Rex Education and PPCRV call for voters to discern well, vote according to our values, and be Maka-Pilipinas

With the National Elections just within reach, Rex Education and the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) are working together to help educate voters about the values we should be looking for in the leaders we will elect.

"How the Philippines will come out of this pandemic and handle the impending global economic recession will rely on the next 6 years. This is why it is crucial that the leaders we will elect in the upcoming May 9 elections share the heart of the Filipino people and possess the values to stand for and serve our country. We have to choose well and vote for someone who is truly Maka-Pilipinas," - Rex Education CEO, Don Timothy Buhain

The leader we deserve is Maka-Pilipinas

Varying standards, opinions, and principles come into play in the bid for national and local positions. What matters in the end when electing a leader is that it’s not enough to choose someone wise and experienced; we must also choose a leader who embodies the virtues of a true Filipino citizen and champion. PPCRV launched the voter education program that highlights what it takes to be Maka-Pilipinas to emphasize the values that make a true Filipino leader.

To be Maka-Pilipinas is to be maka-Diyos (faithful to God), maka-tao (respects life and people), maka-bayan (patriotic), at maka-kalikasan (environmentally concerned). These are the four good citizenship core values embedded in the 1987 Constitution, which highlights these core values’ roots and importance in our culture and history.

To help Filipinos better understand what makes a leader truly Maka-Pilipinas, PPCRV broke down the four core values—maka-Diyos, maka-tao, maka-bayan, at maka-kalikasan—into 16 good citizenship values. Does your candidate tick all the boxes of this checklist?

"We believe that through the living and the sharing of these basic values—not only by ourselves but especially by our candidates—can our national vision of improving moral standards in government and in society be achieved," PPCRV Chair Myla Villanueva said during the launch of the Maka-Pilipinas voter education program.

A champion of the people is a champion of education

Everyone is part of the solution. As champions of education—as Edukampyons—it is every Filipino’s duty to embody the 16 good citizenship values that we wish to see in our leaders. It is also up to each of us to encourage our fellow Edukampyons to live these values, so they may also know what it means to elect a leader who is truly Maka-Pilipinas.

"Voter education starts at home, where values are introduced and cultivated in our families. Under REX’s Edukampyon campaign, we want to give every Filipino learner an opportunity to have a good education, stable well-being, and a future where they can be their best selves. To do that, we must have the support of government leaders who value the same things, after our own heart, and cares just as much for the development of our learners," Buhain shared further.

To serve as a reminder to choose with discernment and vote responsibly this coming election, PPCRV created a Maka-Pilipinas comics that promote the 16 good citizenship values. A line from the comics read: "Your vote is your hope. Your vote is your prayer. Vote wisely."

The Maka-Pilipinas comics in English can be read through the PPCRV Facebook page here. Printed copies of the comics were also sponsored by Rex Education and distributed to various schools and communities.

It is also available in various Filipino dialects: Bikolano, Bisaya, Ilokano, Ilonggo, Tagalog, and Taglish.

Expect E-sports to click further in the Philippines

Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, the year 2021 was sort of a banner year for the Philippines regarding its participation in various electronic sports (E-sports) events, either locally or internationally, where Pinoy players have dominated the majority of these competitions.

No wonder, with the lucrative money prizes and distinctions that await esports athletes, the esports market in the country grew further. And since smartphones continue to become the ubiquitous gadget for Filipinos, coupled with improving mobile internet connectivity, expect esports to continue to attract youngsters to the esports arena.

One such esports team is "Virgin Souls"

"Our team was named ‘Virgin Souls’ because we have a business called Virgin Soles, which is a sneaker cleaning product. We loved the name Virgin Soles because we wanted to show the other teams our "clean and smooth moves," explains Ingrid, team manager of Virgin Souls, whose members include Jetson Ignacio, Kharl Tan, Kristofer Calderon, Joshua Albino, Steven Buenaventura, Mark Cabigting, and Coach, Laurence Ruiz.

Initially, recruitment requirements for team members were not really that high because it was what she called a "passion project." However, after a few months, they started to become strict when they added Banting, one of the country’s top tanks, to the team, a child prodigy since he was only 16 years old. They made some changes to the requirements for inclusion in the team, such as high points, that recruits have to go through the process of choosing players. "What we did was we held tryouts and recruits were made to answer certain interview questions to gauge their attitude, and then we interviewed them. And we didn’t set any age requirement as long as they are dexterous enough to play the game."

She explained the choice of Goyo, who is 22, as the team captain, who was chosen because of his maturity to lead the team, someone the other team members can refer to as their "Kuya."

Why E-sports?

It was her little brother’s dream, says Ingrid, to be part of a pro team, and it was hers and her partner’s passion since he is a co-owner of the TNC Pro Team so she decided to form an amateur one. "For a professional team, the pressure is much higher, same with the costs, but the prizes are bigger. With an amateur team, the risks are also high. It’s really about investing time, and resources because the competition field is much bigger and the chances of winning are smaller."

Challenges Abound

The first challenge they faced, according to Ingrid, was recruitment, which is more skills-based. In the first stage, she said, it’s all about skills, and then after that the interview for their attitude, though that can’t be gauged immediately. By the time they went to boot camp, that’s where they saw who they really were. "Because they’re young, we saw their immaturity, their difficulty in dealing with other people, and the pandemic somewhat affected their social skills. We had to adjust things while they were at boot camp, and taught them how to go along with other people," she said.

But what she was glad about was that the majority of the players have supportive parents who wanted to support their child’s dream, although they had difficulty with some, like Haru, one of the players, who had a super strict guardian. "That was understandable so we had to explain that their children are safe with us, so we put in place protocols like regular Covid-19 testing every month."

For one of the team members, he said it was difficult to be away from his family, his child, but he needs to do it to fulfill his dreams and to prove to himself that he feels the need to be better. His sentiments were echoed by the other team members, who all shared that what they’re doing is for the fulfillment of their dreams, and of course, the bonding time with teammates is necessary to fight homesickness.

Ingrid is also proud that their team members, mostly students, still managed to excel in school despite their busy schedule in training. It all boils down to time management, she said, because she doesn’t want the players to neglect their studies since education is still important. "They’re not different from traditional sports athletes where they have to maintain good grades because we don’t want people to think that esports is a hindrance to their studies."

Legislative Action

The idea of identifying E-sports players as "athletes" much like in traditional sports, was the reason why Ingrid joined the party-list CLICK, or Computer Literacy, Innovation, Connectivity and Knowledge since one of their major platforms is E-sports, where they want to help the kids gain recognition as athletes, for E-sports to be respected. "We believe CLICK can help us and other teams achieve that level of respect, that they will help the esports scene. They’re the only party list that devotes time to supporting E-sports and has future projects related to its development. It’s nice to know that there’s a group such as CLICK as a partner of the esports community."

The future of E-sports with CLICK’s Help

With CLICK’s help, Ingrid believes that esports will become a viable option for kids who want to pursue an esports career. As of now, she said, those venturing into esports are still very few, and fewer parents believe in it. "With the help of CLICK, I think they will be able to help us shape the future generation who are more open to going into esports, especially parents. Once CLICK is elected into Congress, they can come up with laws for its further development and support during competitions, especially regarding travel requirements. With the help of CLICK, we hope they can make parents understand that esports is not just a game and it’s not just a waste of time. I think CLICK can help us change that perspective."

It is all about making the right CLICK through technology. The esports community has chosen CLICK as their party list of choice. So, be ready to choose CLICK, No. 40 on the ballot.

To know more about CLICK, visit any of the following social media channels: 

Website: https://www.clickpartylist.ph 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CLICKpartylist

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ClickPartylist

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clickpartylist/

YouTube: https://bit.ly/CLICKPARTYLIST

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/partylist-click-4b0016227/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clickpartylist

NEOPHYTE STREETWEAR BRAND MAKES NAME IN THE CLOTHING INDUSTRY, OPENS FLAGSHIP STORE IN TONDO

CHRCTR Clothing, a premium clothing brand originating from the province of Laguna, sets to open its second store in celebration of its first anniversary in Tondo, Manila on February 26. The new entrant clothing brand started its operations in February 2021 in Biñan, Laguna intending to be recognized as a Philippine brand to create a dent in the international streetwear industry.

Strategically located in the most culturally diverse district in the city of Manila, the expansion and opening of CHRCTR Tondo Flagship Store echo the call of the brand to have a bold, compassionate, and distinctive personality for each individual.

"We are confident that in this rich-cultured streets of Tondo, CHRCTR Clothing will open the opportunity to our kababayans to be bold, be distinct, be the person they want to be. We started with only 100 shirts on stock, now we are reaching thousands of brave souls nationwide." - JB Gajita, Founder and Managing Director of CHRCTR Clothing

Located along Velasquez Street, the new CHRCTR Tondo Flagship Store will showcase its complete product line from shirts, pants, shoes, caps, socks, and its new HARI NG TONDO branded shirts.

"We rally everyone to wear the brand that defines your personality because you are not like everyone else," said Gajita.

For more information about CHRCTR Clothing, please check the following www.chrctrclothing.com

Make technology CLICK for everyone

Technology has indeed become a big part of our lives—how we move, how we work or learn, how we think. Essentially, technology allowed us to live life with more ease and convenience.

But it is still not as ubiquitous as it may seem. Somehow, technology still doesn’t click for everyone, especially those whose access is still limited. Many are also averse to its wonders, thinking it has made people lazy, too dependent on machines, ignored critical thinking, etc.

However, just like what the Bible says: "The love of money is the root of all evil." The verse did not say money is not the root of all evil; the "love" of money is. In this case, technology is not bad; we need it to make our lives somewhat easier (not to make people lazy) and better.

That is why here in the Philippines, a group of young and visionary individuals decided to establish a party-list group that will push technology to be a big part of Filipinos’ lives not just in highly urbanized cities (HUCs) but also in the countryside. Through groundbreaking legislation, Computer Literacy, Innovation, Connectivity, and Knowledge, or simply "CLICK" party-list, dreams of making a technology change the way we live, work, play, learn, even govern, from the traditional and cumbersome, to the digital and high-technology, in order to make life better for everyone.

CLICK looks at technology to be the sound backbone of Philippine society in terms of business, working and learning gaming, and most of all, strong internet connectivity.

Doing business, the "high-tech" way

Whatever business you have, big or small, technology can play a big role in terms of business operations (finance, marketing, people management), productivity, efficiency, security of data and other confidential information, cross-border (overseas) transactions, even building relationships with other businesses. In a business environment where the majority are Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), they are seen to be the ones that will benefit the most from technology. CLICK believes that through sound legislative support, MSMEs and businesses, in general, will gain from it, particularly with better internet connectivity.

Legislation can also help build partnership programs that can create a solid business network. Couple this with international opportunity-building programs, where Filipino businesses are given the opportunity to take their businesses overseas—local operations, global reach.

Empowering of learning/working in the 21st Century

CLICK is looking at legislation to change the way Filipinos work and learn in the 21st Century. The pandemic contributed to the concept of "work from home" or "learn from home" since face-to-face classes and on-site work were suspended due to lockdowns. Through CLICK-authored laws, some companies and schools can give options to their employees or students can choose from a work-from-home or learn-from-home setup, coupled with the advantage of consumers being given the right to choose the best internet data plan that will suit their needs. With legislation, schools can also be supported to come up with a tech-related curriculum, in consultation with the business sector, that is focused on what specific IT skills the industry will be looking for from fresh graduates. At the same time, schools can also produce quality IT talents with bigger opportunities for employment overseas.

Building a new breed of athletes

CLICK believes that the Philippines has one of the greatest bunch of talents in the world when it comes to E-sports (electronic sports). They really CLICK it good when it comes to competing in esports competitions overseas that offer not only lucrative cash prizes but also global prestige. Thus, CLICK will legislate appropriate laws that will lay the framework of support for the country’s esports athletes in terms of world-class training and esports talent development via esports boot camps nationwide to boost their readiness for local and international competitions. CLICK is also looking at giving legislative recognition for esports athletes, much in the same way as traditional sports athletes, including enough flexibility in their travel requirements given the hectic schedule of esports competitions worldwide. An esports career development program is also being envisioned by CLICK, not just in the area of playing but also in the field of game development, another in-demand job with incredible overseas employment potential for Filipino IT talents.

Internet for all

Being the "social media capital of the world" is no doubt a good thing to hear, but with one of the slowest yet high-priced internet packages, no wonder a large part of the country is still not connected, or under-connected. Part of CLICK’s legislative agenda is to create a task force that would monitor the quality of internet connectivity nationwide, particularly in the provinces with weak or no internet signal at all. Somehow, through legislation, it will force internet service providers to "up their game" when it comes to internet infrastructure to make it from Third World to First World quality and provide better internet for all. Also, CLICK’s vision is to help establish a more competitive market, with shorter "lock-in" periods so Filipinos have the power to choose what internet plan suits their needs and the duration they want. With this level playing field for broadband connectivity, CLICK believes that all Filipinos can now connect to the internet in just one CLICK.

CLICK believes that only through effective and sound legislation can they affect change for all Filipinos wherever they are in the country and regardless of their economic status. Their “Four Pillars for Technology” is definitely not achievable overnight but will be a continuing work in progress. It will involve a whole-of-society approach in terms of changing the mindset when it comes to technology and its benefits to all Filipinos.

For CLICK, it is all about effecting change through technology-oriented legislation. This will give a more efficient and the technologically-sound Philippines a better chance to move forward.

It is all about making the right CLICK through technology.
Filipinos, be ready to choose CLICK.

To know more about "CLICK" visit https://www.clickpartylist.ph or follow CLICK Party-list on the following social media channels:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/CLICKpartylist
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClickPartylist
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clickpartylist
YouTube: https://bit.ly/CLICKPARTYLIST
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/partylist-click-4b0016227/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@clickpartylist

Let Love Sparkle with Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry’s Special Valentine Sale

Celebrate your love with Cebuana Lhuillier and its high-end jewelry line as it offers a nationwide jewelry sale

Valentine’s Day is considered to be one of the most romantic days of the year. It is an extra special time to express your love and affection to your special someone.

For many of us, giving gifts during Valentine’s season is one of many ways to show how special someone is in our lives. The season of hearts can be nerve-racking for someone who really spends time thinking about a perfect gift for the perfect someone. Others might want to give a more unique present or would opt to do away with the usual heart-shaped chocolates and flowers.

This Valentine’s Day up to February 19, Cebuana Lhuillier, Cebuana Lhuillier Premium, and Just Jewels are holding a six-day Valentine’s Gold Rush Sale nationwide. Shop in over 2,500 Cebuana Lhuillier branches nationwide and avail discounts on all items. You can also shop online through Cebuana Lhuillier, Just Jewels, or Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry Premium Facebook pages.

Get 10% off on all items and up to 50% off on selected jewelry items nationwide. Visit Cebuana Lhuillier, Just Jewels, or Cebuana Lhuillier Jewelry Premium branches nationwide or shop online via Cebuana FB Live Selling or cebuanalhuillierjewelry.com

If you are looking for ways how to express your feelings for someone dear or you want to gift it for yourself as a way of loving and spoiling yourself, choose jewelry. It is something one can use and wear every day and treasure for many years. They are considered to be powerful allies to win hearts, celebrate important events, or reward achievements.

"Jewelry is one of the most unique and special presents one can buy, regardless of age and gender. You can gift it to your special someone, to your friend or even to your parents. It’s that kind of a gift that captures the essence of making someone feel important, precious, and valued" - Jean Henri Lhuillier, CEO, and President

Aside from these jewelry pieces being the perfect gifts for the season of love, this can also be a good investment throughout the years and would come in handy during times of emergency. Compared with the other presents you can give this February 14, jewelry can be meaningful and also practical.

To know more about Cebuana Lhuillier’s Valentine’s Day Gold Rush Sale, go to the nearest Cebuana Lhuillier near you or just log on to Cebuana Lhuillier’s official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/cebuanalhuillierpawnshop or cebuanalhuillierjewelry.com