Filipino Franchise Business Expo 2020 To Push Through Challenges

Business may have faced challenges at the start of the new decade with the explosion of Taal and the threat of the COVID-19  (NcoV) scare, there is still a positive outlook for people getting into franchises. This year the  Association of Filipino Franchisers, Inc. (AFFI) continues their anticipated annual event called the Filipino Franchise Business Expo which will take place this year at the World Trade Center.

The year 2020 also draws more demands for new business models, brands, and even innovations that will define the success of businesses. The AFFI believes that the 3 I’s—Improvement, Integration and Innovation will be the most important factors that investors and businessmen should take note of. In this age that technology and the internet are one of the biggest factors to marketing and customer service, both old and new companies should be able to adapt.

Kapuso star Bianca Umali visits children affected by Taal Volcano eruption

Kapuso star Bianca Umali joined child-focused NGO World Vision in Laurel, Batangas last February 7 to visit and help distribute learners’ kits to about 400 school-aged children from Grade 1 to 7. Each kit contains a school bag, school supplies, and art materials to help hundreds of children who temporarily stopped schooling due to the eruption.

As World Vision’s Youth Ambassador for Education, Bianca Umali hoped to inspire the children with a message of hope amidst difficult times brought by Taal Volcano eruption. 

Timothee Chalamet, a Dashing Disruptor in "Little Women"

When the March sisters discover they have a dashing young neighbor, Theodore “Laurie” Laurence, he becomes both an honorary member of their circle and a disruptor who will ultimately fall in love with two of the sisters, in Columbia Pictures’ Little Women.  Taking the role is Timothée Chalamet, who caught the global spotlight with his Oscar®-nominated role in Call Me By Your Name, as well as Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird.

(Watch the film’s new spot at https://youtu.be/xAYl8n0Zluo.)

For director-screenwriter Gerwig, Laurie and Jo (Saoirse Ronan) are mirror images.  “Jo is a girl with a boy’s name and Laurie is a boy with a girl’s name,” she notes.  “He is the gender-flipped twin of Jo.  And what Timothée did with him was magical.  As female viewers, we all have had this experience of imagining ourselves as boys, because so many main characters are boy, and we project ourselves into a boy’s journey. But through Timothée we see a boy projecting himself into a female world, which makes for something really special.”  

Catriona Gray joins Smile Train as its newest Global Ambassador

Smile Train Global Ambassador and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray visited Smile Train’s partner hospital, Philippine Band of Mercy, where she met with cleft patients and their families.

Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray joins Smile Train, the world’s leading cleft organization, as its newest Global Ambassador.

Lucy Hale, Maggie Q Have Secret Dreams in "Blumhouse's Fantasy Island"

Maggie Q (Divergent, Mission: Impossible III) and Lucy Hale (Truth or Dare, TV’s Pretty Little Liars) play characters in a quest to fulfill their fantasies in Blumhouse’s Fantasy Island.

In the film, the enigmatic Mr. Roarke (Michael Pena) makes the secret dreams of his lucky guests come true at a luxurious and remote tropical resort. But when the fantasies become nightmares, the guests have to solve the island’s mystery in order to escape with their lives.

Use PayMaya to get the best cashback rewards this love month

Top 6 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day with PayMaya para may BalikBayad ka!

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and it’s time to fall head over heels on PayMaya’s deals this month of love! From gift shopping online for your loved one to dining out at your favorite restaurant with your special someone, you can have a more exciting and lovelier Valentine’s Day celebration when you use PayMaya for your payment transactions.

Here are 6 ways to enjoy PayMaya’s BalikBayad perks this month of love!  

SHOP FOR A SPECIAL GIFT ONLINE

It’s always the thought that counts when you’re buying a gift for your loved one. Since Valentine’s Day is fast approaching, shopping at the mall can be a challenge.  

Smartphone Powered Movies To Be Showcased At The Huawei Film Awards

Who would have thought that eventually we can actually have a film festival which is made of films shot using a smartphones. As many models have upgraded their mobile photography and videography capacity and functions, they can now rival complex camera set up that has been used in films and commercials.

Huawei is one of those brands whose flagship model has risen beyond the usual camera capacity to give those perfect quality shots. Thus the Huawei Film Awards was made, a grand showcase of the gift and talent of Filipinos. Alongside several videos aired that day, like the short films from Pepe Diokno and Sid Maderazo, both famous directors in the Philippines, and the music video of singer-songwriter Reese Lansangan, was the official launch of Huawei’s CSR documentary by filmmaker and humanitarian, Lyka Gonzalez.

Shopee Celebrates Love this Valentine’s Day with up to 90% Off Deals and a Staycation For Two

From February 13 to 15, Shopee Valentine’s Day Sale will feature free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend and ₱9 deals

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, celebrates the season of love with Shopee Valentine’s Day Sale from February 13 to 15. Take this opportunity to shower loved ones with gifts with discounts up to 90%, such as the Apple Airpods 2, GoPro Hero 8, and Xiaomi Redmi Note 8. Shopee offers a sweeter deal for one special couple to win a staycation at Holiday Inn and Suites Makati through Shopee’s Feb-Ibig Forecast.

BRIA Homes inspires with “Panata” video, hits 5 million views

Over six million Filipino families know the challenges of not having their own home. They toil in jobs to pay their rent, pouring hours of their time into work so they can have a place to sleep at night. It is a familiar struggle for millions of ordinary Filipinos all over the country who just want a roof over their heads.

It’s this experience that is poignantly portrayed in BRIA Homes’ video “Panata” which has now garnered over five million views online. Set to a gripping poem by award-winning author Louie Jon A. Sanchez, “Panata” depicts the life of ordinary Filipinos and their families and the sacrifices they make to pay the rent on time.

"Downhill" Exclusive at Ayala Malls Cinemas Starting Feb 12

Julia Louis-Dreyfus (TV’s “Veep”) and Will Ferrell star in the Sundance Film Festival hit comedy Searchlight Pictures’ “Downhill” from the Oscar-winning co-writers of “The Descendants. 

To be shown exclusively at selected Ayala Malls Cinemas starting February 12, “Downhill” tells the story of a married couple thrown into disarray as they are forced to reevaluate their lives and how they feel about each other after barely escaping an avalanche during a family ski vacation in the Alps.

(Watch the film’s trailer at https://youtu.be/AY5SrKf_2ic.)

Directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash from a screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, and Faxon & Rash; Searchlight Pictures’ “Downhill” also stars Zach Woods, Zoë Chao, Miranda Otto and Kristofer Hivju. It is inspired by the acclaimed 2014 Swedish film “Force Majeure.”