Eat Well. Travel Often

Redefine your Starbucks espresso experience with their newest handcrafted beverages. Starting February 21, we can enjoy the new Starbucks espresso layer collection which includes two new flavors, the Tahitian Vanilla Macchiato and Valencia Orange Cocoa Cappuccino. Joined by a returning favorite, the Matcha & Espresso Fusion, all the beverages offer delicious layers of flavor that appeal to coffee lovers seeking new adventure and sophistication in coffee.

Tahitian Vanilla Macchiato offers a twist on the classic pairing of vanilla and coffee – a marriage made in heaven. Tahitian Vanilla has a unique floral aroma and mild sweetness which pairs the roasty coffee, complemented by a layer of velvety steamed milk, then topped with Starbucks signature espresso and finished with vanilla bean specks and vanilla drizzle in our classic double crosshatch pattern.

Short - ₱ 155 / Tall – ₱ 165 / Grande ₱ 180 / Venti–₱ 195

Starbucks Valencia Orange Cocoa Cappuccino

Short - ₱ 145 / Tall –₱ 155 / Grande ₱ 170 / Venti–₱ 185

Meanwhile, the refreshing Valencia Orange Cocoa Cappuccino is perfectly blended to suit the taste of those who need the reinvigorating sweet flavor. In this beverage, Valencia Orange Mocha Sauce is combined with milk, topped with dense and creamy foam and then layered with affogato-style signature espresso shots, sweet cocoa powder and tartly-sweet bits of orange peel to add even more flavors.

These layered espresso beverages are handcrafted by Starbucks Baristas, reflecting their true artistry and sharing their passion for coffee to the customers with every sip.

“We are delighted to introduce Starbucks latest take on espresso, with Baristas offering unique and sophisticated treats for coffee lovers. They vary in flavor, texture and experience but espresso is always at the core. Starbucks Baristas craft carefully selected ingredients with espresso to produce stunning combinations of flavors and layers. These beverages invite customers to experience new and different ways to enjoy coffee,” said Keith Cole, head of marketing, Starbucks Philippines.

Also available for a limited time is the Starbucks Tribute BlendTM created to celebrate the company’s 40th anniversary in 2011. It combines the all-time favorite coffees: Ethiopian sun-dried beans with an exotic flourish of dark cherry; Aged Sumatra, loved for its syrupy body and cedary spice notes; juicy, herbal and complex coffees from Papua New Guinea; and our Colombia coffee, bright, balanced and nutty. You can also enjoy this coffee anytime, anywhere with the Starbucks VIA® Tribute BlendTM so you won’t miss out its layers of flavors even on the go.

Starbucks Tribute Blend. Complementary Flavors: Chocolate and berries. / P445

Starbucks VIA Tribute Blend. Complementary Flavors: Chocolate and berries. / P375

What’s more, the Starbucks® Cold Brew, the slow-steeped and brewed without heat coffee which was previously available only to Starbucks Reserve® stores, is now available in all Starbucks stores nationwide.

Lastly, this new Starbucks Siren Card will also be available starting on February 21 for an initial consumable load amount of P300.

For more information, go to www.starbucks.ph

Thank you for dropping by and have a great day! - Jexx

Top seven boys and five girls who will represent Mindanao in the National Training Camp in Manila on May 12-14 [Left to right: (TOP) Jezreel Aton, Jerald Arestes, Khen Caduyac, Stephen Jepbson Garcia, John Anthony Melgazo, Geo Ramos, Maverick John Vieto (Bottom) Giordana Tagarda, Louise Veronica Agad, September Star Padla, Ella Rae Amulato, Pauline Angelique Valle]

Last February 11-12, 2017, a record-breaking number of 1,479 young athletes from Mindanao showed up at this year's first Regional Selection Camp of Jr. NBA Philippines 2017. This event was presented by Alaska at Xavier University at Cagayan De Oro City.

After experiencing the various progressive basketball drills and scrimmages, Jezreel Aton, 13, of Bethel Baptist Christian Academy; Khen Caduyac, 13, and Stephen Jebson Garcia, 13, of Corpus Cristi; John Anthony Melgazo, 14, and Jerald Orestes, 13, of Bukidnon National Highschool; Geo Ramos, 13, of Xavier University and Maverick John Vieto, 13, of San Isidro College ruled the boys division while Louise Veronica Agad, 12, Ella Rae Amulato, 12, and Pauline Angelique Valle, 12, of Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive Highschool (MOGCHS); September Star Padla, 13, of Bukidnon State University; and Giordana Tagarda, 10, of City Central School are the girls who will represent Mindanao to the Jr. NBA Philippines National Training Camp in Manila this May 12-14.

These 12 young ballers excelled in the skills stations and exhibition games, exemplifying the Jr. NBA core S.T.A.R. values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude and Respect throughout the camp. The Jr. NBA committee headed by Jr. NBA Coach Craig Brown evaluated the regional finalists.

“These kids in Cagayan De Oro listen extremely well and play hard,” said Jr. NBA Coach Craig Brown. “If they continue to work on the fundamentals that we worked on here over the last two days and really stay committed to the S.T.A.R values which they exuded here this weekend, I think the sky is the limit for these young people.”

WNBA participants go at it in the scrimmages as this girl tries to escape her defender

Fly high. These girls float in the air as one tries to score a basket while the other attempts to deflect the ball

A boy drives hard to the basket despite the pesky defense of his opponent

Shooting for his dream. This Jr. NBA hopeful leaves his defender behind and goes all the way to the basket for a layup

Some of the young athletes who participated in the two-day camp traveled all the way from Bukidnon, Butuan, Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga for the opportunity to be selected and advance to the next stages of the league’s global youth basketball participation program.

“These children reinforce Alaska’s commitment to promoting sports and outdoor play in the Philippines. It is our mission to nurture young talents and to promote healthy and active lifestyle through sports and outdoor play,” says Wilfred Uytengsu, Alaska Milk Corporation President, and CEO.

Based on the 8th National Nutrition Survey in 2013 by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), obesity is one of the most prevalent nutritional problems of Filipino children with about 5 out of 100 Filipino children are overweight.

Given the growing issues on health, Alaska believes that there is a need to reinforce its thrust in leading a healthy lifestyle not just by drinking milk but by living actively through sports and other outdoor activities. Alaska seeks to engage the Filipino consumers, especially the youth, through its sports development programs to help nourish children to become champions.

Jr. NBA Philippines 2017 presented by Alaska Regional Selection Camp’s next stop will be Lucena (Feb. 25-26) followed by Cebu (March 11-12) and Manila (April 1-2). Boys and girls ages 10-14 can still register for the free youth basketball program at www.jrnba.asia/philippines, where the program terms and conditions can be found.

Fans can also follow Jr. NBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrnbaphilippines. For all things NBA, fans can visit www.nba.com, like the NBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/philsnba and follow www.twitter.com/nba_philippines on Twitter.

To learn more about the Alaska Milk Corporation, visit www.alaskamilk.com and www.playph.com.

Thanks for dropping by and have a great day! - Jexx

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PR from Laila Opina from Perk Communications Inc.

A new epic drama series, "Emerald City" is now available on iflix! From today, Philippine subscribers can now stream the newest episodes of NBC Universal's new drama series, exclusively on iflix. Directed by renowed filmmaker, Tarsem Singh, the epic, romantic, and fantastical Emerald City is an empowering tale of a young woman finding her true strength and identity even as she battles to bring a divided world together.

Emerald City is a fantastic reimagining of L. Frak Baum's The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy Gale played by actress Adria Arjona is transported to another mystical world with witches and magic.

iflix Group Chief Content Officer, James Bridges, commented: “Emerald City is an epic, enthralling and much darker take on the world of Oz, brought to life for a new generation with director Tarsem Singh’s jaw-dropping, breathtaking visual flair. We’re thrilled once again to partner with NBCUniversal International Distribution to bring this epic series to viewers across Southeast Asia for the first time, exclusively on iflix.”

Now available in Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Brunei, the Maldives and Pakistan, iflix will continue to roll out its world-class service to key additional emerging markets in the coming months. Offering consumers, a vast library of top Hollywood, Asian regional, and local TV shows and movies including many first run exclusives and award-winning programs, each subscription allows users to access the service on up to five devices, including phones, laptops, tablets, and television sets, for viewing wherever, whenever. iflix subscribers can also download TV shows and movies from iflix’s extensive catalogue for offline viewing. The service is priced at only Php129 per month in the Philippines for unlimited access with no ads!

For new subscribers, iflix offers a complimentary 1-month trial with full access to its world-class service, features and content. Go to www.iflix.com to register.

Thanks for dropping by and have a great day! - Jexx

_____________PR from Trish Deluria

Valentine’s Day is one of the most anticipated holidays for couples all over the world. While it is indeed a beautiful day to celebrate your love for your other half, it is also a day dreaded by Filipino commuters as V-Day is expected to generate heavy traffic throughout the metro.

To help spread the love and ease a bit of the traffic-induced stress on this day of love, PayMaya Philippines, the digital financial services arm of PLDT and Smart's Voyager Innovations, offered a romantic treat to the busy commuters of the LRT 2.

The sound of the bustling train and the shuffling passengers were replaced by love songs fit for the special occasion. As commuters listen to the beautiful music rendered by the violinist, the dashing executives of PayMaya Philippines and Voyager Innovations surprised the passengers with long-stemmed roses.

“We know that commuting – especially on this day – can be a bit of a hassle. We’re happy to share some joy through this simple treat for our customers.” said Paolo Azzola, co-COO and Managing Director of PayMaya Philippines.

The executives also gave some lucky passengers their very own PayMaya card. PayMaya is a reloadable e-wallet that allows consumers to shop for the things they love – including clothes, books, food, and even a ticket to their dream destination – even without a credit card. A variant also doubles as a beep card, which definitely comes in handy for the everyday commuter.

PayMaya can be used online and offline. All they have to do is download the app, register, link the card, and load it up at the nearest 711 with Cliqq Kiosks, Ministop with Touchpay Kiosks, SM Business Centers, Robinson’s Department Stores, UnionBank ATMs, or Smart Padala Centers. They can also opt to load it up via BDO online banking.

“Similar to this Valentine’s surprise, our service, PayMaya, aims to offer a delightful experience to our users. Before, consumers have to apply for a credit card in order to shop or pay for the services they love online. And now, they can easily do all of these without having to go through the tiring and tedious process of getting a credit card,” shared Sharon Kayanan, Marketing and Brand Head, PayMaya Philippines.

PayMaya, which remains to be the no. 1 most downloaded Finance app on the Play Store - Philippines, can also be downloaded on the App Store for free. To start using the app, all the user has to do is register with any Philippine mobile number, fill out basic information, and load up the account using the registered mobile number. For Globe subscribers, users will get an instant virtual Visa card while for Smart, Sun, and TnT users, users will receive the Mastercard version. PayMaya works anywhere Visa or MasterCard is accepted. The physical cards can be purchased at https://paymaya.com/shop/, free of delivery charges nationwide.

PayMaya Philippines is the pioneer in mobile money and digital payments with established brands such as PayMaya, the first prepaid online payment app that enables the financially underserved to pay online without a credit card; PayMaya Business, the company’s system solutions provider that allows businesses to receive online and card payments anytime, anywhere; Smart Money, the world’s first e-wallet linked to a mobile phone; and Smart Padala, the leading mobile remittance network in the Philippines.

PayMaya Philippines is the digital financial services arm of PLDT and Smart’s digital innovation unit, Voyager Innovations.

For more information about PayMaya, visit www.paymaya.com

Engage with us on social media at: facebook.com/PayMayaOfficial, twitter.com/paymayaofficial, and https://www.instagram.com/paymayaofficial/.

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PR from Arwin Abe of Voyager Innovations / Paymaya

Last February 10, 2017, MT Martish Corporation invited the media and the Davao Bloggers Society for an exclusive gathering in celebration of OBRIGADA 2017. MT Martish is the Exclusive Sub Distributor of Havaianas in South East Mindanao. Obrigada or Thank You in Portugese, MT Martish Corporation’s annual gathering for the Davao press and personalities.

For Obrigada 2017, MT Martish goes organic and partners with Echostore, the country’s pioneering social enterprise and retail store carrying green fair trade products by local groups and communities all over the Philippines. Set at Echostore, this year’s annual get-together with different personalities and the press will be an intimate gathering, which aims to promote a healthy way of living while celebrating the Havaianas Summer Lifestyle.

At the event, guests will be served light, refreshing, & healthy cocktails, along with the Havaianas juice bar, where cold-pressed juices are available, including four organic juices that take inspiration from the Havaianas 2017 collection:

Allegra: Quench your thirst with this refreshing Watermelon juice inspired by the vibrant Havaianas Allegra in Pearl Pink! It’s sweet and packed with antioxidants and amino acids that is sure to lighten up your mood!

havaianas obrigada 2017 davao slim tropical

Slim Tropical: Let’s take it to the tropics! This drink is based on the Havaianas Slim Tropical, which is a blend of Bananas that’s rich in potassium, fiber-filled Pineapples, and Oranges that’s a good source of B Vitamins, which will definitely give you good island vibes.

Hype: Influenced by the beautiful sights featured in the Havaianas Hype, this juice is made from the freshest Mangoes, high in Vitamin A which promotes good eyesight to help you appreciate the beautiful seascapes and landscapes around you!

Gradient: Re-energize with this juice inspired by the Havaianas Gradient in Led Yellow/Mint Green. This juice is a combination of various citric fruits, high in Vitamin C that will keep you energized throughout the day!

This year’s gathering will also feature a brief workshop by Yana Santiago of Olivia & Diego, a social business that works with communities to create upcycled jewelry made from fabrics from discarded cotton-knitted t-shirts. This workshop will show guests how to recycle old fabric pieces and turn them into stylish anklets that will go perfectly with their favorite Havaianas pair.

havaianas obrigada 2017 davao olivia and diego

Different from the previous Obrigada events, MT Martish invites loyal Havaianaticos, in addition to personalities & friends from the media, to an exclusive Pop-up Shop at Echostore, where they can shop with discounts and avail of limited edition Havaianas goodies. And in line with this year’s theme of going organic, MT Martish says thank you to each guest with a personalized upcycled Havaianas tote bag.

“This year’s Obrigada serves as a venue for us at MT Martish to gather our friends from the local media, loyal Havaianas customers & personalities, and thank them for their support and contribution in the growth of Havaianas for the last 12 years in Davao” says MT Martish Managing Director Marga Nograles.