Best Choice Awards' Star-Studded List of Awardees for 2018 Shine Bright at Gala Night

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Being an awardee ourselves, we are sending our warmest and sincerest congratulations to all the Companies, Brands and Achievers for the Best Choice Awards for the year 2018!

We could totally relate how ecstatic you are feeling right now for such an honor. Being appreciated together with a room full of fellow achievers is worth remembering.

It is with great pleasure to receive the recognition, not to fail to mention that we received a Hall of Fame award for winning three consecutive awards in a row. It truly inspires us to sustain our never-ending motivation to push our efforts even more. Recognitions like these are what gives us the reasons to keep on waking up with all smiles after a well-rested sleep. This is because all our hardships are getting noticed. It is the most rewarding achiement to attain because what good is our presence if we remain anonymously just among the noise in the world. To stand out among the rest is beyond inspirational.

We would like to thank our printing solution partner Beng Girang from CTG Printz, also an awardee, for receing the award in behalf of Wazzup Pilipinas.

Our community is composed of not only bloggers but also of various individuals from different industries collaborating with us to achieve a common goal.

With notable personalities giving key messages, entertainment and also receiving awards themselves, we know this community of achievers, may it be brand, company or individual, give that extra special aura during the awards night.

The likes of TV personality Queen Mother Karla Estrada, OPM veteran singer Jaya Ramsey, comedian Isko Salvador more popularly known as Brod Pete, Tawag Ng Tanghalan at It's Showtime's Noven Belleza and Marielle Montellano, all-male singing group BoybandPH, dance group PHD Dancers, Mentalist Justin Pinon, etc., surely made the night extra special and inspiring to be lined up as fellow awardees with these big names.

Karla Estrada's real-life story is also very inspiring and quite touching too. We learned that celebrities are just like us who get depressed and suffer similar challenges and struggles just like the rest of us.

Foodcart Franchise Entrepreneur Rebecca Topacio's talk also gave the attendees significant thoughts to digest aside from the fabulous dishes served at the Richmonde Hotel in Eastwood, Libis Quezon City.

Special mention also goes to the Hollywood celebrities impersonators who were so fun to look at and hacmve photo ops or groupfies with.

Just like every year, the awarding and gala night keeps on getting better and brighter as more and more are being honored as recognition to their valiant effort in their respective fields or industries. We do need that annual push to help us evaluaye our performances. It helps us gauge the customers perception so we could constantly improve and keep updated to catch up with what's in or trending. It is not bad to worry and become paranpid sometimes if the competition is getting ahead of us, or we are losing customers because we may be too complacent of our business process. In short, we should keep up with the cobstant changes so we would remain the preferred choice, the Best Choice!

Congratulation again to our fellow awardees. Just like all of you, we remain steadfast to always be the best version of ourselves by continously innovating and listening to our customers, in our case our readers, viewers, partners, sponsors, correspondents, contributors and core team.

"And it's a wrap! Congratulations to all Awardees! Thank you for the support and hope to see you for the BEST CHOICE AWARDS 2019!  Another successful event brought to you by PESMS Events Management."

Photos creditvto Beng Girang of CTG Printz, Nestor Tugade Laydetos of Light TV and Best Choice Awards Facebook page

#BCA2018 #BESTCHOICE2018 #BCAGOESTOHOLLYWOOD
#PESMSEvents

Center for Student Internship Holds Internship Empowerment Seminars

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Internship at a business establishment allows for further and more extensive growth among students since actual real-life experiences are best learned outside the school grounds. Nothing beats being trained personally by those who live and breath the actual work on a daily basis. Our professir could only do so much because the best way to totally immerse ourselves in the working conditions is to be there doing the hands-on work where situations are greatly diverse and unpredictable.

Thus, we should grab every opportunity to stregthen our knowledge and skills because the only limitation to our success is when we stop learning new things.

I recently enjoyed a whole day event at the Life of an Intern event at the Fairmont Hotel on October 25 with the J8 Center for Student Internship (CSI) for their Life Of An Intern and Hotel Re-Familiarization Seminar featuring executives from hotels in Thailand, the Thailand Embassy, CHEd, etc.

The annual event organized by J8 CSI gathers university students around the Philippines for the CHED SIAP Thailand. It is attended also by the deans, professors and/or heads of universities. The seminar aims to empower the students by familiarizing them about the internship program and the participating hotels where they may possibly do internships for several months, specifically 3 to 6 months, of being outside the Philippines doing OJT at a foreign country only two hours away by plane from Manila.

With its proximity, Thailand is an ideal country to visit and do internship since it also boasts of being a top tourist destination not only because of its instagrammable tourist spots but also because of its world-class hotels and resorts. I've been to Thailand for 7 days yet I never really was out of place because as a Filipino, its easy to blend in with its people since our race are similar in features. Just like us, they have high regards to family especially their parents whom they take good care even during their old stage. Family is closely-knitted so expect similar treatment to their friends and visiing guests. When I visited Thailand, our friends from the country personally toured us around until night time. They even taught us a few Thai words so we can cope in haggling during shopping at their many malls or markets. Lol!

Majority of their food is known to be spicy so expected a couple of days trying to manage the spicy level, but you'll surely get to adjust from it after a few more days. My fellow blogger suggested we could probably invite them to Bicol so the Thais would be perfectly at home. Think of Bicol Express or our Sili Ice Cream from 1st Colonial.

The executives from Thai Hotels and Resorts who were present at the event were Nontawan Engchuan of Krabi Tipa Resort Group, Sirinya Suankaew of Sugar Marina Group, Junjira Khonwai of Le Coral Airport Lounge Group, and a fellow Filipino who loved Thailand so much he never left - Glen Ferrer from the Kata Group.

The initial part of the program was a panel discussion among the previous trainess where they shared their memorable abd life-enriching experiences amidst an equally excited audience eager to hear about how they spent their days in Thailand. I'll add here the names of the students if I get the list of their names.

Aside from hearing the talks of four guests from the different Thailand hotels and resorts, and the three heads of the universities, we also had the opportunity to interview them personally. It was an interesting discussion especially when we hear Filipinos shining above the other nationalities with their exceptional work ethics, and fluency in the English language - an advantage we have since it is our second language. My kids are even more fluent in English than the vernacular so they would sometimes have a hard time understanding some Tagalog words. Since majority of the best shows and movies would come from foreign countries, we tend to patronize them more and thus the proficiency in English rubs off towards us to the point that we would rarely speak in full Tagalog. Thonk of Taglish, or better yet, totally speaking in English all throughout a conversation with others.

The heads of three schools pressent at the event were Dean Irene De Villa PhD of the University of Batangas, Dean Marilen Pablico, DBA of the  University Of Northern Philippines and Prof. Sandra Morales, MBA of the University Of The East.

There was also a talk from the representative from the Thailand Embassy. Urawadee Sriphiromya, Charge d' Affaires, was supposed to attend, but she just sent a representative who was the one signing the VISA applications.

Saving the best for last, Dr. Teoticia Taguibao, Consultant and former CHED Director is introduced by Dominic Amayun, PhD, J8 CSI Center for Student Internship Managing Director, to deliver the closing remarks.

Dr. Taguibao delivered a strong and inspirational message beneficial to the students who would soon go on internship. It caught my attention well for being a powerful closing message with impact that could significantly resonate within if the audience would listen with intent.

The list of participating schools in the internship program include University of Northern Philippines, Ilocos Sur Polytechnic State College - Sta. Maria Campus, Don Mariabo Marcos Memorial State University Mid-La Union Campus, St. Louis College - La Union, University of Cagayan Valley, Isabela State University Cauayan Campus, Nueva Vizcaya State University, PLT College, University of the Assumption, University of Perpetual Help System Molino, Las Pinas and Calamba Campus, University of Batangas, University of Northeastern Philippines, University of the East, and Adamson University.

The exposure of Tourism and/or Hospitality students in an establishment outside the country would be an awesome experience for them since the professionalism, class and work ethics could help them to be globally competitive. The foreign setting would definitely help them understand the culture of other nationalities too. Being in a neighboring country away from friends and families also prepares them to be more independent and could also help them immerse in an environment where they could tap into their full potential.

When we go beyond or outside our comfort zone, it could trigger an instinct for survival and/or passion to impress. Thus we could develop into a more confident, responsible and reliable working habit since our performance is crucial in identfying our weakness and strengths. Also, with less of the distractions brought about by peer pressure when at a familar surrounding lime home, we tend to lose focus of our main goals or objectives. This is the similar reason why company workshops are held out of town or far from the office premises, so employees can concentratevon the tasks at hand. I believe the Thailand experience would be a very memorable opportunity for them to enhance their skills and knowledge and be more empowered to stand out and daring to exceed expectations.

Good luck to the students joining the CHED SIAP and may they bring home with them not just the learning experience but also the admiration from their hosts hotels and resorts, as well as the friendship with their fellow interns from other countries.

We have photo and video coverage of the event posted on our official Wassup Pilipinas Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/wazzuppilipinas

#WazzupPilipinas #PambansangBlogger #LifeOfAnIntern #Internship #Thailand

Happy 30th Anniversary to Puratos Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Every milestone is considered an achievement worth celebrating. The moment becomes more memorable and significant when recognized as an integral part of your life. It becomes extra special when we celebrate the occasion with our friends and loved ones. There is nothing more vibrant seeing them rejoicing as well.

This is why a trusted baking products brand opted to celebrate a momentous event together with the most special people for them - their customers!

Congratulations to Puratos Philippines for being a reliable and well-loved high-end brand for baking products used for breads and cakes. Filipino businesses involved in the mentioned pastries are giving the Puratos brand a thumbs up, if not two thumbs up, and though their only comment is that Puratos products are a bit expensive, it is only because the brand stands out as a top of the line.

To believe that we do have to pay more for quality, that mindset of preferring to choose a more expensive brand, is a lot more rewarding since this will surely cascade to the rest that we do love our friends, families, customers or everyone whom we serve the breads or cakes we baked from Puratos products.

Based from the testimonies of the attendees during the 30th anniversary celebration, Puratos really gives a great impression because it delivers well even beyond expectations.

If you want to hear more direct from the event attendees present at the celebration that happened the whole day at SMX Convention Center of SM Aura, check out some of our videos uploaded on our Facebook page.

We also interviewed the Puratos Philippines executives (General Manager and Marketing Head) including the Regional Head. They give us the confidence in Puratos products to continue being the most preferred brand whether the customers may be housewives, bakers, purchasers for the kitchen team or the business owners themselves.

As mentioned on stage by one of the Puratos executives, the celebration was also for potential new customers - attendees knowing about Puratos either for the first time or now able to finally taste and see first-hand the Puratos experience. They who would surely be turned into avid admirers of the brand now that they've seen the baking possibilities and how they are rewarded with food samples, and merchandize won from the games, and/or lining up at every booth during the event to bring home some souvenirs from Puratos Philippines.

Again, congratulations to Puratos Philippines for their 30th anniversary and may the brand have 30 more years and beyond because great products deserve to last forever.

Fot more videos and photos from the event, go to our official Facebook page ( http://www.facebook.com/wazzuppilipinas) and be amazed.

#PuratosPH #PuratosPH30Years #WazzupPilipinas #PambansangBlogger

Sailboats Costing Less Than iPhones to Hold Championship Regatta

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Oz Goose Sailboat known in the Philippines as a sailboat that can be built for less than the price of an iPhone, of which, more than 50 have been built in the country will be holding the Oz Goose National Championships on November 3 and 4 at the Taal Lake Yacht Club in Talisay, Batangas.

Participants will be coming from as far as Cebu and Iloilo to participate in the regatta. As of press time 22 teams are confirmed to race Oz Geese in the two day event.

The popularity of the Oz Goose Sailboat came about through the efforts of the Philippine Home Boatbuilders Yacht Club (PHBYC) who have been seeking for ways to lower the barriers of entry to an activity well suited for the Philippine Islands; SAILING.

According to Roy Espiritu of PHBYC “Sailing has been perceived by Filipinos as an expensive and exclusive activity, when in fact, it doesn’t have to be. The Oz Goose sailboat fit perfectly in PHBYC’s grassroots sailing initiative, It is easy to build with locally available materials, it sails really well and is a great platform to learn how to sail. “ Mr. Espiritu said.

Boatbuilding materials sponsors Pioneer Adhesives, Polymer Products and Broadwater Marine who were tapped by PHBYC to help develop the Oz Goose fleet have pledged their support for the regatta. Batangas based corporate sponsor Lima Park Hotel will even be fielding teams to participate in the races, while Destileria Limtuaco, Globe MyBusiness, Isuzu Cavite are supporting the regatta as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.

The Oz Goose National Championships is expected to be one of the best attended one design class regatta the Philippines has ever seen. According to the boat’s designer, Batangas based, Michael Storer: “Racing sailboats is the best way to hone one’s skill as a sailor, we regularly race these boats in Taal Lake and several participants who only started sailing this year are excited to join the regatta either as crew or even as skippers.” Storer said.


About PHBYC

The Philippine Home Boatbuilders Yacht Club (PHBYC) is a local community of sailors, boaters and amateur and professional boatbuilders that help people get into boating and sailing economically through boatbuilding. Plans for building all kinds of boats are available online and the materials to build them are readily available locally. Established in 2006, PHBYC helps its members by giving advice on sourcing materials and boatbuilding techniques, all they ask in return is for people to pay forward what they’ve learned to help grow the fleet of homebuilt boats. Feel free to follow PHBYC’s facebook group page and theOpen Goose Sailing Boat Group.

The Oz Goose designed by Batangas based Michael Storer, the boat is known for ease to build and suitability as a sail training platform, here the sailboats are seen racing in Taal Lake. The Oz Goose sailboat will be having its national championships on 3-4 November in Talisay, Batangas

7 Dream Jobs for People Who Love to Travel

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Do you love the open road? Would your perfect job be something you could do from a beach in Mexico or the mountains of central Asia? Then you’ve got your work cut out for you, because not every job will allow you to live that way.

The good news is that things are changing. There are more jobs now than ever before. Largely, this is because it’s possible to work online. The gig economy – though it might not be great for job security – has been a real boon for those of us who love to travel.

So, what are the best jobs you can do on the road?


Work on a Cruise Ship

Totally different but still a great way to see the world. If you work on a cruise ship you’re automatically taken to new places to see new things. You can either stay on board for a long time to see the world and make some money, or you can just do several month stints.

Do note, a lot of cruise ship jobs don’t pay all that well. On the other hand, you do get room and board included and if you’re careful you can make sure you don’t actually spend a great deal of money as you move around. Then, when you’re ready to jump off in the port of your choice, you’ll have a nice bit squirreled away.

Check more about cruise work opportunities on Carnival.

Freelance Copywriting

I travel as I work. Have done for four years now. From different continents, countries and landscapes words have spilled from my finger tips to satisfy the needs of clients situated thousands of miles away.

The advantage of writing as you travel is that you don’t need much more than a laptop and a decent internet connection. This means you can travel light and go far. In this way, it’s better than – say – photography, which is of course a great activity while you travel but requires all sorts of expensive camera equipment which can break, be lost or can get stolen.

Do note, there is a glut of copywriters in the market right now. It can take a long time to climb the hierarchy to where you’re making decent bucks. This means that you’ll be on a budget as you go. At the same time, there is no better place to be on a budget than in cheap countries.

Such services as Canada-Writers and GetGoodGrade are always looking for new writers to hire!


Graphic Designer

Similar to the writing thing mentioned above, graphic design is a great way to make ends meet. If you know your way around the different photo and graphic software packages and have a portfolio to prove it, you can go see the world and make pretty pictures from all her corners.

Just like the writing thing outlined above, you can make good money this way. There is one slight drawback to being a graphic designer, though, and that’s that your files are a lot bigger. That can be a problem is some poor countries – as I’ve seen as friends have had to run from Wi-Fi spot to Wi-Fi spot in the hope of finding one where they can send in their assignment.

The best platforms for seeking graphic design jobs are Upwork and Freelancer.


Online Shop

It’s called drop shipping and if you’re good at sales, building websites and doing the necessary work, it can be a great way to make your money. Basically, what you do is you’re a middle man where you sell goods from wholesalers to people via the internet.

Do note that a lot of the courses offering you how to become a drop shipper are horrible scams. So, don’t get sucked in by those. Also, don’t be tricked by the words ‘passive income’. Sure, people may buy your products without you having to do anything, but in order to get them to come to your site is a lot of hard work.

Still, if you are good at marketing and know how to work the search engines, this is a great choice. Especially as sometimes you can take a week off while still making money.


Tour Guide

Speak a lot of language? Are you good with package tourists? Can you weave a great story? Then why not become a tour guide? You might think that you can only do this in cities you know, but the truth is that often the spiel is the same in many places.

So, if you take a few tours, read a few books and have a bit of experience, you can pretty much start up anywhere. Do it for a few months until you’re tired of the place and then move on again! You’ll not only get to see the world and share your experiences with lots of people, but you’ll learn far more about the places you go than almost anybody else you see out there.

If you are interested, check worldwide tour guide jobs opportunities on CruiseJobFinder.


Archeologist

Do you want to go on long treks toward far off places? Then why not become an archeologist? Okay, to be clear, archeology isn’t all Indiana Jones like adventures. You’ll also spend a lot of time in your office working away at papers, or reading dusty old books that you found in the library.

What’s more, archeology is something that will take you a long time to learn. If you’re okay with that, though, if you’ve a bit of an egg head as well as a travel bunny, then archeology might well be the thing for you. And who knows? Maybe you’ll get one of the biggest finds of the 21st century to your name!


Writing Editor

Being an editor is different than writing. You don’t get to flex your creative muscles as much but you do get a chance to work with a plethora of professional writers. Editors are in high demand, meaning that there is always an opening somewhere waiting to be filled.

You can opt for editing blog content for people who travel as well, work for a news outlet or something else entirely. Editors are in charge of making sure that the published content meets the high standards set by the core brand of the company.

If you would like to start a freelance editing career, contact online services such as TopAustraliaWriters or BestWritersCanada.


Tip of the Iceberg

The truth is, there are a huge amount of jobs out there that you can do while you travel. As long as you take lots of short-term contracts you’ll have lots of time left over to see the world. AS an extra bonus, those tend to pay better, so you’ll get the best of both worlds.

Of course, it helps to have some savings when you chose to work this way. You never know when there will be a work drought and you’ll have to pay for yourself for a while. But then, if you want to travel the world you’ll need to learn to be good with money anyway. So why not start there?

Good luck and good travels.

Smart Taps Bohol Youth for Disaster Preparedness

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Five years since the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Bohol, the events during that day are still fresh in the minds of the students who went through the ordeal.

“I was shaking because my grandmother was crying, and my cousin was shouting, ‘earthquake! earthquake!’” said 19-year-old medical technology student Geena Mae Hopida, recalling their family in panic.

The quake, whose epicenter was in Bohol, struck on Oct. 15, 2013, and jolted most of the Visayas and parts of Mindanao and Luzon. It was one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the Philippines in recent years, causing injuries and loss of lives, and massive damage to property and infrastructure.

Amid the tremors, Hopida had the presence of mind to instruct others to “duck, cover and hold,” as she had learned during earthquake drills at school.

Grade 12 student Adrian Bucoy could hardly find words to describe the terror of feeling the ground trembling. “The rumbling from under the ground became louder and louder. My mother was calling me from the kitchen, but we couldn’t hear each other,” said Bucoy, now 18 years old.

A few weeks later, the province was hit by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan), one of the strongest tropical cyclones on record.

Hopida and Abucoy, who both study at Holy Name University in Tagbilaran City, were some of the participants of the TNT Tropang Ready disaster preparedness caravan organized at their campus by PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications.

Smart’s TNT Tropang Ready aims to train youths in disaster preparedness skills so that they can help their communities in times of calamities. Smart recently brought the caravan to HNU as part of the company’s nationwide learning series on disaster preparedness geared toward the youth.

“At Smart, we work hand in hand with our partners to promote the culture of preparedness within communities. We are tapping the youth for this program—Bohol students, specifically—because of their skills, their tech savvy and their first-hand experience of surviving a calamity,” said Ramon R. Isberto, PLDT and Smart public affairs head.

More than 1,000 students and school personnel were taught emergency preparedness lessons by representatives of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office, and resource persons from Emergency Management Center.

The speakers discussed emergency risks and hazards and demonstrated the proper way to do the duck-cover-hold protection technique during earthquakes: duck, or drop to the floor; take cover under a sturdy piece of furniture (or against a wall); and hold on to the piece of furniture.

The speakers also shared the contents of a “Go Bag,” a survival kit containing a flashlight, bottle of water, mobile phone, garbage bag, T-shirt, flashlight battery, and other essentials that could last up to 72 hours.

Interactive booths, games, and other activities further illustrated preparedness, such as making a paracord bracelet, which doubles as an emergency rope and contains a whistle that can come in handy during emergencies.

“After this session with TNT Tropang Ready, we want our students to bring their learnings at home,” said Anne Mariquit Opus, HNU health and safety officer, adding that “Bohol is quite vulnerable.”

The provincial disaster risk reduction and management office cannot do everything, conceded its chief, Anthony Damalerio, as he underscored the importance of partnerships. “We’re happy that Smart is doing its part in helping disseminate information regarding disaster management here in Bohol,” he said.

Smart has been working with different schools nationwide to help families and individuals in high-risk areas prepare for emergencies and disasters. The TNT Tropang Ready program is the latest enhancement of Smart’s disaster preparedness initiative for communities launched in 2013.

The TNT Tropang Ready caravan is part of Smart’s #SafePH advocacy, which promotes preparedness through mobile solutions and on-ground activities to help communities mitigate disaster risks.

The program won in the Community Engagement category at the prestigious Golden World Awards this year. The GWA recognizes PR practices that meet international standards of excellence and is organized annually by the International Public Relations Association.

Louie Domingo (left) of Emergency Management Center demonstrates to the audience preparedness tips with the help of a Holy Name University student at the TNT Tropang Ready activity held at the campus in Tagbilaran City, Bohol.

Holy Name University students list down the contents of a “Go Bag” or a survival kit at the TNT Tropang Ready disaster preparedness learning session held at their campus.

Representatives of Smart Communications join students and school personnel of Holy Name University for a photo after the TNT Tropang Ready disaster preparedness caravan held at their campus in Tagbilaran City.

Cusi Reminds Government Institutions to Settle Electricity Payables

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi calls on other government agencies to ensure the settlement of their outstanding obligations with electric cooperatives as part of the energy family’s continuing initiatives to provide efficient electricity services for all.

“Being part of the government, we need to be earnest in pursuing energy-resiliency and efficiency. In order to attain our energy goals, it is important that we are all able to uphold our commitment to our stakeholders and service providers,” Sec. Cusi said.

He emphasized, “As we’ve been pushing for massive electrification, energy efficiency and security of the country, I am pleading on behalf of the distribution utilities (DUs), including the electric cooperatives (ECs), for the concerned government institutions to settle their outstanding accounts. DUs and ECs collect revenue to generate cash flow that would enable them to provide efficient and sustainable services to the areas they serve.”

The DOE, through a memorandum signed by Undersecretary Alexander S. Lopez, coordinated with the respective heads of the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, and National Bureau of Investigation on the settlement of delinquent accounts payable to distribution utilities and electric cooperatives, with a total amount of PhP 17 million.

The unsettled payment is one of the challenges that may lead to weak and unstable operational performance. This implies incurring issues that involve DUs' and institutions’ negligence in their collection mechanisms.

Data from the National Electrification Administration indicate that outstanding accounts need to be settled with 23 ECs. These cooperatives are located in Regions I (1 EC), IV (5 ECs), V (2 ECs), VI (1 EC), VIII (3 ECs), IX (2 ECs), XI (1 EC), XII (5 ECs), and CARAGA (3 ECs) respectively.

The entire energy family continues to assure the public that it will closely monitor the accountability of the DUs and government institutions in fulfilling their respective obligations.

Lenovo Opens Concept Store in Tacloban

Wazzup Pilipinas!

LENOVO FIRST OPENS CONCEPT STORE IN TACLOBAN. Leading PC and smart devices developer Lenovo recently opened its first concept store in Leyte as part of efforts to bring its services closer to customers in the region. Located in the second level of Robinsons Place Tacloban, the store features Lenovo’s ever-growing product portfolio of notebooks, laptops, and desktops, which can be designed and customized to cater to the different lifestyles and tech needs. This process is part of the company’s overall thrust to focus more on customers in its overall strategy to achieve growth by delivering excellent service solutions. In photo from left to right: Eddie Uy, Managing Director of Electrocomputer Data Systems, Katherine Uy, CFO of Electrocomputer Data Systems, and Michael Ngan, Lenovo Philippines Country General Manager.

Technology leader, Lenovo, has recently opened its newest concept store in Tacloban City, Leyte, as part of efforts to bolster presence in the Philippines. This is the company’s first concept store in the Eastern Visayas region.

Located in Robinsons Place Tacloban, the store features Lenovo’s ever-growing product portfolio of notebooks, laptops, and desktops, designed and customized to cater to the different lifestyles and tech needs of various market segments.

“Lenovo position as a global leader is not just because of our innovative products, but because of our efforts in making them more visible and accessible to the public, especially in key cities with a bustling local economy such as Tacloban. Through our concept stores, which we plan to expand all over the country, customers can have a unique first-hand experience of our products and at the same time discover what suits their lifestyle and needs through the advice of our professional staff,” said Lenovo Philippines Country General Manager Michael Ngan.

With the unique, face-to-face experience that customers can get from visiting the concept store, Lenovo gains crucial insight about its customers, which enables it to develop the best customized solutions to meet market requirements. This process is part of the company’s thrust to focus more on customers in its overall strategy on achieving growth by delivering excellent service solutions.

This strategy has helped position Lenovo as a worldwide leader in terms of PC and smart devices sales. Between the fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2017-2018 and the first quarter of fiscal year 2018-2019, the company experienced double-digit growth and improved profitability as its revenue reached $11.91 billion, a 19-percent year-on-year growth. These figures earned Lenovo the number one spot in PC shipments by Gartner.

Further growth is expected with Lenovo’s new and upcoming offerings. Customers in Tacloban can expect some of the recent additions like the IdeaPad 330, 330S, and 530S, the three powerful yet budget-friendly PC devices that run on Windows 10. Avid gamers can also expect to get their hands on the new Legion Y530.

”We’ll continue to develop more innovative products in the years to come. Hopefully with the help of our concept stores, we can introduce them to our customers in a simple, flexible approach. We know that in the Philippines, actual hands-on experience with devices is an important part of the buying decision. Through our concept stores, customers are given a unique and personalized experience that puts their needs first,” Ngan said.

There are currently 19 Lenovo Concept Stores serving clients in key cities across the nation. Lenovo Concept Store Tacloban is located at the second level of Robinsons Place Tacloban. It is open daily during mall hours from 10:00AM to 9:00PM.