Category: Live

Jellybeans’ general musings

Grab helps Filipino merchant-partners grow with fresh insights, tools, and tech-solutions through Grab Unlocked 2020

Furthering its commitment to support the success of its merchant-partners, Grab Philippines launched its 2020 Grab merchant conference GRAB UNLOCKED: Opening Doors to Uplifting Your Business this New Normal. With insightful talks from Grab and industry experts, merchant-partner attendees learned about digital trends and tools to help grow their business resiliently and sustainably through digitalization.

Virtually held last November 19 and attended by Grab merchant-partners, GRAB UNLOCKED featured updates and insights from Grab’s Head of Deliveries EJ Dela Vega, Head of GrabFood and Grab Financial Group Marketing Daniel Anore, Head of GrabFood Greg Camacho, Head of GrabAds Martin Luchangco, and Grab Philippines Country Head Grace Vera Cruz. To give attendees an informative and inspiring learning session, aside from Grab Philippines representatives, GRAB UNLOCKED also featured industry experts and successful entrepreneurs to share their stories and provide meaningful insights that Grab Merchant partners can be inspired on to grow their businesses, namely Chef Margarita Forés, CloudEats co-founder and CEO Kimberly Yao, 24 Chicken co-founders Mark Ong and Jeff Sy, DITO-CME COO and Udenna Corporation CIO Donald Lim, and Unilever Sr. Omniretail Customer Manager Joselle Dela Rosa.

Embracing change to effectively adapt

Donald Lim, the Chief Operating Officer of DITO CME and the Chief Innovation Officer of the Udenna Corporation also joined the virtual conference to share how businesses can prepare for a post-pandemic world. With insights on how businesses can adapt their strategic response and the secret behind mastering a business pivot, Lim ended his talk remarking “We do not know when COVID will really be gone, but the more that we accept the reality this year, the more we can make adjustments to our business, and [sic] prepare our business, and future-proof our business for other challenges to come,” he said.

To prepare for the challenges to come, Head of GrabFood Greg Camacho unveiled the many upcoming features and upgrades to help businesses effectively adapt to the new normal. “We know that running a business is never a smooth process, and we want to be there with you every step of the way,” he shared.

Taking merchant-partners’ feedback into consideration, Camacho announced a range of features and upgrades to be launched in the coming months:

In the GrabMerchant App, merchant-partners can look forward to upgrades that will give a more seamless operations process through several new features:

  • The improved GrabMerchant Owner Profile gives access to the full suite of tools, allows easy management of employee roles, and provides a seamless shift for store profiles through multi-owner access
  • With communication upgrades integrated in the app, merchant-partners will also be able to quickly make order changes and have access to an in-app live chat for real time feedback from Grab’s support team

Outside the GrabMerchant App, merchant-partners will be able to get ample support through new platforms:

  • To give an even more efficient work process, Grab will be launching the GrabMerchant Portal, a web-based interface where merchant-partners can view and download analytics and reports on sales, operations, and campaigns. Businesses will be able to operate smarter and faster once the GrabMerchant portal starts rolling out in phases by December 2020.
  • Starting early next year, Grab will be launching the Ad Manager, where merchant-partners will be able to build and launch GrabFood ads from the GrabMerchant app in just a few minutes
  • This December, Grab will also be launching the GrabAcademy, a one-stop learning center where merchant-partners can easily access Grab merchant tutorials and courses. As Grab continues to innovate and provide new solutions for more efficient processes, the new GrabAcademy for merchants is sure to make learning much easier for its employees.
Putting safety at the core of your business

As businesses learn to adapt to the so-called “new normal,” addressing the demand for deliveries and prioritizing safety become key factors every business owner must take into consideration.

Unilever, a key partner of GrabFood in its commitment to providing safer meals, shared tips and tricks on how food businesses can ensure protection and good health of its employees and customers. With the goal of raising the bar for safety and hygiene in the food and delivery industry, Unilever Philippines’ Manager Joselle Dela Rosa talked about talked about all the cleaning and hygiene must-haves to maintain a safe kitchen— from surface sanitizer sprays like CIF to hand sanitizers like its new product Lifebuoy.

After a whole afternoon of insightful talks, Grab made sure merchant-partner attendees not only got learnings to help them with their businesses, but also a chance to win from hundreds of exciting raffle prizes. With the support of GRAB UNLOCKED’s co-presenter Unilever and sponsor Coca-Cola, some of the prizes given out were 500,000 GrabReward Points, Samsung S10 phones, Cebu Pacific round trip flight tickets to a local destination, Coca-Cola branded LED watches and cooler bags, Knorr Seasoning, and so much more!

Despite living in these unprecedented times, Grab Philippines’ Country Head Grace Vera Cruz assured its merchants that Grab will continue to be their partner in leveraging technology that can be utilized to further grow their businesses. “While we have a long road to recovery ahead of us, I am confident that by working together, we can build a stronger and more resilient economy; and it starts with every one of us fully embracing digitalization and unlocking its many opportunities,” she said.

Although today’s circumstances remain unprecedented, Grab is committed to working together with its merchant-partners to find the most effective solutions to better reach and serve their consumers. Through technology and digitalization, Grab will continue to provide its merchant-partners with various platforms that will help grow their business, such as the 2020 Grab merchant conference GRAB UNLOCKED.

To learn more about how you can grow your business with Grab, sign up to be a Grab merchant through https://www.grab.com/ph/merchant/food/

SKY calls on subscribers to share ideas on how to spark hope and joy this season

SKY hopes that through its holiday initiatives, its subscribers will be inspired to pay it forward and truly #bethespark of hope and joy to others this season and beyond.

2020 has been a challenging year for all of us, but now more than ever, we need to feel the spirit of Christmas in our hearts. Now is the season to kindle the warmth of caring, friendship, kindness and concern to those around us.

This Christmas, SKY invites its subscribers to share ideas on how they can #BeTheSpark of hope and joy to others, and bring inspiration, light and love this holiday season.

From December 9, 2020 to January 3, 2021, subscribers can simply visit mysky.com.ph/bethespark to send their answers. Lucky subscribers have the chance to win exciting prizes fit for the season such as motorcycles, tablets, smart phones, hygiene and health essentials, grocery packages, as well as surprise treats from HBO and SKY.

“We simply want to have our subscribers feel a sense of optimism and joy this holiday season despite everything that has happened this year. We encourage them to share and inspire others through their ideas showing their expression of love and thankfulness for what we have today” said Claudia Suarez, Head of Consumer Products Group.

SKY will also bring inspiring content as it gives subscribers opens more channels to subscribers at no additional cost from December 18, 2020 to January 1, 2021.

“Through television, families can still bond and create a festive mood despite these uncertain times,” added James Dumlao, SKY Head of Programming.

SKYcable subscribers can catch Chef Jamie Oliver share his delectable recipes for the holidays as “Jamie’s Quick and Easy Christmas” premieres on Metro Channel this December 19, 8pm. Viewers can also seek the guidance of Chef Giada De Laurentiis in preparing for a fun Christmas party as the fifth season of “Giada’s Holiday Handbook” premieres on Food Network.

A holiday celebration wouldn’t be complete without films that touch the heart and inspire wanderlust. Families can begin their movie marathon session on December 24th, 5pm as they tune in to All Day Christmas movies on Lifetime, with “This Christmas Hotel” being the main film highlight. They can also opt to imbibe the holiday spirit earlier as CinemaWorld takes viewers to a virtual travel adventure experience through their themed films starting December 20, 9pm. Young adults will surely enjoy the channel’s first feature film, “Dear Lemon Lima.”

Fans can also follow their favorite talent show, “The Masked Singer” season 4, on Blue Ant Entertainment as it highlights the countdown to the most-awaited finale. Meanwhile, a special glimpse of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree can be seen in the “The Today Show” on TAP TV every 8pm.

Kids get to learn and enjoy interactive game segments in MIAO MI’s “Find with Miao Mi”. Along with their parents, they can geek out on Discovery Channel’s “Rocket Around the Christmas Tree,” wherein they can spectate the most outrageous rocket-powered Christmas tree competition starting this December 23, 9pm.

There are many more channels to choose from and there is bound to be a show that will warm and captivate the hearts of everyone in the family this Christmas.

SKY hopes that through these initiatives, its subscribers will be inspired to pay it forward and truly #bethespark of hope and joy to others this season and beyond.

To know more about SKY’s Christmas campaign, www.mysky.com.ph/bethespark

Shopee Launches 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, Celebrates 5 Years of Digital Acceleration in the Region

Shopee highlights three key trends which have shaped and will continue to drive the growth of e-commerce in 2021 and beyond: Social, Personalization, and Integration

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, wraps up the year-end sales season and marks its fifth birthday by launching its annual 12.12 Big Christmas Sale. Its recent 9.9, 10.10, and 11.11 shopping events set new records and signified the changing landscape and potential of e-commerce in the region. This 12.12, Shopee celebrates five years of digital acceleration in the region and highlights three key trends that have shaped and will continue to drive the growth of e-commerce: Social, Personalization, and Integration.

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee was born with the vision of making online shopping accessible, easy, and enjoyable. We built Shopee from the ground up, listening to people’s specific needs in each of our markets and turning our understanding into well-executed localized strategies that make Shopee what it is today. This year’s 12.12 Big Christmas Sale has added significance as we celebrate our fifth birthday and come together with our brand partners, sellers, and shoppers to support one another through a challenging year. As we look back on our journey, we are proud to have adapted quickly to serve the needs of our local communities.”

This 12.12, Shopee highlights three key trends that will continue to power the growth of e-commerce in 2021 and beyond.

1) Social: Bringing the human touch to online shopping

Advancements in technology, coupled with changing shopper habits, have resulted in online shopping evolving from a transactional experience. Today’s users are more social than ever, and they demand a more engaging online shopping experience with rich and unique content. In 2016, Shopee was one of the first e-commerce platforms in the region to launch a live chat function, Shopee Live Chat, enabling direct conversations between buyers and sellers. Today, an average of 30 million messages are exchanged daily on Shopee Live Chat.

Through the years, Shopee has continuously improved on and introduced new in-app engagement features such as Shopee Games, Shopee Feed, and Shopee Live to make the online shopping experience more social. Shopee anticipates that this trend will stay, with e-commerce increasingly becoming a platform through which people can connect and enjoy shared experiences. Shopee will continue to drive this trend through unique initiatives like Shopee Mom’s Club, which provides like-minded consumers with one-stop exclusive access to baby product deals and parenting content. There’s also a Book Club for a new generation of digital readers in Vietnam and a “Pawrents” club to meet the growing online demand for pet products in Singapore.

2) Personalization: Catering to the ‘Me’ economy

Personalization is critical in e-commerce today. A highly personalized experience makes online shopping more efficient, enjoyable, and unique for consumers, while also helping brands and sellers drive traffic and growth. Shopee takes a hyper-localized approach by running seven different apps in each of its markets and localizing in-app features. Shopee also continually refines its recommendation engines to offer more customized and relevant shopping suggestions to fit consumers’ needs.

For brands and sellers, offering personalized recommendations to shoppers helps increase overall awareness and conversions. Businesses that use Shopee’s in-app advertisements generate 65% more sales activity than those that do not. This is powered by Shopee’s own AI capabilities, which ensure that advertisements are delivered to the right users.

As the industry progresses further into the ‘me’ economy, businesses need to innovate in order to improve the online customer journey. In the coming year, Shopee also expects to see the rise of smart shoppers, a new demographic of young, tech-savvy individuals who expect a highly personalized online shopping experience.

3) Integration: Creating a seamless customer journey

As retailers adapt to the new normal, they must deliver a seamless customer journey across all touchpoints. Shopee helps brands and sellers of all sizes by providing fundamental operational support through integrated payments and logistics, while creating innovative experiences that value-add to the overall customer journey.

  • Delivering an experiential home shopping experience with P&G: Together with P&G, Shopee introduced its first-ever experiential online Show Me My Home initiative, which allowed shoppers to discover and shop for P&G’s popular household items in a simulated household environment. This brought greater convenience for stay-at-home consumers, while mimicking the offline experience of walking in a store.

Yu closed, “2020 has been a transformative year. It has shown us the importance of technology and its ability to not only connect people and meet their basic needs, but also to entertain and engage. We are just at the beginning of our digital journey and looking ahead, we believe e-commerce will have an even more profound impact on businesses and consumers, creating new ways of living, working, and engaging. As we wrap up the year with the 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, let’s continue to look out for one another, uplift those in need, and welcome the new year on a high note.”

12.12 Big Christmas Sale

From November 18 to December 12, users can enjoy free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend, 20% cashback, and ₱1 deals at the Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale.

Key highlights of Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale:

  • Amazing promotions and big rewards with ShopeePay: From December 3 to December 11, shoppers who use ShopeePay can look forward to free shipping, discount vouchers, and a chance to win cash prizes.
  • #MyShopeeWish TikTok Challenge: Join the #MyShopeeWish TikTok Challenge to win prizes. The #MyShopeeWish TikTok Challenge is from December 7 to 30. Winners will be announced on January 15, 2021 on Shopee’s official social media accounts. For more information, head over to https://shopee.ph/m/my-shopee-wish.
  • Big discounts from leading brands: Shoppers can enjoy up to 50% off from leading brands on Shopee Mall, including L’Oreal Paris, P&G Beauty, Abbott, Unilever Home and Food, Havaianas, Nestle, Huawei, Vivo, Pampers, RB Enfagrow, and Infinix.

Additionally, brands such as Unilever, MASS Appliances, Soundcore by Anker, Platinum Karaoke, Union Appliances, Amazfit, Kyowa, PULUZ, Pedigree, Bio-Science, Organic Skin, Shigetsu, Mikana, Organic Official, INSPI, GSK, Tigernu, MetroSunnies, New Balance, Colgate-Palmolive, Haylou, Alaska, and Fila also offer amazing discounts.

For more information about Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, visit https://shopee.ph/m/christmas-sale.

Download Shopee for free on the App Store or Google Play Store.

TikTok Launches Creative Competition to Solve Real-World Marketing Challenges

TikTok invites marketing and creative professionals as well as agencies in Southeast Asia to participate in the TikTok Trendsetter creative competition. Winners to receive up to US$40,000 in prizes and mentorship with TikTok Global Business Marketing (GBM) executives

TikTok, the leading destination for short-form mobile videos, is calling all marketing and creative professionals as well as agencies in Southeast Asia to think outside of the box and join the TikTok Trendsetter creative competition. Launched last November 9, 2020, TikTok Trendsetter aims to inspire professionals and agencies in the Philippines to harness the untapped potential of TikTok to solve real-world marketing challenges.

“The power of TikTok is clear, but it requires a new and different way of thinking. Utilizing an entertainment-based platform allows marketers to engage with users in a ‘sound on’ environment, opening an entirely new window of opportunity,” said Ng Chew Wee, TikTok Head of Business Marketing. “Just like our users, we invite marketers to be experimental and explore their creative side while addressing today’s brand challenges through the Trendsetter creative competition.”

Running for over the course of six weeks, the TikTok Trendsetter creative competition is divided into three separate categories including:

  • Individual Category: Individual contestants to submit one TikTok video creative idea that addresses marketing-related challenges for Small and Midsize Businesses (SMBs), and sectors such as Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Government.
  • Agency Category:Agency contestants to submit a storyboard for at least four TikTok video creative ideas, a media plan leveraging TikTok and one sample TikTok video that addresses marketing-related challenges for industries such as Fintech, Luxury, Automobile, and Telecoms.
  • Existing Campaigns: Campaigns that have already run on TikTok this year can also participate in the competition.

All submissions will need to be submitted by 24 December 2020 with voting for the most creative ideas taking place from 4 to 22 January 2021. The following panel of judges representing in-house and agency creative executives, as well as CMOs and TikTok Creators, will be determining the winners of the competition which will be announced on 1 February 2021:

  • Ng Chew Wee, TikTok Head of Business Marketing
  • Katie Puris, TikTok Managing Director of Global Business Marketing
  • Dianchen Yao, TikTok Head of Client Solutions SEA
  • Nguyen Dinh Toan, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Suntory Pepsico Vietnam
  • Sutirapan Sakkawatra, EVP Head of Marketing at Siam Commercial Bank
  • Roberto Saputra, Chief Brand Officer at Smartfren Telecom
  • Jeff Cheong, DDB Group Singapore Deputy CEO and Tribal Worldwide Asia President
  • Maryzyle Fernadez Galinato, Group Creative Director at Hakuhodo Saigon
  • Pingkan Rarumangkay, Executive Creative Director at Wunderman Thompson Indonesia
  • Tay Guan Hin, Chief Creative Officer of BBDO Singapore
  • Sompat Trisadikun, Chief Creative Officer at The Leo Burnett Group and Publicis Group in Thailand

For each category, regional and local winners will be selected. Agency teams will have a chance to win up to US$40,000 in prizes, while Individual applicants can win a mentorship session with TikTok Global Business Marketing (GBM) executives.

Kantar research shows that in order to tap into the powerful audience response, it is vital to understand TikTok and engage with users on their own terms. To provide a deeper understanding on how to leverage TikTok for marketing purposes, TikTok will also hold a creative workshop on 24 and 26 November in partnership with BBDO Singapore, hosted virtually at https://www.tiktok-trendsetter.com/ for anyone who is interested in learning about leveraging the platform to solve creative challenges.

To enter the competition, view tutorials, best practices and creative playbooks, please visit: https://www.tiktok-trendsetter.com/.

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, Mountain View, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

Details provided by Tiktok in a recent press release.

TECNO Mobile launches new AI-powered, revolutionary TECNO Spark 6 Series – A smartphone for the masses

6 new enhancements bring users an elevated immersive experience, along with more powerful cameras, multiple Bluetooth sharing, bigger screens, higher capacity and faster speeds

Recognizing the evolving need for high-performing, multi-tasking and affordable smartphones during these challenging times, global premier mobile phone brand TECNO Mobile has launched its latest innovation, the TECNO Spark 6 Series.

The TECNO Spark 6 Series is smartly designed for work and play, and is competitively priced to give locals the best value for their hard-earned money. Price ranges from PhP3,990 to PhP6,490. The Spark 6 Series is packed with six upgraded features – a unique camera system designed to elevate photographic immersion to the next level, bigger screen, more generous memory and storage, boosted processing speed, enhanced video call experience, and a fun Bluetooth audio share feature.

Ye Yuan, Deputy General Manager of TECNO Mobile, said: “Now more than ever, the smartphone is a necessity. It is an essential link to the outside world – for remote working, online learning, staying in touch with loved ones, getting news, and for entertainment. Our goal is to make advanced, innovative smartphones more accessible to more people. TECNO Mobile’s smartphones are affordable, and that includes the latest TECNO Spark 6 Series. We continue to develop our smartphones with the consumers’ changing needs.”   

The Spark 6 Series comes in three (3) amazing variants – Spark 6 4GB RAM+128GB, and Spark 6 Go in 4GB RAM +64GB and 2GB RAM+32GB. These all have a high performing, impressive battery life, and a sleek, simple yet bold design. The Spark 6 Go variant was the first to be released this November, and is available in all TECNO Mobile partner retail stores.

Here are some of the features packed into the powerful Spark 6 Series that everyone can enjoy:

Spark 6 Go

  • A 13-megapixel AI Dual camera and 8MP front camera, AI lens with 18 different scene detection, up to 95% recognition rate and upgraded algorithms. The 13-megapixel primary lens supports 4x digital zoom with F-1.8 big aperture that captures more light at night, and processes image details more finely.
  • Various shooting modes for the AI Dual camera, including Bokeh, AI Beauty, and AI HDR, among others. Full picture details and quality are greatly improved, plus a dual rear flash fills light in dark environments to ensure better photos.
  • A Bluetooth Audio Share feature that can connect to multiple wireless Bluetooth headsets at the same time, enabling users to listen and watch with friends.
  • A 6.52 inches dot in display screen with 20:9 screen aspect ratio and 720 x 1600 resolution for a wider, clearer, immersive display effect, rich color contrast, and great visual experience.
  • A 5,000 mAh battery that stays charged longer, ideal for photography, gaming, browsing, video streaming and music.
  • HiOS for a more intelligent and convenient user experience, with a brand new dark theme feature that uses less phone battery and causes less eye strain.

Spark 6

The Spark 6 Series is available at TECNO Mobile partner retail stores, and comes in three models – Spark 6 4GB RAM+128GB priced at PhP6,490, Spark 6 Go 4GB RAM+64GB at PhP5,490, and Spark 6 Go 2GB RAM+32GB for only PhP3,990. For a complete list of stores, visit http://bit.ly/TecnoStoresPH. 

To stay updated on products and the latest offering from TECNO Mobile, visit www.tecno-mobile.com/ph and follow TECNO Mobile Philippines on Facebook.

About TECNO Mobile

TECNO Mobile is a premium smartphone brand from TRANSSION Holdings. Upholding the brand essence of “Expect More”, TECNO Mobile is committed to giving the masses access to latest technology at accessible prices, allowing the consumers to reach beyond their current limitations and uncover a world of possibilities. TECNO Mobile understands the needs of consumers from different markets and provides them with localized innovations across a product portfolio featuring smartphones, tablets, and feature phones. TECNO Mobile is a major global player with presence in around 60 emerging markets across the world. It is also the global Official Tablet and Handset Partner of Manchester City Football Club. For more information, please visit: www.tecno-mobile.com

Shopee Is Giving Away ₱1 Million Daily with Shopee Milyonaryo

Shopee users can tune in to GMA’s Wowowin for a chance to win ₱1 million in cash daily until November 11

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, launchesShopee Milyonaryo as part of its 11.11 – 12.12 Big Christmas Sale. Shopee Milyonaryo is an interactive lucky draw contest on GMA’s Wowowin, where Shopee users stand a chance to win up to ₱1,000,000 in cash every weekday until November 11.

Users can participate by logging on to the Shopee app and claiming the raffle code. The winners will be announced every weekday during GMA’s Wowowin. During the show, the winners will pick one out of six boxes, wherein one of the boxes has ₱1,000,000 in cash.

Martin Yu, Associate Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Christmas is a much-anticipated occasion for all Filipinos. Shopee wants to engage more of its users this holiday by bringing back the season’s joy and excitement with Shopee Milyonaryo. We will continue to stay committed to providing our Filipino users with more initiatives that are engaging, uplifting, and rewarding.”

Key highlights of Shopee’s 11.11 – 12.12 Big Christmas Sale 

Until December 12, shoppers can expect big deals and discounts from leading brands.

● Kris Aquino as Shopee’s new Brand Ambassador: Users can look forward to seeing Kris Aquino on TV commercials, TV shows, and Shopee Live.

● 11.11 Big Christmas TV Special: Viewers can win up to ₱11,000,000 worth of prizes on GMA’s Wowowin on November 11, 5:00 PM.

● Christmas deals and promotions: Shopee users can enjoy free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend, up to 20% coins cashback, and ₱1 deals on selected items such as mobile cases and accessories, home and kitchen items, and nail care products.

● Exclusive deals from leading brands: Users can anticipate up to 70% off on leading brands such as Pampers, Nestle, Vivo, Globe, Havaianas, Unilever Beauty, Abbott, Garnier, realme, and Enfagrow.

More details about Shopee Milyonaryo are available on https://shopee.ph/m/shopee-milyonaryo.

For more information about Shopee 11.11 – 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, visit https://shopee.ph/11-11.

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

Details provided by Shopee in a recent press release.

The Jelly List: Four ways to keep the holiday spirit despite the pandemic

Whenever the calendar turns towards the -BER months, around the same time when we Pinoys start to feel (or imagine!) that the breezes are getting cooler, and we start hearing Christmas carols on continuous loop in the malls, we also get all caught up in the anticipation for fun and festivities of the holiday season.

Those are all just part of the holiday spirit.

However, with the COVID-19 pandemic still raging across the world, the loss of loved ones due to the sickness, the closure of many businesses and unemployment of many workers, can it still be Christmas?

My answer: yes, of course!

We Pinoys love Christmas so much that we won’t let COVID-19 cancel the holiday that brings hope and joy to everyone.

This holiday season, because of the restrictions to mobility or limitations on budget brought about by the pandemic, we won’t be traveling to places in our bucket list, gathering in boisterous families with our clan, nor squeezing into crowded malls for our Christmas shopping. But we can still have a merry – and even more meaningful – Christmas in this time of COVID-19.

Here are some ways to go about this:

1) Spend wisely

Given all the financial uncertainty that many of us are facing, now is not the time to splurge. Your Christmas bonus or aguinaldo may be needed for some unexpected expenses later on.

That said, you can still get a bit of holiday retail therapy done if you employ a bit more effort or creativity.

Prioritize buying the essentials – such as food, clothes and health products – but look for great deals. For instance, Shopee’s 11.11-12.12 Big Christmas Sale includes Php1 deals on selected fashion, self-care and stationery items which users can enjoy during the period leading up to December 12.

Shopee 11.11-12.12 Christmas Sale

You can also find ways to buy what you need without having to shell out cash. Your loyalty points may already have accumulated to a sizable amount that you can use them to purchase items. Case in point: I once bought over Php1,000 worth items from Miniso using my BDO Rewards points.

2) Be together, while staying apart.

One of the most difficult adjustments that this New Normal has brought about is the need for physical distancing. Especially among us Pinoys who are naturally outgoing and affectionate to our loved ones, being physically separated can be quite stressful.

While technology can’t take the place of a loved one’s actual physical presence, some small acts of thoughtfulness can chase away the feelings of isolation.

Our seniors, being high-risk individuals, bear most the brunt of these physical restrictions. Confined to their homes for months now, they can’t go out to stretch their legs or chat with their amigos and amigas. Be sure to check in on them regularly and cheer them up by sending pictures or video clips of the mundane yet happy moments that occur everyday, My mom, for instance, really appreciates when my kids video-chats with her via FB messenger.

Since the barkada can’t physically get together for a round of drinks, how about holding an e-numan sesh over Zoom? Send a ready-to-grill pack of barbecue or isaw from Mang Ding’s to your friends before the sesh to go with your favorite drinks while having your virtual bar hangout.

Mang Ding’s Marikina

You can also make and share a Spotify playlist of your favorite songs from childhood with your friends so you can all reminisce about the hits from the past as well as share a laugh over your collective taste in music.

The key is to share a happy and memorable experience even while staying physically apart.

3) Give gifts that keep on giving.

For many of us, budget is pretty tight, even during the holiday season. That doesn’t mean, however, that we can’t show our love for our family and friends through gifts. In fact, a well-chosen gift that takes the needs of the recipient into consideration, especially during this time, will be greatly appreciated.

For instance, rather than giving the usual gift baskets or knick-knacks, gift your friends with groceries, care packs or hygiene kits instead. These are supplies that they will no doubt need in the coming days so by giving them as gifts, you are eliminating something from their to-buy list, thus saving them money and effort.

You can also choose to send gifts that support small businesses such as online food sellers that offer family trays of Filipino dishes or new bakers that offer boxes of monster-sized cookies. These thoughtful food gifts save the recipient from the hassle of preparing a meal or indulges their cravings.

Alpha’s Kitchen Home Delivery

Extra Butter

How about gifting a loved one with a present made by your own hands? If you’ve taken up crocheting or knitting as a quarantine pastime, now would be a good time test your skills with some bespoke projects for your friends. If you’re among the plantitas or plantitas who sprouted during the lockdown, give your friends a cutting or a pot of your plants that they can have their own plant-babies to nurture in the coming year.

4) Share the love.

While life under COVID-19 may be hard on us, we know that other people may have been harder hit by the pandemic. Even if you don’t have a lot to give, you can still find ways to share your blessings to those in need.

For instance, if you’ve recently emptied out and reorganized your closets for the New Normal, you may have a lot of old clothes that can be donated to charities.

You can also use your loyalty points to give to charity. For example, you can redeem your GrabRewards points to donate to WWF, Red Cross, Unicef and more.

The pandemic may continue to wreak havoc in our lives well into the holiday season and even beyond. But it is up to us to keep that flicker of Christmas cheer burning despite all the challenges and difficulties of 2020, not just for our own enjoyment, but more importantly, to spark hope for others.

Happy holidays, dear readers! Stay safe!

Check out my other adventures compiled into Jelly Lists:

Shopee Welcomes Kris Aquino as its New Brand Ambassador for the 11.11 – 12.12 Big Christmas Sale

Shopee users can anticipate guest appearances from Kris Aquino on TV and Shopee Live, a special charity drive, and a brand-new TV commercial.

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, introduces the Queen of All Media, Kris Aquino, as its new brand ambassador for the Shopee 11.11 – 12.12 Big Christmas Sale. Together with Kris Aquino, Shopee celebrates the festive season with weeks full of exciting in-app games, a star-studded TV special, and tons of amazing deals and promos this Shopee 11.11 – 12.12 Big Christmas Sale. 

Martin Yu, Associate Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Christmas is the biggest holiday in the Philippines, and we are excited to kickstart the celebrations with Kris Aquino as our new brand ambassador. Having Kris Aquino join our Shopee family demonstrates our continuous efforts to reach our long-term vision of making e-commerce for everyone. We want to connect with our Filipino users on a deeper level and help them enjoy the benefits of e-commerce this Christmas season. We will continue to surprise and delight shoppers at the Shopee 11.11 – 12.12 Big Christmas Sale and invite everyone to join in the fun with us.” 

As the new brand ambassador, Kris Aquino will participate in a range of initiatives for the Shopee 11.11 – 12.12 Big Christmas Sale. Shoppers can look forward to the following: Kris Aquino’s highly anticipated on-screen appearances on TV and Shopee Live, Kris Aquino’s highly anticipated on-screen appearances on TV and Shopee Live, engaging and entertaining Kris Aquino Tiktok videos on Shopee official account, Mini-games on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter where users can get the chance to win Shopee vouchers and Shopee themed Kris Aquino stickers on Instagram.

Shopee Bayanihan: Pamaskong Pambata

Additionally, Kris Aquino teams up with Shopee as the face of Shopee Bayanihan: Pamaskong Pambata. Together, they will help raise funds to support the Filipino youth’s health, education, and welfare through a digital charity sale, special live streams with leading brands, and user donations through the Shopee app. Partner organizations include PGH Medical Foundation, GMA Kapuso Foundation, FundLife, World Vision Philippines, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Mano Amiga, Young Focus Philippines, Save the Children, Project Pearls, Project SMILE, and Kythe Foundation.

Key highlights of the Shopee 11.11 – 12.12 Big Christmas Sale

From October 21 to December 12, shoppers can look forward to exciting games, amazing deals, and big discounts from leading brands. 

Unbeatable Christmas deals on Shopee: Users can enjoy free shipping with ₱0 minimum spend, daily 20% coins cashback on best treats like a Xiaomi 32-inch LED TV, a Dyson Cyclone Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, and Christmas baubles such as decorative ornaments and village nativity sets.  

₱1 Deals: Consumers can expect ₱1 deals on selected items from various categories such as beauty, fashion, mobile, and stationery products.

Exclusive deals from leading brands: Users can anticipate up to 70% off on 11.11’s leading brands such as Pampers, Nestle, Vivo, Globe, Havaianas, Unilever Beauty, Abbott, Garnier, realme, and Enfagrow.

Additionally, Closeup, Pond’s, Lifebuoy, Dove, Creamsilk, TRESemmé, Colgate-Palmolive, Comfort, Nivea, ACE, Union Appliances, Kyowa, Patagonia Foods Philippines, Candy Corner, Inspi, Organic Official, Crown, Mikana, Shigetsu, Universal Robina Corporation, GSK – Sensodyne, and Goldriver Management (Beauti Drink Collaskin) will give out amazing deals. Shopee users can also enjoy fantastic promotions from brands like Spyder, SoFab!, Figlia, Herschel, Johnson & Johnson (Aveeno, Johnson’s Baby, Modess, Neutrogena, Listerine), Garnier, Klean Kanteen, Nokia, and Robinson’s Appliances.

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

About Shopee

Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. It is a platform tailored for the region, providing customers with an easy, secure and fast online shopping experience through strong payment and logistical support. Shopee aims to continually enhance its platform and become the region’s e-commerce destination of choice.

Shopee has a wide selection of product categories ranging from consumer electronics to home & living, health & beauty, baby & toys, fashion and fitness equipment.

Shopee, a Sea company, was first launched in Singapore in 2015, and has since expanded its reach to Malaysia, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Sea is a leader in digital entertainment, e-commerce and digital financial services across Greater Southeast Asia. Sea’s mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology, and is listed on the NYSE under the symbol SE.

Details provided by Shopee in a recent press release

7 Must-see features of the awesome new TECNO POVA

The newly-rebranded POVA smartphone series combines premium performance and competitive pricing

With the arrival of its POVA series in the Philippines, global premier mobile phone brand, TECNO Mobile, has once again provided consumers with a high-performance phone at an affordable price tag. 

Officially launched on October 15, 2020, POVA is exclusively available at the TECNO Mobile PH Official Store in Shopee Mall. This smartphone comes in two attractive colors, Magic Blue and Speed Purple, and is priced at PHP 6,999.

Previously released as TECNO Pouvoir, POVA retains key elements from its predecessor, including an outstanding processor, brilliant screen, and superior battery. Built to provide optimal value to users, the new POVA series is flexible and adaptable, capable of delivering the best mobile experience.

What exactly can users expect from this performance beast? Here is a list of 7 must-see features of the awesome new TECNO POVA. 

  1. A 6000mAh super battery with a standby time of 30 days, and the ability to play music for 8 days straight, on just a single charge.
  2. An 18W dual IC flash charger, which can increase charging efficiency by 20%
  3. A Helio G80 Gaming Processor, which unlocks intelligent resource management in game mode, and enhanced power management for high intensity gaming
  4. A 64GB + 6GB memory with HyperEngine Game Technology for a dynamic lag-free gaming experience 
  5. The exclusive HiOS Operating System, built on Android™ 10, with an all-new design that allows a wide-range of user customization
  6. A 6.8” dot-in display screen with an extremely sharp display, and a 90.4% perfect screen ratio that provides a better viewing experience 
  7. Enhanced artificial intelligence cameras for professional quality photos – Four 13-megapixel focal length cameras on the rear, and an 8-megapixel AI selfie front camera

For a limited time only, POVA will be available at the special launch price of PHP 6,499 to the first 3000 buyers on the TECNO Mobile PH Official Store in Shopee Mall.  Be one of the first 1000 buyers to use voucher code GADGETZONE8 starting midnight of October 15, 2020 and get POVA for only PHP5,999.

Visit the TECNO Mobile PH Official Store in Shopee Mall to check out the new POVA series, and see the latest offerings. For updates and other information, visit www.tecno-mobile.com/ph.

Details provided by Tecno Mobile in a recent press release.

SKY treats new subscribers to GrabFood discount codes

SKY is giving new subscribers an irresistible treat as it partners with GrabFood—discount codes for their next food delivery when their application gets approved from October 1 to 31, 2020.

Perfect for their next binge-watch and snacking session, this sumptuous offer entitles subscribers to at least two discount codes or more depending on the plan that they have subscribed to.

For every P500 monthly fee of subscribed plan, new subscribers will receive two P69 worth of discounts. For instance, a SKY Fiber Unli Broadband 25Mbps + All in Box plan worth P1,499 will get six GrabFood discount codes with a total value of P414.

Each discount voucher is valid for single use and may be availed of upon checkout for a minimum food order amounting to Php690 on GrabFood. The discount codes will be emailed to new subscribers within three to five days of successful installation of their SKY service.

To avail of this latest SKY promo, subscribe to a SKYcable or SKY Fiber plan via mysky.com.ph within the promo period. For more details about the promo mechanics, visit mysky.com.ph/grabfood.

Image and promo details provided by SKY in a recent press release.