Salamat, Shopee: How Shopee Transformed The Lives of Everyday Filipinos this 2021

 

 

As we persevered despite another year of the pandemic, there is no denying that the “new normal” has significantly changed the way we shopped. In the past couple of years, we eagerly embraced the world of online shopping, which left a big impact not just on our shopping carts, but also on our hearts. 

 

For plenty of ordinary Filipinos such as Maricris Lorenzo, Biboy Bautista, and Jggigs Elmido, Shopee has completely transformed their lives. They each come from different walks of life and carry their unique Kwentong Shopee, but they all have one thing in common—hope. Here are three stories of how Shopee has helped shoppers, riders, and sellers rise above difficulties:

 

Suki buyer and wais mommy Maricris Lorenzo

 

After working as an OFW in Singapore for 10 years, Maricris Lorenzo and her husband decided to settle down and start their own family back in the Philippines. However, as the couple welcomed the birth of their first child and tried to navigate their way as new parents, they found themselves facing new challenges due to the pandemic. 

 

Thanks to Maricris’ knack for resourcefulness, however, they continue to take good care of their child. Raising a baby can also be financially draining, but as a self-proclaimed wais misis, Maricris finds ways to get the best deals and value for her money. She admits that almost all of their basic essentials and baby needs are from Shopee. She was such a frequent shopper, she even went on to forge a strong friendship with her suki Shopee Xpress rider. 

 

The rider offered their help when Maricris and her family contracted COVID-19 this past year. “Kung wala si Shopee, hindi ko alam kung saan ako kukuha ng mga items during those critical times of the pandemic especiallynung nag-quarantine kami,” she said. 

 

After getting sick, Maricris wisely utilized her finances and used Shopee’s cashback rewards to save on bills, which were beginning to pile up. Maricris also used ShopeePay so she can save money, maximize exclusive perks, and, since her family’s safety is a top priority, go cashless.

 

As she looks back on her experience, Maricris expresses her gratitude to Shopee for helping her find ways to save on her family’s expenses and find a lifelong friend during a crisis. “Salamat kay Shopee kasi nakakatipid ako. Salamat kay Shopee kasi nakaka-meet kami ng riders na parte na rin ng buhay namin.”

 

Passionate and resourceful pet store owner Biboy Bautista

 

E-commerce platforms provided opportunities for entrepreneurs to digitize, expand, and explore other businesses amidst the pandemic. After Biboy Bautista’s previous printing business shut down due to the pandemic, he opened Barkboi, a pet store which started as a humble dog food business in a small garage. He then took his business online, which grew to become a full-blown pet store with five branches in Las Piñas. Biboy calls it a stroke of luck since he didn’t expect his love for animals to turn into a booming business, especially during the pandemic. 

 

However, the success didn’t come without challenges, the biggest of which happened during the second wave of the coronavirus last August. Biboy had to temporarily close shop after he and the majority of his employees contracted the virus. As a business owner, Biboy was aware of the responsibilities he had towards his employees, which included people who lost jobs due to the pandemic and undergraduate students who needed income to further their education. To make sure he could still support his employees, Biboy decided to focus on selling on Shopee while the rest of the team recovered.

 

After setting up his dream business from scratch and growing it exponentially within a year, Biboy believes that just giving up is not an option. As long as their Shopee store continues to flourish, Biboy says that’s all the strength they need to bounce back from the hurdles Barkboi has encountered. He tells his employees, “Basta Shopee natin maayos, sigurado tayo buhay tayo. Hangga’t may benta may pag-asa!” 

 

Hardworking and dedicated Shopee Xpress rider Jgiggs Elmido

 

A Shopee Xpress rider faces many struggles—adjusting to routes and managing deliveries, to name a few—but they’re no match for Jggigs Elmido. As a father, husband, and student, he had to make ends meet in order to provide for his young family, give them the best future, and finish his studies. 

 

After taking a break from school to take care of his newborn baby, Jgiggs worked as a Shopee Xpress Rider. Through his job as a rider, Jgiggs was able to reach milestones he had set for himself, such as buying his own phone and motorcycle, building his own home, paying for his studies, and supporting his family. 

 

In just one day, Jggigs would attend class, spend time with his family, and deliver orders until the evening. He admits that raising a young family, being a rider, and pursuing a degree at the same time was stressful, but he proves to be one tough cookie that can’t be deterred. While achieving dreams is never easy, for Jgiggs, determination is key. “Lahat naman mahirap. Pero kung may gusto kang makamit, gagawan mo ng paraan.”

 

Jgiggs feels immensely grateful for the opportunity to become a good provider for his family. His flexible working hours as a rider allowed him to earn income to support his family, spend quality time with them, and finish his degree. 

 

With his strong fighting spirit, Jggigs was able to graduate and proudly stand as the provider for his family. He concludes, “Ang laki ng utang na loob ko kay Shopee.” 

 

Shopee has empowered its buyers, sellers, and riders to find a silver lining even in the toughest of challenges and say, “Salamat, Shopee!” What’s your Kwentong Shopee? 

 

Watch Maricris, Biboy, and Jgiggs share their Kwentong Shopee here: https://youtu.be/CzW8rSQhyKk. 

 

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

P&G will soon begin their Booster Program to continue protecting their employees and eligible dependents

 

With the government approving the administration of COVID-19 booster shots for essential workers and the general adult population, Procter & Gamble (P&G) Philippines will soon begin their Booster Program to continue protecting their employees, eligible dependents, and any two added members of an employee’s household.

 

With almost 100% of its organization fully vaccinated, P&G’s booster program, is part of its continued efforts to prioritize the health and safety of their employees and to help the government’s efforts to vaccinate and boost as many as possible in the population. Its rollout will follow all government guidelines on eligibility and prioritization such as number of days since second dose, age and co-morbidities.

P&G employee during P&G’s vaccine administration schedule.
 

“Since the beginning, P&G’s number one priority has been protecting the health and safety of our employees.  This enables us to keep serving consumers in the country and provide help to communities in need.  Our focus is to be a force for good and a force for growth to help the country recover from this pandemic,” says Raffy Fajardo, President and General Manager of P&G Philippines.

 

The company’s Force for Good efforts have provided millions of P&G-produced face masks to frontliners, health and hygiene infrastructure and products to hospitals, schools and families, and support for mass education on DOH’s BIDA Solusyon tips against Covid-19.

 

realme Unveiled the GT 2 SERIES with the Sustainable Paper Tech Master Design

 

realme, the fastest-growing smartphone brand unveiled the appearance of its new product - realme GT 2 SERIES. Co-designed with Naoto Fukusawa, inspired by paper, realme GT 2 Pro comes the world-first smartphone with bio-based polymer design.

 

This time around realme design studio has once again team up with Naoto Fukasawa to bring forth Paper Tech Master design for a sustainable product design with “The Future in Paper” as the core design inspiration, which is the perfect combination of Art and the Respect, Love and Reverence of the Great Environment.

 

Starting from realme 1, “Power Meets Style” has been there in realme’s blood and act as realme’s founding product philosophy. Therefore when it comes to product, Performance & Design are considered as two pillars of realme’s product. It is the priority that realme products follows to provide the leap forward experience to global users. 

 

As the most premium flagship ever by realme, realme GT 2 Pro come with the special Paper Tech Master Design. Paper is premium, neat and light. Naoto Fukasawa use the element of the paper texture on realme GT 2 SERIES, bring the Beauty of the paper to the mobile. 

 

realme believes materials can break design boundaries in all direction. Distinctive product design is essential for all realme products, but the environment will not be sacrificed in its name. This is where realme thinks style and sustainability doesn’t need to be mutually exclusive. realme believes in the harmony between environment and technology. 

 

realme GT 2 SERIES will be launched soon. Stay tuned.

Tzu Chi Foundation, industry leaders collaborate for strategic response to Odette victims

 

A week shy from Christmas, the devastation wrought by super typhoon Odette has leveled large parts of the central and southern Philippines, placing six regions under a state of calamity: Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Caraga. However, the lack of communications within the affected regions and the unpassable roads between the various towns have made the urgent distribution of assistance an enormous challenge. This prompted a call from and for business and NGO leaders to collaborate to get the communities back on their feet, as well as to form strategic responses for future calamities.

Tzu Chi Foundation, Digital Pilipinas, and industry leaders discuss a strategic response to 

Odette victims – and for future calamities.

Bro. Henry Yunez, Country CEO of the humanitarian organization Buddhist Compassion Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines, welcomed the “chance to connect to these groups.” Referring to the faith on which their group was founded, he added that they welcome volunteers and resources from all sectors because “there is no religion involved in what we are doing.”   

 

Since the clearing of the weather which has allowed volunteers and rescue missions to enter the affected regions, Tzu Chi has visited nine municipalities in Bohol and 15 in Southern Leyte.  They have sent gallons of water and medicines to these provinces, while looking for more generators that can help in the pumping of water.  There are plans to distribute rice to around 20,000 families soon after December 26.

 

Technology and transparency

 

When the Philippines was struck by 2013’s Yolanda, one the strongest typhoons in history, Tzu Chi’s response to the relief operations was considered to be one of the most impactful by civil society and government.

 

Beyond the collection and transportation of relief goods for the Odette victims, help is also needed for “heavy equipment and the construction side of things,” said Amor Maclang, Digital Pilipinas Convenor. A more “participative and transparent” collaboration of partners can tap fast-rising technology like fintech, e-commerce, and logistics to “move money faster” to the recipients who need them the most.  Digital Pilipinas, a movement which addresses business and social challenges through technological adoption, has helped the Tzu Chi Foundation previously “even before Odette, to tech up their organization,” said Maclang. “Most importantly, we can leverage technology to show transparency of where the money is going.”

 

Tzu Chi Foundation Philippine and Digital Pilipinas’ recent meeting, “Typhoon Odette Relief Briefing and Response Planning,” was attended by industry leaders from the real estate, logistics, construction, financial services, payments, and retail spaces. It encouraged ‘Bayanihan’ and a whole-of-nation, whole-of-society approach towards addressing the situation in the Odette-struck areas.

 

Cherrie Rose Ang, Admin Senior Officer of Tzu Chi’s Admin and Volunteer Affairs Department, acknowledged that the “meeting is not just for awareness, but for support, cooperation, and unity.” Days after Odette has made nine landfalls across Visayas and Mindanao, Filipinos find themselves staying in temporary shelters or evacuation centers. Ang described the situation their volunteers reported:  “Children are going out to the streets to beg for help. People are desperate to salvage whatever items they can get from their ruined houses.”

 

Various businesses represented in the webinar are already helping out in the relief efforts. Gladys Pascual, Etiqa Head of Strategy and Transformation, said that their program EtiqaCares is supporting the rehabilitation programs.  Kim Lato, Founder of Kimstore, is opening their platform to collaborate with the Tzu Chi Foundation to launch a fundraiser. Meanwhile, Coins.PH CEO Nauman Mustafa shared that “instead of buying Christmas gifts for our partners, we will be donating instead.”

Even those struck by Typhoon Odette themselves are organizing relief operations. Roy Miclat, President of 1 Cooperative Insurance System of the Philippines, said that his team is serving “in the remote areas, even though hundreds of our members have been affected by Odette.” 

 

Long-term solutions

 

Meanwhile, in response to concerns about restoring communications and internet connectivity, Yoly Crisanto, Globe SVP and Chief Sustainability Officer, said that the telecom giant is “doing what we can to make sure all the provinces struck by Odette become online and connected again.” She also pointed out that the increasing threats against climate change will only spur more and stronger typhoons especially for vulnerable countries like the Philippines.  She said, “The challenge of our time is what are we going to do to become better the next time we are faced with the same situation.”

 

Miclat agreed that forward-looking activities “should not focus on one-time activities, like donation drives.”

 

One solution is the collaboration between Coins.ph’s Mustafa and Donna May Lina, Director and Executive Board of the OneLGC Lina Group of Companies. Both companies will be tokenizing the efforts for tree planting to better encourage Filipinos to take part in the rehabilitation of the environment. With the Lina organization’s expertise in disaster preparedness, they are looking to onboard more people who can become better equipped when the next disaster strikes. 

 

Marco Santos, representing the Mapua University and the Yuchengco group, said that the country can prepare the future architects, engineers, and other professionals with the knowledge to create resilient structures against calamities.  He described it as “producing people who are ready for the job. We produce good engineers. Our first patent is called Project Usher and it enables us to monitor buildings during an earthquake.”

 

Technology will also be vital not only for the operations in response to Typhoon Odette but for the future. “We can align all our groups to make technology and our systems relevant,” Georgia Martelino, Philanthropist Lead of Microsoft Philippines, said. “Let us pool our resources and label it as a Tzu Chi platform so people can access it for free. We can start with digital literacy.”

 

Leveraging on its worldwide network of volunteers and employees, Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines is aiding in the rehabilitation, recovery, economic, and educational resumption of the areas affected by Typhoon Odette. They involve the communities themselves in various operations, which is also a way to provide them temporary sources of income. 

 

“With love in our hearts, there is nothing we cannot overcome. We can come together and build again,” Anton Lim, OIC of  Tzu Chi Zamboanga Liaison Office, said. 

 

Maclang affirmed that the collaboration will continue because it not just “about Odette but about humanity.”  There are plans for Tzu Chi, Digital Pilipinas, and the other companies to hold more meetings with more action plans as the situation develops.

 

The Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines is open for donations which can be sent through the following:  Account name: Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation Philippines; BDO Account number: 011978001800; Metrobank Account number: 163-3-16307190-9. Send soft copy of deposit slips at donations@tzuchi.org.ph or through Viber/Line/WeChat: +639672110940.  

5 Tips for Businesses to Achieve a Plastic Pollution-Free Christmas

Plastic pollution in the Philippines has already reached an alarming rate and continues to be one of the top environmental challenges for the country and the rest of the globe.

 

According to a report released by WWF-Philippines in 2020, Filipinos consume a yearly average of 20kg of plastics, from which 15.43kg/cap/year becomes waste. Insufficient recycling capacities for high value recyclables (i.e. PET, PP, HDPE) and the high volume of low value plastics (including sachets) are some factors that affect the country’s low plastic recycling rate, at 9%. The report further estimates that the Philippines leaks about 35% of plastic wastes into the environment.

 

With the economy slowly opening, WWF-Philippines encourages businesses to integrate plastic pollution-free practices to fight plastic pollution. 

Here are some useful tips for business owners on how they can participate in creating a plastic pollution-free Christmas this 2021.

Take Accountability

 

Businesses should acknowledge that they are accountable to the plastic pollution problem. We want businesses to assume full responsibility for products they bring to the market. It is with accepting this that taking actions comes in from reduction goal setting, adopting circular solutions, and contributing in stopping plastic waste leakage. 

 

Provide plastic-free options to consumers

 

We encourage businesses to offer plastic-free options to consumers through “bring your own” scheme and having the option to refuse unnecessary plastic items. Some major fast food restaurants are already doing this and we encourage other businesses to do so. We wish that businesses be at the forefront to consumers about reducing plastic consumption. 

 

Segregate and divert recyclable wastes 

 

For necessary plastics, we wish businesses to segregate and divert through partnering with recyclers and social enterprises. It can sometimes get complicated with the plastic types but it is important to start using the numbers in the plastic products to help facilitate its recycling. You can partner with a local junk shop to help identify items that they can buy. There are also a number of social enterprises like Trash Panda, Plastics by Manila Automat, Plastic Flamingo, and Green Antz, among others that offer collection partnerships. You can also work with your city/ municipality to work on models to improve the current waste management system. 

 

Share best practices and collaborate with other businesses

 

Collaboration is important in working towards sustainability. It is with conversing with other businesses that are doing their fair share in reducing plastic pollution that we learn which to adopt and what to improve on in our operations. We wish businesses to work together within the industry and with other industries so we all learn how to improve our current system. 

 

Support the EPR Scheme in the Philippines 

 

WWF-Philippines is pushing for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), an environmental policy approach introduced in the 1990s for accelerating the transition to sustainable waste management and a circular economy. We wish businesses to take responsibility and push for an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) scheme in the country.  

 

EPR relies on two factors - improvement of product design and recyclability and improvement of waste management systems - and businesses here in the Philippines have stepped up to the challenge, taking sustainability seriously, by working on both upstream and downstream measures to address the plastic crisis.

 

More and more businesses worldwide have gotten on board with EPR, and several businesses in the Philippines have also adopted the policy by working on both upstream and downstream measures to address the plastic crisis. With enough support, EPR can be a solid foundation for other businesses and even the government to adopt. It is currently gaining traction among legislators in Congress with House Bill 9147 or The Single-Use Plastic Products Regulation Act and Senate Bill 2425 or the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2021 which both seek to enact mandatory EPR.

 

As we enter the holiday season, we wish for businesses to take part in our journey towards a vision of no plastics in nature by 2030. 

Emirates brings a flavor of major world festivals onboard and in its exclusive Lounges

Emirates has loaded its flights full of treats for everyone this holiday season: from delicious Christmas menus, luxurious amenities, and cool gifting ideas to festive movies and music playlists.

 

As the largest international airline serving customers from all over the world, Emirates takes pride in connecting people and cultures. Year round, it offers regionally-inspired menus and a truly global selection of music and entertainment content in over 40 languages. In addition, Emirates brings a flavor of major world festivals onboard and in its exclusive Lounges to share these special occasions with its customers.

 

Click here for more information on our festive offering.

 

Festive meals and treats

Fill up on roast turkey drizzled with cranberry jus lié, served with peas, roast potatoes, and pan fried smoked chicken sausage. Round off the feast with a chocolate mousse with mandarin compote topped with a festive chocolate button.

 

If you're traveling in First and Business class, your Christmas dinner begins with lemon and herb king prawns served with fennel salad and cocktail sauce, or a classic salmon gravadlax. Then delve into roast turkey with chestnut stuffing, turkey bacon, paprika potatoes, and creamy Brussels sprouts with a cranberry jus lié. Finish with a choice of delicious festive dessert.

 

Sip on a velvety hot chocolate while watching your favorite Christmas movie, and on December 24 and 25, everyone onboard can take home a little baked treat with our compliments.

 

Prefer to start your dining experience while on the ground? Emirates Lounges in Dubai has laid out a range of Christmas delights. Start with roasted turkey accompanied by root vegetables, roasted new potatoes and chestnut stuffing, and take your pick of sweets from traditional mince pies, Christmas stollen, Christmas fruit pudding with cherry compote, or roasted pear with ginger crumble and diplomat cream. Christmas dishes are also available in some Emirates Lounges outside of Dubai, including London Heathrow, Rome and Cairo. Emirates has re-opened most of its exclusive Lounges around its network, offering complimentary access for First and Business Class customers and eligible Emirates Skywards members. If you're flying on Economy, you may also be able to enjoy Emirates' signature Lounge experience for a small fee. Click here for more information.

 

Gift ideas for loved ones

 

Do your last minute duty free gift shopping from the comfort of your seat, or better yet, pre-order from EmiratesRed and have your purchases delivered at your seat, prettily packaged and ready for gifting. You can also surprise family and friends with a pre-order delivered onboard by writing to emiratesred@emiratesred.com to book a surprise gift. EmiratesRed is offering a 15% discount on most products this festive season.

 

Emirates Official Store has also launched a beautiful Christmas collection of branded merchandise including new baubles made from recycled materials and other tree decorations, snuggly jumpers and matching PJs for adults and kids, stocking and wrapping papers with matching prints and more. These can be purchased online for delivery worldwide.

 

Special memories and limited-edition giveaways:

 

Emirates' crew will gladly snap a polaroid of your special moments onboard with your family or friends and present it in a festive frame as a travel keepsake.

 

This season, fly with us in First and Business class and take home our new amenity kit bags featuring fresh fragrances and new pamper products from Italian luxury brand Bulgari. If you're traveling in Economy class on our long-haul flights, you can take home kit bags inspired by Expo 2020 Dubai, and packed with comforts including socks, eyeshades, a dental kit and handy bookmark.

 

Young travelers up to 12 years old can also look forward to collecting a range of new Expo2020 inspired toys and bags, featuring Emirates' Little Traveller pilots and cabin crew.

 

Movies and music

 

Get into the festive mood with holiday-themed boarding music as you settle into your seat, and then continue your musical journey on Emirates' extensive library of audio channels on ice.

 

Watch a heart-warming film with a loved one or share some laughs with the whole family, with the wide variety of on-demand entertainment on Emirates ice. Festive TV choices include: The Great Christmas Bake Off 2020, Scooby-Doo! Haunted Holidays, Friends: The Christmas Episodes, Big Bang Theory: The Christmas Episodes, Christmas in New York: Inside the Plaza, and The Office Christmas Special.

 

Film buffs can also indulge in Christmas movies and classics such as: A Christmas Miracle, Always and Forever Christmas, Elf, Last Christmas, and A Christmas Story.

 

Maximize your inflight viewing time by browsing Emirates' ice content before you fly on emirates.com or the Emirates app, create personal playlists, and sync up with your personal in-seat system once you board to start enjoying your favorite content.

 

Visit our media center to download images, and to see more Emirates stories.

 

Enjoy a star-studded NBA Christmas weekend with NBA League Pass powered by PLDT Home!

An exciting holiday viewing experience awaits Filipino fans as the NBA’s 75th anniversary season – commemorated as NBA 75 – presents a full slate of games during the Christmas weekend from December 24 to 26, 2021. Christmas has always been one of the most highly anticipated days on the regular-season schedule, with sports-loving families turning the Christmas Day games into an annual binge tradition to enjoy together. 

On Dec. 26, Christmas games will tip off in the Philippines at 1:00 AM beginning with the Atlanta Hawks versus New York Knicks, with this year’s slate featuring former Most Valuable Player Award winners (Giannis Antetokoumpo, James Harden, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry) and a collection of young stars (Trae Young, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Luka Dončić and Donovan Mitchell), too.

 

Keeping NBA fans at the edge of their seats is watching which teams will dominate the holiday festivities, with four of the five matchups never played before on Christmas Day: Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks at 3:30 AM; Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns at 6:00 AM; Brooklyn Nets vs. Los Angeles Lakers at 9:00 AM; and Dallas Mavericks vs Utah Jazz at 11:30 AM. Some Christmas Day fun facts include the Lakers playing on the holiday for the 23rd consecutive year and the Hawks and the Suns making their Christmas Day appearance for the first time since 1989 and 2009, respectively.

 

Here’s a guide to an entire holiday weekend’s worth of NBA action!

Watch the games between the NBA’s biggest and brightest stars live and on-demand at the convenience of your homes by subscribing to NBA League Pass — the NBA’s premium live game subscription service — powered by PLDT Home. 

 

For as low as PHP 85, PLDT Home customers can subscribe to the 3-Game Choice package, which enables users to watch up to three games of their choice per month. Alternatively, subscribers can select the monthly package for NBA League Pass at PHP 485, which grants unlimited access to an entire season of NBA games in high-definition for the month.

 

Signing up for an NBA League Pass has never been easier for PLDT Home users, with subscription options listed on their myHome account.

 

For more information on how to enjoy the NBA League Pass via a PLDT Home subscription, please visit the official website atpldthome.com/nba-leaguepass.

AirAsia Philippines brings Star of Hope project to Asilo de San Vicente de Paul

AirAsia Philippines, committed to its core value of "For Everyone", has rolled out its alwaysREDy: Magbigay Saya Ngayong Pasko campaign to ensure nobody is left behind this Christmas.  Together with its partners McDonald’s Philippines, Ms. Universe Philippines Charity 2021 Victoria Vincent Velsaquez and award-winning actor Carlo Aquino, the world's best low-cost airline delivered the “Star of Hope” to Asilo de San Vicente de Paul. 

 

With just 3 days before Christmas, AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla and CFO Ray Berja led the Allstars and McDonald’s Philippines in the gift-giving activity that brought happiness and benefited more than 100 orphaned children, youth, family and individuals in crisis under the care of the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul. 

The donations were collected following the alwaysREDy Magbigay Saya Ngayong Pasko internal drive by AirAsia with its employees and corporate social responsibility partners.

 

The distribution of the Star of Hope Christmas lantern is an annual tradition of the Allstars to help promote the spirit of positivity and hope.  It was launched when AirAsia Philippines mounted a mercy flight and relief operations to the typhoon ravaged province of Catanduanes in December 2020.

 

AirAsia Philippines Spokesperson Steve Dailisan said, “We have lots of good things to be thankful for this year.  Despite the ongoing global pandemic, we are happy that slowly but surely, we are seeing  light amid the turbulent skies.  We are thankful that Asilo de San Vicente de Paul welcomed us to their home to share our blessings with them.  We hope that despite all the things that are happening, this simple celebration has spurred hope and joy among our partners and those less fortunate.”

 

Asilo de San Vicente de Paul Administrative Services Head Sister Bernadita Epcta said, “We are happy that though we are in the midst of the pandemic, organizations such as AirAsia Philippines and McDonald’s have found a way to celebrate and have fun with our Asilo family with high consideration to health and safety.  We will remain positive and resilient especially now that we have them included in our extended family.”

 

The hybrid gift-giving event was also highlighted by performances from Carlo Aquino and AirAsia Allstars. All attendees are fully vaccinated and have undergone antigen testing prior the event. 

 

LG offers customers a one-year free subscription of IQIYI for every LG TV purchase during the holiday season!

The holidays are all about bonding at home with family and spending time with loved ones. To help bring fun and exciting content that the whole household can enjoy together, South Korean technology leader LG partnered with beloved entertainment app iQiyi just in time for the holidays. Whether you’re stanning K-dramas or love classic Hollywood sitcoms, the collaboration lets you feel the spirit of Christmas by providing premium content for a whole year when you buy select models of LG TVs. The promotion is applicable to LG OLED, NanoCell, and QNED models purchased from December 1 to January 15, 2022. You can watch your favorite Asian Drama shows in vivid high definition.

 

iQiyi’s content complements the perfect color and deepest blacks that LG TV’s provide. With LG OLED’s self-lit pixels that shine through every detail, you get accurate color and perfect picture quality that provides the best home entertainment experience you could ever have.

 

The iQiyi app is easily accessible in LG TVs as it is already pre-installed. You just need to log-in your iQiyi account and key-in your voucher code to enjoy your year-long iQiyi content. To redeem this offer, all you need is register inlgpromoregistration.ph and you will receive an e-mail with a unique voucher code which you can easily activate.

 

To purchase a new LG Smart TV or to read more details about the promotion, visit www.lg.com/ph or head on over to LG’s official social media channels. LG Smart TVs are also available in selected authorized LG Dealer stores as well as the flagship LG online stores in Lazada and Shopee.

 

Want to know the kind of content you can watch on iQiyi? Here are a couple of the shows you can expect to see on the app and more! 

 

You can catch new, locally made drama series on iQiyi to make your heart sing. SAYING GOODBYE is a YA title that stars Andrea Brillantes and Seth Fedelin, also known to millions of fans around the world as #SethDrea. In the series, we are introduced to Elise (Andrea) and Ricky (Seth) whose paths fatefully cross at an old record store fighting over the same album of their beloved artist. Ricky, despite having a heart disease since childhood, decides to focus on his bucket list with the help of Elise. HELLO, HEART is a romantic comedy that follows Heart played by Gigi De Lana, a beautiful, perky, and hardworking woman but is very unlucky in life.  Her life starts to turn around upon meeting Saul (Gerald Anderson), an emotionless, business-as-usual guy who hires her to pretend to be his wife to please his grandmother with dementia. 

 

For fans of K-Drama, iQiyi has a lot of content to offer. JIRISAN follows the team of national park rangers. Gianna Jun as Seo Yi-gang and rookie Ju Ji-hoon as Kang Hyun-jo (Ju Ji-hoon) star as a park ranger duo who set out everyday into the mountain to unravel the secrets of the peak. BAD AND CRAZY stars Lee Dong Wook and Wi Ha Joon. The series weaves together many themes including action, dark comedy, suspense and crime for a satisfying and exciting series of vengeance in an insane society.

 

Chinese television dramas are also available to stream on iQiyi. LUOYANG is a show set in the ancient capital Luoyang during the Zhou Dynasty ruled by the Empress of Wu, it revolves around three people who come together to investigate a series of mysterious incidents involving the conspiracy to overthrow Empress Wu Ze Tian. The series stars Wang Yibo, Victoria Song and Huang Xuan. UNFORGETTABLE LOVE is a consistent top choice among PH users since it launched on the iQiyi International app. The show introduces viewers to a trio of charming characters led by C-drama actor Miles Wei along with Hu Yi Xuan and child actor Lennon Sun. ONCE WE GET MARRIED stars Wang Yu Wen, Wang Zi Qi and Yi Bo Chen. The romantic-comedy introduces us to fashion buyer Gu Xixi who sneaks into a high-end party where she knows a bossy president named Yin Sichen.  The inexperienced president and cunning girl start a love game.  Through all kinds of tests, Yin Sichen helps Gu Xixi realize her dream of becoming a designer and establish her own fashion brand. DANGER ZONE, iQIYI’s first prison-themed Chinese language series sees psychological profiling expert Yan-dong Liang (played by Vic Chou) is imprisoned due to a violent abuse incident. In order to flip the case, he has an under-table deal with police captain Chong-hui Tang (played by Christopher Lee) and rookie officer Fei Ran (played by Berant Zhu). However, this decision triggers a series of lethal crises and mysteries.

 

Streaming services are incomplete without anime! iQiyi has fan favorite BORUTO-NARUTO NEXT GENERATIONSavailable for fans of the show. With peace and modernization, the number of residents in the ninja village, Konoha, is increasing and the lifestyle of ninjas is changing constantly.  Boruto, the son of Naruto Uzumaki, the 7th leader of the village, studies at the Ninja Academy where he meets his new team partners who will fight with him against the perpetrators of the mysterious incidents in the village.