It’s the holidays season once again! Here in our country, we feel the spirit of Christmas even months before December. Ornaments of Santa Clause and the reindeers can be seen everywhere, and most of us are in a jolly mood. We tend to be more giving and forgiving and to kids it’s the merriest month of the year.
Lights adorn all corners of the buildings and malls are filled with decors. Schools and houses transform during this special month. It’s not surprising to see products that go with the Christmas theme like the limited edition, first in the world Christmas-themed toothpaste..the Colgate Merry Christmas Toothpaste.
December is also the most favored month among Filipinos because of the cool weather we enjoy. This season, Colgate lets you experience the same thing with its fun, festive, and refreshing “Merry Mint” flavor. Colgate gave attention to detail seen through its festive holiday packaging with window to view the product inside! To complete the look of a present, a dedicated space at the back is provided where you may write your special message to your loved one.
Give the special people in your life this amazing gift from Colgate. This one’s guaranteed to make them smile. Since we’re on the subject of giving, why not purchase for yourself as well with the pack of 2, so you can buy 1 and gift 1. What a neat idea Colgate has come up! Here’s more good news. Join the promo #SmileStrong This Christmas, where you can win a Noche Buena package worth P2500, and donate another Noche Buena package to a family in need! Nothing can be more satisfying than knowing you are helping other people in need.
One of the the best initiatives that helped the Filipino youth happened on Dec 7-9, wherein every purchase of 6 select Colgate products, 10% of the proceeds was donated to Project Pearls.
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Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? It’s the most beautiful sight this time of the year, as OPPO brings the much-awaited 12.12 Grand Christmas Sale via Shopee and Lazada. Get ready to save up to 63% off on your favorite OPPO gadgets, including the latest Reno4, A92, A53, and A12. Adding a cherry on top to this already sweet deal, everyone also gets a chance to win a total of PHP500K worth of amazing prizes, snag up to PHP2.5M worth of gifts and score premium bundles for all OPPO products.
That’s not all – watch out to see if you are one of the lucky buyers who will take home exciting prizes, in addition to your OPPO purchases. For Lazada, the first customer will get Rock Space O1 Bluetooth Headphones, the 12th customer will get Rock Space EB 60 Wireless Earbuds, while the 1,212th will get Rock Space Rock Lava Y10 Bluetooth Headphones. Meanwhile, on Shopee, the first, 12th and 1,212th buyers will also get Rock Space P75 Pro Mini Powerbank, Rock Space EB 60 Wireless Earbuds, and Rock Space Rock Lava Y10 Bluetooth Headphones respectively.
#FindTheJoy at The Joy-Full OPPO Sale
OPPO in partnership with Shopee, Lazada is keeping the Christmas spirit alive and merrier this holiday season with its exciting activities. On top of the joyful discounts, you can also win and unlock all OPPO Gift sets! By following the OPPO official Shopee and Lazada store, you can get up to a PHP500 voucher, OPPO Rock Space and Rock Lava Bluetooth earphones, and a lot more exclusive prizes.
The gifts and freebies don’t stop there. After following OPPO’s official stores, simply buy any OPPO product, rate it 5 stars, give your honest review, and you may just win any of the OPPO Enco W31, M31, or W11!
Celebrate and make your Christmas more joyful and creative with these non-stop gifts and prizes! Don’t miss out on the opportunity to give yourself and your loved ones more OPPO products that will suit every lifestyle such as the OPPO Enco M31 and OPPO W6 Watch which will also be at 50% for 12.12 only.
To complete your fun-filled Christmas celebration, exciting gifts and treats await you this holiday season with The Joy-full OPPO Livestream Series in partnership with Globe Studios on December 5, 12, and 19 via Facebook, Shopee and Lazada. Join your favorite stars and content creators like Mimiyuuuh, Nadine Lustre, Alex Gonzaga and many more and also get to take home exclusive bundle offers and even more freebies with your friends and family.
To know more about the most-awaited 12.12 online sale event, visit OPPO’s official website at www.oppo.com/ph or via the official Facebook page at OPPO Philippines. Or visit OPPO official stores on Shopee and Lazada.
The Medical City Clinic recently opened its newest clinic at SM City San Jose del Monte to provide quality health services to Bulakeños.
(The Medical City Clinic is located at the 2nd level of SM City San Jose del Monte)
As its first clinic in the province of Bulacan, The Medical City Clinic gives Bulakeños, particularly the people of San Jose del Monte access to quality health services including laboratory, imaging services – X-ray and general Ob-Gyn Ultrasound, medical consultation, Heart Station – ECG and 2d Echo, and annual physical and pre-employment medical exams.
In addition, The Medical City Clinic offers a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. The competent health professionals are skilled to provide care over time across specialties to offer a more unified approach.
The clinic is the second consecutive venture of The Medical City Clinic into a city outside National Capital region next to its clinic in SM City Dagupan. It also brings the total count of The Medical City Clinic’s network to 49.
Patients are encourage book an appointment beforehand, and may call (02) 8396-9899 for inquiries. Health protocols are still strictly implemented such as properly wearing of face mask and face shields, and physical distancing.
Located at the 2nd level of SM City San Jose del Monte, The Medical City Clinic will be open to serve its patients Monday to Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Meanwhile, SM City San Jose del Monte continuously provide convenient and safer malling experience through its physical and online presence. For more updates visit SM City San Jose del Monte’s official Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/SMCitySanJoseDelMonte.
By now, you’ve probably gotten used to clicking the Add to Cart button and impatiently waiting for kuya or ate rider to arrive with your latest haul. Brick and mortar shops have gone digital and the number of online shops is growing by the minute – and these days, the new shoppers’ dilemma is which products to buy, which online shops to buy from, and most importantly, how to save on shipping fees.
If, like us, you’re feeling overwhelmed with the endless options, here’s a quick guide to your new basic needs now that you’re living an indoor lifestyle!
Health boosters
Unlike many things happening right now, staying in good shape is something that’s within your control. While wearing PPEs, practicing social distancing, and constantly washing your hands can help a lot, your best defense is to keep yourself healthy.
You can start with maintaining a well-balanced diet and making sure you’re getting important nutrients every day, like Vitamin C. It can be intimidating to know which vitamin brand to choose with so many of them out there, but there are brands like Nutrilite that go the extramile to ensure quality by tracking the entire process of their plant-based supplements down to the very seed, and let you know all about it so you can be confident with your choices.
Home essentials
One of the most important things during this time is making sure to keep clean. Went out to pick up deliveries? Sanitize. Touched the elevator button? Sanitize. Everyone now stores a stash of disinfectants and has their own sanitation station at home, because nothing beats feeling safe and secure after cleaning up.
Since most alcohol products tend to dry the skin, look for disinfectants that have aloe ingredients to keep your hands soft – like Amway Pursue Hand Sanitizer. Keep your home and other items sparkling clean as well, using trusted effective brands such as PURSUE™ Disinfectant Cleaner.
Workout fuel
This quarantine lifestyle has us spending more time sitting and less time walking, so home workouts have become a must if you want to stay in shape. You probably already found one that suits you – weightlifting, dancing, HIIT – especially as more and more fitness facilities offer online classes. Even cycling studios have started selling stationary bikes so you can ride along with them at home.
Either way, home workouts are now part of your indoor grind along with chores, work, and virtual hangouts with friends. It sounds like a lot, honestly. That’s why another indoor essential we’ve identified is fuel, aka energy drink. Watching your sugar intake? Opt for sugar-free and carb-free brands, like XS Energy Drink!
Plantito and plantita needs
Have you hopped on the green thumb train? We don’t blame you! Aside from cleaning the air, giving you food, and making your home more beautiful, plants are quickly becoming the new pets. And you never have to worry about running out of new leafy babies to add to your collection since online plant shops seem to be sprouting everywhere, and you always have your food scraps which you can replant!
As you grow your plant collection and even try to grow your own food, don’t forget to keep them healthy. Use good quality soil and fertilizers so your plants grow lush and bountiful. If you’re not sure which plant vitamins to feed your leafy buddies, go for organic ones that are safe and effective, like Nutriplant’s.
Grooming necessities
Last but definitely not least – because grooming is an act of self-care and is still a must even when staying indoors all day. A good, cold shower can help lift your spirits on off-days (plus, your housemates will thank you for it!) and some self-love can ease your anxieties. If you’re one of those who put on makeup and dress up with nowhere to go just to cope with cabin fever, we applaud you.
Now is actually a great time to hone your make-up skills. Find brands that allow you to be creative with your looks, like the vast and versatile collection of Artistry Studio, and don’t be afraid to go crazy – you’re just at home anyway. Clean up and suit up, too. Our weapons of choice? Glister toothpaste, Satinique hair products, and G&H body essentials!
Now that we’ve laid it all out there, you’re probably thinking that’s a lot of different things that you’d have to get from different specialty shops – and not even all shops plan to celebrate 12.12 with free shipping! Worry not, because you can now shop everything in just one place with Amway Exclusive Shopper!
Shopping definitely becomes more convenient when you can order everything you need in the highest quality, in just one platform, with free shipping. Sign up as an AE Shopper and get the best Amway products at distributor prices. All items can be returned within 100 days with no questions asked and all logistics covered, and membership comes with free consultation with their very own health and beauty experts. Even better, you no longer have to wait for 12.12 or any other holiday sale because shipping is free with a low minimum purchase of just P1,000!
Dance your heart out to Sarah Geronimo-Guidicelli’s latest music video for Hanabishi Appliances and get the chance to win awesome appliances and souvenir items signed by the Popstar Royalty.
Cherish Ong-Chua, Vice President for Finance and Marketing of Hanabishi Philippines, related how simple it is to join the contest. “All you have to do is post your dance video based on Sarah’s Praktikal na Kapartner MV on any one or all of your social media accounts such as Facebook, IG, or Tiktok accounts and use #GnaGHanabishi. Tag Hanabishi’s official Facebook page when you post,” she said.
The contest is open to individuals, couples, and groups. The video length should be at least 30 seconds, but not more than 60 seconds. Participants may follow the choreography in the video or they can be creative in their execution.
“We thought for this holidays we can come up with something fun for our customers and their families. Dancing to Sarah G’s Hanabishi jingle video can lighten up the mood,” Ong-Chua said, adding that, “Activities such as this make us feel connected even if the current health situation encourages us to be physically distant from each other.”
Winning entries will bring home a 3.3 cubic double door refrigerator (1st prize), twin tub washing machine (2nd prize) and air cooler (3rd prize). Five consolation prizes composed of a signed Hanabishi souvenir item by Sarah G.
The dance challenge will run from December 9 to December 28, 2020. Winners will be announced on December 30, 2020.
Shopee users can tune in to GMA’s Wowowin for a chance to win ₱1 million in cash and other prizes from December 6 to 12
MANILA, December 9, 2020 – Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, brings back the popular game Shopee Milyonaryo as part of its 12.12 Big Christmas Sale. Shopee Milyonaryo is an interactive lucky draw contest on GMA’s Wowowin, where Shopee users stand a chance to win up to ₱1,000,000 in cash.
From December 6 to 12, users can participate by logging on to the Shopee app and claiming their raffle code1. They get additional entries per draw when they purchase mobile load or data via the Shopee app. Each completed order qualifies as an additional entry. Users with the winning raffle codes will be announced daily during GMA’s Wowowin. During the show, contestants will play Pera O Kahon, during which they will guess which of the boxes contains ₱1,000,000 in cash.
Meanwhile, on December 12, a second daily winner also gets the chance to play Spin-A-Wil, where they will spin a prize roulette for a chance to win up to P300,000. The player will have 3 spin chances.
From December 7 to 12, users can play Guess the Box on the Shopee app, where they guess which box contains P1,000,000 for the daily Pera O Kahon game. Users who guess correctly get the chance to share a coin pool of up to P50,000.
Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee is excited to announce this year’s second run of Shopee Milyonaryo. After the success of last month’s raffle, we want to continue spreading the Christmas joy to more Filipinos with 12.12 Shopee Milyonaryo. As the year draws to a close, Shopee remains committed to creating initiatives that engage and uplift our consumers.”
Key highlights of Shopee’s 12.12 Big Christmas Sale
Until December 12, shoppers can expect prizes and big deals from leading brands.
12.12 Big Christmas TV Special: Viewers can win over P12,000,000 worth of prizes by tuning in to GMA’s Wowowin on December 12, 10am.
#MyShopeeWish TikTok Challenge: Until December 30, users can join the #MyShopeeWish TikTok Challenge to win prizes. Winners will be announced on January 15, 2021 on Shopee’s official social media accounts.
Christmas deals and promotions: Shopee users can enjoy free shipping with no minimum spend, up to 20% cashback, and ₱1 deals on selected items such as mobile cases and accessories, home and kitchen items, and nail care products.
Exclusive deals from leading brands: Shoppers can enjoy up to 50% off from leading brands on Shopee Mall, including L’Oreal Paris, P&G Beauty, Abbott, Unilever Home and Food, Havaianas, Nestle, Huawei, Vivo, Pampers, RB Enfagrow, and Infinix.
Filipinos came to Twitter to find connectivity and togetherness in a year like no other
MANILA, 8 December 2020 – Whether it’s working from home, learning remotely, or social distancing, everybody’s life has changed in 2020 and people have looked for comfort wherever they could find it. People come to Twitter for a sense of connectivity, togetherness, and encouragement; and in 2020, this was more true than ever. People used Twitter to try and change the world, help others, to encourage them, inspire them, or even just make them laugh. They even used Twitter to promote their favourite businesses that may have needed a little boost to stay afloat.
Be it to stay updated on global events and participate in social movements, or to spread joy and have fun, Twitter has truly been the place for Filipinos to come together. As the end of 2020 approaches; relive the moments that have made you laugh, touched your heart, shed a tear, and most importantly, reminded you that we’re all in this together.
The Top Tweets in the Philippines
This year, a Tweet that made us beaming with Pinoy pride and another Tweet that showed us bravery and freedom to express ourselves were some of the most unforgettable stories among Filipinos on Twitter.
Sam Smith’s (@samsmith) Tweet about a young Filipino boy singing his song in a public karaoke machine went viral. The English singer was amazed with the boy’s talent, and so do the thousands of people on Twitter, making it this year’s Top Retweet and Most Liked Tweet in the Philippines. This Tweet is also the one of the most engaged Tweets in Southeast Asia. Meanwhile, this Thread by Jzan Tero (@JzanVern) about her personal experience drew the attention and support of many Filipinos, and is the Most Quote Tweeted Tweet in the Philippines for this year.
Note: We only feature one Tweet per account and we don’t consider Tweets that offer reward in exchange for followers or Retweets.
Other popular Tweets that brought us together on Twitter
Staying at home did not stop Filipinos from participating in social movements. Tweets became useful to voice everyone’s opinion, while a simple Like, Retweet or Quote Tweet can be a sign of support to further amplify advocacies online. For example, many Filipinos engaged on this Tweet to promote body positivity among Pinays.
Transitioning to the new normal is not an easy feat, so it’s amazing how people come together and try to lift each other up on Twitter. From simple words of encouragement to artworks that inspire people to keep going, anyone can be one less lonely by connecting to communities on Twitter.
Just like last year, Entertainment proved its dominance as the Most Tweeted about hashtags this 2020. Music, loveteams, and local celebrities continue to make Filipinos smile despite the challenging times. This year, P-Pop boy group #SB19 debuted straight to the top of the list, while #MayWard, #MaineMendoza, and #AldenRichards among others continue to set the trend, thanks to the fans who unceasingly show their support on Twitter.
Most Tweeted about Accounts in the Philippines
Entertainment remains steadfast on being the top conversation driver on Twitter. Perhaps, Entertainment kept Filipinos (virtually) together, and staying updated with the scene became their solace and joy in the rather mundane life at home. This year’s list of Most Tweeted about Accounts is led by the phenomenal group, SB19 (@SB19Official), who went straight to number 1; while other “veterans” such as Maymay Entrata (@maymayentrata07), Edward Barber (@Barber_Edward_), Maine Mendoza (@mainedcm), and Alden Richards (@aldenrichards02) completed the top half of the list.
Most Tweeted about Sports Accounts in the Philippines
Even though many sports went on pause and looked a bit different when they returned, there were 2 billion Tweets globally about sports. The UAAP is one of the highly anticipated sporting events in the Philippines every year. Despite the pandemic that halted the games, fans continued to stay in tune with the latest updates in the sports scene. Just this August, Ricci Rivero (@_ricciiirivero) and CJ Cansino (@cjcansino) trended for their Tweet exchanges, eventually making them the lead in the Most Tweeted about sports accounts in the Philippines. Meanwhile, the return of the NBA season also became the talk of the town with people Tweeting and watching the highly-anticipated basketball games, especially on witnessing the Los Angeles Lakers’ (@lakers) win.
“This year, people have used Twitter not just to keep up with what’s happening around the world, but to maintain connections with one another despite being apart. The challenging circumstances of 2020 has highlighted Twitter’s role in driving real-time conversations and facilitating the interactions that matter as Filiipions bonded over heartwarming and key moments of the year. As we enter 2021, it’s clear that Twitter is the only place for the buzziest, funniest, most interesting, and most relevant culture moments, and we expect this to continue moving forward,” said Arvinder Gujral, Managing Director, Southeast Asia, at Twitter.
Join the #ThisHappened2020 conversation on Twitter using any of the hashtags listed below and you’ll see a fun emoji in your Tweet. Also check out @TwitterPH and our Twitter accounts around the world which will spotlight the top Twitter moments from the year.
A Writerpreneur, a portmanteau of the words — writer and entrepreneur, is more than just a writer who makes money online through writing. A writerpreneur is a writer who has a mind of a businessperson.
Jonah Chipeco, the Chief Trainer and Founder of Writing Hacks Academy, is an epitome of this word. Hence, in the Philippine freelancing world, she is known as Asia’s Writerpreneur.
Jonah uses her creative gifts to form income-generating opportunities as an entrepreneur. She utilizes the power of writing as her foundation in solving her clients’ and students’ problems. Her writing skills are the building blocks of her business. As a Writerpreneur, she combined her passion for writing and entrepreneurship to produce and deliver information products that clients can study, use, or sell.
Jonah helps her clients and students promote their brand by teaching writing. She believes that content drives today’s digital age. She emphasizes that writing and content marketing are the keys to promote one’s business and services online. Jonah is the go-to person of the Filipinos who wants to begin with their writing journey. She empowers coaches, consultants, freelancers, entrepreneurs, and working professionals, unleash the potential of writing to elevate their authority in their chosen industry and attract clients.
Jonah’s story as an entrepreneur began in 2011. She did multiple side-income projects in freelance writing, event organizing, and selling branded bags on top of her day job as a marketing manager. A life-changing accident in 2015 made her acknowledged her dream of becoming a resource speaker. She desired to coach people and write books.
In 2016, she crafted her path to achieving her dream of becoming a global speaker after recovering from the accident by starting as a freelance writer and trainer in the Philippines. Jonah eventually founded Writing Hacks Academy — an online school where she launched her workshops, ebooks, and online courses to help entrepreneurs and freelancers use their writing skills in realizing their personal and business goals.
Since then, Jonah delivered more than 70+ public seminars in partnership with credible training institutions in the Philippines. She became a thought leader featured by media organizations such as Inc. Southeast Asia, Marketing in Asia, WheninManila.com, Eagle News Philippines, and DWBL 1242 AM.
Indeed, Jonah Chipeco proves that you can be who you want to become in today’s digital age. Being transparent and honest about what you want in life while taking action is worth it. Your passion can be your profession once you exert efforts to look at how you can serve through your skills. She is undeniably the one and only Asia’s Writerpreneur.
The pandemic may have cancelled a lot of celebrations this 2020, but Christmas isn’t going to be one of them!
Holiday prep is going to be a lot different this year, but you can keep family traditions alive and just as bright with some extra preparation. And since dining out may not be the best way to go, there’s a new battleground this season – the kitchen.
With the COVID-19 anxieties adding to the expected mayhem of the holiday rush, here are three easy must-dos to effectively manage and ensure a safer kitchen for the holidays.
Think ahead and pre-order if possible
If you’re getting tired of waiting in line because of limited capacities in the supermarket, imagine what this would be like come Christmas time. With a still uncertain turnout of the pandemic, the limited mobility would most likely extend until the holidays.
Impromptu supermarket runs will be more difficult, and online groceries don’t have huge inventories of items so things will likely go out-of-stock. Perhaps it’s high time to plan your menu for Noche Buena, the ingredients to purchase and their shelf lives for storage. This will not just help you avoid inconveniences in the future, but also gives you more time to prepare for other stuff on the holidays. A lot of specialty stores have already opened slots for Holiday pre-orders, too, so if you’re eyeing that lechon for your Christmas feast, make sure you get your name on that list!
Step up the cleaning game
Since you’ll be handling food meant for everyone, the kitchen should be the cleanest part of the house. You’ll be touching everything from kitchenware, to wet ingredients, to family members, and back. With the worries of possible virus transmission, you’ll need to level up the sanitation in your kitchen.
When it comes to cleanliness, more is more: more napkins to control moisture that may attract food contaminants; more sanitizers/ hand soaps in various corners of the house for people entering and exiting the kitchen; and disinfectants to clean surfaces where you will be cooking and serving your meals. It pays to upgrade cleaning practice to further ensure safety in your household!
Invest in smart, safe, and reliable kitchen equipment
Before you even get to the food, make sure you have the right equipment.
There are a lot of next generation cookware for cutting, peeling, and cooking food that might help you work faster. Invest in them! These tools will help save a lot of time and energy for other important things like bonding with the family and buying presents for Christmas.
More importantly, invest in safer kitchen essentials like in the LPG you will use in cooking. It’s almost trivial to double check the brands of your fuel source, but verifying your LPG is crucial in protecting the safety of your family and your properties. Choose only verified LPG brands like Solane to ensure that the fuel you’ll use is clean, safe, and adequate for any kind of celebration.
Verified Solane tanks are thoroughly inspected from refilling to installation which also guarantees that your household will not be exposed to potential gas leaks that may lead to mishaps like fire accidents, gas poisoning, and explosions.
Despite the many challenges of living through a pandemic, the holiday this year doesn’t have to be sadder, only safer! By doing these steps, you’re sure to not only make the most out of your holidays but also preserve the safety and well-being of you and your family amidst and beyond the celebrations.
MOK, the first heat-not-burn brand locally available in the Philippines, introduces revolutionary devices that aim to provide adult smokers with a better tobacco experience by being equally satisfying alternatives to their favorite cigarettes.
At the heart of MOK devices are sophisticated electronics highlighted by its unique Heating Pin. By utilizing innovative heat-not-burn technology, MOK allows for reduction of harmful chemicals significantly compared to cigarette smoke, by heating the tobacco just enough to release a flavorful nicotine-containing vapor without burning the tobacco itself.
During the virtual launch last December 3, 2020, MOK Philippines unveiled the latest device in their heat-not-burn product line, the MOK 2.0, an ultra-lightweight and compact device that embodies taste, tech, and style with its high-tech OLED panel, fast pre-heating cycles, fast charging feature, and premium colorways of brown, gold, and blue.
“This is the most premium MOK device that’s out in the market. The new MOK 2.0 boasts of defined, angular shapes that’s distinct and truly elegant on its own. Again, still ultra-lightweight, still compact, and its matte metallic finish furthers MOK’s signature of sophistication,” shares Cax Mayuga, MOK Philippines’ Marketing Director.
The media and selected VIPs were led to a virtual room where they fully experienced the future of tobacco by choosing which MOK 2.0 premium colorway fits their style.
There was also a surprise reveal of the MOK mini Plus— a device that has an even more compact form factor, which consumers loved in the first generation MOK mini, but with further improvements to perfect its minimalism and functionality. MOK mini Plus has a faster pre-heating cycle and now comes in a matte metallic finish for that super sleek look.
“MOK continuously innovates and adapts to more advanced technology to give a better alternative to cigarettes, without losing the pleasurable tobacco experience. It’s the brand of innovation that we are so proud to uphold and share with all adult smokers,” adds Mayuga.
MOK 2.0 is the flagship product of a new line of MOK products to be launched in the Philippines and will be available on December 15 in MOK official stores in Shopee, Lazada, and select hubs of GrabMart Express as well as MOK Specialty Kiosks in Eastwood Mall, SM City North EDSA, SM City Sta. Mesa, SM City Manila, and METL!VE.
To find out more about MOK, visit: https://mok.com.ph/