The PR & Events Circuit

Every first Friday and Saturday of the month, SM Supermalls engages the community to take part in the "Trash to Cash" Recycling Market Fair.  They are encouraged to bring recyclable items to be sold to scrap buyers as it aims to engage the community to be a part in the initiative to curb solid waste management problems.  Consistent in its advocacy for a greener environment, SM City Iloilo will hold the activity this coming March 2 and 3, 2018 at the Car Park area.

  Gearing up for the most anticipated unveiling of the latest devices in the first quarter of the new year, Globe Telecom opens its pre-orders of Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9+, the newest flagship phones from one of the biggest tech companies in the world. The country's leading telco allows its customers to be one of the first to get the newest Samsung phones, powered by the best postpaid plans from Globe. Get ThePLAN that can be customized to keep up with your evolving digital needs and lets you create the life you want. With ThePLAN 1499, bring home the Galaxy S9 with larger than life data of 8GB for more binge-watching moments on the go. Stay connected with family and friends using the unlimited texts to all networks, and unlimited calls to Globe/TM. Plus, enjoy premium freebies including a three-month membership with Spotify Premium, as well as a six-month subscription to Netflix. Yours for only P2,499 (ThePLAN 1499 + P1,000/month cashout)!

The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO), the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ resident orchestra and the country’s leading musical ensemble, will perform at the Iloilo Convention Center on March 2, 2018 at 7 P.M.  The concert’s repertoire consists of classical music to be conducted by Yoshikazu Fukumura, Music Director and Principal Conductor, and contemporary and popular music to be conducted by Herminigildo Ranera, the PPO’s resident conductor.  In Iloilo City, the PPO will hold a workshop for music students who play brass instruments. The workshop will be held at the Iloilo Convention Center on March 3, 2018 at 9 a.m. Co-sponsors of the Iloilo concert are Senator Franklin and Mrs. Mila Drilon, the Iloilo Convention Center, Henann Group of Resorts, and Air 21. 

Megaworld, the country’s largest developer of integrated urban townships, is increasing its investments in the 31-hectare Westside City township at the booming Entertainment City beside Manila Bay in Paranaque City. The company is investing an additional P54-billion for a period of 10 years, more than five times from the initial P10-billion that was allocated in 2015, mostly for residential and hotel projects. Travellers International Hotels Group, Inc., the developer and operator of the Resorts World brand in the Philippines, has already committed to invest US$1.1-billion, or roughly P57-billion, to build the Westside City Resorts World complex. This brings the total capital expenditure (CAPEX) for the township to P121-billion.

Globe Telecom Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala together with Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu led the company’s 120 key executives in doing extensive immersions at Alipay, Alibaba and Huawei Technologies last January 2018 at Hangzhou, China. The immersions provided unique opportunities for Globe to understand new digital technology developments, holistic market applications of financial technology, scaling up e-Commerce play and 5G technologies. Welcome to Alibaba. Globe leaders take time off at the Alibaba headquarters in Hangzhou, China. Hangzhou is the capital city of Zheijang Province in east China, and an emerging technology hub. Hangzhou serves as the headquarters for the Alibaba group, the world’s largest retail e-commerce company, which introduced cashless payment to the city. Hangzhou is now considered by many of its citizens as a cashless society.

Enjoy a one-of-a-kind festival experience at the City of Pines with Globe! Panagbenga Festival is a month-long annual flower festival occurring in Baguio. This beautiful celebration was created as a tribute to the city's flowers and as a way to rise up from the devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake. Join us at #GlobePanagbenga 2018 from February 26 to March 4, 2018 and enjoy exciting games and activities, nifty prizes, and a live performance from two OPM greats – Sponge Cola and Bamboo! For more information about #GlobePanagbenga, visit the official Facebook  event page , call the Globe hotline at 730-1010, or visit any Globe Store.

Listed property firm Cebu Landmasters Inc. (CLI) expands its Visayas footprint and launches this week two residential projects that will offer a combined 1,615 housing units in two key areas of Negros island targeted towards mid-income and economic housing buyers.   CLI ’ s residential condominium development MesaVirre Garden Residences in the Bacolod City growth area will be offered to buyers today (February 26). It will make available 1,072 units ranging from 22sqm. to 40 sqm. in the heart of the city designed to appeal to IT-BPM and other employees and OFWs. Later this week, the company will also introduce Casa Mira Coast in Sibulan, Negros Occidental with 543 economic townhouse units from 38 sqm.  –  58 sqm. easily accessible to Dumaguete City, which is now also an IT-BPM destination and growth center. Jose Soberano III, CLI president and CEO, disclosed that the firm is in a unique position to meet real estate demand in the Visayas-Mindanao Region where it ...

Amidst the chaotic beat of the city, one can’t help but look for spaces where adventures and tranquility blend in symphonic balance. Inspired by The Hamptons of New York, dubbed the summer playground of USA’s rich and famous, Megaworld, through its subsidiary Global-Estate Resorts, Inc. (GERI), is bringing forth to adventurers and water lovers its second integrated lifestyle community in Laguna, The Hamptons Caliraya. Within the 300-hectare development is The Hamptons Village, a lakeside residential village that puts prime importance on exclusivity, top-notch amenities, and gorgeous architectural designs.

Globe Telecom and Facebook recently launched a new “Digital Discernment” workshop, coinciding with Safer Internet Day on February 6, 2018. More than 100 public school students and teachers from Manila participated in the workshop, which included topics to teach people how to think critically online, and identify credible information from questionable information.  Content includes practical tips on how to verify and examine online sources, and identify facts from opinions. The workshop promotes responsible digital citizenship among teachers and students in public and private schools across the country under the “Digital Thumbprint Program” or DTP. The workshop was led by Chelle Obligacion-Gray, Globe Director for Citizenship (2nd from left), Clair Deevy Facebook Head of Community Affairs Asia Pacific (3rd from left), Miguel Bermundo Globe Citizenship Manager (3rd from right), module facilitator Chris Kuzhuppilly (extreme left), along with DepEd representatives.

With the gentle swaying of the sea that seems to lullaby its passengers, a timely cruise can bring a much-needed calmness, even to the weariest of travellers. Just imagine, spending days at sea in complete solitude, staring at the vastness of the open ocean with nary a thought of one’s daily troubles. Days full of exciting possibilities with nowhere to be, no one to see, and best of all, no distractions - a complete cruise-cation to celebrate life.  In the past decade, cruises have become one of the most popular ways to relax and see the beauty this world has to offer. With its unique destinations, cost-efficient rates, and state-of-the-art ships, it comes as no surprise that cruising continues to gain popularity, especially among Filipinos. The majestic SuperStar Virgo will make Manila its homeport from March to May. The cruise ship offers travellers a visa-free way to visit cities in Taiwan and southern Japan. This year, Star Cruises announced that its 269-meter...

Globe myBusiness has launched a campaign that will enable academic institutions in their journey towards digital transformation and empower Filipinos with world-class learning through technology. Called ShiftED, the initiative was created by Globe myBusiness to assist the government and schools in developing globally-competitive students and teachers. ShiftEd launch with (from L-R):  Debbie Obias, VP, Segment Marketing Head, Globe myBusiness; Michelle Tapia, Head for Strategy, Innovation and Transformation, Globe myBusiness; Richard Jugar, University of San Carlos; Jonathan De Luzuriaga, President, Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA) and CEO, Spring Valley; Ritchie Ramos, Segment head for Education, Globe myBusiness; and Dr. Marilyn Balagtas, Philippine Normal University. Globe myBusiness has launched a campaign that will enable academic institutions in their journey towards digital transformation and empower Filipinos with world-class learning through...

South Star Drug, one of the biggest drugstore chains in the Philippines, becomes the first drugstore in Metro Manila that allows customers to purchase medicines and other items using GCash scan to pay mode of payment.   The medicine retailer has over 450 stores nationwide and still growing.   The use of GCash in South Star Drug’s Metro Manila outlets is being piloted in six branches – two in Pasig (C. Raymundo cor. F. Legaspi, Dr. Sixto Ave.), two in Makati (Herrera, Guadalupe Unimec), one in Pasay (Balabag Merville), and one in Las Pinas (Philamlife).  By end of the year, all South Star Drug outlets are expected to accept GCash scan to pay.  

Property Company of Friends, Inc. (PRO-FRIENDS), the developer of Parc Regency Residences and Monticello Villas is set to bring a whole new kind of experience to Ilonggo families with its soon-to-launch one of a kind nature park. Surrounded by century old trees, different varieties of plants, stunning flowers and green sceneries, the said nature park will serve as a relaxing haven for Ilonggo families. PRO-FRIENDS Iloilo’s nature park boasts of its nature-inspired attractions where families can enjoy fun bonding moments together.

Do you have what it takes to become the next GMA Network Excellence Awardee? GMA Network is inviting all outstanding graduating students of communication and technology based courses to vie for the 2018 GMA Network Excellence Award (GNEA). The search is open to any bona fide Filipino graduating student (academic year 2017-2018) of Mass Communication, Multi-media Arts, Advertising, Electronics Communication Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, and Information Technology.

Top streaming platform, Netflix recently released a documentary that tackles the possibility of immortality through technology, as a brief introduction to its latest science fiction series ‘Altered Carbon’. The short video featured several prominent thought leaders in entertainment, technology, science and literature, including Ernest Cu, president and chief executive officer of Globe Telecom. Cu is an immensely forward-thinking leader and tech innovator, who believes in empowering the Filipinos by elevating their digital lifestyle within the global standards. That vision has shaped the trajectory of Globe as a purveyor of all things digital. Hence, Netflix decided to profile Cu, along with Altered Carbon author Richard K. Morgan, Steve Aoki, Jesse Wellens, and other thought leaders to discuss how technology is changing the landscape of human society and how technology deeply affects the lives of individuals. They were also asked to imagine the various possibilities of living fo...

Globe myBusiness, the micro, small and medium-enterprise arm of Globe Telecom, has joined forces with Spring Valley, the largest integrated technology and innovation hub in the Philippines, to bridge the academe-industry gap by helping connect college students with the right companies for on-the-job training. Under the partnership, Globe myBusiness will power up and provide funding for Spring Valley’s online platform OJTPH.com, an on-the-job training matching site that allows students, companies and future employers, schools and other institutions to work together for a more efficient and meaningful student internship. From L-R:  Grace Anduiza - Managed Services & Solutions Head, Globe myBusiness; Derrick Heng - Senior Advisor, Globe myBusiness; Cleo Santos - Sales Head, Globe myBusiness; Jonathan de Luzuriaga - President & CEO of Spring Valley; Jorge Cosgayon - Head of Development, Spring Valley “Globe myBusiness creates a Globe of Good by providing relevant...

It’s a date! Celebrate the season of love with Ensemble, a free Valentine concert by Globe LIVE, featuring Ebe Dancel, Clara Benin, Johnoy Danao, Bullet Dumas, and Reese Lansangan, accompanied by the Manila Philharmonic Orchestra Quartet. On February 17, Globe LIVE will create an intimate space for guests to watch their favorite singers perform their hit love songs at the Globe Iconic Amphitheater.  

Get ready for an action-packed Valentines this February as Marvel’s The Black Panther comes out in SM Cinemas natiowide! Last seen aiding the fleeing Steve Rogers in Captain America: Civil War, witness T’Challa (Black Panther)embrace his new role as the ruler and protector of the majestic kingdom of Wakanda.  Having the biggest and only reserve of vibranium, the strongest, most durable metal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Captain America’s shield is made out of vibranium!), Wakanda has taken enormous progress in technology, this is the same reason the nation is threatened by Ulysses Klaue,a high-level criminal and the would-be usurper Erik Stevens, aka Killmonger. 

Globe Telecom heard the clamor of its customers and has brought back an upgraded version of its unlimited internet plans through Go Unli. Go Unli is the ultimate unlimited data offering that allows customers to stream video, play music and games without having to worry about lock-up period, data capping, and speed throttling. Go Unli works for all legal sites to make sure that Globe and its customers participate in making the internet safe for everyone. Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu, together with Globe At Home SVP Martha Sazon, and VP for Portfolio and Partner Management, Content Business Group reveal the latest Go Unli No-lock up home broadband plans “We want all customers to enjoy a superior internet experience. This is the reason why we spend billions of pesos every year to improve our network and expand internet connectivity in the country,” said Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu.

Paying with PayMaya will take you places as the country’s pioneer and leader in digital payments once again rewards customers with a chance to experience global travel destinations in the PayMaya Travel Blowout, running from February 1 to May 31, 2018. For each month from February to May, one lucky PayMaya account holder will win a five-day trip for two to each of the featured destinations, namely Taiwan in February, South Korea in March, Japan in April, and Maldives in May.  

Fans are counting down the days to catch some of the most in-demand artists in this year’s Wanderland Music and Arts Festival on March 10, 2018 at the Filinvest City Event Grounds, Alabang. This year’s Wanderland festival, which is guaranteed to give another unforgettable music fest, will be headlined by indie folk band  Kodaline , R&B singers  Jhené Aiko  and  Daniel Caesar, electronic musician  FKJ , pop artist  Lauv , and a DJ set by electronic band  Bag Raiders . They will also be joined by top local musicians  Jess Connelly ,  Quest ,  IV of Spades ,  Ben & Ben , and  Asch .   Also part of the lineup are  Basically Saturday  Night  and  Carousel Casualties , the two local bands who won the Wanderbattle challenge.

There are lots of places where you can spend Valentine’s Day but making it more special means finding venues with unique offers that help create new and memorable experiences. Lucky for you, Globe myBusiness, the micro, small, and medium-enterprise arm of Globe Telecom, has compiled a list of special places you should visit to make sure your day of hearts will be one for the books:

The International Finance Magazine has recognized Globe Telecom for its contribution in the development of the telecom industry in the Philippines by naming the company the Best Telecom Service Provider for 2017 against other global telco operators. Ernest Cu, Globe President and CEO, said the recognition has strengthened his resolve to continue innovating on products, make services more relevant, and actively participate in building the nation's ICT infrastructure. “Evolving the telco business to give more opportunities to as many Filipinos as possible using our technology will make our brand stronger than ever,” Cu said.

Globe Telecom announced today that it has initiated discussions with independent third parties for the establishment of a tower company to help speed up the build and deployment of cellular towers in the Philippines. Globe is looking at divesting all or part of its tower assets to independent tower companies as part of its network expansion and optimization plan.  To date, Globe has over 8,000 cell towers nationwide. Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu said, "We have been allocating over 30% of our total revenues to capital expenditure for the past five years and this level will be sustained over a period of time. An independent tower company will be a win-win solution.  It will monetize assets for capex use and help maintain our consistent dividend policy. In addition, this greatly helps President Duterte’s initiative to open the telco industry to new players.  

Megaworld, the country’s largest developer of integrated urban townships, is opening the P2.2-billion Festive Walk Mall in Iloilo Business Park this April. Covering 90,000 square meters in gross floor area, Festive Walk Mall will have a main mall connected to a mall annex that will also be linked to the 1.1-kilometer Festive Walk Parade via elevated walkways and bridges. The Iloilo Festive Walk Mall nears completion  Festive Walk Mall will have three levels of world-class shopping, dining, entertainment, leisure and wellness offerings. It will be anchored by its own supermarket, department store, home essentials store, toy store and a food hall.

When it comes to movie-watching, many Filipinos prefer to illegally download or stream online rather than watch from legitimate sources like cinemas and recognized streaming platforms. It may be free, but what they don’t know is that aside from harming the entertainment industry, they’re also harming themselves.   To educate viewers on the dangers of illegal content consumption, Globe launched #PlayItRight, an advocacy campaign to encourage its customers and the public to play content from legal sources and protect the copyright of its global content partners, while ensuring that its network, products and services are not used in illegal activities. “Every movie, series, and other forms of content downloaded from non-legitimate sources exposes the viewer to dangers they may not know about,” says Yoly Crisanto, senior vice president for Corporate Communications of Globe. “To protect our customers, our partners and our network from illegal activity and the dangers that...

There’s a lot of puppy love and luck as SM Accessories Kids and Toy Kingdom celebrate Chinese New Year with lovable and adorable plushies for kids of all ages.  Like children born in the Year of the Dog, these plush toys are cheerful, obliging, and a good sport. The Dog, after all, is said to be the most likeable sign in the Chinese Zodiac.   And kids born in the Year of the Dog are said to be honest, intelligent, egalitarian, and super-loyal. These children are playful, friendly, and outgoing, appreciated by peers and adults alike for their warmth, candidness, and sense of humor. A dog is a very good and supportive friend to have indeed. When the chips are down, the Dog will always be at your side.

Viewers and netizens can’t get enough of the new fantasy series Sirkus. On its first two weeks, the new GMA Public Affairs-produced program posted winning numbers over competition and was also one of the top-trending topics on Twitter. Netizens lauded Sirkus’ cinematography and amazing CGI effects that complemented the intriguing storyline of fraternal twins Mia and Mikoy, played by GMA Artist Center stars Mikee Quintos and Mikoy Morales. The amusing banter between La Ora (played by Cherie Gil) and her minions has also won the hearts of viewers.

Globe Telecom, Facebook and the Department of Education (DepEd) again joined hands to continue promoting responsible digital citizenship among teachers and students in public and private schools across the country under the “Digital Thumbprint Program” or DTP.  As of end 2017, there are now more than 60 million internet users in the country, 52.2 million of which—or roughly 50% of the country’s population—are mobile internet users who spend about 3.36 hours using the internet daily. Data from a Philippine National Police (PNP) report also bared that half of internet users are adolescents aged 17 years old and below. Globe Telecom, Facebook and Department of Education launched a partnership to promote responsible digital citizenship in the country. Globe President & CEO Ernest Cu (center) led the program launch. Cu is joined by from left, Globe Senior Vice President Nikko Acosta, DQ representative Galvin Ngo, Facebook Head of Community Affairs in Asia Pacific Clair De...

Let your loved ones feel special this Valentine season with gifts of love, fragrance, and beauty from Japanese fast fashion brand Miniso. Give yourself a romantic new look with Miniso’s beauty collection: various shades and colors of foundations, shimmery eyeshadows, luminous blushers, high definition lipsticks and eyebrow liners perfect for a date night.

 Globe Telecom is enforcing tighter rules to protect its customers against unscrupulous practices of some third-party value-added service (VAS) providers resulting in prepaid load deduction which customers often mistake as “nakaw load.” Unknown load deductions happen when customers click on an online advertisement link or button of VAS providers.  As a rule, customers should get a verification code via SMS on how to opt-in as well as another SMS for successful subscription and cancellation instructions.  However, there are instances when partners circumvent the rule, thus, automatically enrolling the customers without consent.  This in effect happened to a prepaid customer who complained online about load decrementation from a VAS provider, GotDeals Mobile, Inc. GotDeals Mobile, Inc., issued a public apology after a customer complained in social media about alleged load theft.

Ilonggos now have more reasons and options to chase wonders in different local destinations as AirAsia started offering direct flights to and from Iloilo and Clark last February 3. Flying every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, AirAsia is set to bring a wonderful travel experience to Ilonggos with Clark being considered as one of the major hubs in the country and gateway to international destinations.

DoubleDragon officers Edgar Injap Sia II and Ferdinand Sia with Christopher King of CK Buildiers Corp, W2JP2 Corp officers Lorenzo Jun Te and Sammy Uy The subsidiary of DoubleDragon Properties Corp has recently awarded the contract to build the Hotel 101 located in Davao City. Hotel 101-Davao is a joint venture project of DoubleDragon and Davao-bases W2JP2 Corp. The hotel will rise in a 5,300 sqm prime commercial corner lot located at Eco West Drive at the side of SM City-Davao. Hotel 101-Davao is expected to be the largest hotel in Mindanao with 519 hotel rooms, a commercial and retail strip, and facilities to cater to conventions and events.

GMA News pillar and multi-awarded broadcast journalist Mel Tiangco remains a loyal Kapuso, renewing her ties with leading broadcast company GMA Network in a contract signing held on Wednesday, January 31. Present during the contract signing were GMA Network Chairman and CEO Felipe L. Gozon, President and COO Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr., EVP and CFO Felipe S. Yalong, and SVP for News and Public Affairs Marissa L. Flores. GMA Network SVP for News and Public Affairs Marissa Flores, President and COO Gilberto Duavit, Jr., GMA News pillar Mel Tiangco, Chairman and CEO Felipe Gozon, and EVP and CFO Felipe Yalong. Tiangco, who co-anchors GMA’s flagship newscast 24 Oras with Mike Enriquez and Vicky Morales, has been with the Network for two strong decades. She is also the founder and ambassador of GMA’s socio-civic arm, GMA Kapuso Foundation.