SM Store and Mastercard are teaming up again for an exciting partnership that will uplift the learning experience of select public schools in the country. In partnership with SM Foundation, four (4) public schools, across the country, will be equipped with 20 computer desktop sets and LCD TVs, providing students with the proper tools for their digital learning activities, collaboration and training. These partner-schools are Tuba Central Elementary School in Baguio (Northern Luzon), Lemery Pilot School in Batangas (Southern Luzon), Efraim Santibanez National High School in Ilo-Ilo (Visayas), and Macasandig Elementary School in Cagayan de Oro (Mindanao).
Through continuous collaboration, the vision to provide students an accessible and modern approach to learning is a dream within reach. From November 10-12, 2023, customers of SM Store will be given the opportunity to take part in this noble initiative by shopping using their Mastercard. For every P3,000 minimum single-receipt spent at any SM Store, P100 will be donated to SM Foundation. These donations will directly contribute to the creation of digital learning hubs in different provinces within the country.
Visit your favorite SM Store from November 10-12, 2023 and use your Mastercard and be an instrument into building progressive learning facilities for Filipino students. SM Store and Mastercard invite everyone to partake in this initiative that provides tools and equipment that may help improve the digital learning experience. Per DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-178682 Series of 2023.
Whether it be for the home, self-care, or everything else in between, making that simple and conscious decision to adopt a greener lifestyle is making that first big step in the fight against climate change.
In fact, that decision might even turn out to be a budget-friendly one too. Why? That’s because SM Store has an extensive collection of green items that will make it so much easier to adopt a green lifestyle.
At SM Home, you can find green home essentials which are reasonably priced, and sustainably sourced using eco-friendly materials.
Included in SM Home’s green portfolio are linen products made of Bamboo such as pillowcases, bedsheets, and duvets. You will also find home products made of natural fiber such as buri hampers and baskets which serve as home organizers and ornaments.
Looking for furniture? SM Home has a collection of carefully curated furniture handcrafted and designed by local enterprises, which supports the livelihood of Filipino artisans.
A green household always involves adopting sustainable practices in your daily life. Both functional and aesthetic- a green household takes into consideration ways to reduce environmental impact while creating a healthier living space.
“We are proud of SM Home’s Green Finds portfolio such as the Bamboo linens, which are popular with our customers”, said Janice Yang, SM Home Business Unit Head.
Let’s look at the other things you need at home. You don’t need to look too far for green items that can be used at home. You can illuminate the house and save with ACE LED bulbs. These create a cozy ambience while significantly reducing energy consumption, benefitting your family and the planet.
To take care of cleaning the house, parents can buy organic cleaners that tackle dirt with eco-friendly ingredients, ensuring a healthier home for their family while embracing sustainable practices.
For plantitos and plantitas, get into green gardening with biodegradable pots that are made from wood powder and rice or corn husks with resin. Consider also using natural growing media which supports plant growth while utilizing local farm by-products, imparting the beauty of sustainable practices to your children.
“Sustainability starts with conscious choices. With ACE Express at SM Store, intentional shopping becomes a seamless experience. Our Green Finds empower you to shop with a purpose, creating a lasting impact on our planet’s well-being,” said ACE Hardware Business Unit Head Bernardo Ong.
Clean beauty is something that more and more shoppers should try. At SM Beauty, customers can choose from the best and widest array of clean beauty products to support a more eco-conscious lifestyle.
“Whether it be for their every self-care routine or for gifting this holiday season, I am sure they will find something here,” said Sharon Decapia, AVP for Marketing, PR & Sustainability, Watsons Philippines
When it comes to self-care, the SM Beauty department at the SM Store has a line of clean beauty products that are packaged using 100 percent recycled plastic.
“Our clean flake labels reflect the imperfect shapes, natural colors and sizes of our wonderful ingredients. What’s more, our packaging is made of 100 percent recycled plastic,’” said Emily Koa, Marketing Head of Body Shop.
You can kickstart your Holiday shopping while valuing sustainability and those who craft with care. Choose eco-conscious handcrafted items that highlight the beauty of locally sourced raw materials.
You will find some green gift suggestions from Kultura at the SM Store such as reusable stainless-steel tumblers and bamboo-made flasks containing utensils. You can do your part in helping save the environment by being more intentional in your purchases this season.
“With the environmental challenges facing our world, more and more consumers are favoring brands that make an effort to value sustainability. By integrating green products into our merchandise mix – we are ready to serve the discerning and eco-conscious Filipino shopper”, said Sheila Tan, Kultura Operations Head.
The SM Green Finds program continues to scale, highlighting over 16,000 sustainable products from its participating retail affiliates as it helps educate consumers about the benefits and impact of pivoting to a greener lifestyle. At the end of the day, aside from pivoting to green, Filipinos are also looking for a marketplace that gives them value for money.
Through SM Store, green living is really made easy and accessible for the Filipino consumer.
Alfamart, the Super Minimart chain of the SM Group, has recently installed solar panels in its distribution center in Silang, Cavite.
This initiative aims to lessen the reliance of the 30,000 square meter distribution center on the community’s power supply while also lessening power costs and carbon emissions with the installation of 117 solar panels equivalent to 55,370 watts on its roof deck. The company targets to finish the second phase of the project with an additional 100,000 watts by December 2023.
“As Alfamart continues to expand and reach out to different areas, we are cognizant of our impact on the environment and the community. We are committed to integrating sustainability in our operations as we continue to serve communities,” said Harvey Ong, Chief Operating Officer of Alfamart.
Alfamart is also keen on replicating this initiative in its new stores depending on this initial phase. The company has a total of 1,590 stores as of September 2023.
The solar panels are designed to power the operations of Alfamart’s back offices despite changing seasons of the country. Any excess of generated electricity is utilized by the 24/7 operational warehouse.
Alfamart and all of its four distribution centers in Bulacan, Cavite, Pampanga, and Laguna further strengthen their initiatives towards sustainability by using electric forklifts and electric movers in their operations. The company has been using these electric forklifts and electric movers since the start of operations in 2014.
Alfamart Philippines is a joint venture between SM and Alfamart, one of the leading retailers with more than 21,000 mini-marts in Indonesia. Alfamart offers a wide assortment of products catering to daily needs including a selection of basic groceries, SM Bonus products, fresh and frozen goods, snacks, and personal care items at reasonable prices.
If you’re in search of a smartphone priced under Php 10,000, then the new OPPO A58 is the ideal choice for you.
Leading global smart device brand OPPO has been a go-to choice when it comes to high-quality and affordable smartphone options. With a commitment to delivering value for money and a seamless experience for users, the brand consistently impresses with devices that don’t skimp on performance or features.
The new OPPO A58 is aimed at budget-conscious consumers who need a reliable daily driver. At less than Php 10,000, it doesn’t compromise on features, boasting a FullHD+ screen, 33W SuperVOOC™ charging, and a 50MP f/1.8 primary camera.
Striking Premium Design
Imagine getting your hands on an aesthetically pleasing phone without breaking the bank, what a steal, right? The OPPO A58 5G offers buyers two captivating color options – Dazzling Green, which features a unique Glowing Silk Design giving a luxurious texture to the backplate and a refreshing visual appeal, and Glowing Black, which showcases the iconic OPPO Glow, creating a captivating shimmer akin to crystals and offering a comfortable tactile experience.
Radiant and Adaptive Sunlight Display
It’s best if smartphones adapt and function reliably under different environments and circumstances. The OPPO A58 6.72-inch FHD+ Sunlight Display feature breathes life into your content with vibrant colors and laser-sharp text that overall delivers an immersive visual experience.
This brilliant screen boasts 680 nits peak brightness, making it a breeze to view photos or read text even on the sunniest days. And, to top it off, the display cares for your eyes with the All-Day AI Eye Comfort features, ensuring comfortable viewing, be it day or night.
Exceptional Battery Life and Industry-leading SUPERVOOC™ Flash Charge
The OPPO A58 goes beyond its outstanding entertainment and camera capabilities by offering a larger battery and lightning-fast charging for a dependable battery experience. Equipped with a long-lasting 5000mAh battery, the OPPO A58 guarantees an impressive 32 hours of call time, an uninterrupted 16-hour viewing, or a thrilling 5-hour gaming session on a single charge. What sets it apart is the cutting-edge 33W SUPERVOOC™ flash charge, which fully charges from 0-100% in just 75 minutes.
The All-day AI power-saving features come to the rescue when you forget to plug in your device, stretching 5% battery life to support 91 minutes of talk time, making the OPPO A58 a dependable lifeline in emergencies.
Seamless Performance with Enhanced Hardware and Software
The OPPO A58 delivers in terms of performance with its MediaTek Helio G85 platform. Boasting 6GBGB RAM and 128GB ROM, this smartphone offers abundant memory and storage. Utilizing OPPO’s RAM Expansion technology, you can even boost your RAM to 8GB for a consistently smooth daily experience. ColorOS 13.1’s Dynamic Computing Engine handles computing resources efficiently, ensuring snappy transitions between apps, whether you’re gaming or multitasking.
What’s more, the OPPO A58 5G has aced the demanding 36-Month Fluency Protection tests at the OPPO lab, maintaining an aging rate below 10%, ensuring sustained smoothness in the long run.
Enhanced Camera System
Say hello to picture-perfect moments captured using OPPO A58’s 50MP AI Camera, designed for capturing crystal-clear, high-resolution photos. This camera, along with the 2MP Portrait Camera, crafts stunning background blur in Portrait Mode, making your subject pop. Plus, with an 8MP front camera, you’re surely covered when it comes to taking selfies and video calls.
With exciting features like Stylized Nighttime Photography, AI Portrait Retouching, and Panorama Mode, the OPPO A58 empowers you to explore diverse photography styles and let your imagination run wild.
Upgrade Your Smartphone with the OPPO A58 5G – Shop Now!
The OPPO A58 is available for purchase at its retail price of Php 9,999 at any OPPO stores nationwide. Home Credit offers a payment plan for this phone at Php 1,203 per month for 6 months with a 10% down payment, terms and conditions apply. You may also get your OPPO A58 5G through the official OPPO online platforms: Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok Shop.
How a childhood memory inspired this employee to work at the SM Store
If you told Johans Juruena that he’d be working at SM 12 years after he met its founder Henry Sy, Sr., he probably wouldn’t have believed you.
It was 1978, and the nine-year-old Johans was just looking forward to his yearly summer visit to Manila. Summers from his childhood were filled with memories of hanging around at what was then Shoemart along Carriedo Street in Quiapo, Manila, where his mother, Erlinda, worked as a sales clerk.
He still vividly remembers what the shoe store looked like. “Ang ibinebenta d’un, may men’s shoes, may ladies’ shoes, may pambata na rin talaga. May glass showcase sa gitna kung saan nand’un yung mga naka-display na sapatos,” he said.
(“It sold shoes for men, ladies, and children. There was a glass display in the middle where all the shoes were showcased.”)
However, there was a particular encounter that would shape his future career. During that same summer, Johans unexpectedly met the shoe store owner—Henry, whom SM employees fondly called “Tatang.”
A close encounter with Tatang
Johans shared that his mother immediately reminded him to pay his respects through pagmamano, the traditional gesture of respect toward the elderly by touching one’s forehead to the back of their hand as an act of “blessing.”
“N’ung bumisita si Tatang sa Carriedo para i-check yung display and items, nagkataon na nand’un ako. Isa ako sa mapalad na nakapagmano kay Tatang,” he recalled. “Nakangiti siya. Inabot niya kamay niya para makapagmano ako.”
(When Tatang visited the store along Carriedo to check the display and items, it just so happened that I was there. I was one of those lucky enough to approach him and pay my respects,” he recalled. “He was smiling. He even held out his hand for me to ‘bless.’)
While observing the store owner, Johans overheard how Tatang constantly quizzed his employees about what the customers needed. “Ano ba ang hinahanap ng customer na wala tayo?” Tatang would ask. “Ano ba ang kailangan ng customer na wala tayo?”
(What are customers looking for that we don’t have?” Tatang would ask. “What do our customers need that we don’t have?)
In that brief encounter, Johans caught what mattered most to Tatang – giving his customers what they need.
Working for SM
SM CITY NORTH EDSA 1980’s
It was 1990, and Johans, fresh out of college, officially became part of SM. He first worked as a sales utility clerk, facing customers day in and day out.
“North EDSA ang first Supermall ni SM. N’ung panahon namin n’un,pag-open pa lang nang 10 o’clock, pag-roll up, yung mga customers nasa may entrance na sila. Grabe ang foot traffic ni North EDSA,” Johans recounted.
(North EDSA is the first Supermall of SM. During our time, customers would line up as soon as the mall opened before 10 a.m. The foot traffic at North EDSA was really something else.)
His next encounter with Tatang happened while handling the Men’s Shoes section at the SM Store North EDSA. “Nakita ko siyang bumisita. Supervisor na ako noon sa Men’s Shoes—1996 or 1997. Yung araw na ‘yun, wala ‘yung Manager, naka day-off. Usually, ‘yung una niyang pinupuntahan yung Men’s Shoes. Naka-ready kami lahat,” Johans shared.
(I saw him visit. I was already a Men’s Shoes Department supervisor—1996 or 1997. My manager wasn’t around that day; he had the day off. Usually, he [Tatang] would drop by the Men’s Shoes [section] first. We were all ready.)
Johans distinctly remembers how Tatang reminded him to keep the sandals and other footwear clean. That way, the customers could appreciate their products better. It was a simple but important lesson that Johans would carry with him even in the decades to come.
Salute to a continuing legacy
Fast forward to 2023. Many things have changed, but some things have remained constant. SM is celebrating its 65th year in the industry.
Johans’s experience working at SM is a testament to not only the company’s decades-long commitment to top-notch customer service, but also to Tatang’s enduring legacy. Johans is now a manager at SM Store Quiapo, with people working under him and following his guidance.
From beginner to advanced, there’s a CRF model that will suit your needs.
Honda motorcycles are undoubtedly experts in Motocross racing having been part of the Off-Road circuit sport for over 50 years. In fact, Team Honda recently won the 2023 AMA Supercross championship, making the company’s iconic bikes one of the best in the world.
To commemorate this, Honda Philippines, Inc. (HPI), the No.1 motorcycle manufacturer in the country, is offering competition bikes. These are The All-New CRF150R, The All-New CRF250R, and The All-New CRF450R designed for Motocross riders.
On the other hand, The All-New CRF125F, and The New CRF250RX are meant for trail riders.
Moreover, these motorcycles are designed and engineered to offer outstanding performance to Filipino Off-Road enthusiasts of every skill level. This means whether you’re a novice or an expert rider, there’s a CRF motorcycle that’s ideal for you. But what exactly sets each model apart from each other?
Motocross Bikes that keep you ahead of the pack
CRF150R
For first time motocross riders, the company introduces the All-New CRF150R. The All-New CRF150R is equipped with a 150cc Liquid-Cooled, 4-Valve, 4-Stroke, Unicam Single engine capable of delivering outstanding yet controlled power, making the bike perfect for first-time Motocross riders. Likewise, the bike’s 19-inch Front and 16-inch rear Off-Road wheels and tires, and 37mm Upside Down front suspension by Showa work in harmony with its 220mm Front, and 190mm Rear Disc Brakes to give riders maximum control. And when you pair all these elements with its 336mm ground clearance and 866mm seat height you have the perfect Motocross bike for Filipinos who are just getting into the sport.
CRF250R
For more experienced riders or those who want to get into legitimate Motocross competition, The All-New CRF250R is what you need. This bike, with its 249cc Liquid-Cooled, 4-Stroke, Single DOHC engine, is designed to take on more challenging Motocross circuits. It’s also equipped with exclusive HRC launch control to help assist riders from a standing start to achieve the right hole shot. This allows the rider to open the throttle fully and release the clutch while engine management keeps the RPM at an ideal range for optimum acceleration.
Moreover, The All-New CRF250R also features an Engine Mode Select button that lets you choose what ride mode suits you best, giving you a competitive edge come race day. Meanwhile, its 49mm Upside Down Showa Front Forks and Showa Pro-Link Rear Suspension enables the bike to soak up any bumps and dips with ease.
This bike also utilizes a strong yet lightweight chassis in combination with 260mm Front and 240mm Rear Hydraulic Wave Disc brakes. These engineered elements deliver maximum control even when tackling demanding Motocross circuits.
CRF450R
Now if you’re an even more experienced rider who wants to take their Motocross racing abilities to the next level, The All-New CRF450R is just for you. This bike is engineered with Honda’s Motocross heritage in mind, and is powered by a 450cc Liquid-Cooled, 4-Stroke, Single Cylinder, SOHC engine. This engine is designed to work harmoniously with the bike’s new Showa 49mm Inverted Telescopic front, and Showa Adjustable Pro-Link rear suspension. When combined with its 2-piston caliper front and 1-piston caliper rear disc brakes, and HRC Launch Control, you get a Motocross bike that will truly let you dominate the competition.
Trail Bikes for total Off-Road adventures HPI also acknowledges that there is a growing number of Filipino riders who are more into trail riding. For these individuals, HPI offers The All-New CRF125F and The New CRF250RX.
CRF125F
The All-New CRF125F is the bike you need if you’re looking to jump-start your passion for trail riding. This bike features all the design elements you expect from a legitimate Off-Road enduro bike including a longer, more comfortable seat, prominent mudguards, and 19-inch Front and 16-inch Rear Off-Road ready wheels and tires. However, the unit comes with a 785mm Seat Height and 260mm Ground Clearance making it ideal for beginners particularly younger riders. The bike also has a 125cc Air-Cooled, Single Cylinder, 4-stroke, SOHC, 2-valve engine and 31mm Telescopic Front, and Pro-Link Rear Suspension.
These features give you exceptional performance and riding comfort to take on any Off-Road trail with confidence.
CRF250RX
For more experienced trail riding enthusiasts, HPI offers The New CRF250RX. This bike is packed with the same awesome features as its motocross-specific sibling. The All-New CRF250R. These include HRC Launch Control, the 249cc Liquid-Cooled, 4-Stroke, Single Cylinder, DOHC engine, 49mm Upside Down Showa Front Forks and Showa Pro-Link Rear Suspension, and the front and rear Hydraulic Wave Disc brakes. These factors ensure you get the same outstanding performance and handling control with the enduro-style bike as on its Motocross variant.
The New CRF250RX has an 8-liter fuel tank. This gives The New CRF250RX the ability to go for longer distances in between refueling – a must for enduro riding. It is also equipped with 21-inch Front and 18-inch Rear off-road tires for maximum grip when riding through your favorite Off-Road trail.
The CRF series comes at various price points. For motocross bikes, The All-New CRF150R can be yours for PhP306,000.00 while The All-New CRF250R is priced at PhP459,000.00 and The All-New CRF450R can be yours for PhP500,000.00. For the trail bikes, The All-New CRF125F retails for PhP189,000.00 while The New CRF250RX is priced at Php469,000.00.
With the CRF competition bikes, experiencing an Off-Road adventure with the right motorcycle is now a reality. The CRF series promises to have a bike that’s suited to what each rider needs.
For more information, visit www.hondaph.com. Stay updated on Honda’s newest products and promos by following Honda Philippines, Inc. on Facebook and Instagram (@hondaph_mc), Youtube (@hondaphilippines_motorcycl8048) and Tiktok (tiktok.com/@hondaphilippines) or contact (02)-8581-6700 to 6799, and 0917-884-6632.
