Emirates Skywards invites members to fly more and earn 4 times the miles

• Skywards members can earn up to 4X Miles on Emirates and flydubai through special offer in March
• Members can also stand to win a million miles by donating to the Emirates Airline Foundation

Emirates Skywards, the award-winning loyalty program of Emirates and flydubai, is rolling out a new limited time offer for all new and existing Skywards members to boost their Miles.

The offer is valid for Economy and Business class tickets booked on Emirates and flydubai between March 20, 2019 and March 31, 2019, for travel between April 10, 2019 and June 27, 2019, and between September 6, 2019 and November 30, 2019.

Under the offer, members will earn 100% bonus Skywards Miles on top of their regular Miles for their first ticket during the eligible travel period. If flying more than once with Emirates or flydubai during the offer period, members will earn 200% bonus Skywards Miles for their second ticket and 300% bonus Skywards Miles for their third ticket. 

The Skywards Miles earned through the offer can be redeemed for flights and upgrades on Emirates or flydubai. For example, a Skywards member flying three round trips from Dubai to London during the offer period on Economy Flex Plus fares, will be able to gather sufficient miles through this offer to access a return flight Saver reward on Economy class between Dubai and London. 

Members will need to register online to be eligible for the offer and will have to choose Saver, Flex or Flex Plus fares on Emirates flights and Value, Flex or Business fares on flydubai flights. 

More details including information on how to register for the offer is available on the Emirates Skywards website. Emirates Skywards members can also access the latest information on special offers through the Skywards section on the Emirates app. 

Offer Details:

Validity: All existing and new Emirates Skywards members can register for the offer

Booking Period: 20 March 2019- 31 March 2019 (both days inclusive)

Travel Period: 10 April 2019- 27 June 2019 and 6 September 2019- 30 November 2019 (all days inclusive)

First ticket: Base Skywards Miles + Bonus 100% Skywards Miles 

Second ticket: Base Skywards Miles + Bonus 200% Skywards Miles

Third ticket: Base Skywards Miles + Bonus 300% Skywards Miles

Donate for a cause and get the chance to become a Miles Millionaire

Members of the Emirates Skywards loyalty programme can also donate AED 20 for a good cause and stand a chance to win a million Skywards Miles. The ‘Thanks a Million’ campaign is in its 18th year and proceeds raised through the initiative will be donated to the Emirates Airline Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on helping disadvantaged children reach their potential by providing them access to shelter, food, healthcare, and education. The winners of the lucky draw, one for 500,000 Skywards Miles and another for one million Skywards Miles will be announced at the Dubai World Cup event taking place on March 30, 2019 at the Meydan racecourse. More information on how to donate can be found here. 

About Emirates Skywards

Emirates Skywards, the award-winning loyalty programme of Emirates and flydubai, offers four tiers of membership - Blue, Silver, Gold and Platinum - with each membership tier providing exclusive privileges. Emirates Skywards members earn Skywards Miles when they fly on Emirates, flydubai or partner airlines, or when they use the programme’s designated hotels, car rentals, financial, leisure and lifestyle partners. Skywards Miles can be redeemed for an extensive range of rewards, including tickets on Emirates or flydubai plus Emirates Skywards partner airlines, hotel accommodation, excursions and exclusive shopping.  Visit Emirates Skywards online at: www.emirates.com/skywards or skywards.flydubai.com

Cutting trees can help the environment

Among the recommended options to maintain the forests’ health is to harvest mature trees to make way for new ones.

Trees play a vital role in providing natural carbon storage for the environment, helping to sequester it from the atmosphere and helping mitigate climate change. Trees are important in our goal to help stop global warming on its tracks, but the need of our country for wood and other by-products is undeniable. Aside from this, many of our countrymen’s livelihoods depend on the forestry sector. As such, proper management of the aforementioned is of tantamount value. 

Sustainable forest management is the holistic approach to the problems that local forests encounter today as it not only focuses on the well-being of the environment but also zeroes in on the needs of the people who directly benefit from it. Among the recommended options to maintain the forests’ health is to harvest mature trees to make way for new ones. Here are five ways cutting trees can help the environment:

1. It does not release the carbon stored inside

Unless these trees are allowed to decay or burn, the fear of contributing to climate change through cutting of trees is out of the question. Matured trees that are later on processed to become wood products continue to store that carbon and keep it out of the atmosphere for decades. Based on a study, the net CO2 emission of wood recorded only -1,000 kilograms per cubic meter, making it the most sustainable building material option in terms of carbon emissions.

2.   Wood as a raw material is renewable

Responsibly sourced wood is the only renewable raw material there is today. This means that trees that are harvested are 100% biodegradable and can possibly be replenished for new growth. If we refuse to cut down trees, we’ll hinder the production of fuel and fiber needed in providing warmth and shelter through the products derived from them.

3.    Cutting mature trees provides regeneration

The moment forests become too crowded, there will be increased competition among trees for light and water, which will make them more susceptible to drought and insect attacks. Cutting mature trees provides regeneration, improves the habitat of many species, and maintains forest health in the long run.

4.   Sustainable forest management provides livelihood opportunities

Investing in the industry makes way for more jobs in the upland and rural areas as it requires an abundant amount of manpower to harvest and process wood. An increase in Sustainable Forest Management income-generating projects means more revenue to farmers and workers which will provide additional taxes to the government while preserving the environment.

5.   Wood produces essential products

Wood products come in many forms such as lumber, paper and pulp, chemicals, food, furniture, etc. One can only imagine life without it, giving up common necessities such as toilet paper and reading materials.

One of the organizations pushing for sustainable forest management is the Philippine Wood Producers Association (PWPA). They believe that by ensuring that there is a balance between the needs of the people and the viability of the forests, a more prosperous and sustainable future for the entire country can be achieved. They continually promote the market of wood, which when harnessed sustainably, can be an important driver for growth and development for many communities, and by extension for the entire economy as well. 

About PWPA

The Philippine Wood Producers Association (PWPA) is the national association of companies, corporations, partnerships, and individuals involved in forest management. It aims to promote the sustainable management of natural and plantation forests that will increase their capacity to supply the wood requirement and enhance their capacity to provide ecological balance for the country. It strives to serve and protect the market of the wood industry against unfair trade practices. By executing events such as the annual Philippine Wood Expo, participating in timber conferences, workshops, and environmental advocacies, it attains the public’s appreciation for its role in the social, economic, and environmental development of the country.

8990, Megawide sign first horizontal development contract

(L-R): Megawide Construction Corporation precast assistant vice president

Einstein Chiu, 8990 Holdings president and chief executive officer Willie J. Uy, and

chief operations officer Alexander Ace Sotto

8990 Holdings, listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange under the symbol “HOUSE” and one of the fastest growing real estate developers in the Philippines, expands its partnership with Megawide Construction Corporation with the signing of a contract to build its newest housing project in Meycauayan, Bulacan.

 “We are delighted to extend our partnership beyond just vertical developments. With the addition of Deca Homes Meycauayan to our list of projects with Megawide, we are certain that we will be able to deliver quality homes to every hardworking Filipino,” said 8990 Holdings president and chief executive officer Willie J. Uy.

Megawide will bring in its precast expertise that would produce approximately 5,000 townhouses within 8990’s 41-hectare property located in Barangay Saluysoy, Meycauayan, Bulacan. This is 8990’s second project in the province. In 2016, 8990 started developing a 14-hectare property in Marilao. The residential development currently offers a mix of townhouse units and medium-rise buildings.

Bulacan is already a popular residential choice for families who like to work in the city but prefer to come home to a place where modern life and rustic living meet. It is poised to benefit from the major infrastructure projects that will build the province into the next high growth area. It is a mere hour away from Quezon City via the North Luzon Expressway and soon it will be made more accessible with the completion of MRT-7 connecting EDSA North Avenue and San Jose Del Monte. It is also an hour away from the Clark International Airport. Plans are underway to build an International Airport in Bulacan.

Megawide is currently constructing 8990’s two large scale developments, the 13-building Urban Deca Homes Tondo located in Tondo, Manila and the 22-building Urban Deca Homes Ortigas along Ortigas Avenue Extension. 

Toshiba home appliance line launched

Leading Japanese appliance company Toshiba recently launched their latest line of advanced home appliances that address the varying lifestyle needs of discerning Filipino consumers. Designed and engineered with the “takumi spirit” – a craftsman’s relentless pursuit of perfection, each Toshiba product, from washers and dryers, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners and water dispensers, is manufactured with an uncompromising attention to detail. Gracing the launch were (L-R) Charles Zhang, Deputy General Manager of Concepcion Midea Inc.; Zeal Jiang, General Manager of Overseas Market – Refrigerator Division, Midea Group; Rooney Xiao, General Manager of Overseas Market – Laundry Division, Midea Group; and Phillip Trapaga, General Manager, Concepcion Midea Inc.

AXA Philippines posts record premium income growth

Total Premium Income (TPI) is four times higher than average growth of top competitors

AXA Philippines, one of the country’s leading insurance companies, posted a growth in Total Premium Income (TPI) of 22%, ending 2017 with more than P26 billion.

Based on data from the Insurance Commission, AXA Philippines' TPI growth is double the average industry growth of 11%. It also exceeded the combined growth of the top four insurance companies in the Philippines.

“AXA’s impressive growth is very much a result of the continuous expansion of our distribution network across the country and the constant introduction of new solutions to address the evolving needs of our customers,” says Rahul Hora, AXA Philippines CEO. “We beefed up our suite of products to serve very specific markets: launching new ones like MyAmbition, Retire Smart, and Smart Traveller; and improving existing ones like Global Health Access and HealthMax. This year, we expect to ride on this robust growth trajectory as we move towards achieving market leadership.”

Hora also attributes AXA’s success to the company’s commitment towards customer centricity and leveraging on technology to aid its distributors in reaching out to more customers. He says the overall improved economy also contributed to the rise in its 2017 figures.

Its general insurance arm, Charter Ping An, outpaced the market growth rate of 17%, moving up to number three in the rankings from last year’s number four spot. AXA acquired Charter Ping An in 2016 and now offers products such as motor, business, and home protection, becoming the only insurance company in the country’s top five to provide both life and non-life coverage.

In 2017, AXA Philippines introduced MyAmbition, the first single premium variable life plan for young professionals that can be completely availed online; Retire Smart, a regular premium variable life plan intended for disciplined fund build-up paid until retirement date; and Smart Traveller, the travel insurance that offers personal accident and medical coverage plus 24/7 helpline anywhere in the world. It also widened the scope of cover of Global Health Access to include hypertension and high cholesterol, and presented a more convenient way to pay for HealthMax via HealthMax 10-Pay.

AXA entered into a partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to become its official insurance partner in the country. The strategic partnership highlights both companies’ shared principles of teamwork, integrity, courage, and innovation; and allows AXA to reach a broader audience. 

In order to empower more people to live the life they choose, AXA also launched its Financial Needs Analysis (FNA) platform in 2017, a service and tool that an AXA financial coach uses to explain to the customer in easy terms why life protection is important, especially in cases of unforeseen setbacks and emergencies.

AXA Philippines is a joint venture of Paris-based AXA Group and Metrobank, one of the largest financial conglomerates in the country. To date, it has around 4,000 financial advisors serving one million customers nationwide.

Philippines faces health and environmental risks amid lack of landfills

The Philippines is expected to move further towards urbanization as it grows and develops. Unfortunately, its solid waste infrastructure is unable to keep pace with the economic and population growth. Inadequate, over-filled dumpsites and landfills are causing various health and environmental problems.

Some of the serious environmental risks caused by waste overflow landfills are ground and surface water contamination, flooding, greenhouse gas production, air pollution, exposure to toxins and spread of disease. Many disposal sites across the country contain infectious material, threatening sanitation workers and waste pickers and, eventually the general public. 

Tests of liquid runoff or leachate from Rodriguez and Payatas dump sites were found to contain high levels of contaminants. Most of the leachate seeps untreated into groundwatersources of drinking water and flows to the Marikina and Pasig River systems and Manila Bay. Landfills and dump sites, despite government’s efforts to situate them in areas far from population centers, still pose a threat to the health and the environment. 

A lot of wastes, about one-third of solid waste generated in the cities, are often dumped indiscriminately and often end up clogging the drains, causing flooding and increase in the populations of rodents and other pests. The urban poor suffer most from life-threatening conditions resulting from uncollected garbage. 

In this age of digitalization and technology, one of the innovative solutions for solid waste management is decentralization using pyrolysis technology. Pyrolysis is coined from the Greek terms pyro or fire and lysis or separating. It is the industrial process of breaking down large molecules of waste such as agricultural residues, scraps, tires, and non-recyclable materials into smaller molecules of gas, oil and carbon black. One of the by-product of pyrolysis technology is ash which can be mixed with aggregates for construction purposes.

Most importantly, people should realize that they play a huge role in solving the massive garbage problem in the Philippines. It should be the country’s goal to create an environment free of garbage, minimizing of waste disposal to landfill, educating the community and make them aware of their roles and responsibilities, and to involve the business community in solid waste management.

Free Unli Rice during early dinner at all Mang Inasal stores this March

Mang Inasal is giving all unli-rice lovers a special Early Dinner Treat as part of the brand’s 15th anniversary celebration. 

Get free unlimited rice servings on all Paborito Value Meals from March 11 to March 28, Mondays thru Thursdays, from 4 to 6 pm only.

The Early Dinner Treat promo is available at all Mang Inasal stores nationwide and valid for dine-in transactions only.

Come celebrate Mang Inasal’s 15th anniversary with us. Visit any of our over 500 stores nationwide for your Solb sa Sarap, Solb sa Saya Early Dinner Treat with free unli-rice!

Try Mang Inasal Bangus Sisig this Lent

If you are looking for ways to observe fasting and abstinence this Lenten Season, you may want to try this ‘hidden gem’ in the menu of Mang Inasal.

Try the Mang Inasal Bangus Sisig which a number of foodies claim to be really 

“Bangusarap!”

Savor this delightful dish of sizzling bangus chunks, seasoned with special spices, ideal this Lenten Season.

During Easter and for the rest of the year, you can still have your fix of Bangus Sisig, together with other Mang Inasal favorites like the Chicken Inasal, Halo-Halo, Pork Sisig, palabok, Molo Soup and New Iced Gulaman. 

Visit any of the over 500 stores of Mang Inasal nationwide or place your orders at #733-1111.

giordano ladies launches Spring/Summer 2019 collection

Reimagines the beauty of the stars and the skies

The night skies are full of eternal tales told by the stars, so which constellation will you explore next?

The giordano ladies Spring/Summer 2019 collection reimagines the charm of the ever-changing landscape of constellations. Inspiration takes form in abstract geometric or linear details, manifested as contrasting black and white or an interplay of varied shades of lightness and darkness.

In designing its latest collection, giordano ladies focused on creating simple, clean, modern classic clothes for the modern-day Filipina that capture the enchanting glow of the night. The collection contains various timeless pieces that embrace the romantic night skies and the magnificence of its celestial bodies, embodying the elegance and the dynamic lifestyle of women in this generation.

The giordano ladies Spring/Summer collection offers asymmetric pieces, culottes, pleats, knitted tops, and cardigans, with colors and patterns that resemble the dramatic and romantic night sky and the stars. Like astronomy, the collection is all about truthful but romantic ideas of our imagination.

Just as the moon’s soothing light shines through the dark, the collection offers a mesmerizing and striking opposition of light and dark. The contrast trim cardigan, boat neck knitted tank, and geometric blocking pleated knitted skirt ensemble has an unexpected, surreal cut-out detail just as how the moon shies away from the long top.

Embracing the starry sky, this constellation-print cotton dress, paired with cotton dobby side-slit culottes and wingtip leather brogues reworked the elegance and timeless beauty of a modern Filipina.

The late chilly breeze and the eloquence of the night inspired the combination of this airy cotton blended swallow tail woven tank and cotton blended maxi culottes.

Stars are glistening in this new collection as tiny reflections of micro sequins are attached to the yarn long cardigan paired with a double-knit tank top and cotton dobby side-slit culottes.

Another palette in the collection is inspired by the shimmering reflection of moonlight on a quiet lake with a watercolor-print asymmetric dress.

 

Chic and classy. This lake jacquard cotton knitted top with matching jacquard knitted pencil skirt projects one of the countless ways on how they reinterpreted the starry skies. 

Visit giordano ladies at SM Aura Premier, SM Megamall Bldg. D, The Podium Mall, The Shoppes, Solaire Resort and Casino, and in Ayala Cebu this April. 

For more information about the latest collection from giordano ladies, visit www.giordanoladies.com, or like and follow its facebook page at www.facebook.com/pg/GiordanoLadiesPH, or on Instagram at @giordanoladiesph. 

Cartoon Network’s We Bare Bears are Coming to Asia!

Want Grizzly, Ice Bear, and Panda to come to the Philippines? Vote now and be part of the biggest bear hug event of the year!

#WeBareBearsHugs

Cartoon Network’s We Bare Bears are embarking on their first ever tour of Asia, and they are excited to meet all of their friends in the Philippines!

Be ready to form your own bear squad and hang out with Grizz, Panda and Ice Bear as they visit iconic places, snap some selfies and spread paw-sitivity with plenty of bear hugs.

But here’s the catch! To make that happen, we need the help of all bear fans to flex those voting muscles! All you need to do is to vote for the Philippines on www.webarebears.cartoonnetworkasia.com/hugstour if you want the bear bros to come and see you and your friends. 

And to help you get well-acquainted with the lovable bears, here are some quick facts we’ve rounded up just for you:

Grizzly Bear

Grizzly is the oldest of the brothers. Although he is the charismatic, jovial, and a highly motivated leader, Grizzly is not the brightest bear in the bunch. What he lacks in common sense he makes up for with pure energy and excitement – which leads the Bears into endless comedic complications.

Girzzly Bear loves:

• Video games

• The great outdoors 

• Chatting and eating

Panda Bear

Panda loves pop culture and his smartphone. As a middle child, he is sensitive and a hopeless romantic. He'd really love a girlfriend, but most of his attempts have been utter failures. Luckily, his brothers are always there to lift him up.

Panda loves:

• Painting 

• All things Anime

• Being glued to his phone

Ice Bear

The youngest in the family, Ice Bear is a bear of few words. He’s a bit odd and outwardly eccentric – after all, he refers to himself in the third person and sleeps in a refrigerator. But don’t underestimate him: skilled in a plethora of unknown talents, Ice Bear is a hidden savant and jack-of-all-trades.

Ice Bear loves: 

• Being quiet 

• Speaking different languages 

• Cooking

Keep the votes coming on www.webarebears.cartoonnetworkasia.com/hugstour and be sure to catch the adorable bear-bros when they make a stop in your city! Follow the bears’ “We’ll Be There” journey via the Cartoon Network Asia official Facebook page, www.facebook.com/CartoonNetworkAsia. Or if you want to hang out with some real We Bare Bears’ fans, join Cartoon Network Asia’s Community Page at http://bit.ly/WBBFBGroup and get updates on your favorite bear-bros all year round!

Don’t forget to stay tuned in to We Bare Bears on Cartoon Network available on Cignal Digital TV Channel 220 (HD), Sky Direct Channel 15 (HD), SkyCable Channel 178 (HD), and Destiny Cable Channel 178 (HD Digital).