As the premier shopping and dining destination in the Philippines, Ayala Malls continues to elevate the shopping experience to higher standards - making each and every visit more special and memorable.

And as part of its initiatives to raise the bar in shopping experience, Ayala Malls is expanding the coverage of its A- Card, the all-in-one membership card given to valued mall customers.

The ultimate companion in any Ayala Malls (Glorietta, Greenbelt, Alabang Town Center, Ayala Center Cebu, Market! Market!, Bonifacio High Street, TriNoma and Marquee Mall), the A-Card is now offered to tourists, balikbayans and OFWs, entitling them to various privileges while shopping, dining, or even just hanging out at the malls.

The A-Card privilege makes for a truly rewarding mall experience with its discounts, freebies and perks in more than 1,000 participating dining and retail establishments across the Ayala Malls.

On top of these benefits, tourists and OFWs get added hotel-like services such as personal shopper assistance, flight confirmation, hotel and restaurant reservation, transport assistance and porter service.

To avail of the A-Card, tourists and OFWs simply need to present their passports with arrival stamp at any Ayala Malls Concierge. Immediately, they can take advantage of the multiple amenities offered by the card for as long as five days, for free!

Special privileges also await A-Card holders in Ayala Malls customer lounges, with unlimited use of the customer lounge in Glorietta, Market! Market!, Ayala Center Cebu, TriNoma, and the family lounge in Alabang Town Center. In addition, cardholders can use for free the Glorietta e-Lounge for 30 minutes a day.

As if the discounts and freebies from their favorite establishments are not enough, movie goers with their A-Card get priority treatment at the movies with an express lane for cinema ticket purchases and a five percent discount on the cardholder’s cinema tickets. Cardholders also get invites for exclusive block screenings of blockbuster movies.

Concerts, musical performances, and family shows also become much more enjoyable as A-Card holders get reserved seats for two to Ayala Malls shows on a first come, first served basis. Cardholders are also treated to exclusive invites to workshops on photography, culinary, beauty, among others

With the A-Card, Ayala Malls gives its patrons more than enough reasons to love ’emall.

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Nobody is certain if it was caused by the Twilight movie saga, but one thing is sure, men are now taking over women's beauty products.

Leading global market intelligence company Synovate recently released its findings on male vanity from the AsiaBus market survey showing that most (91 percent) Metro Manila males admit that looks are indeed important to them, although a smaller proportion (38 percent) would consider themselves as sexy.

With data like these, it comes as no surprise now that men are now less likely to gauge their masculinity based on the use or non-use of beauty products. Seventy percent disagreed with the contention men who use beauty products are not as masculine as men who do not. Also, 66 percent disagreed with the statement that men are made fun of if they spend too much time on their appearance.

Looking young

Based on the results of the survey, the standard of men’s looks in the Philippines lies in maintaining a youthful look and in having good hygiene.

The features that were identified as the absolute requirement before any man can be described as good looking were good hygiene and fresh breath, selected by 59 percent of respondents.

In addition, virtually all men and women interviewed said that they preferred the look of a clean shaven face.

Meanwhile, asked if a man’s appearance improved with age, only 35 percent of both the male and female population agreed.

Men’s beauty products

Still, while the majority have accepted that the use of beauty products does not make one any less of a man, Filipino male’s use of these products is still limited to a select few.

The commonly used products are perfumes and colognes (81 percent), deodorants (79 percent), mouthwash (57 percent), hair conditioners (53 percent), hair spray and hair gels (47 percent). Conversely, only a small part of the total population have admitted to the use of products such as facial moisturizers (12 percent), lip balms (11 percent), oil control films (nine percent), facial masks (7 percent), and pore packs (3 percent).

Also, there are not very many men who are willing be caught with these products when they go out. Only 26 percent admitted to bringing their grooming products outside the home; the majority prefer to keep the battle for vanity limited to only the home front.

For whom are the Filipino men of today making an effort to look good? 72 percent of Filipinos say that they try to look good for themselves, while 24 percent say that they try to please their partners, and 4 percent say that it is for their friends. It is more than a mere quest for vanity, it all about taking better care of themselves, to look good and feel good.

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The new township of McKinley Hill in Fort Bonifacio isn’t just home to future residents of its upscale high-rise projects and the posh McKinley Hill Village; call center and business process outsourcing (BPO) employees are also calling it their comfort zone, according to a recent survey.

More than 5,000 workers at BPO firms and multinationals now hold office at the McKinley Hill Cyberpark, including 3M Philippines, Colgate-Palmolive Philippines, DDB Media, Hewlett Packard, Accenture, Holcim, Ingram Micro, Safeway and Transcosmos Logicall.

Fifty-nine percent of the survey's respondents rated their working conditions at McKinley Hill Cyberpark as 'very good' while 77 percent also said their office atmosphere was 'very good.' When asked to compare its standards to the Makati and Ortigas business districts, 66 percent admitted that it was again, 'very good.'

Overall, 61 percent would recommend McKinley Hill Cybperpark to relatives and friends as a good place to work, and an impressive 91 percent foresee working at the Cyberpark for a long time.

Megaworld FVP for Business Development Jericho Go was 'very pleased' with the results. "This validates our initiative to create a campus-type cyberpark, with lots of open spaces and greeneries to make it conducive for highly productive work 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he noted.

It comes as no surprise since these workers have a lot to look forward to as well, according to Go. Several companies at the Cyberpark have expressed interest in Woodridge Residences, another priority project of Megaworld. "This is expected to enhance the ability of BPO firms to retain their staff," he says. Woodridge is a dorm-type condo that targets BPO employees as tenants. A high-rise project, Stamford Executive Residences, is already under construction and will surely offer long-term lease opportunities as well.

To make it easier for McKinley Hill employees to reach their workplace from major roads and vice versa, Megaworld affiliate First Oceanic Property Management Inc., allocated last year close to PhP 100 million for the establishment of CityLink Coach Services, Inc., a public transportation system for its business and residential projects.

CityLink also collaborated with transportation groups and set up a terminal for employees and residents of McKinley Hill Cyberpark. The buses now ply the Eastwood City to Newport City route via C5. Small coaches also serve companies at selected hours, enabling passengers to board the MRT or north and southbound buses at EDSA with ease.

The unveiling of the Venetian Mall later this year also promises more dining and retail options for McKinley Hill Cyberpark’s professionals.

Developed by Megaworld Corp. – the country’s number one developer of BPO office spaces – McKinley Hill Cybepark is eyeing completion of six new buildings this year: the 8, 10, 18, and 20 Upper McKinley Road towers, the 8 Park Avenue building B, and the Commerce & Industry Plaza.

"Megaworld will be delivering a lot more than our long-standing commitment of two towers per year to the BPO industry in McKinley Hill for 2009," Go promised. "These six new buildings alone signify how strong Megaworld’s commitment is to accelerate further the growth of the BPO industry in the country."

The company offers locators naming or signage rights, depending on the extent of their office space requirements, in any of these six buildings. The naming and signage rights add prestige to company locators and aids their branding efforts, explained Go.

BPO firms and other companies that want their employees to be continually happy and productive, like the ones on this survey signifies, must highly consider locating at McKinley Hill Cyberpark. Please call 912-0708 for leasing options or log on to www.megaworldcorp.com.

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Ever walked into a grocery or supermarket and just felt, well lost? The commercial onslaught that greets you as you enter a large supermarket or grocery can truly be overwhelming for an unprepared shopper, who would most likely end up with items that are unnecessary, unsuitable, or excessive.

With the prices of basic commodities — not to mention gasoline — increasing exponentially, it’s good to think twice about spending your hard-earned money on grocery items. During this time, it’s wise to know a few simple tips on how to make the most of your bucks when you buy the essentials.

Here are ten (10) useful tips to keep your trips up the grocery aisle straight and true:

1. The grocery list is all-important. Without it, chances are you will stray from the true purpose of your shopping. And, of course, once you have that list, stick to it.


2. Plan that list weekly. A week is a good, round timetable to be planning around. Look at your refrigerator, cupboards, and stock rooms. If there’s anything you need and can’t find it, then it should be included in your weekly list.


3. Don’t shop for groceries when you’re hungry. They say it works. Eat a full meal before visiting the supermarkets. This way, you can fight off that tendency to buy on impulse better.


4. If you have that lists, then better have a budget to match that. You will develop this budget-list matching skill over time. At first, however, you will most likely overshoot that. In time, you will learn where the better deals are, so you get the items on your list, but actually spent less.


5. Do the math before lining up at the cashier. Many shoppers plop everything in first before estimating what the total costs are. They end up overshooting their budget, which isn’t a surprise. It’s better to keep a rough running tally as you choose your items along. Your cellphones come with calculators, so use them.


6. Write them down as you remember them. If you go to the grocery or market weekly, it would be much easier to jot down what needs to be bought as you remember them during the course of the week, rather than making a mental note to list these things down the day before you visit the groceries. That’s a sure recipe for regret.


7. Do it like the hotels and restaurants do, which is to keep an inventory or stock of things in your ref or cupboards. As the stocks run out, you can indicate on your inventory the quantities consumed and remaining. It also gives you a pattern as to which items in your household are ‘fast-moving’ so you can make the necessary purchase adjustments in your next grocery trip.


8. Stock-up on ready-to-eat food and emergency supplies. You won’t always be in the mood to concoct some elaborate dishes. And given the propensity of this country to stay in the path of many calamitous natural and man-made events, it would really help to have workable survival gear in the house. But don’t overdo it, lest you be suspected of hoarding.


9. Many items are cheaper in bulk. So if you can afford to buy in bulk, do so. But be sure that you have also budgeted the period of time it will take to consume all of these items. It’s like loading up the cellphone. It’s useless to load up on PhP 1,500 worth of airtime in a month when you only consume PhP 1,000. The remaining PhP 500 expires and is forfeited.


10. There’s wisdom in those receipts. So keep them. Those receipts will reveal to you the store’s pricing patterns over time, so you can compare prices of items in stores you visit at various periods or seasons. And who knows, with various government and in-store promos going on, you might end up leaving the supermarket with more money that you came in with.

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A few years ago, a study about American travelers reported that passports are relatively rare among US citizens. It estimated that as low as 20 to as high as 34 percent of the total population have passports, which is really quite low for a country attempting to assert its will to shape the entire world's idea of freedom, democracy, religion and culture.

The result of the study is also surprising considering that travel was considered by many Americans as more important than formal education. Travel is a vital educational experience because it helps prepare a person to be more effective, respectful of other cultures, and to better understand their own culture and values. Travel has a lasting impact on world view, self-confidence, and maturity. This experience will be life-transforming and will continue to influence lives.

When it comes to traveling, British Airways (BA) offers one of the best experience. They can provide travelers an opportunity to see the world with great fares to a variety of exciting destinations. And if combined with one of their carefully selected hotels or car rental deals to create a package, travelers can easily save even more.

This November, BA will be having a ‘world sale’ to promote both flights and packages from the U.S. and Canada. Flights range from US $229, each way based on round-trip from New York to London, and Flight + hotel packages from US$ 659, based on a round-trip from New York to London with double occupancy and 3-night stay.

If I could travel anywhere involved in this sale, I would probably choose Canada. I would love to explore the Canadian tundra, search for polar bears and learn more about the Inuit culture.

Here are a few other amazing things a traveler can do when they avail of this BA’s ‘world sale’ travel adventures:

• Kayak the Sea of Cortez in Mexico, explore the Sonora desert and build a nature trail.


• Take a traditional African Safari and plant trees on the hills of Kilimanjaro.

British Airways also offers an '‘upgraded’ experience with:

• 200+ On-Demand Entertainment Options


• Complimentary food and cocktails on all flights


• World Class service


• Comfortable in-flight experience: Ergonomically designed seat, complete with lumbar support, adjustable headrest and recline.


• Convenient and relaxing lounges at the terminals

Travel with BA now and discover that most often everyone is wrong about other countries. With BA, one can become an open-minded traveler who does not see 'the other' as a strange tribe of incomprehensible people more dangerous and at the same time more naive - just because the passport-free majority refuses to understand or even talk to them.

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Given the stark reality of the need to invest millions of pesos to provide children with proper health and nutrition and basic education, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has to constantly come up with innovative ways to raise funds. These include reaching out to individual and corporate donors selling gift items - such as its popular Christmas and all-occasion cards - and most recently, forging a partnership with graphic design firm Team Manila.

In its continuing vision to inspire and empower the youth and just in time for the 20th anniversary of UNICEF's Convention on the Rights of the Child (an international treaty that recognizes the welfare of children) this year, Team Manila has released limited edition shirts and accessories communicating the basic rights of children - the right to play, the right to shelter, the right to know and learn, the right to be healthy and the right to be safe.

For every shirt sold, PhP 50.00 will go to UNICEF. For the lanyards, UNICEF will get PhP 20.00 and for tote bags, PhP 25.00.

UNICEF sales development officer Erwin del Castillo, in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, says he is excited about the prospects of the partnership with Team Manila as the shirts have also appealed to the youth from other countries, thus giving him hope that the Team Manila products would soon find their way into shops across the region.

Known for having its pulse on the Filipino youth, Team Manila has also chosen twins Nicole and Camille Tantoco as the face of its Children’s Rights collection. Says Team Manila’s general manager Nico Bacani, "We were really inspired by Nicole and Camille in that we feel they are representatives of the new generation – serious with their education and well-educated, kind-hearted, very much into the arts, very socially aware and active or in other words very well-rounded individuals."

"We support this project because we feel that every child should have these basic rights," says Camille. Nicole adds, "A lot of children suffer abuse, discrimination and neglect, and if we don’t address these issues, how can we move forward as a nation?"

And, perhaps the thing of most value here, aside from a portion from each purchase going to UNICEF's advocacy for Children’s Rights, is that everyone will be able to wear the message and hopefully raise awareness everywhere they go.

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A study commissioned by cable television channel Cartoon Network showed that although most Filipino children prefer watching television, an increasing number of them are also accessing the Internet.

Sixty-three percent of children aged 7 to 14 years old regularly use the Internet, showing an almost 40 percent increase in online access since 2003. The respondents said that they usually go online to play games and watch videos, while they also use the web to access information for school requirements.

The study also found that Older Filipino children, those aged from 13 to 14 years old, access the Internet more for social purposes. About 62 percent of kids in that age group go online to access social networking sites like Facebook and Friendster, compared to the 44 percent of users aged 11-12 years old.

Forty-three percent of pre-teens also use the Internet for instant messaging, a significant departure from the 27 percent of 11-12 year-olds who use the feature.

With the increase in access to the Internet comes great concern. According to Duncan Morris, vice president for research and market development of Turner International Asia Pacific Ltd., parents usually set ground rules for their children regarding web access. Controlling the amount of time spent online, specifying days when kids can use the Internet and choosing the appropriate sites are some of the ways parents use to ensure their kids’ safety.

"Sometimes, children themselves tell us that they can not go on sites that show violence," Morris added.

It also appears that Filipino children have not felt the economic crisis faced by the rest of the world. The survey revealed that the combined spending power of kids in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Davao has risen to some PhP 42 billion, up from PhP 37 billion when the study was last conducted two years ago.

According to Mr. Morris, "The vast majority, about 91 percent, of Pinoy kids receive pocket money, which compares favorably with kids in other countries such as Japan, with only 49 perent of kids receiving pocket money; Australia, with only 59 percent; and India with only 41 percent."

Filipino children receive an average of PhP 197 in weekly pocket money, up from PhP 169 two years ago. Kids 11 to 14 years old receive PhP 244, while those from the AB segment get as much as PhP 348.

Children from Manila receive an average PhP 205 weekly while kids from Davao get PhP 177. Cebuano children get an average of PhP 156.

Aside from pocket money, children also get 'gift money' during their birthdays and Christmas. Mr. Morris said 96 percent of those surveyed receive gift money averaging PhP 2,130 per year, which brings the 'annual income' of a typical Filipino child to PhP 12,374.

"Combining pocket money with gift money, and extrapolating this to the kids’ population of about 3.7 million across the surveyed cities, Pinoy kids collectively have PhP 42 billion spending money per year," Mr. Morris said.

"Marketers should be aware that kids are not only primary consumers anymore," he said. "They just don’t spend their money on snacks."

"Filipino children are increasingly becoming secondary consumers, as they greatly influence their parents on what to buy, from computers, to cars, and other gadgets. As the survey reveals, kids as young as seven have well-established views on everything," he added.

The New Generations Study 2009, which was conducted from August 25 to September 21 this year, used in-home face-to-face interviews of 1,000 children aged seven to 14 from the A to D socioeconomic classes. Eighty percent were from Manila and 10 percent each came from Cebu and Davao.

The survey was conducted by Synovate Philippines. Similar localized surveys were also commissioned by Cartoon Network in Japan, India, Australia, Taiwan, and Singapore.

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Unless a major breakthrough is made, no major cuts on rice tariffs is expected next year after the Philippines and Thailand failed to strike a compromise. Trade Secretary Peter B. Favila announced recently to the media that an agreement had yet to be reached with Thailand and that another round of talks is scheduled next month in Manila. Thai Commerce Minister Porntiva Nakasai, meanwhile, said tariff cuts for all other goods might be delayed.

Leaders from the two countries and eight other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) attending an annual summit in Hua Hin, Thailand were to push for continued progress in forging a single market by 2015, largely through the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) scheme.javascript:void(0)

The Philippines had asked to delay a tariff cut for sugar due next year, something Thailand was reportedly amenable to as long as a favorable ending rate for rice — a 'highly sensitive good' — was declared in exchange.

Thailand is among the Philippines’ top sources of the two agricultural commodities. The local sugar industry has tagged Thailand as a competitor.

Under the ASEAN free trade pact, sugar tariffs are scheduled to drop to 0-5 percent from 28 percent in 2010. For rice, the Philippines must "phase in" its tariffs to the reduction initiative, also by 2010.

The Philippines has taken the stance of keeping rice tariffs at 40 percent and then lowering it to 35 percent by 2015, Trade Assistant Secretary Ramon Vicente T. Kabigting said in a telephone interview on 25 October 2009 with BusinessWorld.

"There are certain ASEAN members saying that rice should fall to 20 percent but we do not recognize this," he said, citing protocols signed in 1999 and 2007 which merely require a member state to declare its preferred tariff for highly sensitive goods.

Given the deadlock, the two countries are negotiating on market access instead.

"We’re trying to negotiate a volume access under internationally practiced conditions," Mr. Kabigting said, explaining that this means the Philippines will not be required to buy from Thailand if there is no domestic rice shortage or if prices from other sellers are lower.

He declined to specify the Philippines’ proposed quota but reports have said that Manila had offered an assured 50,000-ton duty-free rice purchase to Thailand, which has demanded 360,000 tons instead.

"The rice issue is being tied to the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement [Atiga]," Mr. Kabigting said, referring to the pact which compiles all agreements governing the AFTA.

"Atiga is an explicit statement of what tariff reductions to apply to what goods in what year ... Because of the rice issue, leaders are saying [Thailand and the Philippines] must agree on the rice tariff so they can declare [lower tariffs for other goods]," he said.

On Sunday, Mr. Favila said in a telephone interview: "[Rice] is still subject to ongoing negotiations ... [The 2010 deadline for tariff cuts on other goods] is the commitment of member states. But we will have to wait for what our leaders have to say."

Ms. Porntiva said: "They have shown their readiness to talk ... and we will reschedule a meeting."

A declaration from ASEAN heads of state released on 24 October 2009, Saturday, noted that "the realization of the ASEAN Free Trade Area on 1 January 2010 is well on track."

It was generally mum on the rice issue, only making references that the group "urges Member States to resolve the differences at the earliest opportunity."

The statement went on to report that members were looking to put up an "infrastructure development fund" to improve trade links.

The summit also saw the inauguration of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights.

Renewed calls were also made for economic ministers to submit feedback on a proposal to expand the free trade area to include China, Japan, Korea, India, Australia and New Zealand.

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