Sun Life marks Financial Independence Month with announcement of new game and more activities

What if you could take your financial journey for a test drive? 

That’s exactly what you can do with Sun Life’s upcoming game, Play for Life: A Game of Choices, which is set to launch in June 2024. This Financial Independence Month, Sun Life is launching engaging activities that will foster financial literacy among Filipinos through gamification elements. 

Embark on Your Financial Journey with Play for Life 

Play for Life is a free, single-player online game that mirrors the financial decisions one encounters in real life. The objective of the game is to achieve your chosen life goals through strategic financial and life decisions while navigating the ups and downs. 

At the beginning of the game, players define their life goals and select a character representing a career. Gameplay revolves around dice rolls, guiding pieces across the board to squares that correspond with the dice outcome. The board features spaces that offer life-enhancing opportunities ('Life Wins'), present challenges ('Life Happens'), or require critical financial decisions ('Life Choices'), allowing players to use their accumulated funds strategically. 

You win the game once you have accumulated enough play money to achieve your life goal. The journey involves managing both positive and adverse circumstances,reflecting the essence of life's financial planning and decision-making.  

Step into the World of Play for Life 

For a more immersive experience, there will be a roving life-size version of Play for Life in select areas around the country. Navigate giant game boards and make real-life choices at SM Megamall from June 22 to 23, 2024, SM Sta Rosa from July 27 to 28, 2024, and more locations to come. To engage the mobile gaming community, the initial launch of the life-size version of Play for Life will be in partnership with Talon Esports, a leading esports and gaming organization. There will also be table-top boardgame versions of Play for Life, where you can play with friends, family, and even Sun Life financial advisors.  

Those interested to learn more about Sun Life’s new game, Play for Life: A Game of Choices, may visit http://sunlife.co/playforlife. 

Rank Your Money Moves with Sun Life’s New TikTok Filter 

Further amplifying its commitment to financial empowerment, Sun Life launched an interactive TikTok filter called “Rank Your Money Moves”. This gamified filter allows users to rank various priorities, such as love life, food, travel, and other possible money moves. Once priorities have been placed in order, the user gets a fun and playful financial personality type depending on how they ranked their money moves. 

Try out Sun Life’s new TikTok filter here: https://sunlife.co/RankYourMoneyMoves  

Marking 9 years of Financial Independence Month 

Financial Independence Month is Sun Life’s annual campaign encouraging clients to pursue financial preparedness at every life stage. Launched in 2015, it aims to make the national celebration of Independence Day more personal and meaningful, as it centers on the pursuit of one’s brighter future. 

“Financial freedom starts with a choice,” said Carla Gonzalez-Chong, Chief Client Experience and Marketing Officer of Sun Life Philippines. “This is why we are set to launch Play for Life: A Game of Choices. We want to equip Filipinos with the knowledge to make informed decisions on their financial journey. By making financial literacy more engaging and accessible, we hope to empower individuals to take control of their future and make life choices with confidence.” 

AirAsia PH hosted a bloodletting drive at the airline's RedPoint headquarters in Pasay City

AirAsia Philippines is not only revolutionizing air travel but also touching the lives of many Filipinos as they hosted a bloodletting drive at the airline's RedPoint headquarters in Pasay City.

In partnership with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the Philippine Air Force (PAF), over 200 Allstars and PAF personnel participated in a bloodletting activity, responding to the urgent call for blood reserves by the Department of Health (DOH) and PRC.

“Our core value of making a difference goes beyond the skies. We're not just transporting passengers, we're transporting hope. For the first time, AirAsia came together as one with the Philippine Red Cross and Philippine Air Force to boost efforts to meet the rising demand for national blood reserves. The blood units collected will surely help our kababayans in need,” AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla stated.

Throughout the years, the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline has forged strong partnerships under its AlwaysReady: Anytime, Anywhere CSR program with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the Philippine Air Force (PAF), showcasing their commitment to community service and the love for the country.

Since 2015, AirAsia has conducted more than 10 blood donation drives in collaboration with the PRC. AirAsia’s partnership with the PAF, established in 2019 as a 1st Airlift Wing Reserve unit, has been marked by significant milestones including being recognized as the Best Reserve Unit nationwide. 

“We thank AirAsia and the Philippine Air Force for their commitment to support our mission of saving lives. Through your annual blood donation drives, you have once again proved that AirAsia does more than just bring Filipino families together across distances. We commend your commitment to help many Filipinos in urgent need of blood, including children, cancer patients, mothers giving birth, and accident victims, reunite with their loved ones once again,” said Philippine Red Cross Secretary General Dr Gwen Pang.

AirAsia, PAF, and PRC’s “Donate Blood, Save Lives” activity aims to help increase the Red Cross’ blood bank reserves, in support of the agency’s target of covering 70% of the country’s blood demand this year. The activity also aims to entice more people to donate blood, especially that blood donations saw a decline since 2020.

Apart from saving the lives of the beneficiaries, donating blood also provides health benefits to individuals as it lessens the risk of heart and liver diseases, help lower cholesterol level, and produce new blood cells.

The Acolyte’s premiere episode drove 11.1 million views* globally

After taking a lightspeed trip to 4.8 million views in one day, The Acolyte’s premiere episode drove 11.1 million views* globally based on five days of streaming, maintaining its status as the biggest series premiere on Disney+ of 2024.

 

Set during the High Republic Era of the Star Wars saga, The Acolyte tells the story of an investigation into a shocking crime spree that pits a respected Jedi master against a dangerous warrior from his past.

 

The first episode thrusts viewers right into the action with a gripping fight scene that sets off the central mystery of the series.

“I was very interested in telling a story about the Sith,” Leslye Headland, creator and executive producer of The Acolyte, said. “The logical conclusion would be to set this show in a time period where the Sith are the underdogs.”

 

The first two episodes of The Acolyte are currently streaming on Disney+, and new episodes will debut in the Philippines every Wednesday through July 17.

 

Star Wars fans can find the rest of the sprawling saga — from the original trilogy to the latest series — on Disney+.

 

Created and executive produced by Headland, The Acolyte stars Lee Jung-jae, Amandla Stenberg, Charlie Barnett, Manny Jacinto, Jodie Turner-Smith, and Carrie-Anne Moss. 

 

* A view is defined as total stream time divided by runtime.

The enduring spirit of Independence Day heroes lives on in mompreneurs

As we commemorate the country’s 126th Independence Day, we also reflect on its meaning and relevance in today's world. Just as we had inspiring heroes fighting for the Philippines’ right to self-government and freedom from colonial rule in 1898, we have modern-day heroes that continue to contribute to the nation’s growth and to individual self-sufficiency today.

 

These are Filipinos who overcome hardships to achieve personal and financial empowerment through entrepreneurship. According to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, MSMEs “generate 62.4 percent of the country's total employment, contribute 36 percent of gross value added, and account for 25 percent of total exports.”

 

Madiskarte Moms PH, an online community that supports starting and established mompreneurs, exemplifies the enduring spirit of Filipinos whose businesses create opportunities for our people.

 

By creating products using materials and designs that are Filipino-centric impacts everyone in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. It creates direct and indirect employment for suppliers and communities. 

 

If there is any modern-day example of heroes, it is Filipino mothers who are smart to realize that it doesn’t takes a huge capital to start a business. When they changed their mindset that it could be done, they did it. After all, when you’re fighting for your family’s future, you become brave like the hero you can be.

 

From OFWs to business owners

For Lois Gabriel, mother of three daughters and an OFW in Dubai for six years in the early 2000s, the secret to becoming an entrepreneur was using her biggest skill: coordinating things. “Not everyone can coordinate with too many suppliers all at the same time. I am very good at reminding clients, following up suppliers, and doing quality control during execution.”

 

In Dubai, her degree in communication and her skill at organizing events paved the way to a side hustle in putting up events for her friends and church mates. When she came home to the Philippines to give birth, she decided to put up Lois Gabriel Events where she wears many hats as event coordinator, host and  professional makeup artist.

 

“My first attempt didn’t materialize. In 2008, I enrolled at the School Fashion and Arts (SOFA) , where I took up makeup artistry. That was a game changer. I launched my makeup artistry page, clients were also looking for event coordinationand that was the rebirth of Lois Gabriel Events. Currently, I have five people on staff and on call staff whenever I have events booked.”

 

The pandemic all but stopped her business but not her dreams. “My husband was earning enough for our daily needs, but we had no savings. Also, a very important reason for starting a business was my self-fulfillment as a woman and human being—that I am able to surpass the mediocrity cast upon women. It takes a lot of sweat and tears to be able to sustain a business.”

Another former OFW, April Ocampo worked in Macau and Singapore until the pandemic. In 2020, she was in the Philippines on maternity leave. For the next three years she was unemployed and became a full-time mom.

 

She wasn’t used to not working and suffered from post-partum depression. It caused her to question her worth, caused her anxiety and self-pity.“Napakaganda ng tinatakbo ng career ko noong wala pa akong anak.  OFW po ako at tumutulong sapangangailangan ng pamilya namin, may sariling pera at kalayaan  dati. Nawalan ako ng identity.” 

  

To be honest, she says, putting up a business in the beginning was simply for herself, “para sa aking sarili, para po sa sanity, at lalong lalo na po sa self-worth ko.”

 

In January this year, she put up Bounty Honey which sources wild honey in Mindanao. Her business began with only 18 bottles and P3,200.

  

Now, she is faced with the happy problem of supply since the demand for her honey is rising.

 

Leaving the comfort of the corporate world

Mommy Princess is a mompreneur who embodies an entrepreneur who tries her hand at business while an employee (she worked in BPO for 18 years) until she finally does it full time. During the pandemic, her company paid their employees three months despite halting work (they went back to the office after).  

 

While stuck at home she sold homemade body wash under the name ISLA but pressed pause because she couldn’t find the right supplier. In 2022, she pivoted ISLA to handmade accessories using macramé and clay because they didn’t expire. “I’m a single parent with a 10-year-old and I still handcraft my jelwerypieces. When I have a lot of orders, I ask for help.” She employs stay-at-home moms and working students.  

 

Mommy Princess says one of the biggest challenges in starting a business is limting one’s belief. “When you’re surrounded by people that are not business minded, you get inputs like ‘Mahirap yan,’ ‘Naku saturated na ang market.’ The advantage in 2022 was it felt like everyone is starting a new normal life. So why not defy all the odds? What kept me going was my assurance that God got my back. His grace is sufficient.

  

Another corporate employee since she graduated from college, Ayeng Antonio-Mendez opened Abuela Café and Bakery  in the last quarter of 2022 and began full operations in August the following year.

 

When you have a full-time job, starting a business takes courage because you are either leaving a regular income or if you don’t leave you’re adding more stress to your life. “In terms of our corporate job, we were doing very well. But on the business side, this is the most complicated because construction is ongoing then and there have been delays and additional costs.”

 

Mom to a four-year-old daughter, Ayeng says her family—her brother and sister-in-law, Ayeng and her husband—started the café because it was a long-held dream of her mom. “We are all working in the corporate world, and we thought why not we try to build our own business that someday our children will also benefit from and maybe continue. We also carry some recipes we had inherited from our grandmothers too. It’s like making their legacy and ours, combined, to continue evolving.” 

 

  

These women have created a chain of impact around them—not only economically but also mentally: to be brave, to be open to new possibilities, to take on challenges along the way—that’s true freedom.

 

Empower yourself like these Filipino moms. Join Madiskarte Moms PH on Facebook.

The brand new TechLife Pad will fulfill all your digital needs

The TechLife Fam is in for a treat with the upcoming release of the brand new TechLife Pad on June 27. This fresh addition to the TechLife lineup caters to all the digital needs of the TechLife Fam, seamlessly blending entertainment and productivity into one sleek package.

From catching up on the latest series, tackling assignments, to staying connected with friends and family, the TechLife Pad is designed to enhance and simplify daily routines for users of all ages.

Big on entertainment

The TechLife Pad offers an exceptional entertainment experience, perfect for listening to music, watching videos, or both. Thanks to its stunning 10.36" large 2K Display, the TechLife Fam offers a vibrant viewing experience for a portable home theater feel. It is complemented with Quad Stereo Speakers to deliver rich, immersive sound that fills any room, effortlessly bringing movies and series to life.

Multitasking buddy

The TechLife Pad is built to accommodate busy schedules. Powered by Android 14 and a Unisoc T606 processor that supports LTE and VoLTE, users can seamlessly switch between work, social media, and personal projects for efficient multitasking. 

The wide display also features a Split Screen View which lets users manage and answer emails, attend online meetings, and read e-books simultaneously. 

Staying connected with family and friends is also made easier because of its portability and massive 7000mAh battery, making it an ideal travel companion. With a standby time of at least 15 hours and a total playback time of 4.4 hours for music, the TechLife Fam can stay connected and entertained on the go. 

The easy-to-navigate interface also ensures that the TechLife Pad is accessible, keeping everyone effortlessly in touch.

The tablet for everyone

Overall, the TechLife Pad combines the best entertainment and productivity in a sleek, user-friendly design. It’s a perfect fit for millennials, students, or anyone looking for a device that adapts to the needs of modern life. 

The best part is that its portability makes it easy to fit anyone's on-the-go lifestyle. Whether for work, play, or simply staying in touch, the TechLife Pad is the way to go. 

Catch the official launch on June 27 at 6pm, streaming live on TechLife Philippines’ official Facebook page. For updates on other deals and announcements, follow TechLife on Instagram and TikTok.

Smile Train has performed over 69,000 primary cleft surgeries, resulting in 598,000+ years lost to disability averted and $3 billion+

“Smile Train at 25: $69 Billion in Impact” showcases the cost-effectiveness of investing in global healthcare and integrating comprehensive cleft care into health systems as the organization marks 25 years of global cleft care

 

Smile Train, the world's largest cleft-focused organization, with a sustainable and local model of supporting surgery and other forms of essential  cleft care, released a newly published study that lays out the real-world return on their investments in communities worldwide.

 

The report, titled “Smile Train at 25: $69 Billion in Impact,” features new data measuring the economic impact and value that comes with 25 years of transforming cleft care. Smile Train’s work has boosted economies by $69 billion in more than 90 countries around the world and has regained 11 million total productive life years globally by cleft surgery patients - measured in averted disability-adjusted life years (DALYs).

 

In the Philippines, specifically, Smile Train has performed over 69,000 primary cleft surgeries, resulting in 598,000+ years lost to disability averted and $3 billion+ in economic benefit.

 

“Having a cleft can have wide-ranging consequences on a child – impacting their physical and mental health, their family’s economic stability, and the child’s future capacity to live a full and productive life,” shared Mamta Carroll, Vice President and Regional Director for Asia, Smile Train. “Having seen first-hand how untreated clefts have affected children in the Philippines and around the world, there is no doubt how access to safe and quality comprehensive cleft care is not only vital, but undeniably transformational in all aspects of their lives.”

 

“We’re thrilled to share this latest study showcasing the economic impact of our work,” said Susannah Schaefer, President and CEO, Smile Train. “$69 billion put back into local economies around the world is no small feat, and these incredibly impactful numbers are all thanks to the dedicated efforts of our worldwide team who understand and prioritize our sustainable and local model of supporting surgery and other forms of essential cleft care. It’s time that the international medical community follows suit and recognizes the cost-effectiveness of integrating comprehensive cleft care into their health systems in order to provide every child with a cleft in need the access to the care they deserve and the future they can achieve for themselves, their families, and their communities.” 

 

For as little as $400 committed toward one cleft surgery, as much as $60,000 is put back into the local economy, as former cleft patients go on to contribute to economic output and lead full, productive lives. This amounts to a more than 150x return on investment for a single cleft surgery. 

 

Over the past 25 years, Smile Train has seen the impact of supporting timely, affordable, high-quality cleft surgery for those who need it most. Since inception, the organization has sponsored more than two million cleft surgeries, awarded more than $38 million in education and training grants to medical professionals, supported 600,000+ families with funding for costs related to accessing cleft care, worked with more than 6,000 partner surgeons and 4,000 partner healthcare centers. The data in this study quantifies that surgical care is a sound investment and a cost-effective intervention that yields substantial economic returns for individuals, nations, and for the global economy.

 

The study is a follow up to a 2016 study published in World Journal of Surgery about the societal gain provided by Smile Train’s global cleft surgical intervention program, based on eleven years of data (2001-2011). This new study provides an updated analysis with an additional eleven years of data (2012-2023) and was conducted using data from 1,486,131 Smile Train patient records of primary cleft procedures between 2001-2023. 58 percent of the records were cleft lip surgeries, and 42percent were cleft palate surgeries. More information about the study and its methodology can be found here.

 

Win a brand new 13-inch Apple MacBook Air through the Pay It to Win It with UnaCash!

UnaCash, an in-app and in-store financial solutions provider, is thrilled to announce a chance to win a brand new 13-inch Apple Macbook Air with its “Pay It to Win It” raffle promo! The promo offer is valid at all branches nationwide that are partnered with UnaCash from June 7 to August 7, 2024.

With a minimum in-store purchase of ₱10,000 or more using the UnaCash app, customers have the opportunity to explore a wide array of mobile phones and accessories at all 29 partner merchants across the Philippines. 

Each purchase from any of the UnaCash partner stores unlocks one raffle entry for a chance to win a brand new 13-inch Apple MacBook Air with M3 chip! The exciting part is that with a timely first loan repayment within the promo period, customers are entitled to receive an additional raffle entry, maximizing the chances of winning! Each customer has a maximum number of two entries for the duration of the promo period.

The list of participating merchants are as follows: MemoXpress, Save ‘N Earn Wireless, ComWorks, Homeworks, Faith Glorious Fit, Laptop Factory, Siena Mobile, Practical Home, Netgear Greenhills, Alturas Group of Companies, Chellyrobert, KUM Home Center, Jhunpyo Appliances Trading, Jackman Emporium, Chris Naval Motozone, RS PC Trading, Nemie Furniture, Moto Project, Joneco Tech Marketing, WarehouseDad, TechieYard, Affordahome, MakoTek, Boss Deals, East Valley PC, KN Rider Trading, New Affordables, Ark Homes 360 and Mart One Department Store.

“The strengthened collaboration of UnaCash with its partner merchants adds an extra dose of excitement for every Filipino,” said Sean Plantado, the channel manager of UnaCash. “This marks a significant occasion for customers who support our point-of-sale loans, and to extend our gratitude to them, UnaCash would like to give back its appreciation by providing similar opportunities in the future.” 

UnaCash reaffirms its commitment to deliver reliable point-of-sale loans to all Filipinos, which is accompanied by transparent and seamless procedures at every stage of the raffle process. Eligible entries will receive a verification message via registered email or mobile number. The grand draw will take place on August 19, 2024 at 10:00AM, with a DTI representative joining the festivities through Zoom.

On August 20, 2024, the winner will be revealed through the official UnaCash Facebook page. A notification will be sent via the lucky winner’s registered mobile number. Once the winner presents the required verification documents, they will be invited to share the excitement through the official social media channels of UnaCash.

Download UnaCash today through this link: https://unacashbnpl.onelink.me/nlxR/or0yqpr8