Ohohmaia

SuperStar Virgo, the flagship of Star Cruises will return to her well-loved Manila home port in December with consecutive holiday concept cruises that cater to a wide spectrum of holidaymakers.

Last September 13th, a press event has been hosted at the Hippodrome Bar & Lounge in Winford Hotel, one of the leading 5-starred hotels located in the heart of Manila, where members of the press got the news first-hand from senior executives of Star Cruises. Among the guests in attendance were celebrity chef Sandy Daza and world-renowned Manila PhilHarmonic Orchestra, who will both make their cruise debuts with SuperStar Virgo in the month of December.

With the exclusive sales promotions of Cruise One, Take One or 3rd/4th Guest Free offers, holidaymakers will have more reasons to take their vacations aboard this December, thanks to the spectacular line-up of theme cruises on SuperStar Virgo, with 5-night journeys to the sandy beaches in Southern China, as well as idyllic destinations in Vietnam.

Concert Cruise Series with The CompanY

Departure Date: December 4 to 9, 2018
Destinations: Halong Bay, Vietnam and Sanya, China

The deployment kicks off will feature the much-anticipated holiday concert at sea by The CompanY, a vocal harmony group that excels in performing a wide range of music genres, from classical choral music to alternative pop. Formed in 1985, The CompanY has now released 24 studio albums and garnered 54 music industry awards, making them the most awarded recording vocal group in the land. Guests at all ages will be swooned and crooned on the high seas with this versatile quintet.

Concert Cruise Series with the Manila PhilHarmonic Orchestra

Departure Date: December 9 to 14, 2018
Destinations: Halong Bay, Vietnam and Sanya, China

Imbibe the holiday spirit through a concerto at sea, as the wider-acclaimed Manila PhilHarmonic Orchestra will make her cruise debut aboard SuperStar Virgo. With over more than a decade of showcasing a solid passion for music through well-applauded live performances, records, tours. innovative programs of bringing the orchestra closer to the communities, guests of SuperStar Virgo will be presented the musical masterpieces by one of the leading orchestras in the country.

Festive Cooking Cruise with Celebrity Chef Sandy Daza

Departure Date: December 14 to 19, 2018
Destinations: Ho Chi Minh and Nha Trang, Vietnam

Celebrity Chef Sandy Daza, also known as host of TV shows FoodPrints and Casa Daza, will host cooking demonstrations on how to perfect his signature dishes, specific for the holiday family festivities with guests onboard SuperStar Virgo. As a toting dad of four young adults, Chef Daza will also share personal tips on how to bond with children over the love of food and cooking, as cruises also sail through the wondrous country of Vietnam.

Photo from etravel PH

Vacation at Sea with Bro. Bo Sanchez

Departure Date: December 19 to 24, 2018
Destinations: Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang, Vietnam

Presented in partnership with Executive Resources, Inc., world-renowned best-selling author, entrepreneur, and preacher, Bo Sanchez will bring a unique flavour to this holiday sailing to Vietnam with inspirational sessions aimed to bring out the best you during the most wonderful time of the year. Guests onboard will also be treated to special daily masses mirroring the Filipino Simbang Gabi tradition scheduled throughout the cruise.

Celebrations at Sea

Departure Dates: December 24 to 29, 2018 and December 29, 2018 to January 3, 2019
Destinations: Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang, Vietnam

Treat yourself and your family the ultimate gift of a magical Christmas and New Year’s festive cruises with SuperStar Virgo. Make your family celebrations merry and memorable on the high seas, as the ship will not just be decked out in full-on festive designs, but also be providing once-in-a-year onboard activities fit for the biggest holiday celebration at sea!

Vacationers can also choose to embark from Manila to explore amazing tropical destinations with SuperStar Virgo, with the special 5-Night Coron / Puerto Princesa / Kota Kinabalu grand finale cruise with a single departure on January 3, 2019 to commemorate the completion of her seasonal deployment in the Philippines early next year.

For more information on Star Cruises, please visit:

Website: www.starcruises.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/starcruises
Instagram: www.instagram.com/starcruisesasia

Digitalization has certainly helped many young adults to manage their finances to keep pace with the demands of their active and busy lifestyles. From enjoying cashless transactions, to conveniently booking movie tickets and paying necessary bills, most of the millennials’ activities can now be done with just one click or tap on their smartphones.

As most banks now offer online banking, many Filipinos can experience transacting on-the-go or at the comfort of their homes. Unlike traditional banking, going online also provides you with an easier way to save and track where you are spending your money.

But if you are hesitant to register your account in online banking because of security issues and concerns in the internet, here are some tips and tricks to help you keep your money safe from digital threats:

Use personal devices and connections

Bank details are personal information that should be known to no one else but you. And the best way to make sure that your account does not get compromised is by logging on using your own phone or laptop. You should also refrain from connecting using public Wi-Fis when you want to make an online transaction. Logging on to an unsecured network may expose you and your account to hackers.

Change your password regularly

It is important to safeguard accounts with passwords to prevent any unnecessary threats. Make sure that your passwords are strong enough by incorporating a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and even special characters. Most online banking systems issue periodic reminders that account holders should regularly update their passwords to avoid breach of their accounts.

Avoid clicking suspicious emails

Ever saw an email saying you won the lottery? Sounds tempting but do not fall for it, especially when it is asking for your personal details and card information. The best thing you can do is to ignore these spam messages or call your bank to confirm if they recently sent you the email.

Keep your apps and system up-to-date

Make sure you have your antivirus software or firewall protection system turned on to keep your devices safe from various malwares that could open access to your data. You should also update your bank’s mobile applications to ensure that you get the best and secure banking experience.

Monitor your accounts and transactions

Embrace the habit of checking your account balances regularly so you can immediate see if there are any suspicious transactions. By always reviewing your online statements, you can be sure that your financial accounts are in order.

And for most banks nowadays, you can enjoy features that keep your account from getting compromised. Just like with RCBC Online Banking and its special Card Lock and Unlock security feature that can safeguard your savings. This allows you to temporarily restrict withdrawal, point-of-sale purchase, fund transfer or online payment transactions on your debit or prepaid card when it is lost or stolen. You can also use this security feature anytime to prevent yourself from making impulsive purchases.

To activate the Card Lock and Unlock feature, you can simply log in to your RCBC Online Banking account and select Card Lock-Unlock feature on your account dashboard. You just need to slide the lock button and encode your card PIN to verify your action. After this, your account is now safely locked. Aside from this feature, RCBC also ensures the safety of your account with its secure servers that protect any sensitive data from viruses and malwares that may expose your information. It also provides a one-time password which is sent to your phone every time you log in to RCBC Online Banking.

Enjoy simpler and safer banking with RCBC now. Visit https://www.rcbconlinebanking.com for more information on how to start!

RCBC and its latest innovation, the ePiso, took the spotlight during the second International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) Workshop on Standardizing Digital Fiat Currency and Applications held in Cornell University Bloomberg Tech Campus in New York City, USA. ITU is the United Nations’ specialized agency for information and communications technologies.

The three-day conference centered on discussions about digital fiat currency and how it can positively impact a country’s financial policies and regulations, technical and business dynamics, and security systems. More than that, it also aimed to present how such financial breakthrough can contribute to inclusion, economic growth, technological innovation, and improved transaction movements.
More than 20 central banks presented their country’s studies and programs on creating a comprehensive digital platform for financial inclusion. Participants included central banks from Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Norway, and Sweden. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and RCBC represented the Philippines.

RCBC on leading the digital financial inclusion with ePiso

Margarita Lopez, RCBC’s Digital Banking Head, presented a convincing case on how the commercial bank utilized digital fiat currency technology to enable the unbanked market to have access to efficient financial services and solutions.

Supported by the BSP, the ePiso plays an integral part in RCBC’s core strategy to advance financial inclusion in the country. Melchor Plabasan, BSP’s core information technology specialist group head and deputy director, has given the nod of approval to the bank’s initiative to bring sustainable economic activities in communities.
“The launch of RCBC’s ePiso is consistent with our ‘test and learn’ approach where we are encouraging local financial institutions to develop an innovative product that will bring economic benefits to the public while at the same time ensuring risks are adequately managed,” shared Plabasan.

The BSP underscored the importance of this project as it showcased digital inclusion in enabling an alternative to physical cash handling and instant receiving of agri-loans.
At the global conference, RCBC’s ePiso was recognized for its efforts to make day-to-day commerce and financial activities more convenient and efficient for consumers. “Because the Philippines is primarily a cash-based society, we wanted to encourage the shift from using actual cash to digitized form of cash to help many Filipinos manage their money easily and securely as they go about their daily activities,” Lopez said.

The ePiso launch is accompanied by a mobile wallet which allows unbanked cash users to easily have access to financial services without having to open and maintain a bank account. They simply have to download the RCBC ePiso mobile app in Google Play.

The commercial bank recently pilot launched the ePiso in Muntinlupa City and Valencia City in Bukidnon in line with its efforts to reach and enable grassroots communities. Lopez shared, “We hope that our ePiso initiative can open the possibility for BSP to establish a digitized currency in the country that will improve financial inclusion.”

More than a main ingredient in Coca-Cola beverages, water is one of the most crucial resources essential to the health and survival of individuals, communities, and our business.

This is why The Coca-Cola Company developed and adjusted various aspects of its value chain in order to achieve water leadership status. From ensuring that raw materials are grown with efficient water use, to bottling facilities with minimal impact on the water supply, to bringing water access to water-deprived communities, and in ensuring that critical watersheds are cared for and conserved, the Company has stayed true to its commitment of returning to the communities and the environment every single drop of water used in the production of its beverages.

The beverage company initially looked at 2020 as the year to achieve 100 percent water replenishment, but this goal was achieved in 2015. To date, Coca-Cola has returned over 330 billion liters of water to the environment and the communities through various water programs and initiatives.

In the Philippines, the Company has audited an estimated 108 percent water replenishment rate through its various programs and activities, primarily through the Agos program. Under the program, Coca-Cola provides water access to 180 communities in rural parts of the country, developed more efficient water use in all bottling facilities, and contributed in the conservation efforts of critical watersheds.

From one end of the value chain, Coca-Cola has partnered with the Department of Agriculture to bring water access to small sugar farmers in impoverished parts of the country. Sugar is one of the key ingredients in the various beverages under the Coca-Cola line.

The Agos program of Coca-Cola Philippines has provided far-flung water-deprived communities with access to safe water through simple technologies such as ram pumps that elevate water without the need for electricity, gravity installations that bring water to lowlands, and rainwater catchment facilities.

To further serve the water-poor communities, Coca-Cola also deployed a mobile potable water treatment plant which produces 2,000 liters of potable water per day. Earlier this year, the water treatment plant has helped 4,300 internally-displaced persons (IDPS) at the Upper Hinaplanon and Buru-un School of Fisheries Evacuation Centers in Iligan City. At present, the mobile potable water plant is being deployed across various barangays in Marawi and has served water needs of 55,800 returning residents in the city.

Aside from giving back to communities, the Company returns water to nature by supporting the restoration and conservation of critical watersheds including the Ipo Watershed-Sapang Munti and the Sapinit Sub-Watershed within the Marikina Watershed.

Despite achieving their global goal, Coca-Cola vows to continue with the commitment of returning to the community and the environment, every drop of water used in the production of its beverages.

The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company, offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries. In addition to the company’s Coca-Cola brands, our portfolio includes some of the world’s most valuable beverage brands, such as AdeS soy-based beverages, Ayataka green tea, Dasani waters, Del Valle juices and nectars, Fanta, Georgia coffee, Gold Peak teas and coffees, Honest Tea, innocent smoothies and juices, Minute Maid juices, Powerade sports drinks, Simply juices, smartwater, Sprite, vitaminwater and ZICO coconut water. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We’re also working to reduce our environmental impact by replenishing water and promoting recycling. With our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, bringing economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

There are many things that make us feel at home - laughing and spending quality time with our favorite people, munching on our go-to comfort food along with a refreshing drink, or even listening to a song that brings back precious memories.

When we return to where we feel valued and accepted, when we’re reunited with the things and the people we love, when we look gratefully at our past experiences both good and bad, and when we remember the passions that inspire us, we come home.

These unique instances are our own moments of homecoming. When we recall a special moment, the memory comes with a tune that was playing in the background, a lyric that stood out, a beat that fit the mood, and sometimes even a Coke in hand.

With the perfect jam playing and a bottle of Coca-Cola, simple moments with our friends and family become more fun, more memorable and more uplifting.

Music has always been weaved in the history of Coca-Cola. In the Philippines, each generation remembers a certain song they can relate to the brand, like “Tomorrow’s People” sung by Lilet along with hundreds of teens all over the world, and “Sana” performed by Nikki Gil as she hands over bottles of Coke with a smile while singing an inspiring message.

Now, music and Coca-Cola come together once more to give young music lovers and Original Pinoy Music (OPM) artists a new home at Coke Studio Homecoming.

In line with the Company’s thrust to empower the youth, Coca-Cola tapped into young Filipinos’ love for music through Coke Studio PH in 2017. Coke Studio PH shed the spotlight back on OPM and provided a platform for artists, both veteran and new, to showcase their talents and collaborate.

This year, Coca-Cola connects to Filipino teens once again as Coke Studio PH returns to make them feel at home with the familiar sounds of OPM, giving them an avenue to show their love and support for local music.

For its second season, Coke Studio PH also further establishes itself as a hub of Pinoy talent, as it introduces a stellar lineup of local and international Filipino artists across various genres.

While the previous season brought together veteran artists and budding musicians, Coke Studio Homecoming calls Filipino artists who have shared their talents to the world to return to their roots and bridges them with homegrown talents who have yet to stand on the international stage.

Among the Season 2 artists are funk-rock band IV of Spades, spoken word artist Juan Miguel Severo, rapper Shanti Dope, hip-hop and R&B artist Quest, Filipina K-Pop sensation Kriesha Chu, singer-songwriter Moira Dela Torre, Fil-Am acoustic/pop singer and YouTube personality AJ Rafael, DJ Patty Tiu, alternative/indie band December Avenue, 22-year-old actor/singer Khalil Ramos, all-around performer Sam Concepcion, multi-awarded singer KZ Tandingan, nine-piece Filipino folk-pop band Ben&Ben, and a surprise artist!

Each episode of the season will focus on the artists’ own stories of homecoming – whether to their homeland, to a memory, or a person – a place or moment where they truly feel they belong.

From this colorful mix of talented Filipino singers and bands, Coke Studio Homecoming will feature groundbreaking collaborations between artists, as well as unique renditions of their songs, each a reflection of what coming home means to them.

“We received such an overwhelming response during the first season of Coke Studio PH and this really inspired us to work harder this second season and explore ways to take it further. Last year, Coke Studio became a home for OPM and now we want to continue and strengthen that legacy, making sure that the younger generation and the new lineup of artists can feel that same sense of belonging,” said Stephan Czypionka, Coca-Cola Philippines Vice President for Marketing.

While uniting teens through music, Coca-Cola takes it a step further by enabling them to do their part for a greater cause. This year, Coca-Cola announced an industry-first goal to collect and recycle the equivalent of every bottle or can it sells globally by 2030—a goal in line with the Company’s vision of a World Without Waste. This is why during all Coke Studio events, Coca-Cola encourages teens to deposit their PET bottles in designated recycling bins. The Coke Studio TuneCycle, a stationary bicycle that also grinds PET bottles, will also be a staple in Coke Studio events. These ground PET bottles will later on be turned into eco-bricks.

Coca-Cola revealed its exciting lineup of artists at the Coke Studio Homecoming Launch on September 1, at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. During the event, memorable Coke Ambassadors Lilet, Nikki Gil, and Abra performed a mash up of iconic Coca-Cola songs, Tomorrow’s People and Sana.

Catch all seven episodes of Coke Studio Homecoming, as well as its Christmas special, every Sunday, starting September 16 on ABS-CBN at 11:15 a.m. and on the official YouTube Channel. There are plenty of mash-ups, covers, and surprises in store so stay tuned and let the sounds of OPM call you home!

About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is a total beverage company, offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries. In addition to the company’s Coca-Cola brands, our portfolio includes some of the world’s most valuable beverage brands, such as AdeS soy-based beverages, Ayataka green tea, Dasani waters, Del Valle juices and nectars, Fanta, Georgia coffee, Gold Peak teas and coffees, Honest Tea, innocent smoothies and juices, Minute Maid juices, Powerade sports drinks, Simply juices, smartwater, Sprite, vitaminwater and ZICO coconut water. We’re constantly transforming our portfolio, from reducing sugar in our drinks to bringing innovative new products to market. We’re also working to reduce our environmental impact by replenishing water and promoting recycling. With our bottling partners, we employ more than 700,000 people, bringing economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.

This September, kids are in for lots of adventures and hours of playtime as they build and explore their own Jollibee Fun City, right from their homes and backyards!
The new Jolly Kiddie Meal toys feature Jollibee and Friends as they bring kids around the city where they can spend the day exploring different places and experiencing new adventures.

With Hetty, kids can go to school to discover and learn a lot of new things with their classmates. They can join Popo at the basketball court for some games while others can explore the playground with Yum.
After some afternoon fun, Jollibee can bring kids and their parents to the Jollibee store for some of their favorite langhap-sarap treats while Twirlie welcomes everyone home after spending a wonderful day in the city.

Collect all five Jollibee Fun City Jolly Kiddie Meal toys with every purchase of a Yumburger (P80), Yumburger Meal with Drink (P100), Jolly Spaghetti (P95), Jolly Spaghetti Meal with Drink (P105), 1-piece Burger Steak (P95), 1-piece Burger Steak Meal with Drink (P105), 1-piece Chickenjoy with rice (P120), or 1-piece Chickenjoy Meal with Drink (P130), each with its own Jolly Joy Box.
Hurry, get started on collecting and building your Jollibee Fun City which is available until September 30, 2018 only. Visit your nearest Jollibee branch to complete and connect all five toys to start playing.

Last August 2016, a Meet and Greet with the sought after YouTube Makeup Guru, Say Tioco, plus an Eyebrow Workshop tutorial with Benefit Ph's National Brow Artist , Celina Fernandez, was held at the Benefit Trinoma branch.

I was one of the lucky girls who were picked randomly to attend this event, together with one of my close friend, Louie :).

I was very excited to attend the event, since I'm a long time follower of Say, way back 2012, and it was also the first time that I've attended a beauty workshop. Seeing the store for the first time I was actually impressed with the interior design of the store. It was well lit and the color scheme was welcoming and warm.

Say was the host for the event and she was very lively and bubbly while hosting it. She was very "game" in answering the participants' questions and even gave tips about vlogging and creating video content for aspiring YouTube creators.

Celina on the other hand, was very impressive when she showcased her skills in eyebrow transformation. Luckily, my close friend Louie was chosen as the model for the magical brow makeover. I was stunned when I saw the astonishing outcome of the makeover. Louie was simply more beautiful than ever, and that was just the eyebrow. You will really see here the impact of having ON FLEEK eyebrows :)