Get #TheSmellThatNeverDies this summer with Old Spice

Here’s how you can jump start your day with a refreshing shower and emerge like a brand-new man

If you haven’t noticed yet, summer’s here and that’s probably why you’ve been taking longer showers for the past week or two. Whether it’s to hype yourself up and to make sure you’re at your manliest or to soak up all the refreshing water so you don’t get beaten up by the heat, we understand you, man.

 

If some men powerup after an iced something to beat the heat and get things done, the Old Spice man doesn’t sweat over anything. An Old Spice man has all he needs to prepare himself for the day and give him that extra power up when he needs an extra boost.

 

So, what does the man’s man routine look like with the Old Spice OG deodorants, body sprays, its new shower gels and bars?

 

Get #TheSmellThatNeverDies this summer with Old Spice

 

First, you start with a shower with the Old Spice Shower Gel. Are you a Captain or a Wolfthorn? Doesn’t matter, man. After showering with this, you can let the world smell command and charm everyone with the scent of the open ocean, fresh sandalwood, and confidence.

 

After you shower, follow through with the OG deodorant or body spray. Unleash the power of a beast without wreaking havoc with underarm odor. Leave your mark and smell good all day and forget about leaving tracks on your clothes with the Invisible Solid Deodorant in Bearglove that has the scent of apples, citrus, and a bit of spice that reminds you of an adventure in the forest.

 

If you don’t fancy the forest, and you’re more a hunter than an adventurer, then you can go for the Old Spice Wolfthorn Body Spray with the smell of mandarin orange and the hunt in just one spray.

 

Own #TheSmellThatNeverDies and feel the manliest you’ve ever been from day to night! Shop your favorite Old Spice products online on Lazada or Shopee now! 

 

Club Paradise Palawan taking it a step further on sustainable tourism

With travel restrictions easing up, resorts are getting ready to receive tourists itching to travel after almost two years worth of being cooped up at home. So called “revenge travelers” are already making plans, booking flights, and packing their bags as summer fast approaches.

 

While most resorts are trying to get their facilities and staff into a pre-pandemic business-as-usual state, others like Club Paradise Palawan, located in Dimakya Island, are looking to take it a step further and focus on sustainable tourism.

One of Club Paradise Palawan’s latest initiatives on sustainability is the EcoConserve Program.  What’s especially interesting about this initiative is the GarMa (Garbage Management) Task Force, which has come up with very interesting ways to reduce waste through recycling non-biodegradable waste and using biodegradable waste as fertilizer for the nearby Taranuman organic farm.

For the non-biodegradable materials, the resort found ways to make use of old tires, glass and plastic bottles, plastic waste, and many others. These items were given “new life” and repurposed: old van tires from the resort’s transport fleet stacked and built into steps for the Eagle’s point hiking trail; used wine bottles were transformed to lovely vases for the rooms and restaurant; oversized wire spools became beautiful plant racks; tree trunks that were washed ashore were saved and refurbished as chairs for the Sand Bar; and surplus fabrics were sewn into facemasks and donated to the frontliners in Coron Town.

Another initiative under the EcoConserve Program is the Ecobricks Project.  The resort staff learned how to make strong Ecobricks using plastic scraps (empty packets, wrappers, etc.) and soda bottles. Ecobricks were used to construct a Vermi house (for African Night Crawlers) at Taranuman farm. The GarMa Task Force also conducted several ecobrick-making training sessions for the local elementary students at Coron along with beach cleanups so they can gather more materials to upcycle into ecobricks.

The sustainable efforts of Club Paradise Palawan did not go unnoticed. In fact, they were recently awarded a 2nd place trophy at the 2022 Green Destinations Story Awards. Under the Environment and Climate category, they were among the six destinations chosen as finalists by the jury at Green Destinations. They were recognized along withGocta – Kuelap Amazonas in Peru, Tartu in Estonia, Tibau do Sul in Brazil, Margaret River in Australia, and Terres de L’ebre in Spain. They were also the only Philippine property in the 100 Green Destination Top 100 list.

“We want to send a strong message out there that sustainability and being eco-friendly should be part of everyone’s lives,” said Joegil Magtanggol Escobar, Hotel Manager of Club Paradise Palawan in a video message. “We are just visitors in Dimakya Island where the private island resort of Club Paradise Palawan is located. The wildlife that our guests see roaming freely at the resort are the original inhabitants of the islands and it is just right that we respect their home and do something so that the island will be sustained for the future generations,” he concluded.

Club Paradise Palawan is a resort under Discovery Hospitality, a home-grown Filipino hospitality group that manages the Philippines most luxurious hotels and resorts in Metro Manila, Boracay, and Palawan.

 

For more information regarding Club Paradise Palawan and its advocacies, please visit https://www.clubparadisepalawan.com/discover/environmental-sustainability/.

Huawei 2021 Annual Report: Solid operations, investing in the future

Huawei released its 2021 Annual Report on March 28th, revealing that the company had maintained solid operations throughout the past year. As per the report, Huawei achieved CNY636.8 billion in revenue in 2021, and CNY113.7 billion in net profits, an increase of 75.9% year-on-year. The company's R&D expenditure reached CNY142.7 billion in 2021, representing 22.4% of its total revenue, and bringing its total R&D expenditure over the past 10 years to over CNY845 billion. Moving forward, the company also plans to continuously increase investment in R&D.

 

Huawei said, the performance was overall in line with forecast, its carrier business remained stable, enterprise business experienced steady growth, and consumer business quickly expanded into new domains. In addition, the company embarked on a fast track of ecosystem development."

 

Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's CFO, spoke at the event, "Despite a revenue decline in 2021, our ability to make a profit and generate cash flows is increasing, and we are more capable of dealing with uncertainty." Thanks to the enhanced profitability of its major businesses, the company's cash flow from operating activities dramatically increased in 2021, amounting to CNY59.7 billion. Its liability ratio also dropped to 57.8%, and its overall financial structure has become more resilient and flexible.

                    Meng Wanzhou, Huawei's CFO, speaking at the press conference

 

In 2021, Huawei's carrier business generated CNY281.5 billion in revenue and helped carriers around the world deploy leading 5G networks. Third-party test results have found that 5G networks built by Huawei for customers in 13 countries, including Switzerland, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia, provide the best user experience. By working with carriers and partners, Huawei has signed more than 3,000 commercial contracts for industrial 5G applications. These kinds of 5G applications are currently seeing large-scale commercial use in sectors like manufacturing, mines, iron & steel plants, ports, and hospitals.

 

Thanks to continuing digital transformation trends, Huawei's enterprise business also grew rapidly, generating CNY102.4 billion in revenue during 2021. In the past year, Huawei launched 11 scenario-based solutions for key sectors such as government, transportation, finance, energy, and manufacturing. The company also established multiple dedicated teams, including a Coal Mine Team, a Smart Road Team, and a Customs & Port Team, to combine resources in a way that more efficiently serves the needs of its customers. 

 

Over 700 cities and 267 Fortune Global 500 companies have chosen Huawei as their digital transformation partner and Huawei now works with more than 6,000 service and operation partners around the world. In the Philippines, benefited from a new system consisting of mobile devices and AI, forest rangers can receive real-time alerts of sound to identify rainforest destruction Via a mobile App, so they can take action quickly, according to Jun Zhang, the Director of Huawei Asia Pacific Public Relations Department. 

 

Huawei's consumer business zeroed in on consumer wants and needs, further building out the global ecosystem for a smart, all-connected era, as part of the company's Seamless AI Life strategy for consumers around the world. This business generated CNY243.4 billion in revenue in 2021 and continued to see steady sales growth in smart wearables, smart screens, true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds, and Huawei Mobile Services (HMS). In particular, the smart wearable and smart screen segments both saw 30%+ year-on-year growth. In total, HarmonyOS was used in over 220 million Huawei devices as of 2021, becoming the world's fastest growing mobile device operating system.

 

During the past year, Huawei also focused on building out its openEuler, MindSpore, and HarmonyOS ecosystems based on the principles of open collaboration and shared growth. Over eight million developers are currently using Huawei's open platforms, open-source software, and development tools to explore new business scenarios and business models.

 

Simon Lin, the President of Huawei Asia Pacific stated, with stable workforce, financial and business fundamentals, the highest net profit in history, and our continued efforts to globalize under pressure and increase R&D investment, Huawei’s unwavering business strategy, focused on connectivity and computing and rapidly developing new businesses including digital power and cloud, is perfectly aligned to drive the digital economy in Asia Pacific.

 

The company will advance its journey of digitalization, intelligent transformation, and low carbon. Relying on talent, scientific research, and an innovative spirit, Huawei said will continuously increase investment to reshape the paradigms for fundamental theories, architecture, and software, and build our long-term competitiveness.

 

 

 

The 1Q TPbot won a Silver Anvil at 57th Anvil Awards

The 1Q TPbot, the World’s First Smart 1Question Job Interview Bot conceptualized by Teleperformance Philippines (TP), won a Silver Anvil under the Public Relations Tools category for social media at the prestigious Anvil Awards at the virtual Gabi ng Parangal Awards Ceremonies held by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines (PRSP).

 

The 1Q TPbot is a first-in-industry initiative that created a safer and more convenient hiring process while making it easier for Teleperformance to find the right candidates. Teleperformance Philippines applicants were able to complete the interview process in a matter of minutes through a convenient gamified platform on Facebook. The hiring process that used to entail long waits was cut down from 2.5 weeks to just 6 hours, solving previously high applicant fallout while, maximizing social media, allowing Teleperformance to save millions in recruitment costs.

The social media tool was launched in 2020 when the lockdown limited physical interactions resulting to onsite operations, including recruitment, having to adjust. In April 2020, the country’s unemployment rate rose to a record high of 17.7%, which translates to 7.3 million unemployed Filipinos in the labor force, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. Despite this, the information technology and business process management (IT-BPM) companies remained the top employer that year with 23% of the companies hiring belonging to the industry, according to Jobstreet.

 

Amid these challenges, Teleperformance Philippines was able to innovate and continue their recruitment virtually by utilizing social media. 

 

“The 1Q TPbot was a product of that hard work by our Teleperformance talent acquisition team. The platform has helped with job generation in the country in a time when unemployment was at its lowest,  while taking into consideration the health and safety of the applicants,” shared Jeffrey Johnson, Senior Vice President for Human Capital Resource Management of Teleperformance Philippines.

 

The 1Q TPbot was also recognized internationally by the Festival of Media APAC Awards and Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards. It is part of several award-winning initiatives by Teleperformance Philippines that aimed to support their employees through the pandemic, such as their nationwide TPVac vaccination program, “A Message from Mike” video series that offered accessible and transparent channel of communication to reach TP employees, and the “TP is a Safe Place to Work for All” social media campaign that gave TP employees useful information to help them navigate through a life-changing time.

 

To learn more about Teleperformance, visit their website at www.teleperformance.com.
 

SM Supermalls and the GSP aims to speed up the vaccination rollout in the Philippines with ‘Resbakuna Kids’ campaign

SM Supermalls teams up with the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) to boost the Department of Health’s ‘Resbakuna Kids’ nationwide vaccination campaign.

SM Supermalls’ ongoing vaccination efforts will now also welcome over 700,000 members of the GSP to get inoculated against COVID-19 starting April 2.

“We remain devoted to supporting the ‘Resbakuna Kids’ campaign of the Department of Health, and I think what’s more important is being able to administer the vaccinations particularly to the Girl Scouts of the Philippines who have not been vaccinated yet,” said Joaquin San Agustin, Senior Vice President of Marketing at SM Supermalls. 

San Agustin also urged those who are still hesitant to get jabbed to safeguard the public’s health and safety.

“We encourage everyone to get vaccinated and for those who were vaccinated to get their boosters. It is not only for the safety of the person [but it is also] for the safety of their families and we, at SM Supermalls, will always welcome everyone for vaccinations here in our malls nationwide,” San Augstin said.

GSP National President Nina Lim-Yuson also echoed the need for children to get vaccinated so they can fulfill their duty of serving their communities.

“We know the Girl Scouts [of the Philippines] made their promise to serve God and our country and to help people at all times. You cannot help others if you are sick. We want everybody to be healthy and well, and that is why we hope they will all get vaccinated at SM Supermalls,” Yuson said.

Senior members of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines proudly serve as great examples to the young girls by receiving booster shots! 

This initiative led by SM Supermalls is encouraging members of the GSP who have not been vaccinated yet, especially children aged 5 to 11, 12 to 17 and senior citizens to get jabbed at their nearest SM mall vaccination site.

Prior to the vaccination day, GSP members must register in their respective local councils. Parents and guardians must also secure copies of any of the following documents: birth certificate, health records, school registration or ID, or baptismal certificate.

The collaboration between SM Supermalls and the GSP aims to speed up the vaccination rollout in the Philippines in order to achieve herd immunity in the country as soon as possible.

As the single biggest entity to vaccinate Filipinos in the country, SM Supermalls has already administered over 9.4 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines nationwide in its 78 mall vaccination sites. The mall chain remains dedicated in its commitment to ensuring a safe malling experience for the public through its staunch support of the government’s nationwide vaccination campaign.

Laging Handa! SM Supermalls, the PH government’s single biggest private entity partner, together with Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) launched Resbakuna Kids to vaccinate Girl Scouts aged 5-17 and adult members for booster shots at SM Megamall’s Kids wonderland-themed vaccination site. The event was attended by SM Supermalls Senior VP for Marketing Joaquin San Agustin, SM Supermalls Asst. VP for Operations Ian Mathay, Mandaluyong City Hospital Director Cesar J. Tutaan and GSP National President Nina Lim-Yuson.

BDO Unibank won the Bank of the Year in the Philippines

BDO Unibank won the Bank of the Year in the Philippines at the recently held Bank of the Year Awards 2021 of The Banker. This is the 4th time BDO received the Bank of the Year in the Philippines Award from The Banker. Previously, it held the title in 2013, 2017, and 2019.

 

The London-based financial publication has commended the digital solutions deployed by BDO Unibank in 2021, stating that the modernization prompted better customer service, increased resiliency, and enhanced cybersecurity. 

 

The deployment of the digital solutions has allowed bank clients to open accounts online, make paperless in-branch transactions, and do card-less ATM banking using biometrics or QR Codes. Moreover, they can now link together their BDO accounts in one mobile wallet called BDO Pay, and make online peer-to-peer and consumer transactions easier and faster.

The Banker pointed out that all these efforts allowed “[greater efficiency and] faster turnaround time on transactions as well as greater access to banking systems through an increased number of channels and touchpoints.”

 

It also lauded BDO’s continued efforts to cater to various customer segments, through the bespoke wealth management products of its subsidiaries: BDO Private Bank, BDO Trust and Investment, BDO Prime, and BDO Securities.

 

BDO President & CEO Nestor V. Tan added, “We will continue to broaden our market reach to improve customer access and strengthen our presence in underserved areas through BDO Network Bank’s branch expansion outside Metro Manila, complemented by our digital capabilities.”

 

World Vision, partners and ambassadors continue to provide emergency aid for Typhoon Odette survivors

Three months have passed since the Philippines was hit by torrential rains, violent winds, floods and storm surges due to Typhoon Odette (international name Rai). Overnight, the Typhoon displaced thousands of families, resulting in billions worth of damages as the country is still recovering from the effects of the pandemic. Since then, World Vision ambassadors continue to show their support for typhoon-affected communities through heartfelt activities to help raise funds for World Vision’s relief efforts.

 

Ogie Alcasid held a fundraising concert entitled Online Caroling for a Cause; Quest held the Bagong Yugto fundraising concert through Facebook Live in partnership with When In Manila; Christine and Julius Babao organized ArtReach 2021, a fundraising auction held by their Art PH advocacy in partnership with Art Rocks; and other World Vision ambassadors such as Jasmine Curtis-Smith, Joyce Pring, Juancho Trivino, and Marc Nelson provided donations to the relief efforts.

                       Screencap from Ogie Alcasid’s “Online Caroling for a Cause”

 

With support from ambassadors and corporate partners, World Vision was able to assist nearly 11,000 families from typhoon-affected areas such as Bohol, Cebu, Negros Occidental and Surigao del Norte from December 2021 to February 2022. As of March 2022, the organization is shifting to the early recovery phase of its Typhoon Odette Response Plan. With 1,400 families and counting assisted in Dinagat Island, World Vision is expanding its efforts to assist communities from Southern Leyte and Siargao with support from ADH, HK SAR, and UNFPA.

 ArtPh donates to World Vision’s Typhoon Odette emergency response. From left: World Vision Resource Development Director Jun Godornes, World Vision Philippines National Director Rommel Fuerte, Art PH Co-founder Julius Babao, World Vision Ambassador and Art PH Co-founder Christine Babao and Art PH Co-founder Lori Jurvida.

 

“I love supporting World Vision because the moment the typhoon hit, the moment it caused the catastrophe, World Vision went there right away. Now is the best time to be selfless. It takes only a little amount to support the future through World Vision,” shared World Vision Ambassador Quest during his online fundraising concert.

Screencap from Quest’s virtual concert “#BagongYugto”

 

Other corporate and church partners who supported World Vision’s Odette response include American Wire and Cable Co., Analog Devices Inc., Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Beepo, Inc., Ben Line Agencies, BSI Group Philippines, Cebu Pacific, Coca-Cola Foundation, Department of Energy-Employees Association, Deped Tudela, Emerson Electric, Emerson Electric (Asia) Limited – ROHQ, Entrepreneurs’ Organization Member Services Centre, Favor Church, GCash, GrabPay, Hans Paper Corporation, HC Consumer Philippines, Investagrams, Isla LPG, JCCM, Lamudi Philippines Inc., Lazada Philippines, Lyf Homes Development Corp., Market Innovation Internationale Inc., Metrobank Card, Microsourcing Philippines Inc., Northern Trust, Novateur Coffee Concepts Inc., PayMaya Philippines, Inc., Procter & Gamble, PUBG Mobile Philippines, RCBC Bankard, Rogan Builders and Development Corp., SFUC Group, Shopee Philippines Inc., Top Data, Victory Fort, Willis Towers Watson, Word for the World Mandaluyong, and Xiaomi Philippines.

"Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines is committed to helping underserved Filipinos especially in times of crisis. In collaboration with World Vision, we were able to reach families in Cebu affected by Typhoon Odette. We are grateful for this partnership through which we are able to help communities cope after natural disasters,” said Cecile Alcantara, Coca-Cola Foundation President.

 

“We at World Vision are thankful to our corporate partners, to our celebrity ambassadors and to everyone who supported children and families affected by Typhoon Odette. With your help, we were able to assist a total of 47,302 individuals including 16,875 children in various communities. Your prayers, kindness and generosity encourage us to continue helping others rebuild communities and provide a safer place for children to thrive,” said World Vision National Director Rommel V. Fuerte

 

For more information and how you can support World Vision’s Emergency Response, please visit www.worldvision.org.ph

Share the Minnie Mouse love with your little ones

Anyone who grew up in a Disney-loving home for sure would count Minnie Mouse as one of their favorite characters. She’s bright, bubbly, and just the right amount of sassy–and for many one of their earliest fashion icons.

 

For years, Minnie Mouse’s ever-so-stylish and coordinated outfits, together with her sweet little giggles and unstoppable positivity, have been an enduring example of fun, friendship, and fashion, all wrapped up in a polka-dot skirt and a huge red bow up top.

 

Growing up with Minnie means being able to express yourself, reveling in your own creativity, and forming lifelong friendships. Now, parents can share, relive, and create more of their favorite Minnie Mouse memories and help their little ones find their own sweet moments with Disney’s leading lady with the latest Positively Minnie collection.

Morning bike rides with Minnie

Getting some sun and exercise early in the morning will help you start your day with a smile. For a morning bike ride with the littles ones, you can bring along the adorable Disney Minnie Mouse 12-inch Bike.

 

This bike is perfect for toddlers older than 3 years old and has training wheels for beginners. Strong and sturdy, it also doesn’t skimp on style with its cute Minnie Mouse theme.

Get this super cute bike at the Disney Shop at Lazada and Zalora or in-store at Toy Kingdom, Toys “R” Us, and the SM Store

 

Match your kids’ outfits to their ride with this Minnie Mouse-themed ensemble: a gray shirt with a cute print of the icon herself, classic Minnie Mouse-inspired polka dot shorts, and white sneakers. 

Have your kids live the active-yet-stylish life with this ensemble available at Lazada, the SM Store (in-store and online) and at ShopSM

A magical tea party with Minnie Mouse

Step out in style for a family brunch or a magical afternoon tea party with different outfits for Minnie Mouse fans of all ages.

 

Savor delicious pastries and sweets while wearing an outfit inspired by Minnie’s signature colors and motifs: bows, dresses, and a pop of red, and this fun dress brings all these together! Have your little one pair it with a pink glittery bag to complete the look.

 

Make the tea party even more special by donning your own red tea party dress so you can make the cutest mommy-daughter memories!

Dress to impress with this dress and bag available at Zalora, Lazada, Shopee, and at the SM Store

 

Out and about with Minnie

Summer is for going out: from going on adventures to exotic locales or something as simple as beating the summer heat by staying inside the mall and shopping.

 

There’s no better way than to make an outing more special than a fun, casual Minnie Mouse statement tee. Made for teens, this Oh So Stylish shirt is perfect for all the summer outings you have in your bucket list. It’s super flexible too! Pair it with some jeans for a laidback look or a cute denim jacket if your kid is attending a party, or a pair of shorts or a skirt, for that classic and refreshing summer ‘fit.

Be ready for the summer and its adventures with this statement tee available at Lazada, Shopee, Zalora, and at the SM Store

A Minnie slumber party

The fun doesn’t stop when the night falls–in fact, it’s just begun! Invite some friends over or have you and your family plan a cozy slumber party.

 

Get the popcorn and drinks ready together with your favorite Disney flick and get your kiddos in the comfiest Minnie Mouse-themed sleepwear like this light and soft shirt dress and shirt and short combo.

 

End the night with a bedtime story about your fondest memories with Minnie Mouse and watch as your children go on their own Minnie Mouse adventures in dreamland.

 

Get the comfy sleepwear dress at Shopee, Lazada, Zalora, and Robinsons Department Store. The shirt and short sleepwear set is available at the Disney Shop at Lazada and Robinsons Department Store

 

So, there you have it! Does this sound like a day you’d like to spend with your kids? Reminiscing about our favorite childhood characters is a great way to connect and bond with your kids. With Minnie Mouse, you get to share some of your happy childhood memories and even make new ones for your kids to cherish.   

 

The Positively Minnie Collection from the Disney Shop is up for grabs at Lazada, Shopee, Zalora. You can also visit SM Department Stores or order them online at Shop SM. Other stores with Positively Minnie apparel include Robinsons Department Store, while the collection’s toys are also available at Toy Kingdom stores.