winning director Mikhail Red.

“I feel very grateful as a filmmaker that my work has reached audiences all around the world thanks to Netflix,” said Director Mikhail Red. “It is my goal to use storytelling and genres to get my message across, entertain, and engage people at the same time. Netflix has granted me the perfect platform to connect with an audience anytime and anywhere. Even my older film, ‘Birdshot’, which has been on Netflix for three years is still getting fresh reactions online from viewers seeing it for the first time.”

The five Pinoy films coming to Netflix are listed below. Images and other assets can be downloaded here. Click here to see what’s New on Netflix in June.

PINOY SUNDAY (Changhe Films Ltd)

Synopsis: Inspired by a 1958 Roman Polanski short, this lighthearted examination of modern life in Taipei follows two Filipino immigrants, Manuel and Dado, during their day off from work, when the chance discovery of a discarded couch leads to adventure.

Director: Widing Ho

Cast: Bayani Agbayani, Jeffrey Quizon, Nor Domingo, Dave Ronald Chang, Meryll Soriano, Alessandra de Rossi

Release date: June 5, 2020

Quote from the Director: “I never thought the feature debut I made ten years ago can have a second life and finally get shown to the Philippine audience, thanks to Netflix. It is a tremendous honor to have my second movie after ‘Cities of Last Things’ to be included on a platform which has done so much to promote filmmakers’ works from around the world to a global audience. I am lucky to be part of the family.”

SUNOD (Black Cap Pictures Inc)

Synopsis: As the medical expenses for her daughter stack up, a mother takes a demanding call center job where the building’s sinister secrets begin to haunt her.

Director: Carlo Ledesma

Cast: Carmina Villarroel, Mylene Dizon, JC Santos, Kate Alejandrino, Krystal Brimner, Rhed Bustamante, Susan Africa

Release date: June 14, 2020

Quote from the Director: “Having Sunod screen theatrically during the 2019 Metro Manila Film Festival was an incredible experience, and now I’m excited for the film to find a new audience online, especially on Netflix, which has the best streaming. Speaking on behalf of myself and my crew, we took great pains to make the movie look and sound good, so it’ll be a rush to see it stream in high quality.”

LOLA IGNA (ERJ Found Film Production Co.)

Synopsis: An elderly woman finds her life disrupted when her family and village realize she has a chance at a world record for being the oldest grandmother alive. (Lola Igna was awarded Best Picture, Best Screenplay, Best Musical Score and Best Actress at the 2019 Pista ng Pelikulang Pilipino Awards Night)

Director: Eduardo W. Roy Jr.

Cast: Angie Ferro, Yves Flores, Meryll Soriano, Maria Isabel Lopez, Royce Cabrera, Jojo Riguerra, Armando A. Reyes

Release date: June 18, 2020

Quote from the Director: “I felt flabbergasted when I got the news from Netflix that the team loved my film, not just one but two of my films. I’m personally thankful to Netflix for introducing ‘Lola Igna’ and ‘Ordinary People’, to a larger audience, not only in the Philippines, but to the whole world. Now my films can be easily accessible anytime, and anywhere around the world.”

UNTRUE (Viva Communications, Inc.)

Synopsis: Mara moves from the Philippines to the country of Georgia, where she meets a mysterious man, Joachim. They develop feelings for one another, until Joachim claims to hear peculiar sounds and see visions of a strange woman.

Director: Sigrid Andrea Bernardo

Cast: Cristine Reyes, Xian Lim

Release date: June 22, 2020

ORDINARY PEOPLE (ERJ Found Film Production Co.)

Synopsis: Barely making a living as pickpockets, a teenage couple in Manila resort to desperate measures when their one-month-old child is kidnapped. (Ordinary People was awarded Best Film, Best Editing, Best Actress, Best Director at the 12th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival, as well as Best Actress at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards and FAP Awards)

Director: Eduardo W. Roy Jr.

Cast: Ronwaldo Martin, Hasmine Kilip, Maria Isabel Lopez, Sue Prado, Ruby Ruiz, Raymon Lee, Karl Medina, Erlina Villalobos, Menggie Cobrarrubias

Release date: To be announced

To make this Independence Day even more special, Jo Koy: In His Elements, will premiere globally on Netflix on June 12, 2020. For the first time ever, comedian Jo Koy takes Netflix to the Philippines in his new special, Jo Koy: In His Elements. Koy celebrates his heritage by telling jokes about life as a Filipino-American while highlighting the culture of Manila. Koy uses this opportunity to shine a light on other Filipino-American performers by welcoming to the stage famed breakdancer Ronnie, Grammy-winning producer !llmind, singer/songwriter Iñigo Pascual, and comedians Andrew Lopez, Joey Guila, and Andrew Orolfo. Watch the announcement here and download images here.

Huawei launches new edition of Y series and the MatePad T8

Huawei today released another trio of devices, this time targeting the youth market with its trendy designs and budget-friendly prices. 

Huawei’s new edition of the Y Series and the MatePad T8, put emphasis on value, as these devices look and feel anything but basic. Offering modern stylistic flourishes and dynamic functionality at an incredibly affordable price point, it’ll be love at first sight for the notoriously picky millennials and Gen Z.

Huawei Y6p: Almighty all-rounder

First is the Huawei Y6p which packs a 4GB of RAM+ 64GB of ROM and a long lasting 5000mAh battery. It hits the sweet spot of speed + endurance that’s required for the media-heavy lifestyles they lead.

Throw in a triple rear camera system that handles a variety of shooting situations such as low-light environments, wide-angle scenes and bokeh photography, and the Y6p is suddenly a must-have.

This recipe of performance and camera quality makes for incredibly fun TikTok and Kumu sessions, as more apps continue to push the envelope for lively self-expression. There’s more! To fully maximize your new Huawei Y6p, you can also download top gaming apps, shopping, social media, food delivery apps, such as Plants vs Zombies, Candy Crush Mania, Lazada, Viber, Viu, Kumu, and FoodPanda. 

Three new color options – Emerald Green, Phantom Purple and Midnight Black – further reinforce the importance of personalized style.

Huawei Y5p: One-Handed Wonder

The Y5p on the other hand is a chic looking phone with a full-screen design that isnt typical for entry-level phones. It has a 5.45-inch FullView HD Display on a compact frame, comfort and enjoyment are at max levels for that optimal one-handed operation. The Y5p comes in three fashionable colors – Midnight Black, Phantom Blue and Mint Green – with a shifting color coat for extra allure.

The Y5p gets a new camera module in the form of an 8MP rear shooter with HDR mode, while the 5MP front camera features ambient light detection for great-looking selfies. 

Huawei MatePad T8: Immersive Entertainment

Young people are all about the latest shows and movies these days so they don’t miss out on the pop culture references online, and what better way to catch up on all of them than with the Huawei MatePad T8? This slim and stylish tablet has a juggernaut octa-core chipset underneath its sleek 8-inch display, and more than enough power to last season-long marathons on apps like Viu, thanks to the phenomenal 5100mAh battery. The display itself has a fantastic 80% screen-to-body ratio, with an ergonomic and lightweight frame designed for comfortable all-day usage.

There’s also no shortage of smart features on the MatePad T8, with the latest EMUI 10 and face unlock built in for an exceptional user-friendly experience. The tablet also has kid-friendly features such as Kid’s Corner and Multi-layer Eye Protection, to the relief of parents everywhere. 

Huawei AppGallery: Bigger and better every day

The new Y Series + MatePad T come pre-loaded with the AppGallery, Huawei’s official app distribution platform and the third-largest app store globally. All apps on the AppGallery work with Huawei Mobile Services (HMS) as a framework, which seamlessly connects all Huawei devices. Every day the AppGallery grows bigger as more developers partner with Huawei, including all the top names like Facebook, Snapchat, and Viber for social apps, while Viu and iFlix offer a wide variety of media streaming titles. Online banking apps like PayMaya and Unionbank, news apps like GMA, ABS-CBN News and CNN and government services like SSS have landed in the AppGallery – with more on the way.

Huawei also partnered with Viu and livestreaming app Kumu to enrich the AppGallery and its users with a trove of entertainment apps – a fitting trio of titles that define the trendy online lifestyles of millennial/Gen Z users. In fact, users may pre-order their Huawei Y6p via Kumu! To know more, please standby for further updates on Kumu app!

Huawei wants to make sure that users get their most advanced smartphone hassle free! No need to leave the house because Huawei partnered with Lazada, Shopee, MemoXpress, Abenson, Bluelite, Silicon Valley and Aerophone for more purchase convenience.

Starting May 22 until May 31, consumers may already pre-order and get amazing freebies worth PHP 3,180. These freebies include a premium Bluetooth headset, Huawei 15GB Cloud Storage for 12 months, and a VIU premium access for 3 months. Hurry, pre-order freebies are first come, first served! 

To purchase via Lazada, you may refer to this link: https://tinyurl.com/y8ghtrm9

Pricing and Availability

The Huawei Y6p retails for PHP 5,990, the Huawei Y5p retails for only PHP 4,490 and the Huawei MatePad T retails for PHP 5,990!

To know more about Huawei Y6p, you may check this link: https://consumer.huawei.com/ph/phones/y6p/

Shop an exclusive range of much-loved M&S food items on its new website

Marks & Spencer customers in the Philippines can now get their hands on thousands more clothing, beauty, and food products through its new website.

Customers will be able to shop an exclusive range of much-loved M&S food items, from biscuits, chocolates to juices, wines, and more on the site.

Anthony Huang for Marks & Spencer Philippines said: “After months of anticipation, we’re excited to celebrate the launch of the M&S Philippines website, bringing our quality range of clothing, beauty, and food products directly to customers’ doors. With convenience and choice topping the agenda for Philippine shoppers, the new site is set to be a huge hit with our busy customers, who can snap up lots of stylish online exclusives and much-loved M&S food products.”

With a convenient choice of delivery, customers across the whole of the country can order their clothing, beauty, and food favourites straight to their home or work address.

Early-bird shoppers who sign-up to M&S’s mailing list will also bag a special offer on their first online orders.

All online products will be priced in Philippine peso with PayPal as payment option. Paypal supports Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and Discover.

New Marks & Spencer PH website delivers thousand more styles and food

Marks & Spencer customers in the Philippines can now get their hands on thousands more clothing, beauty, and food products through its new website.

With more than 13,000 pieces available to buy online, https://marksandspencer.com.ph brings this season’s latestin-store collection across a variety of colours, styles and sizes at the click of a button.

Philippine shoppers can now discover a wide range of M&S’s affordably stylish wardrobe essentials for women,lingerie, men, and children. The online ranges include a variety of styles and several types of fit for men and womenas well as an extensive range of toiletries and fragrances. Alongside this for the first time, customers will be able to shop an exclusive range of much-loved M&S food items, from biscuits, chocolates to juices, wines, and more on the site.

Anthony Huang for Marks & Spencer Philippines said: “After months of anticipation, we’re excited to celebrate the launch of the M&S Philippines website, bringing our quality range of clothing, beauty, and food products directly to customers’ doors. With convenience and choice topping the agenda for Philippine shoppers, the new site is set to be a huge hit with our busy customers, who can snap up lots of stylish online exclusives and much-loved M&S food products.”

With a convenient choice of delivery, customers across the whole of the country can order their clothing, beauty, and food favourites straight to their home or work address.

Early-bird shoppers who sign-up to M&S’s mailing list will also bag a special offer on their first online orders.

All online products will be priced in Philippine peso with PayPal as payment option. Paypal supports Visa, Mastercard, Amex, and Discover.

l  Delivery leadtime

- Metro Manila: 3-5 business days

- Luzon: 5-7 business days

- Visayas / Mindanao: 6-8 business days