REVIEW: Yellow Rose

It’s quite refreshing to see a Filipino-American film that is now showing in theaters commercially in the US. With the issue of immigration still a huge problem with many Filipino-Americans, it really has become a real life villain for many. Yellow Rose comes in as an interesting tale revolving around immigration and country music.

Written and directed by Diane Paragas, the movie premiered in the LAAPFF in 2019 and was supposed to be released commercially however was delayed due to the pandemic. However through partnership with KTX and Cinexpress, it will now be available for streaming in the country.

Digital Doc program: Send me your QR code

The next time you look to pay your doctor, you may want to ask for his or her QR code --     cashless transactions are safer for the patient and doctor alike.     

Through our Digital Doc program, we enable doctors and medical professionals to enjoy the benefits of digital payments via QR code.     

2 Public Schools Bag Youth Health Patrol Awards

Youth Health sessions on student health and lifestyle under quarantine

The Philippines is the 10th country in the world and the 1st in Southeast Asia to launch Kids and Diabetes in Schools (KiDS). Co-created by Sanofi and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and other partners, the program aims to raise awareness about diabetes management to schools and to educate and better promote healthy lifestyles among Filipino students. The program is operating in primary educational institutions across countries such as Argentina, Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, India, Japan, Pakistan, Poland and the United Arab Emirates.

In the Philippines, over 500 schools, 3000 teachers and 2000 students participated in the KiDS webinars on student health under quarantine. The sessions were conducted by medical experts -- endocrinologist, Dr. Lizette Lopez and diabetologist, Dr. Myrissa Alip who expressed the need for a diabetes management and prevention guide for school children. 

LRMC welcomes new LRT-1 Generation-4 trains

Private operator of LRT-1 Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), has announced that the first of its Generation-4 (Gen-4) train sets arrived in the Philippines last 18 January 2021. It was formally launched to the public on 26 January 2021 at the Manila Harbor Center in an unveiling ceremony attended by distinguished guests from both the private and public sectors.

The state-of-the-art passenger train sets measure 106 meters in length and 2.59 meters in width, with maximum design speeds of up to 70 kph. Each train set consists of 4 light rail vehicles (LRVs) and can accommodate over 1,300 passengers per trip. The 4th Gen LRVs have destination signs to inform passengers if the trains heading north or south. Inside, the driver station features a modern design, and there is monitor that shows the temperature inside each LRV. The new train set is PWD-friendly with special areas for wheelchairs.

LRMC receives ISO recertification for Quality and Environmental Management System

Lead auditor of TUV Rheinland Philippines with the
 LRMC ISO team inspecting the LRT-1 Quirino Station
 during the onsite audit in November 2020

LRT-1 private operator Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC) has received its recertification for ISO 9000:2015 (Quality Management System) and ISO 14001:2015 (Environmental Management System) after the successful audit conducted remotely last July 15-16, 2020 and onsite last November 18-19, 2020.

The new certificates will have a validity of three (3) years. LRMC first received its ISO certification in 2017. An ISO certification means that the company’s processes and systems meet international standards, ensuring both quality service for commuters and a first-rate work environment for employees.

Among the major positive observations commended in the audit include the management’s COVID-19 response (thermal scanning, UV C disinfection measure, contact tracing) on top of basic measures such as the use of minimum PPEs and physical distancing. Other safety measures that the audit team commended were the installation of additional beep card kiosks to improve queuing in all LRT-1 stations, installation of x-ray machines for additional security, encapsulation of asbestos roofing in the stations, and the implementation of specific controls to reduce risks on the tracks. The auditors also commended LRMC’s technology initiatives such as upgraded CCTVs, finger scan access control, electronic data management running on virtual server, and its enhanced Automated Train Operations Management System.

Filipino indie rock quartet Paper Satellites deals with childhood nostalgia on new single “Towns”

In a span of five years, Paper Satellites have been churning out tropical-infused indie rock songs that certainly had its rickety charms, most prominent of the bunch is “Golden Age”—a brash, unapologetic anthem that calls back to the days when Arctic Monkeys’ Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not and Twin Door Cinema Club’s Tourist History were the jam.

Fast forward to 2021, the promising quartet from East Manila continues to ride the familiar train with a dancier, more groove-oriented approach. “Towns,” their latest single under Lilystars Records, balances pop’s pleasure principle with their penchant for guitar-driven hooks, synth-noodling pipes, and big, ecstatic choruses. “Sound-wise, we took inspiration from various guitar-based artists such as Bombay Bicycle Club, Two Door Cinema Club, and a bunch of other bands with ‘Club’ in their names,” says vocalist and guitarist Jyle Macalintal. “It was also inspired by the music one hears from small town festivals.”

New Year, New Me: Signs You’ve Embraced the Adult Life

Transitioning to adulthood is never easy. Even when you plan or think you’re ready for what’s to come, there will always be bumps along the way. That said, growing up can feel less overwhelming once you start achieving adulting milestones step-by-step. 

Think you’ve mastered the art of adulting? Here are signs to look out for:

You have a steady job. 

It’s natural to jump from one job to another at the beginning of your career, but as you grow older, you begin to understand what you want to do until you retire. You weigh in on the pros and cons before accepting a job offer because you know your value. You’re aware that there are other jobs out there that would better suit your skills and experience.

World Vision and its Partners continue in their legacy of changing the lives of the most vulnerable children

As the Philippines welcomed another year, most Filipinos are anxious to see what the future holds. With everything the country experienced last 2020, a lot of people are doing their best to make the coming year different. Some have decided to make resolutions and pursue new opportunities, but for others, it is to continue the legacy of changing lives.

World Vision, together with its partners, continues the mission of helping the most vulnerable children and their communities led by its vision of seeing thousands or even millions of kids reach fullness of life. 

Through its campaign “A New Year of Firsts”, World Vision invites their sponsors to empower a child by enabling him or her to experience powerful and life-changing moments of firsts such as, for the first time a family could eat until they were full, a village could have clean water, a child could have all she needs to continue going to school, and a child could feel safe and protected.

'Fastest, more advanced' Globe at Home Prepaid WiFi provides essential connectivity in new normal

The pandemic has changed the way we live and how we go about our daily activities, forcing a digital shift that will be the norm moving forward.

Even before the nationwide lockdowns, Globe ensured that a steady and reliable internet connection has been made more accessible through the Globe at Home Prepaid WiFi, now equipped with a faster and more advanced LTE modem.

Globe at Home’s LTE-Advanced modem is two times faster than other Globe Prepaid modems, and is equipped with boosters, enabled by carrier aggregation capabilities, for a more reliable, higher-speed internet connection that is easy to set up.

“Globe’s home prepaid WiFi sets the bar for broadband not only because of its larger capacity, but more importantly for its affordability and accessibility. It is a great choice for families because it is shareable, easy to load, and comes in a wide range of budget-friendly options,” said Darius Delgado, Vice President and Head of Broadband Business at Globe.

Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi is available in several promo offers packed with freebies depending on the subscriber’s budget.

“In order to sustain the productivity of every member of the family, Globe made sure that affordable HomeWATCH and HomeSURF offers come with a bigger data allocation that is more than sufficient for today’s demands,” Delgado added.

Customers can avail of or order Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi kits via www.shop.globe.com.ph, the nearest Globe store, or through various channels and promos using the Globe At Home, Gcash and Globe One apps.

Globe’s continuous efforts to improve its network performance every year have resulted in more affordable and faster internet services for its broadband customers. 

Since 2016, the prices per gigabyte (GB) of all Globe broadband services such as Globe At Home Prepaid WiFi, wired Globe At Home Postpaid, and Globe at Home Postpaid LTE have gone down by more than 60%.

Along with the decrease in prices is the improvement in average download speeds in the country. 

In December, the country’s average mobile download speed was higher at 22.5 Mbps compared to 18.49 Mbps in November 2020, with an upload speed of 6.03 Mbps and latency of 33 ms according to the Speedtest® Global Index by Ookla®, the global leader in internet testing and analysis.

In terms of fixed broadband, Ookla® data shows that the Philippine average rose to 31.44 Mbps in December from 28.68 Mbps in November 2020*. 

Globe is carrying out a three-pronged strategy for network upgrades and expansion, which includes aggressive cell site builds; upgrading its cell sites to 4G/LTE using many different frequencies; and fast-tracking the fiberization of Filipino homes nationwide.

The company strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9 which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. Globe is committed to upholding the 10 United Nations Global Compact principles and 10 UN SDGs.

For more information, visit www.globe.com.ph.

*Based on analysis by Ookla® of Speedtest Intelligence® data comparing Q3 2020 to Q4 2020. Ookla trademarks used under license and reprinted with permission.

Philippines improves by 13 spots in global speedtest ranking

The Philippines' average speeds continue to improve, registering increases in December 2020 and besting 13 more countries at this time, according to the Speedtest® Global Index by Ookla®, the global leader in internet testing and analysis.

In December, the country’s average mobile download speed was higher at 22.5 Mbps compared to 18.49 Mbps in November 2020, with an upload speed of 6.03 Mbps and latency of 33 ms.