December 2022

DECEMBER 31- SM City Marilao caps the year with SM Bears of Joy Donation at Parish of Nuestro Senor Jesucristo and Diocesan Shrine of Saint Andrew Kim Taegon in Bocaue, Bulacan.

An annual project of SM Cares, SM Supermalls, and Toy Kingdom, the bear plushies donation brought smiles to 450 less fortunate children in the communities and orphanages in the province.


This year’s collection is inspired by “family”. It features four adorable “FamBears” reminding shoppers to share the joy and love of Christmas with those in need this season.


The SM Bears of Joy Campaign also intends to bring much-needed smiles to children during the Christmas season and allow SM’s community of shoppers to contribute to spreading joy and charity to other people.

A volunteer from SM City Marilao is all smiles as he gives SM Bears of Joy to a kid. SM City Marilao caps 2022 with SM Bears of Joy Donation. The bear plushies donation brought smiles to 450 less fortunate children in the communities and orphanages in Bulacan. An annual project of SM Cares, SM Supermalls, and Toy Kingdom, SM Bears of Joy intends to bring much-needed smiles to children during the Christmas season and allow SM’s community of shoppers to contribute to spreading joy and charity to other people.

 

With a theme “I-share ang ligaya ng Pasko kasama ang SM Bears of Joy”, recipients who were selected by the church expressed joy when they received their toy plushies which had the names of donors.

Following the positive reviews that SB19 and NOBITA earned for their unique spin on The Eraserheads’ beloved classics, more OPM acts have come together to pay tribute to the country’s biggest and most influential band of all time.

Multi-hyphenate pop soloist Ace Banzuelo reinterprets “Ang Huling El Bimbo” with intimate, soul-crushing details. Transforming the epic anthem into a spacey jam, the young hitmaker peels back the layers of the original with his brooding, bedroom-pop styling. He imprints his own identity to the material, while valuing the lyrical profundity and awe-inspiring bigness of the original.

As Banzuelo puts it, “It’s great that I’m allowed to give it the sound and approach that I want. A lot of the original was kept, but a lot was taken away. This project became meaningful to me throughout the process because I was producing it as if I had written the song.”

Alt-rock newcomers of Mercury and Any Name’s Okay vocalist Sof Abrogar join young hip-hop virtuoso Alex Bruce in reinterpreting “Superproxy,” a cross-genre smash originally performed by The Eraserheads and legendary rap icon Francis M. The newly formed ensemble breathed new life into the timeless tune with a more jagged sonic direction that sounds both retro and futuristic at the same time.

“It was honestly an honor for us to be able to cover an Eheads song and be able to incorporate our own flavor into it,” says of Mercury in a collective statement. “I think we pretty much did our own thing, but left the structures and melody of the song. It was a pretty tricky song to work on given the genre, but we’re pretty happy with how it came out nonetheless.”

Alex Bruce was grateful to be part of this project, and considers the song one of her go-to jams. “This song is a masterpiece. It’s iconic. I wanted to add a little spice, a little flavor, and a bit of contemporary oomph to it. Our reworked version is a fusion of old school and new school.”

Growing up in a big family with a collective love and fascination for ‘80s and ‘90s Pinoy rock, Any Name’s Okay lead vocalist Sof was initially intimidated by the project, but took the challenge to heart in hopes of fulfilling her childhood dream. “Besides what I mentioned earlier about my family, I take particular inspiration from The Eraserheads’ lyricism in Tagalog or Filipino. Even in my own music career with ANO, I try to use Filipino in our songs as much as I can, and I really think the Eraserheads use the language in all its richness and strength. I also love how they are unapologetic in writing about our culture, whether that’s as shallow as UP life or as large as national politics. The band inspires me to really root my own music in my own experiences and in empathy for others’.

Apart from the revamped tracks by some of today’s biggest hitmakers, five of The Eraserheads’ legendary albums were re-released in full 360-degree spatial sound to give listeners a new immersive music experience. These influential records include Ultraelectromagneticpop!, The 25th Anniversary Remastered Edition, Circus (25th Anniversary Remastered), Cutterpillow, Fruitcake, and Sticker Happy.

SMARTPHONE brand Honor officially set foot in the Philippine market again in August 2022 and has been unstoppable since then, launching a tablet, two smartwatches, and six mobile phones in just a span of four months.

“2022 is just the beginning for Honor Philippines, and we are taking the brand to even greater heights come 2023. We have a very solid lineup for the whole year and you definitely don’t want to miss what we will be bringing from the Honor ecosystem,” said Honor Philippines vice president for Marketing, Stephen Cheng. “The expansion of our markets and channel partners is in the works already, and we will stay committed to focusing on creating innovations for everyone. For us, there’s really no way to go but up.”

Since the relaunch, Honor has opened and established more than 600 stores composed of kiosks and multi-brand stores.


In fact, Honor is now present at 17 dealers: Abenson, Cellboy, EC Panda, MemoXpress, Octagon, Present, Rules, Silicon Valley, Globe, Lazada, Shopee and Kimstore.

Honor indicated an increase of 366 percent in its manpower since its launch to augment the workforce of the company. Now, in three months’ time, Honor currently has at least 1,000 employees.



Here’s a rundown of what Honor has launched so far.

Honor 70 5G

Honor 70 5G carries the industry’s first 54MP IMX800 super sensing main camera, bringing users incredible enhancements in smartphone photography. It also takes pride in the revolutionary Solo Cut Mode, an innovation enabling users to simultaneously produce a group video and a portrait vlog that spotlights a specific person.

 

#BestVloggingPhone Honor 70 5G is equipped with a 4800mAh large-capacity battery supported by high-performance 66W Honor SuperCharge power brick. The screen of Honor 70 5G supports 1.07 billion colors, 100 percent DCI-P3 and HDR 10+, bringing users vivid colors in sharp and crisp detail. Available in Midnight Black, Titanium Silver, and Emerald Green, you can get the Honor 70 5G for P26,990.



Honor X Series

Honor X6, X7, X8 and X9 boast SuperCharge feature for all-day connectivity and productivity. The series also offers big screens providing a better display, most especially the Honor X9 which has a 90hz refresh rate and 94 percent screen-to-body ratio. The X series brings promising camera features for mobile photography and videography.

Honor X6 and X7 have a 50 and 48MP main camera, respectively, while both Honor X8 and Honor X9 have 64MP. All are packed with wide and macro lenses and a bokeh effect.

Available in Midnight Black and Titanium Silver, the Honor X6 is priced at P7,490 while Honor X7 and X8 are at P9,990 and P12,990, respectively. The Honor X9 debuted at P14,990 in Midnight Black and Ocean Blue colors.


Honor Magic4 Pro

The Power of Magic. Honor Magic4 Pro introduces one of the most powerful and versatile camera systems on an Honor smartphone to date: 50MP wide camera with a customized 7P lens, 50MP ultra-wide camera, 64MP periscope telephoto camera, a flicker sensor, and an additional brand-new custom-made image processor.

Powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 5G mobile platform, the Honor Magic4 Pro delivers blazing-fast performance and incredible battery efficiency across all typical usage scenarios. The 6.81-inch next-generation LTPO display delivers fluid, vibrant visuals with support for adaptive refresh rate to help users conserve battery.


Available in Black and Cyan, the Honor Magic4 Pro is priced at P52,990.

Honor Pad 8

As the first Honor tablet in the Philippines, the Honor Pad 8 delivers an exceptional entertainment experience with all-round smart features and a sleek and premium design.

Boasting an impressive 12-inch 2K Honor full-view display. The Honor Pad 8 pushes industry benchmarks to deliver an immersive visual and audio experience.

The tablet packs an extra-large 7250 mAh battery for all-day connectivity that supports up to 14 hours of offline local video playback or 10 hours of learning online. Honor Pad 8 is available in Dawnlight Blue for P17,990 with a free smart keyboard worth P5,990.

Honor Band 6, Watch GS3

Honor also has two affordable yet high-profile smartband and smartwatch: the Honor Band 6 and Honor GS3.

 

Honor Band 6 has long-lasting capabilities lasting 2 weeks compared to other available smartwatches in the market. The top-of-the-line smartwatch Honor GS3 has higher consumer expectations with its music playback, alarm clock, flashlight.

We all had our favorite movies when we were kids, along with scenes and characters we will never forget. But sometimes, even stories meant for kids hide a few lines that may not have made sense before but hit harder as an adult.




Rewatching all your favorite movies from your childhood on Disney+ is now made convenient and easy when you #PayWithGCash. From iconic Walt Disney Animation Studio movies like Beauty and the Beast or Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story to the original Star Wars trilogy, you can enjoy these favorites on Disney+ without having to use a credit card or a mobile plan.



If you’re in the mood to walk down memory lane while picking up some pearls of wisdom, here are some lines from movies on Disney+ that really make sense after hearing them again:

• “Oh yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it.” – Rafiki, The Lion King (1994)

The Lion King (1994) had a lot of lessons on growing up and acceptance, especially the concept of ‘Hakuna Matata’ or as translated from Swahili, “there are no problems.” But perhaps, this is one of the greatest pieces of advice from Rafiki and applies to many challenges in life you might have had.




From getting over a heartbreak to unresolved arguments with loved ones, it’s up to you to avoid and forget these memories or to examine what you can learn from them and move on.

• “Well there’s the usual things: flowers, chocolates… promises you don’t intend to keep.” – Cogsworth, Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Cogsworth had a funny reply to the Beast asking him what he could do for Belle, but in hindsight, this is an interesting take on romance and relationships in general. As you grow old, you might have realized that people might make promises they don’t intend to keep because they want to impress or woo others.




This line is both a warning for you to be wary about grand statements people make but also a reminder for you to only make promises you know you can fulfill.

• “You never forget kids like Emily or Andy, but they forget you.” – Jessie, Toy Story 2 (1999)

Have you ever thought about how much you might have impacted someone’s life? When Jessie mulled about how her owner Emily eventually forgot her, it feels just the same with people you lost contact with over the years.




You might have met a teacher or a random stranger who left a big impression on you only for them to fade away, but there are people too, who you’ve greatly touched that you might not even remember. It’s times like these when it’s important to hold onto our memories rather than dwell on the person we’ve lost.

• “Do or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

You may have written it off as a funny figure of speech after hearing Yoda say this for the first time but Yoda is wise in his own ways. Success and failure are realities of the world, and all you can do is your best to have more successes than failures.




“Trying” implies that you doubt you can do something and that you aren’t wholly committed to it.Here Yoda reminds us that there will be failures in life but that should not stop you from committing to your goals rather than always keeping one foot out the door.

• “Your overconfidence is your weakness.” – Luke Skywalker, Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983)

Similar to Yoda’s famous phrase, Luke’s reply to the Emperor during the finale of Return of the Jedi, might have appeared as a simple retort but has a lot of meaning when you look back on it.




Confidence is important to prevent doubts from clouding your ability to do things but being too confident can also lead to failure. You may miss out on details, like important instructions or extra requirements, refuse to accept further knowledge or fail to see the harm your choices are causing others.

• “Don’t be ridiculous, Andrea. Everybody wants this.” – Miranda Priestly, The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

If you’ve watched The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly tells Andrea how privileged she should feel about living such a charmed life. However, living a life of luxury where everyone does whatever it takes to get ahead is not everyone’s cup of tea.




Success can have an ugly side at times, and some people will do anything to meet their goals at the expense of others. However, seeing Andrea walkaway after getting out of the car, we realize not everyone wants to have to drag others down to get what they want and you shouldn’t have to go down that path to find your fulfillment.




Hopefully, with time comes a little bit of wisdom and you can find it in the most unexpected places. With Disney+ now available in the Philippines, easily pay for your subscription with GCash and revisit all-time favorites with a different perspective.

Getting access to your favorites from the past is easy when you #PayWithGCash. Thanks to the exclusive mobile and premium subscription packages available in the Alipay+ Rewards section of the GCash app, you can subscribe to the Disney+ Mobile Plan for ₱849 annually to watch your favorite titles on the go. To bring the movie experience to your home, consider purchasing the Premium Plan for ₱2,499 annually that allows you to stream up to 4K ultra HD quality on your TV and other devices. Don’t wait too long as this exclusive gift is only available on Alipay+ Rewards until mid-December.




To avail the Disney+ special packages, tap A+ Rewards on the GCash dashboard, choose your Disney+ plan, input your phone number, and confirm and proceed to payment. To start streaming, download Disney+ on Google Playstore or Appstore, input your mobile number and input the OTP sent to your mobile number. For new users, create your profile, then select content ratings and preferred content language. If you already have a Disney+ profile, simply select your profile.




View all of your favorite movies from when you were younger on Disney+ when you subscribe with GCash, through the Alipay+ Rewards store, available on the App Store and Google Play. Download now and be #GToPlay when you #PayWithGCash!

In support of the government’s fight against online and mobile phone security threats, DITO Telecommunity reminds its nearly 15 million subscribers and potential customers to register their Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards starting December 27, 2022. Subscribers who successfully register their SIM cards will receive 2GB bonus data.




Following the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 11934 or SIM Registration Act, DITO’s convenient SIM registration process aims to give customers greater protection against SIM card-related criminal activities such as online scams, personalized text scams, smishing, fraud cases, fake news, and identity theft.






Enjoy bonus data upon sim card registration with DITO. For more information, check out Dito.ph. Register now!




All new and existing mobile phone users are required to register their SIM cards. New DITO subscribers must register to activate their SIM cards, while existing prepaid and post-paid users will be given 180 days or 6 months from the effectivity of the law to register their SIM cards.




Failure to register will result in the deactivation of the SIM and possible penalties. A deactivated SIM will be given a 5-day grace period to be registered and get reactivated.




“SIM card registration is one big step towards strengthening security in the Philippines. As we are one with the government in fighting digital criminal activities, we are committed to providing our customers with a convenient way to register their SIMs via our online portal. Through DITO’s hassle-free registration, we hope to contribute to the success of our country’s SIM registration initiative and provide our customers a safe and enhanced digital lifestyle,” said Ms. Evelyn Jimenez, Chief Commercial Officer, DITO Telcommunity.

 

The online registration will be free of charge and will require customers to provide their personal information (Full Name, Date of Birth, Sex, Present/Official Address) and a government-issued identification card (ID). Minors shall register under their parent/legal guardian’s name along with any government-issued ID of the parent or guardian, and the consent of the minor’s parent or guardian to register the SIM. Multiple SIM cards can be registered under one name.




Businesses that will register a SIM card must submit additional requirements such as their Securities and Exchange Commission Certificate of Registration, Board Resolution designating the authorized representative and other juridical entities, and Special Power of Attorney. Meanwhile, a tourist or foreign national who will use a DITO SIM must submit a passport, proof of address in the Philippines, and a return ticket to own country showing date/time of departure from the Philippines.




“As much as we promote accountability on the use of SIMs, we prioritize the security of every subscriber’s personal information. We will treat the data that we get from this registration process as absolutely confidential unless disclosure is required or permitted by law,” said Atty. Adel Tamano, Chief Administrative Officer, DITO Telcommunity.”




New subscribers can register their SIM card via the SMS link they will receive after SIM card insertion. On the other hand, existing subscribers are required to download and access the DITO App and click the registration banner.

It’s never too late to try to stay physically and mentally fit for all the parties and holiday feasts this season. Make it a Fitmas celebration and hype up your workouts while tracking your progress using the OPPO Enco X2 and OPPO Band 2.





Immerse yourself in your workout with the OPPO Enco X2

The OPPO Enco X2 are true wireless earbuds perfect for your sweat sessions for Fitmas. Featuring a new ergonomic design, the earbuds are made to be a comfortable fit for you to wear all day. Easily control your sound with a simple squeeze or slide of your fingers on the stems of the buds to adjust the volume and pause tracks. The overall exterior of the buds is also protected with its IP54 dust and water resistance, so you can exercise without fear of damage from sweat and rain.




The best feature of the OPPO Enco X2 is its smart adaptive active noise cancellation which automatically detects your surroundings and adjusts its noise cancellation levels. It blocks out noise from the streets, cars, and even planes while you workout at the gym or outdoors. With this, you can immerse yourself in studio-quality sound and hear your favorite songs clearly while enjoying a rich, deep bass.

Lasting all day, the OPPO Enco X2 lets you enjoy up to 40 hours of listening time with the charging case and 2 hours of music playback on just a 5 minute charge. It also supports wireless charging where you can simply place it on a charging pad or power up by putting it on the back of your OPPO phone. Hype yourself up and go beast mode with your favorite workout playlist using the OPPO Enco X2 for only Php 7,999 online and in-stores.







Better on every move with the OPPO Band 2

Together with your new earbuds, track your progress with the OPPO Band 2 as your newest fitness partner. With over 100 workout modes packed in a 1.57 inch large screen, you can see more of the data you need in one glance. Included in these workout modes are the new and upgraded professional tennis modes and running modes which can help you better understand your skills, provide professional data, and guide you to make your workouts more effective.

The OPPO Band 2 also goes beyond your sweat sessions with its high-quality sleep and health monitoring capabilities. It can track and analyze sleep cycles, snoring risks, and oxygen levels to give you a full report that lets you know if you are getting proper and sufficient rest when you sleep. It also monitors and assesses your heart rate after running, alerting you of any abnormalities for all-day protection for your heart health.




The OPPO Band 2 gives you comfortable wear for 14 days straight on a full charge that also supports fast charging. A 5 minute charge can already give you a full day use for a seamless smart experience with a long battery life. The OPPO Band 2 is available for purchase online and in-stores for only Php 3,999.




Reach your fitness goals this Fitmas with the proper gear that will make you look forward to your workouts. For more information on the OPPO Enco X2 and OPPO Band 2, visit https://www.oppo.com/ph/ or check out OPPO Philippines’ official social media pages on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok.

The history of Negros Occidental is replete with occasions to help fellowmen. What may have started as a logical act of a farm owner taking care of a farm worker has, in time, rooted itself to a psyche that leans to help wherever possible. This holiday month, the Negros Season of Culture brings to the center of celebrations the works of NGOs whose missions have become modern-day conduits of this heritage of giving.



O Senyor Tagbalay!

We welcome good tidings with a reenactment in song of the story of the birth of Christ. In Hiligaynon musical tradition, the daigon or caroling opens with the song, O Senyor Tagbalay!, echoing Joseph’s plea for a room for Mary. Against the majestic façade of the Provincial Capitol of Negros Occidental, the singers of the De La Salle Chorale lend their voices to beseech all to open their doors to love and the Christ child. Joining the chorale are singers from Kalipay Negrense Foundation and Suntown Camp Foundation. Suntown comforts children with cancer and serious illnesses. Kalipay is a home for abused and abandoned children.

We hope you think of them this Christmas. Making Artisans of Hope In recent years, our Christmas trees have been decked less with imported stuff and replaced with ornaments created by a group of homegrown handicraft artists. Their works are boldly artistic, intent on wooing shoppers and giving artists a chance at sustainable livelihood, while helping fund feeding and educational programs. Trained and encouraged by the Negrense Volunteers for Change Foundation, these “artisans of hope” mirror our collective mission to give, in turn making all of us creators of hope for others who have none. See what Santa’s elves have been busy with in Making Artisans of Hope.

Kusinera Diaries

 

Often we forget who puts the “happy” to our New Year’s celebration. Not this time. As we approach 2023, we celebrate one particular person who has been part of our heritage, from the kitchens of our old hacienda homes to the kitchens of our modern subdivision dwellings. Kusinera Diaries is a three-part documentary giving tribute to one of the most influential characters in the traditional home of the Negrense, the cook. For sure, this story is also about favorite holiday family food. But more significantly, we recognize the contributions and the place of the kusinera in our kitchens. Many of them have given all of their productive years to us. Many more have foregone marriage to devote their time to our families. And so, meet Dhalia, Alicia, and Dominga. Let them take you to a Happy New Year. Text By: Alan Gensoli Photos By: Unit A Creatives and Bem Cortez

Breville’s Smart Oven Air Fryer should be on every Christmas wishlist of all home cooks out there. Versatile, easy to use, and very durable, this oven from the premium home brand can give you the best of both worlds in terms of flavor and ease of cooking as you cruise through the holidays.

One of the beauties of the Smart Oven Air Fryer is its ten cooking functions that can let you make to-die-for crispy treats and scrumptious slow-cooked meals. Toast, bake, roast, grill, and of course air fry without any fuss while shortening your cooking time. Equipped with Dual Speed Convection, this kitchen partner speeds up the cooking process by raising hotter air while sinking colder one. The result: 30 percent reduced cooking time as compared to regular ovens and air fryers!

Richie Zamora, the vlogger behind The Pickiest Eater in the World makes a perfect case for this when he prepared a full spread of TV chow snacks for his family to enjoy in minutes. He shares, “All these amazing snacks were cooked in the air fryer with absolutely no oil. Everything was cooked to a beautiful crisp, but you don’t even realize that they aren’t deep fried.”

Let’s Eat Pare also showed how fast and easy it is to make restaurant-level fried crispy wings with Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer. In just 20 minutes, they were able to make a big batch of chicken wings in sour cream flavor! You can check out their recipe here if you want to try their version.



Of course, preparing healthier versions of dishes is another thing that makes this kitchen must-have from Breville essential. Air frying significantly reduces—if not totally removes—the use of oil in cooking, which means that you consume fewer calories and prevent weight gain and obesity when you air-fried food. Fortunately, for the Smart Oven Air Fryer, you don’t need to worry about sacrificing flavors just to go the healthier route. Chef Beng proves this when she made a Pinoy-style whole fried chicken using it.

“Normally, I will have this deep fried, but using an air fryer is apparently so much better as the chicken is amazingly crispy, juicy, and full of flavor. Not to mention, this is a way healthier process than deep frying.”

She also shares that she loves the precision with time and temperature that this Air Fryer provides. “Just press a function and it automatically shows how long and high the cooking process will be.” This is made possible by Breville’s patented Element IQ System which is a smart algorithm that decides the ideal cooking environment for a range of different cooking techniques.

The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer is definitely the kitchen partner to have this holiday season if you want to enjoy healthy, delicious meals minus the fuss. As Richie, Chef Beng, and Let’s Eat Pare say, respectively:

“The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer proves that cooking doesn’t need to be greasy to be delicious, and preparing food with less guilt doesn’t mean less flavors either.”

“It has 10 cooking functions which makes it a value-for-money purchase. I totally love it and I highly recommend this smart kitchen appliance.”


“It’s the ultimate kitchen tool you need to put on your Christmas shopping list, pare!”

What are you waiting for? Add the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer to your holiday wishlist now. To know more about the product, visit the Breville website and follow their Facebook and Instagram pages.

There’s only a limited number of days we can spend away from deadlines every year. Sure, we get days off on long weekends or special holidays, but it’s only during Christmas time that we get to truly pause, spend quality time with our loved ones, and catch up with the things that we love to do.