Discovering your child’s gift with PROMIL® FOUR’s Spot the Gift test

The singer, the artist, and the dancer. At a young age, it is very common for children to show their interests or gifts without being conscious of what they are. And over time, these can bloom into something very special.

Nurturing your child's talent or gift starts with discovering it. In order to help your child reach his full potential, it helps to first discover exactly what he is good at. 

Now, it's easy for parents to discover and nurture their child's gift with PROMIL® FOUR’s Spot the Gift tool. Visit https://www.promilnurturethegift.com.ph/stg-home, sign up with the information needed, and you’re all set to try it out! 

PROMIL® FOUR’s Spot the Gift tool is like a multiple choice personality/behavior test that you can answer based on observations about your child. After completing it, you can discover the possible gifts that your child might have the Musical Gift, Bodily-kinesthetic Gift, the Spatial Relation Gift, the Naturalist Gift, the Interpersonal Gift, the Intrapersonal Gift, the Linguistic Gift, or the Logical-Mathematical Gift.

“As a mom, knowing my child's gift is advantageous as at an early stage, I am able to support him realize his full potential. Nurturing his gift will all the more make him feel certain about his talents, which is a great confidence booster. I was able to confirm my son's unique gift when I took the PROMIL® FOUR’s Spot the Gift test." –Mommy Berlin

“I thought I already know all of Gwen's talents. But after taking Promil Four's Spot The Gift test, I'm glad that she has other gifts like Linguistic and Intrapersonal Gifts. Dahil dyan, mas magiging equipped na ako to understand and support her needs.” –Mommy Badet

 Promil Four has launched the Spot the Gift test  that helps parents discover their children's various gifts such as Linguistic Gift, Logical-mathematical Gift, Bodily-Kinesthetic Gift, Naturalist Gift, Interpersonal Gift, Intrapersonal Gift, Spatial Relation Gift and Musical Gift

Once you know which gifts your child has, you can tailor-fit activities he engages in to further help nurture them and bring out the best in him.

Spot the Gift was inspired by Prof. Thomas Armstrong Ph.D.’s “Multiple Intelligences” Theory. Prof Armstrong is a Multiple Intelligences expert and Executive Director of the American Institute for Learning and Human Development. The Spot the Gift tool was then validated by Dr. Leticia Peñano-Ho, President of Philippine Center for Gifted Education. 

PROMIL® FOUR believes that every child is born with a gift, and they deserve nothing but the best care to help nurture and harness that potential for their success. Discover your child’s unique gift first with PROMIL® FOUR’s Spot the Gift test to nurture his gift as he grows. Visit https://www.promilnurturethegift.com.ph/stg-home or scan the QR code below and take the test now!

Top 5 new health and wellness trends to try

New health trends and exercise programs can lead to longer, more productive lives.

“Health is wealth,” the saying goes, but many people often overlook this gem of a concept because of many factors. For one, on top of the demands of a busy lifestyle, workout routines and healthy regimens become boring and uninteresting after a while – or simply get too hard to stick to.

You can get back on track towards wellness by trying out new health routines and practices. AXA Philippines, one of the country’s leading insurers, shares these new wellness trends to revive your interest in a healthier lifestyle:

Online workout subscriptions. If you cannot go to the gym, a few clicks on your computer can lead you to online fitness programs that will help you get fit in the comfort of your own home. One of various exercise routines offered by workout websites may suit your needs and budget. Subscriptions cost only about ₱500 to ₱1,000 per month.

Sound bath. Despite its name, sound baths do not involve water and soap. It is an alternative healing practice that uses sounds and sonic waves to calm the body and mind. As you lie on your back and close your eyes, sound bath healers will produce relaxing music using Himalayan singing bowls, crystal bowls, gongs, chimes, Biosonic tuning forks, shamanic drumming, and other percussion instruments. People now use this auditory approach for deep relaxation and meditation, as the sounds slowly allow them to relax fully and explore the inner self.

Sleep technologies. It is recommended that adults aged 18 to 64 should get seven to nine hours of sleep per day. Not getting enough sleep can weaken the immune system, affect bodily functions,and even increase the risk of future respiratory diseases and cardio-cerebral vascular illnesses. Several companies have developed state-of-the-art devices that can enhance natural sleep and ultimately improve a person's lifestyle: wristbands and smartwatches, temperature regulators, bedside monitors, and smart beds and mattresses to help you get a good night’s rest.

Digital detox. Technology has caused unnecessary stress and emotional strain to many so a growing number of people are trying to “disconnect to reconnect.” Digital detoxification can effectively reduce stress, improve emotional state, increase work productivity and boost social interaction. You will be surprised at how logging off from social media and limiting use of electronic devices can improve your physical and mental wellness.

Intuitive eating. This is perfect for those who find it difficult to follow a strict diet. This no-diet approach is all about eating when you are hungry and stopping when you are full. Intuitive eating encourages people to have a healthy attitude toward food and body image, and to honor their hunger by finding ways to satisfy it in a healthy way. It also helps people cope with stress and other extreme emotions without using food as a coping mechanism. Intuitive eating does not only focus on losing weight, but highlights the need to feel energized, strong and alive.

As poor health choices can lead to critical illnesses that can affect anyone at any age, it is important to protect yourself from the financial repercussions of getting sick. AXA Philippines has several health plans that suit your need and budget, no matter what life stage you are in. For more information, visit www.axa.com.ph.

SM Cinema treats kids to a free screening of “The Lion King”

More than 400 children, along with parents and caregivers from the Payatas community in Quezon City, flocked to SM Cinema’s free screening of the much-anticipated live action movie “The Lion King,” held at SM City North EDSA recently.

During the film, kids and kids-at-heart couldn’t help but be amazed by the fascinating effects, characters, and of course, the phenomenal songs from the movie. This once in a lifetime opportunity for some of the underprivileged children in the community, hopes to convey the message that SM is a place for all.

“We always ensure that our corporate social responsibility activities serve as a catalyst for positive change in communities where our cinemas and malls are present. Today, we embark on a simple, yet meaningful step to enjoin the children and families from Payatas Community, to experience the wonderful world of SM,” said Ruby Ann Reyes, SM Cinema Vice President for Corporate Marketing.

SM Cinema, supported by SM Cares, offered this free, exclusive viewing of Disney’s “The Lion King” to indigent families from Payatas, Quezon City as testament to their pledge in supporting communities wherever SM is present.

“We want to provide these kids from the Payatas community a venue where they can discover and develop their love for movies,” added SM’s Ruby Reyes.

Daily Manna Feeding Payatas Community volunteer Gemma Rabe shared that the kids couldn’t contain their excitement over the experience. “Very grateful kami na may ganitong activity ang SM. Talagang excited sila dahil makakatungtong sila saSM. Makakapasyal sila at makakanuod na rin sa wakas ng movie sa SM,” she said.

SM Cares is the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of SM Prime Holdings, Inc. Its advocacies include Programs on Persons with Disabilities, Children and Youth, Women and Breastfeeding Mothers, Environment Sustainability, Senior Citizens, and Overseas Filipino Workers (SM Global Pinoy).

As a responsible integrated property developer, SM ensures that its CSR programs serve as a catalyst for positive change in the communities that it supports. To know more about SM Cares, you may visit www.smcares.com.ph, www.facebook.com/OfficialSMCares or email smcares@smsupermalls.com.

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Man of the hour

Ever Bilena CEO Dioceldo "Deo" Sy 

Ever Bilena CEO Dioceldo “Deo” Sy is the man of the hour as he was recently launched as the newest face of luxury timepiece brand from France, Rene Mouris.

A man known for his confidence, power and humility, Deo truly embodies the personality of the brand that takes pride in blending eminent craftsmanship to create timepieces that are classic, elegant and affordable to all.

“I’m a very simple person,” shares Deo. “Just because I have reached this stature doesn’t mean I have to change. This is the reason why I identify well with Rene Mouris—their watches are carefully handcrafted but still in a reasonable price.”

Even as a founder and CEO of one of the biggest cosmetics retail company in the country, he has achieved success and managed to stay grounded thanks to his role models Henry Sy and the Gokongweis who remained humble despite being some of the most influential personalities in the country.

Aside from them, he also stresses that his achievements were met by mastering the art of time management. “Everyone has the same 24 hours a day and you have to manage it well. For me, I come to office four to five hours a day and I try to squeeze everything in. The more I work quickly, the better.”

Now an endorser of the luxury timepiece brand, he is grateful to have this blessing as it serves as his reminder of what he has accomplished and what else he wishes to fulfill in his life—as a new grandfather, he wants to spend more time with his first grandson JD while handling new business ventures overseas.

“Having JD felt like I was restarting my life,” he shares. It made me more energetic and I feel like I have something new to look forward to. Now that I see Denise handling the company very well, I can delve into different ventures like construction and property and also explore South East Asia and Guam as I see a lot of opportunities there.”

For the CEO who believes in perfect timing, having a watch to invest in is a good reward for one’s self— “Their pieces are really worth investing in. They are beautifully designed also fairly priced so reward yourself with a statement piece from Rene Mouris.”

High-impact tech startups get boost from INQBATION Startup Showcase 2019

QBO Innovation Hub, J.P. Morgan team up to find startups elevating PH startup landscape

Photo 1: Filipino startups making a difference. Department of Science and Technology Secretary Fortunato de la Peña (middle) graced the recently held INQBATION Startup Showcase, an initiative of QBO Innovation Hub in partnership with J.P. Morgan where 15 high-impact startups showcased their ideas and stories of success.

There is no problem too difficult for a plucky startup with a purpose.

Startups have gained increasing recognition for offering solutions to problems, and startups in the Philippines are no exception. Tech startups that are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning capabilities are also gaining ground, with some setting their sights on regional expansion even in the early years of their inception.

Kumu, a livestream and community platform, which only started last year, has exhibited an explosive 2000% growth rate since it started. The app has been downloaded almost one million times and is currently the only Filipino company to be included in Google Play’s Top 10 grossing social apps. Roland Ros, the company’s co-founder, shared that revenue has been exponentially growing 300% quarter on quarter, as it has found a way to monetize global Filipino millennial and Gen Z users. Hundreds of content creators are now earning part time income on the app as well, with a growing base of full-time creators earning as much as 50,000 pesos a month.

Senti, a data and sentiment analysis platform, started as a one-man university research project that sought to better understand local jargon and dialects. The company has since grown to become one of the most highly-recognized AI and natural language processing companies in the Philippines. Ralph Regalado’s brainchild is now home to half of the country’s Google Developer experts and is helping to create high-value tech jobs in the lucrative AI field in the Philippines. Senti has since expanded to Singapore and Malaysia because of its success.

Another startup that has made a positive impact is Investagrams, a social fintech platform which helps Filipinos invest in the stock market through in-app tutorials, virtual trading, social networking, and other tools designed to make investing in equities more accessible, easy and fun. Only three years old, Investagrams now has over 360,000 users. Investagrams caters not only to seasoned traders and investors but also to regular Filipinos, from millennials to retirees, and even overseas workers seeking to increase the value of their savings. The startup also regularly conducts programs on financial literacy and equities investing that has attracted thousands of participants, with the goal of increasing participation in the stock market among Filipinos (currently at less than 1%) to at least 5% in the next five years. The fintech startup founder and CEO John Christian Bisnar announced that the company is expanding to Singapore.

Kumu, Senti, and Investagrams, along with 12 other startups, are just some of the rising stars in the Filipino startup scene featured in INQBATION Startup Showcase 2019.

“The INQBATION Startup Showcase draws attention to awesome Filipino startups that are creating innovative and scalable solutions for real world problems, and we hope that investors, corporations and partners across the globe will take notice,” said Katrina Chan, Director of QBO. “The startups we featured today grew with QBO and J.P. Morgan through the INQBATION program and are creating tremendous impact. We’re glad to give them the spotlight they deserve and invite more partners to join us in uplifting our burgeoning local startup community.”

The event is organized by QBO Innovation Hub, a platform for the startup community to collaborate, develop talent, and grow, that was created through the joint effort of the Department of Science and Technology, the Department of Trade and Industry, IdeaSpace, and J.P. Morgan.

“It was a privilege and a pleasure to help create opportunities for these startups,” said Carlos Ma. G. Mendoza, Senior Country Officer for J.P. Morgan Philippines. “We are proud to have supported this program as it enabled small businesses and positively impacted underserved communities.”

“The vision for this program is for QBO and J.P. Morgan, as well as other partners, to open up more opportunities for startups and founders to grow,” explained Rene “Butch” Meily, President of QBO. “We want to give people who are creating scalable, positive impact through their startups a better shot at success.”

Photo 2: INQBATION Startup Showcase 2019, an initiative championed by QBO Innovation Hub and J.P. Morgan, provides startups with access to resources, mentorship, and network to help them scale up their business. Photo shows from left to right: INQBATION Startup Showcase Program Lead Ross Fallorina; Kumu President Rexy Dorado; Washub head of Operations Brean Abrea; OneWatt Chief Technology Officer Paolo Samontanez; Learntalk Managing Director Nicolo Luccini; DTI-EMB Assistant Director Agnes Legaspi; Streetby CEO Rhey Minoza; DOST- PCIEERD Senior Science Research Specialist Engr. Edward Paul Apigo; MAD Travel Co-founder Rafael Dionisio; DTI-EMB Director Senen Perlada; J.P. Morgan Philippines Head of Communications Patricia Anne Javier-Gutierrez; QBO President Rene “Butch” Meily; J.P. Morgan Philippines Senior Country Officer Carlos Ma. G. Mendoza; QBO Director Katrina Chan; Investagrams CEO JC Bisnar; Lexmeet CEO Atty. Marlon Valderama; Exora COO Matt Tan; Payo CEO Liron Gross; Senti CEO Ralph Regalado; Container Living Lead Innovator Mac Evangelista; Pushkart.ph CEO Joshua Aragon; and QBO Head of Operations Natasha Bautista.

Meily added that by showcasing startups that have the potential to change lives as well as succeed as a business, they hope to get more companies and institutions to realize the value of supporting local startup ecosystem.

Aside from the startups mentioned, the showcase also featured AdMov, Cropital, Pushkart.ph, Exora, Learntalk, OneWatt, Payo, Lexmeet, Streetby, Washub, Container Living, and MAD Travel.

QBO said that it will continue to support startups in different ways including INQBATION, an acceleration program where the country’s most promising but underserved startup founders receive mentorship, training, exposure, resources and other support tailor fit to their needs. The INQBATION program was created in order to help highly promising Filipino tech startup companies scale up, fundraise and become globally competitive-- in the process generating jobs, developing the technology sector and creating impact. 

QBO envisions more organizations becoming more involved with Filipino startup companies— whether as mentors, investors, or customers—and being able to help more local startups attain success.

For more information about the INQBATION Startup Showcase 2019, visit https://www.qbo.com.ph/incubation/.

Filinvest Alabang Inc. wins at BCI Asia Top 10 Awards

Filinvest Alabang Inc. (FAI) was once again hailed as one of the top 10 developers in the Philippines by the prestigious BCI Asia Awards. A coveted award in the construction industry, BCI Awards is the pioneer and most reputable award-giving body in Southeast Asia, giving out awards annually to remarkable companies in construction and property development in Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. This is FAI’s second win following a similar recognition in 2016. The awards will continue to inspire FAI to raise the bar in the property development industry by Integrating the highest global standards in modern, ecological urban masterplanning and design.

FAI is a subsidiary of Filinvest Development Corporation that focuses on residential and mixed-use urban developments in Metro Manila. One of its award-winning projects is the 244-hectare mega central business district- Filinvest City in Alabang.

Receiving the award were Senior Project Development Manager Sherilynne Santos (left) and Assistant Project Development Manager Bonna Crisostomo. To know more, visit https://filinvestcity.com/.

Landlite sponsors Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID) general monthly meeting

For PIID’s general monthly meeting for the month of June, Landlite Philippines Corporation (LPC) sponsored and organized a “Mamma Mia”-themed event hosted by its brand ambassador, Marc Nelson. Interior designers gathered at Lux Décor showroom in BGC where they had a tour on the latest line of products that Landlite has to offer. Faro Barcelona decorative lightings and Uozu Italian minimalist downlights were the highlights of the showroom tour.

During the night, 3 lucky raffle winners took home Lux Decor gift certificates worth Php 10,000 while other attendees received Landlite LED bulbs and other Landlite products for the games and survey. During the event, LPC was named Premier Sponsor of PIID. Present during the event were (L-R) PIID national president Lilia de Jesus, Landlite Philippines Corporation CEO Jocelyn Li, brand ambassador Marc Nelson, and PIID vice president for internal affairs Marcelo Alonzo.