CIMB: Helping Filipinos Find Their Purpose

Millennials make up 47 percent of the workforce in the Philippines and during and event in BGC today, CIMB and Ateneo Resource Center held an event called "The Pursuit of Purpose: Discovering Filipino Millennials Views in Living A Life with Purpose".

Bunny Aguilar of CIMB Bank says "We are sharing the results of the white paper we've done in the last year amon millenials through Ateneo Business Resource Center. This is important for us. Life and career has been different post pandemic, how are they after ECQ? When COVID happened, it have us an opportunity to think of our careers. There's a phenomenon called "Great Resignation" and much of the millennials are not like the previous ones, and this white study tells they always ask the reason "Why?" and if what they want is for personal development. Knowing what we know now, we took the opportunity to tell them that we do hear them, and help them fulfill their life's passions. We want to raise awareness, educate the market on responsible credit borrowing, on saving money and going digital. Aside from the literacy programs, we have deposit products that having higher than industry rate compared to usual banks. From application to fulfillment, it's all online, all digital. We took processes even for a loan all digital. When I joined the company, I knew how they give accessible financial solutions to help fulfill all those things digitally. We always encourage our customers to start early, no matter what age you are, and see how compounding effects of interest rates have on one's savings. There's no other day than today to fulfill one's life purpose."

Dr. Norman Tanchingco of the John Gokongwei School of Management at the Ateneo adds "Institutions can help. This tells how personal values, finances play in career decisions. For career fulfillment, a lot of millennials are in the middle. More males were more fulfilled whilst more females were unfulfilled. They also are actively pursuing their life purpose, they also find a lot of progress in their chosen fields, and the biggest limitation is finances. They also think their work reflect their values, but 83 percent are always feel stressed (more females than men) and financial situation is the main reason as stressors. Much of them also agree that they live paycheck to paycheck. Much of them have a goal of having their own savings, with the premise of having a better financial standing particularly this year. They also have agreed on the notion that financial resources mean better opportunities. They believe passion and finances go hand and hand. Women are more worried about it, while men stay in jobs that have more social impact, in change, power or status. They also continue to strive for life's passions, in a more calculated way. It is a snapshot of post pandemic context. This will change over time." 

Vijay Manoharan the CEO of CIMB Philippines says "We will continue to provide solutions, make conversations about living their life purpose. We commit to empower more Filipinos, especially in the financial services sector. We have been in the PH a little over 5 years ago to solve a problem, digital banking, access to it, and now it's not new. No other banks was doing that, now it's easy to open, also no fees, and now they can save without the need for minimum amounts, much simpler, making us one of the fastest growing digital bank in the region. We allowed them to access credit easily so they can get what they want to do, and shape the next generation of Filipinos gain knowledge of our unique services. To share what we do and have it be appreciated by students, start using something that would better the lives of Filipinos. Ateneans can also become part of CIMB, we can equip them knowledge in the financial industry." 

CIMB is taking on a role on an advocacy that champion the life of Filipinos. They will continue their financial literacy programs. Being the biggest only digital bank in the country, they worked with Ateneo to make sure they have products and services that benefit more Filipinos. Soon, they will also have a CSR and sustainability program aside from the financial education they are rolling out now, so expect even bigger things with CIMB.

JILLIAN WARD Celebrates 18th Birthday

Did you ever imagine that Jillian Ward would become like this? The Kapuso star, vlogger, actress just turned 18 this February 23 and we participated in her debut last February 25 at the COVE in Okada Manila. Jillian's family, celebrity friends, and people who have been part of Jillian's showbiz journey were invited, almost 700 people, as she wished for them to have a good time during this event. This is her way of thanking everyone, in a not so formal uptight way, and certainly, we were all just at awe at how Jillian is blossoming into the fine woman she is now.

Do you remember Trudis Liit? Her child star days must have stuck into people's minds, but recently she did really good reprising the role of Analyn in hit show "Abot Kamay Na Pangarap". Her fellow cast members were all in attendance and some became part of the program too. Here's a few of the scenes that happened during Jillian's 18th Birthday Celebration!

Thank you so much to Sparkle, to Jillian's Mom, her Dad and Jillian for having us on her special day! We really had so much fun! Congratulations on your upcoming shows, and perhaps appearances in noontime shows because she really did good in singing and dancing during this event. She rightfully deserves to showcase that to an even newer audience! 

Sanya Lopez was there!

Yen and Chuckie Dreyfus

GMA's Senior handlers and News personalities, all personal friends of Jillian

18 Shots, showbiz and non showbiz friends of Jillian gave her a toast!

Jillian also took time to thank everyone who came to the occasion.

Happy birthday Jillian! Hope this is the start of something big for you!

Brittany Builds in Sta. Rosa: For That English Country Feel

Something that I definitely would adore is living in the English countryside. I like the ambiance, the coziness, the shabby chic, some place that authentically mixes old and new. There definitely is something that home amidst the cold weather, or gloomy especially in the outskirts of London. Though we don't really have to travel there.

There's Brittany Sta. Rosa which they built with that exact theme in mind. It's in a sprawling 300 hectare property, tucked away in an enclave made by the folks at Brittany Corporation, the luxury arm of Vista Land and Lifescapes Incorporated. It's got the same allure, that rustic old world charm with the amenities of modern living.

Homes in Georgia Club and Augusta are placed amidst decade old trees, all in 300 to 500 square meter lots so you get ample space for living and nature. They also have parks which you can go and move around in, because why not, you deserve to live the life you deserve!

Georgia Club also has the feel of southern living, as it was a place likened to Georgia (the state). You'll see really good details, a wrap around porch, french windows and swings you can sit on hot afternoons, to have a place to enjoy warm biscuits and iced teas like they used to. Or choose to walk at the Peachtree Clubhouse or Daisy Park, have a picnic with family, friends at a beautiful English lookin landscape.

Augusta on the other hand sits on 15 hectares, at a very private and secure parcel of well designed gardens and lawns. A dream for some, but pretty true already in this place in Laguna. They also got amenities, much for sports, swimming, a court so you need not go elsewhere to have fun!

Brittany Sta. Rosa is also near Vista Mall Sta. Rosa, several plants, schools (universities), hospitals, offices, industrial parks, businesses so if you plan to work in the area, or build your own business, it's highly conducive for that!

For those who are into golf, nearby is a 27 hole course at Sta. Elena Golf and Country Club, imagine teeing off in the morning and working in the afternoons, that's a dream lifestyle!

SLEX and CALAx is also nearby so if you go to Tagaytay or Metro Manila, you can just skip right back home in Sta. Rosa because you're near with either one of them.

If you feel this is a match, head on to brittany.com.ph or their social channels by searching Brittany on the platforms. Homes like these are possible in the Philippines, I would check it out if I were you!

CARMELO ANTHONY in Manila for FIBA World Cup Qualifiers

Stepped into the BIG DOME this afternoon to see who's going to be the newest FIBA world cup ambassador and if your hunch is right, it's no other than basketball star and legendary Carmelo Anthony. The US team Gold Medalist is in Manila today to say hi to Filipino fans and watch a few games at the Philippine Arena as the qualifiers will happen in the country, Jakarta and Tokyo.
 

 

Melo (as his biggest fans call him) will also be with fellow FIBA World Cup ambassadors Pau Gasol of Spain and Argentina's Luis Scola to promote the game worldwide as these start in these three cities so there's definitely a lot of things to look forward to. Olympic medalists, regional kings from different countries gather in this top league where only the best of the best play for pride, honor and the coveted Naismith trophy.

The Philippine and international media was also able to ask questions about his role in FIBA. Aside from promoting the league, he get to visit and connect with the people of the country. The conversation went to a little talk about the fans in the Philippines and also a little advise to the Gilas Pilipinas team. He also got his own jersey to keep and gave encouragement to those who wish to become the best in the world. Here's the Q and A we did with him earlier:

For those who also joined in the fun match between Gilas Pilipinas and Jordan today at the Philippine Arena, Carmelo Anthony is going to watch in the sidelines to support basketball, and all the countries that are part of the FIBA World Cup. He's very eloquent, also lauded the "PUSO" tagline and was super eager to encourage the young fans to believe in their dreams, and make it happen!

HONOR Launches X7a and MagicBook X Series

Two things were launched at the HONOR event yesterday, an addition to their phone models the HONOR X7a and a new laptop series called MagicBook X, and they came to impress with their new products.

The X7a has a really long lasting battery (almost powerbank like with it's 6000mAh capacity), boasting of 3 days of power for a single full charge. The main camera is a 50MP Ultra clear Quad system plus it's got a lot of storage at 128 GB. The display is 6.74 inch, so those video and games would be nice to see on it. Currently, it's priced at Php 7,990 and has a Php 1,590 worth of HONOR earbuds given for free. Pretty good deal til the 28th!

The new MagicBook X series comes in 2 models, the X 14 and the X 15. It is designed for school, work and play. It utilizes 11th generation of Intel Core processors that can pretty much take on heavy work you need to do on it. It is also lightweight, so if you're the type to travel around locally or internationally it won't be too much to carry around on your backpack. It can last up to 9.9 hours of regular use with its 56Wh batteries. It won't be too hot too because they were able to stick a supersized cooling fan on it which dissipates heat. There are lots of other features for ease of moving files if you're editing most of it from different devices. The X 14 comes in the i5-1135G7 and i3-1115G4 version, price stands at Php 27,990 and has a free backpack and speaker packaged with it. This is only til the 28th though, so head on to HONOR kiosks if you're interested in getting one.

The HONOR MagicBook X 15 though costs Php 37,990, and comes in a i5-1135G7 and i3-1115G4 version. A little heavier at 1.56kg and wider display at 87% screen to body ratio, and would be useful on intimate presentations. You may visit HONOR's official website and social channels if you wish to see the complete specs. They are also offereing freebies til the end of the month. They also announced the re-supply of the X9a 5G which got sold out a few months back. 

Congrats HONOR Philippines!

Hear, See and Feel The Male Perspective on D**kTalk

There are surely a lot of talk about this particular original theater piece by Edwin Vinarao and Christian Clemente called D***kTalk. You can say it's a little more like V****a Monologues but for the male form. This is written by Benj Cruz, Ara Vicencio and is still in the script development stages but they gave us early access, not to tease, but just to get a little taste of it.

Edgardo Boy Vinerao says "It's something I was excited about, this is our dream project. This is out of the box, and we meant it because this is talking about it, d***s. It's pretty taboo here, but there are so many good things to talk about, and understand. You'll be hearing voices of it, just like each and the rest of us. Parts of the line they do mirror real life. They are just one powerful cast. Hope to see you at the RCBC theater when shows start in April.

Direk Phil Noble adds "This is our first time to showcase the elements and text of our actors, and how their characters evolve. The questions of manhood, machismo, how big the body is, or how huge their d*** is. This play wants to spark talk on perspective of one's manhood, on what he goes through just like women. The thing is like the heart, we need to take care of it. It will be heard repeatedly until it becomes organic."

Yes, the talk delves more into measuring one's manhood. Filipino terms for it actually sound more vulgar but they went ahead and introduced it to the audience, to later, have it feel more normal and start a little discourse about it especially amongst adults which the performance wants to reach.  There will be no mansplaining,or maybe a little, and a few instances of talking about IT and how it differs in every generation. 

Jake Cuenca plays Peter, Mikoy Morales is Cecile, Nil Nodalo plays Rob, Gold Aceron is Junjun and Archi Adamos plays Doodz. They're in different stages in their lives, one is using his for work, the other for proof of sexuality, the other is wondering why it's shaped oddly. Then another one gets depressed if it doesn't work as efficiently, then another proves you don't need one at all. It was just the tip of the... iceberg and they didn't even touch on some personal issues, in jest, in angst, or just plain letting it all out on stage. In a Philippine setting, talk about this would really be unsettling for some but somehow, it needs to be said, it needs to be done so they're just doing it. 

This would be really tough to pull for actors since it involves a lot of TALK. It's going to be doubly harder to also keep YOU interested in what they're saying, and make you feel uncomfortable at times, but still listen to their message (like putting their d*** on your ear) for entertainment, education or your own realization.

 

The 10 shows will be mounted at the huge RCBC Theater from April 15-23, 2023. This excerpt of D**kTalk already have had the press, showbuyers and theatre folks lead to the conversation, and there's even more they plan to do on the actual show. If you're a bit artsy and don't mind a little discomfort on the tête a tête you'll have with the cast, get your tickets via ticketworld.com.ph and see what nice things you should hear, see and feel at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium starting on April 15th.

Whether you are a man, woman, LGBTQIA++, as long as you are 18 and above, you be sure to connect with one or more of the characters and make the premise of talking about the d***s (or maybe show it if they feel like it) as casually as they can on the day of the show. This is produced by V-Roll Media Ventures.

UNIQLO 2023 Spring/Summer LifeWear Collection

Got to see the newest Uniqlo 2023 Spring/Summer LifeWear Collection a few days ago at Makati's Whitespace events place in Chino Roces. 

 For starters, they've managed to put in a lot of the clothes in color with very breathable material. As far as I know, Uniqlo has been working on that technology for years and it is really working for us in the severely tropical climate. Shirts, Shorts and Skirts, full on dresses are available for those who need pieces that work night and day. 

For those who are also working in airconditioned and cold offices, they've got several full on jackets and hoodies that are in hues of blue, purple, creams and whites (even a few denims) yet still dressed up so you don't have to worry about those formal meetings.

 About the clothing, they announced new tech in clothes that actually block UV rays. I mean, that's something absolutely amazing for people who adore the outdoors but didn't want to get skin problems right? Summer would surely be different, I'd love how that will develop in the near future.

The UT shirts have always been my favorite, but one of the artists that they featured were actually sick, I bought one of them right after the show (and consequently wearing it today!). I like the part where it says "Bless this mess!" or "I found the one my soul loves!", statement shirts and a few Andy Warhol inspired designs that would be so nice to wear during the season.

 

Aside from that, Matteo Guidicelli and Sarah Geronimo were in the venue to show us the jackets, parkas, which Matteo loves. Sarah even wore a white number which I think is also from Uniqlo. For what it's worth, I really love the part where they are continuously working on technology that makes clothing environmentally friendly, have less footprint, and also benefit the larger populace.

I also like how they give us OPTIONS, something that most clothing brands regret to not do because of the sheer size of people who need to wear them. Congratulations Uniqlo!

Home or Investment for OFW's: Asterra

We all have friends, relatives who have worked abroad and much of them have sent money home so their families live a comfortable life, pay for bills, the education of their kids, put food on the table and roof over their heads.

Asterra is the most recent affordable housing project of Vista Land and Golden MV holdings. This is owned by Manny Villar who has seen continous growth in the market. This will be laid on ground in different parts of the country and is planned to be offered for those who are just starting a family, young professionals, those engaged in businesses, and overseas Filipino workers who's dreams include a home of their own in thriving cities across the Philippines.

This is certainly something that they see would be a very good investment opportunity for OFW's too either to rent out or have it be a place of their own. It's an opportune time to do it now since the real estate market is still pretty low in Asterra North Luzon according to their Division Head Neil Almonte. Rentals have certainly been a lucrative way to become a passive income if you're out of the country. They have really well designed condo units with concierge, security, and a community that is close to markets, the church and places you can go to relax on your spare time.  

If you're interested, you may check out their official website asterra.com.ph or AsterraOfficial on Facebook. They can also answer your questions if you think the time to go and invest here is now!

Does Bianca Manalo Deserve the Title?

Looks like show business talk has been really rough about beauty queen and actress Bianca Manalo. According to several articles, she has been tagged as a "Politician Hunter" because of the interesting people she was seen allegedly involved with. This "allegedly" includes Jonathan Tan of Antique, and recently seen Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.

She was first crowned in 2009 and did the Miss Universe pageant on the same year. She did several TV shows and movies, her colorful though has been the topic of local flock of "marites" and showbiz write-ups.  

Local TV News reports also covered a boat accident which included her, the Antique Mayor and Ehra Madrigal. This started a lot of talk about them in articles, entertainment TV news and social media, much of which includes their supposed connection. A few months/year after, Bianca and Senator Win Gatchalian were pretty much public. They already had very colorful showbiz-politics connections even before that. With all these, does it warrant the title?

Let's see... if the plot thickens!

foodpanda Forges Patnership with NBA

Went to Mall of Asia Entertainment Hall pretty early for the recent announcement of foodpanda and their partnership with the biggest league in the world, the NBA. Present during the occasion was their fun lovin' mascot Paupau, their executives  Amer Bakshi, Lorelie Olalia and NBA's Hubert Ling and Mae Dichupa. 

They also brought in UAAP and PBA players to make sure games would be extra fun for participating foodpanda customers that morning. 

This means that from now on, foodpanda will be the official food delivery partner of the NBA. Each time you watch the NBA games especially this coming NBA All Star Weekend, it'll be super convenient to order up at your foodpanda app and get your food delivered fast.

150K dollars will be given for two charity organizations, and it's been a while since Lebron lost one so who knows?! 

I'm watching the games now at Tipsy Pig in QC where they are doing a Livestream together with Cignal. I hope he still wins because the draft was good.

DAVID LICAUCO Endorses BlueWater Day Spa

Looks like David Licauco is on a roll as Blue Water Day Spa just announced him as the new endorser together with Miss World Philippines 2021 Tracy Maureen Perez.

The Kapuso star definitely takes care of his body, which includes massages, face and body treatments especially since he's very busy with the success of his recent show "Maria Clara at Ibarra" which has catapulted him into prime leading man status and opened a lot of doors for him including a movie with Shaira Diaz called "Without You" which is still showing in cinemas as of this writing. Blue Water Day Spa does different services now aside from the usual things they do like IPL, Diamond Peel, Oxygen Infusion Therapy, Hi-Fu V-Lift, Revitafirm and other frequency treatments, massages and hand and foot reflexology.

Ms. Nancy Go says "We are dedicated to our clientele. We started our services with massages and have grown since then. We will be expanding to more places soon. We go with what customers want and ask them what they want. Today is a special day for us as our new endorsers join our brand today."

They also introduced Miss World Philippines 2022 Gwendolyne Fourniol, Reina Hispanoamericana Filipinas Ingrid Sta. Maria, Ms. Eco Philippines Ashley Subijano-Montenegro, Miss Supranational Philippines 2022 Alison Black, Miss Eco Teen First Princess Francesca McLelland who just recently won the crown in Marsa Alam in Egypt as part of the official endorsers for Blue Water Day Spa. They were all welcomed by Bluewater Day Spa President Mary Simisim and Ms. Nancy Go at the event.

BlueWater Day Spa is located in the Banawe district of Quezon City, Eton Square in Ortigas Pasig, there's also one in Greenhills in the city of San Juan plus the newest one at Estancia Mall in Capitol Commons. They also plant to open a new one at The Infinity Tower in BGC to service those who are from that area.

Congratulations BlueWater Day Spa, keep on making the Philippines relaxed and beautiful!

More Celebrities, Food, Destinations on the Second Year of FARM TO TABLE

Chef JR ROYOL is steadily becoming a household name in the Philippines through his show "Farm to Table". They are currently celebrating their 2nd year and yes, there are going to be a few changes especially with the way they do the show. 

The confident man who hails from Mountain Province talked to us more about what's going to happen in the next few weeks as they come out with more content from different locations. Farm to Table will visit his Mom's hometown of Barlig in this week's episode. This will start on Sunday at 6:50PM. 

 

He says "Thank you for celebrating our 2nd Farmniversary with us, we are excited to share with you good news about the show. Definitely it's going to be a consistent cooking element, we are going to expand our reach, the places that we plan to go to will have us explore and discover more people week after week. I would hope we can do that in the next few episodes, so we can tell more stories and food adventures too. It's totally a collaborative effort to focus on food we do. We don't limit ourselves with a particular cuisine and always integrate local ingredients that we have in the country and tell the stories about them. We want to start this year with a bang, so this weekend we will have BEA ALONZO as our guest. We will also be having TikTok personalities and other chefs that will also be in the show. As far as guests, we have a lot of stars coming in the next food adventures!"

He is so thankful about the show and adds "The show was able to make me work with very dynamic people, we are not boxed up and the different locations gives us a chance to work with a lot of talented individuals. We also get to create different dishes with not so common produce, we usually encounter them in the local markets and the locals tell us how to cook it."

He wants to introduce a dish internationally and says "Pinikpikan is the number one dish that should be introduced to the world. It's easy, the method can be taught, and I could eat it everyday. If there's anything, it's number one for me because there's nothing like it. You could also see it in other cultures but the process is innately ours alone."

He remarks "I wish the show would last for years, this show could be done til we're sixty, but more than that, to our viewers I hope you watch it every week. We do it purely that this comes from our heart, and I hope our viewers appreciate how we do Farm to Table."

There's certainly more to look forward to in the next few episodes, so if you are into food adventures, get Chef JR ROYOL to take you along different places in the Philippines and see how colorful our food culture is. This show airs Sundays on GTV and their other online channels.