Advocating Education for the Filipino Youth, One Diploma at a Time

Wazzup Pilipinas!

For Filipinos, education is considered as a symbol of wealth that parents can bequeath to their children. As such, every family, as well as the government and civic organizations, are actively doing their best to make this precious wealth accessible to everyone, regardless of their status in life.

Through the Free Tertiary Education Bill, government programs, and our State Universities and Colleges, the government strives to make attaining a college degree possible. However, there is still so much to be done. A recent survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) revealed that one in every 10 Filipinos, aged 6 to 24 years old, is out of school due to the high costs that go with the pursuit of an academic career. The survey also showed that more than 50 percent of out of school youths belong to families whose income falls at the bottom 30 percent of the entire population, based on their per capita income.

To help in advocating education, Prestone, a known brand for trusted and quality auto care (Motor Oil, Brake Fluid, and Coolants) products, launched its Anak ng Mekaniko Scholarship Program as part of its 90th Anniversary celebration. It is a grant that aims to pay tribute to the country’s auto mechanics in the automotive sector by giving their children a chance to earn a tertiary level education.

Monique Gonzales, Brand Manager of Prestone, said that they owe a lot of their success to the auto mechanics, who continuously trust and patronize their products in ensuring vehicles are in good condition all the time.

“It is our time now to give back through this initiative and provide a ground for a brighter future for their children through education,” added Gonzales. 

After receiving applications from across the country, Prestone is set to announce the nine deserving ANAK NG MEKANIKO Scholars, who will be granted a full scholarship to a four-year course of their choice in any STI Colleges campus nationwide. These recipients will be flying in Metro Manila early this May to personally receive their awards.

“Prestone is driving this project to help ease the burden that comes with having to pay for education, especially for low-income families. We want to make a positive impact in the lives of these students by helping them succeed through good and proper education”, said Gonzales. “In such a competitive world, getting a good job becomes increasingly hard and education can help pave the way for these nine deserving scholars to achieve their goals for their family.”

To learn more about PRESTONE® and its other products, visit their website at www.prestone.com.ph or follow them on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/prestonephilippines.

Hoppler at Art in the Park 2018

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Online real estate brokerage’s Junior Art Center a big hit among art fair–goers and kids

Art in the Park, dubbed as the country’s most important affordable art fair, was recently held at the Jaime Velasquez Park in Salcedo Village, Makati, where online real estate brokerage Hoppler successfully organized its Junior Art Center activity—a huge hit among fair-goers and their kids.

At Hoppler’s Junior Art Center, kids stayed for free art sessions. Parents who signed up with the online real estate brokerage received art kits composed of canvas and paint materials, modeling clay, and origami paper. Hoppler also put up a Community Wall where fair-goers were able to doodle or draw things about home that inspire them—a project that is in line with Hoppler’s mission of promoting an engaged and cohesive community.

CEO Ramon Ballesca Jr. said: “Hoppler is committed to community building by making sure that Filipinos find that perfect home in the right community and by connecting them only with duly licensed and reliable real estate brokers and agents. A home is very much like an artwork. It starts like a blank canvas where every family imagines itself living in, gradually taking form, until it becomes a tangible place where children are raised and nurtured.”

Like its previous editions, this year’s event was set to celebrate all kinds of art with the goal of making contemporary pieces more accessible Filipinos and aspiring collectors. According to the event’s organizers, Art in the Park 2018 makes art even more affordable by prescribing a cap of Php50,000 on art pieces. The event is also for the benefit of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines.

The 2018 fair featured up-and-coming local artists, 59 galleries, and student groups who exhibited their own unique art pieces in the event, among whom are this year’s two featured artists: Tekla Tamoria and Jacob Lindo.

Tamoria, who has participated in numerous group shows and has been working on developing a unique relationship with paper and fabrics, transformed her feverish energy into obsessive focus on her installation titled “Colony”— intricately made hives attached to a tree.

On the other hand, painter and sculptor Lindo’s work similarly represented the best in Art in the Park: finding new in the familiar. Lindo is fast becoming known for his collages, some of which feature meticulously cut illustrations from old used books presented in new and exciting ways.

Petron Turbo Diesel Field Test Delivers Outstanding Results!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As a fuel innovator, industry leader Petron Corporation is continuously looking for ways to provide Filipino motorists with the best possible products in the market. Having achieved recognition as the best gasoline in the country for its Petron Blaze 100 Euro 6, the company’s R&D team recently enhanced the formulation of its premium Petron Turbo Diesel to be the best diesel in the Philippines. Thus, last January, the Petron TriAction Performance Run – Diesel Edition took off from Manila to Baguio for a week-long series of tests on challenging mountain roads from Baguio to Ambuklao, and then from Baguio to Halsema, the highest elevation in the Philippine highway system, before finishing with a fuel economy run from Baguio back to Manila.

Outstanding Performance Across Vehicle Types

Faced with the challenge of measuring improvements in engine power, engine response, and acceleration, test drivers were asked to rate the performance of different diesel fuels in a stringent double blind procedure. Using a different diesel fuel each day for four days, the drivers drove the same winding, uphill-downhill route from Baguio City to Ambuklao Dam and back. All these while keenly observing whether there was an immediate engine response when going uphill after slowing down on a sharp curve, or if the engine does not feel strained when carrying a full load, or if the vehicle is able to accelerate smoothly even on long uphill climbs.

To ensure that Petron Turbo Diesel is able to deliver optimum performance across vehicle types, different vehicle categories and brands were included in the field test. The test vehicles consisted of a BMW X1, a European luxury subcompact crossover; a Toyota Innova,  the market leading utility vehicle; a Honda CR-V Diesel, the 2017 Car of the Year-Philippines; a Nissan Urvan, a popular people-mover; a Ford Everest and Ford Ranger to represent the American brand; Isuzu mu-X and Isuzu D-MAX for the leader in commercial vehicles; and a Ssangyong Tivoli XLV, a Korean SUV model.
When asked to rank the test fuels—designated only by letter codes—in the daily runs, the consolidated results indicated that Petron Turbo Diesel was rated by the drivers as delivering the best performance in terms of power, engine response, and acceleration.

Improved Fuel Economy

Following the test protocol of the Department of Energy (DOE) Fuel Economy Run, the vehicles traversed some 230.7-kilometers from the Petron station on Kisad Road, Baguio City, going through the relatively busy Marcos Highway, then on to the Tarlac-Pangasian-La Union Expressway (TPLEX), the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), ending at Petron NLEX Southbound in Bocaue, Bulacan.

All vehicles delivered outstanding results, averaging 20% better than the official Fuel Efficiency Ratings (FER) posted in the 2017 DOE Fuel Economy Run. For example, the BMW X1 achieved 34.08km/L, which is 43% better than the 23.88km/L recorded in the DOE Run. The Honda CR-V’s fuel consumption improved by 19% to 28.52km/L from 23.96km/L. The fuel efficiency results were similarly impressive for the other vehicles, as follows: Ford Everest – 27.21km/L; Toyota Innova – 23.4km/L; Ssangyong Tivoli XLV – 22.6km/L; Isuzu mu-X – 19.97km/L; Isuzu D=MAX – 18.44km/L; Nissan Urvan – 17.22km/L; and Ford Ranger – 17.08km/L.

The Petron TriAction Performance Run – Diesel Edition was observed and certified by representatives from Department of Energy (DOE), Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), and the Car Awards Group Inc. (CAGI).

Enhanced Diesel Formulation

Petron Turbo Diesel has been further enhanced as a high-performance, technologically-advanced fuel. With robust multi-functional additives in its improved formulation, this superior diesel fuel has been designed to unleash the full power and optimum performance of the most advanced and sophisticated diesel engines.

Petron Turbo Diesel has high ignition quality and combustibility that maximize fuel energy conversion for maximum engine power and efficiency. It has the ability to effectively clean up and keep clean the fuel injection system to deliver exceptional protection and sustained optimum performance.

Like all other Petron fuels, the enhanced formulation of Petron Turbo Diesel allows motorists to enjoy greater benefits from Petron’s TriAction Advantage which are: (1) better engine protection for longer engine life; (2) better mileage for longer drives; and (3) better power.

In real world driving conditions, through the most challenging uphill-downhill and winding terrains, Petron Turbo Diesel has proven that Filipino motorists can enjoy more savings on maintenance and fuel consumption while getting the best driving experience from their vehicle.