H&M excites me!

H&M is a store I go to every time I am abroad. Its clothes are wearable and reasonably priced. I get all excited also when H&M has its limited-edition collaborations with design houses such as Maison Martin Margiela, Lanvin, Karl Lagerfeld and Isabel Marant. I often go to its store to also buy clothes for my mother and sister who so love H&M.

The Swedish retail store Hennes & Mauritz, better known worldwide as H&M, is finally in the Philippines. Manila’s fashion enthusiasts trooped to SM Megamall for the exclusive shopping party when its flagship store opened recently. It is currently offering the H&M x Alexander Wang limited collection.

The lively atmosphere at the opening was set by DJs Mars Miranda and Mademoiselle Yulia. The country’s top fashion and entertainment influencers gathered to celebrate this event. Actress and singer Rachelle Ann Go, who took a very short break from Miss Saigon was flown in from London, surprised everyone with a powerful live performance during the event.

People packed the 3,000-square-meter H&M flagship store for the exclusive party. Guests were served canapés prepared by Margarita Fores and her Cibo team. Wine and other cocktails were also passed around the store.  All invitees were able to get a 20-percent discount just for that night. No wonder the queues on all the floors were so long!

The shopping party continued until midnight with upbeat tracks spun by DJ Mademoiselle Yulia from Japan. Needless to say, I came home with three bags of clothes.

What’s your Shoppernality?

Shop till you drop and get a chance to win a Vespa!

Thirteen limited edition Granstar Vespa motorbikes were showcased at the launch of the MasterCard-Robinsons Specialty Stores Inc.’s (RSSI) “What’s your Shoppernality?” promo.

Hosted by radio jock Tracy Abad, the event also featured another promo: the Spot & Snap promo, where three lucky winners brought home shopping indulgences and loot bags from RSSI simply by posting a photo with their favorite Vespa scooter on Instagram.

Each of the PX150 Vespa scooters was specially designed for each of the RSSI brands available at premier shopping malls nationwide: Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge, Burton, Warehouse, Ben Sherman, Basic House, G2000, River Island, Shana, Benefit and Shiseido.

To win one of the 13 Vespa scooters plus a P20,000 worth of shopping indulgence, cardholders simply need to spend a minimum of P3,000 from any RSSI store using a Philippine-issued MasterCard credit, debit or prepaid card until Nov. 15.

MasterCard VP for marketing Ailea Zialcita said, “MasterCard cardholders love fashion and style, and they enjoy shopping the premium global retail brands. We’re glad to work with RSSI on a unique promotion that truly appeals to the young and fashionable set.”

Hidden wealth in Pinoy homes

According to a study conducted by OLX Philippines, there are billions worth of unused items in working condition in many Filipino homes. The Yesss, Yaman! Study’s results were presented during a media briefing at the Makati Shangri-La recently.

The month-long study, in partnership with research firm TNS, revealed that the total value of unused yet functional items in urban Philippines amounts to P21 billion. OLX Philippines managing director RJ David pointed out, “If we sell all these items, we will earn money, get rid of clutter in our homes, and eventually improve our lives.”

OLX has been actively promoting online selling through the “Yesss, Yaman!” movement. Filipinos are positively responding to the campaign.

David added, “Since we started with the campaign, OLX has welcomed an increased number of new sellers who are selling their preloved items on the site. We want the site to be applicable to everyday Pinoys, like full-time moms, who use mobile phones but may not have e-mail addresses.”

OLX Philippines head of business development, acquisition and marketing Me-Anne Bundalian shared, “The increased number of people who sell and buy stuff over the Internet is a big accomplishment for OLX, considering that Filipinos do not have a tradition of online selling and buying. But still, there are many Filipinos who have expressed interest in selling online but don’t know how to start. We believe that with enough guidance, this will eventually become second nature to them.”

OLX is determined to reach its goal. To make online selling easier, the website’s team keeps its interface simple and only requires members to provide a contact number in order to post items for sale.

The company also introduced the Yaman Checklist and Yaman Calculator to help members easily identify and estimate the average monetary value of preloved items in their households.

(Create your own checklist at yamancalculator.olx.ph.)

The value of hard work & discipline

Celebrating four years of instilling good values among today’s youth is Fortune Life Insurance Company with its foremost advocacy, “The Value of Hard Work and Discipline.”

With the many challenges in society today, one cannot help but wonder how a child can live a decent life. Truth be told, there’s really not much we can do with external factors affecting our lives, these things are just simply beyond our control. But one can always start with one’s own child by grooming him to be strong to overcome life’s unavoidable hurdles and setbacks.

The Value of Hard Work and Discipline came into being four years ago, touching the child’s life and influencing him to uphold the values that Fortune Life’s founder and chairman emeritus Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua lives by. “I was once a bootblack, a shoeshine boy, but I never allowed this to hinder me from achieving my dreams and becoming who and what I want to be. My beloved mother taught me well the very essence of hard work and discipline, which paved the way to my success as an entrepreneur, public servant and family man,” says Cabangon Chua.

The advocacy program has reached over 300,000 schoolchildren nationwide, providing each a copy of the Ambassador’s inspiring life story translated into a very engaging and interactive workbook. “The program was conceived out of the company’s sincere desire to inspire our youth today. We want them to be rooted in proper values that will enable them not just to dream big but also to work hard to attain that dream, gain the right discipline, stay on course and focus on the goal,” says Evelyn Carada, Fortune Life Insurance Company’s executive vice president and general manager.

The program recently celebrated its fourth year at the Bulwagan ng Karunungan, DepEd Central Office in Pasig City. The event was attended by pillars of the country’s education system headed by Undersecretary Dina Ocampo, DepEd regional directors, Fortune Life’s executive officers and Marylindbert International. An important component of the program aims to instill financial literacy to teachers who are major players in sculpting the fate of the next generation Filipinos. “We recognize the value and importance that every educator plays in molding the young Filipinos. In order for them to effectively perform this noble task of imparting the core values of hard work and discipline, we are committed to help them become financially literate and independent, securing their tomorrow today,” explains Fortune Life president D. Arnold Cabangon.

“We recognize the hardworking, underrated Filipino educator and the significance of the role they play in honing the youth. We wish to give back via the Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Gintong Parangal para sa Edukasyon, which is now on its third year. From hundreds of nominees, five outstanding teachers from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao are this year’s recipients. They are: Romy Sicao from Maricaban Elementary School, Pasay City; Teresita Lopez of Sulok Elementary School, Balagtas, Bulacan; Ines Andal of Sen. Claro M. Recto Memorial School, Lipa City, Batangas; Fernan Tupas of Ajuy National High School, Iloilo City; and Jessica Joy Diolanta-Hinacay of Division of Cagayan de Oro City,” Cabangon added. Each winner received a cash prize and a trophy.

The advocacy also launched another contest that recognized the literary skills of teachers, the Ambassador Antonio L. Cabangon Chua Gintong Parangal para sa Literatura with the topic: The Value of Teacher’s Hard Work and Discipline in the Context of Todays Educational Institutions. The winners were Jasmine Mendoza of Bayabas Elementary School, Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan; Jaquilyn Belagan of San Isidro National High School, Makati City; and Maria Melanie Mangulabnan of Mariano Ponce National High School, Baliwag, Bulacan. Each winner received a commissioned trophy by Julie Lluch, a world-renowned Filipina sculptor plus cash and a foreign trip. National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose presented the award to the winners.

(Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)