Ms. Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, Celebrity Actress and Champion’s very own endorser

Why Champion? I have many reasons why I changed to Champion, it is budget-wise. Their not the cheapest but affordable one and it is cheaper than the biggest brands where in they all do the same thing so why invest in an expensive brands. Another one is the fragrant, the scent of the Champion leaves the clothes smell like a perfume. Specially now that is rainy season and mostly of our clothes cannot be dried that well, it’s good there is a Champion that makes our clothes smell clean.

Since I’m a Champion user, I am very thankful that I was invited last August 5, 2019 for the launched of the New Champion Supra Power range. Champion has been providing quality detergents to Filipino Mom for more than four decades now and the event was spent paying tribute to Supra Nanays, where the Moms who still manage to care for and provide for their families through their tireless works, sacrifice, and love, day-in and day-out.

During the launched celebrity actress, Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, Champion’s very own endorser and Supra Nanay interviewed by Ms. Cerah Hernandez-Co, host of the program. Ms. Judy Ann shared her thoughts on Champion Detergent being the only brand for her that’s able to provide her with the high level of cleaning that she and many other Filipino moms need. She also excitedly talked about new Champion Supra Power and her upcoming TV campaign, before providing media guests and partners an exclusive look at her much-awaited TV Commercial which airs on August 13, 2019. This was also followed with a surprisemini-digital-film featuring stories of three Supra Nanays that touched and warmed the hearts of the audience members watching.

Aside from Ms Judy Ann, Champion also invited three celebrity teens namely Ylona Garcia, Heaven Peralejo and Grae Fernandez to talk about their Supra Nanays. Their stories, serving as examples of the types of content Champion hopes to gather for the next phase of their campaign — #SupraPowerNiNanay – where they’ll be asking consumers to submit stories of their Supra Nanays. Chosen stories could then be eventually featured in a mini-docu digital film featuring those real Supra Nanays. With Champion’s new and improved formulation, new packaging for the entire Supra Power range, Champion has quite a lot in store for its consumers for the rest of 2019.

Champion Supra Power available in four fragrance variants:

1. Original Supra Clean

2.  Citrus Fresh

3.  Sunny Fresh

4.  With Fabric Conditioner

Their now available in stores, ready to deliver the high level of cleaning for “putingwalangbakas” for Supra Nanays nationwide.

Some quotes say, “Jobs fill your pocket but adventures fill your soul.” Everyone loves to travel to make some adventure into his or her lives. However, in traveling, they must remember their safety first. None of the travelers wants to take hitch while traveling. That is why they choose to take insurance with them. They will choose whether Car Insurance or Travel Insurance is the right thing for them or both.

Nevertheless, most of the travelers choose them both to avoid any circumstances.

Car Insurance

Car Insurance companies in Singapore offer three main types of motor insurance policies and two types ofmotor insurance scheme.

Three Main Types of Motor Insurance:

1. Comprehensive car insurance that covers repair or replacement of the vehicle. If it is damaged or lost because of theft, accident, vandalism or weather-related damage.We recommend this type of car insurance if you do not have enough savings to replace the car, or are economically dependent on it.
2. Third-Party, Fire and Theft Cover car insurance covers damage and damage caused to your vehicle by a vehicle or other party’s property, it also covers your vehicle is stolen or damaged by fire. To purchase this policy, you must not have any financial loan for your car. You should also make sure you have enough savings to replace the car, especially if you rely on the economy. For newer cars, it is better to get comprehensive car insurance.
3. Third-Party Cover car insurance covers claims of liability from third parties for injury and damage to their vehicle or property caused by your vehicle. To purchase this policy, you must not have any financial loan for your car. You should also make sure you have enough savings to replace the car, especially if you rely on the economy. For newer cars, it is better to get comprehensive car insurance

In Singapore, there are two types ofmotor insurance scheme. Authorized Workshop or Any Workshop. An authorized workshop is one that has an arrangement with the insurance company and hence the scheme has a lower premium because the insurer has control of the repair cost.A reason for people to choose the “any workshop” scheme is that they have a certain car make, whichcan only be fixed in designated workshops.

Excess, also called deductible, is to the first amount of the claim, which the insured has a bear. If the insured has an excess of $500 and the total repair costs $3,000, then the insured has to pay $500 while the insurer pays the remaining $2,500.

The insurance company normally imposes some excess, as this would serve as a form of co-insurance. With an excess, the insured would tend to be more careful because if claims occur, the insured also has to be out of pocket and contribute towards the claim. In general, the higher the excess, the more careful would be the insured and hence the lower the risk of having a claim, to reduce frivolously (unnecessary and avoidable) claims.

You can choose to pay a higher premium to have lower excess. If you are a PHV (Private Hire Vehicle) driver, you can also ensure the high excess from less than $4.00 a day.

Travel Insurance

Travel insurance helps protect you from risks while you are traveling overseas. All policies offer at least basic levels of cover for medical costs, cancellation and lost, damaged or stolen baggage. However, policies’ coverage varies greatly and it is important to check that you have the right insurance for the kind of traveling you plan to do.

Here is the level of cover for the features named above and consider the following:

• Emergency assistance
• Personal liability
• Scheduled airline failure
• Legal assistance
• Travel disruption
• Holiday curtailment

Generally, the single-trip policy covers you for as long as your trip lasts up to a maximum of 180 days. An annual travel policy covers you an unlimited number of trips for an entire year from the policy start date. Such a policy is worthwhile if you are a frequent traveler.

A Family travel insurance Plan will cover children under 18 or if still schooling. This is a much cheaper option to consider when traveling with family.

If you plan to travel several times within a year, annual travel policy covers all your trips and can be far more cost-effective.

The cheapest policy might not have the best coverage, so choose a policy which best suits your needs.

To get the best Car Insurance quotes for your budget, kindly go here: https://bit.ly/2Kcf8rc

For Travel Insurance, you can go here: https://bit.ly/2Zk9B8t

Very excited for next month because it’s my birthday and one of my favourite Iconic American shoe brand Sperry is giving a treat to all! Imagine the whole month of August, Sperry’s signature boat shoes, sneakers, loafers and more are up for grabs with up to 50% discount. Definitely, the fans of the brand from all over the country including me will enjoy the sale as the discounts are available in ALL Sperry concept stores nationwide and online at sperry.com.ph!

Do not miss to mark your calendar from August 1 to 31, 2019 and be sure to shop for your next classic pair. Here are some items that you can buy from this month-long Sperry treat:

Sperry Flex Deck CVO in White Mesh (Original Price: P3,495 NOW: P1,745)

Kick off the month with the Flex Deck CVO Sneaker. Adjustable bungee lace with toggle gives you security and function for easy on/off use. It is also equipped with the patented SON-R Technology™ which utilizes unique sensory feedback to provide greater stability. Its lightweight, breathable, quick-dry mesh upper provides lasting comfort, while its vulcanized construction that bonds the outsole to the upper creates a sneaker that’s always on-the-go. It comes in Blue, Black, and the White so you and your friends can cop one of each color!

Cloud Cvo Star Wars Rebel Pilot Orange (Original Price: P3,795 NOW: P1,895)

Great news for Star Wars fans, you may cop Star Wars merch for your feet at Sperry! Gear up for your run on the Death Star™ with the Orange CVO Rebel Pilot. It features battle-worn canvas in the orange shade of the X-Wing™ pilot jumpsuits. An element of Luke’s own helmet decal comes through in the silver and yellow heel stripe. With the Rebel symbol featured on the side, no one can mistake whose side you’re on.

Authentic Originals Orleans Navy (Original Price: P3,475 NOW: P2,895)

For fans of the boat shoe silhouette, this is a treat for you. The Authentic Originals Orleans shoe is one among the many boat and deck shoe styles you can grab from the sale. Each pair is made with the brand’s premium leather material and signature stitching quality. It is also designed with two-eye rust-proof eyelets and round, rawhide laces. Thanks to its Razor-Cut Wave-Siping™ on non-marking rubber outsoles, the shoe is slip-proof making it safe to wear on the boat or wet surfaces.

7 Seas Carbon  – Charcoal (Original Price: P2,495 NOW: P1,995)

Cop a pair of Sperry’s most innovative boat shoe, the 7 Seas. It features a modern boat shoe design engineered with 21st-century technology. This cutting edge offering from the iconic American brand provides beastly traction, fierce fit, and intense vent—making it the ideal pair to wear for both land and water adventures.

Get all these and more from the Sperry End of Season Sale starting August 1 to 31, 2019! Visit Sperry stores located at SM Megamall, UP Town Center, Trinoma, Festival Mall, SM North EDSA – The Block, SM Fairview, Estancia Mall, SM East Ortigas, Bonifacio High Street, SM Aura Premier, Glorietta 3, Robinsons Place Manila, SM Mall of Asia, SM Southmall, SM Dasmarinas, SM Lipa, SM Legazpi, Robinsons Place Ilocos Norte, SM Baguio, Ayala Center Cebu, SM City Cebu, SM Seaside Cebu, SM Iloilo, SM Bacolod, SM Davao, SM Lanang, and Centrio Mall.

Check out www.sperry.com.ph to enjoy great deals, too. Also, follow Sperry on Facebook.com/SperryPh and on Instagram at @sperryph

People hire domestic workers for various reasons. You may be getting a maid to take care of your aging parents, your children while you work or a general house manager to get your home organized as you work. The economic conditions globally has recently prompted many families in Singapore to look for full-time domestic workers from foreign countries.

This confirms the high number of foreign domestic workers in Singapore. Many families have shown interest on foreign maids as they assume that it is cheaper—or is it lack of domestic workers in Singapore? Whichever the case, we are going to analyze and break down the costs of hiring a domestic worker in Singapore to get a more definite figure that will determine whether this option is actually cheaper or it’s just another bad business.

The monthly salary

The maid’s salary predominantly varies based on some factors like the country they’re coming from, the years of experience, and many others.

• Filipino- $570
• Indonesian-$550
• Indian-$350
• Myanmar-$450
• Sri Lanka-$400

You’re also expected to pay for meals, medical, lodging and travel expenses on top of the salary.

Levy

As the employer, you’re supposed to pay levy directly to the government. The average monthly rate stands at $260 while the concessionary fee is $60, Although the monthly levy is expected to rise any time between now and 2019.You only pass to get the concessionary rate if there is a person with a disability, an aged person, a grandchild, or child living at the same residence as you. Here are the conditions;

1. Either you or your spouse has a young child or a grandchild who is below or at the age of 16 years, a Singapore citizen and living the same address.
2. You or one of the family members living with you is disabled
3. You live with a Singapore resident aged above 65 years
4. Agency Charges

Every agency has its own rate which heavily depends on the services listed. Many agencies don’t virtually announce their prices, but you should always expect them to command about $1000. Some little research won’t do you harm but may help shed some light on the various charges and services. Also, pay attention to agencies requesting very low agency fees as this industry has very many scammers as well as immoral and unethical operators.

Work permit

Work permits for domestic workers nowadays costs about $30 plus an additional $30 after the application has been successfully completed. Work permits virtually take three to five weeks nowadays and once obtained can be renewed after two years.

Medical and other personal insurance

You’re responsible for purchasing insurance policies for your maid. Depending on the many coverages available, some of the basic policies include medical and personal accident insurance coverages.  The minimum costs for each include:

• Personal accident protection: $40,000
• Medical coverage: $15,000

There exist other insurance companies that provide coverage for both policies at a subsidized rate as a combined package. Most of them are available in premium packages that range up to $200 for 26 months.

Performance bond

If you intend to hire an Indonesian domestic worker, the hiring or renewing contracts may set you back with a slap of $70. This amount covers for the performance bond of $6,000 the full amount of money you will be required to pay if you breach the agreement.

This bond helps protect the migrant worker by making sure that the employers stick by the employment terms and condition of the contracts. Similarly, you will need to pay $40 for a bond worth $2000 if you intend to employ a worker from the Philippines.

Medical checkups and regular examinations

The maid will be required to take an initial medical test needed for your work permit application. You are financially responsible for paying this test which costs S$80. Subsequently, the worker may need to get regular medical checkups which may cost you approximately S$35 depending on the type and number of tests. Some tests are only required to be taken after every two years.

Settling in the Programme (SIP)

Another additional cost is the Settling in Programme (SIP). You will need to send your domestic manager a special program known as Settling in The Programme (SIP) upon arrival which costs S$75. The program typically covers subjects like stress management, relationships, safety, and employment conditions.

Travel expenses

Depending on where the maid is coming from, you’re entirely responsible for the air ticket for your employee. This may cost you between S$ 200 to S$600 depending on her home country. Alternatively, you can find a credit card that offers travel bonuses and benefits to help you save a couple of bucks as you will need to find a taxi or personally fuel and drive to the airport to pick the employee. In the airplane, she will need to eat and rest if the flight is a long one—all that should be covered by you.

For more information and quotation, visit http://bit.ly/30US9ri 

Sunlife is now in its 124 years of serving the Filipino people, helping us achieve real financial security. And when I attended the Sunlife “Kaakbay” event last week, we were asked who our best lifetime partner and how did they change our lives, I quickly recounted the happenings in my life and it led me to this answer:

…most definitely my mom and dad!

I grew up in a political family in Ilocos Norte with my dad, Badoc ex-mayor Angel Bautista, Sr.,  but unlike the scenes we see on TV where politician parents tend to lose time for their kids, my dad was different. In fact, I grew up to be a daddy’s girl.

But more than the pampering and spoiling I got from him, there are 2 special lessons he taught me before he joined our creator and this made me respect him even more.

One is to be kind to our kapwa Pinoy who are in need. Although I did not follow his footsteps and become a lawyer and politician too, I am inspiring others to do well in life through other means and that is by sharing powerful messages through the newspaper company I worked for in the past decades.

Second is to save for the future. My mom Lolita was the more futuristic one, though. She was basically the driving force for all of us to get investments and one of these is insurance policies. And I admire my mom for insuring all of her kids.

This led me to getting mutual funds from Sunlife in 2016.

So when I was sitting with the audiences during the event, I really felt that I belong.

It was also amazing to hear the stories of prominent personalities, who by the way are ambassadors of Sunlife too, like Charo Santos-Concio, Father and son duo Piolo and Iñigo Pascual, Enchong Dee and MatteoGuidicelli. Among them, I felt for Enchong whose lifetime partner is his swimming coach Caloy and Matteo whose inspiration in life is his grandfather. Both confessed to feeling emotional upon seeing their videos with Matteo saying “this is as real as it gets.”

Indeed, Sunlife has been the partner of many Pinoys in their life tribulations and darkest moments. Health problems and deaths, Sunlife never left its members lying down on the ground. Instead, it served as the rock that Pinoys can lean on. It served as a trampoline that helped its policy holders jump back up.

President of Sun Life Asset Management Company, Inc. (SLAMCI) Valerie Pama said about being true to their promises to their clients:

“For others, it’s not so easy to promise a lifetime. There’s so many factors to consider. We feel the same way. 10, 20 years from now, are you ready to fulfill all the promises you made in the beginning of a relationship? We stick around even in times of struggles. Are you ready to adapt when times change? To all these questions, Sunlinfe’s answer has always been Yes.“

Meanwhile, President and Chief Agency Distribution Officer of Sun Life Canada (Philippines)ALEXANDER S. NARCISO delivered a touching message, saying:

“All the stories carry the same message…that life is simply better when we have someone who believes in us, supports us, inspires us and makes our lives brighter. These stories exemplify what kind of partner Sunlife aims to be for every Filipino in its pursuit of lifetime security and a healthier life. Nais naming maging kaakbay nila sa buhay habangbuhay.”

Finally, Chief Managing Manager Philippines Mylene Lopa recalled the beginnings of Sunlife in the Philippines and shared their vision:

“124 years ago nung tumaya ang Sunlife sa Pillipinas. Since then we’ve been partnering with their clients in the pursuit of brighter future. We survived 2 World Wars and countless economic crises. And through it all, we have remained committed to the Filipinos. Ngayon tataya kaming muli. Gusto naming mangarap ng mas malakiang mga Pilipino at handa kaming tulungan sila na tuparin ang mga pangarap nila.”

Kids, students, adults, working Pinoys, freelancers, single parents, parents…Sunlife has products fit for every Juan.

The problem is Pinoys still keep on avoiding insurance despite concerns over future.

But Sunlife is not backing out and says it will continue to expand to provide assistance to more Filipinos, and if possible, all Filipinos.

Despite these discouraging figures, President Alex Narciso said the company will expand this year its consumer base and tap more financial consumers to invest in insurance products. He said:

“We have quite a number of market research because we really want to find out what is really top of mind for our potential clients so we are able to address them.”

Among their strategies, Narciso said, is to continue expanding the number of their financial advisors, as well as their productivity. He also said Sun Life is launching digital tools for their advisers for easier access to their materials. The company is also keen on offering this year more products that will “respond to and address the needs of Filipinos.”

Among their latest projects was their team-up with the social navigation application Waze in their “Brighter Drive, Brighter Life” initiative to promote road-safety awareness among motorists. The initiative is expected to alert Waze users to accident-prone areas and remind them to secure a digital life insurance via Lazada, an online market place.

The company also announced the renewal of its tie-up with Fitness First, a fitness brand in Asia, to give additional club benefits and preferential rates for Sun Life clients, advisors and employees.

The champions of the 19U category, Annie’s Way AMA 1, with the Paras brothers and Mr. Clement Chen

AMA University swept the 2019 Taiwan Excellence 3-on-3 Hoop Challenge by grabbing 2 championship titles for the Seniors and Juniors Divisions last Sunday at the SM Megamall. The final matches saw an all-AMA battle where schoolmates battled against their own schoolmates for the first place.

The Seniors Division saw Annie’s Way-AMA defeating Feca-AMA at a score of 18-14. They winners took home trophies and gift items from the sponsors of the events which are all Taiwan tech companies.

Feca was enjoying a 14-13 lead with a minute left when Annie’s Way guard JayRdela Rosa made four points to take the lead. And by the eight-second mark, with a score of 17-14, Christian Germino punctuated the victory with a buzzer-beater.

It was a remarkable game. It was a thrilling moment to see a team from behind finally rising to nab the title. And what’s more fascinating is that Annie’s Way played with only three players – dela Rosa, Germino and Alec Catorce – since their fourth man Joshua Sabile got injured in a previous game.

Coach Mark Herrera who was reduced to a spectator since 3X3 rules prohibit coaching during games said in an interview about the win:

“Before the finals, I told all the players not to hold back just because they are playing against their teammates and show the audience what AMA basketball is all about and they responded very well.

The boys took this tournament seriously – they did extra work before and after our regular practices.”

Meanwhile at the Juniors division, Annie’s Way once again beat Feca-AMA at 13-12.  Earl Bryan Ceniza was the hero of the game, making a basket at only 38 seconds left at the clock. His teammates were Zheanriz Romero, Joshua Villamor and Josh Reymond Colina.

The competition was expanded into two age-based divisions namely the 16 – 18-year-old bracket and 19-year-old and up bracket. This year’s tournament boasted a whopping total of 192 teams amounting to 768 players altogether. The elimination rounds commenced last month and too only 8 players per division to battle for the championship title at the SM Megamall Event Center last June 29 – 30.

This year’s tournament also featured ‘Band of Brothers’ Kobe Paras of UP Fighting Maroons and Andre Paras of Imus Bandera as the new tournament ambassadors.

Also at the event was the director of the Strategic Marketing Department of Taiwan External Trade Development Council Chun Tse Wu. He said in a speech:

“We want this to be an avenue to inspire young Filipinos to always strive to reach their very best, in the same way Taiwan Excellence pushes its brands to always innovate and upgrade.”

Taiwan Excellence, an award-giving body that recognizes only the best Taiwanese brands and products, mounted the tournament anew to find the newest batch of Filipino talents.

To catch more of Taiwan Excellence,they have several events lined up that will surely excite more Filipinos.  For e-gamers, the Taiwan Excellence E-sports Cup will be held in Manila on October 4-6. They will also join the Internet-of-Things Business Platform at Marriott Manila taking place July 24-25, as well as the Taiwan Expo in Davao happening this November 8-9.