Catch the National Arts & Crafts Fair 2019 until tomorrow, October 27, 2019 at the Megatrade Halls of SM Megamall. Crafters and artists from all over the Philippines showcase their products on this 4-day fair organized by Department of Trade and Industry – Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion.
Buy directly from suppliers and you’ll be surprised how affordable their products are. Products you can see here ranges from wellness products to fashion and ethnic accessories, native products (clothes, cloth, etc) to home decors.
Do you want to know my mommy finds at the fair? Check it out here:
Katahum Kang Antique (Beautiful Province of Antique)Hibla’t Habi by Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) National Textile Pavilion Sulat, Ukit at Burda Brush Calligraphy by Avin Doodles Art Journaling by The Erudite Artist Balat Kayo Dyan! A DIY Leathercrafts Workshop Philippine Forest Honey by Non-Timber Forest Products Exchange Programme – Philippines Kapetirya (Coffee Pavilion)
Schedule of Events
National Arts & Crafts Fair: Philippine Artisans Show October 24 – 27, 2019 Megatrade Halls, SM Megamall ADMISSION IS FREE
On October 17, 2019, Lamudi successfully held The Outlook Real Estate Conference 2019 at the Makati Shangri-La, bringing together industry thought leaders from all over the country to talk about the hot topics in the Philippine real estate sector.
The Outlook: Philippine Real Estate Conference 2019, with co-presenters Philippine Daily Inquirer Property and Holcim Philippines, provided an avenue for insightful discussion spanning a wide range of topics from sustainability to alternative ways of investing in real estate.
The major sponsors for the event are the International Workplace Group and SMDC, and the official TV partner is Cignal TV. The Outlook Conference has also teamed up with event partner Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA), and media partners Philippine Daily Inquirer Property, Business Mirror, Business World, Malaya Business Insight, Manila Standard, and Philippine Star.
The Role of Developers in Making the Philippines More Sustainable
The Outlook Conference started strong with its first track, “Taking Sustainable Action: Addressing Climate Change Through Real Estate,” where moderator Cathy Saldaña, Managing Director of PDP Architects, steered the conversation into a topic dear to her heart. The panel revealed that though different companies are already pioneering efforts to use solar energy, waste management, and water recycling to be more sustainable, there is a need to adopt a more global, top-down approach to initiate change that will last.
The panelists for this track were Cecilia Domingo, Vice-President and Head of Meralco; Gian Carlo Valerio, Chief Executive Officer of Solana Land; Ram Maganti, SVP for Marketing and Innovations of Holcim Philippines Inc.; and Gay Santos, a financial inclusion specialist/advocate.
The Philippines is blessed with sun and rain, Saldaña noted, both of which can be harnessed as sources of energy. Maganti also mentioned the scarcity of fresh water, prompting the company to use recycled water as part of their sustainability efforts. Domingo talked about the residential and commercial efforts started by Meralco and its subsidiaries, from solar panels to e-sakay as an initiative. According to Domingo, the Meralco compound has already banned single-use plastic, and are active in tree-planting initiatives for carbon reduction.
Real Estate Marketing for a Younger Market
The second track, “New-Age Customer Experience: Transforming Real Estate Marketing in the Age of Disruption,” moderated by Deborah Ong, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Lamudi, explored the role of disruption in shaping a new breed of real estate clients along with strategies that should be adapted to thrive in this new consumer environment. The panel discussed the “end” of the mall to give way to online shopping, and how this prediction years ago failed to take into account the adaptability of Filipinos to change. What could have ended an industry sparked disruption, giving rise to the changes in the way people do business and how consumers consume.
The panelists for this track were Thomas Mirasol, General Manager of Federal Land; Marco Antonio, President & CEO of Century Properties; Tek Samaniego, Property Editor of Philippine Daily Inquirer Property; Jose Soberano III, CEO of Cebu Landmasters; and Eugene Lozano, First Vice President for Sales and Marketing for Megaworld Corporation.
Lozano, who has witnessed the transition from traditional to digital marketing, said there is now a focus on Google Analytics. To successfully implement these changes, Lozano mentioned the importance of informing key people in the team. “We’ve been very busy re-training, providing lectures and materials to different key people just to keep up with the digital transformation of marketing strategies nowadays.”
“The consumer today is more demanding,” Ong noted.
“And they really want to get their money’s worth,” Samaniego added.
Uncovering New Real Estate Sales Strategies
“Fresh Perspectives: Mapping Evolving Real Estate Sales” was moderated by Bhavna Suresh, Chief Executive Officer of Lamudi. The third track leaned towards preparing the sales team for new business models, strategies, and practices that improve how real estate is offered to customers. The panelists mentioned the importance of likability and trustworthiness, the human touch, malasakit, and thinking beyond after-sales.
The panelists were David Rafael, President & CEO of Aboitiz Land; Beth Ventura, President of Anchor Land Holdings, Inc.; Ricardo Lagdameo, First Vice President of Damosa Land; and Raphael Felix, President of Phinma Properties Inc. and Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA).
Rafael admitted to wondering about the future of real estate. “Will we ever reach a point where people would buy property the way they buy food from Foodpanda or they buy a shirt from Lazada?”
Upon pondering, however, Rafael has come up with an answer: “At the end of the day, the human person buying property will really still need to talk to a human person.”
Startups and Their Exploration of the Sharing Economy
“Paradigm Shifts: Exploring the Sharing Economy in Philippine Real Estate” explored the changing Philippine conditions and the rise of startups that have led to the growth of the sharing economy. Eric Manuel, of Arch Capital Management, moderated the track, which discussed the commute as a major pain point for residents who eventually decide to move to co-living spaces. The very young population of the Philippines wants to be measured by their performance, not their timesheet. Co-working spaces, on the other hand, allow young professionals to expand their network.
The track’s panelists were Jelmer Ikink, Group Director of MyTown; Nick Padilla, Co-founder, CEO & Space Captain of Kahon.ph; Paul Rivera, Co-Founder & CEO of Kalibrr; and Lars Wittig, Country Manager Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, S. Korea for International Workplace Group.
Shared spaces answer the tenants’ need to escape the commute. Ikink further noted that the future of work, especially its definition, will change over time and to address this, they are working towards a zero-commute lifestyle. This means working, living, and all amenities will be in the same space.
Choosing Investments: From POGO to Property
“Changing Face: Uncovering Alternative Ways to Invest in Real Estate” zeroed in on the drivers of investor demand, the new investment opportunities available in the market, and how the market can tap into these to encourage a robust real estate economy. The moderator, Cignal TV’s news anchor Danie Laurel, asked about the viability and sustainability of POGO as an investment. Panelists also recommend diversifying as a smart way to invest.
The fifth and final track’s panelists were Richard Raymundo, Managing Director of Colliers; Mikko Barranda, Associate Director of Leechiu Property Consultants Inc.; Iluminada Sicat, Assistant Governor of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas; and Noel Rapadas, Senior Vice President and Chief Finance Officer of Torre Lorenzo.
Sicat presented an interesting fact that will help guide investors in diversifying their portfolio: “We did an assessment of the impact of POGOs on the price of our residences. There was a sudden increase in the price of rent, but if you look at the net contribution of POGOs, it’s not that big, actually.”
Raymundo also noted that if POGOs did not come, “the rents would have corrected anyway.”
Rapadas mentioned that there is still a long way to go for these kinds of investments to be sustainable. He urged investors to look at what drives prices up, and suggested following a fixed plan to see growth. Rapadas also said that despite the increase in the prices of real estate, the Philippines is still relatively cheap compared to other places for investment in Asia.
Projects Shaping the Filipino Community
Keynote speaker Vince Dizon, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), shared the plans for New Clark City as part of the Build, Build, Build program. New Clark City is planned to be the Philippines’ first smart, green, and resilient metropolis.
The Outlook Real Estate Conference also gave a platform to Virlanie Foundation, a private, non-profit and non-sectarian organization reaching out to marginalized children and communities in the Philippines. Lamudi and Virlanie launched a partnership program, Cherish-A-Home Fundraising, to help the disadvantaged, abused, neglected, and abandoned children through in-kind and cash donations that will improve their quality of life in any of the foundation’s eight homes.
The Outlook Conference: Future Forward
Lamudi’s The Outlook: Philippine Real Estate Conference 2019 gathered real estate thought leaders to share their insights on the pressing topics facing Philippine real estate today. The event leads up to Lamudi’s Outlook Awards: The Philippine Buyers’ Choice Property Awards scheduled on November 14, 2019, at the Makati Shangri-La, where property developers from all over the Philippines gather to celebrate the outstanding achievements that shaped the country and steered it to a greener future.
The winners of the awards are determined by a panel of judges and a survey involving 10,000 active property seekers.
To know more about The Outlook Awards 2019, head to lamudi.com.ph/outlook2019.
Henry & Sons Clearance Sale happening on October 25 – 27, 2019
In time for the holiday season, coffee solutions company Henry and Sons, together with its servicing arm Manila Coffee Gear, is having a Clearance Sale from October 25 to 27, 2019.
Coffee enthusiasts and café owners can get huge discounts for up to 50% off on select items. This limited-time promo includes coffee machines, grinders, steaming pitchers, coffee drippers, and more for home and commercial use. Doors will open from 8AM until 5PM and items on sale will be on display at the Institute for Coffee Excellence located at Sheridan corner Pines St., Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City.
Products of Henry and Sons and Manila Coffee Gear are available for purchase on regular days at their showroom located beside the Institute. For more information about the Clearance Sale, visit http://www.facebook.com/henryandsonsph or contact Edu Baltazar at 0917.630.4474.
This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.
You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.
Why do this?
Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.
The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.
To help you get started, here are a few questions:
Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
What topics do you think you’ll write about?
Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?
You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.
Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.
When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.
BPI marks its 168th anniversary with the opening of its biggest flagship branch in Northern Metro Manila. From left, BPI COO Ramon Jocson, BPI President and CEO Cezar Consing, Head of Sales and Service Channels An-an King and Division Head for Northern Metro Manila Branches Rally Jereza.
The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) today formally opened its biggest flagship branch in Norther Metro Manila to date—the BPI Shangrila-Shaw branch and Preferred Center in Mandaluyong City, as it marks 168 years of building a better Philippines.
The new flagship branch follows the design of BPI’s other flagship branches in Ayala Insular and Makati Stock Exchange. BPI Shangri-la Shaw showcases the most modern and innovative designs that will complement the Bank’s aim to provide trusted financial advice, and seamless and convenient client experience.
“This new flagship branch, like similar ones in Metro Manila, represents how technology and brick and mortar can be combined to enhance the customer experience. Today’s Filipino customer wants and deserves more, and a modern branch like this one is one way that we can respond,” said President and CEO Cezar P. Consing.
Shangri-la Plaza is a prime spot located in the heart of Mandaluyong and Ortigas, which is why it was chosen as the location of Northern Metro Manila’s first and biggest flagship branch. Mandaluyong and Ortigas are two of the biggest central business districts in the country. The St. Francis Shaw branch was relocated and named BPI Shangri-la Shaw when the site of the old branch was sold to Shangri-la.
The branch is the first in Metro Manila to stay open seven days a week, from Mondays to Sundays.
Enhanced customer experience
BPI Shangri-la Shaw houses the first multi-purpose Preferred Center, a venue for client engagement activities with facilities that enhance experience and deliver convenience and value to clients.
With this latest branch feature, BPI reinforces its commitment to enhance overall customer experience, both online and offline by providing easy access to relevant financial solutions for every Filipino.
“The two-floor multi-purpose events venue located in the branch’s Preferred Center is what makes BPI Shangri-la Shaw unique compared to the other flagship branches,” said Rally Jereza, Division Head for Northern Metro Manila Branches.
In line with its digitalization efforts, BPI also added an interactive self-service screen in the new branch. A large video wall also displays informational videos for clients.
“Digitalization is about enhancing the client experience. This requires that we make the experience of our clients seamless as they move from physical branches to our digital channels, such as the mobile app and website. Our digital transformation journey allows for an omni-channel experience, with clients being able to start a transaction in one channel, and complete it in another,” explained Jereza.
As for the overall branch design, the Bank drew inspiration from the map of the Philippines. The irregularly shaped ottoman seats at the center of the room represent the Philippine archipelago. The swirling lights in the ceiling evoke images of the Philippine climate and the ever-changing winds that sweep over the country.
BPI hopes to build a better Philippines through providing easy and convenient access to relevant financial and enhance overall customer experience in both online and offline channels.
LBC continues to grow, expand, and improve to reach more Filipinos and serve them better. Since its humble beginning in 1945, LBC has grown to be the Philippines’ leading and most trusted courier, cargo, remittance, and logistics provider. In 2018, LBC opened 80 new branches across the Philippines. To date LBC now has a total of 1417 branches with 13 000 employees dedicated to providing the courier, cargo and logistics needs of Filipinos all over the world.
But LBC’s expansion does not stop there. This year, LBC is set to open more branches in strategic locations around the country. From January to April 2019, it has already opened 18 branches in the Philippines and is set to open a new branch in Brisbane. This is part of LBC’s commitment to widen its footprint in the Philippines and across the continents to reach more Filipinos and provide them with the most convenient, safest, and fastest way “to move” their documents, packages, and remittances. True to its mantra of “We Like to Move It”, LBC is never stagnant as it endeavors to adapt, change, and advance in order to provide its retail and corporate customers with the best services possible. As they continue to cater to the Filipino with their time-proven services like parcel sending and remittances, LBC also steps in to serve other markets like SMEs who have come to discover the convenience of running a business online. As LBC undergoes a company-wide digital transformation, they aim for nothing less than to see its customers satisfied with the benefits and added convenience that advanced technology will generate and bring about.
LBC also continues to expand its reach by partnering with a host of other enterprises who seek to provide better service to more and more Filipinos here and abroad. Just this year, they have inked deals with Uniteller, a money remittance company based in the US, and other financial services platforms like Coins.ph, XpressMoney, and True Money.
As LBC forges ahead with the opening of more branches and facilities; introduce new services to keep up with escalating demand from all sectors; and widen their reach through newer and bigger corporate partnerships, their goal remains the same: to move lives, businesses and communities for the benefit of all Filipinos.
ABOUT LBC
LBC is the Philippines’ market leader in retail and corporate courier & cargo, money remittance, and logistics services. With a growing network of over 6,400 branches, hubs & warehouses, partners, and agents in over 30 countries, LBC is committed to moving lives, businesses, and communities and delivering smiles around the world. Listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange through LBC Express Holdings, Inc., LBC aims to deliver value to all of its stakeholders, as it has for over 60 years. Founded in 1945 as a brokerage and air cargo agent, LBC pioneered time-sensitive cargo delivery and 24-hour door-to-door delivery in the Philippines. Today, it is the most trusted logistics brand of the Global Filipino. LBC can move it for you: visit http://www.LBCexpress.com, or call telephone +632 8585 999 (Metro Manila), 1 800 10 8585 999 (Provincial), +632 9086 522 (Solutions) and follow LBCExpress (Facebook and Twitter).
LBC has good news for Filipinos based in Singapore. Kabayan Remittance PTE LTD. Singapore, a leading remittance company that serves the money remittance needs of many Filipinos in Singapore has just officially become LBC’s newest remittance partner!
This new partnership between Kabayan Remittance PTE LTD. Singapore and LBC creates and provides Filipinos with the fastest, safest, most convenient, and most reliable money remittance service from Singapore to the Philippines to date. With the tie-up, clients of Kabayan Remittance and their chosen beneficiaries gain immediate access to more than 1400 LBC branches throughout the Philippines and may select any of these branches as contact points to accept their remittances. Not only can customers utilize LBC’s vast network through the Kabayan Remittance, they can also bank on LBC’s expertise and reliability in ensuring that the remittances sent by Overseas Filipinos to their loved ones are delivered effectively and efficiently.
LBC actively seeks for ways to expand and grow. By partnering with companies like Kabayan Remittance PTE LTD. Singapore, LBC is able to reach more places across the globe and provide global Filipinos with the superior money remittance service they deserve.
LBC is the Philippines’ market leader in retail and corporate courier, cargo, money remittance, and logistics services. With a growing network of over 6,400 branches, hubs & warehouses, partners, and agents in over 30 countries, LBC is committed to moving lives, businesses, and communities and delivering smiles around the world. Listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange through LBC Express Holdings, Inc., LBC aims to deliver value to all of its stakeholders, as it has for over 60 years. Founded in 1945 as a brokerage and air cargo agent, LBC pioneered time-sensitive cargo delivery and 24-hour door-to- door delivery in the Philippines. Today, it is the most trusted logistics brand of the Global Filipino. LBC can move it for you: visit http://www.LBCexpress.com, or call telephone +632 8585 999 (Metro Manila), 1 800 10 8585 999 (Provincial), +632 9086 522 (Solutions) and follow LBCExpress (Facebook and Twitter).
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Raising Boys.
Food and Memes In Between. 