ASUS Gets You The Best Deals on SHARE 2024!

Had the chance to go to the ASUS event a few days ago where they announced their latest deals on this year's ASUS Share, their annual Christmas sale. Gearing towards the best in technology and style, they're making several of their new laptops from ASUS a d ROG available at an attractive price plus Php 5,000 worth of Sole Academy vouchers. Thing is, this is only going to be available til December 31st, so if you're looking for good work and game laptops, and shoes, then you should take advantage of it.

ASUS wants you to get the chance to upgrade your ASUS AI PC's as it's best to own an ASUS Lumina OLED or ROG Nebula for work or play. The ASUS Zenbook AI Laptops for starters are best for executives who want something light, classy and fashionable. It uses an Intel Core Ultra 7 processor Series 2 and Intel Arc Graphics that are both fast and efficient. The 14 inch 3K 120Hz capable display makes the ASUS Lumina OLED touch screen work quite nicely on renders, gaming and entertainment too. It has stunning visuals, but never fail you when you need productivity to happen even at home. If you need other models with larger display, they have the Vivobook S15 S5507 or Vivobook S16 M5606 that's also AI capable, you'll have a workhorse for times you need it. The battery also lasts long at 18 hours or more, which means you won't lose work you've done in a day because it can handle it. You can opt for the ASUS Vivobook 16 X1605/M1605 if you prefer an even larger one. The keyboard/touchpad is nice too because it can take a beating as it is military standard. Good news is, these laptops come with a Php 3,000 Sole Academy voucher so you can get new shoes for the holidays!

If you want the 14/15 inch screened Vivobook 14/15 E1404/E1504, it's going to be fun as it's got displays you can lay flat 180 degrees for presentations or meetings. That would get you a 2K voucher from the same place though. If you're a desktop guy, the All in One PC's ASUS S5 Mini Tower S501and smaller form ASUS A3402 would be best plus it comes with a 3,000 peso voucher from Sole Academy too. 

ROG and TUF have their ROG Zephyrus G14 and G16 that can get you apt gaming power but still can be carried around because of it. The TUF Gaming A14 carries NVIDIA GeForce GTX 4060 GPU's so those games remain smooth if you want to switch between that and work. You also get 5,000 peso vouchers with it. Other options include the ROG Strix Series G18 and G16 plus the Strix SCAR 18 that has got more power and larger cooling systems, best for those who take gaming quite seriously. Other desktop models are available through accredited retailers so make sure you get the deals they offer during December. Remember, you need to register your purchase on their website and wait for verification that takes around 5-14 business days. You'll get the bundle in 45 days or less, and some are even available on Home Credit so follow their social channels (on ASUS Philippines) to know more about this exciting offers!

ASUS Releases New Zenbook S14, Teases VivoBook S14 and ExpertBook P5

Growing a line of products and innovating at the same time must be hard for others, but not ASUS! Today we ventured to Silver city in Pasig as they showcased the newest version of ASUS ZenBook S14 and teased a few more like the ASUS VivoBook S14 and the ExpertBook P5.

ASUS SEA Regional Director Jimmy Lin says "We will lead innovation with ASUS Lumina OLED touchscreen. We have won awards and excellence over our competitors. This year, we had the first CoPilot PC's, and today we are launching the ASUS ZenBook 14. This is the most advanced AI PC and the most stylish too. Perfect for users on the go with the Ceraluminum material and premium look. This utilizes AI, and the newest generation of Intel processors apt for the laptop."

This is a new standard for AI innovation and design. Rachelle Lozares of ASUS Consumer PC adds "The ASUS ZenBook S14 is our most elegant AI powered machine, available in Zumaia Gray that mimics thin rock layers and crafted with Ceraluminum. It's very hard, tough, but very lightweight and designed timelessly. This would be a good choice for a long time investment. ZenBook's are not created the same, it's one of our thinnest at 1.1 cm., and weighs 1.2 kg with the best I/o inputs in the market. This is ultra portable but last up to 27 hours. It can also be charged 60 percent in a few minutes, using your power bank. This also utilizes Intel Core Ultra 7, very efficient and can perform with 32GB RAM because who doesn't want to multi task. It's stylish and professional, a dedicated AI chip and ASUS apps so you can have more time to do other things "

The ZenBook has a dedicated CoPilot key so you can easily access its features, faster and better than ever before. You can simply ask for things, like recall, Co Creator, Live Captions and Studio Effects. It also has Automatic Super Resolution for better graphics when you need to render or do games in your off times.

The ASUS Vivobook S14 on the other hand is more portable, made even slimmer, has advanced cooling, more I/o ports and made for productivity. It uses proprietary Ice Cool Technology, RGB keyboards and looks so stylish.

The ASUS ExpertBook P5 is designed for professionals who needs more of everything. It can make you work smarter, faster, in an aluminum body. With an Intel Core Ultra Processor, it can be powerful for all those apps and functions you need to do simultaneously. This uses Copilot PC, the most intelligent Windows PC ever. This has an immersive AI Expert Meet which can do meetings across all ExpertBook P5 devices in your network, this is the future of meeting technology in this category.

The new ASUS ZenBook S14 is priced at Php 109,995 , while the ASUS Vivobook S14 and the ASUS ExpertBook P5 price is going to be announced separately late this year. This comes with warranty, Microsoft 365 subscription and Windows office.

Though it looks pricey, you must count the inclusions and the trust you get from owning a unit from ASUS. It's an investment and certainly, a good one you could utilize for school, work or creativity. The thin profile, bigger workload it could do is well worth it! 

Congressman SAM VERZOSA Promises More Inspiring Stories on Season 3 of "Dear SV" at CNN Philippines

 

I've been looking forward to see Congressman Sam Verzosa who represents the indigents, of those residing in urban locations, the youth and the elderly through the party list "Tutok To Win". He's starting the third season of his public affairs show "Dear SV" shown on CNN Philippines during his birth month, and is quite excited about the plans they have for future episodes.

The show plans to put the young Congressman in immersions, to live with the actual people they plan to help. To give you an idea, they meet people from all walks of life. The goal is, to feature their inspiring stories on why they continue to make a living despite life's challenges. Cong SV says "If the old, the kids work hard doing these things, I'm sure the most able bodied ones would be inspired to do the same and help others."

Here's part of our little chat that afternoon

He treats all these as blessings and shares "My family keeps me grounded, they keep me focused on my goals, my advocacies and purpose. I have a lot on my plate, I am just lucky to have been able to do a lot of these because I believe God put me here. He gave me opportunities to be able to share these to the world, and help others,to also change lives. I am happy to see that people are also doing the same after seeing the show. From our company alone, I've seen them on the road, going out there and helping too. I want to do this for the rest of my life. I'm just maximizing what I can do for my community and also make changes in laws, I have a duty to make a movement because I know my purpose."

When asked about his stint at "Tutok To Win" a few years ago, he says "Kuya Wil actually trained me, he asked me to sit with him during one show, that's where I learned and practiced at home. Everyday is an experience, you can feel what they feel when you are there. I get to see their happiness, their sadness, hosting my own show had me ask people about their struggles and get to know them."

 

About his motivation, he adds "I am happy about what I'm doing, aside from doing business, I help people, I get to change lives, I've been given a platform to be able to be heard even with a wider audience. I'll try doing this to change not just communities, but bigger ones and the country. As for now, I'll do this because I found my purpose, in life you always ask that question, there are tons of people that have more work ethic and because I have the capacity to help, I'll do it."

If you want to learn more about the causes he supports and foundations he's helping, make sure to watch "Dear SV" startiing Saturday night of September, at 7:30PM. This will also be replayed on CNN Philippines the next day so make sure you catch it!

I'd like to take this bit to thank Congressman Sam Verzosa (who also Co-chairs Poverty Alleviation) for being so nice earlier. He gamely answered questions even after the presser, to say the least, it was refreshing to talk to someone albeit super successful but still remained so grounded. Again, thank you!

LENOVO Introduces 4 New Powerful and Sustainable Laptops for 2023

Looks like the folks at Lenovo are dishing out new laptops this month, very powerful ones for work, work and work because times need it. Equipped with AMD processors, it's performance will be even better than its predecessors.

First is the ThinkBook 15 Gen 4 that has an AMD Ryzen 5000 series Mobile Processors, AMD Radeon Graphics, 2 of the M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD and a huge 40GB DDR4 3200 storage. It's designed for pros who do heavy office work, and still want to be stylish plus flexible in terms of storage because we can't have enough of that. 

Second is the ThinkPad P16s Gen 1 which is built for performance and speed. It runs on an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO processor and an AMD Radeon Graphics with LRO APU Driver , a huge 32 GB 6400 MHz LPDDR5 memory and upto 2 TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe storage for easy in/out access. It is also made of sustainable materials and has passed lots of certifications. 

Third is the ThinkPad Z13 Gen 1 which you can carry around when traveling. Made of recycled aluminum (75% post consumer sourced), it's very light weight so it is easy. It's got an AMD RYZEN 7 PRO 6860Z processor, an AMD Radeon 680M Graphics card , 32 Gig LPDDR5 6400 memory and a 1 TB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD storage which can be of help if you've got so many files or presentations to make. 

Last is the ThinkPad Z16 Gen 1 made for progressive performance. This makes you do business anywhere, work anywhere especially for people who are on the go.

Clark Popple of SMB Segment Lead of Lenovo says "Thank you for being here, you've played a lot in our success this year and we have been driven by customer feedback. We put you in our purpose, to provide things that make people save time, and be more productive. We also have AMD here who has given our products the needed boost and power so even more Filipinos benefit from it and provide technology for all!"

Francis Judan says "For 2023 we are changing the business environment, the world has jobs and careers that automate, analyze, cloud based and even entertainment via content creation. Even marketing is driving to those changes and careers have been different for Gen Z's. No one now wants to do business that is not hybrid, majority don't even want an office which changes the game. The new workforce is now wanting more powerful devices and be on the go, become smarter, sustainable which also become a basis for our products. With the heavier workload, more hard disk capacity and can relate more to users here in the Philippines. Come 2025 we want to be compliant, to last them a lifetime, they need to invest in hardware that will last and a longer lifecycle. LENOVO had been thinking of Gen Z's and Millennials that are a huge part of the workforce and relate them to the products that they make without sacrificing security, ease of use so you can have a better experience for work or play."

Lenovo is certainly on a good path in making sure their laptops become worthwhile buddies when they dish out new notebooks, ThinkPads for their intended customers.

TaskUs Philippines Gets Coveted Great Place to Work Certification

Looks like the folks at TaskUs Philippines are mighty proud to wear another feather on their hat as they recently receive the coveted Great Place to Work Certification. It's a program to help create the best environment to work in the country and elsewhere around the world. TaskUs Philippines has been experiencing continuous growth applying the people first culture they've been known for over the years.

Through it, they gather surveys about employee experience. Much of it is in the line of leadership, respect, fairness in practices, pride on work and camaraderie. It gets collated and is used to evaluate a company's culture and practices. And this is where their people first culture takes the spotlight.

TaskUs Philippines has always been putting people at the forefront. They make sure everyone gets welfare and benefits that are inclusive, appropriate health coverage, wellness programs that includes mental health, career development, great facilities and exemplary leadership.

TaskUs Philippines's people first culture has already brought several recognitions for the company. Their success remains dedicated to their organization and the clients they serve. This surely would be a good addition to last year's Best Place to Work award by the Business Intelligence Group plus Everest Group's Fastest Growing Service provider award which they also got in 2022. There's no way to go but up, and TaskUs Philippines will continue to be a leading digital service company bringing world class customer experience and help various stakeholders become their best selves.

If you want to know more about them, visit their official website TaskUs.com

LG RECONNECT 2022: Experiencing New LG Monitors in Real Life

You can't say it's immersive without experiencing it all so the folks at LG Philippines got us all to see it in action with the latest models of monitors, TV sets and even a real deal transparent monitor at the recent LG RECONNECT 2022 event at the Podium Mall in Pasig City.

They also worked with the largest distributor of IT brands in the country VST-ECS Phils. to see how much of the international companies work with the best monitors LG has and use it for different scenarios. For starters, gaming, office work, presentations, photo and video editing, telephony, video conferencing (yes I see you Cisco, the Meraki setups were sick!), having it with different accessories (Logitech), and working in different environments (again with different brands), still LG fits the bill.

Thank you for the fun afternoon, the entertainment and the experience of having these LG Monitors used in different scenarios. I am eyeing that monitor that Magic Liwanag is using for photo and video editing, I just have to look at some of the great things that LG offers. And I bet, I'll be sharing the experience of doing that in a few days. Stay tuned!

Dating Apps: Do They Work?

The pandemic has forced us all to stay in our homes and contemplate about life and dating. These days, going out on an "in person" date would require having testing kits, a microscope and certifications from doctors (I kid). In ways, it has become passe and people have started to realize that relationships can still start with technology through apps on your smartphone. The arduous hours spent on it recently had been figured out (thanks to Rakuten Insight and Statista Global Research) that over 48 percent of Filipinos use dating apps and almost 28 percent admit spending several hours in a week in it. This would probably continue to grow in coming years.

If you don't know, the business is worth 2.5 Billion Dollars, let that sink in. In an industry like this, you need great app experience to stand out and get a bigger chunk of the pie. With it, you'll get a lot of people match and experience connections that are all easy, seamless, meaningful and enjoyable. The various facets of the app should be supported including those that can be attended to by digital outsourcing providers.

The Dating Game

Chat is essential but there are tons of other features that leading apps use to make it a successufl match. Those gif's, stickers, images, greetings, predictive text, much of the things you see or do are driven by AI or machine learning. This includes responses they give so they lead conversations, land pickup lines and Dad jokes with ease.

Others take the extra mile and do games, from trivia rounds to spaceships with your nose, to turning those awkward situations more entertaining. There's a lot out there that can make or break a great dating app, but only a few employ good ones. It has to, otherwise it needs a bit of re-thinking.


In-App Support

Not everyone would be putting in their personal details in the app, understandable for safety reasons. Aside from that, scams and cat-fishing are actually a thing now. This is why support channels should be available whether chat or email, and response to urgent matters must be addressed especially if things get compromised.

Some digital outsourcing providers like TaskUs work with some of the world's biggest dating apps to provide best in industry customer experiences. If you want to get to know them more, check out TaskUs.com.

Abizo OFW App: Peace of Mind for OFW's and Their Families This Christmas

Overseas Filipino Workers have been dubbed as the new heroes. Back in 2020, their remittances have amounted to 9.66 percent of the country's GDP which is worth over 33.2 billion dollars. It's a huge chunk and they deserve good news, so here's the ABIZO OFW app which is backed by the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency.

As you know, employment abroad doesn't always mean greener pastures, rainbows and butterflies. Your family at home and your government worries for OFW's safety, this app solves a lot of that and give you peace of mind. The ABIZO OFW app provides real time updates of your activities in other countries. Through this app, they look after your welfare, and give you the option to tell them where you are when you arrive in the host country. This mobile app platform is convenient, takes a few steps to register and would ease the mind of your families back home. The app also has a button for emergencies, so in case you encounter any difficulties with your employment, they can go and give you needed help.

This would prove useful especially in the Middle East, the US, Europe, or elsewhere in the world. If you need help from the government, this would be your first line of defense and prevent physical, emotional abuse if it occurs at your place of work.

To make things even better, they have published a few videos in the app that will make you remember Christmas in the Philippines, and how the app would work in real life! They actually have a few of these episodes out including Episode 2: Kamusta Ka Na Ate? It will certainly pull heartstrings, because these are short stories everyone can relate from, especially if you have loved ones abroad who work tirelessly for their family back home.

If you want to see the videos, like the link above and their Facebook page, or subscribe to their YouTube channel at ABIZO OFW. Aside from that, you can download the ABIZO OFW app on Google Play or the App Store. Make sure you do before you leave the country, it's better to be prepared especially if you're going out there to improve the lives of your family.

Spruce Up Your Work and School Spaces with Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi

You've been working so hard at home, some of us are still studying online. Have you thought of tidying up your space? Or maybe look for things that could speed things up? How do you maintain work life balance during these days when everything seems so stressful? Here are a few things you can do to make it better!

Fix Up Your Space

You spend quite a number of hours in your work/study area so make sure it's comfortable. It should be conducive for what you are doing, so you have to make it clutter free. If it's something that you're not using for days, put it in proper storage rather than on top of your table. If you're using gadgets, a desktop computer, tidy up the cables and make sure it's not spread around. Hook it up or put cable organizers. Put pens and pencils in one place, cutters and scissors in another. Making it clutter free will also make you think clearly, put you into zen mode especially on those days when you're stressed and pressured. 

 

Speed and Reliability of your Internet Connection

Work, study and play won't happen if you don't have internet connection these days. I've always used data but always end up with a heated phone because it can't handle all my workload. Aside from that, everybody else at home needs internet. Globe’s At Home Prepaid Wifi was a lifesaver for us during a line outage in my locale. It's super fast and reliable because it connects to LTE. You can also share internet for other devices and people at home. It's quite affordable too because they've made it easy to load and subscriber to sulit promos. You can opt for the HS199 code which has 30GB  of data which you can use for 7 days. Pretty cheap, but amazingly fast.

Observe Work-Life Balance

The stress will also be there, but of course, if you're already working at home, where do you draw the line? If you work in the office from 8-5pm in the past, you should do the same even when you're at home. Truth is, some of us are even more efficient because we're more relaxed in our caves. But once work is done, it should be done. I used to never take vacations in the past, and it ended up making me burn out quite a bit and uninspired. Make time for family, for friends, because the amount of time you spend with them are precious. It doesn't have to cost much, make memories with them and don't even hesitate to tell them how much you love em. A simple game would do. Trust me on that.

By the way, if you're looking for things that can spruce up your space at work or at home, you can purchase the Globe at Home Prepaid Wifi through Globe's official store in Lazada. You can also get the chance to win Coocaa 55 inck 4K capable Android 10 and Smart flat screen Ultra HD LED Frameless TV worth Php 24,490. You can connect your devices to it too and the internet, so you don't have to make a fuzz when you need to look up things on the web. It's only available from September 1 to 30, so hurry!

Productive Things To Do During Lockdown

Image courtesy of Austin Chan @Unsplash

If you’re anything like me, I consider walking to the refrigerator an exercise. However, for many active individuals, the lockdown implemented in some parts of the world is what some people might refer to as a living nightmare. Everyone is bored due to the lockdown, especially since social events such as parties and festivals are out of the question. On the plus side, you can spend your free time at home picking up new hobbies and trying out new things. Don’t worry, I won’t stop you from binge-watching on Netflix but if you do wake up one day finding yourself wondering what else is there to do, this article is the sign you’ve been looking for. 

Clean your living space. Thoroughly.

What with assignments and work, when do we even have the time, am I right? On busy days, I’m lucky to even come home to a neatly made bed assuming I made time to do that before heading out (I usually don’t).

There are many changes and additions you can make to achieve a homier vibe. If you have no clue on where to start, enter Pinterest. Rustic, minimalist, bohemian, mid-century modern, so many to choose from. After all the research you’ve done, who knows, some of your friends might like your design so much that you can help decorate their space too! 

Earn some side income online

Although times are tough for job seekers, there are still ways to earn some extra money on a more flexible schedule. The possibilities are virtually limitless with the internet. If you have an eye for designing, copywriting or content creating, utilize it by finding freelance jobs on Facebook groups, Workana or any website that provides jobs for freelancing.

If you’re an aspiring baker or chef, share those skills with the community by holding virtual classes. If you want to turn a hobby into a small business, why not do just that! Sell homemade jewelry, paintings, clothes and all that jazz. With a minimal capital, you can get started on all these ideas from anywhere at any time.

 

Exercise

Sure, looking good after a workout is a bonus but what’s more important is feeling good. Boost your confidence before a virtual presentation or have a virtual workout session with your best buds. Trust me, after a long day at your desk, doing even a short workout will do wonders for your mood and productivity.

Go with the flow. If you’re into bicycles, ride your bike around the parking lot or your neighborhood. As for the best brand of bicycle, we highly recommend Polygon which is an Indonesian bicycle manufacturer based in Sidoarjo, East Java. If your body just wants to stretch and relax, Yoga With Adriene has been my go-to but if you want to work up a sweat, Daisy Keech or Chloe Ting have posted many different workouts on YouTube that will help you reach your goals in no time!

Spend time with your loved ones

We had no idea we'd be confined to our houses for so long. This period, however, has provided us with the opportunity to rekindle and improve the relationship we have with our family. Because of the hectic pace of our lives before, we rarely had time to sit with our family even for a meal.

The lockdown has allowed us to return to the days when family time was the most important part of the day. Get to know them again, play a board game, cook together or dress up your pets because as once Madeleine said “We love our bread, we love our butter but most of all, we love each other.” 

Become a bookworm

Does your daily reading consist of reading tweets, Facebook updates or the comic behind your favorite cereal box? Well, put down that cereal box and pick up a real book!

Why, you may ask? Books teach you how to stay calm, how to understand people, how to improve on vocabulary and communication, how to deal with problems and obstacles that you may face in life and expand your knowledge. As for me, reading has given me the opportunity to explore my imagination and open up my mind to new possibilities without leaving my room. To get you started, here’s a list of my recent personal favorites.

●    The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi

●    The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi
●    Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
●    Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
●    One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid
●    After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
●    Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
●    When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
●    Shades of Magic Series by V.E. Schwab
●    The Institute by Stephen King
●    Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart by James R. Doty
●    Beach Read by Emily Henry
●    The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

 

Final thoughts

This lockdown has shown us that there’s more to us than we realized. We just didn’t see it before due to our busy schedules and hectic social lives. So, get moving! However you decide to spend your free time during this time, remember to be safe and grateful for this life you get to live.

JobStreet Dons New Look and Platform: Jobs That Matter

 

JobStreet is now celebrating their 25th year. Together with is is a huge change. A new look, a new platform, more features, it just sounds so good to see that they improve services. They want to empower not just the employers this time but also the job seekers. They call it aptly "“jobs that matter” and their executives were there to tell us all about it.

Ramesh Rajandaran Chief Marketing Officer (Asia) at SEEK says “We need to deliver as a partner, lives have changed and it is our duty to fill roles. Not all brands have been able to change and survive. Jobstreet and JobsDB get 30 million hirees a month, and today we are taking the next big leap with our brand. We are now optimized for mobile, have personal home pages, a showcase of recommendations, search via AI.” 

Philip Gioca Country Manager for JobStreet Philippines added “Jobstreet has been in the country for years now and we need to be faster, it gives us something great. The new Jobstreet will get you 5x more career matches, for over 570,000 employers. Refreshing our brand will define the way we look and do things. Our colors represent our heart and passion, to get you to jobs that matter. “ 

They are now sporting a brand new logo, a new look and personality. They also officially launched the new JobStreet mobile application which is tailored to be streamlined and responsive for those looking for jobs and employers.

JobStreet now wants to thank the people that made it possible, the employers who have been able to provides jobs to Filipinos. This is why they launched #JobsThatMatter. JobStreet also will still be offering jobs from across the country but can be filtered in regional ways. They are changing their platform, but it will not require current data to be changed. As of now, they have less job postings in the system but it is steadily growing in the last three months because of the pandemic. The changes they made was because they didn’t want it to be just a job platform, but a career platform. This also includes putting all these features in a mobile version which will make it easier for employers to monitor manpower, and also for those who are applying for work so they can easily get notified when they get the jobs.

SM Employees Continue to Reach More Communities

There's a saying that goes "If you choose your passion, you never have to work a day in your life!". Those words actually come close to my personal journey. This is also true for some of our friends from SM. You see, they've been doing a lot of things in the shadows and they've won several internal and external awards through their CSR arm SM Cares. I personally witnessed this when they helped a foundation that serves persons that are differently abled, the deaf and mute. They have some really good employees, they also help children, the elderly and less privileged communities.

It's quite nice to see private corporations insert these things on their employee relationships. It gets the ordinary people a chance to help those in need and make them better versions of themselves. Mr. Kevin Bonifacio who is a Resident Engineer of SM City Tarlac says "I really love participating in activities like these with my colleagues. Through the Adopt a Daycare Program of SM, we were able to take time off our busy schedules and participate in a worthwhile program that can make us feel better. It also reminds me of when I was a kid, where the simplest gift and show of concern for someone can already bring me genuine happiness. We also get motivated and get the needed morale boost so we can work efficiently the next day when we go back to the four corners of our office. That to me is priceless!"

Michael Uy, one of SM's Mall Managers says that the experience is quite humbling. Being a volunteer at SM North EDSA’s Brigada Eskwela, he was able to be a part of the team that helped repair damaged classroom furniture and repaint walls of a public school near their area. He adds “It inspires us to work harder. The most fun part is the teamwork that all volunteers had during the whole activity!”. Having a mall in different parts of the Philippines has not only proven to have benefited the economy but bring a different change in the community. They've been doing this for quite some time now and it has really brought out the best in their employees, to have the chance to help a brethren in need. That feeling of volunteerism brings pride, makes the employees be more positive in the office and in turn make them more productive even if it's outside their office. That's about 2,500 of their workforce, and they've never been happier. 

I wish I could do the same in my community. I really appreciate it when they take their time and help other people, we all should do that! 

For more information about their cause:

SM CARES

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://www.smcares.com.ph/

Miguel Tanfelix's Touching Birthday with Special Kids

Yesterday, we went all the way to Dasmariñas Cavite to visit a publicly funded Dr. Jose P. Rizal Elementary School. It's right off the beaten path of Cavite which is very near Technological University of the Philippines in Dasmariñas. The school offers the regular Elementary curriculum and Special Education courses designed for kids that are differently abled or with special needs. We're here to celebrate the birthday of one of GMA's prized possessions and star of Niño, actor Miguel Tanfelix. His show battled with a real tough one over at the other channel but his show really held up mainly because the story was new and who wouldn't love an adorably guy playing it right? He chose to celebrate it with special people because just like his show, the cause somehow is really close with him. Other than that, it's worth the trip to his hometown because he lives quite near the school. It's his birthday but he wants to be the one to give gifts to the kids. Isn't that sweet?

The kids, their teachers, some with their parents and family patiently waited for the program to start. This is one of the few public schools that have special education facilities. It's not often that it happens and they're more lucky because even if it's not in Metro Manila, they have this.

The kids had so much fun going up on stage and playing some games with Miguel Tanfelix. His best friend who is also part of the show Renz Valerio came along to show his support. We talked to him after the show and he told us how important it is for him to be here. He's not just a friend while on cam but he makes it a point to be there for Miguel more if he's doing things like these off cam. He knows how kind hearted his friend is and he wants to be there in important occasions.

Louise Delos Reyes Spends Birthday with SPED Children

One of GMA's most sought after actresses and lead star of the highly successful "Kambal Sirena" (Twin Mermaids) Louise Delos Reyes just celebrated her birthday at the Special Education Center of Bagong Pagasa Elementary School (New Hope) in Road 10, Quezon City a few days ago. It's where kids of special needs, deaf and mute undergo education modules so they can later on be productive members of society. I must say, they've made the center quite conducive for learning, you would mistake it for a small resort judging from the things you see in the facility. Their goal is to take care of them and hope to pretty soon have a similar one in other public schools nationwide. I see the reason why Louise chose this to be her charity, because the cause is very close to her heart.

She was surprised to see them suited up and was ready to perform that morning. They're very talented and I must say they've really learned a lot from this institution judging from their behavior. They might be in different age groups but everyone looks so ecstatic and excited to greet us when we arrived at their library.

Host Tess Bomb was happy to see how receptive the kids were. She also told them that instead of Louise getting gifts on her birthday, she will be the one to give them gifts instead. She also gave the kids food and drinks, played games with them too. 

The kids performed 2 song numbers and a happy birthday song for Louise. She thanked them a lot and couldn't help buy cry while doing that. Seeing the kids sing was priceless. She immediately said that this wouldn't be the last time that she's doing this. I'm sure she was so happy to see them do that for her.

Louise would like to thank GMA Artist Center, BS Mobile, SASA Active Wear, Active White, Sundance, Monreo Biscuits for their help and the things that they gave the students that afternoon. They'll surely make use of them in school, especially the pens and papers which the kids used right away. 

 The Principal of the school thanked GMA Artist Center, the sponsors and Louise for having this done on their SPED school. They also wished to have the same facility possibly in all public schools soon.Thank you to GMA Artist Center for letting us tag along in this occasion. Happy birthday Louise! :)

For more information about their artists:

Official GMA Artist Center

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http://gmanetwork.com/artistcenter

Jobstreet.com Launches Own App!

Finding a job? You probably know the authority in this field. It's no less than JOBSTREET.COM. It is the number 1 Job site in the Philippines. It has helped countless Filipinos, employees and employers alike to achieve their dream of becoming a part of the country's workforce. It's now going to be even easier as a new app has been launched to make applications and transactions better, more secure and faster!

The app is FREE and can easily be downloaded off the App Store or Google Play Store. It isn't even that big so it's light on memory. I downloaded it myself so I could try it out, I've always been able to use the website but this one's quite powerful. Case in point, you can set your preferred salary when finding a job.

You can set it to the minimum Monthly salary but it also refine search results according to your Job Title, and preferred Work Locations. Of course you would want the amount a little higher than your previous job. But the system also includes some that may be around your expected salary if they find it a little close. The location is also important so you can specify if you want to work within your city or elsewhere in the world. 

Jobstreet.com also has access to jobs in nearby Asian cities, Europe, US and the Middle East. Make sure you check and verify if they have POEA licenses aside from the strict screening and requirements done by them as well. They do this by process so you get the extra blanket of security you need while looking for your dream job. 

The app would match your qualifications and refine again the results. I don't think you'll run out of choices as it updates real fast, real time. Install this now on your iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Windows, Android and BlackBerry so you'll never be left behind. If you are not happy with your current one, it'll be easy to find a better job where you'll be qualified, given the right salary and be beneficial for you and your loved ones. Work hard, party harder!

Recent metrics also show that the app has been downloaded quite a lot these past few months. People are taking advantage of applying for jobs and submitting resume's this easy, why should you be left behind?  

For more information about the app and Jobstreet

Please visit their Facebook Page

JobStreet.com Philippines

Or visit their official website

http://www.jobstreet.com.ph/