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10 LG Styler 12 Samsung The Sero 14 OPPO A16K 15 Snowplus Alien Series 16 vivo Y15 Series 17 ASUS ZenBook 14X OLED 18 ECOVAC T9 20 ECOVAC DEEBOT N8
30 TECNO Camon 18P 34 Anker SoundCore Life Dot 2 NC 36 realme Pad 40 Nokia 6310
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GADGETS LAB
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22 Nokia G50 24 Nokia 6310 / Nokia C30 25 Nokia T20 26 HP Smart Tank Printers
COVERSTORY 44 Racine’s Wish List 48 G ab’s Wish List 52 C es Christmas Wish List
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DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022
VOLUME XXII • Issue IV
Contents
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DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022
VOLUME XXII • Issue IV
Contents
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MOBILITY 56 The New Generation Of Upgrades For The New Normal Of Driving 60 11th-Gen All-New Honda Civic 66 All-New Kia Sorento 70 New HINO 300 Fully- Automatic Truck 72 Goodyear Assurance Maxguard SUV Tires 74 Michelin LTX Trail 76 All-New Isuzu D-MAX Conquers 2021 Rallycross 78 Kyle Paz Finishes Historic Season In The FIM CEV MOTO2 European Championships
MUSIC CORNER
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GREEN CTEK Charging Solutions: Waste Not, Want Not
86 The Music of MIO 88 10 Filipino Music Producers To Follow
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HOME 104 Dyson Omni-Glide 107 Petron Gasul Elite 108 ATIS, The Art Of The View
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SNAPSHOTS Photo perfection with the flagship-level Huawei nova 9
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VISUAL SPACE
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Far Cry 6
#HealthIsAChoice
GAMING
Is Discovery+ Worth It
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WELLNESS
DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022
VOLUME XXII • Issue IV
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114 Festival of Lights
Christmas Cards
PROPERTY
RELIC
Virtual Edition 2021 118 Special Holiday Installations By Ortigas Land
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DTI Digital Malls
126 917Ventures 128 e-Conomy SEA Report 2021
GOVERNMENT
ENTERPRISE
CYBER SECURITY
136 Asia’s Small And Medium Businesses Are Under Cyberattack 138 Android Spyware Disguised As An Update App
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FINTECH
EDUCATION
140 The Future Of Money 142 #TooGoodToBeNo2 144 MoonXBT Provides An Engaging Environment For Crypto Trading 146 TALA Flexible Loans
130 Coursera 132 Turnitin 134 Be Internet Awesome
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NEWSBYTES The latest in the world of tech
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December 2021 – January 2022
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Smart Wardrobe
WITH ITS 70th Anniversary Edition RE-AZ0001S/RE-AZ0002S, Orient Star announces a new generation of its most emblematic model, the Skeleton, from With the LG Styler, all you need to do is put your clothes inside, and it’s good as new in minutes — no fuss, and definitely no damage. You can also do this to shake off wrinkles and odors. You can take care of suits, dresses, sweaters and more with the touch of a button, so you and your clothes will always look at your best. Shake off odors, leaving your clothes fresh and clean. You don’t have to worry about special fabrics. The LG Styler prevents shrinkage and damage courtesy of its Heat-Pump Technology. Gently dry clothes that require special care without worrying about shrinkage or damage. No more dampness or accidental damage — only fresh, clean clothes as they were meant to be.
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The Styler can also be controlled using your smartphone. ThinQ™ app lets you operate or monitor precious garments from anywhere, anytime. You can use Cycle Download to add newly developed care cycles. Aside from being functional, it’s sleek, stylish, and blends well with any interior. Whether you’re living by yourself or with a family, the LG Styler is a key piece in anyone’s wardrobe. With it, you can refresh clothes in the comfort of your home. From unpleasant smells, harmful pollutants, dripping wet, wrinkles, seasonal garments, and even difficult to clean items — effortlessly remove them quickly and effectively at your home. December 2021 – January 2022
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At the core of Styler is the patented LG TrueSteam™ technology, which eliminates over 99.9 percent of the germs and bacteria found in clothing and toys and is approved as asthma
and allergy friendly® by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). Clothes placed on the moving hangers shake out wrinkles and unpleasant odors, while the Gentle Dry cycle removes moisture quickly and thoroughly. Heat Pump Drying reduces energy consumption by recycling heat from the hot, moist air inside Styler, and Pants Crease Care creates a crisp crease-line without an iron.
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LG Styler
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December 2021 – January 2022
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Samsung The Sero Smart TV
PHP74,999
THERE’S A WAY to go beyond the small screen experience in a huge way with the arrival of Samsung’s The Sero, the world’s first rotating TV, in the Philippines. The Sero has an Auto-Rotating screen that can switch between portrait and landscape modes through remote control, the SmartThings app on mobile, and Bixby voice command. The feature is perfect for content creators and consumers who want to optimize their viewing experience depending on their preferred type of content.
You can enjoy an exceptional sound experience while watching live streams and TikTok videos with The Sero’s powerful 4.1ch 60W Front Firing speakers. These are embedded with base-enhancing woofers that are great for various low-frequency sounds.
On top of the impressive audio-visual features, The Sero can be a unique interior piece thanks to several ambient screensavers options on Portrait Mode, such as Clock, My Photo, and Cinemagraph. Users can also effortlessly move the TV from one room to another, thanks to The Sero Wheel accessory. These features make Samsung’s The Sero the perfect TV for social media-savvy content creators and consumers who are looking for a creative breakthrough. The mobile compatibility and versatility of the two viewing angles, among others, offer new perspectives that will give users a next-level content experience.
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The Sero’s Tap View feature lets users connect their iOS or Android phones and watch their favorite content on the 43-inch display.
Making photos and videos more eye-catching is The Sero’s Real 4K Resolution with AI Upscaling, which upscales pictures to 4K quality. This saves content creators the trouble of zooming in on smaller phone screens to see the tiniest details.
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December 2021 – January 2022
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OPPO A16K Smartphone
PHP 6,999
THE OPPO A16K is the brand’s newest entry-level smartphone contender under its best-selling A Series. It’s built for everyday practicality without compromising technology and design. OPPO A16K comes with today’s ergonomically designed handset with its sleek and light attribute measuring just 7.85mm in thickness and weighing only 175g. In addition to its stunning appearance, A16K is also a delight to hold, with a 3D back cover that provides a smooth and comfortable grip. On the front of the phone, OPPO A16K features a large 6.52-inch HD+ display for expanded viewing. The display is fitted with All-day Eye Care – a series of features comprising Sunlight December 2021 – January 2022
Display, Moonlight Display, and AI Smart Backlight that help ensure a healthier and more comfortable visual experience throughout the day. Beyond its eye-catching looks, OPPO A16K includes a series of hardware and software upgrades that provide a smoother and more efficient user experience all-round. Powered by the MediaTek Helio G35 SoC and further enhanced by System Booster – a suite of system-level optimizations, A16K delivers smooth performance at all times. With the inclusion of a large 4230mAh battery paired with an array of charging features, including Super Nighttime Standby, Optimized Night Charging, and Super Power Saving Mode, A16K keeps users charged all day
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while ensuring a safe and convenient charging experience. When it comes to imaging, OPPO A16K includes a 13MP rear main camera, together with several upgraded features to help capture stunning images in a variety of different situations. Once users have captured the perfect image, creative post-production tools such as AI Palette – which can transform images into the style of popular reference images with one click – and SoLoop – OPPO’s easy-touse, smart video editor – are on hand to realize users’ unique creative styles. The OPPO A16K comes in blue and black color variants. gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
Vape
Snowplus Alien Series THE SNOWPLUS introduces two powerful new products, Alien X and Alien air, along with eight distinctive new flavors to create new Alien series. The Alien series has new advanced features and user-friendly designs.
that come in eight flavors: Cool Mint, Classic Tobacco, Orange Soda, Pink Lemonade, Honeydew, Peach, and Tropical Punch.
Alien Pods In addition to the Alien X and Alien air, Snowplus also has new Alien Pods
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Alien series Both the Alien X and Alien air feature Pano-View, which allows users to have an unrestricted view of e-liquid levels at all times. The devices are also equipped with easy-to-grip sides that ensure users never have to touch the mouthpiece, keeping their device clean and germfree.
This new series from Snowplus delivers outstanding performance with consistently thick, silky-smooth vapor and 99% flavor integrity. All this technology is packed into a remarkably durable and lightweight frame that comes in a wide variety of eye-catching finishes. The top of the range Alien X is available in Starlight Silver, Galaxy Green, Cosmic Blue, and Nebula Black, alongside the more affordable Alien air, which will be released in Green Aura and Silver Mist.
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December 2021 – January 2022
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Smartphone From PHP5,000 to PHP7,500
vivo Y15 Series THE VIVO Y SERIES, the brand’s best-selling product segment in the country, comes with the latest update with the new vivo Y15 Series release. The vivo Y15 Series integrates an 8MP Night Selfie camera. This feature ensures that all images taken are focused on the subject to capture an enlightened beauty against a bokeh or haloing backdrop. Additionally, it also comes with a Selfie Soft Light Band that supports photos taken in dark environments. This one provides a real-time preview of fill light effects and automatic adaptation, so users can be assured that they get the best lighting every time. December 2021 – January 2022
Aside from its fashionable hardware design and modern camera features, the vivo Y15 Series also supports a user’s daily journey with its powerful built-in technology. A single full charge of the Y15 Series can provide up to 18 hours of HD movie streaming or 7 hours of intensive game playing. With this, people can pursue their gaming or film-buff hobbies anytime, anywhere. It also has
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the groundbreaking 5V1A Reverse Charging technology. This feature means that the smartphone can also be used to charge other devices — doubling as a device of its own as well as a backup power bank. At a budget-friendly price range, users can have a reliable device to attend to their day-to-day tasks — from social media activities, gaming, online video calls, and other creative pursuits. gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
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Laptop
PHP64,995
ASUS ZenBook 14X OLED in one touch as the Zenbook 14X OLED has a fingerprint sensor on its power button. All these features add a touch of brilliance for that on-the-go productivity.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED comes in a sleek Jade Black color, an ASUS Pen, and Microsoft Office Home & Student 2019.
The Zenbook 14X OLED works hard as its users. It’s powered by an AMD Ryzen 5600H Mobile Processor, AMD Radeon graphics, and 8GB RAM, complemented by a 512GB PCIe 3.0 x2 NVMe SSD and the latest WiFi 6 (802.11ax). Its ASUS IceCool Plus dual-fan cooling technology ensures sustained GPU performance, providing up to 30% more flow rate increase and lower noise.
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THE ASUS ZENBOOK 14X OLED (UM5401QA) is designed with on-thego professionals in mind. Sporting a slim, light, and compact body at only 15.9mm thin, users can quickly adapt to any work environment. It comes in a precision-engineered 180-degree ErgoLift hinge that lays the laptop flat, perfect for collaboration and presentation purposes. For easier data entry, the Zenbook 14X OLED also features an intelligent ASUS NumberPad 2.0 that integrates a full-size LEDilluminated numeric keypad into the touchpad. And for added privacy, users can log in and power on their laptop
December 2021 – January 2022
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ECOVAC T9 Robot Vacuum
PHP49,990
PHP69,990 with Auto-Empty Station
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THE DEEBOT T9 FAMILY is the flagship robotic vacuum cleaner of Ecovacs Robotics, the world’s leading home service robotics maker. The DEEBOT T9 integrates cutting-edge features from other industries and the company’s industryleading innovation to go beyond the conventional robotic vacuum cleaning experience. An enhanced ECOVACS HOME app improves obstacle avoidance and navigation. Its upgraded TrueDetect 3D 2.0 technology, with a range of 70-350 millimeters, quickly detects different obstacles at a distance, allowing the DEEBOT T9 to detect objects ten times more accurately than traditional infra-red technology. The combination of TrueDetect 3D 2.0 and TrueMapping 2.0 with 3D Maps also allows users to quickly locate the robotic vacuum cleaner and manage various cleaning tasks on the fly. The built-in air freshener provides a luxurious cleaning experience. The DEEBOT T9 is the first in the industry to clean floors and freshen the air simultaneously. The built-in air freshener eliminates musty and pet odors, while a fan at the bottom spreads the fragrance evenly. Users can
December 2021 – January 2022
operate the air freshener, which uses replaceable capsules that can last up to 60 days, via the ECOVACS HOME App. The OZMO™ Pro 2.0 and an Auto-Empty Station expands cleaning performance. The latest OZMO Pro 2.0 Electric Oscillating Mopping System has a newly designed motor and movement structure that minimizes noise while its 3,000Pa suction power enhances cleaning performance. With a highfrequency vibration of up to 480 times per minute, the Mopping System is comparable to electric mops. The DEEBOT T9 uses disposable mopping pads with specially-designed microfibers to absorb water evenly, efficiently capture dust, and reduce residual water stains. The composite structure removes stubborn stains on the floor.
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December 2021 – January 2022
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ECOVAC DEEBOT N8 Robot Vacuum
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THE DEEBOT N8 FAMILY combines premium-grade features that continue ECOVACS’s commitment to superior cleaning while being more affordable. Also featuring TrueDetect 3D technology, it is able to avoid collisions and getting entangled with millimeterlevel precision. It recognizes dark surfaces better and detects the smallest obstacles, including shoes, wire cords, and small toys. It is ten times more accurate than traditional infrared technology.
December 2021 – January 2022
PHP36,990
PHP56,990 with Auto-Empty Station
The TrueMapping laser-based mapping and navigation technology creates floor maps in seconds, allowing the DEEBOT N8 Family to intelligently navigate and find the optimal cleaning paths for each home.
Family can scan, map, and plan an efficient cleaning path faster and with more precision — a welcome benefit for larger homes. The Virtual Boundary™ function via the ECOVACS Home App restricts robot movements for privacy.
The DEEBOT N8 Family dToF laser detection doubles the distance recognition capabilities and improves object recognition by four-fold. It can detect objects as small as two millimeters 10 meters away. Using industry-leading algorithms, the N8
Its revolutionary pressure-retention system delivers energy-efficient high vacuum pressure at a surprisingly low noise level. The Max+ mode increases the suction power of the DEEBOT N8 and N8+ to 2300Pa for higher performance.
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Vacuuming and mopping can be done simultaneously by the ECOVACS signature OZMO™️ Mopping System that efficiently cleans the whole house without repeatedly stopping to top up the water tank. Sensors on the DEEBOT N8 Family improve cleaning efficiency, and users can manually manage the water yield using the ECOVACS HOME App. The OZMO Mopping technology uses upgraded disposable mopping pads to remove over 99% of bacteria.
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With intelligent control for remote cleaning management, the ECOVACS HOME App allows users to set the optimal cleaning schedules using smartphones or smart home devices such as the Amazon Echo/Dot and Google Home. The upgraded advanced mapping function allows users to customize the cleaning plan for each room.
AUTO-EMPTY STATION PHP19,990 Standalone Auto-Empty Station
The Auto-Empty Station eliminates the need for users to manually empty the robot dustbins by storing the contents in its large-volume 2.5L disposable dust bag, which users all-natural paper materials and has space for up to 30 days of dust. Users can manage the Auto-Empty Station via their ECOVACS HOME App. It is compatible with all the DEEBOT T9 and N8 Family models.
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December 2021 – January 2022
Wish List
NOKIA WISHLIST
Is your loved one a fan of Nokia? Need some tech inspiration on what to give to your love ones this Christmas? Here are some Nokia devices to consider for your last minute holiday gift shopping! December 2021 – January 2022
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NOKIA G50
Meet the Nokia G50, the brand’s most affordable 5G smartphone. It’s powered by a Qualcomm 480 processor and comes with two days of battery life with 18W fast charging. When you get the Nokia G50 you can rest easy knowing that it’ll come with the latest Android software with monthly security update. The Nokia G50 also comes with 48-megapixel triple lens camera with AI smarts. Enjoy crisp and sharp selfies and pictures thanks to the stabilization to make sure you capture all your precious moments in stunning detail. *Prices as of December 2021
PHP 13,990*
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December 2021 – January 2022
Wish List
NOKIA 6310 A classic redesigned. In celebration of 20 years since its release, Nokia has revived the 6310 for 2021. Blending the 2000s nostalgia with modern day essentials. The new 6310 has a larger screen and a new zoom in feature so you can read with ease. At the core of the new 6310 is its battery guaranteed to last you weeks! Finally, Nokia has added a VGA camera to the new 6310. The new 6310 also comes in new and fresh colors. PHP 2,490*
NOKIA C30 Need a handy device? The Nokia C30 with its massive 6.82-inch HD+ is designed for users who need the extra screen real-estate, whether it’s for work or for school. The phone's 6000mAh battery will last users up to 3 days of screen time, giving you more time to enjoy doing what you want. The Nokia C30 comes with dual cameras at the back with a 13-megapixel main camera. The secondary 2-megapixel camera adds depth to the pictures to get that buttery bokeh portrait. As part of the C-series, the Nokia C30 has robust security, including quarterly security updates as well as fingerprint and face unlock features.
PHP 6,690*
December 2021 – January 2022
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NOKIA T20
The Nokia T20 is Nokia’s first tablet and does it pack some neat features! The Nokia T20 has a crystal clear 10.4-inch 2K display. It has Google Kids Space which is designed to nurture your kids' curiosity and creativity, inspiring them to explore their interests through recommended apps, books, and videos. Google Kids Space is designed for kids and works with your child’s Google Account that parents can help manage with Family Link parental controls. The Nokia T20 come with an 8200mAh, giving the tablet up to 15 hours of web browsing, 7 hours of conference calls, and 10 hours of movie watching. Like all Nokia devices, the T20 will also get three years of monthly security updates, and two years of OS upgrades.
PHP 12,990*
*Prices as of December 2021
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December 2021 – January 2022
Wish List
HP Smart Tank Printers HP’S NEW LINE-UP of innovative printers namely, HP Smart Tank 670, 720, and 750 series, aims to help families and small business owners stay productive and creative while working and learning from home. The new series offers a seamless and versatile printing experience that does not comprise on speed, affordability, or quality. Building on HP’s long history of developing products with sustainability in mind, the new HP Smart Tank 700 Series is HP’s first ink tank printer to be made from over 25% recycled plastic. The printers’ compatible HP ink bottles can be recycled through HP Planet Partners supporting the company’s vision for a closed-loop recycling process and reducing the amount of virgin plastic used.
December 2021 – January 2022
Key features of the new HP Smart Tank 700-series include: SMART PRINTER • Easily manage tasks with a magic touch panel that appears only when needed and smart-guided lighting for an intuitive experience • Reliable self-healing dual-band Wi-Fi® • Simple mobile setup • HP Wolf Essential Security
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SMART PRODUCTIVITY • Save time and paper when printing everyday documents with automatic two-sided printing • High-quality printing for up to 50,000 pages • Delivers worry-free performance with a quick and easy set up through the HP Smart App • Enjoy HP Smart Advance features such as advanced scanning, mobile fax, and productivity features for up to one year SMART TANK EXPERIENCE • Seamless integrated display and tank lights make it easy to see ink levels in situations where ink is running low, so you are less likely to run out • Spill-free refill system • Get up to 2 years of ink – perfect for low-cost, highvolume daily printing • Up to 6,000 black or 8,000 color pages included
PRICING AND AVAILABILITY The new printers are now available at authorized HP reseller stores as well as official HP store at Lazada and Shopee with the following local SRP: HP Smart Tank All-in-One 670 - PHP12,395 HP Smart Tank All-in-One 720 - PHP14,395 HP Smart Tank All-in-One 750 - PHP15,495 with Automatic Document Feeder (ADF)
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December 2021 – January 2022
MAKE CHRISTMAS A BIT MORE SPECIAL WITH THE NEW
HP SMART TANK 700 SERIES W
hether it be for personalized gift tags, or family greeting cards having a printer during this holiday season is a definite musthave. You can do a lot with the perfect printer partner. From the usual document printing to showcasing your creative prowess. And with the Christmas season already upon us having a reliable printer to help personalize your greeting cards or gift tags is a must-have. Want some unique Christmas Ornaments, you can print some yourself! Need the perfect holiday party activity for kids? Print some Christmas-themed pictures for coloring. There’s a lot to do this Holiday season with the perfect printer. If you’re looking for this type of handy partner, then look no further than HP’s newest SmartTank 700 series all-in-one printers!
The new HP Smart Tank printers are made for everyone, be it students who need to print some holiday homework, moms who want to create the perfect family greeting card or even the workaholics who need to print loads of work during the break. Whoever you are, you’ll be sure that the HP Smart Tank 670, HP Smart Tank 720, and HP Smart Tank 750 all got your back.
EASY TO SET UP AND EASY TO USE! Afraid of all the humps in setting up a printer? HP’s got you covered! All three HP Smart Tank printers are easy to set up. Just download the HP Smart App and follow the guide video to connect your printer. The HP Smart Tank 700-series also has built-in dual-band Wi-Fi support with self-healing. If your internet goes down, you won’t have to worry about jumping all the hoops in reconnecting the printers. ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY All three new HP Smart Tank units are also the greenest HP printers made. All three printers are made from recycled printers and other electronics! Each printer is made from 25% recycled plastic, a pretty huge chunk!
Additionally, the HP Planet Partner program recycles your empty ink cartridges into new products ensuring less waste is thrown into landfills, or worst, into the ocean. HP Planet Partners aims to reduce the company’s virgin plastic use in its products with the aim of one day completing a closed-loop recycling process. UNRIVALED RELIABILITY AND SAVINGS FOR MORE PRODUCTIVITY All three HP printers have HP’s unrivaled reliability and best-in-class print costs. Each printer can print 8000 color pages or 6000 black and white documents with the included HP Inks in the box. You also don’t have to worry about spilling your ink refills, thanks to HP’s innovative spill-free refill system.
Breeze through all your work with the HP Smart Tank’s Automatic-twosided Printing in all three printers. You can count on dark crisp texts and vibrant colors on all your prints! Do more with the printers’ scan and copy functions with Wi-Fi printing. All these on a single tap with the HP Smart App.
WORRY NOT WITH HP’S BUILT-IN SECURITY FUNCTIONS Worried about scanning or copying sensitive work data? Fret not, the HP Smart Tank 700-series comes with HP’s Wolf Essential Security. HP Wolf Essential Security is a hardware-based security function
with endpoint protection, ensuring your devices are free from any possible snoops and firmware attacks. The HP Smart Tank 670 AIO retails for PHP 12,395.00. The HP Smart Tank 720 AIO retails for PHP 14,395. And the HP Smart Tank 750 AIO retails for PHP 15, 495.00 All three printers are now available in HP’s official Lazada and Shopee stores, as well partner retailers nationwide.
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REVIEWED BY franceska aguila
TECNO CAMON 18P SMARTPHONE
Consumer wants and needs are a huge factor in the evolution of smartphone designs. We always need more features on our phones for work, socials, entertainment, news, and health, and we always want improvements on our phone’s hardware. In the latest Camon 18P, Tecno Mobile introduced premium camera features like gimbal stabilization and ultra zoom, thanks to the periscopic lens. December 2021 – January 2022
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design gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
Tecno phones offer great retail bundles, packaging an adapter, a USB-C cable, earphones, ejector pin, and a transparent silicone case in the box. Our Tecno Camon 18P review unit came in Dusk Grey. It has a matte and glass finish that makes it look sleek and magnificent to the touch. It is splash-proof with extra seals to prevent hardware failures from dust, raindrops, and or water splashes. Its large 6.8” FHD+ display boasts a 120Hz refresh rate and its 550nits of brightness guarantees that the contents of the screen are easy to read even in a bright environment. The device’s SIM+SD card tray is on the left side; the volume button and power and fingerprint ID are mounted on the right; and the headphone jack, speakers, and the USB Type C port are all located at the bottom.
hardware The Tecno Camon 18P is powered by a MediaTek Helios G96 octa-core chip and runs on Tecno’s proprietary HiOS Android 11-based operating system. It has 8GB RAM and 128GB internal storage, expandable via microSD. The battery is a massive 5000mAh and comes with a 33W flash charger.
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On this smartphone, Tecno did focus on the camera department, giving it a significant photography upgrade. Itstriple rear camera with quad flash set up consists of a 48MP Wide, 13MP portrait, and 2MP depth camera. With electronic image stabilization, its 48MP video camera captures clear and steady 4K videos at 30fps. Meanwhile, the 16MP front selfie camera has dual flash and is able to take 1080p videos at 30fps. December 2021 – January 2022
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TECNO Camon 18P
user experience As someone who loves gaming and taking pictures, I tried out the camera and tested out the AI Cam, Super Night, and video capture. I was able to maximize the features and it was a satisfying experience. Taking pictures with either the rear and front cameras produce sharp and clear images. I tried the 30x hyper zoom that uses a 5X periscope lens and Galileo algorithm engine that gathers pixels to enhance the resolution and the clarity of the picture, and got good enough results, although photo and video quality could still be improved. The Super Night mode was indeed a magical experience for me, as it captured photos in low light without compromising picture quality. The fun thing about the camera is that you can manually set the exposure, the focus, and the ISO levels. Taking videos was seamless with the Ultra-Steady Gimbal camera that has an exceptional anti-shaking technology and when you combine it with their wide-angle shot, you get exquisite quality videos. Gaming was as amazing as my camera experience. When I got the device, I immediately downloaded League of Legends: Wild Rift and Call of Duty
December 2021 – January 2022
Mobile which both required at least 2GB RAM and 15GB of internal storage for patches and resources. I played both games with a stable internet connection and the graphics were crisp even in medium quality with only minimal FPS drop, but playing was even better in high quality. A slight drawback is the phone overheating. Also since the Tecno Camon 18P only has a mono speaker, the quality of the game audio detracts from the overall gaming experience. Media consumption is such a treat! With the Tecno Camon 18P’s massive battery, you can watch and play for up to 8 hours. Additionally, it has an Ultra-Power saving mode that effectively extends battery life. You don’t have to worry about charging as its 33W flash charger can take your battery from 0% to 60% in just 30 minutes.
VALUE The Tecno Camon 18P is without doubt a fascinating smartphone. It has a great display screen and a camera that has toptier features like gimbal stabilization and periscopic lens. Its software isn’t crawling with third-party apps and services. Compared to other smartphone brands in the same price range, this device is a great
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buy and in fact it may be a good steal. You’ll get the most out of the PHP10,990 sticker price.
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SPECIFICATIONS
what's hot Improved battery life and 33W fast charging support Adaptive 120Hz refresh rate Camera upgrade and performance Rich retail bundle Reliable performance
what's Not Mono speakers No Gorilla glass protection Overheating issues when gaming
BOTTOMLINE The Tecno Camon 18P is an excellent quality phone that offers everything you need at a mid-range price. 33
December 2021 – January 2022
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CPU: MediaTek Helio G96, 8-core Memory: 8GB (RAM) + 128GB (ROM) Display: 6.8” Dot-in FHD + AMOLED Resolution: 1080 x 2460p Operating System: HiOS 8.0 based on Android Camera: 16MP front camera with dual flash | 48+13+2MP rear camera with 1.7x optical zoom, 30X digital zoom, and Quad-LED flash Battery: 5000 mAh, 33W flash charger Fingerprint: Side mounted Front/Back: Glass (front), plastic (back) Dimensions (HxWxD): 168.86 x 76.67 x 8.77 mm Colors: Dusk Grey, Iris Purple, Ceramic White Package includes fast-charging adaptor, USB Type C cable, 3.5, jack earphones, sim card tray ejector pin, transparent phone case
REVIEWED BY GABRIEL PE
Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 NC gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
true wireless earbuds
Active Noise Cancelling technology has become more and more accessible. Just a few years ago, the technology wasn’t even used in the True Wireless Earbuds segment. But the technology has gotten really good and a lot cheaper, so that we’re now seeing ANC earbuds in the mid-range price point, such as the Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 NC. design hardware
The Soundcore Life Dot 2 NC has a unique look compared to other TWS earbuds. It is an in-ear bud (which I prefer) but is a bit bulkier and sticks out when you place it in your ear, but the included ear wings do a great job holding it in place. There’sThere’s not much on the buds themselves. The buds both have touch controls on each side which you can assign via the Soundcore Companion app.
The Soundcore Life Dot 2 NC has an 11mm driver in each bud, which is pretty good. However, the biggest asset of the Life Dot 2 NC would be the four microphones that are the base for its Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation feature. It also has an IPX5 water rating, so they’re safe to use for heavy workouts. The battery is rated for 7-hours with an additional 35-hours from the charging case. In my experience, it lasted me throughout the day, even with the ANC active while the charging case gave me about three days of juice for buds in continuous use.
For the case, it’s larger than most earbud cases. The oval shape does make it a bit flatter but comes at the cost of added portability. It can still fit in your pockets and doesn’t stick out so much, but it takes up space you could have used for other things. Not much is on the case. It has the Soundcore logo on the cover and the USB-C charging port behind that. It also has a unique reset button beneath, allowing users to quickly troubleshoot connectivity problems. December 2021 – January 2022
There are also included replacement ear tips and ear wings in the box so you can have the best fit for your ears.
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user experience
Now to the highlight of these buds, noise-canceling. Active Noise Cancellation is great, especially when you’re traveling or want that extra layer of peace and quiet. The Anker Soundcore Life Dot 2 NC does that pretty well. It has three different modes of ambient sounds. The first is the normal mode with passive noisecancellation, then the two different modes that utilize the buds’ four mics: Transparent and Noise-cancellation. Noise-cancellation is the Active noise cancellation feature where the mics pick up the sounds from around you then blast back a different frequency that nullifies the white noise. The Life Dot 2 NC has three different noise-canceling modes, Transport (the most impactful), Indoor, and Outdoor. If it’s your first time handling ANC, it takes some getting used as you’ll feel like you’re in a vacuum. Since we’re still in the pandemic, I haven’t gotten the chance to try out the noise-cancellation on a commute outside. For regular indoor use, it does an amazing job of nullifying most of the sounds.
If there’s one thing I feel is lacking in this pair of earbuds, it’s bass. Don’t get me wrong, it does have deep bass, but somehow I want to feel the vibrations of the drivers when that beat drops. There’s also the matter of controls. Without the app, it is limited to fast forward, play or pause. It’s also limited to tap and hold with no swiping gestures. But once you install the app, you can pretty much customize the taps, and you can also set it to switch ambient sound profiles.
VALUE Coming in at a sub-PHP4,000 price point, there’s a lot to like about the Soundcore Life Dot 2 NC. From the Active Noise Cancellation to the app and equalizer support, there is much to love in this pair of buds.
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SPECIFICATIONS Driver size: 11mm Battery life: 7 hours for each bud, up to 35 hours with charging case Microphones: 4-microphones with Uplink Noise Reduction Noise Cancellation: Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation Controls: Tap or hold Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 Connection: USB Type-C Other Features: Soundcore Life App IP Rating: IPX5
what's hot ANC Companion app Great sound with customizable EQ Good battery life
what's Not Not auto play pause Controls rely heavily on the app to setup
BOTTOMLINE Great budget ANC buds for those who want peace and quiet December 2021 – January 2022
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I have been using the Soundcore Life Dot 2 NC for a couple of months now, and I have been enjoying it pretty much all the time. The sound quality is great for the price! It’s not flagship-grade but it still does sound amazing.
The second ambient sound profile is Transparency mode, where the mics pick up the noise around you, letting you hear your surroundings even when you’re listening to music. I haven’t really used this mode much since I am stuck at home. It has two modes, Fully Transparent and Vocal (made for vocal announcements in terminals). From the little I’ve played around with it, I found that it doesn’t provide full transparency, especially when listening to music at a high volume.
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REVIEWED BY Isaac James Zayco and Pamela Zayco
realme Pad tablet
I’ve always wanted a device that I can use, not just for school, but also for fun and entertainment. The realme Pad was the answer to my wishes!
December 2021 – January 2022
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design realme has elevated the look of its tablet with its generous use of aluminum for the frame and back panel. It has flat sides with rounded corners, has an elegant look, and feels like a premium device. The brushed finish at the back doesn’t retain smudges and keeps the tablet clean, which is perfect for me. The realme Pad is quite slim at 6.9mm and is lightweight, weighing only 440g. I could hold it for hours without my hands feeling tired. The power button is at the top of the tablet. On the right side is the volume and microSD slot. The lower part has the USB-C port while the headphone jack is at the lower left corner. The realme Pad has quad speakers — 2 speakers at the top and 2 at the bottom — that support Dolby Atmos. gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
hardware The realme Pad has a sufficient 10.4” LCD display with 2000 x 1200 resolution. It is powered by the MediaTek Helio G80 Gaming Processor. It has 8-megapixel Ultra Wide-angle front and rear cameras. The review tablet that I got only had 32GB internal storage, but it is expandable with microSD storage up to 1TB. The realme Pad has a 7100mAh battery and supports 18W fast charging. It even supports reverse charging, which is awesome! You can use the realme Pad to charge your other devices. It also has Dual Mic Noise Cancellation, which makes it great for online classes and video calls.
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December 2021 – January 2022
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realme Pad
9-year old Isaac James Zayco enjoying the realme Pad with younger brother Matthew David.
user experience
open the lesson on the other side or answer seatworks/quizzes.
The realme Pad was a treat to use. It was fast and did not lag at all.
I tried making notes on Keep Notes on the realme Pad and I was also able to access this with Google Keep on my laptop.
I set up Face Recognition so that the tablet would be for my use only. The realme Pad has different viewing modes, which is great as it reduces eye strain. I could choose between display options such as Eye Comfort (where I could control the intensity), Reader Mode, and Dark Mode. I used the tablet for school/online learning. I downloaded apps that I needed for school, such as Canvas, Zoom, Microsoft Word, and Excel. The realme Pad can also do split-screen or MultiWindow Mode, where you can use two apps at the same time. This was helpful in my online class as I could see my teacher in the video call on one side, as well as December 2021 – January 2022
almost 12 hours. When battery is low, it will also suggest that you activate Battery Saver to keep the battery life longer. However, it takes me almost 3 hours to fully charge the tablet. Also, the camera is not very clear, especially if lighting is not good.
For fun, I downloaded games, such as Pokémon Go and Minecraft. I enjoyed playing these games with realme Pad’s good graphics and display. The games were fast and responsive. The strong speakers also made me feel like I was really in the game. The Quad-Speakers are great for watching videos, listening to music, and playing games. The screen display is also nice and sharp, so I loved watching Netflix and YouTube videos with the vibrant colors and loud sounds. The battery lasts for a decent amount of time. Based on my usage, it could last
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VALUE Priced at PHP10,990, the realme Pad is budget-friendly and affordable but has good quality and has an expensive look.
SPECIFICATIONS
what's hot Quad speakers Screen display Battery life
BOTTOMLINE I really love the realme Pad. This is an excellent gadget for students for everyday use! (Well, not just for students because other grown-ups in my family now want one!)
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what's Not Camera quality 3 hours to fully charge battery
December 2021 – January 2022
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Display: LCD, 26.31cm (10.4in), 2000x1200 WUXGA+ resolution, 360nits Processor: Helio G80 gaming processor Operating System: realme UI based on Android 11 Memory & Storage: 3GB + 32GB, expandable to 1TB Connectivity: WLAN 2.4/5GHz, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5.0 Audio: Doly Atmos quad speakers, 2 microphones with dual-mic noise cancellation Camera: 8MP front and rear HD cameras Sensors: light, acceleration, hall, gyro-meter, GPS Dimensions (LxWxD): 246.1 x 155.9 x 6.9mm Weight: 440g Battery: 7100mAh, 12 hours battery life, 18W quick charge, supports reverse charging
REVIEWED BY GABRIEL PE
nokia 6310 gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
fEATURE PHONE
One of the first phones I ever had the pleasure of using was a Nokia, it was the predecessor of the Nokia 6310, the Nokia 6210. But in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the iconic 6310, Nokia has re-released a new modern 6310, and honestly, I am excited to try it out.
design
LED flash. Another is the micro USB charging port beneath the device along with the earphone jack.
As Nokia’s homage to the original 6310, the new 6310 has some striking similarities. The massive forehead (for a lack of a better term) gives the new 6310 the feel of the original and of course a bit of nostalgia. The navigation is also a bit similar except now the middle navigation button has left and right and a middle button to enter, whereas the original only had up and down. Nokia has also added some new colors to the new Nokia 6310, ours came in the Dark Green color. On the front of the phone, you’ll find the revamped 2.8-inch QVGA display which by default has a large font setting. You’ll also be greeted by the keypad, which unfortunately for me needed some time to get used to again. Once I got the hang of it, nostalgia also kicked in. Now the biggest addition to the new Nokia 6310 is the 0.3-megapixel rear camera and an
December 2021 – January 2022
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hardware There really is much to say about the Nokia 6310’s hardware. The device is a feature phone with mobile data capability. At the center of the phone is a Unisoc processor. It has up to 16MB of ROM, with expandable storage of up to 32GB via MicroSD. Like the feature phones of old, the Nokia 6310 (2021) has a removable 1150mAh battery which is rated to last up to 21 days of standby time or up to 18 hours of talk time. The 0.3-megapixel camera at the back isn’t really something you’d want to use. If you need to take some quick shots for memo purposes it can do the job, but I wouldn’t recommend using it to capture your precious memories.
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SPECIFICATIONS
It has been a while since I tried a feature phone and I needed some time to get used to it. Like I said, after using Qwerty for so long I’ve forgotten how to use a keypad. There’s also the matter of online connectivity. The Nokia 6310 has a mobile data connection, which is nice but the speed wasn’t 5G, nor even 4G. Though I wouldn’t discredit the phone based on the lack of normal comforts. I actually found it refreshing and couldn’t help but reflect on what we now take for granted. Surprisingly, there’s also Bluetooth on the Nokia 6310, which you can use to connect your earbuds or just for plain old file transfer like the good old days. After spending some time with Nokia 6310 and getting used to its navigation and typing, the device is pretty straightforward to use. Its larger screen and bigger font are a great touch, especially since I envision senior citizens using this phone more than my age group. There are a lot of other nostalgic features on the 6310. There’s an FM radio. (Remember
when we had these over Spotify or Apple Music?) But undoubtedly the most sentimental aspect is Nokia’s iconic, Snake Xenzia game. I remember spending a lot of time in my childhood days trying my best to reach 500 on the hardest level. At its core, the new Nokia 6310 isn’t a smartphone, it’s a celebration of a highly iconic phone albeit with a modern twist. I can see this device as a secondary unit for when you’re outside or for your grandparents who just can’t comprehend the complexity of the smartphone. It does what it’s supposed to do — call and text. I do hope that some day Nokia would consider making “smart” remakes of its iconic devices
VALUE
what's hot Big screen and font Bluetooth and mobile data connection
what's Not
Coming at PHP2,490 the new Nokia 6310 has a unique place, price-wise. It’s not a phone for everyone. Sure, it isn’t smart; in fact, it is far from it. What it offers is functionality, and maybe a bit of nostalgia for an owner of the original. If you need a backup phone, or an emergency phone in your go bag, or are in need of a bit of tech detox, then the Nokia 6310 is right up your alley.
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Feature phone at its core
BOTTOMLINE A definite blast from the past
December 2021 – January 2022
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user experience
Display: 2.8-inch QVGA OS: S30+ Processor: Unisoc 6531F Memory: RAM: 8MB | ROM: 16MB ROM Expandable microSD card slot up to 32GB Camera: Rear: 0.3MP, torch as flash Battery: Removable Nokia 1150mAh Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP (headset, file and contact transfer) / A-GPS/Micro-USB (USB 2.0), 3.5mm Audio jack Features: FM Radio (Wired/Wireless), MP3 player Dimensions: 135.5mm x 56.0mm x 14.1mm
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December 2021 – January 2022
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C
hristmas time is here, and boy are we excited! We have our Christmas Tree setup with decorations placed all around. All that’s left are the gifts beneath the tree.
If you’re having a hard time finding the perfect gift for that special someone, why not take inspiration from GADGETS Magazine’s very own Christmas Wishlist? From Tech, Lifestyle, and even our own unique personal interests, who knows, you might find something that interests you as well.
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December 2021 – January 2022
Cover story
Words by Racine Anne Castro
December 2021 – January 2022
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Tech APPLE MAGIC KEYBOARD If I had gotten this a year ago when our work-from-home era had just begun, my wrists would have been very, very happy. I’ve been using a laptop stand to elevate my screen to eye level, but as a consequence, my wrists have suffered because I’ve been typing in such an awkward position. Behold, my holiday present to my wrists (and hopefully yours, too)—the Apple Magic Keyboard. This wireless, rechargeable keyboard is a must-have for Mac users. User reviews have shown that the Magic Keyboard’s battery can last you up to a month on a full charge. But when your juice runs out, you can always plug it into the USB-C port of your device.
APPLE WATCH SERIES 7 Apple’s latest version of its smart watch wields the biggest, most advanced screen among its predecessors. It’s also much brighter and more durable, with an Always-On Retina display that’s crackresistant, dust-resistant, and water-resistant. What draws me to the Apple Watch Series 7—apart from the fact that this device fits so well in my ecosystem of Apple devices—is its health insight capabilities. I currently don’t have a smart watch, but since the pandemic began I had always wanted to monitor my health more closely— particularly, my blood oxygen level. With the Apple Watch Series 7, I can measure my blood oxygen, take an ECG, and monitor several other health data that can guide me towards making mindful choices for my body.
NINTENDO SWITCH OLED I’m not much of a gamer, but who wouldn’t want a Switch for Christmas? I’ve got my eye on the latest model that was released earlier this year—the Nintendo Switch OLED version. Your game suddenly looks more vibrant than ever with a beautiful 7-inch OLED display that comes with your Switch. This display can be mounted on an adjustable stand (for Tabletop Mode) and a dock that sports a built-in LAN port (for TV Mode). In Handheld Mode, you can play on your display by flanking it with the JoyCon controllers. (I like the red-and-blue ones!) There are dozens of Nintendo games I can’t wait to play, including The Legend of Zelda and Mario Kart, so it’s a good thing the Switch OLED model packs 64GB of internal storage.
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December 2021 – January 2022
Cover story
lifestyle MI AIR PURIFIER 3C One thing I discovered while working from home is that my allergies can still be triggered even when I don’t go outside. Having an air purifier would help me breathe easy, as it not only filters allergens circulating in the air inside my home; it also helps filter bacteria. Don’t we all deserve to breathe in healthier air after everything we’ve been through this past year? The Mi Air Purifier 3C sports a high efficiency filter that is said to remove 99.97% of pollutants. You can even control it using the Mi Home app OR your AI voice assistant.
BROTHER JV1400 SEWING MACHINE Okay, yes, this is a sewing machine. Hear me out! Don’t you guys ever wish you knew how to make your own clothes? Because I’ve always wanted to. This pretty and portable sewing machine boasts of 14 built-in stitches so it can serve you well no matter what you need to sew. Working in the dark? The JV-1400 sports a LED light that ensures you see every stitch clearly even if you’re sewing at night. If you get the JV-1400, you get a foot controller, a nice needle set, an instructional DVD, and a bunch of helpful tools right out of the box.
MI ROBOT VACUUM MOP P Don’t get me wrong—I love sweeping. I genuinely enjoy cleaning my home. The problem is I don’t have enough time to do it. That’s why I think I need a tiny robot to do it for me. (Hey, even Luke Skywalker needed one, okay?) The Mi Robot Vacuum Mop P would allow me to have a tiny electronic minion cleaning up after me without breaking the bank. It has three modes—sweeping, mopping, and sweeping + mopping. It can also store up to 10 different maps, which comes in handy if you have a big home with several rooms. This trusty little robot is also smart enough to charge itself if it runs out of battery midway through cleaning; then, it automatically resumes once it works up enough juice to keep going. What a trooper. Connect your smartphone to the device using your Mi Home app, and you can do things like schedule cleaning time and set up realtime mapping. Best part? It’s also designed to work with AI voice assistants such as Google Assistant and Alexa!
December 2021 – January 2022
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PERSONAL INTEREST FOCUSRITE SCARLETT SOLO 2i2 I’m what you might call a ‘bedroom musician’. I produce my own music, and I actually released my EP a couple months ago. Honestly, it’s a miracle that I was able to produce good-quality music without using an audio interface. But in 2022, I want to take my music to the next level. An audio interface like the Focusrite Scarlett Solo allows musicians to connect an instrument to a computer for recording. Think of it as a ‘translator’—a tool that translates
an instrument’s language into computer language. It helps ensure clarity and overall better tonal quality versus what you would get if you record your instrument with just a microphone (like I did). There are plenty of audio interface brands and models to choose from, but I personally prefer the Focusrite Scarlett Solo because of its size and affordability. It fits nicely in my guitar bag, and I can bring it anywhere the muse strikes.
AUDIO TECHNICA AT-LP120XUSB Ever since I sold my old turntable, I’ve had this whole stack of unplayed records at home, just sitting there and gathering dust. I’ve been looking for a new one, and this particular model caught my eye. Not only is it made by a reputable audio hardware brand, it’s also one of the most versatile modern turntables on the market. The fully manual
Audio Technica AT-LP120XUSB can play 33-1/3 RPM, 45 RPM, and 78 RPM records and has both USB and analog output options. You can even use the USB output to connect directly to your computer—meaning you have the ability to turn your records into digital audio files (provided that you download the free software that comes with this turntable).
AUDIO TECHNICA ATH-M40x If you’re into DIY music production like me, you definitely need to invest in a great pair of headphones. A lot of professional studio headphones are pricey (and justifiably so), but luckily, some models from trusted brands cost less than P10,000. Like the Audio Technica ATH-M40x. The great thing about professional headphones like the ATH-M40x is that it delivers a flat response— not too bass-y, not too treble-y. It provides accurate sound monitoring
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across the entire frequency range, which means it lets you listen to your audio just as it is, so you can mix your music according to a more-orless universal baseline sound. The ATH-M40x was actually recommended by an indie musician friend who had been using it for a while now, and now this is me recommending it to any aspiring DIY musician reading this. (Here’s hoping your Secret Santa’s reading this, too.)
December 2021 – January 2022
Cover story
Words by Gabriel Pe
Tech USB-C Hub Recently, I have been experimenting with my work device, I’ve ditched my laptop for a tablet and a more powerful desktop PC. I already have everything ready on the desktop end (I’ve been using it for more than a year now), but for the tablet, I still need a way to plug in USB storage and display it to my monitor. That’s where a USB-C hub comes in. There are a couple of choices in Lazada and Shopee, but so far I am leaning towards the Baseus 11-in-1 USB-C hub which has 11 different I/O ports including an SD Card reader, RJ45, and a full 4K HDMI port.
December 2021 – January 2022
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Lenovo G27q-20 gaming monitor As an avid gamer, there’s nothing more I want for this holiday season than a monitor upgrade. One of the monitors that caught my attention was the Lenovo G27q-20, a 27-inch 1440p IPS monitor with a 144 Hz refresh rate and NVIDIA G-Sync compatibility to boot. The high refresh rate is the perfect partner for gamers who want to compete at the highest level, especially for FPS players. The NVIDIA G-Sync is also great for gamers who want as little screen tearing in their games as possible. But what’s great about this particular monitor is the sub- PHP 20,000 price for a 2K quality display, what a bargain!
ANC Headset (Sony WH-1000XM4/Bose QuietComfort 45) There’s something about Active Noise Cancelling headphones that makes me fall head over heels over them. The feeling of a near-absolute silence when they’re active is something I crave, especially when I want peace and quiet when I’m consecrating. When it comes to ANC headphones there are two kings in the business, Sony and Bose. And their current generation of flagship headphones offers the best ANC and music experience. The Sony WH-1000XM4 improves on the already beloved WH-1000XM3 while the Bose QuietComfort 45 takes what was already a great headphone (the QuietComfort 35 II) and makes it even greater.
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December 2021 – January 2022
Cover story
lifestyle An Ikea shelf or organizer (Ikea Kallax 77x147) It has been a year since I started Law School and boy did I underestimate the number of things I need to organize. Aside from Law School I still have tons of tech and paperwork I still need to organize, even at home. That is why the IKEA Kallax shelf would be a perfect room piece especially for a messy guy. Depending on the model you’re getting a plastic and fiberboard shelving. Sure it’s as not as elegant as a traditional wooden shelve but for the price (starting at PHP3990) and additional insert door, it’s a great organizer for your room.
Coffee Machine (B.Coffee Co. Freshman Capsule Coffee Machine) I have to be honest, I have a bit of coffee addiction. I find myself drinking at least two coffee on a regular morning and “some extra” cups in the afternoon. Now as much as I love a selfgrinded, Moka pot brewed coffee, it takes a couple of minutes which I usually don’t have especially during the morning. That’s why a Capsule Coffee machine such as the B. Coffee’s Freshman Capsule Coffee Machine is a perfect morning partner. This machine takes Nespresso pod which is among the most commonly produced. That is a plus since Nespresso pods also have the most third collaboration producing different coffee experiences.
A Standing Desk (Flexispot E3) Since the Pandemic started, Gadgets Magazine has shifted to a work-from-home setup and will be so until the foreseeable future. And given the luxury of freedom we were given (particularly having our own working space) I find myself desiring something a bit more ergonomic since I find myself working for most of the day. One of the best options for an ergonomic work setup is a sitstand desk, and thankfully there are a number of choices to choose from especially in Lazada and Shopee. But one I am particularly looking at is the Flexispot E3 which has a double motor to aid its movement.
December 2021 – January 2022
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PERSONAL INTEREST Pokemon Brilliant Diamond/ Shining Pearl This might be the most ironic thing on my personal wishlist. You see I am a Pokemon nut (specifically for the first three generations) and I have to be honest, Pokemon Diamond and Pearl were the last full-on Pokemon games I was able to play since we didn’t have a 3DS nor a Switch. We still don’t have a Switch but getting this new remake might be the reason I’ll finally get one. But even if it isn’t the newest Pokemon game if someone you know has a Nintendo Switch, why not make their Holidays even brighter with a new game.
Key switches for mechanical keyboards If there’s a hobby that I’ve been keenly interested in doing, it’s building my own mechanical keyboard. One of the most important parts of building a keyboard is its key switches. Key Switches are of course what we used to type on and responsible for hitting the circuit board to register the characters typed. These are also what make most of the sound when we type. There are different type of key switches, these are usually Linear, Clicky, or Tactile. Further, these
are identified via colors which vary depending on the manufacturers. Usually, Reds are Linear keys that have almost no sounds when typed on, Blues are clicky which are the most recognizable for their noisy clicking, and lastly browns for tactile keys, these keys are basically a mixture of linear and clicky providing smooth typing with that satisfying sound. Key switches are also subjective to the person, some love blues for their boisterous sound, while others prefer the smooth typing of reds. I personally love browns having the best of both worlds. Key switches are usually bought in packs and through specialty stores online. If
you’re planning to give these to someone do ask if they have hot-swappable keyboards and how many pins their keys are to avoid having incompatible switches.
Spiral Keyboard cord Last and definitely not least, another keyboard accessory. If you have a mechanical keyboard chances are their USB ports are detachable. This is where the Spiral Keyboard USB-C comes in. HandmadeSpiral cable cords such as those from Geek Cables, add that awesome aesthetic found in most keyboards. Also, these are also braided which means they won’t break easily compared to the regular cables.
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December 2021 – January 2022
Cover story
W
e’re still a couple more weeks away from Christmas and we all know that we can get excited about shopping for the holidays, and don’t worry, it’s not too early to buy presents for your family and friends but don’t forget to get yourself something nice too. Given all of the news this 2021, we all deserve a little something from ourselves to ourselves and be our own Santa Claus. It’s tricky for me to pick out the perfect gift for someone else and it’s also hard for me to come up with ideas for what I want because the list ends up being endless but I’ve managed to actually make a wishlist that could help both you and I this season of giving.
Words by Franceska Aguila
December 2021 – January 2022
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Tech
Nintendo Switch OLED This is one of the perfect gadgets to destress from school or work, or when you just want to enjoy a classic old game like Super Mario, Pokémon, and Animal Crossing! The Nintendo Switch OLED system features a 7-inch OLED screen with vibrant colors and true blacks, 64GB internal storage, enhanced speakers, and an adjustable kickstand. Starting at PHP22,995 you can get the Nintendo Switch OLED Console with Red / Blue JOYCON (OLED Model), the JOYCON is also available in white.
Logitech MX Master 3 Mouse You might ask yourself what’s so special about this mouse because I asked myself the exact same question. Usually, when you hear “ergonomic mouse” you automatically think about a vertical mouse, but Logitech came up with an ergonomic mouse in the traditional form. The MX Master 3 is a right-handed, sculpted, full-size, wireless mouse with USB-C charging. Starting at PHP4,995, this mouse is worth the price as it helps you say goodbye to aches and say hello to healthy comfortable hands and wrists. For a a happy and productive workspace, I think this would be a great gift.
Anker PowerCore III Elite25600 60W + PowerPort III 65W Pod A power bank that can charge not just your phone but also your laptop via a fast USB-C connector, this can make working outdoors or in a cafe very convenient. It’s travel friendly, too, so you won’t need to waste time looking for an outlet to plug your laptop into. Source: https://us.anker.com/products/b1290
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December 2021 – January 2022
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lifestyle
Starbucks 4-Cup Copper Stainless Steel Coffee Press If you’re a coffeeholic like me, then this is the best gift to get yourself. It’s a good investment, it’s aesthetic, it’s eco-friendly, and it’s time-saving. More importantly, you’ll save a lot of money making your own coffee. It hits different when you brew yourself a good cup of Joe, enjoying the process and the drink itself. Source: https://www.starbucksreserve.com/en-us/brewmethods/coffee-press
24 oz Obsidian Wide Mouth Hydro Flask Let’s give our French Press a companion. Coffeeholics will also love this Trail Series™ Limited Edition Hydro Flask. Its TempShield insulation will keep your iced coffee cold for up to 24 hours and your hot coffee hot for up to 12 hours. Source: https://www.hydroflask.ph/trail-series/486-24-ozobsidian-wide-mouth-1000315923.html
Christmas-scented soy candles And while your coffee is brewing, light a candle, create an ambiance, and fill your space with nostalgic Christmas scents with soy candles from Simoy ng Haraya to improve your mood and calm your mind. With 10 scents to choose from their seasonal collection such as Puto Bumbong, Benguet, Market, and Hamog will definitely take you back to cold Christmas mornings with your family.
December 2021 – January 2022
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personal interest This pandemic has been really hard on us and we need to go easy on ourselves. Treat yourself to something you really love this Christmas, something that will let you truly express yourself, go get it, because you deserve it. And that’s what I’m doing this holiday season, I’m treating myself.
Paper Shoot Camera With COVID happening, taking pictures and capturing moments has been important for me and I’ve been obsessing over this digital camera that’s made from sustainable materials It runs on an SD card and a rechargeable battery. It takes filmstyle pictures and has 4 different color filters. Since this camera doesn’t have a screen, it encourages you to be present in the moment. Source: https://www.papershoot.com/ products/%E3%80%8Avintage-camera%E3%80%8B--series
Burn After Writing Journal Aside from capturing moments, it’s also important to put your mental health first, be introspective, and self-reflect. I’ve been journaling for a couple of years now and I want to share with you how much it helped me untangle my thoughts, track my own growth and progress, and reduce stress and anxiety. It allowed me to dig deeper within and learn more about myself. Personally, I want to influence people to journal as well, and you can start with the popular Burn After Writing Journal, which can be your own secret book, where you write down your thoughts and feelings, answer personal questions that let you reflect on yourself, on your past, present, and future. The best part is when you finish the journal, you can hide it or burn it.
Motorino MK-III Turntable Player Music has played a big role in my life growing up. Every important moment had its own background music as if I was living in a movie. This has been a life-long dream of mine, to own a turntable player for my vinyl records. It just makes the sound extra special and it gives you the sense of traveling back in time especially when you listen to Pink Floyd and the like. Make your daily life extra with a turntable and romanticize your life. Source: https://satchmi.com/product/motorino-mk-3-black/
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MOBILITY
The New Generation of Upgrades for the New Normal of Driving Words by Genevieve Tiu
December 2021 – January 2022
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he COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the way of life for many people, especially motorists. For commuters, most have moved on to using motorcycles or bicycles to get around the metro in order to avoid the crowds in public transport. For car owners, each person has developed their own way to keep vehicles clean, pristine, and adaptive to, dare we say it, the new normal. This may be in the form of a regular, daily interior scrub down, changing up or installing new air filters, or simply being equipped with a hygiene kit. Whatever it is, times have changed and so have we. As one of the resident obsessive-compulsive members of the household, I too have become more practical with what I choose to keep in the car as daily staples, besides the usual Vaseline lip balm (still a must, though!). Nearing the end of 2021 and seeing as how the economy has begun to open up at a rapid pace, driving is definitely back, with road trips and the dreaded traffic gridlock not too far into the future.
To prepare for the dive back into road on the daily, we went shopping (yes, at the mall) and put together a very special wish list that is designed to take you over the bend and into the new year — from practical knick-knacks to some of the newest in entertainment. After all, after 2 years of being stuck, both you and your favorite car deserve a much-needed upgrade.
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Upgrade Your Cleaner Taking a cue from our favorite web-slinging superhero, we maintain that with great freedom comes great responsibility (pun intended). Staying vigilant is the best way to keep you and your loved ones safe and healthy. That hygiene kit that you’ve been diligently keeping well-stocked for the past 2 years? Make sure that it’s updated with the latest. Our pick to add into the basket is the new Prestone Disinfecting Car Wipes. Before you say that these are just regular wipes — hear us out. First, these babies are specially designed for car surfaces so you know that no harmful chemicals, such as alcohol or abrasives, will come in contact with any of the delicate materials. Second, it’s dermatologically-tested, so it’s kind to you, but tough on viruses, including the COVID-19 strain. Lastly, it’s oh-so-convenient to use, especially for quick wipe-downs after particularly uncomfortable exposures.
Upgrade Your Purifier We’ve heard of car air purifiers that sit snugly in your cup holder. But how about something that attaches to the back of your headrest, so it frees up space for that extra coffee cup? The Blaupunkt AP 2.0 Air Purifier offers exactly that kind of flexibility. It comes in a slim, flat design that allows it either sit on the dashboard without obstructing visibility or, yes, you can strap it on to the seat of your headrest. Add to that a 3-layer filtration technology that includes the use of a HEPA-13 medicalgrade filter, as opposed to the usual HEPA-11 found in most purifiers. That’s added protection and fresher cabin air for you and your passengers!
December 2021 – January 2022
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Upgrade Your Wipers Sitting in the garage or being barely used could mean that there are quite a number of accessories that need replacing. Safety is paramount and more so when visibility is in check. Change up your wipers to a fresh, reliable pair — and make it silicone for a clean, water-beaded sweep every time. We picked up a pair of the PIAA Aero Vogue Flex wiper and was immediately amazed by the hydrophobic effect it had on our windshield. Its unique shape looks like a fin that is fixed to the glass, supposedly to lessen the chattering at high speeds. Whatever it is, we just like how it keeps our vision obstruction-free.
Upgrade Your Sound choice for an upgrade from stock, featuring lower impedance, better low frequency, and an edge-dome tweeter that delivers higher frequency range that allow you to hear musical details that you don’t normally hear from your average factory speakers. On the other hand, the JBL BassPro is an all-in-one powered subwoofer system built with a fiberglass woofer cone that delivers the signature JBL bass, while discreetly staying tucked away in the hub of your spare tire. It’s an out of sight sound solution right there.
Being a road warrior means surviving traffic gridlock every now and then (or, often). In this regard, if you’re going to sit in a car cabin for hours, you might as well invest in a stellar system that will give you incredible sound from the when you start your engine until the time you park. Since upgrading your car’s audio also calls for budget, we say start with the basics and work your way through. This year, go for a new set of component speakers to change up your tune almost immediately. Our pick would be the JBL CLUB 602C 6.5-inch 2-way component speakers, paired with JBL BassPro Hub Subwoofer. Known for its reputation in delivering sound that is loud and clear, the JBL Club is the perfect
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December 2021 – January 2022
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11th-Gen All-New
Honda Civic ALL-TURBO WITH HONDA SENSING
Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) is ready to accelerate greatness with the launch of the 11th generation All-New Honda Civic, which now features a new clean-cut look along with a range of high-tech features, plus a standard VTEC turbo engine for a powerful and engaging driving experience.
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The first Honda automobile introduced in the Philippine market in 1991, the iconic sedan has garnered much love from many loyalists and enthusiasts across several product generations. As of October 2021, Civic sales have topped 132,000 units locally. For the 11th generation all-new Civic, Honda was guided by the grand concept of an “Exhilarating Civic” that focused on three core values: Design, Dynamics, and HMI (Human Machine Interface). Exterior In this full-model change, the Civic now has a more mature look, with a fine mixture of elegance and sportiness. Size-wise, the compact sedan is longer by 29mm. Its wheelbase is also 37mm longer than its predecessor. Up front, it gets a pair of newly shaped headlights that either houses full LEDs or projector halogens. For style and functionality, Daytime Running Lights (DRLs) are standard across the
December 2021 – January 2022
range. Both the V Turbo CVT Honda Sensing and the RS Turbo CVT Honda SENSING have built-in LED fog lights on its cleaner yet more prominent fascia. From the side, the 11th generation Civic flaunts its sleek lines, for an elegant yet sporty stance. The long hood and sloping roofline give the compact sedan added character. Integrated turn signals in the side mirrors are standard. Its front pillar was also pushed back by nearly 2 inches, to elongate the hood for a premium silhouette. Visibility has
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also been improved, all thanks to design changes on the door mirrors. Wheel options include a set of 16-inch rims on the S, 17-inch alloys on the midrange V, and 18-inch matte black wheels on the top-tier RS. Other RS-exclusive details include black-painted side mirrors, door handles, sharkfin antenna and trunk spoiler, along with chromefinished dual-exhaust pipes. The entire rear end has also been redone, with a new pair of LED taillights that elegantly illuminate in the dark.
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“This latest model retains the Civic’s advantage in interior and cargo space, with more cabin space than most sedans in the segment. ” Interior
Engine and transmission
Inside, the all-new Civic’s minimalist design has been executed with quality materials, from its soft touchpoints to the honeycomb pattern found on the vents. Depending on the trim level, the new model may come with fabric seats, or a fine combo of suede and leather upholstery on the RS.
One of the main highlights of the 11th generation AllNew Civic is the 1.5-liter 4-Cylinder DOHC VTEC Turbo engine found in all grades. This engine can produce 178PS and 240Nm of torque, which is an additional 5 Ps and 20Nm over the 10th-gen 1.5 VTEC Turbo engine and an additional 37PS and 66Nm over the preceding 1.8L naturally aspirated engine. All grades have a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), and offer distinct driving modes including Econ, Normal, and lastly, Sport, that is particularly found in the RS variant.
This latest model retains the Civic’s advantage in interior and cargo space, with more cabin space than most sedans in the segment. Additional space was used to improve the ease of getting in and out of the car. Moreover, its new dimensions also translate to better rear seat comfort. Compartments are located all around the cabin for personal possessions. Passengers will enjoy their conversations inside the car, thanks to improved noise, vibration, and harshness levels. For in-car entertainment, all variants of the 11th-generation Civic come with a touchscreen display audio of either 7” or 9”. Both screen sizes are Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capable, while the larger screen has Wireless Apple CarPlay. These infotainment systems power 4 speakers for the S, 8 speakers for the V, and a 12-speaker Bose sound system on the RS. The 7-inch digital display with analog is available for both audio and Bluetooth functions, while the larger 10.2-inch fulldigital cluster on the RS are all supported with steering wheel mounted controls.
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Safety
As Honda continues to strengthen its “Safety for Everyone” global slogan, the All-New Civic helps realize this vision through Honda’s G-force Control (G-CON) Collision Safety Body that enhances impact absorption for the added protection of passengers in the event a collision occurs. In addition, customers can expect top-notch collision safety performance on the All-New Civic through its advanced
In pursuit of Honda’s mission to provide “Safety for Everyone,” Honda SENSING is now standard in all Civic variants. The following features included: • Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS) • Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Low-Speed Follow (LSF) • Lane Keeping Assist System (LKAS) • Road Departure Mitigation System with Lane Departure Warning (RDM with LDW) • Auto High-Beam (AHB) • Lead Car Departure Notification System (LCDN) - New The new Honda SENSING system uses a single monocular camera with a wider field of view combined with improved software offering better vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian, and road marking recognition. December 2021 – January 2022
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Price and colors
safety features that are now available across all variants. This includes Speed Sensing Door Locks, Multi-View Reverse Camera, and Keyless Entry System that are standard for all grades, while the Side Curtain Airbags, Honda LaneWatch Camera, and the Walk Away Auto Door Lock function are exclusive on the RS variant.
Below are all the available variants of the All-New Honda Civic with their corresponding Suggested Retail Prices: • S Turbo CVT Honda SENSING - PHP1,290,000 • V Turbo CVT Honda SENSING - PHP1,498,000 • RS Turbo CVT Honda SENSING - PHP1,690,000
Furthermore, other features such as the Driver and Front Passenger Airbags, Side Airbags, Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), Hill Start Assist (HSA), Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), Child Lock, ISOFIX Child Seat Anchor, Security Alarm, and immobilizer are standard safety features for all variants.
Five colors are available: • Lunar Silver Metallic - S exclusive • Morning Mist Blue Metallic - S, V • Meteoroid Grey Metallic - S, V, RS • Platinum White Pearl - V, RS (additional PHP20,000) • Ignite Red Metallic - RS exclusive
With these superior safety features, the all-new Civic earned a 5-star safety rating under the new 2021 ASEAN NCAP assessment, giving customers better safety and peace of mind on the road.
The new Civic is now available at all 37 Honda Cars dealerships nationwide. Head on to www.hondaphil.com VIRTUAL SHOWROOM for more information.
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MOBILITY
All-New Kia Sorento AN EXPRESSION OF SUCCESS, ACHIEVEMENT, AND PURPOSE
December 2021 – January 2022
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t’s sleek, bigger, and bolder. The Sorento is here to set the bar high as the epitome of what Kia stands for. Boasting a refined yet bold exterior, the Sorento makes an eye-catching statement. With its sleek and sporty design — and the iconic tiger-nose grille — it speaks of success and achievement at first sight. Look inside the Sorento, and you’ll immediately see the genius in the details. Comfort fit for a boss is assured by its spacious and luxurious interior, including leather seats, with the SX variant’s power seats with driver memory, front-seat cooling and heating, and more. The ingeniously designed 7-seater has other practical amenities that take into account the comfort of passengers even in the second and third rows. The experience escalates once you drive it. The 2.2L Smartstream Diesel and DCT combination offers enhanced power, efficiency, and more precise shifting (compared to the previous generation), which crystallizes Kia’s meaning by “Movement that Inspires.” Smart just as it is striking, the car’s cutting-edge technology offers advanced safety features, including Blind Spot View Monitor, 360 Degree Surround View Camera, Rear Cross and Forward Collision Assist, and Lane Keep Assist available for the SX variant. As a Sorento owner, you will know what it’s like to have a lavish experience with every ride. That comes with the SX variant’s 12.3” LCD instrument cluster and wireless mobile phone charger. An 8” infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, and a 6-speaker system is standard for the line-up.
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The Sorento scores high in design, performance, and safety. And yet, what is all that luxury if it doesn’t come with supreme peace of mind for years to come? With Kia, all vehicles come with a 5-year or 160,000kms warranty (whichever comes first). Owners are also entitled to quality after-sales services nationwide and 24/7 Roadside Assistance for a worry-free ownership experience.
As for customer service, various training programs have been developed to ensure that all Kia sales representatives take customers through every step of the process with extra care and personalized service. And this new level of attention extends even after the sale is made. Kia’s new brand message — “Movement that inspires” — comes at a good time for Filipinos. These days we could all
use a reminder that there is still a future to be optimistic about and that we can still achieve our dreams during these challenging times. All we need is the right inspiration to reignite our drive for life. For more updates, like and follow Kia Philippines on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube channel. Learn more about their award-winning vehicles by visiting www.kia.com.
The all-new Kia Sorento 4x2 SX 8DCT variant is now available, while the 4x2 EX 8DCT is coming in January 2022. Price starts at PHP2,398,000. Inspiration is at the heart of Kia’s new Customer Experience Scheduling a test drive or a visit to a dealership comes with ease, thanks to upgraded online channels and social media setups. Once you arrive at the dealership, you’ll immediately sense the new spirit of Kia from its new look and feel. Walk through the doors and be surrounded by the elevated ambiance that brings to life the Kia vision to inspire. December 2021 – January 2022
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“Boasting a refined yet bold exterior, the Sorento makes an eye-catching statement. With its sleek and sporty design — and the iconic tiger-nose grille — it speaks of success and achievement at first sight.”
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MOBILITY
December 2021 – January 2022
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New HINO 300 Fully-Automatic Truck H
ino Motors Philippines Corporation (HMP), the exclusive distributor of Hino trucks and buses, treats drivers to easy and enjoyable rides with the new Hino 300 truck equipped with fully automatic transmission.
business owners to plan and rationalize their operations ahead of time. Overall, a true automatic truck provides tangible benefits for business owners, such as more uptime on operations, lower maintenance costs, and consistent fuel consumption, all of which lead to better profits.
The Hino 300 series, known for its durability and reliability, has been the preferred partner of starting business owners and established enterprises alike. With a fully automatic variant, Hino is poised to fill the gap in the steadily increasing demand for small-lot delivery vehicles.
The Hino 300 series comes in 11 variants for a wide range of loading capacity from 3,800 to 8,500kg gross vehicle weight. Equipped with a Euro 4-compliant N04C engine, these trucks pack superior power at 136 PS for the XZU302 to 600L and 150 PS for the XZU710 to 730L. On torque, these trucks pull up to 390Nm for the 302 to 600L and up to 420Nm for the 710 to 730L series. That’s higher power and efficiency than most light-duty trucks in the market to tackle more load at any road condition.
“The pandemic has prompted great changes in transportation and logistics. As e-commerce continues to grow, so does the need for more small cargo carriers and drivers who can conveniently operate them. Hino’s new light-duty truck with a true automatic transmission addresses this concern, offering great ease in operability that even new and lessskilled drivers can drive with much confidence and safety,” said HMP president Mitsuharu Tabata.
The new Hino 300 series also features upgraded amenities such as a USB and Bluetooth-capable entertainment system, built-in 4-piece air conditioning vents in select variants, as well as power doors and windows and overhead consoles for added convenience.
Hino’s fully automatic truck, the XZU600LA, comes with an upgraded safety package, including an SRS airbag and Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). This makes Hino the first automotive company in the country to offer such features on a light-duty truck. With a true automatic transmission, drivers get less fatigued, thereby improving attentiveness on the road. All these add to the overall safety of the driver, vehicle, and cargo.
“At Hino, we provide only the best for our customers. With this fully automatic truck, we intend to upgrade our drivers’ experience, giving much consideration for their safety and well-being while enabling them to perform their important role in our communities. This results in mutual benefits for all concerned -- drivers, operators, and their customers. Such is Hino’s Total Support promise — a holistic, reliable, and trusted solutions in every aspect of our and our customers’ operations,” shared Tabata.
Furthermore, a fully automatic transmission eliminates all hassles on clutch maintenance and repairs. This also helps achieve a more consistent fuel consumption, which is crucial for trucks operating around the clock and drivers having different driving behaviors. The driver’s skill greatly influences a traditional manual transmission’s fuel consumption. However, a fully automatic transmission makes it easier for
To know more about Hino’s latest updates, you may check out https://www.hino.com.ph/. Watch out for more exciting announcements by liking https://www.facebook.com/ HinoMotorsPH or contact any Hino dealership near you.
“At Hino, we provide only the best for our customers. With this fully automatic truck, we intend to upgrade our drivers’ experience, giving much consideration for their safety and well-being while enabling them to perform their important role in our communities. ” 71
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December 2021 – January 2022
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GOODYEAR ASSURANCE MAXGUARD SUV TIRES BRINGING SUPERIOR HANDLING, BRAKING AND DURABILITY FOR EXPLORING NEW POSSIBILITIES
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ustomized for the Asia Pacific market, the Goodyear Assurance MaxGuard SUV tires provide 2-in-1 protection through superior grip and durability, making them the perfect partner for drivers and their families to journey out and to explore their world of possibilities. With Goodyear’s advanced ActiveGrip Technology, the new Assurance MaxGuard SUV tires offer a tight grip for superior handling and shorter braking distance on wet roads, due to the unique design and increased number of multi-biting edges and optimized distribution, and ActiveGrip cap compound with blended silica. The DuraGuard Technology builds a robust tire carcass to withstand cuts and punctures, while enhancing performance
durability with a 2-ply construction and a strong steel belt package to ensure a though construction specific for SUVs applications. The Assurance MaxGuard SUV tires also provide a quieter ride due to an upgraded tread pattern with an angled block design, noise reduction rib and narrower grooves to make a quieter and more comfortable driving experience. They extend mileage with enhanced tire footprint, optimized tread depth distribution, and cavity shape for maximized mileage performance. Nat Madarang, Goodyear Asia Pacific president, commented:” In Asia Pacific, we are seeing a significant increase in demand within the market with SUV sales accounting for 37% of new car sales in 2021. In particular, demand for the mid-size SUV segment is growing 10% every year. This presents a significant opportunity for the industry as nearly 85% of the tires sized at 17” and above are SUV tires.” He adds, “We are very excited to introduce Assurance MaxGuard SUV to midsize SUV drivers in Asia Pacific. We know most of these drivers are family-oriented safety seekers looking for a solution that suits both their safety and comfort needs equally. The Assurance MaxGuard SUV is a significant expansion of our product portfolio for SUV and 4X4 vehicles.” The Assurance MaxGuard SUV is available in 15” to 18” rim diameters in 18 sizes. Its target fitment are midsize SUVs such as the Honda CR-V, Toyota Fortuner, Toyota RAV4, Mitsubishi Montero Sport, and other popular midsize SUV models in the market.
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MOBILITY
MICHELIN
LTX TRAIL
FOR THE BOOMING HIGH-RISE PICKUP AND SUV MARKET
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ichelin, the world leader in sustainable mobility for all types of vehicles, has recently launched the MICHELIN LTX Trail tire, an on- and off-road tire specifically designed for high-rise pickups and SUVs. The tire offers an extended lifespan, long-lasting safety with excellent wet braking performance – even when worn, and lower interior noise levels for a more comfortable ride. With this versatile tire that performs well on paved and unpaved roads, driving with confidence and safety is enabled, regardless of the road condition and destination.
Biting Shoulder that wraps from the tread down the sidewall to protect against sidewall aggression and ensure greater offroad performance and traction. • Long-lasting safety, even when worn, with Variable Thickness Sipes that provide improved contact patch for better handling, grip and braking performance. On wet roads, when compared to its premium competitors, the MICHELIN LTX Trail stops 3.1-meters shorter when new, and 4.6-meters shorter when worn. On dry roads, when new, it stops 3.8-meters shorter.
Daesy Natalya, country lead for the Philippines, revealed: “At Michelin, we never stop innovating to enable people to move around more freely, safely; and to live a better life in motion. The new Michelin LTX Trail serves as the perfect fit for consumers who own a pickup or SUV and whose lifestyle demands the ability to reach on- and off-road destinations, for work or pleasure. This tire is designed for multi-purpose use, 80% on-road and 20% off-road driving. It gives drivers a safe and comfortable ride on the road, and still being able to take them off the road when needed; and can handle different types of terrain — ranging from city commuting, wet road, highway driving, to light and moderate off-road.”
• 19.8% lower sound pressure level, thanks to DuoHarmony Blocks featuring two different block shapes in the tread’s center that spread the pattern noise energy across a wider spectrum, for a quieter and calmer driving experience. “Michelin LTX Trail is a great match for the increasing popularity of SUVs, which is projected to grow 5.6% yearon-year, from 2021 to 2026. It is suitable for both 4x2 and 4x4 high-rise pickups, and SUVs such as Toyota Hilux, Toyota Fortuner, and Nissan Navara,” remarked Natalya. In the Philippines, the MICHELIN LTX Trail is now available in 15 sizes, with rim dimensions ranging between 15 and 18 inches, from Michelin’s authorized tire dealers across the nation. For more information, please visit www. michelin.ph.
The MICHELIN LTX Trail features three major advantages: • 41% longer mileage with the RallyForce2 Tread Compound that provides better durability and maximum service life for both on and off-road use, and a new tread design with the December 2021 – January 2022
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“Michelin LTX Trail is a great match for the increasing popularity of SUVs, which is projected to grow 5.6% year-on-year, from 2021 to 2026.”
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December 2021 – January 2022
MOBILITY
All-New Isuzu D-MAX Conquers 2021 Rallycross Series
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he Isuzu D-MAX continues to move into new heights as it conquers the tracks on Rounds 5 and 6 of the 2021 Philippine Rallycross Series (PHRX), held last November 7, at the open grounds of Clark Global City, Clark Freeport, Pampanga.
tires. Both were tortured on the circuit during the race, yet survived without damage or need for repair. Both were able to drive home without any problem, ready for the next working day and eager for the next race weekend. Indeed, the All-New D-MAX has proven its reliability and durability.
Isuzu Philippines Corporation fielded two units of the All-New Isuzu D-MAX 3.0 4x4 LS-E A/T models. The teams were led by veteran race car driver and businessman Mon Dimapilis, and motoring journalist Vince Pornelos. One unit consisted of an unmodified showroom stock D-MAX, and the other with modified suspensions and
On the race track, the D-MAX was a beast, besting many competitors with purpose-built rally-tuned vehicles. The D-MAX managed to stay within the top 3 winners in 3 different categories, thanks to its powerful 4JJ3-TCX Blue Power Diesel Engine and superb vehicle design, perfectly matched to its team drivers’ expertise.
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The Philippine Rallycross Series is a timed racing competition held on a closed course track that is basically a dirt circuit. It started in 2015 and has since gained the respect and participation of motorsports enthusiasts. Isuzu Philippines competes in three different categories — Open Class for all engine displacements; UV Class for pickups, SUVs, and AUVs; and AWD Class for 4-wheel drive vehicles. To know more about the all-new Isuzu D-MAX, its features and pricing, go to www.isuzuphil.com, follow their official FB Page, or visit any Isuzu dealership nationwide.
(L-R) Isuzu Philippines Corporation president Hajime Koso with Philippine Rallycross Series organizer Olson Camacho.
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December 2021 – January 2022
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KYLE PAZ
FINISHES HISTORIC SEASON IN THE FIM CEV MOTO2 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 79
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MOBILITY
December 2021 – January 2022
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K
yle started his 2021 Racing Season as the first ever Filipino to be part of the FIM CEV MOTO2 European championship. Selected by the Yamaha VR46 Mastercamp Racing Team, he was eager to show the Filipino brand of racing to the world. Entering the final round, the temperature in Valencia reached lows of 12 degrees Celsius. This proved to be part of the challenge for Kyle aside from going against the top young riders in the world. He started on the grid at 21st and officially finished at 17th when the race was called due to a red flag. After joining the season from round 3 of the season, Kyle finished 16th overall in the standing for a solid finish to his rookie year. The 19-year-old was ready for the challenge and started his campaign in Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya for round 3. He finished in 21st place for his maiden race. In round 5, Kyle had to overcome an injury he sustained to his pinky which proved troublesome in maintaining a grip with his left hand. He persevered and battled his way to tenth place. He showed his true potential in round 4 at Portugal where he had a season high of 7th Place.
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The Wonderboy has come a long way from the racetracks of the Philippines to the circuits of Europe and carries the flag in every lap. The future of Philippine racing has arrived, Yamaha Motor Philippines will continue to support the journey of Kyle and the all the aspiring riders at home. Watch out for Kyle’s next milestone because his future will undoubtedly be astonishing. For more follow Yamaha Motor Philippines on our digital platforms (Facebook,Instagram,Twitter, and Youtube) and on our website yamahamotor.com.ph.
December 2021 – January 2022
Green
Words by Ren Alcantara
December 2021 – January 2022
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E
-waste is a real issue that needs to be addressed. According to the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, there was a staggering 53.6 Million metric tons globally in 2019, and that number continues to increase as people keep replacing their old devices. E-waste is everywhere, and it includes appliances, consumer electronics, lights, and batteries. Lead-acid batteries such as those most commonly used in cars, motorcycles, and generators, are of particular concern because of a number of reasons. What’s the issue with lead-acid? Lead-acid batteries are practically ancient, as far as technology goes, but it’s still in use firstly because it’s inexpensive, particularly against the newer battery types. Because it’s been around for so long, the processes and final products are extremely refined, and perfectly fit the use cases they’re in. This is because Lead-acid batteries are mechanically and electrically robust, being able to handle heat, deliver lots of current, and still keep the ability to hold a lot of charge, even when drained fairly low.
naturally expel lead on its own. It’s a very stubborn pollutant that is hard to remove from the environment, and can cause problems for generations. The acid in lead-acid is also extremely corrosive, and very easily contaminates soil and groundwater. All these factors mean that these batteries require proper handling to ensure a safe environment.
Aside from weight though, their main downside is in the name: they contain lead, an element that’s toxic in small amounts. Lead is harmful to living things, particularly children, and levels of lead can build up in the environment and the human body over time, as the body doesn’t
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Green Therein lies the problem. Proper disposal isn’t always possible, and in many places such as in most of the Philippines, facilities to properly handle spent batteries aren’t available. There’s also the matter of sketchy or backyard recycling outfits that don’t responsibly take care of the waste, leading to more problems than they solve.
adaptive charging solutions. These devices keep your car or motorcycle batteries in tip-top shape, even if the vehicle is unused for long periods of time. This has obvious benefits. Your car or bike will be ready to go at any time, and you won’t ever have to worry about a flat battery when you hit the ignition. These also keep the battery healthy, making sure it charges at an optimum rate when it needs it, and protecting it from the negative effects of overcharging, or deep discharging. With it, you can up to double the lifespan of your battery, reducing e-waste, as well as saving you money in the process. Devices such as these might seem like a big investment, but they do pay for themselves in one or two battery changes. Power consumption is also extremely low, since it only charges the battery when it needs it, and just enough to keep it at the optimum state of charge. There are even models that offer a RECONDITION mode that works to bring deeply discharged batteries back to life, allowing you to keep going should your battery get over-drained for whatever reason such as being left unused for an extended period of time.
What can we do about it? All batteries die eventually, and when they reach the end of their usable life, we have to make sure we take them to facilities that take proper care of the e-waste. Another way, and one that’s as good for your wallet as the environment, is to take better care of your batteries.
You can do your part in helping the environment just by taking care of your car or bike’s battery, while saving a little money in the process. It’s a win for your pocket, and the environment!
You can drastically reduce e-waste by extending the life of the battery you have now with devices such as CTEK’s
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“These devices keep your car or motorcycle batteries in tip-top shape, even if the vehicle is unused for long periods of time.” Watch our YouTube video
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Music Corner
NOW PLAYING: The music of MI, the rhythm of your culture
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“The track was uniquely written and produced aiming to reflect how unstoppable you can be when you finally own your ride – it lets you dream about what awaits you next. ”
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ave you ever gotten lost in your world? It’s when time slows down and the number of opportunities seem infinite. Everyone has their version of getting away from reality but one of the most common escapes is music. Every genre, lyric, and melody reflects one’s emotion – just like how Careless Music Manila produced their recent track, “OWN IT”, an upbeat house song that balances the urban and the tropical vibe inspired by the Yamaha Mio Own the Culture Campaign.
into the rhythm of their culture. ‘Pave the way. Redefine. Breaking through the borderline’ as said in the lyrics, that’s what riding a Mio motorcycle should feel like – it takes you from anywhere you want to be while letting you express yourself with no hesitations.
immersing yourself in a new and exciting environment is even better. That’s what the AT riding culture is; with the Yamaha Mio Sporty, Mio i125, Mio Soul i125, Mio Gear, Mio Gravis, and Mio Aerox, you can explore, redefine, and OWN IT.
The world projected in the music video is a glimpse of how important it is to own the culture. Getting lost in the scene and
Visit the official microsite of Yamaha Mio: https://www.yamaha-motor.com. ph/campaign/mio.html
With the goal of keeping the representation of what AT riding culture is, Yamaha Motor Philippines partnered with Careless to create a track that showcased how vibrant, cool, and diverse the world of MIO is. The track was uniquely written and produced aiming to reflect how unstoppable you can be when you finally own your ride – it lets you dream about what awaits you next. Complimenting the lyrics, the music video portrays a secret world where the Careless Music Artists Nadine Lustre, Massiah, and James Reid perform their hearts out influencing the crowd to jive
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Music Corner
FILIPINO MUSIC PRODUCERS TO FOLLOW Words by Charles Vallena
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ehind every song we enjoy is the creativity of a music producer. Even the most popular Filipino singers have a record producer who ensures the musical piece is a masterpiece.
From the kundimans of yesteryears to Michael V’s rap parody, the Apo Hiking Society’s classic hits, and Jose Mari Chan’s soothing hits, a Filipino music producer is orchestrating the activities that lead to an MTV Philippines or Awit Awards hit. Unsurprisingly, many Pinoy audiophiles would want to know what the country’s foremost record producers are cooking. If you also want to be in the loop, here are 10 Filipino music producers to follow.
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Watch the YouTube video
Gary Valenciano
Undoubtedly one of the most popular Filipino singers, Gary ‘Mr. Pure Energy’ Valenciano is not only a phenomenal singer. He is also a well-respected music producer behind some of the country’s most enduring songs. Married to Angeli for 27 years, he draws inspiration from his unwavering Christian faith and love for his family, especially his three kids. He composed and recorded many hit songs by some of the country’s legendary artists, including Sharon Cuneta, Martin Nievera, Jed Madela, Rachel Ann Go, and more.
Watch the YouTube video
Vehnee Saturno
A certified Ilonggo, Venancio ‘Vehnee’ Saturno is the brains behind some of the country’s greatest hits, starting with the 1982 Metro Manila Pop Music Festival’s Isang Dakot for Best Composition. Vehnee is also the creative soul behind Martin Nievera’s classic Be My Lady and other popular hits, such as Sana Kahit Minsan, Till My Heartaches End, Ako’y Ako, Forever’s Not Enough, Nagiisang Ikaw, and Sana Kahit Minsan.
It will not be surprising if Spotify includes Gary V’s creations in its listening trends for the quarantine.
He is also the genius behind the musical score of top-grossing Filipino films, amassing awards after awards. Saturno is a three-time FAMAS and five-time FAP Awardee for his musical ingenuity in the movie industry.
D @GaryValenciano1 P @GaryVOfficial
D @VehneeSaturno1 P @VehneeSaturno
E @GaryValenciano1 Q @garyvalenciano
E @VehneeSaturno Q @vehnees
4 2 Watch the YouTube video
Janno Gibbs
Who can forget Janno Gibbs’ Ipagpatawad Mo, I Believe in Dreams, and Ikaw Lamang? These popular ballads have become the favorite of wannabe singers from all walks of life – from karaoke bars to neighborhood ‘tambayans.’ What you might not realize is that Janno is also one of the most respected music producers in the industry. He produced Little Boy in 2007, containing seven original compositions, and followed it up with Orig that featured 11 of his creations. The Janno Gibbs Anthology has 18 of Gibbs’ compositions.
Watch the YouTube video
Nathan Azarcon
Rivermaya fans know Nathan Azarcon for his exceptional songwriting, bass-playing, and electrifying vocals. What they might not realize is that this Southeast Asian cultural advocate is also a record producer. Nathan is a recipient of many awards from MTV Pilipinas, NU Rock, Katha, and Awit.
Unsurprisingly, the country’s King of Soul is worth following.
Growing up in the 1990s, it is impossible not to feel and sing Ulan, Awit ng Kabataan, Himala, 214, and Kisapmata. A Lasallian and a Thomasian, Azarcon uses his robust cultural advocacy and love for music to create some of the most enduring Pinoy alternative rock songs to date.
D @lipsynch P @JannoGibbsTV
D @N8NlearnstoROCK E @NathanHacheroAzarcon Q @nathanazarcon
E @janno-gibbs Q @jannolategibbs
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Music Corner
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Raul Mitra
What does Paano Kita Iibigin and No Other Woman have in common? These Pinoy blockbusters won the Best Musical Score Award at the Star Awards for Movies and Luna Awards, respectively. Both are also creations of Raul Mitra. While Raul has his musical production ingenuity on target for the silver screen, his collaborations with artists in the music industry are noteworthy. He is a composer, songwriter, arranger, pianist, keyboardist, and musical director that people in the industry have come to respect.
D @RaulMitra E @RaulMitra Q @raulmitra
Watch the YouTube video
Ronnie Henares
You might know him as Tommy Diones in the Kapuso Network’s Pepito Manaloto. But, did you also know Ronnie Henares is a talent manager, musician, and music producer? No less than Asia’s Songbird, Regine Velasquez, and Asia’s Nightingale, Lani Misalucha, have been under Ronnie’s caring wings. Unsurprisingly, Henares is behind many of Regine and Lani’s greatest hits, wowing Pinoy fans and foreign audiophiles with their vocal excellence.
D @Gronniehenares Q @ronniehenares
E @RonnieHenares
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Cattski
Watch the YouTube video
Jungee Marcelo
Cattleya Vanessa ‘Cattski’ Espina is a Cebuana singer-songwriter, indie record founder, musician, and record producer. She has 14 talents in her 22 Tango Records and Music Publishing, complete with more than 200 titles in their collection. In 2017, she opened the Room Eleven Recording Studio to ensure higher-quality music production.
One of the most trusted names in Philippine songwriting, Jungee Marcelo also happens to be the brains behind many OPM hits. He loves songwriting competitions, and is known for Jolina Magdangal’s Super Pinoy, Noel Cabangon’s K Naman, and Daniel Padilla’s Nasa ‘Yo Na Ang Lahat.
Although Cattski focuses more on local talents, it is only a matter of time before the rest of the archipelago notices her music production wizardry. After all, few Philippine dialetic regions can match the vocal prowess of a Cebuana.
His most recent projects include Lee Simon Brown’s Paano Mo Kinata, Cherise Katriel’s Walang Katulad, and Gloryfall x HazelFaith’s Mapayapa. The year 2022 should see more Jungee Marcelo creations.
D @CATTSKI P @Cattski
D @jungeemarcelo E @JungeeMarceloProductions P @JungeeMarceloMusic Q @jungeemarcelo
E @CATTSKI Q @cattskimusic
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10 9 Watch the YouTube video
Watch the YouTube video
Robin Nievera
Thyro Alfaro
With a degree in music production from DLSU-College of Saint Benilde, Robin used his musical competence to produce No More Words in 2012, Nightmares in 2012, and Dare in 2016. Fans cannot wait for what this young music producer has in store.
Thyro wrote the songs of some of the Philippines’ fastest-rising stars, such as Sarah Geronimo, Nadine Lustre, James Reid, Donnalyn Bartolome, and Shehyee.
Winning the 2015 PhilPop Award for Trianggulo underscored the musical ingenuity of this young record producer. In September this year, Thyro Alfaro released his Bagon Buhay Volume 1 EP under his Diwang Records label.
Being the son of the Philippines’ Concert King, Martin Nievera, and Pops Fernandez is no pressure for Robin Nievera. This record producer and singer-songwriter has enough titles to his name that people believe Robin is his man.
D @thyroalfaro P @ThyroAlfaro
D @robinnievera E @robinnievera Q @robinnievera
E @officialthyroalfaro Q @thyroalfaro
CONCLUSION These 10 Filipino music producers to follow continue to do what they love. They collaborate with the most popular Filipino singers to give audiophiles, both here and abroad, the music they deserve. That is Pinoy talent to the fore.
About the Author
Charles Vallena is the editor-in-chief of GuitarJunky, an online music blog dedicated to helping aspiring musicians become real musicians. He provides expert insights, guides, lessons, and reviews on acoustic guitars, keyboards, drums, and other musical instruments. Follow Guitar Junky on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
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Snapshots
Photo perfection with the flagship-level
Huawei nova 9 Words by Ren Alcantara
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hotography has never been as accessible as it is now. Phones in particular have great cameras these days. In this video, we’re using the amazing Huawei nova 9 to take some great photos. The nova 9 has a 50 MP RYYB Ultra Vision camera that lets more light in, which means more image information and a better photo. You don’t need a professional camera to take photos like the pros! Just bear in mind some tips, and you’ll be taking snaps like the best of them! For this article though, we have a secret weapon: the amazing Huawei nova 9. It’s a solid little phone with flagship-level camera technology normally found on Huawei’s top-of-the line Mate and P series of phones.
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The first, and most important factor to consider is composition. The simplest way to think of composition is how everything in your photo is arranged. It’s putting together the different elements in the scene to make a cohesive whole. Consider the lines formed by things in your photo. You can set the shot up so that the lines in the image lead the viewer’s eyes to a specific point in the frame. Take note of the balance in the shot. You can make the image even by balancing the elements evenly across the frame, or leave the shot mostly empty, putting emphasis on the part of the shot with your subject You can give yourself a hand on devices like the nova 9 by enabling the Assistive Grid feature that superimposes guidelines, so you can December 2021 – January 2022
get the balance point correct, as well as enabling the Horizontal Level guide so you can ensure your shot is aligned right--something you have to be aware of when you see long, wide lines like the horizon, rows of cars, or buildings. Just like their camera counterparts, phones have different settings that can be selected depending on the environment you’re shooting in. Cameras on phones like the nova 9 are very smart, with modes that are suited for the scene you’re shooting.For a quick snapshot, you can always just fire the camera up, and use the default mode, which is perfect if you just need to capture something quick, or you don’t have the time to set up. The software is fast and clever enough to adjust, so you get the best possible quality with little effort.
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Thanks to the RYYB Ultra Vision Camera, the nova 9 captures more light from your subject, without adding excessive grain or noise to the final image. Because of this, the nova 9 is able to deliver photos with better lighting than the competition in default mode.
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“Thanks to the RYYB Ultra Vision Camera, the nova 9 captures more light from your subject, without adding excessive grain or noise to the final image.” The RYYB sensor is the same one found in Huawei’s flagship devices, and allows the nova 9 to deliver astounding results, by capturing more light from the subject you’re shooting, and more light means a better photo. Thanks to a 1/1.56-inch big sensor and RYYBColour Filter Array, nova 9 is able to outperform other flagship devices in a low-light environment. The phone can literally see in the dark and capture things you can’t see with the naked eye--this is built right into the default shooting mode. The XD Fusion Image engine on the other hand, has been a key part of Huawei’s flagship P & Mate Series camera AI processing technology, and now this capability has come to nova 9 which gives a huge boost to picture quality.
These technologies also translate to video shooting. For videos nova 9 has great performance in low-light and HDR environments, great video stabilization for vlog shooting, and new software features such as Continuous Front/Rear Recording, Vlog mode, Dual-View, and Petal Clip app for instant video editing, bringing a complete and remarkable Vlog experience to the consumer. If you want to be in the shot yourself, you can switch over to the nocompromise selfie mode. The nova 9 has an impressive 32 MP sensor for selfies, so you can be part of the action without worrying about image quality. We spent some time with the nova 9, and we were extremely impressed with the image quality it can deliver.
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Whether in low-light, or out in the daytime, it was consistently giving us shots that were honestly at par with the gship devices we’ve tried, and at a price point that’s much lower than the competition. You’re going to be extremely hard-pressed to find a device that has as capable a camera as the one on the nova 9. December 2021 – January 2022
Snapshots While the nova isn’t a flagship device, it doesn’t fall short in terms of performance. It handled gaming without skipping a beat, or any frames, and the large, 120Hz screen is able to deliver smooth action for games that are supported. It also had excellent thermals, keeping it from getting uncomfortably warm over extended gaming sessions, while off the charger. If you need more apps, whether it’s for photography, videos, gaming, or basically anything else, just head over to Huawei’s App Gallery, where you’ll find practically all the apps you’ll need for the complete smartphone experience. It’s just as easy and comprehensive as any of the app stores on phones available today. If you need an app, you’ll likely find it here. To get started, just launch the Huawei App Gallery. This brings you to a familiar app store format, which is simple to navigate, thanks to its straightforward layout. Here, you’ll find suggested apps. Shopee and Lazada are there for your shopping needs, Paymaya and GCash for payments, and the usual messaging
December 2021 – January 2022
apps such as Telegram and Viber to cover your communication needs. I spent a good long time looking at the app selection, and aside rom the essentials, it has a comprehensive list of apps for everything you might need. To get with the photography theme, I installed Instagram, and for a little something after work, Genshin Impact. Installing is as simple as searching for the app of your choice (made easy with the search bar at the top of the screen) and tapping install.
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There are a few security checks and app permissions, and a quick download, but after that, you’re off! With leading technology inherited from the flagship-level Mate and P series, your natural talents get a little boost from technology so everyone can take stunning photos. It’s a great option for photos and videos, so if you’re interested in mabe taking pictures, or starting a vlog, the nova 9 is a fantastic option for that.
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Visual Space
is DISCOVERY + worth it? Words by Gabriel Pe
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ack in 2019, I wrote about Curiosity Stream, a streaming app much like Netflix but only features documentaries and educational content. As a geeky young lad, I was more of a documentary kid and not really into cartoons. I remember spending hours upon hours every day watching shows from the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, and later, the History Channel. Fast forward to 2021, and finally discovery+! Discovery Inc.’s very own streaming platform is now available in the Philippines, and believe me, it’s a blast from the past for this nerd.
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Discovery Originals and discovery+ Original I heard of discovery+ when looking for a website where I could stream a Travel channel show I was addicted to at the time, but discovery+ was limited to specific countries, and not accessible from the Philippines. Now that discovery+ has officially arrived in the country, I am left wondering why it took so long to reach our shores. The app/website has tons of available shows and documentaries from Discovery Inc.’s massive group of channels, including the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, the Travel
Channel, the Food Channel, the niche DMAX and ID, and a whole lot more. discovery+ also includes some original content which are exclusive to the app, such as Zak Bagan’s The Haunted Museum, New York Time’s Framing Britney Spears, and many more. You’re just spoiled for choice. Moreover, discovery+ is updated weekly with new episodes and new shows. There are even non-discovery shows such as Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Storage Wars, and more recently, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK.
A few caveats As much as I want to fanboy over discovery+’s massive library there are a few caveats. If you subscribe to discovery+ gives you access only to discovery+ Philippine. And, while it has a massive library, you can’t bring that with you abroad. Based on their FAQ, discovery+ will only work in the territory where you are subscribed, and you lose access to it when you leave the country. Another caveat is the current lack of offline and download features. You need
Is it worth it? As of writing, the discovey+ annual subscription is discounted at PHP499 from PHP999 until January 9, 2022. I was very fortunate to have availed of their special introductory promo
to stay connected to the internet to watch your favorite discovery+ shows. There are also some well-loved Discovery Shows that are not in discovery+, including my childhood favorites Mythbusters and Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. According to discovery+, content is dependent on their agreement with content partners. The means that while the shows you like may not be in the app right now, in the future they can be. Similarly, some shows in the app/site may be removed in the future.
of PHP129 for a whole year. Even so, PHP999 for a whole year is still a pretty great deal considering the massive library of documentaries and TV shows. If you don’t want to go for the whole year or just want to try it out there’s a PHP129 monthly subscription. A subscribed account can use up to four devices simultaneously.
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If you don’t want to shell out the cash, there are certain shows you could watch for free, such as TLC’s 90 Day Fiance, though they have ads and are extremely limited. For what its worth, a discovery+ subscription may be the perfect gift for docu-geeks this holiday season.
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Gaming
Developer platform
PUBLISHER
Ubisoft Toronto
Ubisoft
Luna, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S
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Words by Jose Alvarez
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evolution has been a theme in Latin America for ages. After overthrowing the Spanish colonial regime, many Latin American countries were ruled by military juntas and dictatorships before transitioning back into democracy, or at least the appearance of democracy. Ubisoft Toronto researched revolutions such as the Cuban Revolution to create the story of Far Cry 6, the latest installation in the Far Cry series.
DANI (MALE)
Giancarlo Esposito, known for his work as Gus Fring on Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, is the voice of Yara’s dictator, Anton Castillo. Castillo serves as the game’s antagonist who is grooming his son to succeed him. The protagonist, Dani Rojas, was formerly of the Yaran military and is now a guerrilla fighting for the freedom of Yara. The player will be tasked with freeing Yara from Castillo’s influence.
DANI (FEMALE)
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Gaming
GUERILLA FIGHTERS DESTROY CAPITOL
GUERILLA FIGHTERS DEFEND FREEDOM
Much like previous Far Cry games, the gameplay remains more or less the same, a first-person shooter in an open world environment which is touted as the biggest in the Far Cry series so far. There are seven main regions that have jungles, urban areas, and more for you to explore. In addition, you can also customize weapons and armor to give yourself perks and bonuses as you proceed in your quest to liberate Yara.
around or run in with guns blazing. The Supremo backpack also gives more perks to the player. Some examples of Supremo augmentations include the ability to see enemies through solid walls or even fire homing missiles at enemies. Another new feature in this game is the ability to holster your weapon, allowing you to pass by enemies without them attacking you on sight (unless you happen to be in a restricted zone).
Resolver weapons give perks to players’ loadouts. Depending on your playstyle, you can customize this any way you want—whether you like to sneak
You also have a “Rank Level” with each region, allowing you to unlock new powerful weapons and items at your Guerrilla Garrison and at any
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Juan’s Arms Dealers throughout Yara. However, as you progress, the enemies become tougher, and enemy locations become more and more fortified. There is also a notoriety meter a la Grand Theft Auto which is like your reputation—the higher your notoriety, the more likely you will be attacked by special forces. Of course, you can always run away and reset the meter. You can also construct and upgrade guerrilla bases known as Camp Facilities throughout Yara, which provide resources and bonuses to further augment your character. The “Fangs For Hire” mechanic from Far Cry 5 also returns. The Amigos companion system allows you to recruit various animals with abilities and perks that can help the player in combat and exploration. For instance, one Amigo can loot extra currency from corpses, while another can distract enemies allowing you to sneak up on them and kill them without being detected. Overall, the story is what captivated me—the Ubisoft team really did their research when they said they were going to research revolutions, and I felt like I was in the middle of a true Latin American uprising. However, like any game, there are some flaws. Far Cry 6 brings in needless inventory swaps that, all in all, added hours to the completion of the game. While I usually choose stealth, I wanted to take a different approach to this game. There were no loadout swaps, which makes changing your experience a bit more difficult, especially if you’re a completionist and want to get every achievement in the game. This was a small takeaway from a rather enjoyable gaming experience.
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Home
DYSON OMNI-GLIDE
A brand-new way to clean with the first omni-directional Fluffy cleaner head
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hasing fine, floating dust across the living room floor. Reaching under the sofa to capture hidden dust. Catching the last piece of cereal under the kitchen table. Traditional vacuums typically struggle with getting into hard-to-reach spaces and are inflexible to the daily assault course of cleaning obstacles at home. The Dyson Omni-glide™ vacuum delivers a brand-new way to clean hard floors. It’s the first ever Dyson vacuum cleaner engineered for daily cleaning in city homes, making it the perfect choice for users who like to vacuum often and get into the difficult nooks and crannies. Its omnidirectional Fluffy™ cleaner head has been engineered to glide in all directions — forwards, backwards and even sideways. Rearranged into a new in-line format, the machine can lie flat and clean in tight spaces.
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Brand new in-line format The Dyson Omni-glide has also been engineered with an in-line format, with the separation system, the motor, filter and handle all aligned, to enable the machine to lie flat to the floor and clean in tight spaces, such as under a sofa or between furniture. This new format is the result of extensive research, including 470 hours of trials with 277 users in their homes across six countries. With this new format, the engineers had to design a machine that had the core Dyson technologies — including a Dyson Hyperdymium™ motor — concentrated and rearranged in-line but still able to achieve no loss of suction, and spins at up to 105,000rpm. Dyson engineers have also maintained the Dyson five-stage filtration proprietary technology, even in this compact format, which ensures the machine can efficiently suck up fine dust hidden in those hard-to-reach places, capture 99.99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, and expel cleaner air.
Omnidirectional Fluffy™ cleanerhead The Dyson Omni-glide is the first omnidirectional Fluffy cleaner head. It floats on four 360° stabilising casters that allow it to move effortlessly in all directions and into tight spaces. It is the brand’s most maneuverable vacuum due to two core technologies: (1) the omnidirectional Fluffy cleaner head, and (2) the in-line format. The casters’ height and placement were engineered to ensure minimal resistance — whether rolling forwards, backwards or sideways. Sealed ball bearings also allow for a smooth change of direction and minimize build-up of dirt. “We’re pioneers in the vacuum cleaner industry — we created our cyclone technology, removed the bag, and cut the cord with the introduction of our powerful cord-free machines. Today, we’re introducing a brandnew way to clean hard floors with the Dyson Omniglide vacuum,” says James Dyson, founder and chief engineer. “The new omnidirectional Fluffy cleaner head is a true testament to our engineering capabilities, and is powered by a Dyson Hyperdymium motor, and features two counter-rotating brush bars that spin at the same speed for pick up in both directions.”
The Dyson Omni-glide also comes with three tools for cleaning up high, down low, and anywhere in between. These tools include a mini motorized tool to tackle hair and ground-in dirt from mattresses and upholstery, a worktop tool, and a combination tool. The Dyson Omniglide+ comes with an additional light pipe crevice tool with LED lights to show you where you’re cleaning, even in dark spaces.
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Home Other key features of the Dyson Omni-glide™ include:
Easy, smoother bin emptying.
Power button.
The straight, slim bin has an ejection mechanism with a rotary catch, to drive out dust in one smooth action. A silicone collar wipes down the mesh shroud to drive out dust without dirtying your hands.
It has a power button instead of the classic trigger, meaning users can swap hands while navigating obstacles, making cleaning that bit easier.
Removable, fade-free, energy-dense battery.
Easy maintenance.
Enables up to 20 minutes run time. Swapping the battery has been made easy with the click-in structure where owners can remove and replace at the press of a button.
To remove dust build-up, you can wash the bin, filter, brush bar, and any tools without electronic components.
So, if you are starting out in life in a small city apartment or have to clean up after your family on a regular basis, the Dyson Omni-glide is the perfect cord-free vacuum cleaner for your needs.
Pricing and availability
The Dyson Omni-glide Core comes in purple/iron/nickel, and retails for PHP27,900. It comes with a combination tool, mini motorized tool, and workshop tool. Meanwhile, the Dyson Omni-glide+ in gold/iron/nickel is priced at PHP29,900,
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and comes with a combination tool, mini-motorized tool, workshop tool, and light pipe crevice tool. Both Dyson Omni-glide models are now available at your local Dyson Demo store. gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
LPG reinvented with world-class container
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ndustry leader Petron Corporation introduces another innovation in the Home LPG category with the launch of the new Petron Gasul Elite Composite Cylinder, a new type of container that is superior to regular steel cylinders.
For many generations, Filipino homes have relied on Petron Gasul because of its safety, quality, and authenticity — long recognized as the gold standard for Home LPG users. The new Petron Gasul Elite sets the bar even higher, introducing the most significant enhancement in LPG packaging since the 1970s.
Petron Gasul Elite is a premium LPG brand that offers the following advantages: • EXPLOSION-PROOF. The composite high-strength material is made from a mixture of fiberglass or carbon fibers and a plastic resin. Safety is enhanced as there is no risk of BLEVE (Boiling Liquid Expanding Vapor Explosion). • RUST-PROOF. The cylinder is noncorrosive and will not rust. Thus, it will not stain kitchen floors or cabinets and other surfaces. • LIGHTWEIGHT. An unfilled Petron Gasul Elite cylinder weighs 5.45kg,
more than 50% lighter than an unfilled regular steel tank that is 13kg. • ERGONOMIC DESIGN. Its ergonomic Viking-head design offers a better grip for easier handling. • TRANSLUCENT. Thanks to translucent windows on the cylinder, end users can visually check and monitor the LPG level inside the Petron Gasul Elite.
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Pricing and Availability Petron Gasul users who want only the best can trade in their old 11kg steel tank for a new Petron Gasul Elite composite cylinder for an introductory price of only Php 2,500 (not including LPG refill and regulator). The premium brand is initially available in Metro Manila through the Petron Express Delivery service — simply dial #88000 or send a text message to 0917-878-8000. It is expected to roll out to Petron Gasul authorized dealers nationwide by December 2021.
December 2021 – January 2022
Home
THE NEWEST TOSTEM COLLECTION: ATIS, THE ART OF THE VIEW Not Just a Window or Door Frame – But Moving Art. Framing the Beauty of Living.
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dream home is not just its interiors and exteriors. What also makes it your dream home are the views outdoors that you can unite seamlessly with the inside. TOSTEM, a global leader in housing technology, unveils its newest collection — ATIS: The Art of the View. This collection of windows and doors is with artistic and minimal design, so there are no obstructions or distractions, thus transforming our views into moving art, bringing the beautiful outside world, in.
December 2021 – January 2022
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Born from the innovation and technology of Japan, a land embraced by both the gifts and hardships of nature, TOSTEM has over half a century of experience forged into its collections. With ATIS, TOSTEM offers windows and doors that go above and beyond Japanese Industrial Standards. With a design refined through Japan’s changing seasons, ATIS offers the harmony of functional performance and simple design. ATIS promises top-of-the-line security together with a unique aesthetic for your home. All the hardware is concealed. You won’t see any caps and screws, yet its technology, quality, performance, and design all work beautifully. ATIS doors are simple yet all functional, with all machinery hidden in the frame, even door stoppers. The collection features a wide array of product offerings to match your aesthetic and to suit your lifestyle.
There are various ATIS windows to choose from. Sliding windows come with a safety stopper ensuring that anyone who uses them won’t get hurt. The awning window comes with an orbit handle, simply designed, simply functional. The tilt & slide window features two elements, tilting and sliding, all in one. All ATIS windows are equipped with a smart screen system with an invisible shield, keeping insects out, letting more airflow in, and increasing transparency. The view is
always unimpeded - just pure artistry. The end goal is not just window or door frames, after all – it is beauty. At the heart of the design philosophy of TOSTEM lies the creation of products to enhance joy in your home. The smallest details of your daily interaction with your windows and doors are all considered, to create the best possible experience. Every element measures up to the highest standard of function, form, and endurance. They are, after all, not just another window or door in another home ±— they are yours. Framing beauty. Framing life. ATIS: The Art of the View. TOSTEM is part of the LIXIL portfolio, a merger of five of Japan’s most successful building materials and housing companies, all drawing from their Japanese heritage to create worldleading technology and innovation that transform homes.
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Wellness
#HEALTHISACHOICE
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ealth and wellness have become many Filipinos’ top priorities these past months as people look to boost their immunity against the pandemic. Despite the growing emphasis on achieving a healthier lifestyle, however, many find it difficult, if not fail altogether, to meet their health, wellness, and fitness goals. With the extended lockdowns changing people’s habits and limiting physical activities, more people face problems with their metabolism, which plays a critical role in maintaining good health. The 2021 Asian User Health Data Report from Garmin, a smart wearable brand, indicates that people with a higher average Weekly Intensity Minutes consumed more calories — both Active and Resting Calories — emphasizing the importance of exercise in maintaining good metabolism, which in turn improves one’s health. To encourage Filipinos to choose a healthier lifestyle, Garmin has launched its #HealthIsAChoice #ChooseGarmin campaign to encourage a scientific approach in pursuing health goals for the long term, with smartwatches as a way to track progress, maintain good metabolism, and keep motivated. With this campaign, Garmin hopes to make exercising and leading a healthier lifestyle an easier choice for more Filipinos.
December 2021 – January 2022
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December 2021 – January 2022
Wellness
Choosing health with Garmin A sedentary lifestyle has been a pressing concern among a growing number of Filipinos even before the pandemic. Garmin’s latest report reveals Filipinos average 42.82 Intensity Minutes, the fourth lowest average in the SEA region with Hong Kong leading at 53 minutes. Extended indoor living has limited people’s activities these past months, and specialists point out that this increases the risks for severe COVID-19 symptoms and other diseases. Filipinos ranked fourth globally in terms of being sleep-deprived, according to a study by Sleep Cycle in 2019. The report revealed Filipinos sleep an average of 6.5 hours a day versus the recommended 7 or more hours of sleep for adults. In terms of stress level, the country was second to Indonesia in having the highest stress level in Asia, according to Garmin’s 2021 report. Staying physically active and having adequate sleep are important in boosting metabolism and health.
December 2021 – January 2022
Improving blood oxygen health, avoiding excessive stress, building or maintaining muscle mass, and maintaining proper hydration are also vital. Garmin’s smart wearables help users keep an eye on health factors by monitoring sleep and stress, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate and respiration rate. Garmin encourages more health enthusiasts and fitness rookies to #ChooseGarmin for their self-training and physical activity monitoring and measurement. To motivate users to continue exercising and boost their metabolism toward achieving better health and fitness, Garmin’s devices have sensors and trackers that show users’ progress. These help users see how their bodies are reacting to physical activities. Seeing positive results can give them a sense of achievement and motivate them further in their health and fitness journey.
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Comprehensive health monitoring features Garmin’s smart wearables monitor important health functions related to the metabolic rate such as resting calories and active calories consumption. These devices also monitor heart rate, oxygen saturation, stress level, advanced sleep monitoring, fitness age, hydration, and other important health functions. These features aid the user in determining exercise quality and developing good habits to improve their metabolism and overall health. The Heart Rate tracker, for example, can be used to measure exercise intensity. The body’s efficiency in burning fat improves when the exercise heart rate is between 65 percent and 79 percent of the maximum heart rate and the intensity of the workout results in slight shortness of breath while still feeling relaxed and comfortable. The Stress Level widget monitors changes in the heart rate and provides Relax Reminders (when enabled) to calm down when stress levels run high. The Sleep Monitoring Tracker analyzes the user’s heart rate, oxygen saturation level, respiratory rate, and activity data through the three sleep cycles (light sleep, deep sleep, and REM). It provides a score based on the quality of sleep. The Hydration widget records the user’s water intake with reminders to hydrate from time to time.
Garmin’s smartwatches also have built-in workouts, including highintensity interval training (HIIT) in select watches, which users can access and download more from the Garmin Connect app. The Fitness Age widget uses chronological age, weekly vigorous activity, resting heart rate, and BMI or body fat percentage to estimate if the body is younger or older than the user’s actual age. The most notable monitoring feature of Garmin’s smart wearables is the Pulse Ox sensors. Pulse Ox is one of the most-trusted technologies in detecting blood oxygen saturation. Blood oxygen saturation (SpO2) refers to the concentration of oxygen in human blood and is a valuable indicator of one’s health. Insufficient oxygen in the body’s tissues can lead to hypoxia, the chronic state of which leaves the body “low on fuel” resulting in dizziness, lethargy, fatigue, and frequent yawning. Long-term low levels of oxygen in the blood can cause obesity and decrease in metabolism.
The Pulse Ox feature in Garmin’s devices measures a user’s oxygen saturation concentration throughout the day and in real-time to identify the body’s ability to absorb oxygen. Tracking SpO2 gives users insights on their physical performance under all kinds of conditions, even while sleeping. Monitoring SpO2 during snoozing hours can help determine if one is experiencing any sleep disorders.
The #HealthIsAChoice #ChooseGarmin campaign runs through December 2021 to champion a safe and healthy holiday season. It will include many exciting activities and promotions to look out for. For more information, check out the minisite here and follow Garmin’s social media pages Instagram and Facebook.
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Property
Festival of Lights Virtual Edition 2021 A yala Land and Make It Makati continue to bring joy and magic to the Christmas celebration. with its Festival of Lights: Virtual Edition 2021. This year’s lights show is definitively bigger, better, and brighter as Philippine music icon Jose Mari Chan collaborates and conducts a heartwarming medley composed of his iconic holiday songs for both installments.
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The Festival of Lights: Virtual Edition 2021 recreates the light show at Ayala Triangle Gardens designed within the digital space to present a 360-degree animation. To make the light show accessible to more people, on-ground QR code displays and digital boxes will be placed in areas of the Makati Central Business District and Circuit Makati such as underpasses, walkways, malls, and parks. The access to the light show is made a breeze as this QR code will lead them to the main event.
Instagram filters complete the digital Christmas celebration. Featuring the lights and sound show on the background, the filter transports social media users to the festive Ayala Triangle Gardens. There is a contest for best entries using the Festival of Lights filters, with exciting prizes at stake.
of airfare in partnership with AirSwift, free food, and RT-PCT testing.
One Grand Prize winner will receive a 4-day 3-night all-expense paid trip to El Nido, Palawan, for two people, inclusive
Open from November 20, 2021, to January 9, 2022, contestants must post their entries on their Facebook
Ten winners will be chosen to receive Seda Hotels Gift Certificates for an overnight stay or a free dine-in dinner for two, while four winners will receive round-trip airfare tickets from Manila to Boracay.
According to Chrissy Roa, marketing head of Ayala Land Estates, “Families and friends may be physically apart, but the country’s most-loved Christmas lights and sounds show aim to give deeper meaning and greater joy to the holiday by connecting everyone — near or far — through the Festival of Lights: Virtual Edition.” BIG PRIZES FOR A BIGGER CELEBRATION Along with the Festival of Lights: Virtual Edition 2021, augmented reality December 2021 – January 2022
(Clockwise) Quark Henares, Globe Studios Executive Director; Jose Mari Chan and Chrissy Roa, Head of Marketing and Communications of Ayala Land Estates
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THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT CONTINUES There’s more in store this Yuletide season in Makati. A walkable and bike-friendly city, anyone can invite their friends and family for intimate get togethers at al fresco areas and dine-in restaurants. Drop by the Makati Al Fresco Parklets at Rada Promenade, and the Makati Street Meet at Legaspi and Salcedo Villages.
page, Instagram Feed, and Instagram Stories with the official tags and hashtags: @makeitmakati @ayalaland #FestivalOfLightsVirtualEdition, #ChristmasInOurHearts, #MakeItMakati, and #AyalaLand. The Festival of Lights: Virtual Edition 2021 is presented in partnership with Globe Studios, led by Director Quark Henares and Acid House, and copresented with Coca-Cola.
Mallgoers can also enjoy safe al fresco dining at the Riverside Sessions in Circuit Makati. Sway to holiday tunes sung by live performers every Friday to Sunday from November to December in Circuit Makati and Makati CBD. On December 15, Jaime Velasquez Park and Legazpi Active Park are welcoming families to anticipate Christmas together by hosting Simbang Gabi. On Christmas Day, December 25, Ayala Land and Make It Makati are hosting an Online Christmas Concert with Jose Mari Chan and Manila Symphony Orchestra. Everyone is invited to watch the fun and dazzling show featuring nostalgic Christmas tunes.
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Property
SPECIAL HOLIDAY
INSTALLATIONS BY
ORTIGAS LAND
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remier property developer Ortigas Land signals the holiday season through installations that brighten up Capitol Commons and Ortigas East. These festive light displays were designed to inspire communities to come together to honor the resilience of Filipinos today, while bidding a more hopeful and brighter future.
December 2021 – January 2022
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LIGHTS AT THE PARK IN CAPITOL COMMONS Following its tradition of dedicating its wide-open space as a holiday destination for the community, Capitol Commons has set up a new unique installation that is not just Insta-worthy, but also functional as it addresses the needs of estate-goers for comfort and safety. The Lights at the Park showcases six Christmas tree installations which represent the holiday celebration. These fixtures are adorned with bright lights to illuminate the park and inspire awe among its visitors. These installations double as benches providing seats for those who wish to comfortably enjoy the live music performed by local buskers. Park goers also benefit from the benches while they feast on a wide variety of offerings from the estate’s weekend night market. Dubbed “Holiday Market at the Park”, the weekend night market offers a selection of food choices from different cuisines which will certainly delight the taste buds of the public. The night market happens every Friday to Sunday from 4PM to 10PM until January 9, 2022. UNIQUE CHRISTMAS DISPLAY IN ORTIGAS EAST Taking place in another side of Pasig City, Ortigas East lights up the estate with a new installation that guests can enjoy this holiday season. The “Bamboo Forest” is a pop-up display located at Silver City 1A that features light fixtures arranged to provide visitors of the estate the same feel as if they were in a bamboo forest.
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Embodying strength and flexibility, the bamboo forest aims to provide an unorthodox yet familiar approach on Christmas. The installation reflects on the community’s united and undivided strength in facing difficult and unprecedented times. A one-ofa-kind festive display this season, this will certainly be a must-visit holiday destination. Accompanying the Bamboo Forest is a weekend night market within the Ortigas East. The market features different food selections that catering to everyone’s palate. Running until the 9th of January next year, the night market is open from Fridays to Sundays, 4:00PM to 12:00MN along Central Avenue, fronting Tiendesitas. This yuletide season, Ortigas Land invites everyone to visit Lights at the Park in Capitol Commons and Bamboo Forest in Ortigas East as this year’s must-visit holiday destinations. Installed in open spaces, these light displays will be enjoyed by everyone as they enjoy a relaxing experience while being assured of their safety. Ortigas Land ensures that with safety and health protocols in place, visitors will fully be able to enjoy the light installations, live music, and delicious meals this Christmas season. To stay updated on announcements and schedules on the installations and markets, you may visit Capitol Commons Facebook page at https://www.facebook. com/capitolcommonsortigas/ and Ortigas East Facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/OrtigasEastOfficial/ for more information. December 2021 – January 2022
Relic
CHRISTMAS CARDS Words by Jose Alvarez
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hristmas cards— you get them every Christmas, whether in the mail or online. Due to the extenuating circumstances of COVID-19, you might spend the holidays in Zoom with relatives due to the risk of congregating in large numbers. Christmas cards have always been a way to spread holiday cheer—but how did it all begin? What made them so special, and why does this tradition continue to survive to this very day, in the age of FaceTime, Zoom, and other online tools? In a classic tale of “suffering from success” that one can see today on Internet memes, English educator and patron of the arts Sir Henry Cole was active in many social circles in early Victorian England. He was known as the founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
December 2021 – January 2022
He also had lots of friends, which meant sending letters to many people for the holidays, as was the custom in mid19th century England. The British postal system had just introduced “Penny Post,” which allowed senders to send letters anywhere in the country by merely affixing a penny stamp to their letters. At the time, it was also considered extremely rude not to reply to mail (think about that the next time you leave someone on read—it’s not a new thing). Cole approached an artist friend named J.C. Horsley, who had illustrated images of a family at a table celebrating the holiday season accompanied by images of people helping the poor. He then had 1,000 copies made by a London printer. It was printed on stiff cardboard, and at the top, he made a salutation saying “TO:____,”
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allowing Cole to send these cards out to his many friends. It included the generic greeting, “A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year To You.” This was the first Christmas card ever sent. Like the controversy over Starbucks cups, or the argument over whether one should say “Happy Holidays” or “Merry Christmas” today, Cole’s idea met controversy because of the content of the image: children were enjoying glasses of wine with their siblings and parents, which was ill-timed as there was a significant temperance movement in England at the time. Cole pushed on with his idea, which spread among the elites in Victorian England, and they too also got hooked. The idea took a while to catch on in England, but it eventually came to the
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United States in 1875 when Louis Prang, a Prussian immigrant, created his own Christmas card: a painting of a flower with the greeting “Merry Christmas.” By the end of the 19th century, Christmas cards were collected like one would collect coins, and card publishers held contests to win cash prizes. By 1894, British writer Gleeson White used his magazine The Studio to study Christmas cards. He said, “It’s obvious that for the sake of their literature, no collection would be worth making,” referring to the simplistic sentiments rather than the illustrations. By 1915, the modern-day Christmas card industry started when Joyce Hall started publishing Christmas cards themselves. Hall’s company, the Hall Brothers company, would later be renamed Hallmark—the name most associated with Christmas cards. They used a new format for their cards, which is the current design we know and love today—4 inches wide, 6 inches high, folded once, and inserted into envelopes. They featured everything we love about Christmas, such as Santa Claus and nativity scenes, and more. Hallmark reached out to famous artists such as Salvador Dali, Grandma Moses, and Norman Rockwell (whose cards are still used today). These images you find on Christmas cards also made their way to postage stamps, and demand was so high that the Bureau of Engraving and Printing stepped in in 1962 to issue a total of one billion stamps. Today, getting a physical Christmas card is still possible, but the tradition seems to be mainly going online. You can easily send greetings to your friends and family on social media. However, nothing beats getting a good old-fashioned Christmas card, because that’s what really feels like Christmas.
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Government
DTI DIGITAL MALLS Support Filipino MSMEs, shop online 24/7 from anywhere in the world
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he Philippines is home to some of the largest shopping malls in the world, and “malling” is recognized as a favorite pastime for many Filipino families. It’s a way to relax, check out the latest trends, keep updated on what’s new, and people watch. Thus, the DTI-Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (BDTP) has always held its national domestic trade fairs at mall venues in Metro Manila, as this was a tried and tested formula for bringing the products of MSMEs from the regions to the largest consumer market. In 2019, the national domestic trade fairs attracted over 115,000 visitors for 782 participating MSMEs who generated sales of almost Php130-million. The restrictions of the raging COVID-19 pandemic adversely impacted mall operations along with other restrictions. To address this challenge, the DTI-BDTP had to quickly pivot to the digital marketplace to help sustain Filipino MSMEs nationwide. In partnership with UnionBank (UB) GlobalLinker, a free and innovative platform with tools for efficient business management and network expansion, the traditional physical trade fairs soon found a new marketplace through their very own digital malls.
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GO TO LINK
ntfdigitalmall.linker.store
NATIONAL TRADE FAIR DIGITAL MALL The first to launch in December 2020, there are currently 223 MSMEs who have set up their digital stores in the NTF platform. Product categories include gifts & souvenirs, home & living, fashion & accessories, food & beverages, and health & beauty. As the flagship DTI digital mall for Filipino MSMEs, the site also shares some Success Stories to inspire budding entrepreneurs. There is also a section for webinar materials to help MSMEs navigate their digital transformation.
GO TO LINK
nacf.linker.store
NATIONAL ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR ARTISANAL SHOP Opened in early 2021, this specialty shop features the finest collection of authentic and intricately designed heritage crafts by indigenous peoples (IPs), local weavers, and artisans. In line with her advocacy to promote Philippine cultural heritage and living traditions, the Office of then Senator Loren Legarda provided support for the NACF from 2016-2019.
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NATIONAL FOOD FAIR DIGITAL MALL Regional delicacies, special spices and condiments, processed food, snacks, refreshing drinks, dairy and milk products, cakes and desserts, grains and cereals, wellness supplements, and many more — these are now easily accessible on this digital food supermarket. With the introduction of the Hybrid National Food Fair this year, foodies can now satisfy their food cravings just by placing their orders online. There are now 123 food entrepreneurs in the NFF Digital Mall.
GO TO LINK
nff.linker.store
GOLOKAL! Conceptualized in 2016 as a market access platform, GoLokal! is a flagship program of the DTI to help MSMEs promote and sell their products through malls, supermarkets, and department stores nationwide. In addition to its concept store in Makati, there are also 140 GoLokal! outlets in various locations nationwide.
GO TO LINK
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golokal.linker.store
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GO TO LINK
shopee.ph/golokalphilippines www.lazada.com/shop/go-lokal
The GoLokal! Digital Mall features a curated selection of high-quality and sustainably-sourced Filipino products. In addition to the digital malls, the DTI-BDTP has also partnered with the major shopping e-commerce platforms, namely, Lazada, Shopee, and Shopinas.
GO TO LINK www.shopinas.com/go-lokal www.shopinas.com/marahuyo
Through these e-commerce platforms, there is no need to wait for the usual physical trade fair to shop for your favorite products from the regions. Wherever you are in the world, you can now #SupportFilipinoMSMEs by shopping online. For more information about the DTI-BDTP and its projects for MSMEs, please follow its social media accounts on Facebook (DTI.BDTP), Instagram (dti.bdtp), and Twitter (@DTI_BDTP). You may also email Director Marievic M. Bonoan at bdtp@dti.gov.ph.
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Enterprise
917Ventures
Globe’s transformation into a digital solutions platform
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17Ventures, the country’s largest venture builder, is a key factor in Globe’s transformation into a digital solutions platform. As Globe goes beyond telco, its wholly-owned subsidiary ensures that the everyday challenges of consumers and businesses are addressed through digital means.
December 2021 – January 2022
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917Ventures ideates, launches, accelerates, and scales new businesses that have the potential to grow fast. It aims to create the next generation of companies in the Philippines and beyond. So far, 917Ventures is on track with its goal to future-proof its parent company. It creates and customizes solutions specific to what Filipinos need and partners with other organizations, if necessary. “Through the ventures that we have now and the new ones that we fund, build, and develop, we believe that we can help solve the pain points of our customers. We are journeying our customers to digital not only to make their lives easier, but to align them with Globe’s digitalization plans,” said Vince Yamat, 917Ventures managing director.
917Ventures managing director Vince Yamat
At present, 917Ventures has eight initiatives under six focus industries
— digital health, e-commerce, entertainment, adtech, edutech, and fintech. These are the areas in which the company sees the opportunity to uplift the lives of many people. GCash, the country’s biggest e-wallet service provider and lone Philippine startup that made it to Credit Suisse’s Southeast Asia 35 Unicorns list, is 917Ventures’ most successful startup to date. It currently has over 48 million users and offers a full suite of accessible financial services such as GSave, GInvest, GInsure, and GCredit. Following the trajectory of GCash is KonsultaMD, which has become an essential companion of over a million Filipinos during the pandemic. Patients shifted to telehealth for their doctor consultations for fear of contracting the virus. Even after the health crisis, KonsultaMD is optimistic that people will continue to use the service due to its convenience and affordability. HealthNow, a telehealth aggregator, bridges the gap between patients and healthcare services for one-stop-shop digital healthcare services. Meanwhile, PureGo makes online grocery shopping quick and easy through its cashless, nocontact, same-day deliveries. PureGo has become one of Metro Manila’s top-of-mind grocery delivery services, servicing 28 cities and counting.
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RUSH and AdSpark, on the other hand, support businesses, especially small and medium enterprises. Being an e-commerce platform, RUSH helps entrepreneurs create their businesses and sell online. For digital marketing and advertising, AdSpark is ready to hand-hold its customers as they make the shift from traditional advertising. As of the year’s third quarter, 917Ventures has launched 20 ventures and six new companies and has vetted over 300 ideas. The goal is to duplicate its success in GCash, KonsultaMD, and AdSpark. Globe has always wanted to change the rules of the game. Even before 917Ventures, it had already changed the customer habit of sending SMS by partnering with OTT Messaging Apps like Viber and WhatsApp. It has curbed the downloads of illegal videos through partnerships with streaming sites and has habituated its customers from downloading mp3s to listening to Spotify. Globe continues to change the rules of the game by transitioning from cash to GCash, face-to-face medical consultations to telehealth, and grocery shopping to online deliveries. Globe aims to transition into a digital solutions provider while maintaining telecommunications as its core business. December 2021 – January 2022
Enterprise
e-Conomy SEA Report 2021
PH now the fastest growing internet economy in SEA, driven by e-commerce and food delivery services Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company recently released the sixth edition of the e-Conomy Southeast Asia (SEA) Report - Roaring 20’s: The SEA Digital Decade. Providing a ten-year outlook for the first time, the report highlights that the region is on the path to become a USD1-trillion digital economy by 2030. Propelled by a fast-growing base of digital consumers and merchants, acceleration in e-commerce and food delivery, SEA is estimated to reach USD174 billion in GMV by the end of 2021. The region’s digital economy is further expected to reach ~USD360 billion by 2025, outgrowing the earlier projection of USD300 billion.
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The Philippines as the fastest growing digital market in Southeast Asia The report states that SEA internet economies — Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam — are showing double-digit growth with the Philippines leading the way. From 2020 to 2021, it recorded the region’s highest growth rate of 93%, predicted to grow from USD9 billion to USD17 billion, and by 2025, it is expected to reach USD40 billion. The Philippines has one of the region’s highest proportions of new users who started consuming online during the pandemic, with 20% of the country’s digital consumers using a digital service for the first time since March 2020. Much like the rest of the region, the Philippines is entering its digital decade as the internet increasingly becomes an integral part of the consumers’ daily lives. The growth of the digital market in the country was driven by the explosive 132% growth in e-commerce and double-digit growth across all sectors including food delivery services. Here are some key insights about the Philippine digital economy from this year’s report: Consumers cruise into a new way of life The Philippines has seen 12M new digital consumers since the start of the pandemic (up to first half of 2021), of which 63% are from nonmetro areas and 99% say that they intend to continue using these services going forward. Pre-pandemic users-
-those who used the services before the pandemic — have consumed an average of 4.3 more services since the pandemic began and 95% of pandemic consumers are still consumers today. Despite rapid growth in the last 18 months, there remains significant headroom since the Philippines has the lowest digital consumer penetration in the region, with only 68% of internet users consuming online services. Resilience gives way to resurgence Overall, the Philippines was the fastest growing market in the region, driven by strict lockdowns as well as a tipping point on the adoption of certain digital services. Looking at 2025, the overall internet economy will likely reach USD40B in value, growing at 24% CAGR. Digital merchants take off In the Philippines, 39% of digital merchants believe they would not have survived the pandemic if not for digital platforms. Digital merchants now use an average of two digital platforms, but profitability remains a top concern. Digital financial services saw very rapid growth this year, not only from e-wallets but also from the national payment rail. Of the digital merchants surveyed, 97% now accept digital payments, while 67% have adopted digital lending solutions. Many are also embracing digital tools to engage with their customers, with 68% expecting to increase usage of digital marketing tools in the next five years. “The digital adoption we’ve seen in the Philippines since last year has
contributed to the accelerated growth of the country’s internet economy, magnifying its vast potential. The findings of the e-Conomy Southeast Asia (SEA) Report are encouraging, especially with the Philippines as the fastest growing digital economy now in the region. Google is committed to helping Filipinos maximize the opportunities of going digital and helping the country shape an internet economy that is equitable, safe, and inclusive through programs and products that improve lives,” said Bernadette Nacario, country director, Google Philippines. “The pandemic has led to enduring digital adoption in Southeast Asia, which has propelled its internet economy to new heights. Temasek looks forward to increasing our investments in Southeast Asia’s digital champions, using our capital to catalyse digital solutions and accelerate economic growth and job opportunities for our local communities,” said Rohit Sipahimalani, chief investment strategist; head, South East Asia, Temasek. “The Philippines’ internet economy is the fastest growing in SEA as a result of strict COVID-19 restrictions and a large number of new digital consumers,” said Willy Chang, associate partner at Bain & Company. “There remains ample headroom for growth as long as digital enablers continue to develop. For example, we saw a strong adoption of digital payment methods such as e-wallets and national real-time payment rails which facilitated the growth of the internet economy.”
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December 2021 – January 2022
Education
new initiatives to drive nationwide upskilling
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oursera, Inc., one of the largest online learning platforms globally, has announced a number of initiatives to accelerate growth in the Philippines. As demand for Coursera rises in the country, the company announced new enterprise and campus customers and several platform innovations to better serve Filipino learners. With over 1.3 million registered learners and 85% year-over-year growth, the Philippines is the 3rd fastest growing country on the Coursera platform. The country has emerged as a priority market for Coursera in the Asia-Pacific region.
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“The pandemic has dramatically changed the way we learn, teach, and work. Our strong momentum in the Philippines reflects the continued trend of individuals and institutions embracing online learning to develop high-demand digital skills,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, CEO, Coursera. “We are excited to serve leading campuses and companies in the country with a growing selection of job-relevant content and credentials delivered on a mobile-friendly platform to address the country’s skills and digital divide.”
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coursera announcements:
experiences. 61% of learners in the Philippines use mobile devices to access Coursera. The platform allows learners to download courses, synchronize progress and quizzes, take notes with highlights, and calendar sync – optimized for low data consumption
• 60 new Coursera for Campus customers, including Lyceum of the Philippines University, Centro Escolar University, National Teachers College, University of the Philippines, and De La Salle Lipa • 10 new Coursera for Business customers, including Ayala Corporation, Globe Telecom, Bank of the Philippine Islands, Ayala Land, and Bayview Technologies • A government customer, Department of Science and Technology, building on the success of the Coursera for Workforce Recovery program • Platform innovations to bridge the digital divide and build accessible learning
• With over 60,000 enrollments supported by financial aid, the Philippines accounts for the second-largest share of financial assistance awarded by Coursera to learners in Southeast Asia • Women in the Philippines are learning online at higher rates compared to pre-pandemic. The country ranks #1 worldwide for the highest increase in enrollments from women, growing 774% year-over-year
“The pandemic has spurred large-scale upskilling among enterprises and governments. Universities can help reduce the skills shortage by improving student employability through industry-relevant content,” said Raghav Gupta, managing director, Asia Pacific, Coursera. “As the country embraces online learning at a faster pace, Coursera is committed to helping many more learners and institutions in the Philippines prepare for the digital future.” The Philippines also leads Southeast Asia in the adoption of Guided Projects — a handson learning experience that enables learners to build a job-relevant skill in less than two hours. Filipino learners accounted for more than half of the 375,000 enrollments in Guided Projects in the region since their launch in May 2020. Coursera was launched in 2012 by two Stanford Computer Science professors, Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller, with a mission to provide universal access to world-class learning. It is now one of the largest online learning platforms in the world, with 92 million registered learners as of
September 30, 2021. Coursera partners with over 200 leading university and industry partners to offer a broad catalog of content and credentials, including courses, Specializations, Professional Certificates, Guided Projects, and bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Institutions worldwide use Coursera to upskill and reskill their employees, citizens, and students in fields such as data science, technology, and business. Coursera became a B Corp in February 2021.
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Education
Visayas State University chooses academic integrity provider
V
isayas State University (VSU) announced its partnership with Turnitin, a global education technology provider of academic integrity and assessment solutions. The partnership is focused on strengthening remote learning and academic integrity practices through integrating Turnitin Feedback Studio into daily classroom operations. The partnership comes as a result of a VSUconducted series of consultation meetings with VSU administrators, deans, department heads, and faculty members searching for a solution that would help uphold integrity in assessments and assignments, as well as provide performance data to inform pedagogy. The solution had to be reliable and flexible to withstand and alleviate the challenges of constantly shifting classroom modalities—inperson, remote, and hybrid. Turnitin emerged as the top choice with the insightful reports on student and course trends and highly effective text similarity comparison tool as key factors in improving learning outcomes.
December 2021 – January 2022
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Feedback Studio checks for text similarity, provides writing tips and grammar guidance, and helps instructors streamline workflows and easily give quality, consistent feedback on writing assignments. The tool helps classrooms uphold academic integrity and promote authentic learning and original thinking in all classroom types: in-person, remote, and hybrid. Feedback Studio is one of the few education technologies that has been proven to improve learning outcomes. Over 800 educators and 18,000 students are benefitting from the Turnitin Feedback Studio integration with VSU E-learning. “We are committed to empowering higher education institutions like the Visayas State University in their efforts to promote original thinking, academic integrity, and fairness. With VSU, we strive to ensure that academic standards are consistent across physical and virtual classrooms, support professors in delivering high-quality education, and improve learning outcomes” said Jack Brazel, Turnitin head of business partnerships, Southeast Asia. “Remote learning will have a permanent place in higher education. This partnership furthers the university’s academic standards and strengthens how we conduct remote learning. We are proud to be enhancing the learning experience and interactions between professors and students through our partnership with Turnitin,” said Dr. Edgardo Tulin, university president, Visayas State University.
Turnitin Turnitin is a global company dedicated to ensuring the integrity of education and meaningfully improving learning outcomes. For more than 20 years, Turnitin has partnered with educational institutions to promote honesty, consistency, and fairness across all subject areas and assessment types. Our products are used by educational institutions and certification and licensing programs to uphold integrity and increase learning performance, and by students and professionals to do their best, original work.
Visayas State University Visayas State University is a public research university in the central region of the Philippines. It is known internationally for research and extension work in agriculture, particularly in rootcrops, abaca, and coconut—valuable commodities that show potential in countryside development. VSU has five campuses in the province of Leyte, with about 900 full-time and part-time academic staff. When the COVID-19 pandemic broke, VSU was one of the first state universities to implement flexible learning with an elaborate system of distributing learning materials, both printed and online, to thousands of its students across the country.
Turnitin has offices in Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Over 16,000 academic institutions, publishers, and corporations use our services: Gradescope by Turnitin, iThenticate, Turnitin Feedback Studio, Turnitin Originality, Turnitin Similarity, ExamSoft, and ProctorExam.
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December 2021 – January 2022
Education
B
e Internet Awesome is Google’s free multifaceted program designed to teach kids the fundamentals of digital citizenship and online safety. Particularly, it is focused on five important topics: how to be smart, alert, strong, kind, and brave on the internet. It contains several teaching materials and related resources that can help teach digital literacy concepts to children with the help of teachers and parents. “The internet is a crucial part of everyday life. For kids and students, it opens many opportunities to play, learn, and connect. However, it also exposes them to risks that adults face, too. With Be Internet Awesome, we hope to help parents and educators in promoting and teaching digital responsibility inside and outside of the classroom--to raise the next
December 2021 – January 2022
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generation of netizens who’s more smart, alert, strong, kind, and brave online. We will continue to work closely with the Department of Education and other partners from across sectors to bring Be Internet Awesome to more students and communities nationwide,” said Bernadette Nacario, country director of Google Philippines. Together with the Department of Education (DepEd), Google implemented a pilot run of Be Internet Awesome in the Philippines to test it and gather feedback that could help improve the program further. The pilot run was conducted in more than 20 schools from across Antipolo, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasig, and Nueva Ecija. With over 50 teachers, a total of 2,014 students from grades four to eight were taught about the lessons of Be Internet Awesome.
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The results of the pilot run were encouraging. The students gave a high rating between 90% and 94% across key attributes of Be Internet Awesome. They said that it helped them learn valuable internet safety tips and it is essential for them to learn it in the digital age. Meanwhile, the teachers found the content highly relevant and said that they have more ideas to further build it. “Educating students about digital responsibility is imperative and using Google’s Be Internet Awesome is an effective way to do this. We’d like to thank Google for launching an important program that will equip our teachers
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and parents with the accessible resources they need to teach digital citizenship. Coming from the success of the pilot run, this program holds great potential to educate more students nationwide. The Department of Education will continue to work closely with Google to potentially integrate Be Internet Awesome into the national curriculum so it can be formally taught in the classroom,” said Leonor Magtolis Briones, Secretary of the Department of Education. Be Internet Awesome’s website in the Philippines is available in English and Filipino. Visit them to learn more about the program and access its resources.
December 2021 – January 2022
Cyber Security
Asia's small and medium businesses are under cyberattack But good defenses are available for those who stay aware Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs) play an essential role in the economy. According to the Asian Development Bank, SMBs account for an average of 97 percent of all enterprises in the Asia Pacific region, meaning they deserve top priority for protection against cyberattacks. However, while many SMBs have recently become more aware of digital defense, there remains a considerable gap between their confidence in their cybersecurity capabilities and their actual cyberreadiness. Approximately 73 percent of SMBs in the region still don’t have a dedicated cybersecurity team, and only 53 percent have antivirus solutions in place. Yet as more and more SMBs move towards workfrom-home arrangements, the need to secure private and confidential data has become increasingly pressing.
1. Awareness and policy make up the first line of defense There is a common misconception that SMBs are December 2021 – January 2022
less prone to cyberattacks than larger corporations. The reality is quite the opposite. Because of their limited resources, SMBs typically deploy the same personnel to oversee multiple business departments. This leaves their security systems highly susceptible to external attacks. Moreover, new vulnerabilities often arise during times of change or transition. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift from physical to remote working environments, emboldening a growing ecosystem of attackers who exploit vulnerabilities caused by unsecured devices and networks. Therefore, it is critical for SMB employees to get educated on their businesses’ cybersecurity obligations, policies, and procedures. Most importantly, identifying where and how their 136
assets, devices, and data points are stored can help avoid the unintentional disclosure of confidential information.
2. Take advantage of publicly available resources Regular audits can help SMBs understand the level of protection they need, from policies that govern workflow, to protocols that ensure data security. Thankfully, there are a plethora of public resources available to ease this process.
Republic Act No. 6977, otherwise known as the Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), recognizes that MSMEs have the potential for more employment generation and economic growth and can help provide a self-sufficient industrial gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
foundation for the country. As such, the State shall support the MSMEs by providing programs for entrepreneurship training and skills development for labor; granting access to sources of funds; assuring them to a fair share of government contracts; complementing financing programs; instituting safeguards for the protection and stability of the credit delivery system; raising government efficiency and effectiveness in providing assistance; promoting linkages between large and small enterprises; making the private sector a partner in the task of building up MSMEs through the promotion and participation of private voluntary organizations, viable industry associations, and cooperatives; and assuring a balanced and sustainable development through the establishment of a feedback and evaluation mechanism that will monitor the economic contributions of the development of MSMEs.”
3. Look for simple, customized solutions that don’t strain the budget Unlike larger businesses, SMBs do not have the flexibility to deploy significant project funds for cybersecurity, as this may come at the cost of other
vital business functions. By unifying their security technologies and sticking to fewer tools, SMBs can more quickly identify areas for orchestration and streamline cybersecurity processes. For instance, Lenovo’s subscription and “as-aservice” models offer SMBs flexibility and cost-efficiency without adding unnecessary headcount.
4. Be vigilant against the increasing prevalence of supply chain-based attacks Many SMBs collaborate with larger organizations. These partnerships, however, can also lead to unintended cybersecurity consequences.
As contractors or vendors, SMBs cultivate a shared identity with and form a part of the supply chain of these organizations. In these scenarios, businesses expect regular security assessments and onboarding due diligence to be carried out by the enterprise in question. This abuse of trust between two systems, whether intentional or unintentional, is what cybercriminals take advantage of, giving rise to supply chain-based attacks. Enterprises have started to make wholesale changes 137
to their vetting approach as a result. Some are implementing a zero-trust network architecture, wherein vendors must prove they have met organizational compliance policies. Furthermore, an increasing onus is being placed on SMBs to abide by cybersecurity requirements that corporations are writing into contractor agreements.
5. Seek help from industry leaders Remote and hybrid work can put SMBs at risk with an ill-equipped IT security workforce. With the bulk of time focused on growing their core business, SMBs often lack time to research new and emerging security threats. This results in an over-reliance on outdated and inefficient technologies to identify breaches. To counter this, SMBs can seek out partnerships with industry leaders and subject matter experts like Lenovo. They utilize a consultative approach to understand pain points and apply use cases to identify critical workflows that require robust infrastructure. In short, engaging the services of these experts can help SMBs “protect, detect, respond and recover.” SMBs are the backbone of Asia’s economy — a backbone that deserves to be protected even as the world transforms. December 2021 – January 2022
Cyber Security
Android Spyware Disguised as an Update App Sophos, a global leader in next-generation
app by sending a download link in the form of a text
cybersecurity, recently published “Android APT
message to the target’s phone. The first time a target
Spyware, Targeting Middle East Victims, Enhances
runs the spyware app, it asks for permissions to control
Evasiveness,” detailing new variants of Android
various aspects of the phone. The attackers use social
spyware that have been enhanced for stealth and
engineering techniques to convince the target these
persistence.
permissions are essential for the app to function. After the target has granted the necessary rights, the
The spyware presents itself as an update app with a
spyware then disguises itself using the name and icon
generic icon and name, such as “App Updates.” Sophos
of a legitimate app. This makes it harder for the phone’s
researchers believe the attackers distribute the spyware
user to find and manually remove the spyware.
December 2021 – January 2022
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The New Variants The new variants use more, and more varied, disguises than previous versions, hiding behind popular app icons such as Chrome, Google, Google Play, YouTube, or the BOTIM voice-over-IP service. If targets click a fraudulent icon, the spyware launches the legitimate version of the app, while maintaining surveillance in the background. Previous versions of the spyware relied on a single command-andcontrol domain that was hardcoded into the app and operated by the attackers. If a defender found and took down the domain, the spyware was disabled. Sophos researchers believe that the attackers have tried to address this potential point of weakness in the new variants, which can switch the commandand-control server to a different domain. This allows the spyware to continue operating even after a domain takedown. The new variants share code with other malware samples attributed to APT C-23. Sophos researchers also found Arabic language strings in the code and observed that some of the text could be presented in either English or Arabic, depending on the language setting of a victim’s phone. Nefarious features from previous versions of the spyware remain unchanged, such as • Collecting text from SMS or other apps, contacts, call logs, images, and documents. • Recording ambient audio and incoming and outgoing calls,
including WhatsApp calls.
apps” and “notification access,” respectively.
• Taking pictures and screen shots using a phone’s camera and • The sudden disappearance of recording videos of the screen. an app icon after running it for • Reading notifications from the first time, which is often an social media and messaging indicator of an unwanted or apps. malicious application. • Canceling notifications from built-in security apps, as well as • Targets of this family of from Android system apps. The spyware can remove the spyware can also supress its own apps manually by navigating notifications. to the list of installed apps, “Spyware is a growing threat in an selecting “Settings->Apps”and increasingly connected world,” said then scrolling to find the Pankaj Kohli, threat researcher at name the app used when it Sophos. “The Android spyware was first installed (such as linked to APT C-23 has been “App Updates,” “System Apps around for at least four years, and Updates” or “Android Update attackers continue to develop it with Intelligence”). new techniques that evade detection and removal. The attackers also use • However, many other forms social engineering to lure victims of mobile malware conceal into granting the permissions themselves from the list of needed to see into every corner of installed apps. To remove these, their digital life. Fortunately, there users need the help of an antiare practical steps that people can malware application. take to protect against spyware and many of them are worth applying • Sophos also advises users even if users don’t believe they’re a to install a mobile security target for surveillance.” solution, such as Intercept X for Mobile, to automatically detect Sophos recommends the following spyware and malware. actions for anyone concerned about spyware or Potentially Unwanted • To avoid falling prey to Applications (PUAs): malicious apps, users should only install mobile apps from • Users should be wary of trusted sources, such as Google apps asking for sensitive Play. Update Android OS and permissions, such as device other apps via Android Settings admin or notification access, and Google Play respectively, or those requiring superuser/ instead of relying on third root access. Users can view parties. apps with device admin and notification access permissions SophosLabs has published by browsing “Settings” and indicators of compromise on its searching for “device admin Github page. 139
December 2021 – January 2022
FinTech
the future of money C
oins.ph, the Philippines’ leading blockchainbacked e-wallet services provider, launched the Coins Movement earlier this month, a campaign that encourages financial empowerment by moving forward into the future of money. Coins.ph currently has over 16 million customers enjoying access to e-wallet services such as local and international remittances, buying mobile load, bill payments, and 24/7 virtual assets services. Founded in 2014, its mission is to promote financial inclusion by providing Filipinos with an accessible and easy-to-use digital mobile wallet app.
December 2021 – January 2022
“Digital technologies have advanced more rapidly than any innovation. We are embarking on the Coins Movement to bring awareness on the benefits of financial technology and provide continuous support to easily adapt to the everchanging digital world. At Coins.ph, we aim to build better service experiences and more innovative products in the future,” said Nauman Mustafa, CEO of Coins.ph. To launch the Coins Movement, Coins.ph prepared three big surprises to level up Filipinos’ e-wallet experience.
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surprise #1: rewards for loyalty “We value our customers’ loyalty and appreciate hearing how we can improve and better support them in the future. To make their Coins experience more rewarding, customers can now earn loyalty points for their everyday transactions such as buy load, bill payments, game credits top up, and tollway credit purchases,” added Mustafa.
surprise #3:
Loyalty points can then be used to redeem exciting vouchers on the Coins Rewards catalog. From groceries to online shopping, Coins.ph is giving customers the power to choose the rewards that fit their lifestyle.
New faces of Coins.ph And the biggest surprise of all, Coins.ph is introducing brand ambassadors to help guide Filipinos in their journey to financial empowerment. Dingdong Dantes, an actor and entrepreneur, has leveled up his career through his work with the YesPinoy Foundation and his latest venture, dingdong.ph, which provides delivery, e-commerce, and marketplace solutions designed to uplift the lives of fellow Filipinos, particularly the entertainment industry workers who lost their jobs due to the pandemic.
surprise #2: Additional cryptocurrency tokens Coins.ph also introduced six new cryptocurrency tokens this year, thus bringing the total number of crypto assets available on the platform to 10. Recent additions include AAVE, Maker (MKR), and Uniswap (UNI), as well as USDC, Chainlink (LINK), and Kyber Network Crystal (KNC), which launched earlier this year, with more coming soon.
Megan Young, an actress, model, and beauty queen, is also known for using her love for gaming to bring awareness and raise funds for causes supporting the LGBTQIA community. Enchong Dee, a swimmer-turned-model and actor, is also now known as “The Budgetarian.” His popular podcast advocates for financial literacy delivered in a fun, conversational, and easy-to-digest manner.
The Philippines, which has a very young and tech-savvy population, has been seeing a boom in cryptocurrency adoption. As the first virtual assets service provider to be licensed by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Coins.ph prioritizes the safety and security of users’ funds, making its platform perfect for the crypto-curious, or those who just want to dip their toes in the cryptocurrency market.
What do these celebrities have in common? They are using their platforms to not only entertain but also to inspire and educate – values that Coins.ph believes will better equip people to move into the future of money.
Interested in joining the Coins Movement? Update your Coins.ph app to the latest version or download the Coins app at Google Play or the App Store. For more information, visit https://coins.ph or follow Coins.ph on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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December 2021 – January 2022
FinTech
#TooGoodToBeNo2
PayMaya offers surprisingly better e-wallet features D
igital transactions are here to stay and fintechs like PayMaya are making it easier to go cashless. The country’s leading digital financial services platform is the only fintech in the Philippines that runs a consumer e-wallet app, an enterprise payment processing business, and a remittance agent network with Smart Padala. While its consumer app may not be the no.1 e-wallet right now, its superior features make it #TooGoodToBeNo.2. If you haven’t tried out using the PayMaya app yet, you’re definitely missing out on some of its surprisingly better features that could make your everyday transactions a whole lot easier. From its free cash in channels to 99.9% uptime, you’ll be surprised at how these nifty features can bring ease, convenience, and even savings whenever you go cashless.
December 2021 – January 2022
Most number of FREE cash in channels To start, PayMaya offers FREE cash in at 90,000, out of its over 110,000 cash in touchpoints nationwide. Going cashless is supposed to make your essential transactions more convenient and this is exactly why PayMaya is aiming to remove this barrier. Compared to other e-wallet apps, you don’t have to worry about having to pay up to PHP200 in cash-in fees just to put funds in your e-wallet account. Cashing in for free is easy too! However you want to cash in to your PayMaya account, there will always be a FREE way to do it — whether it’s at the sari-sari store with Smart Padala in your street,
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at your go-to convenience stores like MiniStop, or supermarket like Robinsons Supermarket, or through online transfers from your bank account via Instapay or via a linked BPI, RCBC, or Unionbank account. Apart from cashing in for free, sending money to other PayMaya account users is also free, and when you transfer funds from PayMaya to a bank account via Instapay, you can earn a cashback of PHP15 to cover your fee until the end of the year! To get a full list of the free cash in channels, simply tap the ‘cash in’ button on your app’s homepage, and check out the icons with the ‘no fees’ sticker.
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Safer online shopping
Widest billers and load items
With PayMaya, you also get to ensure that you’re only purchasing from legit sellers — whether you’re shopping at the in-app Maya Mall where you can access over 360 of your favorite brands or dealing with a PayMaya verified casual seller!
Once your account is funded, you can now use it to pay for your everyday needs — from online and in your favorite stores, to in-app — where you can access the widest selection of over 1,500 billers and load items. Paymaya offers easy access to everything you need to pay — utility bills, condo association dues, credit card payments, government dues, and more. It also gives you access to hundreds of digital goods — from prepaid load, gaming pins, digital subscription packages, and even digital vouchers for yourself or as gifts to your loved ones. Whatever you need to pay or purchase, you can easily find it within a few taps on your PayMaya app.
With Maya Mall, you get to access a wide selection of brands in-app — from your favorite fastfood chain to your go-to grocery sites and shop worry-free because these merchant partners are guaranteed legit! PayMaya has also made sure that buying from casual sellers who are also PayMaya users is easy and safe, with the introduction of PayMaya Verified Sellers. Now, you can easily check if the seller you’re paying is legit. Just look for the Verified Seller badge on the app’s confirmation screen right before you pay. You can also see the list of PayMaya Verified Sellers on the Maya Mall.
Real-time transaction history and notifications
Most reliable with 99.9% uptime
With all these everyday transactions done in your app, PayMaya understands how important it is to be able to keep track of your transactions in real-time. Need to check if your payment pushed through so you can confirm with the seller? Unlike other apps, you don’t have to wait 24 hours for it! PayMaya allows you to track your transactions in real-time right on the app.
With PayMaya’s 99.9% uptime rate, you can ensure that your transactions will go through whenever you need them. No more waiting for hours for your e-wallet’s system maintenance to be over, no more wondering whether your much-needed transaction went through.
Not only does this feature give an additional layer of security, allowing you to ensure that your transactions have pushed through as they should. It also gives you peace of mind, knowing that you’re able to easily monitor your transactions as it happens.
No PayMaya app yet? Registering a PayMaya account is easy. All you need is your phone and mobile number to sign up. Once you’re ready to upgrade your account to unlock more features like sending money to other users and withdrawing your funds from an ATM, all you need is a primary ID such as your license, passport, or other official government cards, and a quick video selfie.
These nifty features are bound to make your cashless experience a whole lot better. But don’t just take our word for it. Register to PayMaya now and experience its surprisingly better features for yourself. For more details, visit www.paymaya.com.
Sign up today and get 100% cashback on your load or gaming pin purchase when you cash in a minimum PHP100. You can even get up to PHP200 if you upgrade your account.
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December 2021 – January 2022
FinTech
MoonXBT provid environment for A
ccording to a survey, 42% of Gen Z said they would like to take investment advice from influencers on social media. Discussions about investing in cryptocurrencies are commonplace these days. However, it’s not common to find an independent trading platform, as well as an active community discussing the industry. As one of the leading social cryptocurrency operators, MoonXBT combines socializing and trading by creating a blockchain neighborhood for the crypto world. On an individual scale, MoonXBT solves problems traders face due to lack of communication and rising costs of learning the necessary tools to navigate the industry. While on a global scale, MoonXBT provides contract trading, social interaction and one-click copy trading services for global traders, giving them an engaging trading experience. A leading entrepreneur in the social trading space has to provide a fair trading environment that guarantees asset security and high liquidity. They also need fully-functional tools for social interaction. Price spikes can “leverage out” a market, which removes many
December 2021 – January 2022
leveraged positions. The spike force triggers stop losses or may even liquidate positions. When this happens, the entire margin left in your account, or part of it, is taken by the exchange. Compared with other trading exchanges, MoonXBT provides two types of K-lines. Traders can switch between the ASK or BID K-lines on their monitors. This type of K-line is the product of the average weighted price of the top spot market exchanges. In terms of security, MoonXBT has onboarded many former bank-level executives and a world-class research and development team. Its safety procedure is triple-protected with wallet, transaction, and system securities. They also have also put cold/
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hot wallet storage in place, just in case the servers, trading engines, and databases get attacked. All fund transfers from cold storage to hot wallets are processed manually and require multiple authorizations. They also use AWS Shield to reduce potential DDoS attacks and simultaneously prevent large-scale complex attacks and in-depth perspective attacks. Lastly, they designed the MoonXBT trading engine to meet the highest industry standards for online trading. All systems use unique codes to minimize delays and increase order execution speed. This is the reason why at MoonXBT, your order executes within an average of 32 milliseconds!
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des an engaging r crypto trading words, the higher the trading volume is, and the faster the trading speed becomes, the greater liquidity the platform has.
MoonXBT’s elite team of traders will assist you in executing your trades with the Copy Trading system at the click of a button. Everything is taken care of by simply following the trader you selected, a straightforward way to profit, the same way your chosen trader does. In addition, by copying the trades, followers can also “steal” the successful trading strategies of the traders and turn them into their own.
One example of this was when MoonXBT ran a test at the beginning of August. They invited some top-tier copy traders and many of their loyal followers to experience our Copy Trading feature. One of the traders opened a position with 5,000 USDT and 150x leverage. With the help of MoonXBT’s additional promotion, almost 100 users followed the order, which meant the transaction reached 75,000,000 USDT.
With a comfortable UI design, trouble-free trading experience and a user-friendly trading system, MoonXBT is growing exceptionally fast among cryptocurrency users within the six months since its launch. At present, its daily trading volume is up to 100 million.
There is no “slippage” when you Copy Trade at MoonXBT. You open and close orders with your traders in real-time at the same price. If you are interested in Copy Trading and would like to be a MoonXBT trader. You can register at their official site or contact them by telegram, @MNGloria.
In addition, liquidity is the best standard to measure an exchange. The liquidity of a platform is measured by how quickly transactions fill without any slippage. In other
If you’re a new trader, MoonXBT has Welcome Campaign Rewards for you, a trading bonus of 35 USDT. Get full cashback on your first order. For instance, after registering at MoonXBT, top-up 100 USDT and make your first trade. Then, when the transaction is over, they will refund you with a 100 USDT Trading Bonus. You can trade with both Trading Bonus and USDT.
It only takes 1 USDT to open a position. Copy Trading leverage can be as high as 150x, with only 1 USDT needed to start following your favorite trader on MoonXBT.
The event is by invitation only. Please register through the invitation link below to participate. The event is limited to the first 500 new users from the Philippines on a first-comefirst-served basis.
On top of commission, when you are a MoonXBT partner, you can also participate in exclusive events customized for partners where you get top-notch support and first-class service.
Register on MoonXBT: https://www.moonxbt.com/user/ register?invite_code=mo46zg
Register on MoonXBT: https://www.moonxbt.com/user/ register?invite_code=mo46zg
One BTC is back and up for grabs. Participate to get a FREE 5 USDT trading bonus and an opportunity to share 1 BTC.
Join MoonXBT’s Telegram group: @MoonXBTGlobal and participate in more campaigns.
If you are popular with lots of followers, then MoonXBT’s KOL program is made for you. A commission of up to 50%! More transactions mean more USDT for you.
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December 2021 – January 2022
FinTech
T
ala, the global technology company building the world’s most accessible financial services, has launched a unique credit option for its customers. This first-of-its-kind feature, called Tala Flexible Loans, allows customers to choose the due date that works best for their needs, up to 61 days. Filipinos can now time their due date around their next payday and other financial obligations, making repayment easier, and enjoy lower fees depending on the duration they choose. Tala offers affordable, transparent and one-time fees on every loan. Tala has also made repayment easy in over 18,000 locations such as GCash, Paymaya, Coins.ph, 7-Eleven, Cebuana Lhuillier, or M Lhuillier where borrowers can pay in full or make partial payments, anytime on or before their due date. Customers who make timely payments can earn more favorable terms over time, including doubling and tripling their loan limits within just a few months. “At Tala, we always listen to our customers and innovate our products based on their needs,” says Shivani Siroya, Tala founder and CEO. “Our new, improved flexible credit gives borrowers the power to choose the due date that works best for them, not Tala. We are confident that this new feature will give Filipinos more financial access as well as the confidence to reach their financial goals.”
Trusted by more than 6 million customers worldwide, Tala is on a mission to empower the financially underserved using its proprietary technologies, encouraging responsible borrowing while preventing over-indebtedness. At the same time, the lending app consistently enables financial literacy through its robust library of content, which includes articles related to loans, savings, business, and general expenses.
Any Filipino with an Android phone can apply for Tala credit 24/7 using Tala’s easy-to-navigate mobile application. For first-time borrowers, simply open the application, fill out the personal information form, and provide one picture and government-issued ID. Tala provides a decision within minutes after application. Once approved, borrowers can choose their terms by confirming the desired loan amount, due date, and where they want to receive their cash. Loans may be deposited to their bank account, transferred to their Coins.ph wallet, or claimed at the nearest remittance center such as Cebuana Lhuillier, M Lhuillier, or Palawan Express Pera Padala.
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Registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Tala ensures safe and accessible lending by employing best practices and championing consumer protection globally with world-class SSL encryption.
To start a journey with TALA, visit the Google Play Store now to download the app or simply click http://bitly.ws/hcAt
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Newsbytes Globe EasyHub kiosks are now open in Ayala Malls Manila Bay and SM Manila
GLOBE EASYHUB MAKES DIGITAL TRANSACTIONS EASY Still hesitant to pay or buy items online? Afraid of not being able to click the right button for your online transaction? Worry no more because Globe makes your transition to digital as easy as 1-2-3. Digital tools may seem intimidating for first-time or infrequent users, especially for the older generation who are used to the traditional way of doing things. Globe’s latest innovation, EasyHub, combines the comfort of brick-andmortar stores with the power of digital for a more convenient, fast, and secure experience for everyone regardless of age or digital savviness. “Globe EasyHub was designed to accommodate the needs of the elderly and digital hesitants who are seeking a sense of control or need assurance when making digital transactions. Globe developed this type of service to help them be at ease in making their first steps towards digitalization,” said Michael Coson, Globe head of retail design and portfolio growth.
The EasyHub booths are placed in selected malls nationwide to make them accessible to more people. Through the Pay Zone and Care Zone in every kiosk, customers can make essential transactions without the hassle of advanced queuing and waiting. The Pay Zone offers vending machines that accept cash in order to pay bills for Globe, Innove, and Bayantel accounts, add funds to the GCash wallet, buy load for prepaid accounts, and even purchase a special SIM card with data
inclusion for PHP125. Users can also use MySukli, an e-wallet managed by the machine vendor and a certified Operator of Payment System by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. In the Care Zone, there are helpful screenshots to guide customers in using the different services such as paying bills via the Globe One app or the vending machine, requesting service through the Globe One App or Globe At Home app, and using the GCash app.
Through the different zones of Globe EasyHub, customers can make essential transactions without the hassle of advanced queuing and waiting
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Globe has already put up EasyHub kiosks in Ayala Malls Manila Bay and SM Manila. More outlets are set to open in different locations nationwide soon. December 2021 – January 2022
Newsbytes
NISSAN RENEWS SAFE TRIPS PARTNERSHIP WITH DOT
Now in its second year, Nissan in the Philippines and the Department of Tourism (DOT) restore hope and optimism in the tourism industry with the renewal of their partnership for Safe Trips campaign, promoting safe and responsible travel. For Safe Trips’ next chapter, Nissan aims to intensify efforts in supporting local businesses and ramping up awareness on sustainable tourism. Set against the backdrop of Boracay’s pristine white sands, the Japanese automaker and the DOT celebrated this milestone with a ceremonial signing followed by a press conference with select motoring, travel, and lifestyle media. “Through this campaign, we have seen for ourselves that safety and responsibility are not obstacles to enjoying the beautiful destinations of the Philippines. In fact, they are important factors that make your trip a more enjoyable experience for you and your loved ones. This is an advocacy that we are excited to continue with the DOT,” shares Atsushi Najima, president and managing director of Nissan Philippines.
December 2021 – January 2022
ON THE PATH TO RECOVERY Since its launch in November 2020, Nissan and the DOT have developed educational and promotional content on how to safely and responsibly travel to local tourist destinations. This includes social media content that provides useful tips for land travel and updates on reopened attractions.
the Philippines (EVAP), DOT, and the local government leaders of Aklan.
“The Department of Tourism gladly welcomes the renewal of its Safe Trips partnership with Nissan Philippines to continue the push to revive our tourism industry safely and responsibly. As more people travel to our tourist destinations all over the country, jobs and sustainable livelihoods are restored and created for millions of Filipinos,” shares Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, who attended the ceremonial signing virtually.
A MESSAGE OF CARE Nissan Philippines recently released an original song, entitled “Ingat Kayo,” a song that highlights the Filipino culture of care and concern. Brought to life in a music video performed by renowned OPM artists Barbie Almalbis and Noel Cabangon, and written by Rolando Navarro, Nissan’s general manager for sales, both the song and the music video convey the universal message of care expressed in 7 distinct languages from around the country.
TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE The Safe Trips campaign also takes a turn towards sustainability with Nissan providing a demonstration of its Nissan LEAF electric vehicle (EV) in Boracay for hotel executives, members of the Electric Vehicle Association of
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With the capability of Nissan EVs to act as mobile storage batteries, Nissan shows how EV technology can also be a part of the tourism industry’s future by providing solutions in areas such as ecotourism as well as disaster resilience.
“Safety is embedded in Nissan’s DNA. It is also an expression of how we care for our customers and stakeholders. This uplifting song perfectly encapsulates who we are as a company and how our actions enrich the lives of every Filipino,” shares Najima.
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ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES OPENS FIRST SERVICE CENTER IN THE PHILIPPINES Zebra Technologies Corporation, an innovator at the edge of the enterprise with solutions and partners that enable businesses to gain a performance edge, today announced the opening of its first service center in the Philippines. The new facility in Manila reinforces Zebra’s commitment to Southeast Asia, and it joins existing service centers in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Zebra’s authorized service partner, Highpoint Services Network Philippines Inc, will operate the new service center, which is equipped with
skilled technicians who are proficient in repairing Zebra’s broad portfolio of innovative mobile computers and barcode scanners. “The opening of our first service center in the Philippines demonstrates our continued commitment to Asia Pacific and our local Filipino customers,” said Jason Low, country advisor for the Philippines, under Zebra Technologies Asia Pacific. “The proximity of this new service center will be more convenient with less downtime for local businesses and
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enhance their business continuity and operational efficiency.” Businesses with Zebra OneCare™ maintenance plans can leverage the services of the new service center along with those customers using Zebra products that are under warranty. Zebra OneCare further offers its users technical and software support, security software updates, analytics reports and more. Additional flexible enhancements are also available, which allow customers to tailor their service plan to meet individual business needs today and as their operations evolve in the future.
December 2021 – January 2022
Newsbytes
J&J PHILIPPINES CELEBRATES 65TH YEAR WITH NATIONWIDE CARE INITIATIVES Sixty-five years, 65 communities, and one goal—to make healthcare available to all. To celebrate its milestone anniversary, Johnson & Johnson (Philippines), Inc. is extending its signature brand of care to 65 communities nationwide through the donation of health kits in keeping with the strong “Culture of Care” that runs throughout the organization. Distribution of the healthcare products is currently ongoing to communities in Caloocan, Rizal, Batangas, Zambales, Iloilo, and Leyte through partners ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc., World Vision Foundation Philippines, Americares Philippines, and Save the Children Philippines. In addition, hygiene kits for COVID-19 patients in Metro Manila were distributed earlier this year in partnership with Operation Compassion Philippines. Johnson & Johnson upholds that good health is the foundation of vibrant
lives, thriving communities and forward progress, and is committed to use its reach and size for good: to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body, and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. Wherever they are in the world, the Company’s 130,000 global employees work to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. This concern for the health of its stakeholders is articulated in the Johnson & Johnson Credo and is brought to life by the organization for its employees, its network of partners, beneficiaries, and, most especially, its consumers. “Every innovation, product, and breakthrough for the benefit of public health and well-being is possible because of our two most important assets, our values and our people,” said the managing director of Johnson & Johnson (Philippines), Inc., Raghu Krishnan. “Because of our people, we are able to grow the positive
impact that we have on the health and wellness of our communities each year.” “By reaching out to these communities, we also continue to strengthen employee engagement, which is an important focus for us as they are the driving force behind Johnson & Johnson’s sustained growth,” adds Sean Zantua, Human Resources Director of Johnson & Johnson (Philippines), Inc. As a total healthcare company, Johnson & Johnson has continuously introduced new products and innovations for every need state. From iconic consumer brands to scientific breakthroughs in the field of medicine, Johnson & Johnson has helped people from all around the world to live healthier lives every day from their very first day. This focus on making healthcare available to all is brought to life through Johnson & Johnson’s portfolio of consumer health products, medical equipment, pharmaceutical products, along with its numerous partnerships and advocacies. Amid this pandemic, arguably Johnson & Johnson’s most important initiative is the mobilization of its resources—a USD1-billion investment—to quickly develop a COVID-19 vaccine which is now being used all over the world. “We believe it is our responsibility to improve the communities where we live and work, as we ‘blend heart, science and ingenuity to help change the trajectory of health for humanity’. As we renew this responsibility on our 65th year in the Philippines, we will push for more initiatives for our consumers, partners, employees, and communities that provide them with the care they deserve,” ended Krishnan.
December 2021 – January 2022
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NLEX EQUIPS MORE LANES WITH AUTOMATIC LICENSE PLATE RECOGNITION NLEX Corporation continues to upgrade its toll collection system as it is set to start the installation of automatic license plate recognition (ALPR) and RFID early detection features in more NLEX-SCTEX toll lanes by December 2021 and first quarter of next year, respectively. These upgrades, which aimed at further improving customer experience, will bring the total number of lanes with ALPR to 95 and with early detection feature to 217. This ALPR system uses smart cameras that read vehicle license plates for easier matching of motorists’ RFID transactions. Toll lanes in Meycauayan, Bocaue, Balagtas, Tabang, Sta. Rita, San Fernando, and Angeles will be furnished with the new system starting next month. The company has initially implemented the ALPR system in NLEX Balintawak
and in Valenzuela City particularly in Mindanao, Karuhatan, and Paso de Blas. Toll lanes in SCTEX Tarlac have also been equipped with the said system. The ALPR system is also useful in improving safety and enforcing traffic laws as it aids in identifying vehicles passing the RFID lanes without RFID stickers, as well as those with insufficient balance, and vehicles that may pose safety hazards.
service to our motorists,” said NLEX Corporation president and general manager J. Luigi L. Bautista. Meanwhile, the RFID early detection feature will be implemented in 29 more toll lanes starting January 2022 to boost RFID detection capability. With this, enhanced RFID scanners can detect up to three vehicles in advance and promptly process the toll lane transactions.
Additionally, the data from the ALPR will be used in the future as part of the contactless apprehension policy which NLEX and the Land Transportation Office (LTO) are currently working on.
Previously, the tollway company completed the installation of RFID early detection features in 188 toll lanes. It is continuously conducting comprehensive technical audit on its toll lanes to ensure system efficiency.
“Technology keeps on evolving and it is imperative to stay up-to-date and relevant. We continue to innovate and invest in technological advancements as these help us provide paramount
NLEX Corporation is a subsidiary of the Metro Pacific Tollways Corporation (MPTC), the toll road arm of the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation (MPIC).
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December 2021 – January 2022
Newsbytes
SEAOIL LUBRICANTS ENHANCED FOR ENGINE PROTECTION AND EFFICIENCY
Through an expanded partnership with world-renowned fuel and oil treatment brand STP, SEAOIL Philippines has announced the release of its lubricants supercharged with STP additives. With rising costs of fuel and maintenance, this partnership brings longer engine life and less costs for repairs. The entire SEAOIL lubricant product line now carries double protection against friction and corrosion. This includes the fully synthetic Extreme Mako engine oil, SEAOIL Gasoline Engine Oil, GEO Supreme, SEAOIL Diesel Engine Oil, and DEOMAX diesel engine oil. As the first fuel company in Asia to partner with STP, SEAOIL had brought the benefits of the Racer’s Edge to the pump at no extra cost to consumers. Every grade of SEAOIL fuels, namely Extreme 97, Extreme U, Extreme 95 and Exceed Diesel, have been powered with world-leading STP additives since 2013. “With STP additives charging up our lubricants as well, motorists can December 2021 – January 2022
experience double engine protection friction and corrosion. Our customers have already experienced STP-powered fuels and will now appreciate the improved protection and maintenance from SEAOIL Lubricants,” said SEAOIL CEO Francis Glenn Yu. As the leading brand in oil and fuel treatment, STP has been in the business of keeping engine parts clean, cool and protected against corrosion, wear, and rust for more than 50 years. STP also has a long history in the NASCAR racing circuit, not only with title sponsorships but with supporting NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty. “As a long time partner, SEAOIL has always delivered on our STP brand promise on science, technology, and performance. STP’s racing heritage helps us fuel the way for future growth. We’re excited to be at the starting line with SEAOIL Lubricants and looking forward to winning the race with customers,” said Scott Meczkowski,
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Senior Manager of STP marketer, Energizer Holdings. SEAOIL lubricants powered with STP additives are available in all 600 stations nationwide, as well as for ordering online via SEAOIL’s official store on Lazada and Shopee. The lubricants line is also carried by the SEAOIL LubeServ vehicle service centers and its new service, LubeServ on Wheels. LubeServ on Wheels brings expert mechanics straight to the customer’s location. The service is currently available in the areas of Taguig, Makati, Mandaluyong, San Juan, Pasig, Marikina, Quezon City, and Cainta. Aside from light repairs, LubeServ on Wheels offers package costs for the customer’s preferred lubricant products, plus consumables and labor. Appointments can be booked online or availed via SEAOIL Customer Service at 0999 885 5449. Customers can pay in cash, credit/debit cards, or through PayMaya. gadgetsmagazine.com.ph
Volume XXII Issue III
December 2021 - January 2022
MEET THE TEAM EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief MARIBELLE ALBA Editors-at-Large PRESY ALBA REN ALCANTARA Mobility Consultant ARNEL DORIA Junior Editor GABRIEL PE Writers/Contributors JOSE ALVAREZ ISAAC JAMES ZAYCO FRANCESKA AGUILA RACINE ANNE CASTRO CHARLES VALLENA
You want more? We recommend you check out our other issues
CREATIVES Creative Consultant RAYMUND RAVANERA Creative Lead JERICO LUTRANIA Creative Staff CHINI YU SORIANO CARMELA BIRAO ADVERTISING Sales and Advertising Manager MARISA CONSUELO Account Executive CAROL AGABIN ADMINSTRATION President & CEO MARIBELLE ALBA Accounting Manager MARITESS MAULION HR & Administration Manager AMY CHRISTINE GIRAY Circulation Officer LORIE BERNARDO Administration Staff RAMIL ALMOJANO Legal Counsel ALBA LAW OFFICE
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