Dencio's launches classic Pinoy favorites with Dencio’s Christmas Bilaos!

December is upon us, and that means it’s the season to dine and enjoy the company of your family or barkada. While this year’s celebrations might look quite different as we celebrate indoors and take safety precautions, why not let Dencio’s make your stay-at-home feast more delightful and memorable?

 

Christmas gatherings are best enjoyed over big servings of delicious and generous meals, kaya ipa-deliver nathis Christmas ang iba’t-ibang sarap ng classic Pinoy favorites with Dencio’s Christmas Bilaos!

 

Enjoy tasty Filipino holiday staples in a bilao, perfect for feasting. Lahat ng iyong paborito, nandito: from sweet Pinoy Spaghetti, savory Palabok, signature Pancit Sisig, bestselling Pinaputok na Pancit, to the all-new Pancit Dencio’s. Get into the festive spirit and choose from three bilao sizes that’s fit for the company, starting at only P390.

 

“As we celebrate the holiday season during this time, we at Dencio’s want to continue delivering a fun and authentic Filipino dining experience for every family or barkada, even while at home,” shared Dencio’s Marketing Manager Jong Dela Cruz. “We hope that our Christmas bilaos will give our diners another reason to strengthen bonds over great Pinoy food by Dencio’s.”

 

Place an order now through Dencio’s online delivery website or call a Dencio’s store near you. Christmas Bilaos are also available for dine-in, take-out, and Curbside® pick-up, and on GrabFood, FoodPanda, and LalaFood. For more information, visit facebook.com/denciosph/.

PLDT Home’s latest video tackles digital opportunities for home-based businesses

Homebased businesses are booming as a movement, led mostly by resourceful mothers who are taking opportunities to earn extra income while they take care of their families. 

 

As more people stay at home to keep safe, ordering online has become the norm. Having an online presence helps move goods to more people and a growing community of online sellers enjoy the ease of transactions through many digital platforms that are already available. All it takes is a strong connection via a reliable provider such as PLDT Home and a willingness to work hard at building a business from home. 

 

The power of connections

Two inventive, yet practical or madiskarte moms who are harnessing the power of strong connections are Vanna Reyes, an entrepreneur and online influencer who also helps other businesses boost their sales, and Vania Edralin, a talent manager who launched her baking business during the community quarantine.  Both are moms who are balancing home life and their side hustles that are supported by the strong connections provided by PLDT at Home.   

Vanna Reyes, Home-based entrepreneur

“The pandemic has had a big impact on mommies,” Vanna notes. Aside from the fact that they now have to contend with their children’s online classes on top of managing the household, there is also an uncertainty over the future as many households are affected by loss of income. This is why Vanna supports many moms in the community that she joins, not only by highlighting the products that she likes but also through giving moral support. 

 

Vanna describes herself as an “accidental seller”, with her business starting out as a way to help entrepreneur friends. “I just promote things that I personally use, and moms who watch my videos start asking where they can buy the product as well,” she says. 

Among the items Vanna sold were face masks, salt lamps, designer bags, and even children’s toys. “My story with the children’s toys is a funny one. A friend with a physical store in Divisoria told me that their stocks weren’t moving. To help out, I started posting their items online and they made huge sales even out of season. My friend who was so old-school has now started to migrate their business on selling platforms after realizing the importance of having an online presence.”  

For her part, Vania was doing baking as a hobby before the pandemic hit. “My sister was the one who was really into baking, using our mom’s recipe for cinnamon buns. I tweaked that recipe to make smaller Cinnabites, and gave it away to family and friends, until I realized that there was no one doing the same thing. I offered it on an online selling group and it really took off,” she shares. From an initial capital of P10,000 that went to bulk procurement of ingredients, she was able to recover her investment within two months from baking only three times a week. 

 

Online advantages

There are many opportunities to earn from a side hustle even through the pandemic, both Vanna and Vania attest. “There may be other sellers out there, offering the same thing or something similar to what you have, but there are also so many customers out there,” Vanna encourages. “The main differentiation would be how you reach your market. Some moms will have live selling programs, some will offer their products on different platforms. What is important is that you find your niche.”

  

Mommy Vania turned her passion into a profit-making business as she now sells home-baked mini cinnamon buns through her own shop, Cinnabites.

 

Vania, who tried selling clothes at a bazaar notes the difference. “You don’t need to spend so much on a space, and there is no need to transport all your goods to a certain location. It is easier to do business online. You can even target your audience by choosing a location for your ads or by simply joining a neighborhood group.” She likewise encourages budding homepreneurs to learn new skills such as taking videos or editing photos, and making ad layouts that would attract more customers. 

 

To support all these transactions, one should have a stable internet connection such as PLDT Home. Both moms say this is crucial and enables businesses to provide good customer service, responding to queries and making transactions easy for customers, and having reliable payment and delivery options. “If you don’t answer inquiries right away, that would mean loss of business,” Vanna advises.  

 

It all boils down to “sipag at tiyaga” (diligence and perseverance), both moms say. There many side hustles that are available to home-based moms, from creating your own products, to drop shipping or being a reseller. “Diskarte ng mga Pinoy, walang katulad (there’s nothing like the resourcefulness and strategy of Pinoys),” Vanna says. Vania agrees and adds, “If you’re a mom, you’ll do anything and everything for your family. That is the driving force of madiskarte moms, love for their family.”

 

With a reliable and powerful internet connection at home, homepreneurs can take their business goals to the next level. Know more about how you can rediscover opportunities in home business, watch this video from PLDT Home. 

#TeamGalaxy ambassador Hideo Muraoka ensures that his health and productivity are prioritized even at home

#TeamGalaxy ambassador Hideo Muraoka ensures that his health and productivity are prioritized even at home. Through the “Limitless Life” series, he shares how he keeps in shape, while still managing to stay productive. Here are some of his habits:

1. Start the day with a simple workout routine. Hideo believes that anyone can start a fitness journey with simple, beginner-friendly exercises. He suggests starting the day with easy and effective workout moves: from burpees, lunges, push-ups, squats to cool down exercises such as stretching and focus breathing. He keeps track of his progress using the Real-Time Analysis feature on the Galaxy Watch3, synced via the Samsung Health App on his Galaxy Note20 Ultra to get insights on his workout. This helps him improve his form, boost his performance, and reduce injuries.

 

2. Improve one’s mood while working out by listening to music. Workouts are best enjoyed with music, according to Hideo. With the Galaxy Buds Live’s Spotify integration, it’s easier for him to connect his workout or yoga playlist to his Galaxy Watch3. He easily switches between songs on the smartwatch by browsing through the Spotify app using the digital rotating bezel. Combined with the Galaxy Buds Live’s superior sound quality, he feels more motivated and pumped to workout. Meanwhile, its ergonomic and tipless design also means the earbuds won’t fall off, no matter how vigorous his workout is. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Ensure to squeeze in a quick workout even on the busiest day. When there’s so much to do at work, finding time to do quick workouts strengthens the body, physically and mentally. Hideo recommends high-intensity interval training (HIIT) exercises for at least 30 minutes a day. Besides providing real-time analysis on workouts using the Galaxy Watch3, the smartwatch also measures oxygen uptake and oxygen level with its Maximal Oxygen (VO2 max) readings and Blood Oxygen Monitoring which assess the body’s condition after a quick intense workout. 
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 Limitless Life Series EPISODE 2: https://www.instagram.com/p/CGZx8JjgSHk/

 

4. Meditate through yoga. As a yogi, Hideo shares that simple yoga routines can easily give the body its much-needed stretch for proper blood circulation. Yoga and meditation also require full focus. That’s why he recommends using the Galaxy Buds Live’s Active Noise Cancellation while listening to yoga playlists to reduce unwanted noise so anyone can focus on meditating without distractions.  

 

 

5. Accomplish tasks seamlessly with the Galaxy ecosystem. Hideo also makes sure to stay on top of his tasks, even when he is away from his smartphone. Samsung’s seamless connectivity with the Galaxy Watch3, Galaxy Buds Live, and Galaxy Note20 Ultra allow Hideo to manage all his tasks for the day. By simply connecting his smartphone with both devices via Bluetooth, he can easily send automatic reply options and view photos right from the wrist. He can also receive calls from his smartwatch and answer them on his Galaxy Buds Live.

 

6. Recover by getting a good night’s sleep. After a long busy day, getting good quality sleep is valuable, according to Hideo, and says that “sleep is medicine” because this is where muscle repair happens. He finds help with his sleep using the Galaxy Watch3’s Sleep Score and Insights that analyzes and provides insights into his sleeping patterns. 
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Dedicated to all medical frontliners!

Samsung Philippines understands the limitation of the current situation that hampered almost everyone’s fitness goals, especially medical frontliners. This is why Hideo and Samsung have dedicated the last episode of the ‘Limitless Life’ series to them as a reminder that they also need to take care of themselves while they take care of others. 

 

Limitless Life Series EPISODE 3: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIIj6kIgQr-/

 

With the Galaxy Watch3 and Galaxy Buds Live’s cutting-edge health and productivity features, there are no limits when it comes to maintaining one’s lifestyle and daily routines.

 

Watch Hideo’s Limitless Life episodes on his Instagram page.

 

To know more about the Samsung Galaxy Watch3 and Buds Live, visit samsung.com/ph.

 

Shopee Launches 12.12 Big Christmas Sale!

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, wraps up the year-end sales season and marks its fifth birthday by launching its annual 12.12 Big Christmas Sale. Its recent 9.9, 10.10, and 11.11 shopping events set new records and signified the changing landscape and potential of e-commerce in the region. This 12.12, Shopee celebrates five years of digital acceleration in the region and highlights three key trends that have shaped and will continue to drive the growth of e-commerce: Social, Personalization, and Integration. 

 

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee was born with the vision of making online shopping accessible, easy, and enjoyable. We built Shopee from the ground up, listening to people’s specific needs in each of our markets and turning our understanding into well-executed localized strategies that make Shopee what it is today. This year’s 12.12 Big Christmas Sale has added significance as we celebrate our fifth birthday and come together with our brand partners, sellers, and shoppers to support one another through a challenging year. As we look back on our journey, we are proud to have adapted quickly to serve the needs of our local communities.”  

 

This 12.12, Shopee highlights three key trends that will continue to power the growth of e-commerce in 2021 and beyond.

 

1. Social: Bringing the human touch to online shopping

 

Advancements in technology, coupled with changing shopper habits, have resulted in online shopping evolving from a transactional experience. Today’s users are more social than ever, and they demand a more engaging online shopping experience with rich and unique content. In 2016, Shopee was one of the first e-commerce platforms in the region to launch a live chat function, Shopee Live Chat, enabling direct conversations between buyers and sellers. Today, an average of 30 million messages are exchanged daily on Shopee Live Chat.

 

Through the years, Shopee has continuously improved on and introduced new in-app engagement features such as Shopee Games, Shopee Feed, and Shopee Live to make the online shopping experience more social. Shopee anticipates that this trend will stay, with e-commerce increasingly becoming a platform through which people can connect and enjoy shared experiences. Shopee will continue to drive this trend through unique initiatives like Shopee Mom’s Club, which provides like-minded consumers with one-stop exclusive access to baby product deals and parenting content. There’s also a Book Club for a new generation of digital readers in Vietnam and a “Pawrents” club to meet the growing online demand for pet products in Singapore.

 

2. Personalization: Catering to the ‘Me’ economy^[1]

 

Personalization is critical in e-commerce today. A highly personalized experience makes online shopping more efficient, enjoyable, and unique for consumers, while also helping brands and sellers drive traffic and growth. Shopee takes a hyper-localized approach by running seven different apps in each of its markets and localizing in-app features. Shopee also continually refines its recommendation engines to offer more customized and relevant shopping suggestions to fit consumers’ needs. 

 

For brands and sellers, offering personalized recommendations to shoppers helps increase overall awareness and conversions. Businesses that use Shopee's in-app advertisements generate 65% more sales activity than those that do not.^[2] This is powered by Shopee's own AI capabilities, which ensure that advertisements are delivered to the right users.

 

As the industry progresses further into the ‘me’ economy, businesses need to innovate in order to improve the online customer journey. In the coming year, Shopee also expects to see the rise of smart shoppers, a new demographic of young, tech-savvy individuals who expect a highly personalized online shopping experience. 

3. Integration: Creating a seamless customer journey

 

As retailers adapt to the new normal, they must deliver a seamless customer journey across all touchpoints. Shopee helps brands and sellers of all sizes by providing fundamental operational support through integrated payments and logistics, while creating innovative experiences that value-add to the overall customer journey.

 

●      Delivering an experiential home shopping experience with P&G: Together with P&G^[3], Shopee introduced its first-ever experiential online Show Me My Home initiative, which allowed shoppers to discover and shop for P&G’s popular household items in a simulated household environment. This brought greater convenience for stay-at-home consumers, while mimicking the offline experience of walking in a store. 

 

Yu closed, “2020 has been a transformative year. It has shown us the importance of technology and its ability to not only connect people and meet their basic needs, but also to entertain and engage. We are just at the beginning of our digital journey and looking ahead, we believe e-commerce will have an even more profound impact on businesses and consumers, creating new ways of living, working, and engaging. As we wrap up the year with the 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, let's continue to look out for one another, uplift those in need, and welcome the new year on a high note.”

 

12.12 Big Christmas Sale 

From November 18 to December 12, users can enjoy free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend, 20% cashback, and ₱1 deals at the Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale. 

 

Key highlights of Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale: 

 

●      Amazing promotions and big rewards with ShopeePay: From December 3 to December 11, shoppers who use ShopeePay can look forward to free shipping,  discount vouchers, and a chance to win cash prizes.

●      #MyShopeeWish TikTok Challenge: Join the #MyShopeeWish TikTok Challenge to win prizes. The #MyShopeeWish TikTok Challenge is from December 7 to 30. Winners will be announced on January 15, 2021 on Shopee’s official social media accounts. For more information, head over tohttps://shopee.ph/m/my-shopee-wish.

●      Big discounts from leading brands: Shoppers can enjoy up to 50% off from leading brands on Shopee Mall, including L’Oreal Paris, P&G Beauty, Abbott, Unilever Home and Food, Havaianas, Nestle, Huawei, Vivo, Pampers, RB Enfagrow, and Infinix.

  

Additionally, brands such as Unilever, MASS Appliances, Soundcore by Anker, Platinum Karaoke, Union Appliances, Amazfit, Kyowa, PULUZ, Pedigree, Bio-Science, Organic Skin, Shigetsu, Mikana, Organic Official, INSPI, GSK, Tigernu, MetroSunnies, New Balance, Colgate-Palmolive, Haylou, Alaska, and Fila also offer amazing discounts. 

 

For more information about Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, visit https://shopee.ph/m/christmas-sale. 

 

Download Shopee for free on the App Store or Google Play Store.

 

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^[1] The ‘Me’ economy refers to personalization to meet the unique needs of each individual consumer and predict their preferences based on behavior.

^[2] Shopee data, 2020

^[3] Leading fast-moving consumer goods company

LG PH Aids Typhoon Rolly and Ulysses Victims

Even as the storms have passed, a lot of Filipinos are still reeling from being ravaged by typhoon Rolly and Ulysses. Communities have been displaced with people losing their home, leaving them with no shelter and no place to go. In the spirit of makabayan, government agencies, together with private individuals, groups, and corporations, have stepped up to the plate to assist fellow countrymen in their time of need. 

LG Philippines has remained steadfast in their resolves to always heed the call for help. The South Korean technology innovator has partnered with groups on the ground in order to hastily offer assistance. For the typhoon victims from Rizal and Bulacan, LG PH closely collaborated with Walang Maiiwanan PH and JCI Ortigas Inc. to provide help with the community. Donations of shampoos, cleansing foams, toothpastes, and toothbrushes were given to over a thousand indigenous Dumagat families from Sitio Kabuoan Brgy Puray Rodriguez, Rizal, Sitio Suha Brgy San Mateo, and Norzaragay, Bulacan. LG Also partnered with Feed Hungry Minds to give assistance to two barangays in Guinobatan, Albay. Approximately 400 families were given the same personal care kits.

LG also visited different communities and evacuation centers in Marikina to help out. They staged their widely popular Laundry Love program in order to help residents and evacuees get access to clean clothing. Over a span of 3 weeks, LG lent washing machines to the evacuation centers in Nangka Elementary School, Parang Elementary School, Bulelak Covered Court- Brgy Malanday, Homeowners drive Brgy Sto Nino, giving over 1,000 households access to washing machines to clean and sterilize their clothes. LG also gave free repair and check-up services to the affected households.

Speaking with regard to the company’s humanitarian initiatives, LGEPH Managing Director Inkwun Heo says “We are in awe of Filipinos’ sense of community, especially in great adversity. There is always a natural inclination to want to help. As long as we’re here, we share the same sense of community. We’re always ready to lend a hand, wherever we’re needed”.