May 2020 – Page 5 – Jellybeans in the City

What’s on Blue Ant Media Channels this May

Stuck at home? You can pass the time with a slew of entertaining content from Blue Ant Media channels on SKYcable. From movies, series to special stunts, everyone in the family will find something to amuse themselves or to grab their interest.

Movie fans can look forward to BAM Blockbusters every Thursday at 9.45pm on Blue Ant Entertainment (SKYcable ch 196 HD | ch 53 SD in Metro Manila). They can watch top-grossers such as the animated film Minions, thrillers Curve and Duplicity and action drama Miami Vice.

For thrill seekers, Blue Ant Extreme (SKYcable ch 209 HD | ch 104 SD in Metro Manila) brings a twist on the familiar paranormal encounter genre with My Own Worst Nightmare. The series explores people’s most harrowing recurring nightmares and brings them to life in vivid detail. Combining cinematic nightmare recreations with captivating true accounts and expert analysis, it will have viewers thinking twice about turning out the lights before bed. The series will premiere on May 7 (Thursday) at 9.55pm.

ZooMoo (SKYcable ch 120 SD in Metro Manila) highlights the role of moms in the animal world in its Marvelous Mom Special airing May 8 (Friday) at 12.30pm. The little ones can witness how these loving moms teach their babies how to find food, fend for themselves and survive in the wild.

Blue Ant Media is an international content producer, distributor and channel operator. Among its channels are: Blue Ant Entertainment, the destination for the best mix of reality, drama, comedy and daily entertainment; Blue Ant Extreme, the destination for extreme and action-packed content; and ZooMoo, a collaboration between some of the world’s foremost wildlife filmmakers, early childhood educationalists and technology developers, with programming that engages and entertains children with the wonders of animals, to stimulate and develop their innate emotional connection with the natural world.

To subscribe to SKYcable or to add these channels and more to your cable TV plan, fill up this form.

SKYcable subscribers who already have Blue Ant Entertainment and Blue Ant Extreme in their channel line-ups may also view these channels using any mobile device at no additional cost via SKY On Demand.

Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.

Check out my previous posts on Blue Ant Media Channels:

Header photo created by tirachardz – www.freepik.com

Mother’s Day offers from The Bistro Group

It’s that time of the year again when we honor and celebrate motherhood and the mothers in our family!

While in ECQ, we can still make this day special for moms by sharing meals together and bonding over good food and wonderful conversation.

All of these are available for curbside pick-up, take out orders and delivery via Grab at the specified branches.

TGI FRIDAYS

Give Mom that Fridays feeling and enjoy its Family Meal comprised of comforting, hearty favorites – Chicken Fingers, Liempo, Mozzarella plus complimentary nachos for P995 (from P1,420).

TGI Friday’s Bonifacio High Street
8856-2997 | 0995-481-4847

ITALIANNI’S

Treat mom to Italian-American classics.

Choose from two Mother’s Day Pizza and Pasta Combos (Better yet, why not have both, instead?)

You can opt for the decadent Truffle and Chicken Mushroom Pasta and the healthy and sumptuous Margherita Pizza plus complimentary Focaccia and Tuscan Rolls. An order is good for 3 persons for P999 (from P1,345).

Or the tomato-based Spaghetti Bolognese and the Pizza Tropicale plus complimentary Focaccia and Tuscan Rolls. An order is good for 3 persons for P999 (from P1,365).

Italianni’s Bonifacio High Street
0916-461-2182 | 0977-628-4515

Italianni’s Greenbelt
0995-095-1002/0961-7560728

BUFFALO WILD WINGS

Wow Mom at Home with two Buffalo Wild Wings’ Mother’s Day Offers:

Award-winning, handspun Wings and Sliders that can be shared by 3 persons for P999 (from P1,220).

Then there’s the MVP Platter for 3 to 4 persons. It has the meaty goodness of traditional wings with your choice of sauce or dry rub, honey bbq ribs and grilled pork belly and served with rice, also for P999 (from P1,695).

Buffalo Wild Wings Uptown Parade, Taguig City
(8625-6361/ 0917-629-4442)

EL POLLO LOCO

Have a Fire-Grilled Day with Mom courtesy of El Pollo Loco. Your family will love to dig into eight pieces of juicy, slow-cooked citrusy chicken plus 4 sides (P945). A fun way to celebrate with people you love while safely at home.

El Pollo Loco
Inside Italianni’s Bonifacio High Street
(8856-3890/0935-860-4544)

DENNY’S

Mom can enjoy some of the dishes on Denny’s slammin’ menu such as The Original Grand Slam (- fluffy buttermilk pancakes, eggs, bacon strips and sausages); All-American Slam (eggs, bacon, sausages and toasted bread) and the Waffle Slam (waffle, eggs and bacon) for lunch, breakfast or dinner. All these for P999 (from P1,215)

Denny’s Eastwood
7720-9337 | 0919-604-6366
Denny’s Robinsons Manila
7234-3132 | 0927-392 0798
Denny’s Uptown Parade
8625-6361/0927-392-4442

Promo details and images provided by The Bistro Group in a recent press release.

Header photo created by tirachardz – www.freepik.com

Rico Blanco returns with inspiring new anthem “This Too Shall Pass”

After a four-year hiatus in making songs of his own, Rico Blanco returns with a rousing new anthem to help us deal with the uncertainty of the times.

This Too Shall Pass is Rico Blanco’s first solo single in four years, as well as his first under Sony Music Philippines. The song was written from a place of discomfort and fear, witnessing how the much louder tremor of pandemic anxiety instantly changed our lives and left us with little time to mourn and move forward.

With frontliners risking their lives with little protection, people going hungry, and the social order crumbling to pieces, Rico felt powerless by the situation. Hence, he had to forego his difficulties of living alone and coping with his own emotional troubles, as there was work to be done. He shares, “My efforts are little in light of a pandemic like this. As big as my imagination is for this song, I also feel that it’s not enough. But it’s what I can do and contribute as a musician.”

This Too Shall Pass succeeds in repurposing music’s mission: Outside of its function as an entertainment fodder and a way to escape, it carries the resilience of the human spirit. In darkness, it shines brighter.

The big, sprawling pop tune is his most personal to date, which he struggled over the course of two weeks to finish, and almost did not. “Some songs are anchored on truth, but they are wrapped and adorned in a lot of romanticized thoughts,” he shares. “This song is real, inwards and also outwards; it’s something that I really want to tell every single person. I wasn’t able to give a message to the frontliners, and I feel very guilty about this. I needed to finish this, and I want them to hear this. I know each one of us is going through something. I wrote this song as my way to reach out.”

With sonic elements that span continents and a carefully honed production which he supervised himself, Rico’s latest single defies convention with a global sounding opus that incorporates musical dispatches and personal anecdotes. From samples of his nieces laughing culled from a family chat group to his attempt to blur the cultural lines by incorporating European techno, hip-hop beats, Asian riffs, Afro chanting, and Pinoy fiesta in a seamless, genre-bending extravaganza, This Too Shall Pass is ambitious in scope and sound design, but its heart is for the people who need light and love.

There’s a sliver of joy in finding one of the most prolific artists emerge from a long silence. As Sony Music’s GM Philippines and VP Business Development Asia, Ms. Roslyn Pineda sums it up: “Music is important – we all know this. But never more so than when we are faced with uncertainty, because it is then that the power of music becomes unquantifiable, almost limitless. Music can make you feel you’re not alone. Music can save you from despair. And so it is with a song like This Too Shall Pass. It is so relevant to the times that it becomes a declaration, a prayer, a mantra — all rolled into one.”

Rico Blanco’s “This Too Shall Pass” is now available on all digital platforms worldwide.

SKY subscribers can now safely manage their subscriptions and ask for help online

SKY subscribers can now maximize digital platforms in managing their subscriptions as a new normal begins to limit the movement and reshape the Filipino’s way of life amid the enhanced community quarantineand beyond. As they utilize these digital facilities, SKY is able to give them their much-needed peace of mind since all transactions do not require any physical contact and can be done at the safety of their home.

As of now, subscribers are given more time to settle their bills as they are given a grace period until May 15. This way, they can still enjoy their SKY service without any interruption. This helps them continuously access the latest news and information regarding the quarantine, while still able to work or study at home.

If they would like to check their billing status online, they can simply enroll their account through mysky.com.ph/myaccounts or to SKY e-bill to receive their statement of account via email or simply open the mySKY app.

For their safety and convenience, subscribers can pay their bills through digital facilities such as via credit card at mysky.com.ph/myaccounts or the mySKY App, e-Wallets Gcash and Paymaya, and online banking via BPI, BDO, Landbank, and more. Subscribers can easily refer to a detailed step-by-step guide featured in mysky.com.ph/digitalpayment for more details on how to use these digital payment facilities.

Subscribers are encouraged to download the mySKY app (mysky.com.ph/app) as it will help them manage their account with much ease as the app offers program schedules, minor troubleshooting guides, billing information, and even allows them add more channels and streaming apps to their subscription.

If they are experiencing common issues with their service, they can quickly access Do-It-Yourself and troubleshooting guides on SKY’s official website. They can also fill up SKYServes’ webform (mysky.com.ph/contact-us) to be able to immediately inform SKY of their concerns.

In the meantime, SKY is giving cable subscribers more chances to relax and indulge in their favorite shows as they fight cabin fever with the opening more channels without additional payment until May 15. The offered channels are TLC, Animal Planet, Food Network, NatGeo Wild, NatGeo People, Lifetime, FOX Sports, FOX News, Outdoor channel, Eurosport, Baby TV, Crime & Investigation, and History 2.

To know more about SKY’s safety tools and services, visit www.mysky.com.ph.

August Wahh drops soulful new single “Elated”

Following her first solo release, ‘Know What I Want’ last December 2019, August Wahh returns with a triumphant new single that is steeped in sophisticated warmth.

‘Elated’ navigates the nuances of carrying on with life with a recovered sense of identity and purpose. “I wrote Elated as a reminder to myself and to others that no matter what you’ve been through, the goal is to rise above situations that made you feel small – by accepting where you’ve been and the journey you’re on, even if you don’t know where you’re going,” the neo-soul singer-songwriter shares. “It’s a reminder to own yourself and live life to the fullest.”

With crwn’s suave beats and jazzy sonic touches, August Wahh’s ‘Elated’ makes a great case for both easy casual listening and soulful rumination. “The song was basically written on the spot,” the Sahara singer says. “crwn had a beat he played, and I wrote along it. On the same day, we recorded Elated.”

As accidental magic goes, the spur-of-the-moment recording birthed an empowerment anthem that finds refuge on timelessness and global appeal.

At a time when some of her contemporaries have chosen to embrace conventional approaches to songwriting, August Wahh channels her energy towards promoting self-worth as part of her personal mantra. She asks rhetorically “does it matter where I go?” while also guaranteeing to own every decision she makes, tackling the age-old question with emotional openness and introspection.

August Wahh’s new single “Elated” is now out on streaming and digital platforms worldwide.

Image and details provided in a recent press release.

#QuarantineCookbook: Easy Shepherd’s Pie Recipe

All this extra time spent at home sure gets me in a more adventurous mood in the kitchen.

While Hubby has been flexin’ his culinary muscles and impressin’ the kiddos with outputs such as Beef Stroganoff and my K-pop princess #ExhibitA whipping up some Tteokbokki and Jajangmyeon on the fly, I decided to show ’em a thing or two on how mommy (sometimes!) knows best in the kitchen by preparing Shepherd’s Pie for dinner.

Shepherd’s Pie was first known as cottage pie, which became popular in Europe in the late 1700s around the time when the potato was being introduced as an affordable food crop for the poor, hence the inclusion of “cottage” – which refers to “modest dwelling for rural workers” – in the dish’ name.

It became known as Shepherd’s Pie in the 1800s when mutton or lamb was used as the meat filling.

In the early 1900s, it also adopted the monicker Hachis Parmentier, named after the Frenchman Antoine-Augustine Parmentier who advocated the potato as food source in France and throughout Europe.

Since its down-to-earth beginnings, Shepherd’s Pie has enjoyed worldwide popularity and is included in the menus of many European restaurants.

Well, true to my “no-fuss/no-frills” philosophy when it comes to home cooking, the Shepherd’s Pie I served my fam is quite easy to prepare, with ingredients that are available in many wet markets or grocery stores even during the enhanced community quarantine.

Ingredients:

5 medium potatoes
1/2 cup butter
1 medium onion, rough-chopped
2 medium carrots, diced
1/2 kilo of ground beef
1 beef bouillon cube dissolved in 1/2 cup hot water to make a beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup grated cheese

Procedure:

Place the potatoes, along with a teaspoon of salt in a medium-sized pot covered by water by at least half an inch. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook for twenty minutes or until tender, then remove from the pan.

Melt half of the butter in a pan on medium heat. Saute the onions and carrots in the butter for six to ten minutes or until tender.

Add the ground beef to the carrots and onions, cooking until the beef loses its reddish color. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the Worcestershire sauce and the beef broth. Once the beef mixture reaches a simmer, lower the heat and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.

Mash the cooked potatoes in a bowl. Add in the remaining half of the butter, then season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 200 deg C. Evenly spread the beef mixture in a large baking dish.

Spread the mashed potatoes over the top of the ground beef. Using a fork, rough up the surface of the mashed potatoes to create peaks that will get browned. You may sprinkle some grated cheese on top of the mashed potatoes.

Place the baking dish in the oven and cook for thirty minutes or until brown and bubbling.

This recipe serves eight at 383 calories per serving.

The dish is a hit with the fam and I look forward to preparing it again. For my next attempt, I’m considering adding some sliced mushrooms.

I would recommend this dish for Sunday brunch with the fam or as a contribution to a potluck party. It’s quite heavy on its own and can go a long way when combined with other dishes.

Looking for other easy-to-cook dishes to try out while in quarantine? Check out my other recipes:

CinemaWorld gives viewers a peek into a wider world this May

If the extension of the enhanced community quarantine had you feeling all the more confined in your own little corner, why not take sneak peeks into the wider world out there through foreign films?

Aside from the usual Hollywood fare, as well as your growing collection of Korean movies, you can also sample some of the cinematic masterpieces from all over the world through CinemaWorld.

CinemaWorld is a 24-hour, movie channel that premieres the world’s best and award-winning movies, box-office successes, critics’ favorites from all around the world. These films are aired in their original language with English substitles; this way, viewers can immerse themselves in the sights and sounds of the locales but still follow the story from the dialogue.

On Sundays at 9pm this May, CinemaWorld will air the exclusive TV premieres of international blockbusters and critically acclaimed movies through its weekly Sunday See The World stunt. These movies include:

IMPERFECT AGE
L’eta’ Imperfetta
May 3 (Sunday), 9pm

Camilla and Sara are best friends who love ballet. Camilla comes from a working-class family while Sara has a wealthy father. When Sara passes a critical ballet audition and Camilla doesn’t, jealousy emerges and triggers a vendetta with tragic consequences. This movie won Best Film in the Kadoma International Film Festival 2019.

Genre: Drama
Language: Italian

THE TESTAMENT
Ha’edut
May 10 (Sunday), 9pm

Inspired by true events, this film was nominated for best film at the Venice Film Festival 2017. Yoel is a Jewish historian in Holocaust research. As he researches about a covert massacre of 200 Jews in 1945, he chances upon a classified testimony by his mother. It runs contrary to his mother’s identity and he risks it all to discover the truth.

Genre: Drama
Language: Hebrew, German, English, Yiddish

I’M LOSING IT
Ya Khudeyu
May 17 (Sunday), 9pm

When her fitness-obsessed boyfriend dumps her for a skinny girl, shy and chubby Anna resolves to slim down and win him back. But, with help from her plump health-nut buddy Nick, Anna discovers that true happiness is more than six-pack abs in this top-grossing film in the 2018 Russian box office.

Genre: Romance/Comedy
Language: Russian

In the Philippines, SKYcable subscribers can add CinemaWorld to their channel line-up for only Php150/month to enjoy its roster of top-caliber flicks in full high-definition. To subscribe to CinemaWorld and other SKY products and services, fill up this form.

With CinemaWorld, you can peer out into the bigger picture through international films.

Check out my previous posts on CinemaWorld:

Header photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com

Singaporean electronic producer Foxela and singer-songwriter Chelsea Cara release ‘wanted you so bad’ via Umami Records

Seventeen-year-old Singaporean electronic producer Foxela and singer-songwriter Chelsea Cara have released their brand new single ‘wanted you so bad’ today via Singapore indie label Umami Records.

Chelsea decided to write the song after experiencing rejection from someone she really liked. “I tried to show the dilemma I was facing and the painful choices I had to make,” the alt pop singer-songwriter shares, “I had all these emotions I was trying to make sense of.”

“Am I building a wall just to break it / am I strong enough to hold it down / but with one look, oh no you got me now”, sings Chelsea, building up to Foxela’s cathartic instrumental drop. She channels her frustrations with a delicate but soulful performance that feels at home with the song’s tropical house-inspired production.

“The drop is definitely my favourite part of the song”, shares Foxela, “I wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone and I’m really happy with the result.”

‘wanted you so bad’ is the second single the 2 classmates have worked on together, the first, ‘Live On’, was released earlier this year. Foxela will be keeping up the prolific pace of his work through 2020, with a new release planned for every month, including upcoming collabs with Dr. Boomy, DNAKM and Tyraz.

‘wanted you so bad’ by Foxela and Chelsea Cara is available everywhere.

About Foxela

The alias of 17-year-old Singaporean electronic producer Nigel Quah, Foxela is a non- Grammy-winning artist, crafting music with a blend of future bass, future house and a touch of pop. At the age of 17, Foxela became the youngest Singaporean to reach a million streams on Spotify.

Nigel ventured into the realms of music production at the tender age of 9, sharing his older sister’s Macbook when she didn’t need it for school. Since starting the Foxela project in 2016, his prolific pace has led to more than 40 releases already under his belt. In 2019, he released As You Do, which reached #13 on Spotify’s official Singapore Viral 50 chart, surpassing Billie Eilish and BTS, both of whom have yet to respond to his offers for a collaboration. This was followed by Wild Love which has more than 330K streams on Spotify.

Foxela has also been featured on various Spotify editorial playlists such as Top Hits Singapore, Singapore’s Top Acts, Electro Mix and Party Life.

“His is a sound that is informed by the titanic sweep of the spectrum of electronic music, where ‘dance’ is only a signifier and not the endgame.” – Hear65 (SG)

“With well over a dozen tracks under his belt, it is safe to say that you can expect more from this talented up-and-coming producer in the near future.” – Orange Magazine (PH)

About Chelsea Cara

A bright new upcoming talent hailing from Singapore, Chelsea Cara debuted in 2020 with her first feature, ‘Live On’, with Foxela and brittle bear. She is an aspiring singer-songwriter who mainly writes pop songs while exploring other genres such as r&b and lo-fi.

Writing songs from her own personal experiences, she wishes to touch and inspire young hearts through her music.

McDonald’s shares 5 must-try recipes for your Chicken Fillet!

Starting April 27, McDonald’s Philippines started offering its Breaded Chicken Fillet in Cook-It-Yourself packs. Customers can easily get packs of 15 pcs for only P315 through participating McDonald’s Drive-Thru, and Take Out while bigger packs of 60pcs are available in select SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, and Savemore branches.

Loved by customers as the main ingredient in McDonald’s McCrispy Chicken Fillet with Rice and McCrispy Chicken Sandwich, the Breaded Chicken Fillet Cook-It-Yourself packs are not just convenient to order, but also easy to cook! Just by deep frying the fillet portions for 6-7 minutes, you can enjoy a tasty and slightly spicy Chicken Fillet with a crispy outer crunch. While you can have it simply with a hot bed of rice or sandwiched in between steaming burger buns, there are also many other ways to enjoy this delicious fillet!

In partnership with McCormick, here are 5 easy home recipes you can try that will put a different twist to this McDonald’s staple.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Fillet

Yields 4 servings

Ingredients:

4 tbsp butter, melted
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp McCormick Garlic Granulated or McCormick Garlic Powder
4 pcs McDonald’s Breaded Chicken Fillet

Procedure:

Pour the melted butter over the previously fried Breaded Chicken Fillet.

Combine parmesan cheese and garlic powder together in a bowl then sprinkle over the buttered chicken fillets. Serve hot.

Honey-Teriyaki Chicken Fillet

Yields 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

2 tbsp McCormick Teriyaki Marinade & Dipping Sauce
2 tbsp honey
8-10 pcs McDonald’s Breaded Chicken Fillet

Procedure:

Combine Teriyaki sauce and honey together in a small bowl. Mix until well blended.

Glaze previously fried Breaded Chicken Fillet with the honey-teriyaki mixture by pouring over or by basting with a brush. Serve hot.

Chicken Fillet Curry

Yields 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp cooking oil
1 pc white onion, diced
8-10 pcs McDonald’s Breaded Chicken Fillet
1 pack McCormick Yellow Curry Recipe Mix
2 cups coconut milk
1 pc green bell pepper, diced
1 pc large potato, diced

Procedure:

Sauté the onions in a saucepan/pot over medium heat until translucent.

Mix the Yellow Curry Recipe mix and the coconut milk together then pour into the pan. Add in the vegetables. Allow to simmer until potatoes are cooked and sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve hot over the previously fried Breaded Chicken Fillet on a bed of rice.

Chicken Fillet Pastel

Yields 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp cooking oil
1 pc white onion, diced
8-10 pcs McDonald’s Breaded Chicken Fillet
1 pack McCormick Creamy Garlic Perfect Pasta Mix
2 cups evaporated milk
1 pc carrot, diced
1 pc green bell pepper, diced
1 can Vienna sausage, cut into 3 (about ½” pieces)

Procedure:

Sauté the onions in a saucepan/pot over medium heat until translucent.

Mix the Creamy Garlic Perfect Pasta mix and evaporated milk together then pour into the pan. Add in the vegetables. Allow to simmer until vegetables are cooked and sauce is slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.

Toss in the chopped Vienna sausage and simmer for another 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve hot over the previously fried Breaded Chicken Fillet on a bed of rice.

Creamy Garlic Chicken Fillet

Yield: 8-10 servings

Ingredients:

8-10pcs McDonald’s Breaded Chicken Fillet
1 ½ cup milk
1 pack McCormick Creamy Garlic Perfect Pasta Mix

Procedure:

Mix the milk and the Creamy Garlic Perfect Pasta mix together in a small saucepot then place over medium heat.

Allow the sauce to simmer and thicken for about 3 minutes. Sauce is ready to use.

Pour sauce over the previously fried Breaded Chicken Fillet. Serve hot.

Awaken the master chef in you and grab a pack of Cook-It-Yourself Breaded Chicken Fillet from participating McDonald’s and SM Markets stores! Complete the experience by getting your own McCormick products through the following websites: https://www.mccormickculinary.com.ph, https://shopee.ph/mccormick.ph, and https://www.lazada.com.ph/shop/mccormick/

Try out these recipes and share your finished product by tagging @McDo_PH on Instagram and Twitter and @McDo.PH on Facebook!

Visit http://bit.ly/McDocookityourself for the full list of stores offering frozen Cook-It-Yourself packs and follow McDonald’s on Facebook for the latest updates.

Recipes and images provided by McDonald’s in a recent press release.

Store Finder PH launches Facebook chatbot for free mobile internet users

When Store Finder PH’s map website went live on March 19 to help locate nearby establishments that are open during the COVID-19 community quarantine, families with no internet connection seem left behind.

However with Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, the volunteer-initiated website is able to make its key content available on Facebook Messenger through a chatbot. A chatbot is a computer robot that replies to messages like a human being.

Currently, Facebook Messenger can be used even without a mobile data plan as part of the basic service of Smart, Globe, and affiliate providers, making the store finding-chatbot accessible to more than 44 million phone internet users in the Philippines at no extra cost.

Store Finder PH named its chatbot “Crowdy” to signify the project’s crowd-sourcing nature of collecting information. To use the chatbot, the user should open the project’s Facebook messenger.

After tapping “Get Started”, the user may pick the establishment category and type a location that the chatbot will scan through. A list of search results including grocery shops, restaurants, pharmacies, banks, ATM centers, remittance centers, logistic hubs, and other essential stores is then displayed within seconds.

Although the map feature is disabled when on free mobile data, crucial information including business hours are still delivered in text format.

“Our main contribution as millenials to the Enhanced Community Quarantine measure of the government is making tech solutions and life-saving information reach the doorsteps of every Filipino,” said Trinmar Boado, an award-winning Information and Communication Technology (ICT) advocate and leader of the volunteer project.

He added the chatbot is getting a high volume of query for remittance centers, explaining this must be from parents of stranded students and other individuals sending out financial help.

On Store Finder PH’s website version at www.storefinder.ph, users can see the map of their neighborhood and the exact location of open establishments. They can also chat with other active users within the vicinity to seek any assistance during emergencies.

To start using the Store Finder PH chatbot, open m.me/StoreFinder.PH or fb.com/StoreFinder.PH now.

Store Finder PH is a volunteer-initiated project by Good Vibes Digital Philippines, a group organized by Clash of Codes 2019 winner, Trinmar Boado, to help families locate nearby essential establishments that are open during the Enhance Community Quarantine (ECQ) period. To support this community initiative, email chrisaligo@gmail.com or call 0977-340-5736.