iStudio Plus Opens New Store at Greenhills Mall and Does Grand iPhone 16 Release Day

It's been a while since I've gone to an iPhone release event, and this one is of a better one than usual because yes, it's actually a full blown party!

The folks at iStudio Plus (formerly iStudio) took their gloves off and welcomed celebrities, guests, their executives, and throngs of Apple fans at the opening of iStudio Plus at Greenhills Mall in San Juan City. This is also their midnight launch for the newest Apple phone, the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The new iStudio Plus store looks so fresh, new and inviting. Their new name just means they are offering more than the usual products, and probably carry new brands from hereon. Since it's a party, they had rap RnB artist Kiyo perform on stage, and yes, I loved his performance that evening. I also got the chance to see one of my favorite actresses Shaira Diaz whom I didn't get the chance to say hi from an event the day before because she's really busy with interviews. There was also an influencer Christine Samson and one of the biggest streetwear Czars, the one and only Big Boy Cheng who graced the event.

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The new iPhones basically differ in storage, price point, and has new features like hardware buttons so you can do photography in the best possible ways (zoom in and out, and shutter). With its A18 Pro chip, videos get processed better, and yes, filming in 4K at 120 fps, it can be used in a lot of movie quality shots that film makers or ordinary users can enjoy. If you are a budding indie guy or gal, wouldn't that be good?

 

The iPhone 16 Pro would be best for those who want a smaller form, if you like theatrics and bigger hardware features, take the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

This is just the start of iStudio Plus' evolution, from the statements given by their executives, the future is clear for where they are heading. We have to make a decision as consumers, and they just made it easy. Visit iStudio Plus' branches nationwide. 

Thank you too to everyone who made the event as grand as that! I had so much fun!

Take a Look at the New TIMEZONE Marquee Mall

If you haven't discovered it yet, there's a new Timezone branch at the Marquee Mall in San Fernando, Pampanga. Kapampangan friends and families will get a taste of the same entertainment that people have been enjoying in different places across the country.

They spruced it up, arranged the machines to an even wider floor area so you can have more of your favorite games, tickets to win, and prizes to take home in one place. What's even better is that there are new games included in the re-opening which can be played from sun up to sun down, for folks of different ages.

The President and GM of Timezone Philippines Raffy Prats Jr. was also there to cut the ribbon, and he says "You're now looking at a new and improved Timezone Marquee Mall which you can now go to and have tons of pleasurable and memorable time with your family. This will surely be a place where people from Central Luzon would converge and enjoy on regular days or weekends. This is now catered to different age groups, for students, professionals, or just about any joe that want to have a fun time!"

Now you can enjoy VR machines, Magic UFO, Halo Firestorm Raven, social bowling, and so much more. The branch also will have a promo where if you load up 600 pesos you get to have 900 Timezone credits which means more time to play inside the arcade.

Go head on to Marquee Mall in Pampanga today to enjoy the promo, and the tons of games you need to play. It's a breather, and if you win lots of tickets, you can trade them for prizes, treats right at the side of the cashier. You'll love it here!

Robinsons Appliances Hold Last Leg of RACE TO A MINUTE in Galleria South!

Spent my whole afternoon and evening traveling to San Pedro, Laguna a few days ago for the last leg of Robinsons Appliances Race to a Minute 2023. It's where they pick lucky shoppers from Robinsons Appliances and let them go through a short distanced course with 6 different activities in order to win prizes from Robinsons Appliances. They're doing this to say THANK YOU to all their customers who have patronized Robinsons Appliances all this year, and they gave up to Php 220,000 worth of prizes to lucky shoppers. 

The event was hosted by Turs Daza and Elisse Joson. They have already done those in Valencia in Bukidnon, Robinsons Galleria Cebu, Robinsons Tugegarao so it was time to do it with GMA participants this time in the City of San Pedro. Each station in the event was quite difficult and had to be solved with physical strength, wit, and smarts. Their sponsors and appliance brands chipped in on each exercise, it was quite tiring to run around the mall while we chase the contestants to document it, here's how it went!

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Here's the announcement of winners!

In the end, it was the Yellow team that won this last leg, and according to their conversations during the event (the executives and production), they plan to do another one by next year. So see, it's really worth it to shop at Robinsons Appliances. Make sure you follow their social channels especially their Facebook Page because they announce it and other promos there. 

Congratulations to the winners and of course to Robinsons Appliances! Can't wait to join the festivities soon and be part of this event, because from where I see it, it's worth it!

LANDERS SUPERSTORE Opens Uptown BGC Branch

It looks like businesses are back in action as a couple of days ago, we witnessed the opening of LANDERS SUPERSTORE at Uptown Palazzo in BGC. It sits in front of the restaurant lane opposite the Adidas Uptown Mall entrance. This is a much needed refuge for residents inside the former base and nearby communities. As you know, LANDERS has carry tons of food products, appliances, clothing and so much more. This is also their 6th one in the country and if you ask me, they win in variety especially with imported products. Here's how my trip there went, oh and please subscribe!

 What I like about this new branch is that it isn't as warehousy as most membership shops do. They aesthetics are clearly made that way so you look at every corner and feel like you'll love taking photos for Instagram on it. They've got good deals so make sure to check out the signs especially the meat section, the grocery too. Now I've had questions thrown over at YouTube and asked about not going here because it's unhealthy, that's misconstrued and old ideas. First, I've seen a LOT of organic food being sold there including veggies and other healthy options. Food prepared in packages are also prepared on site with an actual cold kitchen in the center, that can be seen from the fresh produce area. You should take a look.

 

Nico Locco of Love at the End of the World (showing soon on Gagaoolalah app)

Sweethearts Maverick Legaspi and Kyline Alcantara. I have interviewed them previously online and just met them in real life today! <3

 

There's also Dough and Co. inside the store where you can get excellent breads, cookies and pastries that usually cost a lot in coffee shops but you can get it there at a fraction of its original cost. You can get coffee at Doppio, their in house coffee shop. Aside from that, you can get a free haircut at their barbershop soon, as it was still being finished when I was there during the launch. They took time putting in items in the store, you'll love each isle and find something that would be best for your family, your friends, I wouldn't be surprised if you get them stuff for Christmas.

Now take the trip in Taguig today or maybe the weekend, there's lots to see at the new LANDERS SUPERSTORE in Uptown BGC!

Paymaya Launches PAYMAYA MALL

Mark Dee Head of Growth and Marketing Partnerships

Something big happened this morning as cashless payment king Paymaya just announced something innovative that will happen in their app. They call it Paymaya Mall. This one stop shop will place all their partner merchant stores in one place so if you need to buy anything, you can visit their sites through the app and pay for it digitally.

Mark Dee says "Over the past year, we have seen millions of Filipinos do online shopping despite the quarantine. The regular groceris, essentials, food and drinks have been on top of the list. Even malls and shops have closed and online market places have sprouted and ecommerce are being utilized for businesses to run. Paymaya has been there for payment systems, today, we're proud to present to you the Paymaya Mall. We're bringing your favorite merchants together in one place so you get the convenience straight to your phones. We are now bringing our merchant partners to 28 Million Paymaya users nationwide. You can get the best value with cashless transactions using the app. Food, retail, sport, groceries, fashion, and now it's easier to browse and see which merchants and stores already cater to Paymaya as their payment system nationwide. There are no extra costs in being part of the Paymaya Mall for our partners. Our mission has always been financial inclusion for all. The experience is super enhanced with what Paymaya can only offer."

Maya (their official mascot) showed us several brands including McDonalds Philippines, Mercury Drug, Landers, Goldilocks, Rose Pharmacy, and a whole lot more. Merchants don't have to pay a fee to be included here, which means it is a good thing for businesses. Since it's Chinese New Year, Paymaya is starting it right with a P880 cashback on purchases in the PayMaya Mall. If you spend Php 300 using your PayMaya mobile number, you get 20% cashback of up to P88 per transaction. And you can do this 10 times but only til March 15, 2021. If you do it all, you'll get Php 880 in in cashbacks. Isn't that huge? Well, that's not all, because they've got 500 off your first Pick.A.Roo order if you enter the code PAYMAYAROO on the app. Aside from that, you can enjoy 12% off on Rustans purchases, a 5% discount on Boozy (they've got tons of drinks) among other perks inside the mall.

As the country's leading financial provider, this is one way to push for cashless payments in the country. These merchants must be exposed with their 28Million customers that Paymaya also has online and this positions them as the most rewarding finance related app and brand in the country. Delivery fees will still be in the merchant partners and can be paid in the Paymaya app.

This is the most rewarding payment system today as they have Balik Bayad which returns part of your payments instantly. There are several offers and discounts which you can also get today, if you have not seen it yet, you better check the app and go visit the Paymaya Mall.

Fisher Mall Malabon Officialy Opens!

Fisher Mall Malabon just gave us a glimpse of what’s about to happen in Dagat Dagatan Malabon. This is the owner’s turf, Ray Del Rosario who comes from a long line of people who worked with Irma Fishing, hence the name of the mall. They also supply the supermarket with fresh seafood everyday and I have always frequented their mall because of it. This is their second branch, the first one of which is currently at Quezon Avenue (former Pantranco station). They initially wanted to put up a hotel but the complex now has UNIQLO, tons of restaurants and a VIP Movie theatre in it. The Fisher Mall Malabon branch even more huge. 6 floors of retail spaces and food area. The country’s top and international brands, fast food giants, even a multitude of movie theaters that will all soon open.

The blessing of the mall took place at the mall’s event area (4th Floor) which sits opposite The Galley (which they call their food court). We checked out the space and retail outlets they had with a short tour of the property. They also have ample amount of parking space at the mall’s basement.

To show you around, we made a short video tour. Enjoy!

Fisher Mall has got everything you need and more. If you want to have a great time with family and friends up north, go take the trip to C4-Dagat Dagatan Avenue area in Malabon City. They’ve got fish and more!

Argomall Predict Smartphone Trends for 2019

Choosing a smartphone these days is hard and if you’re not much of a techie, you wouldn’t know what exactly to look for or if you’re really getting your money’s worth. Argomall shares their predictions this 2019 to make the most discerning consumer (you) satisfied with your choice, to also make sure you get the best features, capacity and hardware specifications.

Goodby Bezels!

In the Black Mirror series, people saw how all screen displays impressed the characters in the show. Now imagine how that would feel in real life when notches we saw last year would literally become a thing of the past. Oppo and Vivo had good ones- and possibly all bezel less and full screen soon.

Eye catching stuff! 

We might start seeing foldable screens this 2019, apart from the dual display, face and on screen fingerprint technology, anything could be a possibility.

Longer Battery Life

Big screens mean lots of energy use, hence the need for a better and efficient batteries. You need one that can be charged faster, last longer because that’s the name of the game this year.

Connections, connections, connections

Cables that have faster transfer rates like micro USB’s, USB C, even wireless technologies and standards should be considered. Wireless audio connections and the non existence of jacks would probably be seen on new phones, it is going to happen to more phones soon!

Stronger Inside

The ability to get 5G connections, seamless OS and interface, larger storage and better price points between the same model would be a good idea. There will be better entry level phones, plus a multitude of reasons to get the high end ones because it is going to be the year to see something new. Companies are aggressively coming out with new models, different capacities and may well be priced good. They’ll have better chipsets, faster processors and wonderful ways to keep the heat down especially on gaming phones. Asia will lead the pack!

Better Looking Photos

Who doesn’t want a better selfie, fancy filters, things that could make your presence online look like Hollywood stars. You can also expect artificial intelligence to play a role, learning how to make the shots almost perfect like you imagined it.

Better Wearables

Albeit being dubbed the “future” a couple of years ago, they’re making it better wearable technology now starting with smartwatches with more health features, easier to answer emails, texts and even calls. Maybe, just maybe even playing more games!

There are tons of online stores out there but Argomall says, you can trust em more as they’ve got authentic smartphones only in their store. They also issue Philippine warranty, invoice and receipts so after sales stress wouldn’t be a thing to happen on Argomall.com who is wholly owned by Transnational Diversified Group. Try it out today yeah?!

Hurry!

KUMAGCOW

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Sisters Day at Starmall Alabang

Spent the afternoon at Starmall Alabang for the Megasoft Hygeinic Products Inc Happiness Lives Here event which they do for Cherub Baby Care products and Sisters Sanitary Napkins. I guess it’s a little awkward for me to be here but seeing people from the CD and E market enjoying the activities that they prepared for them.

In a way they are trying to desensitize people talking about hygeine and health care. It’s a good thing for those they want to educate so I get what they are doing. This is a yearly thing they call I love my Sisters Day.

WCOPA Champion from the Philippines and world class performer Aljun Cayawan serenaded the guests, oh and he’s going to be part of the brand’s ambassadors too come September. He hails from a Manobo tribe, a Prince of it, 100% Filipino and is quite promising. Ms. Aileen Choi Go of Megasoft and their executives were there to also support the cause.

Local dance group CT Vibes

Local dance group CT Vibes also prepared something special for them. Very talented I must say.

To celebrate their 3rd year they brought Myrtle Sarrosa in the tour, she’s been with them for quite a while and they have been growing their business with them. They have been doing this in 56 different schools to inspire the youth.

Myrtle also invited a couple of people on stage and danced the Boom Boom somg from Momo thingy, quite entertaining.

My boy Ryle of Hashtags spent minutes on stage and set it on fire. He danced his way to their hearts, even sang too. He also was game to be babied by his fans during a small game, he’s the face of Cherub Baby Care products by the way.

Young JV did his thing and he also gave us a treat by dishing some of his singles, all from his latest album. I like his music now, very upbeat and urban rap.

Congratulations Megasoft Hygeinic Products for hosting this I Love My Sisters Day for the people of the south.

Stay fresh!

KUMAGCOW

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Estancia Mall's Vast Imaginarium

What you're looking at right now is real. These are found at Estancia Mall grounds in Capitol Commons. Now if you are looking for a place to hangout with family and friends, and take tons of selfies, you should visit these light installations this seasonat Estancia Mall. This place is at Meralco Avenue in Pasig City and is almost at the end of the road right before Shaw Boulevard. It's owned by Ortigas & Co. and according to their VP Renee Bacani, they want this place to be enjoyed by friends and families, especially children. It's one of the reasons why they have come up with bright new concepts this Christmas, truly it is.

The first one is wrapped like a gift box outside the mall, specifically at the Capitol Commons Park. Now I know this thing looks like those of the work of Yayoi Kusama, albeit high end I'm sure this will be enjoyed by the whole family, but these are more like nice locations for selfies if you're looking for one.

This one is on the ground floor. There will be attendants in every room so it still stays organized. But please be wary of others, try to keep your session of taking photos limited to three minutes so the others could also enjoy the place :) this is the Green Room.

If you go to the basement floor where the restaurants are, the Abyss Room is located there. I actually like this a lot because of the lines and how they did the lighting here.

Just use the escalators and find it right beside the arcade that looks like an unfinished space. This is the Lit Room. I like how it dances, perfect for an instagram shot or a quick Boomerang. The possibilities are endless! While you are there, you can also enjoy shopping because the best local and international brands are there too! Not only that, you could win tons of prizes just by taking photos in these displays by using the hashtags #OrtigasMallsChristmas #EstanciaVastImaginarium and tagging @EstanciaPH on Instagram. 

For other things than that, they've got Christmas Mercato on November 16 to January 7, Pre Holiday sale on December 2 and 3, National Open Fencing Cup on December 10 and tons of other things lined up for the holidays. Just check out Estancia's Facebook page because it's all there! 

Now who's excited!?

KUMAGCOW

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