Beat the Summer Heat: 5 Ways to Make Your Air-Conditioner Summer Ready

Press release

Philippines, March 2016

As the blaze of the summer heat arrives, all of us will start looking for places and ways to cool down. By midday, some people will find themselves mall-hopping just to escape the hot temperatures. The last thing one wants is to turn on one’s air-conditioner only to find that it doesn’t work. When an air-conditioning unit sits idle for months, collecting dirt and dust, a bit of maintenance is needed to get it running properly.

This is why it’s important to check your units before temperatures get hotter.

Now that summer is fast approaching you have to ask yourself, is your air-conditioning unit up for a blazing challenge? Electrolux, a global leader in home appliances, has prepared a simple checklist to ensure your air-conditioner is summer ready.

Clean or replace the filters. This is the simplest but most important step in maintaining your unit. It’s advisable to regularly clean this at least twice a year and additionally when you see dust collecting. Clogged or dirty filters block the airflow. Having clean filters means you are not obstructing airflow making your unit more energy efficient.

Clear the debris. Remove the leaves and debris from the base of the unit’s condenser and make sure the drain is clear. You can use a vacuum cleaner or a rag to clean the outer part of the condenser. Doing so means you won’t be recirculating the dust in the room.

Check ducts and seals. Air ducts are tubes used to connect the air conditioning system to a room. Leaks can slow down and may prevent air from being supplied properly in your home. Check for any leaks to ensure energy efficiency. Seals can easily break when exposed to moisture. To fix this problem, use mastic tapes to seal.

Use few heat-producing appliances. As the heat of summer arrives, it’s best to avoid using heat-producing appliances indoors while your air-conditioner is on. Your unit is already battling the heat from outside your home. If you add heat inside, you’re making your air-conditioner work overtime! Try cooking outside using the grill or letting your hair air dry instead of always using the hair dryer. This will give your air conditioner an easy time to serve you better every day.

Test your air conditioner. Let it dry thoroughly and then turn the power to the condenser back on by following this step. First, turn the thermostat in your home to OFF. Then turn on the power at both the disconnect box and at the main panel. Lastly, switch the thermostat to cool. If your air conditioner is not running properly, it may be time to call the professionals for help.

“All of our design and product development is based on the philosophy of Thoughtful Design. We want to give you top-tier appliances and unparalleled customer service to make your life better” shares Andrea Pionilla, the Country Marketing Manager of Electrolux Philippines.

With these simple tips and by taking good care of your appliances, Electrolux hopes you have a cool and relaxing summer at home.

To avail of the Electrolux 24/7 Premium Customer Service, customers may reach the following hotlines:

Customer Care Hotline: (+63-2) 845-CARE (2273)
Domestic PLDT Toll-Free No.: 1-800-10-845-CARE FREE (2273)

STORYTELLING AS A BASIC INSTINCT: EGG THEATER COMPANY PRESENTS THE FILIPINO TRANSLATION OF MARTIN MCDONAGH’S THE PILLOWMAN

Press release

After the brief festival run of its productions, Maniacal (Fringe Manila 2015) and Schism (Fringe Manila 2016), Egg Theater Company presents its first full-run production with a Filipino Translation of Martin McDonagh’s The Pillowman.

            Winner of the 2004 Olivier Award for Best Play and Tony-Nominated in 2005 for Best Play, The Pillowman is about a writer in an unidentified totalitarian state being interrogated about his gruesome and macabre short stories that has inspired a series of child murders. The Pillowman is a dark comedy that boldly exhibits the riveting power of narrative and how storytelling and invention of fantastical tales is a basic human instinct. With the coming elections and the incessant specter of dictatorships and martial law, this production resonates with its exploration of the fine line between the freedom of an individual to tell a story and its impact on the security of society.

            Palanca awardee and Egg Theater Company co-founder, George de Jesus III in translating and directing The Pillowman, remarks, “In examining the dark side of imagination and creativity, the play probes into how stories are created, the motivation that drives a writer to tell a story and the responsibility of a writer on the impact of what he has written. Put that against a totalitarian-state setting and we get a play that are by turns disturbingly funny and emotionally shocking. Given that the play is set in an unnamed totalitarian state, translating it into Filipino affords us not only in making it somehow familiar but it also further fuels the idea of it possibly becoming real.”

            Egg Theater Company co-founder and producer adds, “But beyond being political, The Pillowman will make us take stock on the power of words and how it can affect other people. There’s a line by Katurian that says, "It's not about being or not being dead, it's about what you leave behind." I think it’s something that will resonate to anyone in the creative field and it’s what we want to accomplish with Egg Theater Company, to create Filipino productions that will linger in the minds of our audience.”

            Co-presented by Pineapple Lab, The Pillowman features Gabs Santos as Katurian, Paolo O’Hara and Paul Jake Paule as Michal, Renante Bustamante as Tupolski and Acey Aguilar as Ariel.

            The production will also feature original music and animated graphics by Joee Mejias.

            The play will run from April 8-10 and 22-24, 2016, 8:00 PM at Pineapple Lab, 6071 R. Palma Street, Poblacion, Makati City.

            For tickets and inquiries, visit Egg Theater Company’s FB Page or contact 0917-844-0520.

Get Your Grill On with DMAX this March!

They may be some of the most successful BBQ competitors around, but every competition is a clean slate and an imposing challenge.

DMAX follows four noted BBQ teams as they compete in some of the most prestigious and demanding BBQ competitions on the circuit to see what it's really like when you're in the thick of the battle. The all-new season of BBQ Pit Wars premieres on March 10 and airs every Thursday at 9:50 PM.

Find Where Your Strength Lies with StrengthsCoach.PH

In the internet, you can find almost anything. In social networks, it is normal to see people share their results of the test they took. There are many online tests. Most are legit but there are also lots that are not. But regardless of which kind, the relevant question is how these tests made a difference on you.

L-R: StrengthsCoach.PH founders Ryan Salvanera, Andrea Goseco, and Alex Wollboldt.

The results that you usually take are just being set by the website's application but it will not help you discuss further. Unlike these sites, discussing the results still requires evaluating and consulting with the experts.

In StrengthsCoach.PH, there are programs to choose from that can give you an idea how to find your strength as a individual but will also help your efforts to strengthen people within your influence. If you are a team leader of your office of operations, it will not just help you work out your strengths, you will also help your team bring the best out of them.

All you need to do is to enlist in any program that can be suitable to you. The team of coaches at StrengthsCoach.Ph are certified Gallup strength finders. If you must ask what on earth is Gallup, it refers to George Gallup, founder of a management-performance company that specializes with these programs. You can be assured that the coaches here in the Philippines are qualified for it.

If you are wondering, this is not those public seminars that you are spending much because of an international bestselling author makes an visit to a country for a limited time. These sessions are done on one-on-one basis. The ideal atmosphere is your office that requires at least minimal interruptions and it will not take you far from your working atmosphere. Their approach is more conversational or informal like the one we had while having lunch. But in that simple conversation, it will be assuring that it will lead to good results.

The sessions is not only applicable in the work atmosphere but also in different institutions like churches, organizations, etc. More details about StrengthsCoach.PH at their website I linked in this post or contact them directly at +63-918-945-3778. For more features and updates, follow this blog and like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

Blogger's note: StrengthsCoach.PH co-founder Alex Araneta was not available when the photo was taken.

New Shows on Discovery Channel This March

Press release

Start your March with Discovery Channel’s fresh lineup that is guaranteed to thrill!

Men, Women, Wild is a 6-part series that features three couples placed in three of the harshest environments in the world – the high desert mountains of Morocco, the frozen snow-covered fjords of Norway, and the thick, unforgiving jungle of southern Mexico.  For three weeks they will have to live off of the land, navigate the vast, unknown terrain and find their way back to civilization - but only if they can survive the wild and each other. Throughout each journey, the couples will share their experience and lead viewers through their triumphs and setbacks as they attempt to survive.  In the process, they will be faced with the same tough question: Do they truly have each other’s back, and when the going gets tough, are they stronger together or better off apart?

The new series Men, Women, Wild premieres March 8, airing Tuesdays, 9PM.

Killing Fields is a true-crime documentary series following homicide detectives as they reopen the case of a young woman found in the Louisiana swamplands, a body dumpsite, where the forces of nature often erase evidence of a crime. Tormented by an unfulfilled promise to solve the 1997 homicide investigation, Detective Rodie Sanchez comes out of retirement to rework the case that has haunted him for the past 18 years. Armed with cutting- edge investigative technologies, and a new team of driven detectives, the Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office is determined to finally close their department's most infamous cold case.

Photos courtesy of Discovery Channel

Find out what clues they’ll uncover on the new series Killing Fields, premieres March 17, airing Thursdays at 10PM.

Western Union announces four “Chain of Betters” awards for community-building projects in the Philippines

Press release

“Chain of Betters” makes the world better for others

by helping individuals realize their project ideas

Manila, Philippines. – March 3, 2016, Western Union announced today that its Chain of Betters competition, which funds projects that make lasting positive change for communities around the world, has selected four winning projects that will improve the quality of life for those living in the Philippines. The four individuals who nominated these projects will be responsible for making the “better” happen over the next three months.

The projects that will benefit from the Western Union Chain of Betters awards include:

“The Disaster Workshop and Equipment” projects, nominated by Jeremiah Datoy, which will provide the indigent people of Tiwi, Albay with communications equipment, rescue materials and disaster preparedness seminars in this area that is effected by 10-15 typhoons each year.

The “Water for Vegetable Farm” project, nominated by Venus Parmisana, will create a Microcontroller-Based Water Management System (a research and development project by students in MSU-IIT) that will help women farmers augment their income and give them more time with their families.

The “Help the Aeta Kids Get a Chance at a Better Education” project, nominated by Karlo Manzano, will build a library for the Aeta Children of Sitio Bagong Silang in San Pablo, Castillejos, Zambales, and support ALS (Alternative Learning System) teachers to provide mobile chalkboards and other materials in their outreach to Aeta Kids in the mountain region.

The “Saludo GenSet – Portable Solar Generator Set” project, nominated by Aquileta Turla, will provide electricity and its many benefits to 16 million people. This gas-free source of renewable energy will keep lights, phones, handheld radios for disaster response, medical equipment and laptops powered on through any situation.

The Western Union® Chain of Betters competition was designed to kick start a chain of good deeds by awarding US$1,000 (or local currency equivalent) for winning project ideas nominated by individuals from an initial group of 20 qualifying countries in 2015.

“The Chain of Betters competition was designed to show how the movement of money can create a ripple effect in communities around the world. We see every day that financial support of any dollar amount can advance the good, simple ideas that have a big impact and create a multiplier effect to improve lives,” said Western Union Vice President, Global Brand & Marketing, Simonetta Rigo. “This competition expresses our deep appreciation for our customers and the people they help regularly through remittances.”