An Advanced Way of Living with Amaia Home Solutions

There are homes, and then there's Amaia. We could say this statement is true over at their Scapes Bulacan Sector 3C property as they've continued to innovate how they live in the flourishing Ayala Land development.

This is quite groundbreaking to say the least as they introduce Home Solutions in this particular community. They designed these homes in order for it to be efficient, and utilize smart technology with its Centralized Controly System. This manages different home functions that we can use in our day to day lives like USB ports, external CCTV's, Smart lights, door locks, Smoke detectors so you don't have to worry about a few things inside your home.

This has been integrated inside the Single Home 60 model units at Amaia Scapes Bulacan at Sector 3C. This is also sustainable which makes eco friendly solutions a must in these homes. Like the roofs that reflect heat, a lighter colored exterior wall, windows that can natural air in so you don't get too hot in the afternoons and evenings.

Who wouldn't want to live in a neighborhood like that? With even more facilities for everyone to enjoy, it's going to be a little crazy if they don't get occupied in no time.

Make sure you ask them about the Amaia Home Solutions if you're looking for your next home!

GCash Insider Sessions Showcase Partner Solutions

It was a nice evening of letting GCash users know that there's more to the app than meets the eye during the GCash Insider sessions at XYLO in BGC. They called it Passion Forward, where harnessing consumer behavior for business success is being encouraged. GCash has really gone beyond just finance (and your ability to conveniently transfer funds) and show you how your passions can also be used to increase profit from your businesses, level up what you've been doing by utilizing their various solutions designed specifically for their partners no matte how big you are.

 

One of their guests Ms. Weng Rivera the Head of Travel for AirAsia Super App says "We are most decorated low cost carrier and in 2019 a lot of you have been traveling before the pandemic struck. It put us, our ground crew, and air personnel in a limbo. It was one opportunity to put one of our core values in front, we brought fresh produce to different places across the region helping out and opening doors in the country. Employees were given funds so they could put up their businesses, we didn't want to waste a crisis. A lot of things were uncertain, so we converted our usual airline to a more travel inclined super app, and people were ready for it. Hence, we became a digital airline quite fast. Now it's got flight, hotels, shops, transportation, ride, super plus, and rewards system in place. We now can connect you via land or sea, have more flights and redeem points every time you travel. Go download the app today and enjoy the discounts, travel is back with a vengeance! With GCash, we are now able to increase transactions and make travel affordable, and accessible. It is also our advertising platform, an effective one at that as it directly correlates with GCash transactions."

Mr. Franco Pantangco the Business Development and Partnership Lead of mgames also discussed about Hyper Casual Games where you compete, play and get rewards. In GCash initiatives, there are now in app advertising which resulted in phenomenal growth on engaging with GLife users, coming from leads of successful campaigns. It's a multifaceted segment, and their next move is to utilize mgames partnership with Tempo that also utilizes all Filipino music. 

Improvements to the app will certainly continue and they plan to use AI technologies to further fuel your passions with solutions that effectively increase what you can do with your business, make it easy use and safe at all points of transaction. If you want to see what they can do for you, head on to beta.gcash.com/partner-solutions and be connected to existing GCash users worldwide!

Apollo Skin Solutions: Positive Mindset and Holistic Care

Got to join a really fun wellness camp a few days ago hosted by the good people from Apollo Skin Care, a brand under PHILUSA Corporation (who's celebrating their 65th!) that provides affordable but quality products that's been doing it for more than 30 years. Their secret? Keeping it practical, only dishing out products that YOU NEED and make it accessible to the market. This is why they've stayed on top. This has been the mission of PHILUSA Corporation says their President Neogin Evangelista. From their Apollo Petroleum Jelly, Sebo De Macho, Lip Balm and Castor Oil, all these products keep you healthy looking and moisturized.

At the event, they also invited derm Doctor Michelle Manuel who explained how to achieve better looking skin and how to nourish it. Taking in fruits and veggies, water, lots of sleep, protecting it with sunscreen, these will all keep you young and have glow. You also need Vitamin C for collagen production, so those skin issues won't surface early in life. She also suggests lessening stress to prevent breakouts. Makes total sense.

They also invited Colleen Mateo who swear by Apollo Sebo de Macho which she used for her scars after undergoing surgery. They also had choreographer Aira Casim who uses Apollo Petroleum Jelly which she uses for almost all her body parts to keep it moisturized the whole day. She uses it on her feet since it's the most used when she dances. Janeska Margaux, an influencer uses it for her dry skin so she looks perfect on photos. They also use the Pink Apollo Lip Balm and Castor Oil, so when they face their cameras on their vlogs, it'll look plump and moisturized. Plus it's not expensive, something that other brands would charge much when you're getting the same quality.

We also played a few rounds of bowling at the venue. The Apollo Wellness camp is about body, mind and soul, so taking care of ourselves is also a priority. Having a well balanced life means you have to have those serious days, but also have time to play. I also got to know a lot of the other Moms and influencers there that I wouldn't have on a normal day. That made my inter-personal skills a little better.

Now if you want to know more about Apollo Skin Solutions, make sure you like their social channels by searching for Apollo Skin Care or the main PHILUSA Corporation brand for more of these products, it's a sure way of doing holistic care.

INNOVLABS by Synergy88 Digital

If you're a budding technology and programming enthusiast, you better listen in. As you may have already learned on our first article, Synergy88 Digital has already been able to achieve a lot in the past few years and has pegged itself as a world class company that delivers digital creative solutions with exceptional quality. That in itself is a feat, harnessing triple A talents from the country to produce extraordinary game and app concepts, development, 2D and 3D art and animation. Now all that didn't come easy as they had to face a little known problem in the industry, the goal to find talented workers. 

As you may understand, the work they do might have to have had divine intervention but most of it has got to do with the talented individuals doing magic behind computer screens. The difficult task of finding the right person to press those keys and scribble those pens is daunting as it requires the same quality of skill set to match the world class things they produce. The hard task must have brought out the best in them because they didn't even think of putting up INNOVATION LABS. It suddenly became an opportunity to help the Filipino skilled workers  get to the level they were expecting and needed. It was but natural for them to take part in an initiative to share their expertise to partner schools and have them experience, learn and take part of what made Synergy88 Digital successful all these years. 

We got to interview the Senior Manager for Business Development and head of INNOVLABS operations Miker Rivera about the program  and here's what he's got to say:

To add to that, we also had a chat with Ms. Geraldine Yumul, Synergy88 Digital's Corporate Representative on Industry and Government Alliances. Here's what she had to say:

Learning to do those skills in a bigger setting, to get your feet wet, to get those young minds realize their ideas in a the real world, that was set in stone and interpreted to a chartered map. It was also one of the opportunities to see and identify promising and talented individuals that could eventually be part of their teams. All of these would come from proposed theses in these partner schools, they'll help them to make it, train with appropriate workshops and have them use the resources as accorded by their agreements. This will also be properly screened for candidates, expecting the same professional work they churn out in these offices. They have a lot of success stories, but this had an arm dipped in a willing corporate social responsibility too to help uplift the kind of education people get from the universities and colleges they partnered with, teaching not just the theoretical and technical legwork that comes with the territory, but the necessary work ethic on a level that is expected of a triple A level professional.

Currently, they are receiving a lot of interested parties, schools and government agencies because this is absolutely seen as an industry with BIG potential. Imagine how this would disrupt the current business worldwide when we witness the full capabilities of Filipino artists, programmers and individuals who would undergo INNOVLABS in the long run. We know how we're being sought after by people in the same industry around the world, and imagine how convenient it would be for families to stay together because this division is going to be based here in our own country. Nobody would have the thinking of leaving the Philippines anymore because we're capable, we have the studios and armaments to do it in our own turf. That's probably going to happen in the near future, imagine the possibilities. Just think of the countless students and schools that INNOVLABS could help with this program. Thousands of lives would be changed and I'm excited as it holds a lot of promise.

To get to know more about INNOVLABS and Synergy88 Digital, please find their contact details via their official website www.synergy88digital.com.

Credit Card Payments For Businesses

It's the holidays already and we all know how lucrative that is for businesses in the country. Throngs of people line up for huge sales, humongous food bazaars and just about anything to get that product you probably are selling. In this day and age, people won't carry cash that much when shopping. If you're a little late putting up credit card terminals, that would mean a little more than about 40% of your business going down the drain.That won't be a good thing if you're just starting off and you don't have the best credit card swiper yet. Maybe it's time to do so. Although we do all understand the hesitation brought about by rising credit card processing costs. You compute things in your mind because you have to think of the rising production costs and try not to add it to the existing products worth because the last thing you would want to do is have the customer bear it all. How do you keep the costs down though? That is the question.

Looking for low credit card processing charges would mean you would have to go around and ask. It's not enough to just look at what's posted on their website as sometimes there might be some hidden charges they don't want you to know. You have to experience purchasing them, ask other merchants about what they feel would be the apt one for the business they run. Of course, it would also be best to get a wireless credit card reader because it would be convenient without the cables in every transaction. It would be easier for you and the customer.

If you've made up your mind, make sure that your credit card payment processor also has other services in their portfolio. You can't just rely on low rates if their other services don't make it easy for you to do business. It would be better if they provide free merchant accounts which would mean more business for you, for the processors and convenience with the one that should benefit the most, your customers. Much like what Merchant Account Solutions does in a normal day. You should never short change people because they're paying hard earned money just like you do. So choose wisely!

Choosing The Right LED's with Philips

Saving energy has become of national interest because we all need to do it. In the past few months, the Philippine government is even planning to utilize privately owned corporations' own generators so they wouldn't get anything from the government reserves and work off their own capability to generate electricity, even go the mile of paying for it with the Malampaya gas fund. The government is pro renewable energy but I think there are just not enough private corporations that are building power plants that would be able to save us in the next few years. The crisis is imminent and we all should do our share.

LED Technology has gone leaps and bounds, even surpassing the energy consumption rates of low watt light bulbs and fluorescent lamps. Ms. Fabia Tettero Bueno the country manager for Philips Philippines says, "A power outage can be catastrophic for the economy, we lose the comfort in our homes and the stability of livelihood and business. It will impact all sectors and consequently take the unified efforts of these to prevent it from happening in the future." 

Philips is now strongly pushing Filipinos to save energy now by using the right LED's. Together with Philips, Deustche Investitutions und Entwicklungsgesselschaft (DEG) Bank, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines and the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ECCP), they are holding this #MayMagagawaKa campaign to seek awareness to build urgency in conserving energy in the country. As WWF President and CEO Joel Palma says, "We are consuming way beyond our limits, saving energy is one way of helping to manage the lack of energy. Most of what we use is from fossil fuels and the only way to resolve this is by also lessening the greenhouse gases, it's carbon footprint so it would have lesser impact on climate change". A lot could be done by us too. If we all do our part by lowering temperatures in air conditioning, lesser waste and using the good kind of LED's that not only consume less power, negligible heat and doing something in your own homes.

Greg Yan, the communications officer of WWF also added that we're all using centuries old technology and we are all over drawing our planet. They are pushing for this too because if we switch all existing bulbs into the right LED's we would have saved 70% of energy and would've given lamps to remote areas in the country. They partnered with Philips to retain the quality of life that would improve how we live... They're also spearheading Earth Hour this weekend and assures is, we definitely can do something about it.

The situation is serious and we just lost a lot of power just this last week with the maintenance of Malampaya. We don't have enough energy reserves because the capacity of the plant is 700MW. We need to fill that up by using less electricity and we all can help. 

Changing your bulb would be a start. Do you see the need to save energy? Are you using LED's? (It has to be Philips!) We're only half way but converting to non traditional bulbs would save us up to 80% and people are seeing it now! It's also affordable because they've got some as low as Php 150! There are even smart lights now which you can control remotely, or have it in different colors too! 

There are even LED tube lamps that you can use and mount in different surfaces. There are a ton of advantages and you just need to know how to get the right LED.

To make sure, you need to make sure of the actual brightness, actual life + guarantee and safety. Philips has even tested their devices with third party corps which attests to the quality of these lamps and bulbs. Switching to LED can really get you to save up to 20% of your electricity. People should start converting to LED now, not on a later date because the lack of power is happening now! Go and change them now and post it on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook with the hashtags #MayMagagawaKa and #UsingTheRightLED, who knows, you might just win some prizes with that too! 

Oh by the way, they've got special edition Team Manila shirts that would be also given away on their Facebook page and other social network accounts. They are also giving this away on leading stores if you purchase LED's from Philips.

Now tell me, how would your life be affected if blackouts would be a regular thing in Manila? Every minute, every second counts. Philips is also pushing for standardization of all electronic devices/the industry. They're starting with yellow stickers now, but they hope this would be done with anything including lighting solutions used inside our homes.

For more information about their products:

Philips LED PH

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http://www.lighting.philips.com.ph/

Happiest Pinoy 2012: Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions

We Filipinos are genuinely happy. With the things we experience everyday of the year, one must wonder where we source our happiness. Personally I don't know how to even gauge it. A few days ago I was able to see what it means for a lot of people. When we attended an event for Cebuana Lhullier Insurance Solutions a few days ago, it got me think a lot about how it is to live in this country of ours. Our difference talks a lot about how we became resilient despite of all the hardships we have encountered over the years. We're not first world after all but we are hopeful. We still want to be better people.

Cebuana Lhullier has been one of the most trusted brands in the country, and why not. They know how "happiness" thrives in the country and this is their attempt to honor the HAPPIEST PINOY and they have been doing this for a few years now. Isn't it so nice to see a private corporation make waves throughout the country making and giving honor to the same people that harness happiness as their primary tool to help people and themselves.

Happy lover boy Drew Arellano hosted the show. All the finalists were present and they have already won 25K just by being one. The grand winner will be receiving a hefty amount of sum to continue their personal goals and community projects. Here are some of them:

Arnel Alipao - An environment advocate. He started initiatives for several community members and NGO's education so they would never forget about carbon footprint and caring for the environment no matter how much we want to improve our lives.

 

Gilda Altez- Family Counseling and Community Work. She has done countless seminars and public engagements and has done remarkable work in the field of rebuilding Family Relationships. Being a single Mom herself she knew how much important it is to save the basic unit of a community. It takes a lot of learning on both parties and she has to date have made a lot of progress in different areas in the Philippines. She's still doing the deed until now, how noble.

Rommel Arellano - Even at his condition had done countless community work and matters for persons with disability. He mentioned a story about a lady who suddenly asked him out of nowhere why he is actually happy in spite of his condition. He found happiness in slippers because with this tool he was able to move around and help those who are also in the same condition. He does charity work also using the slippers with his bare hands, that's how he finishes stuff. He was emotional and even cried at the mere nomination and recognition... later on he was announced the grand winner and Happiest Pinoy for 2012!

 The judges include these good looking guys over here. Yes, that's Miguel Zubirri.

Philippe J. Lhullier says "We do not run out of things to be happy about" that is why Cebuana Lhullier thought about this campaign and it has won them various accolades here and around the world!

Connie Emborong (One in Red)-  Does Muslim and Christian Community work in Marawi City.  Even on war stricken places, she spearheads movements and organizations so they can help the less fortunate and start classes all over again in these areas. She gets so much out of seeing kids get back on their feet and study again even if their homes are in conflict areas.

Marcelo Otinguey - Works in preserving indigenous and cultural heritage. Being an educator, he starts in his own turf. He shows the same outside and make more efforts so that others can learn from it too. They do performances and other mediums so it could be a visual treat!

John Gabriel Pelias - Math Wizard, has got the highest gpa in UP's history and chose to stay in the country to become an educator in UP.

There were a lot more nominees and it was so nice seeing them beaming with their smiles as they tell their stories. Everyone deserved to win!

Jean Henry Lhullier says happiness is but a choice. If we always keep a positive outlook in whatever we do, we will be good at it and it is true! Cebuana Lhullier Insurance Solutions has really made a noble act by honoring those who have helped countless lives in their own little way. Happiness is being used as a tool to help the community, and themselves without asking for anything in return.

Congratulations Mr. Rommel Arellano for being the Happiest Pinoy this 2012. Cebuana Lhullier Insurance Solutions, this is a great cause and I expect the next one to be even bigger, better than ever! Congratulations to all the nominees, in our minds, you all deserve to win!

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Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions