Treat Yourself to an Early Christmas Gift with Tickets to Head in the Clouds Manila and Enjoy GCash’s Exclusive Offers

MANILA, Philippines – Live events and concerts are on the comeback, and if there's one way to give yourself a well-deserved treat before the year ends while also getting an early Christmas gift, purchasing tickets to the biggest music festival of the year doesn't sound like a bad idea. With Head in the Clouds Music and Arts Festival coming to the Philippines this December, GCash is making sure you achieve your concert goals by not missing out on getting tickets!

GCash lets everyone enjoy their hobbies and passions by giving them access to a range of financial services with exclusive offers. Now, there’s no need to wait in line or stress about how to pay for passes thanks to GCash’s GCredit or GGives features. 

GCredit, which extends convenience to GCash users to purchase tickets to Head in the Clouds through a "book now, pay later" system. Qualified users with GCredit receive a credit line of up to PHP 30,000, which you can use to pay for your online transactions instantly, payable within 30 days.

GCash also has a lending feature called GGives, which offers light and flexible installment payment plans depending on how many months you want to pay for your purchase. GGives is also available for Head in the Clouds tickets and can be selected when paying online or offline via QR. 

How to Purchase Your Tickets to Head in the Clouds via GCash 

VIP and GenAd 2-day passes are now available for sale via the SM Tickets website. To purchase your ticket, create an account or log-in at smtickets.com then tap the Head in the Clouds banner to add tickets to your cart. 

Review your order and select GCash as your payment option. Eligible users may maximize GCash’s pay later options when paying for their tickets using either GCredit or GGives. Finally, confirm your GCash payment and wait for your confirmation receipt to appear!

With music festivals making a comeback, don't miss out on the chance to see Asia's best performers on the Philippine stage on December 9 and 10, featuring global acts Jackson Wang, NIKI, Joji, Rich Brian, eaJ, and YOASOBI. Fresh off their homecoming show for their Where You At world tour, GCash is proud to present Filipino boy band SB19 to perform exclusively on the first day of the festival. SB19 joins some of the country’s best homegrown talents who will be taking the stage during the two-day event. 

Look no further for ways to celebrate the season and enjoy that music festival experience you've been missing! The Head In The Clouds Music and Arts Festival by 88rising is dedicated to showcasing Asian artists from all around the world. Head in the Clouds Manila will take place on December 9 and 10 at the SM Festival Grounds in Paranaque City.

For the latest news on the biggest music festival to hit Metro Manila, follow Head in the Clouds Manila on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Head in the Clouds Manila is presented by Globe and sponsored by GCash. 

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About GCash

GCash (G-Xchange, Inc.) is the #1 Finance App in the Philippines. Through the GCash App, 71M registered users can easily purchase prepaid airtime; pay bills at over 1,600 partner billers nationwide; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines, even to other bank accounts; purchase from over 5.2M partner merchants and social sellers; and get access to savings, credit, loans, insurance and invest money, and so much more, all at the convenience of their smartphones. GCash is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt (Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc.), the first and only double unicorn in the Philippines.

GCash was recognized by The Asian Banker (TAB) and by the IDC in 2021 for its outstanding digital financial inclusion programs.

PH Active Participation in 5th CIIE Showcases Strength of the Philippines’ Food Exports to China

Shanghai, China – The Philippines once more showcased the strength of its food exports to China through a highly successful participation in China’s largest import-themed trade show—China International Import Expo (CIIE), held in Shanghai on 5 to 10 November, 2022.

In his remarks during the opening of the CIIE, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Secretary Fred Pascual stated that “The Philippines’ participation in CIIE has become not only a practical response to opportunity, but an imperative to expand our international market, cement the Philippines’ reputation as a reliable sourcing destination for food, and introduce more quality food products into China’s mainstream markets.”

The Trade Chief further mentioned that “The DTI’s Export Marketing Bureau (EMB) has also provided the much-needed tools in upskilling our exporters to be fully equipped to join this exposition. We have also partnered with the private sector through Liwayway China, which carries the highly renowned “Oishi” brand – a brand that is deeply cherished with fond memories both in the Philippines and in China, and a testament that quality products can truly be a bridge that connects our country, and our people.”

The Country’s participation is supported by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center (PTIC) in Shanghai, Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai, and in partnership with our Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Agriculture Counsellor (OAC) in Beijing.

Additionally, the DTI, through its Trade Promotions Group (TPG) and the EMB also formed strategic linkages via signed cooperation intentions with 2 of China’s largest food chambers – the Beijing based China Chamber of Commerce of Foodstuffs and Native Produce (CFNA) and the Shanghai Food Association (SFA). With both chambers having a combined number of 7,500 member companies, these cooperation arrangements will be vital to enhance cooperation between food exporters in the Philippines and Chinese food companies in areas of business matching, technical cooperation, and investments to boost capacities in food production.

TPG OIC, Assistant Secretary Glenn Peñaranda affirmed the importance of these agreements and commented that “We value the partnership with CFNA and SFA as we pursue increased collaboration in enhancing food trade. We hope that this can progress to deeper collaboration in the whole value chain in food production, processing, and marketing”.

Likewise, PTIC Shanghai Head Mario C. Tani said, “The amount of products we export to China has vastly increased in the past five to six years, and sales were five times larger compared to the first time the Philippines has participated in the 2018 CIIE."

For this year’s CIIE, due to strict travel restrictions still in place related to China’s Zero-Covid Policy approach, the official Philippine delegation was physically led by the Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai as represented by Consul General Jose Ignacio. In the official pavilion opening at Shanghai’s enormous 500,000 sqm National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC), CG Ignacio stressed in his message that “What is constant is that the FOOD PHILIPPINES Pavilion’s central message - “healthy and fresh”, as only food products from the Philippines can offer, bar none, and as devoted and new buyers and importers alike can strongly attest to.”

At the forefront of the CIIE “FOOD PHILIPPINES” Pavilion design and conceptualization, CITEM presented this year a unified one-country promotional approach featuring three brands – “FOOD PHILIPPINES”, “COCONUT PHILIPPINES”, and the famous “Oishi” brand by Liwayway China, with a single storyline—a call to experience a “Festival of Island Flavors”.

For the first time, several Philippine coconut products were on display at the Coconut Philippines Pavilion. The Country is known worldwide to be a major producer and supplier of coconut oil, and the exhibits did not only showcase coconut oil in various forms, but also other innovative products made from coconut—the tree of life.

A key partner for the CIIE, the Department of Agriculture (DA), through the OAC in Beijing, also highlighted new and exciting products featured in this year’s expo, namely Philippine specialty coffee, and innovative coconut-based products.

Agriculture Counsellor Ana Abejuela reiterated the need to sustain the good momentum of the Philippines' agricultural exports to China. “The Philippines is already the top exporter of tropical fruits such as bananas and pineapples to mainland China. We must sustain this momentum by introducing even more innovative and exciting products through the CIIE such as PH specialty coffee and where to introduce this best but in the city known to be the coffee capital of China—Shanghai, and at the largest import expo—CIIE.” The Philippine specialty coffee brands were well received by coffee aficionados in both offsite and onsite tasting events.

With a record high of 62 food and food-related exporting companies from the Philippines, total sales recorded from this year’s participation reached USD655.15 million (exact amount: USD655,145,756.02), the highest yield recorded for a Philippine country participation anywhere in the world for the year, and the highest sales generated from the CIIE, since its inception in 2018. Of this total amount, 97% came from onsite sales and bulk purchase contracts, with 3% coming from online business matching activities.

In 2018, the CIIE was launched as one of China’s major trade promotion initiatives and was supported by Chinese President Xi Jinping who attended the first 2 editions in 2018 and 2019 in Shanghai. The Philippines registered sales of USD128 million in 2018 and USD256 million in 2019. Despite the pandemic, increased sales were generated both in 2020 and 2021.

BayaniPay Completes $4.5M Seed Round to Deliver Pioneering Cross-Border Banking Services to Asian American Immigrants

Manila, Philippines – BayaniPay, a financial service for global professionals, has raised $4.5 million in seed funding from East West Bank, Wavemaker Partners, and Talino Venture Labs. 

Earlier this year, BayaniPay contracted with East West Bank, the largest independent bank headquartered in Southern California, to offer Filipino American customers banking services, including a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) insured checking account. East West Bank joins BDO Unibank, the Philippines’ largest bank; Asian Journal, one of the leaders in the Asian American media industry; and Seafood City, the largest Filipino-owned supermarket chain in the U.S., in BayaniPay’s roster of industry-leading collaborators. 

This collaboration positions BayaniPay as the first cross-border, digital financial service for the Filipino American community, which is 4.2 million strong and accounts for $146 billion or 14.4% of the Asian American market in the United States: a segment that has been previously underserved by traditional banks and other financial institutions. 

BayaniPay offers easy, convenient, and low cost cross-border financial services from the United States to the Philippines. Its customers enjoy a host of benefits from its feature-rich platform, including access to a digital checking account, a debit card that maximizes spending power, and zero fee remittance and market-leading forex rates for Filipino Americans who are sending money home.

Expanding global financial services powered by BDO Unibank 

In cooperation with BDO Unibank, BayaniPay will deliver more financial solutions to Filipinos in the U.S. soon. 

BayaniPay is collaborating with BDO Unibank to enable its users in the U.S. to directly pay services in the Philippines through paycode technologies. Local businesses and services can simply provide Filipino American customers paycodes that they can use for easy and convenient cross-border payment of bills, tuition and school fees, medical expenses, and even real estate. 

By working together with BayaniPay, BDO Unibank continues to find ways to provide convenience to global professionals.

Breaking ceilings in the digital banking landscape 

Within its first three months in the market, BayaniPay disrupted the digital remittance industry by offering, through BDO Unibank, zero fees and market-leading exchange rates. Its neobank expansion allows customers to open a digital bank account with a Visa debit card in the United States through East West Bank—enabling faster, frictionless cross-border payments and rewards on customer transactions. 

“On behalf of East West Bank, I applaud BayaniPay’s progress in our digital banking technology to provide omnichannel banking as a service to underserved customers,” said Parker Shi, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of East West Bank. “This means that BayaniPay customers can enjoy the same quality of service, whether they’re banking with their mobile devices or transacting at their local East West Bank branch.” 

Since announcing its expansion, BayaniPay has gained over 7,000 users and its work in disrupting the global banking landscape has caught the attention of many digital publications, including Forbes and American Banker. 

"We are excited about how quickly BayaniPay has grown since we first launched," said BayaniPay CEO Winston Damarillo. "Our ongoing efforts are driven by the desire to eliminate the financial hardships of new immigrants and minority communities." 

The fresh capital from East West Bank and Wavemaker Partners will allow BayaniPay to expand the technology team as the company scales its product lineup and expands into more geographies. 

“Streamlining cross border payment systems have become more urgent than ever as remittances grow in scale from overseas workers. Unfortunately, even in this day and age, existing remittance methods remain painful and expensive for the average remitter. BayaniPay is addressing this pain point with their suite of payment solutions that simplifies the various types of remittances. Whether the need is peer-to-peer, consumer-to-business or business-to-business, BayaniPay has created intuitive solutions to make this payment journey a simple and cost effective exercise,” said Eric Manlunas, Founder and Managing Partner of Wavemaker Partners. 

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About BayaniPay 

BayaniPay’s mission is to use technology to break down the borders in banking and level the playing field for all global professionals. Based in Los Angeles, its mobile-first service empowers global professionals working abroad to take financial care of their families and communities back in their home countries. BayaniPay Inc. is a collaboration among Talino Venture Labs, The Asian Journal, East West Bank, and Wavemaker Partners, and is the authorized agent of BDO Unibank, the Philippines’ largest bank. For more information, visit bayanipay.com. 

BayaniPay is a fintech company, not a bank. U.S. banking products and services are offered through East West Bank, Member FDIC.

Amp Up Your Imagination with the McDonald’s NEW Potato Head Happy Meal!

PHILIPPINES – November 25, 2022 – Running out of ideas to encourage your kid’s creativity? Take imaginative play to a whole new level with the McDonald’s Potato Head Happy Meal! With this limited-edition toy collection, kids can use their limitless imagination to transform a simple potato into magical and powerful toys!

This time around, Potato Head is collaborating with My Little Pony and Transformers to amp up the fun and excitement during playtime. Through this partnership, kids can mix and match various detachable parts of the toys - the head gear, the hair, the head, and the body - to create new characters.This collaboration promotes the concept of open-ended play and helps kids realize the power of creativity and imagination to transform something unique and magical! While everyone’s hyped up with the many activities they can do this season, these interactive toys will surely make family bonding time more engaging and memorable.

What are you waiting for? Grab all 8 Potato Head Happy Meal toys and give the gift of smiles to little ones this Christmas! Purchase a Happy Meal via McDonald’s Dine In, Drive-Thru, Take Out, and McDelivery. For more information about this offering, follow McDonald’s Philippines on Facebook and Instagram.

2022 PFL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CEREMONIAL WEIGH-IN IMAGES

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - The Professional Fighters League, the fastest-growing and most innovative sports league in the world, wraps up a historic 2022 season with MMA’s Richest Night, the 2022 PFL World Championship, which takes place at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden, New York City tomorrow, November 25. The card features six championship bouts, as well as highly-anticipated debuts from the fastest-rising stars in mixed martial arts. The main event will feature undefeated American Kayla Harrison facing Brazilian knockout artist Larissa Pacheco for the PFL Women’s Lightweight Championship.

Harrison, who weighed in at 154.4-pounds, is gunning for her third-straight reign as PFL Women’s Lightweight Champion. A win on Friday will make her the league’s first and only three-time champion and cement her place as the best fighter in women’s MMA today. 
 

Looking to end Harrison’s unbeaten streak will be Pacheco, who weighed in at 154.2-pounds. Pacheco has won her last five fights by knockout and is looking to claim her first PFL World Championship when she squares off with Harrison again.

In the co-main event, England’s Brendan Loughnane meets Bubba “Bad Man” Jenkins of the United States for the PFL Featherweight Championship.

Loughnane, who weighed in at 144.8-pounds, will compete for the first PFL championship of his career. The Manchester native ran through some of the league’s best 145-pounders to reach the finals and earn a shot at PFL gold and the million-dollar purse.

Jenkins, who weighed in at 145-pounds attempts to add another championship to his already impressive list of accolades. The former NCAA Division I wrestling champion will try to grapple his way to a PFL title and a million-dollar check.

Croatia’s Ante Delija (241.8 lbs.) and Brazil’s Matheus Scheffel (256.4 lbs.) both made weight for their PFL Heavyweight Championship bout.

Canada’s Olivier Aubin-Mercier (154.6 lbs.) and Scotland’s Stevie Ray (154.6 lbs.) both made weight for their PFL Lightweight Championship bout.

Sweden’s Sadibou Sy (169.6 lbs.) and PFL Challenger Series contract winner, Jamaica’s Dilano Taylor (169.4 lbs.) both made weight for their PFL Welterweight Championship bout.

New Zealand’s Robert Wilkinson (204.6 lbs.) and Omari Akhmedov (202.8 lbs.) both made weight for their PFL Light Heavyweight Championship bout.

COMPLETE 2022 PFL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WEIGH-IN RESULTS:

 

ESPN+ PPV Championship Card

 

PFL Women’s Lightweight Championship:

Kayla Harrison (154.4 lbs.) vs. Larissa Pacheco (154.2 lbs)

 

PFL Featherweight Championship:

Brendan Loughnane (144.8 lbs.) vs. Bubba Jenkins (145 lbs)

 

PFL Heavyweight Championship:

Ante Delija (241.8 lbs.) vs. Matheus Scheffel (256.4 lbs.)

 

Women’s Featherweight Showcase: 

Aspen Ladd (145.4 lbs.) vs. Julia Budd (146 lbs.)

 

PFL Lightweight Championship:

Olivier Aubin-Mercier (154.6 lbs.) vs. Stevie Ray (154.6 lbs.)

 

PFL Welterweight Championship:

Sadibou Sy (169.6 lbs.) vs. Dilano Taylor (169.4 lbs.)

 

PFL Light Heavyweight Championship: 

Robert Wilkinson (204.6 lbs.) vs. Omari Akhmedov (202.8 lbs.)

ESPN+ Early Card

 

Featherweight Showcase:

Marlon Moraes (146 lbs.) vs. Sheymon Moraes (145.8 lbs.)

 

Lightweight Showcase:

Natan Schulte (155.4 lbs.)  vs. Jeremy Stephens (155.8 lbs.)

 

Catchweight Showcase:

Magomed Magomedkerimov (175.8 lbs.) vs. Gleison Tibau (174.6 lbs.)

 

Women’s Flyweight Showcase:

Dakota Ditcheva (125.6 lbs.) vs. Katherine Corogenes (124.2 lbs.)

 

Lightweight Amateur Bout:

Biaggio Ali Walsh (154.8 lbs.) vs. Tom Graesser (154.8 lbs.)

UST’s Henry Sy Sr. Hall to Boost Health Education

Pursuing its objective of driving Philippine social development by fostering the youth and the culture of excellence through education, the Henry Sy Foundation, Inc. (HSFI) recently inked a partnership with the University of Sto. Tomas (UST) Research and Endowment Foundation to construct a building that elevates health education in the country.

Named in honor of the late SM Founder, the Henry Sy, Sr. Hall of UST will rise on the main campus in Manila to respond to the needs of digital medical education.

The Hall will feature technologically advanced facilities and equipment that complement UST’s teaching, learning, and research practices. Focused on interdisciplinary collaboration in medical studies, it will also house the simulation and research facility of the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery (UST-FMS).

Paragons with passion

Fr. Richard Gaw Ang, OP, Rector of UST, thanked the Sy family as they work together to provide the best education to future physicians and increase UST’s research productivity to fill the gaps where communities are disadvantaged.

“Your family consists of industry leaders who have visions for the Filipino community. Your choice to support this endeavor of the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery is a significant stamp of approval to the work and tradition of this medical institution,” Fr. Ang said in a letter to the Sy family.

“Your family’s Patriarch, Henry Sy, Sr., had principles in life that we, as an institution, give our best to also follow. We aim to lead as paragons with passion, integrity, far-reaching and optimistic vision, sensible priorities, and discipline. At the core of this is a deep sense of charity for God, the church, and the nation,” Fr. Ang added.

UST’s future Henry Sy, Sr. Hall

Rising as an intellectual hub for future physicians, the building has a dedicated floor for the Faculties of Medicine and Surgery Research Center and the Medicine and Surgery Graduate Programs and Ethics Review Board. Here, medical education research and various medical-related specialty research will be reviewed and conducted. 

The building will include specialized centers, rooms, and laboratories, such as Medical Simulation Centers and Care Ultrasound Institute, and Otorhinolaryngology Laboratory. These will be equipped with cutting-edge tools and technology to develop medical students’ competencies in multiple simulated healthcare settings crossing the human lifespan.

The HSFI is a non-stock, non-profit organization inspired by SM founder Henry Sy, Sr.’s desire to aid educational institutions to drive Philippine social development. Its projects are undertaken in partnership with the SM group and its foundations to honor the SM founder by supporting educational institutions in promoting academic excellence as a key to a brighter future for the youth. Through the years, the foundation established and supported several academic infrastructures, such as the Henry Sy Sr. Primary School Building in Xavier School, Nuvali Laguna; Henry Sy Sr. Innovation Center in Miriam College, Quezon City; NU Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna; NU Nazareth School in Manila; and a Henry Sy Sr. Hall each at Immaculate Conception Academy, San Juan City, and Assumption College. 

ASUS puts Incredible in Innovation, Launches Award-Winning Zenbook 17 Fold OLED in the Philippines

Pasig City, Philippines, November 23, 2022 — ASUS announced its groundbreaking Zenbook 17 Fold OLED (UX9702), the world's first 17.3-inch foldable OLED laptop. This ultra-compact and light 12.5-inch Foldable OLED laptop unfolds into a versatile 17.3-inch device with six modes, pushing the boundaries of innovation today. Redefining work and entertainment user experiences, this futuristic device packs a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16 GB RAM, and a 1 TB PCIe SSD. Breaking many technological glass ceilings, Zenbook 17 Fold OLED has received multiple accolades, including the prestigious iF Design, Red Dot Design Awards, and TIME Magazine's Best Inventions of 2022.

Unfold the incredible

This groundbreaking foldable laptop offers users two sizes of OLED display in one device: a large 4:3 17.3-inch 2.5K NanoEdge touchscreen that folds in the middle to create two seamless 3:2 12.5-inch 1920 by 1280 displays. When folded fully closed along the precision-engineered 180-degree hinge, it's an ultra-compact and portable 12.5-inch device. Users can choose from Zenbook 17 Fold OLED's multiple versatile usage modes, namely the Desktop, Laptop (with Bluetooth keyboard), Laptop (with virtual keyboard), Tablet, Reader, and Extended.

Desktop mode

In Desktop mode, the unfolded 17.3-inch screen — propped up in landscape orientation using the built-in faux leather kickstand — can be used with the ASUS ErgoSense Bluetooth keyboard and touchpad attached wirelessly to create a powerful large-screen PC. This allows for all-day, non-stop productivity in the office or at home.

Laptop mode with Bluetooth keyboard

For Laptop mode (with Bluetooth keyboard), the keyboard attaches magnetically when placed on the lower half of the folded display. Alternatively, in Laptop mode (with virtual keyboard), the lower display can be turned into a virtual on-screen keyboard. These modes are perfect for on-the-go users who want a device they can easily clutch from one meeting to the next.

Tablet mode allows users to exploit the full touch capabilities of the fully opened 17.3-inch touchscreen, ideal for team collaboration and presenting big ideas. Reader mode — with the hinge aligned vertically — turns Zenbook 17 Fold OLED into the perfect reading device for that much-needed alone time studying or reading e-books.

Extended mode

Finally, in Extended mode, propped up in portrait orientation, the folded two 12.5-inch screens are perfect for users to scroll seamlessly on the upper and lower displays. Thus, Zenbook 17 Fold OLED can be connected to an external monitor via one of the two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports.

In each mode, the easy-to-use window management tools — such as Mode Switcher — in the ScreenXpert 3 app allow multiple split-display configurations and flexible app layouts for enhanced productivity. Users can seamlessly transition to each mode as its innovative hinge is engineered with ultimate durability. It is tested to withstand over 30,000 open-and-close cycles for total peace of mind.

Zenbook 17 Fold OLED also comes with a full-size ASUS ErgoSense Bluetooth keyboard and touchpad to support multiple user modes, providing a brand-new typing experience. The Bluetooth keyboard has a desktop-grade 19.05 mm key pitch and a long 1.4 mm travel on the dished mechanical keys, ensuring comfortable and accurate typing. The ErgoSense touchpad has a new silky-smooth surface for easy navigation, protected by a durable anti-fingerprint coating.

Despite its versatility and large screen size, the device weighs just 1.5 kg without the keyboard or 1.8 kg with it.

Performance that matters

The Intel Evo-certified Zenbook 17 Fold OLED is powered for effortless multitasking by high-performance components, including a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16 GB RAM, and a 1 TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. The long-lasting 75-watt-hour battery features USB-C Easy Charge, so it can be charged quickly with most USB-C chargers, power banks, or any Power Delivery-certified charger, including the bundled 65 W fast-charge adapter.

It's easy to connect Zenbook 17 Fold OLED to peripherals too. There are two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports, which are up to eight times faster than USB 3.2 Gen 1, and feature support for fast charging or connecting external displays. A USB-C to USB Type-A adapter is also supplied.

Entertainment like no other

Experience immersive entertainment like no other with the foldable OLED touchscreen in Zenbook 17 Fold OLED. It has a stunning Dolby Vision-certified display with 100% DCI-P3 and PANTONE validated for color accuracy. It is TÜV Rheinland-certified for reducing harmful blue light and is accompanied by a powerful quad-speaker Harman Kardon-certified Dolby Atmos sound system. 

Zenbook 17 Fold OLED includes several smart AI-powered features for added privacy and security and a superb online video calling experience. These include user-presence detection using an HD IR camera, which locks the laptop when the user is away, and unlocks it upon return, an integrated color sensor for automatic adjustment of screen brightness and color temperature, and a 5 MP AI webcam with ASUS 3D Noise Reduction (3DNR) technology.

ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED (UX9702) comes in a premium Tech Black color with a free lifetime license to Office Home & Student 2021. With a limited quantity of only 100 pieces in the Philippines, get it today for only PHP 219,995.00. Check out this laptop in ASUS Concept Stores and authorized resellers today. Here is the complete list of where to buy https://ph.asus.click/PRWTB. Users can also score Zenbook 17 Fold OLED with up to 12 months of 0% installment via Home Credit.

Specifications

Variant	Color	Specs	SRP
UX9702AA-MD007WS	Tech Black	17" 2560x1920 4:3 500 nits touch FOLED / i7-1250U / 16GB LPDDR5 / 1TB PCIE4 SSD	PHP 219,995

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About ASUS

ASUS is a global technology leader that provides the world's most innovative and intuitive devices, components and solutions to deliver incredible experiences that enhance the lives of people everywhere. With its team of 5,000 in-house R&D experts, ASUS is world-renowned for continuously reimagining today's technologies for tomorrow, garners more than 11 awards every day for quality, innovation and design, and is ranked among Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies.

Trade Chief tightens price watch in markets with “Ikot Palengke” Marikina-run

23 November 2022—Trade Secretary Fred Pascual steered the pilot run of “Ikot Palengke,” to ensure that the Marikina City public market and supermarkets in the vicinity uphold fair trading and consumer protection amidst inflation and other unprecedented economic factors.

Tagged with the theme, “Tamang Timbang, Tamang Presyo Para sa Mamimiling Pilipino,” Secretary Pascual heads the monitoring task force of the Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau (FTEB) in inspecting the: prices and supply of processed and agricultural basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPCs); accuracy of weights and measures; and appropriate price tags.

The “Ikot Palengke” also includes checking the prices and supply of Christmas staples in time with the release of the Noche Buena Price Guide, on the same day. The Price Guide is intended to boost consumer awareness and assist consuming public in making informed purchases.

“Today’s launch of the “Ikot Palengke” reminds everyone that we at DTI will always make sure to protect our consumers. Let this be a warning to unscrupulous traders and those who do abusive practices such as hoarding, profiteering and cartels. We will not tolerate such," Trade and Industry Secretary said. He continued “Huwag natin lalong pahirapan ang ating mga kababayan!"

Strategic market monitoring seeks to address the issues of profiteering and hoarding. It also seeks to ensure the availability of other alternative products to BNPCs in case of supply shortage. Regular market monitoring guarantees that there will be no artificial shortages that will affect prices.

The Republic Act No. 7581 or The Price Act, as amended, mandates implementing agencies such as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and Department of Energy (DOE) to ensure stable prices and supply of BNPCs.

Furthermore, the DTI as part of the implementing agencies of the Price Act (Republic Act No. 7581, as amended by RA No. 10623, is mandated to coordinate and rationalize government programs aimed to stabilizing prices and supplies of basic necessities and prime commodities (BNPCs).

The DTI-FTEB conducts weekly monitoring of the price and supply of basic necessities such as, but not limited to, canned sardines, processed milk, powdered milk, coffee, bread, instant noodles, salt, detergent soap, bottled water, and candles; and prime commodities such as, but not limited to, canned meat, vinegar, patis, soy sauce, toilet soap, batteries, flour, cement, hollow blocks, construction nails, light bulbs, electrical supplies, and steel wires.

The DTI urges consumers to report retailers, distributors, and manufacturers that sell basic necessities above their SRPs or uncertified items, through the Consumer Care Hotline at DTI (1-384) or consumercare@dti.gov.ph.