UNBOX THE FUN WITH MINISO BLIND BOX COLLECTION

Explore the world with these We Bare Bears Go-to Travel Figure

Japanese lifestyle retailer Miniso creates a new way of unboxing surprises for a more fun and exciting shopping experience with its latest BLIND BOX Collection.

We Bare Bears Baby Collection Stacking figures.

Budding Pop Blind Box of Macaron figure

The idea of Blind Box packaging is a trend wherein the unwrapping moment brings layered experiences such as happiness, excitement and fun. This is aligned with Miniso’s belief that “Life is for fun”, and both kids and adults will enjoy opening these limited Miniso Blind Boxes.

Pop Disney Princesses Jasmin, Ariel and Snow White 

Disney Princess Elsa and Anna figures from Frozen

What’s inside these boxes? Collections of princesses and villains from Disney, Cartoon Network’s We Bare Bears, Budding Pop, and Icarer Family that echo the youth’s passion and hobby for 2D pop culture, and model toy play that are in affordable prices. 

Icarer’s  Family Dessert Party at the Blind Box Collection.

Surprise your kids with a Budding Pop Flying Animal Blind Box.

Conveniently shop for this limited  Miniso Blind Box Collection in-store or online via shop.minisoph.com. For more updates, follow MinisoPhilippines in Facebook and Miniso PH in Instagram.

Mega Global celebrates 3rd National Sardines Day

Mega Global celebrates 3rd National Sardines Day with successful Mega Bigay Sustansya Program, business updates and first-ever Mega Sardines Piso Sale. As the Philippines marks this year’s National Sardines Day, Mega Global Corporation, the company behind Mega Sardines, the leading sardines brand in the country, honors it through a program that supports undernourished children nationwide, even as it focuses on innovations and expansions that will help drive the company move forward. 

Mega Global Celebrates 3rd National Sardines Day

To add more meaning to the National Sardines Day Celebrations, Mega Global showcased its various initiatives that would help elevate not just the Philippines’ sardines industry, but the economy and people’s lives as well, at a roundtable event held on November 23 to kick off the celebration of the holiday on the 24th. Alongside this, it has also shared the successful results of the Mega Bigay Sustansya Program, which was done in partnership with Reach Out Feed Philippines (ROFP), reflecting its deep malasakit for Filipinos. 

Host Shawn Yao with Marvin Tiu Lim, Michelle Tiu Lim-Chan, Chris Fernandez, executives of the Mega Global conglomerate, alongside Dawn Marie Cabigon, founder and director of Reach Out Feed Philippines were the speakers for the event, who discussed Mega Global's innovation for its flagship product, sardines, its CSR effort Mega Bigay Sustansya, as well as brand updates, and other pertinent information

With Mega Global’s executives: Marvin Tiu Lim, Michelle Tiu Lim Chan, Marylou Tiu Lim, and William Tiu Lim on November 23, 2021, 1:00 - 2:00 PM, alongside Dawn Marie Cabigon, founder and director of Reach Out Feed Philippines (ROFP), the official partner of Mega Global for its CSR program—Mega Bigay Sustansya. Know more about the results of Mega Global's innovation for its flagship product, sardines, its CSR effort Mega Bigay Sustansya, as well as brand updates, and other pertinent information through this exclusive event.

With successful Mega Bigay Sustansya Program, business updates and first-ever Mega Sardines Piso Sale. As the Philippines marks this year’s National Sardines Day, Mega Global Corporation, the company behind Mega Sardines, the leading sardines brand in the country, honors it through a program that supports undernourished children nationwide, even as it focuses on innovations and expansions that will help drive the company move forward. 

Mega Global Celebrates 3rd National Sardines Day

To add more meaning to the National Sardines Day Celebrations, Mega Global showcased its various initiatives that would help elevate not just the Philippines’ sardines industry, but the economy and people’s lives as well, at a roundtable event held on November 23 to kick off the celebration of the holiday on the 24th. Alongside this, it has also shared the successful results of the Mega Bigay Sustansya Program, which was done in partnership with Reach Out Feed Philippines (ROFP), reflecting its deep malasakit for Filipinos. 

Marvin Tiu Lim, Michelle Tiu Lim-Chan, Chris Fernandez, executives of the Mega Global conglomerate, alongside Dawn Marie Cabigon, founder and director of Reach Out Feed Philippines were present in the event to discuss how the Mega Bigay Sustansya program will bring long-term gains to its program beneficiaries.

Marvin Tiu Lim, Chief Growth and Development Officer of Mega Global

Mega Bigay Sustansya (MBS) is a CSR program led by the Mega Tiu Lim Foundation that hopes to give a meal planning and distribution program to over 881 children nationwide. The program has supported children in six provinces nationwide for sixty days. Children ages 4 to 12 have received house-to-house delivery of meals every day that included at least one sardines meal, made using Mega Global’s nutrient-packed high quality sardines.

“Mega Bigay Sustansya is one way for us to support communities who need us the most. Canned sardines is one of the Filipinos staple foods throughout the years and through this program that target to feed malnourished children all over the country, we hope to use the same staple product to nurture the health of these children, and sustain it through leave-behind materials that will help them prepare nutritious meals in the long run.” ~Marvin Tiu Lim, Chief Growth and Development Officer of Mega Global

On top of the updates on Mega Global’s MBS program, Mega Global executives have also shared in the discussion how they strived to continue elevating the sardine industry through innovations and the building of new infrastructures. These expansions would maintain the double digit growth of the company in 2022, allow it to create a more sustainable avenue in producing their products, as well as create new products that will surely be a hit to its customers. 

For the past 46 years, Mega Global has been leading the way in supporting Filipino communities through its investments in the sardine industry, which has provided job opportunities for thousands of Filipinos. The company continued to upgrade its Zamboanga facility, where its state-of-the-art operations, including its can-making plant and offices, are based. As part of its sustainability endeavors, it is using solar energy for its warehouses. 

Mega Global also discussed details about a new plant in Batangas that will be opened next year. Located in Sto. Tomas, Batangas, it will house state-of-the-art technology in manufacturing using sustainable energy sources and is expected to help add dynamism to the economy as it continues to recover from the effects of the pandemic.

Mega SardinaSaya: Game Show Bonanza

On November 24, Mega Global will also be celebrating the National Sardines Day with an online game show bonanza. Kicking this off is an Instagram and Facebook challenge that will determine the players for the much-awaited Pera or Sardinas game during the online event which will be broadcasted live on Mega Sardines’s Facebook page and Shopee app. 

The game show bonanza will have three major segments representing the tagline of Mega Sardines: Sarap, Saya and Sustansya. For the Sarap segment, Mega Sardines’ ambassadress Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo will do a cooking demo that will serve as an introduction of new dishes that mommies can easily create for their loved ones. 

For the Sustansya segment, the audience can learn about the Mega Bigay Sustansya program, the company’s nationwide feeding program being undertaken in communities around the country with the help of its partner, Reach Out Philippines Foundation.

Lastly, there will be a series of virtual games for the Saya segment where fun games such as Pera or Sardinas, Call A Ka-Mega, and Trivia Game will be available for the audience to participate in. There will also be a grand raffle, where they have the chance to take home a wide selection of prizes.

For added fun, Mega Sardines is launching a Tiktok Challenge where participants can show off their moves and have some fun in the process of creating videos to win prizes. Mega Sardines is also holding an eye-popping piso sale in Shopee for Mega Sardines in Tomato Sauce, Tomato Sauce with Chili Added, Corned Sardines, and Mega Fried Sardines in Tausi--definitely a sale that will have customers rushing to add to cart!

Get ready to join and have fun on National Sardines Day with Mega Global! Check out Mega Sardines’s Facebook page for more information. 

Lacson relies on Mr Clean image

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson is leveraging his reputation as a crime-buster and anti-corruption champion in his bid to become the next President of the Philippines. 

His video advertisement (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yv_HZnGnsow) highlights some of his major accomplishments as a senator and former head of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Lacson plans to expand on his initiatives to prevent public money from being lost through corruption as president and bring the government closer to the people. His main advocacy is to give more power to local government units that are closest to the citizens and understand the people’s needs best and are in a better position to respond to their problems more effectively.

As highlighted in his TV ads, Lacson’s careful and detailed scrutiny of the national budget has saved the country P300 billion. He proved his strong opposition to the pork barrel that had become for legislators a major perk of their jobs, by refusing it. 

Senator Ping Lacson and Tito Sotto

Among the accomplishments Lacson has listed as proof of his qualification for the highest post in the country are the investigations of the P728 million fertilizer scam, the anomalous $329 million contract between the Philippines and China’s ZTE Company, and Payola or bribery in the Bureau of Customs by exposing the TARA list.

He also brought to the public’s attention the “Hello Garci” tapes, an attempt at cheating during the 2004 elections. 

The former military officer and PNP chief exposed the chopper scam where the government paid brand-new prices for second-hand helicopters.

Lacson’s initiatives as PNP chief earned him a trust rating of 78+ percent from the public, the highest rating ever recorded for the position.

UnionBank UPAY for MSME: Helping level the playing field for the country’s growing number of MSMEs

Union Bank of the Philippines 12th TalkTales: Critical Role of DigitizingPayments in Fast Evolving Market

Filipinos are now utilizing digital payments more than ever. Last month, the Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas reported that digital payments made up 20.1 percent of all transactions in 2020, more than double the figure from two years ago of 10 percent. This strong momentum is creating opportunities particularly for enterprising Filipinos who engage in e-commerce.

To help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country capitalize on this growing trend, Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), the region’s digital trailblazer and the country’s foremost bank for MSMEs, has launched a groundbreaking feature that will make e-payments easier and secure not only for customers but also for MSMEs—the new UPAY for MSME.

This was unveiled at the Bank's 12th E-TalkTales media event, wherein UnionBank Vice President and MSME Segment Head Jaypee Soliman, and UnionBank Merchant Acquiring and Payment Gateway Head Gerry Austria led discussions on the critical role of digitizing payments in the country's fast evolving market.

Soliman began the discussions by talking about the state of digital payments in the country, citing the significant growth in the number of Filipinos who utilize these payment solutions. This is an indication that Filipinos are now more open to the idea of becoming a cash-lite society.

Union Bank of the Philippines 12th TalkTales: Critical Role of DigitizingPayments in Fast Evolving Market

Union Bank of the Philippines 12th TalkTales: Critical Role of DigitizingPayments in Fast Evolving Market

Union Bank of the Philippines 12th TalkTales: Critical Role of DigitizingPayments in Fast Evolving Market

Union Bank of the Philippines 12th TalkTales: Critical Role of DigitizingPayments in Fast Evolving Market

“This shows how the consumers are now transacting digitally. They are ready. They are there. The number of Filipinos having e-wallets and bank accounts continue to grow. But the question is, are the MSMEs ready to accept digital payments?"

This is where UPAY comes in. UPAY is a groundbreaking digital payments solution designed to make acceptance of multiple payment options accessible to MSMEs. It offers a fully integrated, single platform payment collection complete with other features that can make inbound payments easier for entrepreneurs, including the option to generate payment links with multiple collection channels, and the option to generate InstaPay QRPH for digital and physical channels.

"UPAY for MSMEs is a payment gateway that is embedded in our MSME Business Banking App. Businesses of all sizes and types now have the power to generate payment links, request payments, send it to their customers and provide multiple payment options, all these reconciled and credited to a single UnionBank account." ~Jaypee Soliman, UnionBank Vice President and MSME Segment Head

Union Bank of the Philippines 12th TalkTales: Critical Role of DigitizingPayments in Fast Evolving Market

What makes UPAY convenient for accepting payments is that customers can choose their preferred payment channel either via Unionbank Online, InstaPay, Other Digital Wallets, Credit/Debit Cards and even over-the-counter through UnionBank’s expansive network of partner channels nationwide.

"When we conceptualized UPAY for MSMEs, we wanted to do away with all the different hassles that the merchant is experiencing to set up his payments, one of which is having to connect to a point-of-sale system, having to have different devices, having to have to download different apps. Second, it's the efficiency in doing business. You don't need to be in your physical store to actually have a customer pay you. You can actually be vacationing somewhere else and someone wants to buy a product which they saw through your post on Instagram or Facebook. You can actually just create a payment link and send it to that customer, so it's very convenient for both the merchant and the customer." ~Gerry Austria, UnionBank Merchant Acquiring and Payment Gateway Head 

Through the new feature, UnionBank wants to level the playing field for MSMEs by making the feature accessible to them, which was previously only available to the bigger merchants as part of enterprise platforms that are too technologically demanding and expensive for smaller players.

For more information about the company and this article, please visit

www.unionbankph.com/msme/upay.

All Sogo Staff Fully Vaccinated

Hotel Sogo management is committed to their employees' welfare. Hotel Sogo's New Normal campaign with the theme "We are fully vaccinated, Para kayo ay ProtekTODO" Hotel Sogo's New Normal campaign promotes that all Hotel Sogo staff have completed two jabs of vaccine to secure the safety of its guests as early as July 2021.  

"We have 41 branches nationwide and five more upcoming branches. There are thousands of employees working in all our hotels, and their safety is important to protect our guests. We are really grateful that our staff is fully vaccinated. I can say that the 11 anti-Covid innovations that we installed in our hotels with hotel staff that is fully vaccinated, we are sure that our family and friends are safe to stay at Hotel Sogo." ~Sue Geminiano, Hotel Sogo Marketing Manager

All Hotel Sogo Staff is Fully Vaccinated

All Hotel Sogo Staff is Fully Vaccinated

All Hotel Sogo Staff is Fully Vaccinated

Hotel Sogo management is committed to their employees' welfare. They also believe that getting the vaccine is a simple way to bring us closer to life, feeling normal again and worry-free. Hotel Sogo takes care of their staff as a family as well as their guests. 

 All Hotel Sogo Staff is Fully Vaccinated

Indeed, Hotel Sogo is So Clean… So Good… So Safe.

Mickey & Minnie Mouse goes local with ‘Mickey Go Philippines’ at SM Supermalls!

  

Disney’s most-loved iconic characters Mickey and Minnie Mouse have delighted the hearts of many across decades, and this year SM Supermalls and Disney have teamed up to launch the Mickey Go Philippines collection at The SM Store, featuring a range of merchandise with a Pinoy twist! What’s more, SM and Disney have planned a surprise virtual party for Mickey and Minnie on their birthday this November 27, and we’re expecting you to join us!

Be among the first to get exclusive Mickey Go PH merchandise! Get first dibs on adorable Mickey and Minnie collectibles from clothes and footwear to tote bags, pillows, tumblers, kitchen appliances, and more! Mickey Go PH and Mickey & Minnie classic merchandise will be available at the live selling events on:

• November 18 at 1pm-2m via Toy Kingdom’s official Facebook page
• November 24 at 1pm -2pm via The SM Store’s official Facebook page 

Join Mickey & Minnie’s first virtual surprise birthday party! After you’ve shopped to your heart’s content during the live-selling events on Facebook, or at participating SM Store branches, you will automatically get a code to enter the virtual surprise birthday party on November 27. All you need is a minimum of PHP 500 single-receipt purchase of Mickey Go PH or Mickey Mouse Classic merchandise in any participating The SM Store (Character Shop, Kids’ Wear, Boy’s Teens Wear, Girl’s Teens Wear, Kids’ Shoes, Baby Company & Toy Kingdom Express) or Toy Kingdom outlet. 

To join, simply scan the QR code to register from November 23-25. A confirmation email or SMS from SM Supermalls with the website link and passcode will be sent to you to join Mickey & Minnie’s Surprise Birthday Party! Mark your calendars so you don’t miss out on this big day filled with fun games, activities, and surprises!

Help Plan Mickey & Minnie’s Surprise Birthday Party! Join us as we secretly plan for Mickey and Minnie’s party! Don’t spoil the fun okay? There are lots of games and prizes to be won! Kids will also get the chance to greet both of them and create their very own birthday card which they will be making during the event! Mickey and Minnie will surely appreciate the sweet gesture! After all the fun and games, it’s time to meet & greet Minnie, so get ready to strike a pose. Mickey and Minnie are excited to meet their Filipino fans! 

It’s going to be one special and memorable surprise birthday party for Mickey and Minnie, and we want you and your kids to join us! It’s time to bring back the nostalgia and relive your favorite childhood memories with Mickey & Minnie by celebrating their birthday only at SM Supermalls!

SM implements strict #SafeMallingAtSM protocols nationwide and offers an equally convenient online shopping option with the SM Malls Online app on the Google Play or App Store. For more information, visit www.smsupermalls.com and follow @smsupermalls on all social media accounts.

SHARE- A- TOY AT THE SM STORE

Little girls from Eugenia Ravasco Day Care Center in Paranaque City were some of the recipients during the Share A Toy campaign.

SM shoppers can play Santa to less fortunate kids this Christmas in The SM Store and Toy Kingdom’s Share a Toy project, from November 1 to December 31, 2021 

Share a Toy booths with bag of toys, play sets, educational board games and novelty will be set up in all The SM Store and Toy Kingdom branches nationwide. Here, shoppers will have the chance to bring and donate pre-loved or brand new toys that they can purchase from The SM Store’s Toy Express and Toy Kingdom.

They will be entitled to a P100 discount coupon for every item donated which can be redeemed on a minimum single-receipt purchase worth P1000. 

Shoppers at The SM Store and Toy Kingdom can play Santa to less fortunate children this Christmas through its Share A Toy campaign from November 1 to December 31.

New bundles of toys were given to the preschool students of the Eugenia Ravasco Day Care Center during the recent turnover ceremony of The Share A Toy campaign of The SM Store and Toy Kingdom.

These toys will be donated to thousands of less fortunate children from The SM Store and SM Foundation’s partner organization within the branch vicinities. These include organizations catering to kids 10 years old and below, schools, socio civic and government organizations, and NGOs in a simple turnover ceremony that can be also be done online.

Little boys from Looc Elementary School in Batangas happily raise their new plush toys from The SM Store during the Share A Toy project.

Sharing toys is sharing joys. All glammed with their adorable face paints, these girls happily display their pastel colored plush toys from The SM Store during the Share A Toy campaign.

Through the Share A Toy campaign under the SM Share Movement, The SM Store and its loyal customers join together to celebrate this joyous season of giving and hope with a generous heart as a way of bringing smiles to children and sharing the happiness and hope to them even amid pandemic. Other SM Store also campaigns like Donate a Book and Share a Gift have received overwhelming support from customers.

Share A Toy purchases and donations are also valid in-store and Call To Deliver transactions. For more updates about the SM Share Movement and ways on how you could donate, visit www.thesmstore.com and follow its social media pages @thesmstore on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.