12/21/22

Hotel Sogo shines at Asian Business Excellence Awards

 

Congratulations, Hotel Sogo!

The country’s largest Filipino-owned hotel chain company has been awarded as Asia’s Most Outstanding Hotel Chain of the Year and Philippines Most Leading Hotel Chain of the Year. Meanwhile, Hotel Sogo’s CEO, Mr. Reynaldo M. Malaca was recognized as the Philippines Most Outstanding CEO of The Year at the recent Asian Business Excellence Awards 2022 held in Quezon City.

 


Hotel Sogo Marketing Director, Ms. Sue Geminiano shares her gratitude to the award-winning organization for recognizing the hotel’s goal in providing a clean, safe, and top-notch service to its patrons and guests.

“On behalf of Hotel Sogo, thank you Asian Business Excellence Awards 2022 for giving us these recognitions. These awards are nothing if not because of the management and the hardworking staff of our operations. We will continue to give our all in providing our guests a safe and clean stay. Hotel Sogo will not be here without your love and support” she shared.

 

The Asian Business Excellence Awards (ABEA) is a prestigious International Citation in recognizing Asian excellence in corporate, products, services features and trademarks and/or brands founded by Young Asian Consumers Welfare Advocate.

Currently, Hotel Sogo has 46 branches nationwide located in key areas around the metro and provinces. The hotel anticipates expanding in more areas of the country and looks forward to many more recognition in the future.

 

For more details, visit www.hotelsogo.com or like and follow Hotel Sogo on Facebook (facebook.com/hotelsogo), Twitter (@hotelsogo), and Instagram (@hotelsogo).

Hotel Sogo lands two accolades at 10th Netizens Best Choice Awards

Hotel Sogo, the country’s largest Filipino-owned hotel chain company with over 45 branches nationwide, has been crowned as the “Best Choice Philippines Leading Hotel Chain” and won the “Philippines Guest Choice Awards” by the acclaimed Netizens Best Choice Awards 2022.

 


The Netizens Best Choice Awards for Business Excellence play a vital role in promoting responsible use of the internet since it conducts online research and surveys for promoting the best brands, products and services that distinguished itself among its competitors by earning the Netizen’s Trust Seal.

 


Awardees are chosen through an online nomination and multi-criteria evaluation in a variety of category such as Product/Brand/Service Quality & Innovativeness, Image/Value Proposition & Pricing, Strong Brand Online Market Influence, and Proper & Responsible means of using the internet.

 

Remarking on the impressive win, Ms. Sue Geminiano, Marketing Director of Hotel Sogo, says, “This award is for the management, (as well as) the operations people [who are also considered as frontliners]. They worked so hard for this in a good and very respectful way. If not for them, Hotel Sogo will not be this big, well known, and will have many branches nationwide”.

 

As of writing, Hotel Sogo has 46 branches nationwide located in key cities in the metro and provinces. Further plans for expansion in other areas are still expected and the hotel looks forward to many more wins in the future.

 

For more details, visit www.hotelsogo.com or like and follow Hotel Sogo on Facebook (facebook.com/hotelsogo), Twitter (@hotelsogo), and Instagram (@hotelsogo).

12/16/22

S&R Treats 99% Off on MetroMart

 

Buy 1, Get 1 blender, food steamer & more as low as ₱20 in S&R Treats 99% Off

No S&R membership card required in exclusive MetroMart sale



Naughty or nice, with membership card or none, everyone is welcome to awesome discount deals in the S&R Treats 99% Off, exclusively via MetroMart this December 16-19, 2022.


The S&R Treats 99% Off, exclusively via MetroMart, will have various items available at a big discount within a limited time slot per day. These items include Spam Luncheon Meat, Member’s Selection Fruit Cocktail, Planters Cheez Curls, Hershey’s Syrup, Pasta Toscana products, and many more.


There is also a special flash sale of kitchen appliances available at noontime for each day of the S&R Treats 99% Off, and sold in Buy 1, Take 1 bundles, too. The featured items are from top brands like Kuchenluxe, Blakk, and Baumann, and are also at 99% off discount.


Please see the S&R Treats 99% Off itineraries below:


S&R TREATS 99% OFF SALE

DATE

TIME

PRODUCTS

SRP

PROMO PRICE

Dec 16

9AM - 2PM

MEMBER'S SELECTION FRUIT COCKTAIL IN HEAVY SYRUP

₱181.00

₱1.81

3PM - 8PM

PASTA TOSCANA LINGUINE 1 KG

₱149.00

₱1.49

9PM - 12MN

CAMEL MIXED SNACKS 300G

₱159.00

₱1.59

Dec 17

9AM - 2PM

PREM LUNCHEON MEAT LITE 340G

₱198.00

₱1.98

3PM - 8PM

ZANUY CORN CHIPS TORTILLA 454G

₱169.00

₱1.69

9PM - 12MN

HERSHEY'S SYRUP CARAMEL 651ML

₱199.00

₱1.99

Dec 18

9AM - 2PM

HOSEN FRUIT COCKTAIL 825G

₱148.00

₱1.48

3PM - 8PM

PASTA TOSCANA PENNE 1 KG

₱149.00

₱1.49

9PM - 12MN

HERSHEY SYRUP STRAWBERRY 651ML

₱199.00

₱1.99

Dec 19

9AM - 2PM

PLANTERS CHEESE CURLS 4Z

₱169.00

₱1.69

3PM - 8PM

ARGENTE DELICATESSEN CHIPS 180G

₱149.00

₱1.49

9PM - 12MN

KHAOSHONG PNUT CRACKER SRHMP180G

₱199.00

₱1.99



S&R TREATS 99% OFF SALE - FLASH SALE APPLIANCES

DATE

TIME

PRODUCTS

SRP

PROMO PRICE

Dec 16

12NN

KUCHENLUXE DOUBLE BURNER KGS2

BUY 1 TAKE 1

1,995.00

19.95

Dec 17

12NN

BLAKK 16IN STAND FAN

BUY 1 TAKE 1

2,395.00

23.95

Dec 18

12NN

KUCHENLUXE 5LTR FOOD STEAMER

BUY 1 TAKE 1

1,895.00

18.95

Dec 19

12NN

BAUMANN 1.5L BLENDER BM-BL1085

BUY 1 TAKE 1

2,095.00

20.95

*Sale items are subject to availability in Shopwise and Landmark branches. 


Customers can also double down on the discounts with Payday Specials, running this Dec 15-18, 2022. By using codes DECPAYDAY 300, DECPAYDAY200, and DECPAYDAY100, shoppers may also avail of ₱300, ₱200 and ₱100, respectively. This promo is valid for ALL Users, for a one-time redemption within the promo period, and applicable across all stores, terms and conditions apply. 


The S&R Treats 99% Off, exclusively via MetroMart, are applicable to New and Existing Users of MetroMart. An S&R membership is not required for online orders via MetroMart. A minimum spend of only ₱2,000 is required in order to avail the discounted items. Only completed checkout of orders within the scheduled day and time can avail the sale items.



The S&R Treats 99% Off is available in participating branches of S&R, and can be availed with or without a membership card. The Payday Specials promos are available across all stores via the MetroMart app and website. MetroMart’s online delivery service is available all over Metro Manila and key locations throughout the Philippines, including Baguio, Pangasinan, Batangas, Davao, Cavite, Cebu, Iloilo, and more.


“The countdown to Christmas is at its closest ever, and the MetroMart family are very pleased to provide such great deals to all Filipino families for the holidays. We can celebrate the spirit of giving and togetherness, and welcome the new year, too. We’ll definitely have so many more great discounts and promo events like this slated for 2023, so be on the lookout and ready to seize those deals!” MetroMart CEO and co-founder Steffano Fazzini said.


MetroMart is the #1 online grocery delivery service in the Philippines. Our grocery partners include S&R (with or no membership card required),  Robinsons Supermarket, Landmark, The Marketplace, Shopwise, All Day Supermarket, Merrymart, Super8 Grocery Warehouse, Ever Supermarket, UltraMega Supermarket, and over 500+ specialty store retailers like Pet Express, No Brand, Baby Company, Toy Kingdom, Toys”R”Us, National Book Store, Office Warehouse, Southstar Drug and AllDay Rx. Customers can order from their favorite stores on the MetroMart app and have it delivered to their door in 2 hours! For more updates on MetroMart, like and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok at @metromartph. Order groceries online or download the app via https://bit.ly/DownloadNowMM




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MetroMart Philippines is the #1 on-demand online grocery delivery service in the Philippines. Our grocery partners include S&R (no membership required), Robinsons Supermarket, Landmark, The Marketplace, Shopwise, All Day Supermarket, Merrymart, Super8 Grocery Warehouse, Ever Supermarket, UltraMega Supermarket, and over 500+ specialty store retailers like Pet Express, No Brand, Baby Company, Toy Kingdom, Toys R Us, National Book Store, Office Warehouse, Southstar Drug and AllDay Rx. Customers can order from their favorite stores on the MetroMart app and have it delivered to their door in less than 2 hours! Over 160,000 products are available with our 500+ partner supermarkets and partner specialty stores. Order your groceries through www.metromart.com, or download the app on iOS or Android app store.

12/15/22

Community builders empowered to build better communities with Nas.io

 

From the online bulletin boards of local villages and cities, online marketplaces, fan groups, school associations, and even home improvement pages, Filipinos have continued to remain active in participating in their numerous online communities as a go-to source for discussing their favorite topics with like-minded netizens.

 

More and more companies, interest groups, and organizations are building communities to create deeper, more meaningful relationships with and among their users and members.  According to market research company GWI, in 2020 alone, 76% of all internet users participated in an online community, a statistic that has annually increased by 2% over the past 3 years.

 

With the rise of online communities today, builders and innovators are expected to carry out the operational work of reaching members and managing offline and online events all while nurturing genuine and authentic connections with their followers.

 

Today, community leaders can do away with using multiple platforms and save hundreds of hours on administrative work through streamlining various operations, made possible using Nas Company’s newest platform, Nas.io.

 

Nas.io is the latest tech platform released by global content creator and founder and CEO of Nas Company, Nuseir Yassin. Nas.io equips community leaders with modern, intuitive tech solutions that make it easier to start and manage a growing online community.

 

Founder and CEO of Nas Daily and Nas Company Nuseir Yassin awards Community Creator Jam Blauta of the Barangay Virtual Assistants (Barangay VA) for being the first community to gather 10,000 members in Nas Company’s newest community platform, Nas.io.

Connect and communicate with members

One of the biggest challenges community managers face is reaching their audience, especially with the ever changing algorithms of the most popular social media platforms. Community managers have turned to smaller niche groups on group chat platforms. However, this presents its own problems, such as it being easy for members to get lost upon joining.

 

Nas.io solves this by functioning as a management layer on top of existing chat platforms like Facebook Groups, WhatsApp, Discord, Telegram, or Slack. Managers can use it as a tool to provide community members context on what conversations to expect through a custom community landing page. Nas.io also includes a unique feature called Magic Reach that allows community managers to send emails and messages to their communities. This intelligent messaging feature automatically finds the best way to send messages to community members. The tool is designed to learn how users or members prefer to be contacted, and which platform they are most active in.

 

 

Create and manage events

Aside from consistent communication, community builders also aim to create perfect events both in-person and virtual for its members.

 

From setting calendar invites to creating virtual meeting rooms, to making an event page and setting up a registration form, Nas.io simplifies the process of creating and managing events. By filling up three basic fields, community managers can automatically generate a personalized Zoom link shared to its members, which will lead them to a customized event page. Through the platform’s feature of sending and saving notifications to the members’ calendars, emails, and the mobile app, community managers can expect higher attendance and engagement rates. The platform can also be programmed to handle the member authentication to ensure exclusivity. And, should there be an admission fee to join these events, a hassle-free payment processing system can also be set-up by the manager.

 

Founder and CEO of Nas Daily and Nas Company Nuseir Yassin recognizes  Community Creator Camille Fornela of The Budgetarian Bride for reaching over a thousand followers in the beta stage of Nas Company’s newest community platform, Nas.io. 

Make communities sustainable

All the longest existing communities include monetization. This is why Nas.io includes  monetization features that allow community managers to earn in order to sustain their community.

 

From membership subscription fees, exclusive content access, and event participation, creators can set-up their communities to be free, paid or even NFT-gated. This means that members are given several payment options that can be fulfilled through credit or debit cards, PayPal, and even crypto.

 

Filipino Communities started using Nas.io in its early stages

Prior to its official launch, Filipino communities started using Nas.io in its beta stage and have demonstrated great potential in the market.

 

Philippine Country Head of Nas Company Jacqueline Maye Lim said, “We at Nas Company aim to enable the creators, entrepreneurs, marketers to add value to their members through our platform. We have seen early signs of this in our beta launch where we have amazing communities that help their leaders build a deeper connection with their audience enabling them to solve their problems and add value to them. Whether it’s about finding alternative employment, or simply saving on important life milestones, communities are everywhere.”

 

Barangay Virtual Assistants (VA), more commonly known as Barangay VA, is one of the largest communities on Facebook with over 30,000 members. Despite the number of followers, community leader Jam Blauta shares that he can’t reach all thousands of his followers.

 

“As a community manager, I need to easily secure my audience and reach them instantly whether through SMS or email. The reality is, the number of social media followers doesn’t matter anymore that when you post content, you only reach 10% or sometimes even less. This is why Nas.io is the best thing that has happened in helping me reach the community of virtual assistants.”

 

To date, over 10,000 aspiring virtual assistants are using Nas.io, where they are educated, trained and given free advice and online courses on how to get employed.

 

Another up-and-coming group is Camille Fornela’s The Budgetarian Bride, an online community of brides, grooms, and wedding planners, who come together to discuss budget-friendly nuptial options and real experiences on wedding planning. Today, The Budgetarian Bride’s community has helped almost 4,000 soon-to-be married Filipinos plan their dream weddings without breaking the bank.

 

“Having multiple content formats available in one platform and connectivity to existing ones is essential in growing my community,” said Fornela.

 

Yassin awarded community leaders Jam Blauta and Camille Fornela in an exclusive community meet-up held at the New Frontier Theater last November 12, 2022. He highlighted their success in engaging local audiences in their respective communities that are transforming Filipinos’ lives.

 

Visit nas.io to know more about how you can create your own communities today.

 

Founder and CEO of Nas Daily and Nas Company Nuseir Yassin, together with his team from Nas Company in the Philippines, pose for a group photo with the attendees of the ‘Nas Daily Community Meet-up’ held last November 12, 2022 at the New Frontier Theater, Quezon City. 

 

About Nas Company

Nas means people. Nas Company is on a mission to build community products that bring people together. Nas Company has successfully built communities over the years and are now building tools and integrations that will allow others to manage engaged communities faster and better than ever before.

 

About Nuseir Yassin

Nuseir Yassin is the founder and CEO of Nas Company and Nas Studios with over 50 million followers across the world. Nas.io and Nas Academy are housed under Nas Company with the mission to Bring People Together by building innovative education and community tools for creators.

12/5/22

BARMM: Diamond in the Rough

 

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao’s (BARMM) history can be traced back to more than 500 years, wherein Bangsamoro was used to refer to people who were predominantly Muslim and indigenous people. While BARMM’s culture is known to be bound together by their conformity to the Islamic faith, they also share the goal of pushing back their long-standing challenge: conflict.

 




The long-standing challenge of conflict has caused the region to fall into a state of neglect, where the lack of equitable access to food and proper sanitation has deprived residents of proper health and nutrition. Batang Matatag, a movement supported by Save the Children Philippines and Erceflora Kiddie attempts to address this by improving the health and nutrition status of children starting with BARMM’s Bajau community in Iligan City and the municipality of Marantao, Lanao del Sur.

 

According to Edwin Horca, Team Lead for BARMM of Save the Children Philippines, “BARMM would always rank one of the highest in terms of poverty incidence, and it has been for the longest time the most neglected region. That is why in this area they have been struggling in terms of finding lasting peace, and most specially really hitting the developmental milestones that is expected of any region.”

 

In the face of dispute, the region is home to over 1.8 million Filipino children, and it fosters a unique and diverse way of life, which can be enhanced with the support of Batang Matatag.

 

The Bajau: Nomads of the Sea

 

The Bajau tribe from Mindanao were also known as sea gypsies for inhabiting the coastlines and travelling by boat from one island to another in search of fishing harvest. Despite their nomadic nature, they’re still often displaced due to the ongoing conflict. Though still a proud and hardworking tribe, they continue to struggle finding their place on land.

 

With 151 Bajau households living in Barangay Tambacan, they continue to have issues accessing their basic needs due to a lack of income and livelihood opportunities and the impact of natural and human- induced disasters.

 

“[When] we started to work with the Bajau community, we saw that they are struggling even at the barangay level,” said Horca. “Their access to food is already a challenge since the parents are not always lucky when trying to get jobs in the fish port, and since they also lack skills, they wouldn’t be given opportunities to be employed,” he added.

 

Marantao: People of the Lake


Marantao is a municipality in the province of Lanao del Sur and is one of the closest to Lake Lanao. It is also home to the last remaining habitable Torogan, which is a traditional ancestral house built by the Maranao people of Lanao for the nobility.

 

Despite Marantao’s colorful history, the community remains impoverished. They continue to struggle with clean water and sanitation access. “When we checked their facilities, we noticed that they get their water directly from Lake Lanao. When asked if they get sick from the water, they said they would experience diarrhea at first, but now have already adapted to it. "We actually told them they’re putting the young ones at risk,” Horca shared.

 

Their condition worsened when the pandemic hit the province.

 

“When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, they were further isolated and were not able to access the government-provided support to meet their day-to-day needs,” he remarked.

 


Diamond in the rough

 

Despite the challenges the communities face, they remain positive and motivated to rise above their plight and bring back the vibrance the region had with the right assistance and means, which is where Batang Matatag comes in.

 

“Batang Matatag forms part of Save the Children Philippines’ Life Changer for Children program. It aims to reach children and communities who are most impacted by inequality and discrimination. It addresses issues confronted by children and their communities and seek innovative and sustainable solutions through a child-centered whole of society approach,” Horca underscored.

 


Part of the movement’s co-design process is to empower the communities to realize what change they want through the process called ‘visioning’. From there the communities will be organized into committees who will act as representatives for any intervention planning that will occur.

 

“Batang Matatag is an advocate for these communities. Aside from the technical assistance that we will be providing, we also want to provide an avenue for the members to voice out their concerns, share their insights, and recommend solutions that will be beneficial to them in the long run,” said J Ann Mirasol, from the makers of Erceflora Kiddie.

 

Horca adds that Batang Matatag’s goal is to make the communities realize that they can reach their maximum potential mainly through their own doing with only minimal help from sponsors.

 

“We would like to create breakthroughs for children, where all of them survive and thrive, learn, and are always protected. As we journey with them, we must help them be empowered enough to create a community that is more inclusive and respectful of the rights of children; and after we have promoted and developed champions within the communities, then they themselves can promote and advocate their own needs,” he said.



 

Marantao and the Bajau community’s strong resolve to improve their lives shows the region’s potential for development and the residents’ determination to restore their region and culture to its former glory with the right champions.

 

Mirasol encourages the public to be one of the right champions for these communities too, “To help Marantao and the Bajau community in Iligan City reach their maximum potential, a portion of every Erceflora Kiddie purchase will be donated to Batang Matatag,” she concluded.