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 The Covid-19 quarantine regulations and social distancing has put a lot of pressure and stress on numerous child-caring organizations about the food and basic supplies they require to operate. Amidst this pandemic, the Grundfos Foundation responded to the needs of eight SOS Children’s Villages around the Philippines by donating food, cleaning supplies, and personal protective equipment that will last these orphaned children and childcare frontline workers for a month.

SOS Children’s’ Villages is home to 957 children and 145 childcare frontline workers, who are located across Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila; Calbayog City, Samar; Cebu City, Cebu; Davao City, Davao del Sur; Lipa City, Batangas; Tacloban City, Leyte; Zarraga, Iloilo and Mariveles, Bataan. Commenting on the grant, Kim Nøhr Skibsted, Executive Director, Grundfos Foundation, said “The Covid-19 pandemic is taking a toll on the most vulnerable communities. With our grant, we hope to ease the pressure that SOS Children’s Villages are facing and support the children and childcare workers for at least a month. The Foundation will be working closely with the Grundfos Philippines team and SOS Children’s Villages to distribute these supplies in a timely manner.” Jonathan Breton, General Manager of Grundfos Philippines along with a few employees and representatives from the respective SOS Children’s Village were involved in the distribution of these provisions and equipment, all while ensuring social distancing guidelines. Commenting on the visiting to the SOS Children’s Village in Manila, Jonathan Brenton said, “It is a proud moment for us at Grundfos Philippines, knowing that our Foundation cares about the welfare of our local communities. It is also heartening, to see that our support will help the more than thousand children and their caretakers through these tough times.”

“Because of the Covid-19 lockdown, we have been struggling to get food and supplies for our children and childcare staff. This donation from Grundfos Foundation is a welcome relief from the shortages we are experiencing and will help us adjust to the new normal,” says, Ma. Angeles Guanzon-Lapeña,

President, SOS Children’s Villages. The Grundfos Foundation is also funding various initiatives across the world to fight the spread of Covid- 19 and help local communities on ground during this pandemic.

The COVID-19 outbreak has caused not only economic downturn around the globe, but also educational disruptions, as most governments were forced to close schools to stop the spread of the virus.

As the pandemic is shaping the educational paradigm, Acer Philippines, the country’s leading computer brand in the PC market, has been at the forefront in ensuring that its Acer Academy program members will continue to benefit from the advancements of its EdTech capacity, amid the modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ).

Acer recently launched a webinar—in partnership with school administrators, educators, and stakeholders who are adept in educational computerization—to tackle the challenges in the “new normal” and provide opportunities for innovations in the field of e-learning to facilitate the continuity of education. The webinar garnered a total of 1,077 online registrants, which indicate a growing public interest in subject matters relating to new learning platforms amid the pandemic.

“We’ve seen the past decades as fast adoption of digital transformation in schools. There’s really a need to harness learning beyond the boundaries of pedagogy and theory, even beyond the limits of geography and demographics,” said Sue Ong Lim, General Manager of Acer Philippines.

“We’ve seen Philippine schools, slowly but surely, evolved in this direction. However, we see that this pandemic has become a major tipping point to propel us to faster speed towards this digital transformation,” she added. With this, Acer has launched the Faculty and Student Purchase Program for Acer Academy members, which offers up to 30 percent discount on select Acer products and 50 percent less on internet plans. The computer company, in collaboration with Intel, will also be sponsoring scholars of qualified schools with laptops or desktops to allow education to thrive in the new normal.

Education in time of pandemic

Anna Cherylle Ramos, president of the Philippine eLearning Society and one of the panelists in the webinar, said that the pandemic has imposed a glaring set of challenges to some educators and students who are contending with difficulties in terms of readiness, device acquisition, and availability of connection.

But, on the other hand, it has also shaken up the global learning system, thus catalyzing for innovation as many educational institutions are compelled to embrace the new methods to sustain education. “There were variations in student readiness… A lot of our discussion on face-to-face is teacher-led. At this point, we need to create continuity plans that are contextual to the needs of colleges. We also made use of our institutional guides for students, and intensified our virtual and help desk for students in order to address this challenge,” said Ramos.

She added that, based on data, an effective workaround to continue learning is to plan out a flexible scheme by reducing the students’ learning tasks, setting longer submission time, limiting synchronous learning event, and encouraging the use of offline resources than online.

“A successful digital transformation starts with your deliberate action plan. Your vision will be supported by your school’s philosophy, consistent leadership, and acquiring technology or resources,” she said. For his part, Shane Laong of University of Santo Tomas Edtech Center said that compassion, commitment, and competence will weather the reactions in the change in learning process. He said these can be manifested by setting realistic expectations for students, considering their learning environment, observing leniency when creating learning activities and scheduling deadlines, and providing learning resources in multiple formats.

Remote Learning Collaboration

As e-learning is relatively a new approach to a lot of teachers, most of responses hint that they are still at a loss of which platforms to use.

Technology giants, such as Microsoft, are stepping up to bring new solutions to aid learning process by providing platforms to recreate learning environment experience online, and collaborate, share files, and present. Paolo Balinas, Microsoft Enterprise Channel manager for Education, said trends show that harnessing technology caters to students with varying learning styles and preferences, as well as promotes active participation among family members and develops learners to be independent.

For Microsoft, the company is offering free learning management solution—the Microsoft Team—to enable successful implementation of remote learning. MS Team is a portal where teachers and students can hold virtual classes, collaborate, and even make grades.

“Technology is a great enabler of how we could further improve the mode of delivery of education,” he said.

Lazada, the leading eCommerce platform welcomes June with positivity and happiness with the Lazada 6.6 Bounce Back Sale. As the country continues the fight to combat COVID-19, the digital platform is also committed to continue serving the community by delivering the best experiences online and aiding businesses to recover from June 4 to 6, 2020.

“With almost two times the number of sellers and brands joining Lazada this first half of the year compared to 2019, we are pleased that the variety of products have increased for our consumers. This includes renowned local and international brands to our local sellers listing their fresh produce on the platform. Unboxing happiness is not just for our shoppers receiving their packages, but also the joy of our partners packing to deliver these parcels.

We continue to support our partners and provide solutions to drive business continuity through our technology and resources as we weather this
quarantine period together,” said Lazada Philippines Chief Executive Officer, Ray Alimurung. To accompany this 6.6 shopping event, Lazada Brand Ambassador and YouTube sensation Mimiyuuuh features in the latest Bounce Back Sale television commercial. Shot entirely from home and on mobile
phones, the video reminds customers of the joy of unboxing a package as well as the connections everyone still has with each other in spite of the current quarantine situation.

From June 4-6, shop for all you need to bounce back on Lazada with free shipping vouchers at no minimum spend, capped at P50. Mark your calendars and set your alarms for Lazada’s biggest livestreaming entertainment specials for 2020 yet with Lazada’s Guess It! Bounce Back Special this

Friday, June 5 at 12nn hosted by Sam YG featuring special guest Miss Universe 2015 Pia Wurtzbach. Also watch out for Super Sing It! Bounce Back Special featuring Ben & Ben, SB19, KZ Tandingan, and Regine Velasquez-Alcasid. This 2-hour special hosted by Mimiyuuuh will be livestreamed on Lazlive on June 6 at 6pm, where more than P200,000 worth of vouchers will be given away. In addition, the more livestream views would mean more vouchers will be up for grabs.

Customers can also help contribute towards the country’s fight against the spread of COVID-19 by purchasing items from participating brands to extend help to our countrymen:
 Colgate-Palmolive: Spend a minimum of P750 and P50 will be directed our LazadaForGood
beneficiaries.
 Unilever Skin Sciences: Spend a minimum of P1000 and P50 will be directed our LazadaForGood
beneficiaries.
 Johnson & Johnson: Spend a minimum of P1066 and P66 will be directed our LazadaForGood
beneficiaries.
 Tiny Buds: Buy P1000 worth of products and P50 will be directed our LazadaForGood
beneficiaries.
 MIDEA: Buy P1000 worth of products and P50 will be directed our LazadaForGood beneficiaries.

This coming June 4-6, expect loads of deals and products consumers can add to their boxes of happiness:
Fashion:
1. Plus Size Boutique spaghetti sando tops at 52% off now at P48 from previously P100
2. KW Online Shop Women's Slip-on Casual Sandals from P119 to now at P89
3. Havaianas Hype Flip Flops Mens at 45% off from P1,249 to now at P687
4. Inspi Mamba Forever shirts for men for women now at P99 from P124
5. ShoePer MoveUp Casual Sneakers Shoes for Men and Women now available at P269 from P299
6. Ella Fashion Casual Canvas Bag at P63 from P79
7. Hawk 5278 Belt Bag from P900, now at P720
8. Tala by kyla Ely Necklace at P199 from P249
9. MetroSunnies Kaiser Specs Screen Protection Computer Eyeglasses for Men and Women (Silver)
at P637 from P1,150
10. Homer Wardrobe Online Store Korean Fashion Fluorescence Crossbody Bag from P169 now at
P147
Electronics:
1. Infinix Hot 8 4GB RAM + 64GB Internal Memory Smartphone now at P4,999 from P5,999
2. Huawei Y7 4GB RAM + 64GB ROM Wide Dewdrop Smartphone available at P6,190 from P6,890
3. Apple AirPods 2 with Charging Case at P7,690 from previously P9,590
4. Fitbit Ionic Water-Resistant Smart Watch – Adidas Limited Edition from P17,690 now at P11,690
5. Devant 50-inch SMART UHD TV at P18,000 from P26,450
6. LWH Electronics Nintendo Switch lite console at P11,999 from P13,380

7. Imarflex Xpresso Duo Coffee Maker (Silver/Black) now at P3,219 from P10,730
8. Dyson V8 Fluffy Cord-free Vacuum Cleaner previously sold at 35,000, now with the sale price of
P24,500
9. Lenovo Ideapad 15.6-in Gaming Laptop at P35,995 from P44,99
10. Sricam SriHome SH037 Plug and Play Webcam with Built-in Microphone now at P659 from P859
Health & Beauty, Mother & Baby, Groceries & Pets:
1. Maybelline Super Stay Matte Ink Collection Liquid Lipstick at P149 from P299
2. Dove Body Wash Deeply Nourishing 550ml Special Offer x3 previously at P746, now at P597
3. Olay Whip Power Duo now at P1,799 from P2,609
4. Huggies Dry Newborn (80 pcs) – Tape Diapers at P364 from P520
5. Enfagrow A+ Four Powdered Milk Drink 1.8kg x 4s now at P4,647 from P6,638
6. Tiny Buds Natural Powder Detergent 1kg Set of 3 from P825 now at P599
7. FreeStyle Libre Starter Kit at P6,790 from P7,000
8. Puritan's Pride Melatonin 3mg 120 tablets Sleep Aid now at P337 from P399
9. Angel Evaporada Halo Halo Pack from P99 now at P84
10. PEDIGREE® Adult Beef & Vegetables Dry Dog Food (1.5kg) available at P266.75 from previously
P275
Home & Living, Toys & Games, Sports, Motors, and Digital Goods:
1. Sunbeams Lifestyle Slique Roast Pan – Baking Tools and Equipment now at P209.30 from P299
2. Cost U Less Ergodynamic 360˚ Swivel Function Office Chair available at P1,959 from P2,499
3. Fitch Home Lifetime 30" Personal Table at P1,454 from P1,699
4. Bosch GO Smart Cordless Screwdriver Kit now at P1,800 from P3,200
5. Gundam PG 1/60 Perfect Strike Gundam (Gunpla) from P16,999.75 now at P13,500
6. ANTA Mens GH1 Basketball Shoes available at P4,405.50 from P4,895
7. RJ Guitar Deluxe Manila Folk Steel Acoustic Guitar – Brown from P3,999 now at P2,399.00
8. HONDA – Click 150i – Reservation Fee at 99% off from P2,000 to now only P6.00
9. Hyundai Santa Fe HOMERUN Reservation Fee with zero interest for 5 years from P1,000 to now
P600
10. Shakey’s digital voucher: Hawaiian Delight Large Thin Crust Pizza now at P300 from P432
Excited to unbox happiness this 6.6? Check out the items you can add to cart by visiting Lazada.com.ph,
https://www.facebook.com/LazadaPhilippines, instagram.com/lazadaph/ and
https://twitter.com/LazadaPH.

Two of the most anticipated mid-year sales are happening this June 6 and vivo is giving everyone the best reasons to go online and shop from home to grab its best-selling smartphones.

vivo is offering not only a P1,000 off on the Y12 and Y19, but also free nationwide shipping, including for the Y11, Y15 and Y91C models which are participating in the Shopee 6.6 Super Flash Sale and the Lazada 6.6 Bounce Back Sale.

For the Shopee 6.6 Super Flash Sale, buyers can use the voucher code “VIVO66” to get a P200 discount only for June 6, while a P100 off voucher can be redeemed from June 6 until September 3. Customers can use the vouchers for a minimum spend of P4,999.

Those eyeing to buy vivo handsets during the Lazada 6.6 Bounce Back Sale can already collect P200 vouchers, while those who follow the vivo flagship store can collect P100 discount vouchers. Both can be redeemed from June 4 to 6, for a minimum spend of P4,999.

From May 28 to June 3, vivo is also slashing the price of its Y71 model, offering it for only P66.99, until supplies last.

Customers who buy any participating vivo handset from June 4 to 6 can also get a chance to win a Y series phone. All they have to do is post a review of the unit they purchased on Shopee or Lazada, upload a photo of the product, and use the hashtag #66vivo.

Two lucky winners will be chosen from among those who will post their reviews on Shopee and Lazada from June 4 to 16. The winners will be announced on June 17.

So, what are you waiting for? Visit the official Vivo stores at https://bit.ly/VivoShopeeSuperFlashSale and https://bit.ly/VivoLazadaBounceBackSale.

Amid the Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine, more and more Filipinos are turning to online community groups to find their everyday essentials and more.

According to Viber, its usage in the Philippines surged in the past weeks: messages sent on the app have increased by 120 percent, calls received by users are up by 85%, and the average number of community engagement has also risen by 120%.

“The significant increase in community engagement tells us that Filipinos want to stay connected, and do it more purposefully. With everyone confined to their homes, Filipinos are striving for closer and more meaningful interactions,” said Veronica Feleo, Business Development Manager, Rakuten Viber, during a webinar series titled Social in the Age of Social Distancing organized by M2.0 Communications, Inc.

Feleo was joined by fellow panelists Lia Ejercito, Head of Digital and Social for M2.0, and Niña Cruz-Zialcita, Chief Inquisitor at Best of the Best Manila, one of the largest Facebook Groups in the Philippines.

“At the start of the year, when all of the experts were declaring that [direct] social was going to be a big thing this year, we expected more of a slow burn,” said Ejercito. “But the reality is, now, there’s been such a drastic shift, and I think that is coming as a result of COVID-19 and the whole ECQ situation that we’ve experienced in the past few weeks.”

Amid the lockdown, information and food essentials have been top of mind for many Filipinos, with the Department of Health’s COVID-19 Advisory Community and the Food Contacts Community among the top-performing communities on Viber during this period.

Virtual communities

User-generated content communities have become so popular that Viber even has a dedicated community that serves as a directory for existing communities on the app. These user-created groups serve as channels that cover a variety of topics and interests, ranging from hyper-local marketplaces to neighborhood coordination points.

“The expectation was that [direct] social would overtake mainstream social,” said Ejercito, adding “[Direct] social platforms have also replaced a lot of face-to-face interactions.”

Best of the Best Manila—a thriving private Facebook Group in the country with over 22,000 members—started out as a group of friends with shared interests. The group functions as a recommendation channel for what are the best experiences in Manila, covering food, entertainment, travel and lifestyle. Cruz-Zialcita recalled, “We started out asking questions about the best bread or the best printer. It caught on from there.”

During the lockdown, however, Cruz-Zialcita noted that discussions have taken on a different track: “These days, the questions are grounded on what people need: Who are the best fruit suppliers? What are the best home exercises?”

Digital Bayanihan

Beyond sharing information and sourcing basic necessities, online groups have also become platforms for digital bayanihan. During the onset of the lockdown, Best of the Best Manila raised over P200,000 from its members, which were donated to support frontliners in their fight against COVID-19.

“I don’t think that COVID is the reason for why these communities exist. It maybe just propelled all of these types of groups and made them grow so much more active,” said Ejercito. “But if we go back to how direct social was discovered in the first place, it was all about referrals. It works, I think, because it’s very personal, it’s very direct, and it’s very authentic.”

In the recent Havas Ortega Group report “Love in the Quarantine Age,” Filipinos said they still believe love can last forever. But do Pinoy millennials feel the same way, too?

Top improv group, Third World Improv (TWI) transformed market research into a comedy show entitled “Powerpoint PartTWI: Love in the Quarantine Age” to raise funds for OPEN HOUSE, an online fundraising project that supports Filipino artists and creative workers who lost their jobs and income to the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on Havas’ “Love in the Quarantine Age” Prosumer Report, 10 members of TWI and pioneering Filipino improv group Silly People’s Improv Theater (SPIT) performed live on the TWI Facebook Page about what PInoy love looks like in the middle of a crisis when the only remaining medium of connection between people is digital.

Jos Ortega, CEO of Havas Ortega, says “We have put a lot of time and effort in trying to understand our audience’s motivations and beliefs but this pandemic has shaken things up! Even the most romantic Filipinos are in limbo and are asking what the new dating rules are, what a loving relationship feels like, and what commitment means when you’re not even allowed to see or hold your partner. We have studied love in the digital age globally and locally. But what does this same love look like in the quarantine age?”

Among key “hugots” in the report that the show tackled are: 62% believe It’s easier to break up with someone through text or social media; 51% believe sex has nothing to do with falling in love; 45% believe artificial intelligence will be able to tell us if we are really in love and in a sustainable relationship; and, 98% believe having children is one of life’s ultimate achievements with or without a partner.

“As our industry unexpectedly moved to the digital space, we theater and improv artists were challenged to engage an audience that is anxious yet yearning for human connection. We wanted to use the Powerpoint presentation format to remind them of a time when everything had a clear definition, structure and schedule—and to show them that it just might be the most stubborn, funniest way to discuss love and all its possibilities amid a very chaotic period,” said Gabe Mercado, President of TWI, the first school in the Philippines dedicated to teaching the art and craft of improvisational theater.

OPEN HOUSE was created by TWI together with Philstage, Theater Actor’s Guild and SPIT Mnl, in cooperation with Ticket2Me, for the benefit of Artists Welfare Project, Inc.

“TWI witnessed thousands of Filipinos from the entertainment and live events industry struggle as the prolonged lockdown took away their livelihood. With data provided by Havas, we are grateful that we were able to develop a show that raised awareness about the plight of our colleagues and generated funds for them. We are hoping for more innovative collaborations like this in the future,” Mercado added.

“Powerpoint PartTWI: Love in the Quarantine Age” is still available for viewing here:

TWI Facebook Page

Open House donation channel Ticket2Me through the link

bit.ly/DonateOpenHouse also remains open.

Key highlights of Shopee 6.6 Super Flash Sale: 

• ● Watch & Win: Six lucky viewers will get the chance to win ₱50,000 each. All they have to do is pre-register and tune in to Wowowin on Shopee Live. 
• ● Shopee Shake: Three Shopee Shake winners will win a total of  ₱1 million. Two will win ₱250,000 each, and one lucky winner will take home a grand prize of ₱500,000. Viewers should tune into Wowowin at 7:10 PM, 7:15 PM, and 7:25 PM for the Shopee Shake Segment. 
• ● All-day sitewide free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend on all flash deals 
• ● 50% off on selected items: Get amazing deals across different categories. Users can get an Amazfit Stratos watch, a pair of Reebok Instalite Lux Women’s Running Shoes, or a Fisher-Price Lion Walker at 50% off. 
• ● Flash deals as low as ₱6: Consumers can look forward to amazing deals for as low as ₱6. 
• ● Exclusive promos from leading brands: Users can enjoy exclusive discounts ranging from 20% to 50% off from leading brands such as Wyeth, Unilever Beauty, Shigetsu, L’Oreal Paris, Maybelline, P&G Home, and Nestle. 

Get over ₱1 Million worth of cash prizes, free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend, deals as low as ₱6 and exclusive discounts with ShopeePay

MANILA, MAY 29, 2020 – Shopee-holics, rejoice! Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, launches 6.6 Super Flash Sale to provide users with greater convenience and cost savings for their everyday needs. Filipinos can look out for deals as low as ₱6, free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend, and prizes worth over ₱1.3 million. Running from May 18 to June 6, 2020, shoppers can look forward to a fun and entertaining shopping experience for the coming days before the big sale.

Here are six reasons why users should look forward to Shopee 6.6 Super Flash Sale:

1. A total of ₱1.3 million prizes to be given away
   Shopee is taking it up a notch by giving away a total of ₱1.3 million in cash. On June 6, users can double their chances of winning big cash prizes when they pre-register on Shopee’s microsite, tune in to Wowowin via Shopee Live and join the Shopee Shake game.
2. Flash deals as low as ₱6 and exclusive discounts on selected products
   Users can redeem flash deals every ten minutes and enjoy a variety of items at huge discounted prices, including up to 60% off selected home appliances, up to 50% off running shoes and up to 60% off personal care items.

Shoppers can purchase high-value items for only ₱6 such as the ACE SL-24″ TV-3.5A Ultra Slim LED-220 Television, a Seagate 1TB Hard Drive, and The Platinum Junior Lite DVD Karaoke with Free Wireless Microphone.

3. Free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend to ease delivery costs
   On June 6, users can shop more of their favorite products with free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend on all flash deals as well as from selected stores.

4. Up to ₱1000 off when paying with ShopeePay on D-Day
   On June 6, users can get up to ₱1000 off from their purchases when they use ShopeePay as their mode of payment. ShopeePay is Shopee’s integrated e-wallet and payment feature that allows users to store funds and pay for purchases with e-money on Shopee seamlessly, conveniently, and securely. Shoppers can check out for more details on special deals and promotions with ShopeePay here (https://shopee.ph/m/shopee-pay).

5. Exclusive promotions from leading brands
   Users can enjoy exclusive discounts ranging from 20% to 50% off from leading brands such as Wyeth, Unilever Beauty, Shigetsu, L’Oreal Paris, Maybelline, P&G Home, and Nestle. 
   
   

6. Newly-launched in-app games: Shopee Poly and Shopee Claw
   Users can have a great time with in-app games such as Shopee Claw and Shopee Poly where they can redeem prizes and earn Shopee coins.

   Shopee Claw is inspired by the favorite arcade claw machine whereby Shopee users can use a claw to pick up prizes. These include Shopee coins, ShopeePay discount vouchers, a pair of Airpods, and an iPhone 11.

   

   Shopee Poly lets users throw a dice to determine the number of steps they will take. They either lose or earn points depending on the spot they land on. Players have a chance to win Shopee coins, cashback vouchers, ShopeePay discount vouchers, as well as special prizes including a Xiaomi Mi Band 4 and a Realme C2 Smartphone. 

For more information, visit https://shopee.ph/m/double-double

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