Tuesday, February 28, 2017

KANYE WEST AND ADIDAS ANNOUNCE THE YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 WHITE / CORE BLACK / RED

Press release

Philippines – KANYE WEST and adidas announce the much anticipated release of the YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 White / Core Black / Red.


This YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 features an upper composed of white and black Primeknit with a subtle contrasting off white streak, mirrored ‘SPLY-350’ mark, distinct center stitching, and heel tab.

A semi-translucent rubber outsole and TPU sidewalls create a striking effect while providing superior traction. The YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 midsole utilizes adidas’ innovative BOOST™ technology to create a durable, shock-resistant, responsive sole.


The YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 is already available for 11,495 PhP.

A full list of adidas retail locations can be found at adidas.com/KANYE  

For this release, adidas has released the YEEZY BOOST 350 V2 through an online raffle across the following countries: Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines; and a silent raffle for Australia and New Zealand.

YEEZY.SUPPLY
#YEEZYBOOST
#adidasOriginals
@adidasOriginals
#adidasPH

Monday, February 27, 2017

SINGAPORE WILDLIFE PARKS WELCOME OVER 600 BABIES IN 2016

Press release

Parks successfully breed Southeast Asian animals threatened by illegal wildlife trade; Baby cheetah and fennec foxes hand-raised under human care to be ambassador animals

Singapore – Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo have reported over 600 animal births and hatchings in 2016, and among them are highly threatened Southeast Asian animals. These include the Sunda pangolin, painted terrapin, proboscis monkey, Bali mynah and black-winged starling, all of which are on the brink of extinction.

Dr Cheng Wen-Haur, Deputy CEO and Chief Life Sciences Officer, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said, “We have a mission to protect and conserve biodiversity in Singapore and the region, and are happy to report that our animal care team did well in breeding some of the rarest Southeast Asian animals in 2016. This is but one of the many ways we work on to help save these animals from extinction. We also actively support conservation and research efforts in the animals’ native habitats.”

Southeast Asian animal babies
Nine painted terrapins, one of Southeast Asia’s most endangered freshwater turtle species, hatched in April in Singapore Zoo. The park also welcomed another proboscis monkey baby in April, an endangered primate native to the island of Borneo. Since 1999, Singapore Zoo has seen 30 proboscis monkey births and Singapore lays claim to the highest number of proboscis monkey births outside of their native Indonesia.

Southeast Asian animal births in Night Safari include Neha, the juvenile Asian elephant born on 12 May who charmed her way to fame with her playful antics. The park also welcomed a fifth successful birth of the critically endangered Sunda pangolin since 2011, on 7 October. This makes Night Safari one of the most successful wildlife parks in the world in caring for and breeding the world’s most trafficked mammal. Two Malayan tapirs born in October and December brought up the park’s impressive track record to 30 successful births to date.  
Threatened Southeast Asian species continue to thrive at Jurong Bird Park, with the hatchings of three black-winged starlings and four Bali mynahs, both species critically endangered due to their popularity in the illegal songbird trade. The park works closely with organisations like Begawan Foundation and Cikananga Conservation Breeding Centre in Indonesia who are striving to safeguard a population of these rare birds, and hope to eventually reintroduce them to their native habitats.

Ambassador babies
Amidst recent reports that cheetahs are increasingly threatened with extinction with only 7,100 left in the wild, Singapore Zoo welcomed cheetah cub Deka. Born on 3 October, Deka was abandoned by her inexperienced first-time mother. Vets and keepers made the decision to save the cub by hand-raising her. Starting out weak and malnourished, Deka spent her first four days in the animal hospital. Vets and keepers worked tirelessly to provide round-the-clock care for the next two months until she was strong enough to be independent. Today, she is an active and healthy juvenile that enjoys sprinting about her play area.

Night Safari’s first pair of fennec foxes successfully bore three kits in November. Kit trio Nia, Nailah and Zaire were also hand-raised after exhibiting minor injuries from mishandling by their mother. Parents Zuri and Izem, the first fennec foxes in the collection across the four wildlife parks, were brought in as confiscations by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore. Singapore law prohibits the keeping of exotic animals such as fennec foxes. The illegal pet trade threatens the survival of wild species and amateur pet owners are often ill-equipped to manage the animals’ welfare. The fox family is set to make its debut in Night Safari’s Creatures of the Night show as animal ambassadors, to educate guests against keeping exotic pets illegally.

Dr Cheng said, “Each animal baby born and hatched in our parks is an ambassador in their own right. Individually, they represent their wild counterparts, but collectively they embody the need to conserve not just each individual species but the environment as a whole.”

Over at River Safari, the manatee herd welcomed Joella, a calf born in April. The park’s giant otter family continues to grow with four new additions in March, bringing the total to eight. The park also saw the births of an emperor tamarin, a small primate species, and a trio of ocellate river stingrays, both native to the Amazon Basin.     

Sunday, February 26, 2017

A Thousand ways Sprout won the hearts of Metro Manila’s HR last Valentine’s

Press release

HR people are probably the most unpopular folks in any office. No one really pays much attention to what they do, except when problems arise with time records, benefits, and payslips – in which case they get the brunt of people’s ire. Few people realize that if those HR people don’t do their jobs, corporate life can get quite messy. Like can you imagine what will happen if your salary and tax records are not updated?

Certainly, if there’s anyone who deserves some love in the office, it’s the HR people. Yet no one really seems to know this…except Human Resource (HR) and payroll solutions startup, Sprout Solutions.

Knowing what it takes to spark a connection with its target partners, Sprout Solutions sprinkled love dust in HR offices across the business district on the day before Valentine’s Day.

Thousands of HR practitioners in corporate offices located all around BGC, Ortigas, and Makati received a special Valentine’s package from the software company including a stem of rose and a hand-written (yes, HAND-WRITTEN) note that says:

“Whether or not you have a date,
 we want you to know you’re loved.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!
#SproutLovesHR

Visit sprout.ph/loveHR to get your special treat.”

Especially prepared by Sprout’s employees -- all of who believe that people are at the heart of any organization -- the roses conveyed the sincere appreciation that Sprout has for the hard work and efforts of HR folks. 

Sprout Solutions CEO Patrick Gentry shares the heart behind their #SproutLovesHR campaign, “Whether we admit it or not, the HR department is probably one of the least appreciated teams in a company. We probably just remember them when we have issues with our benefits or complaints in the office policies, right? So our team decided, why not make them feel loved this Valentine’s?
True enough, love was overflowing from the recipients of this “special Valentine’s package”. Squeals of delight were heard across offices from pleasantly shocked and excited HR workers who didn’t expect the Valentine surprise.

Here are some of the reactions we got from the social media space:

Watch the full recap video to find out what this buzz is all about here:

Saturday, February 25, 2017

ADIDAS HARDEN VOL. 1 DISRUPTOR: THE NEXT CHAPTER IN HARDEN'S HISTORIC SEASON

Press Release

Each night, James Harden disrupts basketball convention and challenges standards of how the game is played. In his first season running point for Houston, he’s redefined the position while rewriting league record books and leading the Rockets to one of the top records in the West.



Harden is the first player in NBA history to post 53 points, 17 assists and 16 rebounds in a single game. He’s notched his fourth 40-point triple-double, the most by any player in the last 30 seasons, and became just the fourth to record back-to-back 40-point triple-doubles. To celebrate his historic start and unprecedented MVP-level season, adidas introduces Harden Vol. 1 Disruptor.

Disruptor features a clean yet striking design, pairing a white mesh upper with a sharp black contrast across the toe. To highlight James’ ultimate goal for the season, gold detailing finishes off the lace tips, three stripes and Harden Mark.  

Harden Vol. 1 Disruptor (7,995) is already available in select adidas stores and retailers.   

Follow the conversation @adidashoops on Twitter and Instagram with #HardenVol1.

Friday, February 24, 2017

Neymar Jr’s Five Finals

MANILA, Philippines - Neymar Jr’s Five is the Brazilian forward’s signature football tournament which pits five-a-side teams in head-to-head in 10-minute matches with a twist. Every time one team scores, the opposition loses a player. It’s fast, technical, and tactical.


What:             Neymar Jr’s Five, Philippine Finals

When:                         Saturday, March 4, 2017 | 12:00NN

Where:            SPARTA Philippines
                        126 Pioneer St.
Mandaluyong, Metro Manila

Who:               Top 8 teams from Qualifier A (includes former Philippine Azkal, Anton Del Rosario, and professional PFL, Graham Caygill) and Qualifier B (TBD 2/25/2017).

Why:   To crown the Philippines’ first-ever Neymar Jr’s Five National Champion. The winning team will fly to Brazil to represent the Philippines against 53 other countries at the World Championships!

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Rogin-E: Your battle gear for success

Press release

Getting to the top requires a lot from you. Staying there demands even more. Balancing both work and your personal life, while keeping an active healthy lifestyle, can take a toll on both mind and body, even more as you age. This is why it is important to be equipped with all the right weapons.  


What do you need to stay on top of your game?

Physical Endurance


Ace your work and personal life by having the capacity to give one hundred and ten percent to all your activities. Greater physical endurance enables you to stay energized when tackling multiple roles and responsibilities at work and at home. Take a multivitamin that contains Korean Panax Ginseng that enhances physical performance and improves endurance. 

Mental Power

Crunch time? Prepare your mind by channeling positive energy and getting enough sleep. To optimize your mind’s maximum potential through long work hours, take a multivitamin with Deanol for improved concentration plus increased mental agility.

Vitality of spirit

When things don’t go your way, stay resilient, stay on course. Continue to work and believe in yourself. Keep the fire in you burning and sustain your success by staying positive and surrounding yourself with positive thinkers. Royal Jelly’s antioxidant properties can also give you youthful vitality so you can live life to the fullest. 

Balance of work and play

To avoid burnout, be sure to make time for other interests and passions like  golf, biking, or photography. Spend time with your family and loved ones to create moments that you can remember whenever life gets tough. 


On February 18, Bayer Philippines held the Rogin-E ManCon 2017, at the Metro Walk Tent in Pasig—a whole-day event especially designed for men who want to stay on top of their game. Attendees were encouraged to try out activities that showcased different interests and passions. Think cars and motorbikes for those who love speed and mobility; sports activities for those who want to stretch the limits of their physical strength and power; fashion and grooming for those who have an eye for fashion; and a selection of toys and hobbies to engage a man’s mind and body. Developed by Bayer, Rogin-E is a multivitamin especially formulated for men who want to be on top of their game, at work and at home. It contains Korean Panax Ginseng that enhances physical and mental endurance; Deanol for mental potency, improved concentration and mental agility; and Royal Jelly for youthful vitality. Rogin-E gives the extra energy that men need to do well in all his activities both at work and at play.


Experience life to its fullest and be the man on top with Rogin-E.

Multivitamins + Minerals + Deanol + Royal Jelly + Korean Panax Ginseng is the generic name of Rogin-E.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Twitter Announces An Update on Safety

Press release

Manila, 8 February 2017 - Building on the work that was began in November, Twitter is continuing to work on ways to give people more control over what they see on Twitter. Last week, the company introduced an improvement to reportingabusive Tweets that gives people experiencing targeted harassment more ways to report it. Today, Twitter is announcing three changes: stopping the creation of new abusive accounts, bringing forward safer search results, and collapsing potentially abusive or low-quality Tweets. All three features are rolling out globally, but some algorithms are languagespecific and will roll out first in English and then in all languages available on Twitter. Further details can also be read at the Twitter blog.


Ed Ho, VP of Engineering, Twitter stated, “Making Twitter a safer place is our primary focus. We stand for freedom of expression and people being able to see all sides of any topic. That’s put in jeopardy when abuse and harassment stifle and silence those voices. We won’t tolerate it and we’re launching new efforts to stop it.”

Stopping the creation of new abusive accounts
Twitter is taking steps to identify people who have been permanently suspended and stop them from creating new accounts. This focuses more effectively on some of the most prevalent and damaging forms of behavior, particularly accounts that are created only to abuse and harass others.

Introducing safer search results
Twitter is also working on ‘safe search’ which removes Tweets that contain potentially sensitive content and Tweets from blocked and muted accounts from search results. While this type of content will be discoverable if people want to find it, it won’t clutter search results any longer. Learn more in Twitter help center.

Collapsing potentially abusive or low quality Tweets
Our team has also been working on identifying and collapsing potentially abusive and low quality replies so the most relevant conversations are brought forward. These Tweet replies will still be accessible to those who seek them out. People can expect to see this change rolling out in the coming weeks.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Pinoy Big Brother Goes Big on Twitter with 580.000 Tweets

Press release

Manila, 20 February 2017 - Twitter is about what’s happening in the world right now; whether it’s sport, music, or other entertainment news. In the Philippines, last week was a big week for Pinoy Big Brother (@PBBabscbn). Filipinos all over the world went to Twitter to shower their love and support for their favorite dream team. There were at least 580.000 Tweets surrounding last week’s shows. Click the below image to go to the interactive chart.

Every night, viewers tuned in to the daily telecast of PBB Dream team and used their respective Twitter accounts to vote and help their favorite team to make it into the big night.

The remaining PBB housemates namely Tanner Mata (@PBBTannerMata),  Cora Waddell (@CoraleenWaddell),Cornillo ‘Yong’  Mujahil (@iamyongm_), Kisses Delavin (@delavinkisses), Maymay Entrata (@MarydaleEntrat5), Edward Barber(@Barber_Edward), Elisse Joson (@ Ellisejosson), Nikko Natividad (@Hashtag_nikko13) and McCoy De Leon (@hashtag_mccoydl) face difficult challenges and tasks inside the Big Brother’s house. What makes the experience truly trying is that they are not allowed to communicate with the outside world. But this hasn’t stopped the fans from cheering for the housemates through Tweets.

To get  the latest updates and  happenings inside Pinoy Big Brother’s house and vote for their favorite dream team housemates, fans can follow Pinoy Big Brother official Twitter accounts (@PBBabscbn) and the hosts Twitter accounts: Toni Gonzaga (@SIMPLY_TONI),  Bianca Gonzalez (@iamsuperbianca) and Robi Domingo (@robertmarion).

Monday, February 20, 2017

Online Entrepreneurs share their success on Shopee

Press release

Meet today’s new breed of successful entrepreneurs – online sellers who are discovering the enormous potential that mobile commerce platforms have in assisting them in managing customers, growing their businesses and increasing their sales revenue.
Carl Jason Villaceran

Smashing common perception that online selling is a female thing, Ian Rey Ordinario (Mr.Sukimoako), Carl Jason Villaceran (Fashionista_cases_mnl), and Juanito Uy (Miel's Mix & Matchare making good business online. The trio has seen their businesses grow over a short span of time with Shopee – the fastest growing mobile marketplace in Southeast Asia and Taiwan.

A platform for entrepreneurs
For Ordinario, Villaceran and Uy, Shopee has given them new possibilities for their online businesses. All three reported getting hundreds of inquiries daily, a majority of which translate to actual sales.

For instance, Ian Rey Ordinario, a former security guard turned Shopee seller, saw weekly orders for his online shop go from 30-40 when he was still on Instagram and Facebook to 300-400 —a ten-fold increase— after he joined Shopee. His revenue from Bluetooth and personal care items sold on Shopee has enabled him to help his family back in Mindanao. “ I left home to look for better opportunities in Manila. After trying different jobs, I decided to try online selling. That’s where I discovered Shopee. Now, because of Shopee, I can visit my family in Sultan Kudarat regularly and help them with their financial needs.” Ian said.

Carl left his full-time job to focus on his Shopee business. He tried almost all the available selling sites and apps, is amazed at the unprecedented success he has experienced with Shopee, where he sells gadgets. Starting with just P2,000 in capital, his hobby-turned-business grew exponentially, eventually convincing him to quit his full-time job as a software engineer to concentrate on his online business.

Juanito a retail storeowner had his qualms but decided to make the move when he learned about the Free Shipping campaign. His sales of mobile accessories, women’s accessories, and home and living items continue to surpass his expectations. His customers appreciate numerous offerings of Shopee such as Shopee Guarantee (a feature that secure buyers when shopping in the app), Free Shipping, and Cash On Delivery.

Overcoming challenges of e-commerce
All three have overcome the usual hurdles when starting an online business. Since joining Shopee, earning the trust of potential customers, manually updating them with deliveries, and managing their inventory are no longer issues they face. The trio is happy that they get to serve their customers now with ease.

Ian shares, “Through Shopee’s strong customer support services, including being able to Sell-In-A-Dash, Shopee Guarantee, Shopee’s Seller Assistant, Free Shipping, and Cash on Delivery nationwide offerings, and even easy interaction with customers through Live Chat, we are assured that we can do our business without worries and that our customers can shop hassle-free.”

“The core of our business would be our shoppers and sellers and that’s why we always make it a point to make things easier in Shopee. We aim to continually enhance our platform and become the region’s mobile commerce destination of choice,” says Macy Castillo, Head of Commercial Business, Shopee Philippines.

Shopee is available for download for free on the App Store and Google Play across the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Taiwan. To date, there are over 25 million downloads across these countries. For more information, please visit www.shopee.ph.