Lazada advocates effortless online shopping to consumers across Southeast Asia

PHILIPPINES, July 18 2015 – Lazada, Southeast Asia’s leading online shopping and selling destination, kicks off its Effortless Shopping campaign (http://www.lazada.com.ph/effortless-shopping/) in the Philippines from 21-26 July highlighting the benefits of effortless online shopping to Filipino consumers.

"We are committed to providing an effortless online shopping experience to approximately 550 million consumers in the Southeast Asian region. While our customer satisfaction survey reveals that respondents are satisfied with their online shopping experience, there is an untapped opportunity to reach out to non-online shoppers by highlighting the benefits of online shopping and thus changing their perceptions," said InancBalci, CEO of Lazada Philippines.

As an eCommerce leader in the Philippines, Lazada provides consumers with an effortless shopping experience with its user-friendly sites and mobile apps accessible at their fingertips anytime, any day. It offers a wide selection of international, local and exclusive products; and multiple secure payment options including cash-on-delivery.

Consumers can shop with peace of mind on Lazada as all items purchased are covered by Lazada's Buyer Protection Program. This provides a guarantee that products are genuine, new and not defective; and for customers to return the items within seven days for a full refund, otherwise. Consumers can also shop with assurance knowing that they can reach out to Lazada’s customer service seven days a week by phone and email.

What Lazada Philippines Customer Say

As a customer-focused company, Lazada Philippines constantly reviews customer satisfaction levels. In Q1 2015, the company polled 28,429 respondents in the Philippines to learn more about their online shopping experience.

• Products: 75% were happy with the range of products offered on Lazada Philippines, while 72% of respondents were satisfied with the quality of products offered 
• Website: 77% found the Lazada.com.ph website easy to use
• Delivery: 73% found communication regarding delivery clear 
• Customer Care: 73% are pleased with the assistance provided by the Customer Care team

While the survey reveals that majority of respondents are satisfied, a Google Shopper Study published in June 2014 shows that product quality and security are the biggest barriers to online shopping in The Philippines. The study shows that 45% are worried about the security of their financial details in online transactions, while 36% of non-online shoppers are unsure about the warranty process of the items they purchase online.

"There is a clear disconnect between the perceptions of non-online shoppers and what our customers experience, highlighting the need to gain consumers’ trust to dispel the barriers to online shopping. As a market leader, we are taking the first step towards highlighting the benefits of online shopping to all consumers through an integrated Effortless Shopping campaign," said InancBalci, CEO of Lazada Philippines.

The Effortless Shopping Integrated Campaign 

Lazada’s Effortless Shopping campaign integrates television (TV) commercials, website and consumer activation touch-points such as a customer newsletter and social media channels.

The campaign leads with two TV commercials highlighting how shopping at Lazada is safe, convenient and reliable and how the Android and IOS mobile applications (app) allow consumers to shop anything, anytime, anywhere. 

Accessible via mobile and desktop, the Effortless Shopping campaign (http://www.lazada.com.ph/effortless-shopping/) site highlights Lazada’s key differentiators such as the widest product range, best-in-class mobile app experience, Buyer Protection as well as secure payment options including cash-on-delivery.

Lazada also curated online shopping tips on topics such as secure shopping, smart savings and category specific advice for parents, tech enthusiasts and fashionistas. These tips from Lazada’s own experts are designed to help consumers become savvier and more confident online shoppers. 

The Effortless Shopping Sale

Consumers can experience the benefits of online shopping during The Effortless Shopping Sale on Lazada Philippines from July 21 to 26.

---

About Lazada

Lazada (www.lazada.com.ph) is Philippines’ largest online shopping mall and is pioneering e-commerce by providing a fast, convenient and secure online shopping experience combined with an extensive product offering in categories ranging from mobiles & tablets and consumer electronics to household goods, toys, fashion and sports equipment. Lazada is continuously striving to offer its customers the best possible shopping experience with multiple payment methods including cash on delivery, extensive warranty commitments and free returns. Lazada mobile applications for Android, iPhone and iPad provide additional convenience to its consumers’ allowing them to shop anywhere, anytime.

For more information, please visit http://www.lazada.com.ph. For updates on Lazada’s latest innovations, as well as activities, contests and promotions, connect with us via Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/LazadaPhilippines).

EAT, DINE, ENJOY at Hernatto Food Hub Las Piñas

LAS PIÑAS, Metro Manila. As Night Food Bazaars are beginning to expand in the South of Metro Manila, HERNATTO FOOD HUB “A Southern Taste” will open its doors on September 3, 2015 (Thursday) with a Kick-Off Party on September 4 (Friday). We’ve invited bands, celebrities and chefs to party with us!

Hernatto Food Hub will be open every Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays of September from 6:00 P.M. – 3:00 A.M at the H-District in front of SM Southmall, Las Piñas City. This is to cater the growing demands of BPO employees and residents of nearby cities of Parañaque, Muntinlupa, Pasay, and Las Piñas, who are looking for a venue where they can dine, party, and enjoy with their friends and family during weekends. Hernatto will also be holding activities such as Food Wars, Best Booth Design Contest, the Next Big Foodtrepreneur, as well raffles, games, and entertainment.

Hernatto Food Hub seeks to set itself apart from the rest of the food bazaars and hubs. With it’s dedicated creative team, Hernatto Food Hub aims to provide culinary excellence and an overall unique and unforgettable event experience. Hernatto guarantees to satisfy your every food craving that will keep you coming back for more.

If you are a Food Entrepreneur, Restaurant Owner or even a Start-up Business Owner who wants to expand your business, JOIN us now! We are now accepting Concessionaires.

For Sponsorship and Booking inquiries, please call Ms. Jenica Ti at 0917.580.9770 or email us at hernattofc@gmail.com. Like us on Facebook @HernattoFC

The 3rd Student Media Congress Registration

The Student Media Congress (SMC), on its third year, will open its gates once more to students and media practitioners who want to learn and experience the world of media through a two-day congress on October 16-17, 2015 that will take place in De La Salle University-Manila. 

With the theme, Experiencing Media Dynamics, the Congress will offer 5 plenary talks, 15 Competing and 60 Non-Competing workshops on a wide variety of topics that consistently and constantly challenge the status quo to innovate and grow. The Congress team will once again summon an army of media experts to share knowledge that can be created through the transformation of experience. The Congress will challenge the delegates to think about how they can reach their audiences through all the different senses and make them experience what the landscape has to offer. 

The third Student Media Congress (SMC) will have its Early Bird registration on July 20, 2015 until August 3, 2015 for only 1000 pesos. While the Regular Registration will run on August 4, 2015 and will end on September 5, 2015 for 1,200 pesos. Go beyond exploration and empowerment, and secure a slot in the congress by registering through our website: http://studentmediacongress.com

Contact:

Alexana Federigan – Publicity Head

Student Media Congress

09178500297

alexana_federigan@dlsu.edu.ph

www.studentmediacongress.com

Be a Hands-On Parent while Earning Through the H.O.P.E. Summit

Bestselling author and inspirational speaker organizes a parenting summit to inspire and equip parents to become hands-on with their children while earning.

Bestselling author and inspirational speaker Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag is organizing a parenting event dubbed as Hands-On Parents while Earning or H.O.P.E. Summit on August 8, 2015. It will be from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM at the AVR of PLDT TelTech Building, Boni Avenue, Mandaluyong City. This whole day workshop on hands-on parenting and working smart in the new millennium seeks to inspire and teach parents how to marry hands-on parenting with earning for the family.

Gumap-as Dumadag, who is an expert in designing programs used locally and abroad and in helping people grow and achieve their goals, will be the main speaker and facilitator of the workshop. The other speakers in the summit include Martine de Luna, Jomar Hilario and Ginger Arboleda. De Luna is a work-at-home advocate, award winning blogger and blog coach. Hilario is the Philippines’ Internet Marketing Guru who teaches individuals how to be virtual professionals and online business owners. Arboleda is a serial entrepreneur, business coach and blogger. All the speakers are hands-on parents to their kids while running their respective businesses.

Guest panelists who are successful Hands-On Parents while Earning themselves will be part of the summit also. These include Denise Bernardo of Indigobaby, Angeli Del Rosario of The Beadlady, Katrina Ambion of Mommyfide PH, Chef Jonathan Chua of Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts  and Jay and Cherry Castillo of Foreclosure Philippines.

"Being able to work with a lot of flexibility has been one of the biggest blessings I have received in life," Gumap-as Dumadag shares. "I was able to witness all my children’s milestones, personally take care of them and breastfeed them because I am home almost all the time. I am able to shape my children’s character and educate them while pursuing my passions and earning through these passions. I want to share what I have learned through the years to my fellow parents so that they too can spend ample time with their children while contributing to the family income. This is my way of helping families grow and remain intact.”

Below are the workshop’s objectives:

• to enable parents to discover their big why in aspiring to be Hands-On Parents while Earning (HOPE).
• to enable parents to come up with a clear and compelling vision for their children and for themselves as parents and as earning individuals.
• to help parents to come up with a list of new habits that they can easily and consistently implement after the workshop so they can be more involved in their children’s lives.
• to help parents discover ways to work smarter so they can free up more time in their schedules to bond with their children.
• to inspire moms and dads to be hands-on even while earning for their families and to learn tips and strategies on how to be successful in their careers/businesses through the stories of the featured moms and dads (guests) in the iHOPE Summit.
• to introduce different earning options for parents while being actively involved in their children’s lives.
• to give parents an opportunity to meet and interact with other parents who also want to become H.O.P.E. (Hands-On Parents while Earning).

Gumap-as Dumadag is the founder of the Hands-On Parents while Earning Network. Like Hands-On Parents while Earning on Facebook to join the H.O.P.E. Network and to get regular tips and doses of inspiration on hands-on parenting, work and business.

The workshop is valued at P3,500 per head at least but Gumap-as Dumadag wanted to help as many families as she can; so, she found a way to make the workshop more affordable to parents. Thus, attendees get a 43% discounted rate even as they pay the regular rate of P2,000 per head. Couples are encouraged to attend together through the couple rate of P3,000 only. Click here to read more details about the summit and to register to this life-changing event.

The H.O.P.E. Summit is co-presented by Full Life Cube Publishing and Events Services, Sun Life Financial and PLDT Home Telpad. Participants of the summit will get a chance to win exciting prizes during the raffle from its sponsors which include Indigobaby, The Beadlady, Mommyfide PH, Bert Lozada Swim School, Gymboree Play and Music Philippines and Halo Philippines. One of the prizes to be raffled off is a free annual membership to Gymboree Play and Music Philippines worth P2,000! Winning this will not only translate into savings but many precious bonding moments for the lucky parent and child. Participants will also receive freebies like P500 gift certificates from Lozada Swim School, copies of Mustard magazine for kids and so much more.

For updates about the H.O.P.E. Summit, please like and visit https://www.facebook.com/events/419373114931304/.

---

About Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag

TERESA GUMAP-AS DUMADAG is a Filipino mom who shares inspiration and wisdom through her books, articles, blogs (Mommy Bares All and When My Bridegroom Comes), talks, training and workshops. She’s the author of the #1 Amazon bestseller BREASTFEEDING: A Journey Worth Taking. Her first two books are When My Bridegroom Comes and How to Have the Wedding of Your Dreams. Her upcoming book is How To Become A Hands-On Parent while Earning. She works from home as a consultant for management, human resources and training solutions, a career coach and counselor and blogger. She’s also a freelance contributing writer for Smart Parenting Online, The Philippine Online Chronicles, Kerygma and Didache.

She is the President and Founder of Full Life Cube Publishing and Events Services (http://www.fulllifecube.com), through which she inspires and equips her clients to succeed in their businesses/careers while living out their priorities and life’s purposes. She does all these while homeschooling her two older kids and breastfeeding her baby.

Connect with Teresa through Twitter (@TeresaGDumadag)
...and Instagram (https://instagram.com/teresadumadag/)

Media Contact:

Teresa Gumap-as Dumadag 

+639178345846

http://www.fulllifecube.com

teresa@fulllifecube.com, teregmps@yahoo.com

MTRCB Imposes Strict Measures over PBB 737 to Ensure Protection of Minor Housemates

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) imposed strict measures and closer collaboration with ABS-CBN Corp. and SkyCable Corporation as a result of the mandatory conference held Thursday. The conference meant to address various issues and concerns regarding the protection of the welfare and development of minor “housemates” in the television program “Pinoy Big Brother (PBB) 737” (and as regards other concerns about self-regulation). 

Such issues and concerns were covered by the Board’s 03 July 2015 letter sent to said entities alleging complaints or feedback coming from some parents as well as the National Youth Commission (NYC) in regard to, among others, the cable 24/7 version of the program and its regular free TV version over Channel 2.  

Earlier, the Board also sent a letter dated 29 June 2015 asking ABS-CBN to attend the 09 July 2015 conference to consider measures on how best to protect minors in regard to the said program. Serious feedback coming from both the private and public sectors prompted the Board to incorporate into the mandatory conference consideration of overall theme and scenes placing minors in situations tending to compromise their naturally fragile personalities and for the entities concerned to explain their side. 

The conference, handled by the Board’s Hearing Committee for the purpose – chaired by Board Member (BM)/Atty. Ricardo Salomon, with members BM Ma. Carmen Musngi and BM Cecilia Nubla, was attended by ABS-CBN Corporation represented by its various program executives, namely: Mr. Laurenti M. Dyogi, Head, TV Production Entertainment; Mr. Jon Moll, Director; Mr. Raymond Dizon, Business Unit Head; Mr. Marcus Vinuya, Creative Manager; Ms. Cynthia Jordan, Production Manager; Mr. Matthew Salegumba, Story Editor; Ms. Merce Gonzales, Production Manager; Ms. Marpua Engking, Head Reasearcher; Ms. Charmaina Estrera, Program Producer; Atty. Monalisa Manalo, Legal Counsel; Program Executives’ Anna Ilada, Marcella Panaguiton, JR dela Cerna, Krystel Agnote, Kane Errol Choa, and Rae Ann Ducut; and Sky Cable Corporation, the program provider on cable television Sky Channel 85, represented by its Ms. Cora Santiago and legal counsel Attys. Agatha Zapanta-De Jesus and Carmi Tugday.

Also in attendance were different resource persons who also wrote to the Board their concerns over the program: Dr. Zandro G. Rapadas of the U.P. College of Mass Communication and Ms. Arlene S. Lacson. 

In addition, various resource persons were also invited to share their inputs and expertise to help and guide the Board and the summoned entities to come up with appropriate and comprehensive self-regulatory and remedial measures to address concerns such as mature or adult language, huddling close in bed, the lack of adequate adult supervision, to name some: Hon. Earl P. Saavedra, Commissioner of the National Youth Commission; Hon. Delia Hernandez, Executive Director of the National Council for Children’s Television; Hon. Patricia Luna, Executive Director of the Council for the Welfare of Children; Ms. Irma Valiente, Ms. Norline Jacobo, and Ms. Maribeth Casib from the Department of Labor and Employment-National Capital Region; Attys. Ryan Jeremiah Donato Quan and Jamie Ann Reyes of the Ateneo Human Rights Center; Dra. Georgina Gozo-Oliver of the Philippine Psychiatric Association; Sr. Ma. Consolata Manding, FSP of the Daughters of Saint Paul; Ms. Ma. Patricia Boton; Ms. Christine E. Gomez; Director Jose Javier Reyes; and psychlogist Fr. Filoteo Mangulabnan, S.J..

In an opening message, MTRCB Chairperson Eugenio Villareal addressed all participants, stating that the subject matter of the conference is beyond the show PBB 737 but is more importantly about the welfare and value of children and the family. Chair Toto also appealed for openness and initiative of all participants as he noted that we are all formators and educators and that we want our children to be people with character.

Different issues and concerns were addressed during the conference especially on the aspect of cultural sensitivity and how the show addresses the vulnerability of the minor housemates – which even include a 12 year old boy. 

NYC Commissioner Saavedra addressed concern over the supervisory role of PBB 737’s “resident psychologist,” especially on the issue of sexual preference as well as the over-all psychological and moral development of the housemates. On the matter of the program’s targeted young audience, and citing an NYC report, Comm. Saavedra stressed that the portrayal of modern identity of Filipino youth is important especially that media has great impact to young people and that TV is a major source of information.

Resource persons from AHRC, DOLE and CWC asked if the show has protective mechanisms in place for the minors and if there are interventions for parents.

Veteran director and academician Joey Javier Reyes raised concern over the lives of the minor housemates after PBB especially in regard to stigmas and seemingly bad reputation that may plagued some housemates as a result of social media. Director Reyes then stressed the important role of media in protecting the lives of the children, making the media the new “Babaylan.”

ABS-CBN and PBB responded to all the issues and concerns raised by the resource persons and were very open to the suggestions made by the participants. ABS-CBN TV Executive Laurenti Dyogi told that they are mindful of their responsibility towards the housemates and have regular assessments of the show and that the housemates are undergoing regular sessions with the team and their psychologist.

From the long discussions and careful deliberation, MTRCB will now work closely with PBB 737 until the end of the show by imposing specific actions and guidelines to ensure that the welfare of the minor housemates are of utmost importance.

MTRCB has required both the network and the cable company to institute remedial and self-regulatory measures to ensure the protection, welfare and development of all participants of the show. This is also to make sure that housemates will not be engaged in activities and tasks which may be hazardous to their life and safety. Relevantly, the management and production team, with legal counsel, were active in contributing to the remedial measures contained in the order issued at the end of mandatory conference. 

All story editors are required to undergo a Matalinong Panonood and audience-sensitivity seminar to be conducted by Chairperson Villareal on a rotational basis every Thursday at the MTRCB office. 

An advisory at the beginning of each episode must be placed stating the following: “This program may contain sensitive material. Viewer discretion is advised.” Further, starting July 10, the classification rating of PBB 737 Gold will now be SPG with at least descriptors pertaining to “Theme” (T), “Language” (L), and “Sex” (S).

And to address the needs and vulnerabilities not only of the participants but also the audience, a comprehensive “closing-out” discussion by a subject-matter expert after the completion of every task or challenge in regard to the precise lesson, learning or virtue to be imparted shall be implemented. This is actually a reiteration of a best practice of policy formulated and tested after the so-called “Nude Painting” controversy during the last PBB season. 

The MTRCB thanked all participants in the mandatory conference for their initiative and cooperation.

This post is powered by:
DIGITALMEDIAPH
http://facebook.com/digitalmediaph
digitalmediaphil@gmail.com

You_Source: Your Software Built Right, on Time, on Budget, All the Time

When you think of a software development company, you most likely think of a bunch of nerds coding away in the dark with headsets on that are so big they cover the entire head of the programmer. You most likely think that these guys have no personality and can only speak in binary codes. Most likely, you think that they are the less cool version of the guys in Big Bang Theory.

The guys at You_Source could not be further from the truth. You_Source provides a fun and conducive environment to its employees. The CEO, Alain Franchimon, understands that happy workers are the best workers and so every Monday morning, he brings something fun to meetings and every Friday afternoon, people gather around and bond with each other. He also maintains an open door policy which leads to communications remaining constantly open amongst everyone. 

From their website www.you-source.com:

"We pick the right people, tools and equipment for the job. Our methodologies together with well designed, written and extensively tested software cater for change, fast feedback and real-time insight in quality and progress. We speak C#, Ruby, Objective C, Java, R, Typescript, Javascript, HTML, CSS, and a few dialects of SQL.

We believe that collective ownership is key to successful software. We care as much for your code as you do. We're not just software developers. We are a team of enthusiastic, social, helpful, passionate and highly skilled individuals, who are eager to take on new challenges."

For anyone interested in having their software built right, on time, on budget, all the time, You_Source is the company for you.

They will not work for you, they will work with you.

To contact You_Source: 

www.you-source.com 

E: info@you-source.com

P: +63 (0)2 553 2465

CFL or LED? Which is the better Light for You?

With lots of attributes to consider, which is really better for you?

Let’s scale it down.

CFL
CFL also known as compact fluorescent is your mini version of a standard fluorescent light bulb. CFL gives lighting efficiency and has been used for decades now and it has graced our homes as it fits perfectly in an ordinary socket without using an adaptor.

CFLs normally takes a few moments to warm up and reach its full brightness.
However, CFLs contain a small amount of mercury which normally does not cause any hazard but if the bulb breaks accidentally, that’s where the problem comes in. Mercury has been banned in the medical field due to its harmful effect on human health.

Regular CFL bulbs lasts up to 6000 hours
Average energy use per year: 767 KWh/yr
Average cost in the Philippines: Php 125 to 300

LED
LED or Light Emitting Diodes was introduce several years back with the promise of lowering your electric bill. According to the study made by Lighting Research Center, LED light bulbs work by bringing together currents with a positive and negative charge to create energy released in the form of light. The result of this is a fast source of light that is reliable and instantaneous.

LED bulbs also fits an ordinary socket without the need of an adaptor and it bright up as soon as you switch it on. LED bulbs is considered good for the environment and are endorsed by green movements. LED bulbs generally cost more to buy although manufacturing technologies are lowering these prices as we move along.

Regular LED lasts anywhere from 20,000 to 50,000 hours.
Average energy use per year: 329 KWh/yr
Average cost in the Philippines: Php300 to 800

Equal Factor
Both serves your lighting needs efficiently. Both fits in sockets of your lamps and fixtures. Meaning, if you don’t consider the chances of your bulb breaking then you would likely choose CFL over LED because of the price difference.

Points to Ponder:
CFL might cost less but it requires you to buy more bulbs over time whereas LED lights last longer, so even though you’re paying more at purchase, you buy fewer bulbs in the long run.

Considering the humid weather in the Philippines, we should also consider that CFL bulb emits more heat than LED bulb, thus, by choosing wisely, you can reduce the heat index in your home.

Moreover, if you care for the environment, Lower energy consumption decreases carbon dioxide emissions, sulfur oxide, and high-level nuclear waste.

CD-R King makes it easier for you to decide
CD-R King, your one-stop media provider gives you the ease of choosing by taking away the drawback of price difference by making LED bulb available to the General public at a more affordable price.

This is effort compliments their advocacy in encouraging people to care for the environment during their California e-bike campaign early this year. It is also noted that CD-R King offers several choices of LED bulbs with different price range both for personal and industrial use.

Below are some of the choices for regular household use.

For other variants, you may visit CD-R King branches or check out their website at www.cdrking.com

Manila Touch Launches Filipino App Spa Finder PH

MANILA, PHILIPPINES – The leading spa directory of the Philippines, Manila Touch, has launched SPA FINDER PH, an app devoted to bring convenience to its users who are a massage enthusiasts on June 29, 2015.

SPA FINDER PH is designed to locate spas and home service massage near you preferred city or nearby your location via GPS. You can then check their facilities, amenities, services offered, pricing, and more. Soon as you've found that perfect place to relax, you can contact them directly for reservations via a call or even SMS.

FEATURES:

• Call or SMS your selected spa immediately for reservations.
• Find nearest spa from your location (initially available only to iOS users)
• Choose from the complete list of spas on your preferred city
• Submit information about a spa that is not included on this App
• Review an establishment by posting a comment or rating them
• Read the latest spas featured in ManilaTouch.com

Spa Finder PH is more than just a top Spa Directory for Day Spas, Medical Spas, Resort Spas, Hotel Spas and Destination Resort Spas, it also showcase the best spas in and around the Philippines. This App is initially available on Google Play Store and will be launched on iOS on July 2015. For more info, visit www.manilatouch.com.

Google Play Store Link:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.app.app0e4f5066ea64

---

ManilaTouch.com is a spa directory founded on 2010, featuring spas and on-call massage services around NCR, Boracay, Cebu, Iloilo, Pampanga, Cavite, Tagaytay, and other selected Luzon and Visayas cities.

ManilaTouch.com

California Garden Square, Libertad, Mandaluyong City

(0917)453-6288

http://www.manilatouch.com/