Dimples Romana leads a special Mega Mother’s Day with fellow KuMMMares and Mega Mackerel

“We’re happy and excited that Dimples Romana has joined the Mega family. Dimples embodies the same values that Mega Global and Mega Mackerel stand for–excellence and commitment to quality, serving only the best to Filipino families. Through Dimples, we aim to continue being a trusted partner of all Mega moms, inspire them and help them unleash their madiskarte, praktikal, and maparaan qualities at home.” ~Marvin Tiu Lim, Mega Global Chief Growth and Development officer

With the whole family staying at home almost all the time, our moms are always on the lookout for Mmmasarap at Mmmalinamnam meals to serve the family. Mega Mackerel perfectly fits any dish with its huge and savory chunks, packed with amazing umami flavor. It's available in three flavors: Natural Oil, Tomato Sauce, and Tomato Sauce Chili Added. 

Got to know more about the health benefits and sumptuous meals I can do with Mega Mackerel and an afternoon of good food and great company with their newest brand ambassador, Ms. Dimples Romana. This pre-mother's day event is a special treat for all the moms who tirelessly run the house and care for the family.

Kumares need to get together once in a while for some bonding moments and nonstop kwentuhan. Recognizing that moms draw strength and inspiration from each other, especially in the midst of a pandemic, Mega Mackerel hosted KuMMMare Moments with Dimples Romana, an online bonding and learning session, as an early Mother’s Day treat for all the Mega Moms.

Leading the event was Dimples Romana, Mega Mackerel’s newest brand ambassador, and a truly madiskarteng Mega mom. She gamely shared her tips on cooking, health, nutrition, and family life with fellow moms who want smart and practical tips on kitchen and household management. 

As the newest face of Mega Mackerel, Dimples shared how she’s very particular with what she gives to her family, especially with food. She’s the type who always checks the quality and label and with Mega Mackerel, Dimples is assured that each can is tasty, nutritious and a perfect fit in their household. 

She also shared some exciting recipes using Mega Mackerel, which is perfect for any dish with its big chunks and rich umami flavor that adds that extra linamnam flavor into any dish. Dimples showed how the three variants – Mega Mackerel in Natural Oil, Mega Mackerel in Tomato Sauce, and Mega Mackerel in Tomato Sauce with Chili Added – can be made into easy-to-serve, yummy, and healthy dishes.

The special Mother’s Day event was filled with KUMMMARE Moments and inspiring ideas as the moms shared stories on how they continue to nurture their families amidst these trying times. With Dimples as a Mega Mackerel ambassador, fun-loving moms can look forward to more fun and exciting activities with fellow kumares. For more information, you can visit Mega Mackerel’s Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/megamackerel/.

5 of the best online games to play as a family at home during the lockdown

Is your home as bored as your daily activities during the quarantine? Are you feed up with all the old variety of games with your kids at home such as play cards, monopoly, stackable, scrabble. Did you know that there are new and improved digital versions that are fun for all ages that the whole family can enjoy?

Here are 5 of the best online games to play as a family at home during the lockdown:

1. Bible Quiz Trivia Game for Kids

This is a 100-question quiz about the Bible where players must select among 4 multiple choice answers.

2. Fast Typer Game: Measure Your Keyboard Typing WPM

This is a free typing game that lasts precisely one minute and measures the words per minute typing speed and accuracy of the player.

3. Find the Pug: Hidden Object Dog Game

This is a cute hidden object game where players try to quickly find a pug hidden amongst a sea of dogs.

4. Adventures of Harry Mouse Escape Game

Adventures of Harry is a 28-level escape game where you move a fan around the level to propel a mouse past sharp objects while collecting cheese and then escaping through the mouse hole.

5. Room Escape Adventure Game

This is a fun hand-drawn escape strategy game where players must collect the key and leave the room while avoiding a dangerous blue ball of hair and other obstacles.

Tip: You do not have to download software or apps - the games are entirely browser-based download more games online and Play Free Online Video Games for more than 100 games to play.

Home-Works for Mom from SM

 While every home for the past year has been inside their home during the lockdown, spending more time at home, keeping it clean and bright is a challenge for Mom. This Mother’s Day, surprise her with exciting innovations from SM Home that will make her home-works a breeze and give her more time for herself.

There are smart cleaners like robotic vacuums that will work on dusty floors, stained fabrics, stinky corners, and kitchen clutter in half the time we spent in our usual cleaning routine. Power scrubbers will leave the floor spotless; while UV sterilizers sanitize and disinfect bed linens and dinnerware to protect your family from unwanted viruses. 

Clean with style with Eufy HomeVac S11 Go, a cordless and lightweight stick-vacuum cleaner that allows you to maneuver into the corners and around furniture.

Save time from washing the dishes and keep your dinnerware germ-free with Hanabishi Dishwasher with UV Sterilizer.

Eufy HomeVac H11 is a mini vacuum that offers practical solutions in your home’s cleaning needs.

Let this Eufy RoboVac G10 Hybrid takes charge of mopping and sweeping in half the time as Mom relaxes.

This Crossett Air Purifier is equipped with HEPA filter that ensures cleaner air for your home.

Kokubo Bottle Sponges for long bottle and glasses.

Dust off the mites from your bed with this Dowell UV Mites Cleaner.

Sanitize and disinfect your home with this Landlite UV- C Sterilizer Portable Lamp and Pocket Stick.

This May, get discounts and online coupons on select home essential items and furniture from SM Home. Shop for your mom and place your order online through the SM Store’s Call to Deliver (#143SM) and ShopSM app. For more info and updates, follow SM Home at the SM Store on Instagram or visit thesmstore.com website. 

Araneta City offers more weekend shopping convenience with Ask Ara's FREE DELIVERY promo

Araneta City gives everyone an exciting pay-day holiday weekend with a safe shopping experience. With Ask Ara's free delivery promo, everyone can shop at the safety and comfort of their homes from From April 30 (Friday) to May 2 (Sunday), the City of Firsts will have a FREE DELIVERY of items to be purchased at Gateway Mall or Gateway Tower via ASK ARA, Araneta City's improved personal virtual shopper, and delivery service.

The City of Firsts is giving shoppers more reasons to relax at home and buy their essentials safely and conveniently this payday and Labor Day weekend.

With Ask Ara, anyone at their homes can now buy items online at any Gateway Mall or Gateway Tower store. Just send your list to our virtual shopper Ara, and she will do the shopping for you!  

To avail of this service:

STEP 1: Visit the Ask Ask Ara Facebook page.

STEP 2: Message Ara and indicate the details of the item/s to be purchased.

STEP 3: Settle payments online, discuss whether the item/s is/are for customer pickup or for delivery.

STEP 4: Wait for the item/s to be delivered FOR FREE by Mr. Speedy.

Ask Ara can accommodate up to 2 store transactions per customer inquiry and up to 3 purchases per store. The list of Gateway Mall and Tower stores can be viewed HERE.

This personal virtual shopper service is FREE of charge, with each customer having to pay only for the items purchased. Ara is ready to accommodate shopping requests daily from 10AM to 5:30PM.

Make the most of the weekend with Ask Ara's 3-day free delivery promo, and enjoy a taste of convenient shopping only at the City of Firsts!

8 Best Bonding Ideas for an Awesome Mother’s Day Celebration

Treat your mom to a wonderful celebration at SM Supermalls.

 

If you’re looking for Best Bonding Ideas for an Awesome Mother’s Day Celebration, if there’s one thing that moms want most when celebrating Mother’s Day, it’s spending time with the entire family. If you’re out of ideas on how to make bonding time with Mom extra special this coming May 9, let SM Supermalls give you a few fun and creative suggestions to make your date with the most important woman in your life one for the books. Put a smile on her face this Mother’s Day.

1. Make it a blessed Mom’s Day. Start the day off with a special mass dedicated for mothers at participating SM malls or online through SM Supermalls’ Facebook page. It’s a great way to make Mom feel blessed and grateful for all the best things she receives in her life.

2. Enrich her career.  It’s never too late for Mom to learn something new! Gift her with the special "SuperMOMpreneurs Power-Up Webinar" presented by SM and Facebook Philippines this May 5 at 11:00AM. In celebration of International Small Business Week, the webinar, which will be released on SM Supermalls Facebook Page and #WatchSM YouTube Channel, will surely be appreciated by Mom to help boost her business.

3. Surprise her with all-day access to her favorite places. Moms always love some “me” time, so why not make it a whole-day tour of some of her fave stress-relieving places? On May 5, SM will be holding the 5.5 Mom’s Sale featuring awesome discounts on food, shopping, and pampering! So, gather the whole fam, head to her favorite SM mall, and enjoy a scrumptious meal at her chosen restaurant. Check out the Instagram-worth outdoor dining areas at SM malls where the whole family can dine safely. Next, make a stop at her preferred stores for some exciting retail therapy then finish off with a relaxing session at her favorite spa or salon.

Still looking for a gift for your Mom? Check out 5.5 Mom’s Sale on May 5 at SM Supermalls.

4. Give her a feast to remember. If she’s not too keen to go out or simply wants to enjoy a low-key celebration, opt for a Mother’s Day feast at home, featuring all her best-loved dishes. From appetizers to desserts, you can have them all conveniently delivered to your home or take out via the SM Malls Online app or through its hotline (8-8761111 for Metro Manila malls or 09178761111 and 09088761111 for provincial malls).

5. Make her bloom even more. Nothing makes Mom smile more than a fresh bouquet of beautiful flowers, so a whole garden of blooms would definitely make her grin from ear to ear. At Mom’s Bloom Fair bazaar from April 29 to May 9, she can indulge in fresh and dried flowers and succulents and get a lovely shot of this flourishing paradise for Instagram.

6. Turn her into a TikTok star. Who says Mom can’t enjoy her 15 minutes of fame? Join her for a dance showdown and let the world know just how aweSM she is via TikTok. Just record a dance video of you and Mom and post it on TikTok anytime between April 29 to May 9, tagging @smsupermalls and including the hashtags #MOMentsWithSM and #FamTimewithSM, for a chance to be one of the 3 most viewed videos to win P3,000 SM gift certificates. Don’t forget to include SM Supermalls in your video to make it even more fun and creative!  

7. Arrange a special date for her and her furry friend. A certified pet parent like your mom deserves a bonding date with her fur baby, too. For SM’s Mom’s Pet Day, they can indulge in fun and exciting activities together, like photo sessions in their twinning outfits, from May 1 to 9. Plus, there will be special deals and discounts the two of them will surely enjoy. Just visit the Paw Park at participating SM malls to experience this pawsome treat!    

8. Cater to her sweet tooth. Baked goodies are always a nice idea to cap off a tiring but fruitful day, so before heading home, drop by Mom’s Bake Fair from April 29 to May 9 to bring home some of her favorite cakes and baked sweets. She will also be inspired by fellow empowered moms, as the bazaar features women entrepreneurs offering these sweet products.

Go the extra mile for Mom with these great bonding ideas for Mother’s Day at her favorite SM mall. Visit www.smsupermalls.com or like and follow @smsupermalls on all social media platforms for more information. 

McDonald’s Philippines resilient during COVID-19 pandemic; primed to begin recovery in 2021

“Our commitment to people has always been embedded in our core values. We understand the significant role we play in ensuring that we support communities in need, especially during the most trying of times. Our priority has always been to constantly evolve and introduce innovations for our customers, and for them to enhance their safe and frictionless experience across all channels. This continued rollout of our offerings is a strategic investment as we continue to surpass difficulties and thrive during this time of initial recovery. As we open new stores during these trying times, we are able to generate much needed job opportunities for more Filipinos and demonstrate our outlook of economic recovery in the near future.” ~Kenneth Yang, McDonald's Philippines President & CEO

McDonald’s opened its ‘green store’ in U.N. Ave. part of the QSR giant’s commitment to reduce its environmental footprint and source sustainable packaging.

McDonald’s Philippines resilient during COVID-19 pandemic; primed to begin recovery in 2021. Leading quick-service restaurant giant Golden Arches Development Corporation (McDonald’s Philippines), majority-owned and operated by its Chairman & Founder Dr. George T. Yang and President & CEO Kenneth Yang, has carefully navigated the 2020 pandemic through its core commitment to its people and relentless pursuit to provide a frictionless customer experience.

Despite the many challenges posed by the pandemic, McDonald’s was able to leverage its business fundamentals with its safe operating culture, strong brand and community involvement, reinforcing its support to its people (employees and customers)一and fortifying its strategic investments prior to 2020 to accelerate business segments like McDelivery and Drive-Thru this year. 

With the rising homebound economy and eCommerce, the brand has leveraged its McDelivery channel as a source of growth.

• A focus on its people

At the onset of the lockdown, McDonald’s was quick to launch the McDonald’s Kindness Kitchen through the Ronald McDonald House Charities, during the enhanced community quarantines by re-purposing the kitchens of its stores that were temporarily closed to prepare the meals of its beneficiaries, especially frontliners who work tirelessly to keep people safe, as well as communities who remain embattled and experience hunger. 

Having malasakit ingrained in the company’s values, the QSR giant has served over 460,000 meals to 229 communities, 26 non-government organizations, 133 government agencies, over 250 hospitals, and 61 quarantine centers nationwide to date, and is committed to continuing to serve more meals in 2021.

The company has also allotted the space of the underutilized party rooms for the use of teachers who had difficulties transitioning to distance learning. The opening of over 220 “McClassrooms” in October all over the country with free access to Wi-Fi and McCafé coffee was well received by the public during Teacher’s Month. 

Pursuant to its commitment to people, McDonald’s also launched its M Safe program to ensure the safety of its employees, offices, and its restaurants in order to serve customers across its different touchpoints safely. It was through the program that the company continued to operate its restaurants safely amidst the quarantine restrictions.

M Safe then became an avenue for the company to demonstrate its commitment to support the government in its bid to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. M Safe was acknowledged by the government and other external stakeholders particularly for its initiatives, including mass testing for its own front-liners (restaurant managers and crew) and the integration of the IATF-endorsed contact tracing system, Stay Safe, across all stores.

McDonald’s further extended its support to Task Force T3, a consortium of private companies that partner with the government for its test, trace, and treat initiatives against COVID-19. McDonald’s actively took part in Task Force T3’s Ingat Angat campaign, the country’s biggest consumer confidence campaign to restart the economy safely.

The QSR giant also announced that it will be providing free COVID-19 vaccines for its employees to help the government accelerate the national vaccination program.

McDonald’s Drive-Thru segment has strengthened as it launched its ‘Ride-Thru’ and ‘Park-Order-Pay’ initiatives to champion customer inclusivity amid the lockdown restrictions.

• Customer experience through product innovations

Responding to the impact of COVID-19 on the business, McDonald’s continued its focus on providing relevant innovations and product offerings that would allow a safe and more convenient experience for its customers.

With the rising homebound economy and the exponential growth of eCommerce, the company leveraged its McDelivery channel as a source of growth or leveraged McDelivery, cashless, and other technology investments.

McDonald’s has taken this opportunity to scale its food delivery aggregator partnerships with GrabFood and foodpanda, which allowed customers more options to enjoy their favorites conveniently. This has widened the reach and exponentially increased the growth in delivery.

The company also strengthened its Drive-Thru segment and championed customer inclusivity through initiatives like Ride-Thru and Park-Order-Pay, which encourages all sorts of vehicles to experience McDonald’s in their vehicles, on the go. 

These innovations supported by increasing cashless payment solutions in these segments, allowed McDonald’s Delivery and Drive-Thru services to grow significantly accounting for 60% of its total sales. The company also noted a 28.6% growth in cashless transactions in 2020.

Due to the limitation on public gatherings, events and celebrations were forced to be done at home. The company launched Party-To-Go and Send To Many options, enabling safe celebrations at home. McDonald’s also introduced a wide array of new products to delight its customers such as the McDo Spicy Burger, Spicy McNuggets, shakes, sundae blends, and the McSpaghetti platter.

• Primed to recover in 2021

With the innovations launched in 2020, the leading QSR giant is optimistic to recover this year from the impact of COVID-19. Amid the continuous difficulties posed by the pandemic, McDonald’s was able to end 2020 with a 655-store base and the opening of 16 new stores, including the largest store in the Philippines, in Capital Town, Pampanga. 

With growth between the first and second half of 2020, which carried over to Q1 of 2021, the company is bullish on gearing for recovery this year. Despite the recent reinstatement of the Enhanced Community Quarantine last March, which suspended its dine-in operations among other restrictions, McDonald’s is set to open at least 30 new stores this year. 

McDonald’s Philippines master franchise holder, Dr. George T. Yang, opened the first McDonald’s store in Morayta, Manila in 1981. Since then, McDonald’s in the Philippines has been a strong and relevant player in the country’s quick-service restaurant industry, having grown a store network of over 650 across the country, and will continue to grow in the years to come. McDonald’s Philippines continues to elevate its community relevance thru Ronald McDonald House Charities and customer experience through its NXTGEN stores. 

Big Brands Share How Shopee Helps their Business Grow Online

“We are glad to see our brand partners like Unilever, OPPO, and INSPI achieve significant growth since joining our platform. We leave no stone unturned in finding innovative ways to support our partners’ growth, and this is how we commit to supporting our partner brands through their e-commerce journey.” ~Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines

Big Brands Share How Shopee Helps their Business Grow Online. Through Shopee, brands such as Unilever, INSPI, and OPPO saw an uplift in orders and grew their brand presence online.

With the pandemic causing significant changes in consumer shopping behavior, brands ramp up their marketing efforts by expanding their presence on e-commerce platforms like Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. With the surge of online shoppers fueling the need for digital transformation, three brands share how they remain top-of-mind while establishing themselves as a strong player in the digital space through the support of Shopee’s ecosystem. 

“We see Shopee as a strategic partner in driving a streamlined shopping experience for the omnichannel shopper.  We partner closely with retailers, such as Shopee, in making our brands and products available for purchase. Through strong collaboration, we can design a unique, relevant, and seamless shopping experience with new and existing shoppers.” ~Jackie Manago Nepomuceno, Digital Commerce Marketing at Unilever Philippines

Unilever

• Through Shopee, the brand provided Filipino shoppers with safe access to a wide range of personal care, home care, and food essentials.
• Timely feedback from shoppers is now easier to enrich their online shopping experience 
• With different online strategies, Unilever recorded a 23x uplift in orders and achieved a 15x increase in shop views during its Beauty that Cares Super Brand Day campaign in August 2020.

Unilever has continued to optimize its marketing strategy based on what’s most relevant to shoppers and what will help address their present needs. Through Shopee, the brand provided Filipino shoppers with safe access to a wide range of personal care, home care, and food essentials. Timely feedback from shoppers is now easier to enrich their online shopping experience while also maximizing the full suite of in-app solutions within the Shopee platform, such as search, affiliate marketing, and livestreams. With these strategies, Unilever recorded a 23x uplift in orders and achieved a 15x increase in shop views during its Beauty that Cares Super Brand Day campaign in August 2020.

This growth even transcended into their ‘Malasakit for all’ mission to help communities and partners during the pandemic, with Unilever contributing to the first Shopee Bayanihan Frontliner package in 2020 to step up support for Filipino frontliners.

“Our partnership with Shopee has boosted our brand’s growth, despite the ongoing pandemic. Shopee’s innovative in-app features helped us reach more shoppers and better engage with them regularly. We will continue to work with Shopee to provide our shoppers with the best shopping experience.” ~Kathryn Joyce Navalta, Senior Account Officer at INSPI

INSPI

• Using Shopee’s informative seller center and interactive in-app features such as Shopee Live and Shopee Feed, INSPI can now broadcast new and best-selling products to over 625,000 followers on their Shopee account.
• At its Super Brand Day last October, the brand recorded 13x more orders compared to an average day.

Clothing brand INSPI launched an official Shopee store to reach a wider target market and interact more with their shoppers. Using Shopee’s informative seller center and interactive in-app features such as Shopee Live and Shopee Feed, INSPI can now broadcast new and best-selling products to over 625,000 followers on their Shopee account. They also used these features to show the best deals during big campaigns. At its Super Brand Day last October, the brand recorded 13x more orders compared to an average day.

“Our partnership with Shopee allows us to keep growing and satisfying our customers even with targeted efforts. We know the importance of gaining the full trust of our shoppers, and will keep refining our online store on Shopee to provide the best services and products.” ~Jenny Liu, Operations Director at OPPO Philippines

OPPO

• OPPO has experienced great success on the platform, as seen during Shopee’s Super Brand Day last September 2020 where the brand recorded a 17x increase in sales.

Leading global smart device company, OPPO, considers its partnership with Shopee as a chance to capture countless opportunities in the e-commerce industry by taking full advantage of the platform’s ecosystem. They are now able to reach a whole new audience in a very engaging way through Shopee’s in-app marketing tools such as live streams, chats, and Shopee Feed. OPPO has experienced great success on the platform, as seen during Shopee’s Super Brand Day last September 2020 where the brand recorded a 17x increase in sales.

And in line with providing customers more ways to access brands easily, the Shopee 5.5 Brands Festival is happening until May 5. Shoppers can expect discounts up to 90% off, flash deals up to 50% off, free shipping with no minimum spend, and 50% cashback from crowd favorites such as OPPO, Vivo, Realme, Colgate, Abbott, L’Oreal Paris, Enfagrow, Procter & Gamble, Olay, Unilever, Nestle, Colourette Cosmetics, and Maybelline.

Shoppers can also look forward to exclusive perks from ShopeePay. Get all-day free shipping vouchers and 55% cashback, both with no minimum spend. Buy ₱10 worth of data for ₱1, ₱5 load for only ₱1, and ₱10 load for only ₱5 with ShopeePay. Pay bills on Shopee and get up to 25% cashback, capped at 150 coins.  

For more information on the Shopee 5.5 Brands Festival, visit https://shopee.ph/m/5-5-2. 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 & Taiwan. Shopee connects shoppers, brands, and sellers across Asia and other fast-growing markets, empowering anyone to buy and sell anywhere and at any time.

Shopee offers an easy, secure, and engaging experience that is enjoyed by millions of people daily. It offers a wide product assortment, supported by integrated payments and logistics, as well as popular entertainment features tailored for each market. Shopee is also a key contributor to the region’s digital economy with a firm commitment to helping brands and entrepreneurs succeed in e-commerce.

Shopee is a part of Sea Limited (NYSE:SE), a leading global consumer internet company. In addition to Shopee, Sea’s other core businesses include its digital entertainment arm, Garena, and digital financial services arm, SeaMoney. Sea’s mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology.

About Shopee Mall 

Shopee Mall is the region’s leading online mall offering one-stop access to a wide range of international and local brands and retailers. Shoppers can enjoy three guarantees delivered by Shopee Mall -- 100% authentic products, free returns and free shipping. With always-on deals, entertainment and a robust loyalty program, Shopee Mall offers an unparalleled online shopping experience and the best value all-year round.