MoneyGram reinforce Partnership with GCash in the Philippines

August 30, 2018 – MoneyGram (NASDAQ: MGI) and GCash announced today that customers worldwide can now also send money to over 10 million GCash mobile wallets in the Philippines, 24/7. This partnership supports further growth of MoneyGram’s digital channels in the world’s third-largest remittances receive market. 

More Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) will be glad if they hear about this new partnership between MoneyGram and GCash. The receiver from the Philippines will be happy also because they can easily receive the money without going to the bank or remittance center just to check the money sent by their loved ones abroad. Stress-free and worry-free for both parties. In addition to that, an OFW Family Card will allow customers to withdraw their money for free twice a month at any BancNet ATM in the Philippines if they really need the cash for an inevitable occasion.

“With the growing number of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) looking for a reliable way to send money back home, the collaboration with GCash aligns with our strategy to provide user-friendly, rapid-response and low-cost channels to send money across borders,” said Alex Holmes, MoneyGram’s chairman and chief executive officer. “The expansion of digital channels combined with a strong network of agent locations, enables MoneyGram to offer a differentiated customer experience that allows consumers to transact with us their way,” added Holmes. 

Funds can be sent via MoneyGram online or at any one of MoneyGram’s thousands of locations in 200 countries and territories around the world to reach a GCash mobile wallet in minutes. The money will be deposited into the mobile wallet in the Philippine Peso. The receiver will get an SMS notification of every incoming money transfer and will be able to use funds instantly for purchasing goods and services online or paying bills. 

“We are delighted to partner with MoneyGram once more to improve the way remittances are processed in the Philippines. GCash is committed to make the experience of sending money more convenient for both the sender and receiver. The OFWs and their families are a big segment of the remittance business as well as a key contributor to the country’s economy. We need to do more for them and we think this partnership with MoneyGram leads us to that direction,” said Anthony Thomas, President and CEO of Mynt, the operator of GCash.

The OFW Family Card will be awarded to each registered and verified GCash user who receives a minimum of PHP 500 via MoneyGram between September 15 and December 30. 

For more information about the service, please visit moneygram.ph.

About MoneyGram International

MoneyGram is a global provider of innovative money transfer and payment services and is recognized worldwide as a financial connection to friends and family. Whether online, or through a mobile device, at a kiosk or in a local store, we connect consumers any way that is convenient for them. We also provide bill payment services, issue money orders and process official checks in select markets. More information about MoneyGram International, Inc. is available at moneygram.com. 

About GCash 

GCash is an internationally-acclaimed micropayment service that transforms the mobile phone into a virtual wallet for secure, fast, and convenient money transfer. GCash can be used to buy prepaid load, pay bills, send money, make donations, shop online, and even purchase goods without the need to bring any cash. For more information, please visit https://www.globe.com.ph/gcash

About Mynt

Mynt is a partnership between Globe Telecom, the Ayala Corporation, and Ant Financial, that provides innovative and first-in-world fintech solutions to consumers, merchants, and organizations. Its vision is to enable financial access for consumers and merchants by disrupting traditional channels through digital financial technology services. It operates two fintech companies: GCash, a micropayment service that transforms the mobile phone into a virtual wallet for secure, fast, and convenient money transfer, and Fuse, a tech-based lending company that enables Filipinos to get microloans to business loans without the traditional requirements set by banks and other lending institutions. For more information, visit mynt.xyz.

For more information, please contact: 

Corporate Communications and Public Affairs

Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc. (Mynt)

corpcomm@mynt.xyz

Twitter & Facebook:  gcashofficial www.mynt.xyz

Maria Bankiet-Kamińska

MoneyGram 

Tel: + 48 (0) 22 377 2185

Mob: + 48 (0) 885 889 696

Mail: MbankietKaminska@moneygram.com

Fitness Playground MNL Opens September with #WeAreFitToPlay Activity Series

MANILA, PHILIPPINES — It’s only one month to the event bound to bring together the active and the high-spirited of all ages and from all walks of life. Fitness Playground MNL 2018 marks its first stop in Manila! The journey to fitness starts early, though, as Fitness Playground hosts a series of fitness activities all over the metro: #WeAreFitToPlay 

Fitness Playground 2018, a fitness event that will house one of the largest convergences of fitness brands from apparel, equipment, gyms, studios, and wellness centers in the country.  Fitness Playground 2018 is happening on September 29-30 (Saturday and Sunday), at SMX Convention Center, SM MOA. Joining us on these dates is two-time CrossFit Games champion Tia-Clair Toomey.

“We wanted to create an event for all those people who want to begin their fitness journey or learn how to stay healthy and improve their quality of life,” shares Mike Tinsay, founder and head of Fitness Playground MNL. “This is the event for you to test your fitness or begin your journey to health and wellness.” 

Guide to Start Going

In their quest to getting everyone inspired to start their fitness journey today, Fitness Playground has teamed up with different fitness communities to show that health and wellness are not just fun, but also diverse. The first of many is the jump workout session held last August 29, 2018, Wednesday at Trampoline Park, Greenfield District. 

“Trampoline Park is delighted to partner with Fitness Playground, which is no doubt one of the most important places to be - if you’re in[to] fitness!” Shay Yellin says, Trampoline Park Philippines co-founder. “As the biggest event related to fitness, we didn’t think twice about partnering with Fitness Playground, and we’re sure it’s going to be a big hit this year.” 

Trampoline Park have initiated some exciting fitness programs over the past years, including the “AeroDANCE” workout - which is a fitness dancing workout entirely on Trampolines. We also added the ALL-DAY FITNESS initiative, where we installed 2 big LCD screens inside our trampoline facility - screening Fitness classes all day long, so customers can enjoy a fitness workout no matter when they drop by.

Recently, Fitness Playground, together with Hollow Rock Gear and in partnership with Affiliate Alliance and Fit MNL, also held the Hollow Rock Gear Team Pre-qualifiers. The teams are aptly named Team Tia and Team Shane (with each team consisting of two male and two female athletes that met the qualifications), in reference to two-time CrossFit Games’ fittest woman Tia-Clair Toomey and her coach, Shane Orr — both of which will be present at one of Asia’s biggest fitness events of its kind! 

Hub to Keep Moving

Co-presented by Hollow Rock Gear and other sponsors, Fitness Playground MNL 2018 aims to showcase the latest from the industry, paving way for gyms, studios, wellness centers, and coaches to share their knowledge through interactive nutrition talks, fitness workshops and demos. Attendees will also get access to exclusive deals, sales and other promos from participating brands.

Set to inspire all fitness enthusiasts and newbies alike, the event is the venue for each and every activity that an individual might want to embark on his or her journey to a fitter lifestyle: zumba, jiu-jitsu, yoga, cycling, CrossFit, circuit training, pilates, and many more. This weekend-long affair is to house one of the largest convergence of fitness brands. See a myriad of apparel and equipment labels come together in celebration and support of taking one step closer to a healthier lifestyle. 

A playground, a play park, or a play area…no matter how you coin it, one thing’s for sure: it’s a place where physical coordination, strength, and flexibility is developed. Commit to get fit and to ignite the fitness revolution!

FITNESS PLAYGROUND MNL is happening on September 29 and 30, 2018 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Mall of Asia.

Tickets, priced at P350 (one-day PlayPass) and P550 (two-day PlayPass), are now available at smtickets.com, all SM Ticket outlets, and other partner stores. 

To know more about Fitness Playground, like us on Facebook, follow them on Instagram or visit their website at www.FitnessPlayground.org.

Shopee9.9 Super Shopping Day Kick off Launch

Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day is Back: 

The Biggest Annual Shopping Event in Southeast Asia and Taiwan

Users can look forward to a super series of non-stop deals over 11 consecutive super themed days, and massive giveaways worth over ₱15 million to be won

August 30, 2018 @ Shangri-la the Fort - Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, kicks off its biggest annual regional shopping event, Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day. 

After last year’s successful 9.9 event which saw a three-fold uplift in orders and a five-time increase in traffic, Shopee is upping the ante this year with an 11-day mega shopping event from 30 August to 9 September. With over 500,000 sellers, around 800 brands and more than 60 partners onboard, users can expect up to 99% off from the largest collection of deals and massive giveaways worth over ₱15 Million. 

“Shopee has grown tremendously in the past year. We now boast around 160 million users across the region, including over 16 million in the Philippines. At the same time, the number of sellers on Shopee has more than doubled to over 500,000 in less than a year, showing how we are quickly becoming the online shopping destination of choice for both shoppers and sellers in the region. To thank all our users for their continued support, we extended this year’s Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day to feature almost two weeks of non-stop promotions across all product categories. We have also continued to strengthen our ties with leading brands and partners to bring our users even more exclusive deals and promotions on Shopee,” said Terence Pang, Chief Operating Officer of Shopee.

Super savings on super themed days

Starting 30 August, users can participate in a 11-day shopping marathon, featuring different back-to-back themed days every 24 hours in the lead up to the peak of Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day on 9 September. Users can also look forward to free shipping with lowered minimum spend every day during this period. Key highlights include Super Flash Sale Day on August 30 featuring flash deals as low as ₱99 happening nine times over the course of the day; and Super Vouchers Day on 3 September with a total of over ₱900,000 worth of vouchers to be redeemed.

On 5 September, Shopee will also be teaming up with hundreds of leading brands including giants P&G, Maybelline, Samsung, Vivo, Colgate - Palmolive, Oppo, Asus, and more to launch the first-ever Super Brand Festival, comprising the largest collection of deals from major brands on Shopee Mall. Users will get first-hand access to thousands of products sold by their favourite brands across all product categories including Electronics, Mobile and Gadgets, and Health and Beauty.

Shopee Shake, the highly popular in-app game that has since clocked over 70 million plays by users across the region, is making a comeback, this time with a new group mode where users can invite others to play at the same time to earn bonus coins, and a supersized coins pool of over 9 million Shopee Coins up for grabs. On Super Shopee Shake Day and Super Shopping Day on 8 and 9 September respectively, users can play up to 18 times in 48 hours for a chance to win Shopee coins, vouchers and prizes.

Take part in the nationwide Shopee Dance competition to win super giveaways

In line with Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping day, Shopee will also be launching a nationwide Shopee Dance competition called Shopee Dance to Win with prizes including an Ace 50” TV and up to ₱100,000 in cash to be won. The dance is featured in Shopee’s second television commercial starring Shopee Philippines’ brand ambassador, Anne Curtis.

To qualify, users will need to post a video of themselves doing the Shopee Dance on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #ShopeeDancePH. The competition will run from 31 August till the end of Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day. Winners will be announced on Shopee’s social media pages on 9 September.

Join us for this year’s Shopee 9.9 Shopping Super Day

This year’s Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day is co-presented by more than 60 partners, including Grab, Cebu Pacific, BPI, SM Advantage, ABS-CBN Publishing, and ABS-CBN Store. Joining Shopee in its biggest sale of the year, Grab will be giving ₱9,000 worth of Grab rides each to 99 Shopee users; while Cebu Pacific will be giving round trip tickets to Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, Bali and Siem Reap. In addition, the campaign is also supported by its official partners Black Arrow Express, Freenet, Citibank, Maybank, PNB and Robinsons Bank. 

“We have packed Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day with a comprehensive suite of deals and promotions tailored to our users’ varying needs and preferences. With the strong support of our sellers, brands and partners, we are confident that shoppers will enjoy an unmatched online shopping experience at our largest annual regional shopping event,” Pang concluded.

Shop the biggest sale of the year, Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day. Visit https://shopee.ph/99 from August 30 to September 9.

For more information on Shopee Dance competition, check out Shopee’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ShopeePH/

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

I have waited for this event to happen and holding my pocket tight not to spend on those items I already put on my cart. It's time for me to grab those discount vouchers, free shipping, and free coins for additional discounts.

About Shopee

Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. It is a platform tailored for the region, providing customers with an easy, secure and fast online shopping experience through strong payment and logistical support. Shopee aims to continually enhance its platform and become the region’s e-commerce destination of choice.

Shopee has a wide selection of product categories ranging from consumer electronics to home & living, health & beauty, baby & toys, fashion and fitness equipment.

Shopee, a Sea company, was first launched in Singapore in 2015, and has since expanded its reach to Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Sea is a leader in digital entertainment, e-commerce and digital financial services across Greater Southeast Asia. Sea's mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology, and is listed on the NYSE under the symbol SE.

For more information, please contact:

Erin Tagudin

Public Relations Manager

Contact: 09178457508

Email: erin.tagudin@shopee.com

Sm Cares hosted the biggest gathering of the Youth - Global Youth Summit 2018

August 25, 2018 Mall of Asia Arena - youths from different universities filled the Mall of Asia Arena for an afternoon of fun activities and learning that aims to inspire more youth to make their steps as future Global leaders.

The youth nowadays has the power to influence many other people if they just utilize their distinct talents, knowledge, and skills towards profitable works. With the help of this gathering, we expect more youth will be enlightened and will share their aspirations as people of our nation that bring change in the global community.

The Global Youth Summit (GYS) is the largest gathering of youth in the Philippines. It is also a space for young people to share their ideas and utilize their diverse skill sets, knowledge, and networks, to effectively address persistent problems of today. 

The 2018 topics are selected from the top 5 Global Goals and issues that impact the world and the youth. The following themes for this year are: 

1. Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions 

2. Partnership for the Goals 

3. Good Health and Well Being 

4. Affordable and Clean Energy 

5. Gender Equality 

GYS is convening selected youth leaders who will create policy recommendations that will address the five issues and youth entrepreneurship. 

Through the policy recommendations, GYS 2018 aims to promote youth's engagement in contributing to the 2030 Agenda through innovative ideas that can provide long-term solutions to real-life problems and challenges in the 21st century.

We are the first generation that can end poverty and the last one that can take steps to avoid the worst impact of climate change.

Mr. Titon Mitra  

Country Director 

United Nations Development Programme

The event is a youth development platform aligned with the achievement of the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The summit will be hosting more than 15,000 young leaders and foreign delegates from the Philippines and abroad. 

ABOUT SM CARES 

SM Cares is the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Its advocacies include Programs on Persons with Disabilities, Children and Youth, Women and Breastfeeding Mothers, Environment Sustainability, Senior Citizens, and Overseas Filipino Workers (SM Global Pinoy). 

As a responsible integrated properly developer, SM ensures that its CSR programs serve as a catalyst for positive change for the community that it serves. To know more about SM Cares, please visit www.smcares.com.ph, www.facebook.com/OfficialSMCares or email smcares@smprime.com 

Website: www.smcares.com.ph 

Facebook / Instagram /Twitter: @OfficialSMCares Email: smcares@smprime.com

Eat Like A Pro advocacy in the Philippines by Beko

August 24, 2018 - Beko, the Official Partner of the Everyday, launches its Eat Like A Pro advocacy in the Philippines in promoting healthy eating habits. This effort is in support of the company’s current global initiative of inspiring and educating families, especially the young ones, on the importance of a healthy, balanced lifestyle. The campaign aims to help parents feed their children healthier food.

Eat Like A Pro doesn't mean expensive, we have plenty of resources that are available here in the Philippines that are rich in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. We just have to look for it and add to our daily meal and cooking ingredients. With this campaign from Beko, more parents and child will encourage to have a healthy living lifestyle by providing the right meal for their children and for the whole family.

To help eliminate poor eating habits, Beko listed some of the benefits of encouraging your child to #EatLikeAPro. 

Fruits and vegetables provide a myriad of health benefits that can help protect your kids against all kinds of diseases. By starting a healthy lifestyle during their formative years, your kids can have long-term advantages that they can hold onto later in their life.

Boosts immune system. The first step to having a strong immune system is nutrition, and a well-balanced diet will do the trick at providing your kids with the proper nutrients they need. Fruits and vegetables offer different vitamins and minerals, so it is important that you round up your kids’ plates with a variety of it. In particular, tomatoes, carrots, citrus fruits, berries, and dark green leafy vegetables, are abundant in immunity-boosting phytonutrients, which help the body create more white blood cells responsible in warding off infection and illness.

Fewer calories compared to processed or fast foods. Replacing unhealthy sugary snacks and fat-laden foods with fruits and vegetables can help reduce the risk of obesity among children. That is why it is important to encourage your kids to develop good eating habits by finding ways to make their favorite dishes healthier. It is especially crucial since the number of obese children and adolescents rose to 124 million in 2016—10 times higher than the 11 million considered as obese 40 years ago, in 1975, as revealed by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Helps improve academic performance. Children with bad eating habits or imbalanced diet are more likely to perform poorly in school. Failing to get the required amount of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients for health could lead to focus loss, fatigue, and a loss of concentration. On the other hand, a study conducted by the Journal of School Health suggests that good nutrition impacts children’s academic performance by identifying specific dietary factors. Particularly, students with an increased fruit and vegetable intake and lower caloric intake of fat were significantly less likely to fail a literacy assessment. 

Fruits and vegetables are the important part of a well-balanced diet. However, a report recently released by Food Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) revealed that Filipinos’ intake of fruits and vegetable is declining while their consumption of meat and eggs is increasing. Kids are among those who are most affected by these habits, especially that they are passed on to them.

To jumpstart its advocacy, Beko is set to conduct Eat Like A Pro: The Cook-Off, a contest for a parent-child tandem, which will show how they can work together in preparing delicious, budget-friendly, and healthy meals for the whole family.

Participants should bring their preferred healthy dish, which will be tried by designated judges who will select the final 8 tandems. They will be required to bring the dish recipe together with the cooking procedure. 

• Eat Like A Pro (ELAP) advocacy is an information dissemination campaign, which aims to help parents in ensuring that they give their child healthier food choices.
• The advocacy is in support of Beko’s current global initiative of eliminating unhealthy eating habits, which affects Filipino families, especially the young ones. 
• The ELAP campaign seeks to raise awareness about the rapidly growing rates of childhood malnutrition due to unhealthy eating habits. 
• A report recently released by Food Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) revealed that Filipinos’ intake of fruits and vegetable is declining while their consumption of meat and eggs is increasing. An FNRI data from 1978 to 2013 revealed that we are eating more rice and meat while cutting down on fish, fruits, and vegetables.
• FNRI-NNC’s report released in 2017 also showed that 7 out of 10 households do not meet their dietary energy requirement and that a small portion of households met the estimated average requirement for nutrients (Vitamin A and C, riboflavin, and Thiamine).
• Kids are among those who are most affected by these habits, especially that they are passed on to them. Beko aims to tackle the issue by empowering and helping parents on the importance of healthy eating through its advocacy.

The Eat Like A Pro champion will be determined via cook-off, which will happen on August 31, 2018, from 10 am to 7:30 pm at SM Southmall, Activity Center.

To know more about Beko’s #EatLikeAPro advocacy and Beko Philippines, like the Beko Philippines fan page (@BekoPH) or visit the website at www.beko.ph. 

A NEWBIE CUPID’S GUIDE TO MATCHMAKING Reality TV show First Dates reveals the ins and outs of matching potential lovebirds

We all have that one datable colleague who seems to be the perfect match to that single, lovelorn friend from college. Playing the matchmaker sounds like harmless fun, but setting them up without knowing what they want in a partner, or whether they have anything in common, might just put them in an awkward situation that you unwittingly helped make.

Without practice and experience, you might end up with more misses than hits that could have terrible consequences on your friendships. It would help to pick up a few tips from the pros, like maître d’ Fred Sirieix and his crew on Blue Ant Entertainment’s British reality show First Dates. Not only do they give romantic hopefuls a chance at love over cocktails and dinner, they also pair people based on their personality and what they’re looking for in a partner.

So don’t let the excitement of romance get ahead of you. Before letting loose Cupid’s proverbial arrows, there are a few basic things to keep in mind that will up your chances of successfully matching singletons in your circles, or at least convince them to go on a date without risking your friendships with them.

Are they interested?

You might think it’s sweet to set single friends up behind their backs. NEWSFLASH: Not all singles are unhappy being single! They may not even be ready to date, so your “sweet gesture” might just turn against you. If you think two of your friends might work out as a couple, best to ask them first if they’re interested in dating.

No two singles are alike

Singlehood won’t automatically match two people. Find out what your single friends are after in a date, like personality, hobbies, or career, so you know who among them are compatible. Be detailed. Don’t just tell them you know someone who looks great and is looking for a relationship. Still, be ready with a few pictures—with consent, of course.

Movie vs. coffee date

You wouldn’t want the first date in the movies where your potential lovebirds will end up glued to the big screen and not talking to each other. Encourage conversation by having them meet in a cozy café or a hip but family-friendly restaurant. Just avoid locations that are too “off the beaten path” so they don’t feel trapped or forced into a romantic situation.

 

Want more matchmaking tips? Catch First Dates Mondays to Wednesdays at 8:50PM (7:50PM JKT/BKK), first and exclusive on Blue Ant Entertainment. Blue Ant Entertainment is available on SKYcable channels 53 (SD) and 196 (HD), SKYdirect channel 35, Destiny Cable channel 53, and Cablelink channels 37 (SD) and 313 (HD). 

Follow Blue Ant Entertainment at www.facebook.com/BlueAntEntertainment, @BlueAntEnt on Twitter, and @BlueAntEntertainment on Instagram for more updates.

Blue Ant Entertainment

Blue Ant Entertainment is a general entertainment channel with the best mix of reality, drama, comedy, and daily programmes. Featuring hit series and late-night television, airing day-and-date with the U.S. and U.K. markets, including: competition series The X Factor UK; dailies Entertainment Tonight, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Late Late Show with James Corden. The channel also ‘LIVE’ broadcasts some biggest award shows in the world, including The Golden Globe Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, American Music Awards and Billboard Music Awards.

Contact:

Kezia Romblon

kezia.romblon@blueantmedia.com

+63 919 9997800

Free Taste of Premium Liquor Brands at the launch of Tasting Corner

August 15, 2018 @ Tasting Corner Mall of Asia Hypermarket - as part of the 60th-year celebration of #AweSm, shoppers can have the chance to taste some of the premium brands of liquors, beers, and wines at the Tasting Corner of selected Sm Hypermarket & Supermarket which officially launch in support of this newfound maturity and sophistication of their client Blue Mountain, the exclusive supplier of all wine and spirits sold in SM stores.

The past decade has seen a shift for the better in the way that Filipinos consume alcohol.  Rather than consume huge amounts of beer in bars, Filipinos now prefer to purchase smaller amounts of premium brands in liquor stores and to drink at home.  This new trend towards quality and moderation speaks well of our drinking culture in terms of maturity.

To begin the program Mr. Antonio Villasenor president of  Blue Mountain called for his welcome remarks. "It's our way of creating an opportunity for our valued customers to experience and to know the top leading brands of wines, beers, and liquors he said". Taste preferences of customer evolve over the years, so with the help of this free sample they can able to choose which brand suits for them he added"

Joining the programs are the brand ambassadors which talks about their products so the consumers can have more idea in selecting a brand that will fit their lifestyle.

The Tasting Corner is a pop-up store that will open in selected SM Supermarkets and Hypermarkets between August 16 to November 8.  For the first time in the Philippines, it will offer SM customers free samples of premium spirits such as Johnny Walker, Hennessy, Jose Cuervo Gold, and a selection of other great wines and spirits.

Hurry to your nearest Supermarkets or Hypermarkets and don't miss this chance to taste this premium brands.