The Biggest TikTok Dance Challenge #TideProtectodor is here

A year after Tide Perfect Clean’s #FlexYoKCK craze swept across social media that had Pinoys flexing their perfect white Kwelyo, Cuffs and Kilikili, Tide returns with an even bigger and more rewarding dance challenge.

 

From the powerful detergent and its NEW variant Tide Perfect Clean Odor Defense comes #TideProtectodor! Launched in partnership with J&T express, the campaign will surely have moms and members of working communities grooving with how the NEW Tide Perfect Clean Odor Defense removes microdirt and protects against malodor. The best part? Those behind the top ten Tiktok videos of the challenge will get to be part of the exciting #TideProtectodor online event, while one lucky winner will take home a cash prize of P50,000.

 

The NEW Tide Perfect Clean Odor Defense cleans what others simply can’t. It goes after deeply-seated microdirt that seeps into your clothes over time, which can also cause bad smell or malodor. With the NEW Tide Perfect Clean Odor Defense, microdirt and malodor are not only eliminated but you also stay protected from them. Your clothes stay amoy freshly clean so you can feel confident all day.

 

Everyone is already taking on the #TideProtectodor challenge thanks to the NEW Tide Perfect Clean Odor Defense’s much-valued multiple cleaning and protective actions. Entries are coming from different working communities who are exposed to microdirt and prone to malodor, from celebrities to everyday people.

 

TV and social media star Luis Manzano has already joined in on the fun with his entry. He leads the way by showing off #TideProtectodor challenge’s moves, busting out the bouncing, gliding and arm-waving of someone protected from pawis, usok, at odor with the NEW Tide Perfect Clean Odor Defense.

 

 

(Insert Luis Manzano’s Tiktok Video Link: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSRB6Yo1P/)

 

Meanwhile, vlogger Junnie Boy Velasquez demonstrated to everyone how it’s done with his highly-energetic post with the caption, “Ganito kasi yan, pre! Tide Odor Defense lang talaga ang numbawan dahil tanggal maolodor na, protekatado ka pa sa malodor! ANG GALIIIINNNGG!!”

 (Insert Tiktok Video: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSRhdxMH1/)

 

Even dancing security guard Gene Fernandez, who captured the hearts of netizens with his joyful dancing while in uniform, made sure he won’t miss out on the craze. “Ganito and energy ng amoy freshly-cleaned buong araw dahil sa Tide Odor Defense,” his caption reads.

 

(Insert Tiktok Video: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSRhR4d2E/ )

 

As someone who’s always on the road, delivery rider Rhic Maniego knows a thing or two about exposure to microdirt. He joined the #TideProtecodor challenge and invited everyone to take part for the chance to win the cash prize. Teacher Christian Mae did the same with her entry, emphasizing that anyone is prone to malodor and that the NEW Tide Perfect Clean Odor Defense protects us against it.

 

(Insert Tiktok Videos: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSRhd56w5/  https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSRhRVSKv/)

 

The NEW Tide Perfect Clean Odor Defense’s #TideProtecodor challenge is open to all moms and members of the working community, such as security guards, sales ladies, vendors, and teachers, among others. To join for the chance to win P50,000, simply upload a video of your own take on the #TideProtecodor dance using the campaign hashtag, jingle, and branded effect. Make sure to wear your uniform to represent your job, if applicable.

 

Entries will be judged based on creativity, entertainment, virality, and compliance. The contest runs from August 12 to 19, 2022. See the full mechanics of the challenge onhttps://www.facebook.com/TidePHOfficial/.

 

What are you waiting for? Show everybody your dance moves now and win P50,000 while you’re at it with the NEW Tide Perfect Clean Odor Defense’s #TideProtecodor challenge.

 

 

Smile Train Celebrates First Anniversary of Comprehensive Cleft Care Center in Cebu

   A year since it established the first Comprehensive Cleft Care (CCC) center in Cebu, Smile Train continues to work towards improving access to cleft treatment for those in need in the province and across the Visayas. 

 

Through its partnership with Allegiant Regional Care (ARC) Hospitals and Mabuhay Deseret Foundation, the first CCC in Cebu has treated over 120 patients, with more than a hundred patients receiving life-changing cleft surgery. 

 

Speech therapy sessions were also provided, ensuring that patients access speech therapy which is vital for their continued care. Patients coming from as far as Bohol, Leyte, Samar, and Negros Oriental benefit from the center’s numerous services, which also include nutrition counseling and orthodontic treatment. 

L-R: Dr. Tyronne Lariego, Pediatric Intensive Care, ARC Hospital; Dr. Pearl Joy Sendaydiego, Pediatric Neurologist and Director of Medical Administrative Affairs, ARC Hospital; Jun Grimares, Program Director, Smile Train PH; Dr. Larissa Ang-Lim, Pediatric Dentist; Dr. Alex Alegrado, Medical Director, ARC Hospital

 

“Our partnership with Smile Train has allowed us to offer many Filipino patients hope and a chance to experience life-changing treatment for free. With the first comprehensive cleft care center in the region, we are able to cater to more patients and help them learn more about Smile Train’s programs of holistic care for those with cleft,” said Melody Ledesma, Country Director, Mabuhay Deseret Foundation.

 

According to Dr. Alex Alegrado, Medical Director of Allegiant Regional Care (ARC) Hospitals Inc, many patients have also approached the hospital inquiring about the process for receiving treatment. "Contrary to the notion that services are paused due to the pandemic, we are happy to share the cleft team at ARC continues to provide life-changing treatment for those in need.  We are happy that many of our beneficiaries continue to and are eager to go through the process of treatment. By partnering with Smile Train, the world’s largest cleft-focused organization, we are able to help Filipinos experience the global standard of comprehensive cleft care," he said. 

 

“We have reached another milestone in our goal of providing care for every cleft-affected individual, and a year full of smiles is just the beginning. We are confident that we will be able to reach more Filipinos affected with cleft and help provide them with access to the necessary comprehensive cleft care support they need,” said Jun Grimares, Program Director, Smile Train Philippines.

 

Smile Train promotes comprehensive cleft care, recognizing that an untreated cleft can cause various health complications such as malnutrition, difficulty breathing and speaking, hearing loss, mental health challenges, and even premature death. Leveraging on its telehealth network, Smile Train brings the services of a multidisciplinary team of specialists to promote programs that include nutritional support, orthodontic care, psychosocial support, and speech therapy, with pilot programs in dental care and ENT services. 

 

Through its programs, Smile Train’s goal is to connect all patients to the care they need. Relying on its network of more than 50 partners, Smile Train has managed to reach more patients across the country, bringing the multiple benefits of free comprehensive cleft care to patients who need it most.

 

Smile Train has launched several comprehensive cleft centers with its partners, such as the Philippine Band of Mercy and Marikina St. Vincent General Hospital in Metro Manila. Through the help of its partners, Smile Train has been able to support more than 68,000 cleft surgeries in the Philippines to date.

 

To know more about Smile Train’s global efforts and to donate, please visit smiletrain.org. To learn more about Smile Train’s local programs in the Philippines and to refer a patient in need, please visit smiletrain.ph/get-help. Follow Smile Train Philippines on Instagram @SmileTrainPh, and like us on Facebook at @SmileTrainPhilippines.

 

 

A.S. Watson Group announces commitment to provide 200,000 job openings for young people globally by 2030

 

In response to the International Youth Day, the world’s largest international health and beauty retailer, A.S. Watson Group, announced its commitment to provide 200,000 job openings for young people globally by 2030. The pledge is to give young people from all over the world the opportunities, skills and experiences to equip them for the fast-changing business landscape and kickstart their career in retail.

Investing in Young People

According to the World Economic Forum, the COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected labour markets around the world, and it has been especially challenging for young people. Globally, youth unemployment was already an issue before the pandemic, with 15 to 24-year-olds three times more likely to be without work than the over-25s. COVID-19 has made that situation worse. 

 

To help address this global challenge, A.S. Watson Group plans to offer 200,000 job opportunities worldwide for young people, enabling them to gain valuable experience to develop their career in the retail sector. The jobs will span different areas of our business, including working in stores, at head office and in distribution, and the roles are multi-disciplinary from customer service specialist, to marketing, digital development, eCommerce, analytics, finance, and sustainability, to name a few. 

 

Parkson Tseung, Group People Director (Asia) of A.S. Watson Group, says, “We all have a responsibility to nurture the next generation. What young people need is more companies opening doors to them and offering them a platform to prove their abilities. A.S. Watson is proud to provide more and better opportunities so that young people see hope in their future amid uncertainties in the world economy. The pandemic has made it difficult for young people to start their career with limited exposure to the workplace. Through these jobs, we are not just empowering them to be more confident and competent but also strengthening our business by listening to the voice of the next generation.” 

 

Getting Fit for the Future

The transformation of retailing at A.S. Watson who sets the new standard of O+O (Offline plus Online) integrated retail platform, the range of job nature and opportunities has widely expanded. Getting a start on the career ladder can be difficult for young people, however, who lack workplace experience and often the specific skills that these roles require.

 

Joanne Mackie, Group People Director (Europe) of A.S. Watson Group, adds, “Young people are an important source of talents and creativity; by developing their skills, we can make our business stronger and fitter for the future. We are not only offering job opportunities, we’re also providing training and coaching to give young people the skills they need to work in the new world of O+O retail. We plan to provide 5 million training hours specifically for youth in our global workforce to embrace the future. We look forward to 200,000 talented young people joining us between now and 2030 to help fuel the sustainable growth engine for A.S. Watson.”

 

Believing Young People Can Change the World

A.S. Watson has been investing in a range of people development programmes that combine on-the-job learning with further education. 

 

In Asia, the A.S. Watson Retail Academy was the first local retail academy in Hong Kong since 2018. A.S. Watson was also the first local company to offer a Professional Diploma in Retail Management, a Qualifications Framework (QF) level 5 programme, equivalent to a bachelor’s degree on the job. So far, more than 4,400 people have graduated from all levels of QF programmes.

 

In the Philippines, Watsons will be partnering with schools to provide internships for pharmacy students to help them comply with the practicum requirements for graduation.  They will be provided with valuable on-the-job experience in pharmacy retail management.

 

Young people are deeply passionate about changing not just their own lives but the wider world for the better. That’s why, as well as offering jobs for them, A.S. Watson is giving young people a voice and engaging them in driving the Group’s sustainability initiatives. To achieve this, A.S. Watson has created the “Next Gen” Sustainability Committee, made up of 18 GenY/ GenZ team members from across 12 operating markets in Asia and Europe, who works with the company’s Global Sustainability Committee to accelerate the progress on sustainability and help create a better world. 

As the world emerges from the pandemic, economic issues are presenting enormous challenges to so many young people, A.S. Watson is committed to giving the young generation a platform to kickstart their career and reinforcing the Group’s role in society as a purposeful company.

The Metro Stores’ Back-to-School Sale is happening on August 19 to October 2

It’s finally time to say goodbye to virtual learning with face-to-face classes coming back this month – and what better way to welcome this than school supplies shopping at The Metro Stores?

 

Staying true to the brand’s promise of “We Make Life Easy”, everyone from students, parents, to teachers are in for a sulit treat with The Metro Stores’ Back-to-School Sale. Customers can choose from a wide assortment of school essentials with up to 50% discount on August 19 to 21, 2022 for Metro Department Store and August 22 to October 2 for Metro Supermarket in-store and online.

 

After two years of online classes, now’s the best time to update that idled school essentials rack. Need an elevated style for face-to-face sessions? Have a wardrobe change with irresistible deals from the Metro Department Store. Start from trending outfits, basic everyday wear, to school uniforms and shoes with nothing over P499 and also stock up on classroom must-haves such as notebooks, backpacks, and pens – all under P100. Additionally, a 20% OFF applies to regular priced items on most brands.

 

There’s more to purchase as the Back-to-School Sale does not stop there. Fill up the pantry with baon favorites and grocery essentials with the lowest price markdowns. Take advantage of bundle deals with free items on school lunch staples such as canned goods and noodles, quick bites like biscuits and chips, along with hygiene and disinfecting necessities and more from Metro Supermarket. 

 

Here’s how shopping is more rewarding at The Metro Stores. Customers can get a chance to be one of the 20 winners of P50,000-worth Tuition Fee Assistance and 10 winners of Acer laptops all tax-free  with their Back-to-School E-Raffle from August 22 to October 2. To earn one (1) e-raffle ticket, shop a minimum P1,000 single-receipt purchase inclusive of any participating products from the Metro Supermarket or Metro Department Store.

 

There’s even more to look forward to for MRC cardholders. Members can get a free P200-worth of gift certificate for purchases worth P2,000 and up on August 19 to 21 and August 26 to 28.

 

As The Metro Stores welcomes their customers back in-store, they’re also finding more ways to welcome them back to their pre-pandemic habits with the best shopping experience. Don’t miss out on the greatest deals to make this new school year one for the books!

 

#ShopTheMetroStores in-store, online at www.shopmetro.ph, or thru its personal shopper service via Metro Pabili via text or Viber message to: 0917-88-METRO (0917-88-63876) or at www.shopmetro.ph/chat. #WeMakeLifeEasy

Canva introduces Whiteboards to enable teams to collaborate at scale

Canva, the global visual communications platform, today launched Canva Whiteboards, a new and collaborative way to seamlessly organize ideas and bring them to life. Available for free on the web, desktop, and mobile,Whiteboards brings teams together to collaborate, anytime and anywhere.

“After more than a year of development, we’re excited to launch Canva Whiteboards to the world – bringing the power our community knows and loves about Canva and enabling them to collaborate with their team on an infinite canvas,” said Melanie Perkins, CEO and co-founder of Canva. “In this day and age with teams working worlds apart, we believe the right visual communication tools will not only help teams come together with ease but will also fuel greater collaboration and productivity in the workplace. This is at the heart of Whiteboards, and we’re excited to see the magic it will unlock for our community around the world.”

From workshopping projects to project planning and brainstorming, Canva Whiteboards is a simple and interactive way to map out your next big idea with all the familiarity and magic of the Canva editor:

● Seamless integration with Canva Presentations: Kick off your workshop with a Canva Presentation and expand your page to a Canva Whiteboard with a simple click of a button — creating an infinite space for brainstorming. If you’re looking for inspiration, select from bespoke Whiteboard templates including flow charts, mind maps, wireframes, kanban boards, seating charts, org designs, flow charts, and more.

● Real-time collaboration: Canva’s real-time collaboration empowers you to capture ideas and brainstorm with your team instantly, from anywhere in the world. Colorful cursors show where your collaborators are and what they’re adding to the Whiteboard. Easily respond to ideas or ask questions with comments and reply with emojis and stickers.

● Extensive media library: Access to Canva’s media library of over 100 million images, videos, audio tracks and graphics means there’s no need to search elsewhere for content — everything you need to brainstorm is within Canva.

 

Introducing Canva for Teams

Canva has also unveiled Canva for Teams, a new paid subscription plan for teams of all sizes looking to create professional content together and collaborate with premium workplace tools and content management workflows.

“As companies embrace flexible and hybrid-working models, there’s an increasing reliance on technology to communicate and collaborate,” said Jen Howard, VP, Canva for Teams. “In today’s visual economy, workplaces need compelling ways to meet the needs of globally distributed teams. Canva for Teams, our new paid subscription plan, is built to empower millions around the world to seamlessly create and collaboratetogether.” 

Canva for Teams includes all the magic previously in Canva Pro and unlocks features exclusively on Canva for Enterprise, to become the new plan for teams of two or more people. It includes features like brand controls, approval workflows, and template locking. With the rollout of Canva for Teams, Canva Pro is now Canva’s paid subscription for solo users like entrepreneurs and content creators. 

Canva for Teams empowers teams of all sizes to create and collaborate together.

“We are happy to unveil both Canva Whiteboards and Canva for Teams in the Philippines as we continue to empower content creators, negosyantes, and teams of all sizes to collaborate at scale, wherever they may be. With Filipinos going digital now more than ever, Canva Whiteboards will be instrumental in bringing any team’s ideas to life while the introduction of Canva for Teams will empower businesses with an all-in-one design tool they need in creating impactful content,” said YaniHornilla-Donato, Country Manager of Canva Philippines.

To know more about Canva, visit www.canva.com or follow Canva on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. Canva is also available for download on App Store and Play Store.

Join the Mayani Hakot Challenge from August 19 – 21!

 

Being well need not to be expensive, so go ahead and start your healthy eating habits at Estancia Mall, Pasig City!

Join the Mayani Hakot Challenge from August 19 – 21 at the LG/F East Wing, Estancia Mall, Pasig City. For only Php 499, you cangrab as many farm-fresh fruits and vegetables that will fit your Mayani Bayong.

You can also take home batches of your favorite fresh produce at low prices!

Register for the Ortigas Community Card through the Ortigas Malls mobile app to get an additional 10% OFF on your purchase!

Estancia Mall is open from 11AM to 9PM on Fridays, and 10AM to 10PM on Saturdays and Sundays. Visit the Estancia at CapitolCommons Facebook page for more details!

#EnjoyEveryday #OrtigasMalls

Drop by NLEX Drive&Dine into the most relaxing and must-visit Toll Service Facility (TSF) along North Luzon Expressway (NLEX

MPT Mobility, the innovations arm of Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation has transformed NLEX Drive&Dine into the most relaxing and must-visit Toll Service Facility (TSF) along North Luzon Expressway (NLEX).

You’ll find everything you need at NLEX Drive&Dine with its wide selection of premium retail stores, restaurants, convenient store and even a fuel station. Those who seek a unique retail therapy session will be thrilled with the Philippines’ biggest Nike Factory Store, Levi’s, Giordano, Casio, A+ Premium Tech Depot, and more!

Of course, a TSF won’t be complete without delicious food. Have a hearty meal at Banapple, Hap Chan, Café France, Brother’s Burger, JT’s Manukan, Yellow Cab, Tokyo Tokyo, Kenny Rogers, or Chowking. There are also satisfying snacks from Dunkin Donut, Cinnabon, Macao Imperial Tea, ChaChaGo, Turks, Empanada Nation, and Famous Belgian Waffle. Motorists in a hurry can opt for drive-thru fare from beloved fast-food chains like McDonald’s, KFC, and Starbucks. 

But NLEX Drive&Dine isn’t stopping there! Even more enticing food options such as Subway, Tealive, Fiorgelato, Chimney Cake (a first in the Philippines!), and Bloom & Baker are set to open this year.

One can also take pleasure in strolling around, taking photos, and creating Instagrammable content with NLEX Drive&Dine’s colorful murals and alfresco areas. 

NLEX Drive&Dine isn’t just about the food options and retail choices. Those looking to relieve themselves in a place that’s super comfy will enjoy the well-maintained and air-conditioned restrooms.

From enjoyable and convenient onsite to online facilities, NLEX Drive&Dine is the first TSF to be fully powered by Maya, allowing motorists and visitors to go cashless.

So, the next time you find yourself cruising along NLEX or coming home from the North, vibe with us to experience the comfort, convenience, and excitement of NLEX Drive&Dine and make your stop one of the best parts of your trip! It’s located in between the Valenzuela and Meycauayan exits along Southbound NLEX. Most establishments are open from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. daily with select stores open 24 hours.

Connect with us online: Like us on Facebook, follow us on Instragram or join our Viber community for exclusive promos and updates.

NLEX Drive&Dine is managed and operated by MPT Mobility, whose aim is to improve the overall Pinoy traveling experience through tech-forward 

Meet CyberOne, Xiaomi's first humanoid robot

 

CyberOne, Xiaomi's first humanoid robot, debuted at the company's new product launch event in Beijing on August 11, alongside other innovative products.

As the newest member of Xiaomi's Cyber series, joining last year's quadruped robot Cyberdog, CyberOne is fitted with advanced arms and legs, supports bipedal-motion posture balancing, and reaches a peak torque of up to 300Nm. Also demonstrated was the ability to detect human emotion, advanced vision capabilities, and functionality allowing it to create three-dimensional virtual reconstructions of the real world, alongside a host of other advanced technologies.

New self-developed breakthroughs in Xiaomi Technology Ecosphere

"CyberOne's AI and mechanical capabilities are all self-developed by Xiaomi Robotics Lab. We have invested heavily in R&D spanning various areas, including software, hardware, and algorithms innovation," says Lei Jun, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Xiaomi Group.

 

"With AI at its core and a full-size humanoid frame as its vessel, this is an exploration of possibilities of Xiaomi's future technological ecosystem and a new breakthrough for the company."

 

CyberOne is a humanoid robot measuring 177cm in height and 52kg by weight, with an arm span of 168cm. Compared to a quadruped robot, this humanoid robot is more mechanically complex, requiring more powerful motors, more degrees of freedom, and complex humanoid biped control algorithms. CyberOne supports up to 21 degrees of freedom in motion and achieves a real-time response speed of 0.5ms for each degree of freedom, which allows it to fully simulate human movements.

 

A robot's motion performance is dependent on the performance of each joint motor. The technological requirement for building such motors is extremely high as it is necessary to generate more kinetic energy without increasing the size of components. In order to ensure the flexibility of CyberOne's upper limbs, Xiaomi has developed a high-efficiency motor weighing only 500g with a rated output torque of up to 30Nm for the upper limb joint motor. The hip joint motor is similarly capable of an instantaneous peak torque of up to 300Nm. Thanks to the self-developed humanoid bipedal control algorithm, CyberOne's walking posture has been programmed to be both natural and stable. On top of that, CyberOne is capable of holding up to 1.5kg in weight with a single hand and programming by demonstration. Altogether, CyberOne is a humanoid robot with well-developed coordination and exceptional motion capabilities.

Humanoid robots rely on vision to process their surroundings. Equipped with a self-developed Mi-Sense depth vision module and combined with an AI interaction algorithm, CyberOne is capable of perceiving 3D space, as well as recognizing individuals, gestures, and expressions, allowing it to not only see but to process its environment. In order to communicate with the world, CyberOne is equipped with a self-developed MiAI environment semantics recognition engine and a MiAI vocal emotion identification engine, enabling it to recognize 85 types of environmental sounds and 45 classifications of human emotion. CyberOne is able to detect happiness, and even comfort the user in times of sadness. All of these features are integrated into CyberOne's processing units, which are paired with a curved OLED module to display real-time interactive information.

 

Keep exploring, and bring robots into people's lives

 

Robotics is considered the "crown jewel of manufacturing" with humanoid robots being the ultimate goal for many across the industry. Compared with industrial robots that are valued for their specialized mechanical capabilities, the main challenge in building humanoid robots is to perfectly simulate human processes of perception, cognition, decision-making, and execution under various scenarios. Interestingly, a large number of new technologies that have emerged in the process of trying to solve this challenge have already been serving the general public in positive ways.

 

The development of CyberOne is a symbol of Xiaomi's dedication to incubate a technological ecosystem centered in a single point, and connect it with the world in ways never seen before. Spanning from smartphones, wearable devices and smart homes, to smart manufacturing, smart electric vehicle and bionic robots, Xiaomi has been constantly exploring and extending its innovations in various scenarios so as to better connect people and the world, eventually building an ever-evolving Xiaomi Technology Ecosphere.

Lei Jun notes that humanoid bionic robots require the highest degree of technical integration and present the largest challenge in the field of intelligent robotics. Xiaomi is making its first steps in the field, and CyberOne is constantly adding new capabilities. "We think that intelligent robots will definitely be a part of people's lives in the future," said Lei Jun.

CyberOne's research and development process combined cutting-edge technologies from a variety of sectors, including bionic perception and cognition, biomechatronics, artificial intelligence, big data and cloud computing, and visual navigation. These technological breakthroughs are also expected to give birth to more application scenarios in other fields, such as industrial robots with improved mechanical performance, companion robots with emotion recognition, and public service robots powered by big data and cloud computing. CyberOne's technology will also be applied to more and more Xiaomi products in the future.