GRUMPY TOAST

Why Summer is the best season of all time?

5:03 PM

MAPFRE Advocates Financial Preparedness and Literacy for Low Income Sector with Microinsurance Program

6:23 PM

MAPFRE Advocates Financial Preparedness and Literacy for Low Income Sector with Microinsurance Program

MAPFRE Insular Insurance Corporation, in support of the government’s inclusive development initiatives, will launch the Kabuhayan at Kinabukasan Alay ng MAPFRE sa Pinoy (KaKAMPi) Microinsurance, a program to help policyholders protect their family from the financial burden of coping with costs associated with the unexpected death of family members. The KaKAMPi Microinsurance program is also an advocacy to promote financial literacy to the low income sector by providing community-based advocacy orientations on the purpose and value of insurance protection. The program aims to ensure that Filipino low income households are financially prepared or “Laging Handa” to face life’s unexpected and financially draining adversities.

The addition of KaKAMPi Microinsurance to MAPFRE Insular’s product lines addresses one of the major concerns of the low-income sector, which is death in the family. Due to lack of financial resources to cope with the expenses related to a loved one’s death, many times, the family of the deceased are forced to resort to desperate coping mechanisms such as depleting their savings, use cash meant for sustaining their livelihood, sell or pawn property, borrow under usurious conditions, and seek financial assistance (“abuloy”) from relatives, friends, and local government officials. Through the KaKAMPi Microinsurance, policyholders can have peace of mind that their family will receive financial assistance in case of death.

The KaKAMPi Microinsurance Community Offices Inauguration will be held on March 29, 2015, Sunday, at Villa Erlinda Town Homes Sarmiento St., Brgy. Novaliches Proper, Q.C. and 367 Litex Road, Brgy. Commonwealth, Q.C. At these Community Offices, Filipinos may avail of Mapfre Insular’s Microinsurance products and learn more information about the basics of protecting their family from financial stress.

The KaKAMPi Microinsurance program is an integrated approach aimed at addressing the low income sector’s perennial problems of livelihood stability and risk protection. It does not only provide greater access to financial services but also provides a financial literacy campaign to develop a strong insurance culture among the marginalized sector. The program also empowers underprivileged Filipinos to create livelihood through microenterprise by providing livelihood capacity building services through Sikap Buhay, a unit under the office of Mayor Herbert M. Bautista. Through KaKAMPi, the sector is also protected from risks of financial loss as a result of unexpected events such as death, accident, illness, and property losses by giving them access to microinsurance.

The program is a collaboration of various stakeholders, which include the Quezon City local government through its Sikap Buhay Entrepreneur and Cooperative Office under Mayor Herbert M. Bautista, which aims to strengthen and ensure sustainable growth of Micro and Small Enterprises; and Cooperatives in Q.C., provide access to microfinancing through partner Microfinancial Institutions (MFI’s), market linkages, and by developing business and entrepreneurial capabilities among the city’s microentrepreneurs.

Other stakeholders are The German Development Cooperation (GIZ),and The Insular Life Assurance Company Ltd., Inc. For more than 30 years, GIZ, a federally owned enterprise that supports the German government in international development cooperation, has been cooperating with Philippine partners in strengthening the capacity of people and institutions to improve the lives of Filipinos. Insular Life, on the other hand, is the first and largest Filipino life insurer which has provided Filipino families with financial protection and wealth management products and services uninterruptedly for the past 105 years. Today, Insular Life has the highest net worth in the entire Philippine insurance industry.

For more information about KaKampi Microinsurance and MAPFRE Insular’s services, visit www.mapfre.com.ph.

MAPFRE Insular is a non-life insurance company offering general insurance for optimum financial protection and risk management. It provides insurance services on fire and allied lines, motor vehicle, personal accident, casualty, liability, engineering, marine cargo, surety, and micro insurance.Founded in 1934, MAPFRE Insular today ranks among the top five in the non-life insurance industry in terms of earned premiums, investment income, and net income. MAPFRE Insular is a part of the MAPFRE Sociedad Anonima, the largest insurance conglomerate in Spain. It is also the leading non-life insurance company in Latin America and the 6th largest non-life insurer in Europe. MAPFRE S.A. operates mainly in Spain and in over 47 countries worldwide. It has more than 23 million customers, insured vehicles, and millions of insured homes.

www.mapfre.com.ph

https://www.facebook.com/MAPFREInsularInsurance

PRESS RELEASE

Endless fun under the Philippine Sun

11:20 PM

CEB offers convenient options to ease holiday travel

2:30 PM

CEB offers convenient options to ease holiday travel

During the holiday season when a lot of people are eager to visit relatives back home or celebrate in a different place, travel during peak season can indeed get daunting, so Cebu Pacific Air (CEB) is rolling out additional, convenient options for guests to enjoy their trips, even amid the holiday rush.

Breeze through check-in lines. Passengers can now speed through check-in with a few clicks on the Internet. CEB’s web check-in service, through cebupacificair.com, allows passengers to check-in for their flight 72 hours up to 2 hours for domestic flights and up to 4 hours for international flights before departure time. Those who find themselves at the airport ahead of time can check in through self-service kiosks positioned strategically in 15 airports nationwide, from 4 hours to an hour before departure time. Given space limitations in certain airports, CEB also launched another innovative service called Agent Xpress. Roaming airport agents in Kalibo, Bacolod, Iloilo and Cebu can check in passengers as they queue for security checkpoints or check-in counters. The agents use tablets to register passenger details and print their boarding passes. This service is the first-of-its-kind among other airlines in Southeast Asia.

In-flight convenience. To ensure total relaxation during the few hours spent on air, Cebu Pacific has upgraded its various entertainment options, meals and exclusive onboard shopping deals. With CEB Air Wi-Fi as low as USD12 throughout the flight, passengers can bring their own devices and stay connected up in the air, switching from reading e-books, to watching movies or listening to podcasts, and even playing games. Passengers can also go for some relaxed shopping with Cebu Pacific’s extensive range of Duty Free and exclusive products at great prices.The airline company also added new inflight meals to its current array of delicious options to ensure that there’s a meal for every discerning palate. Passengers can now also choose from halal-certified rice meals, sandwiches and pasta dishes available for pre-order through the website. The new inflight meal options available are: Thai Chicken Curry with Mangoes, Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Sandwich, Szechuan Chicken Noodles and Vegetarian Chap Chae.

Service from air to land. Because of the influx of people during the holidays, booking for transfers on the spot can be most difficult.With Cebu Pacific’s CEB Transfer Service for travelers who desire a hassle-free trip from air to land, passengers arriving at the Caticlan or Kalibo airports en route to the famed island of Boracay can avail of the seamless CEB Transfer Service, which will take them directly to their respective hotels and resorts. This also caters to those traveling in groups, wherein infants are free of charge. This is most ideal for tourists traveling to the island for the first time, or families spending the holidays together on the pristine beaches of Boracay.

Make the most out of the holidays with Cebu Pacific. Book now through www.cebupacificair.com.

‘My Big Bossing’: Vic Sotto’s MMFF starrer is three times bigger this year

10:00 PM

‘My Big Bossing’: Vic Sotto’s MMFF starrer is three times bigger this year

“My Big Bossing,” Vic Sotto’s entry to the 2014 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) is expected to create another blockbuster film franchise as the movie brings with it an all-star cast ensemble, three high-calibre directors and excellent production and visual spectacle to complete a trilogy of stories in one neat package of a movie this year.

Easily the festival’s biggest and most daunting competition in the box-office arena, “My Big Bossing” enlists superstars Vic Sotto and Ryzza Mae Dizon, along with Ms. Marian Rivera and Nikki Gil in the cast. Three of the country’s biggest directors helm three different stories within the movie - Tony Y. Reyes, Marlon N. Rivera and Bb. Joyce Bernal.

The movie is the biggest-budget entry in the MMFF race, and boasts of the collaboration of three of the country’s biggest film production outfits: Octoarts Films, M-Zet TV Production and APT Entertainment.

“My Big Bossing” consists of three episodes of fantasy and wonder, each with its own storyline. It features a star-studded cast led by the indomitable Bossing Vic Sotto, MMFF’s all-time box-office king and wonder child superstar Ryzza Mae Dizon in all three episodes.

Episode 1 entitled “Sirena” is directed by Tony Y. Reyes, and features the talents of Wally Bayola, Manilyn Reynes, and Pauleen Luna.

Episode 2 billed “Taktak,” directed by Marlon N. Rivera, is led Marian Rivera and Jose Manalo in the cast.

Episode 3 called “Prinsesa” is directed by Bb. Joyce Bernal, and puts Ryzza Mae Dizon in the spotlight alongside rising child star Alonzo Muhlach, the son of former child star Niño Muhlach, who will play the role of Alonzo’s dad in the movie as well.

“My Big Bossing’ is bigger and grander in scope this year because we are presenting three different stories in one film and each story was filmed independently of each other given that three different directors helmed each episode. No expense was spared in the overall production – costumes, design, special effects - particularly in the fantastical final episode. We just want to give the audience satisfying entertainment value. We want them to enjoy this film as much as we enjoyed creating this for them,” says OctoArts big boss Orly Ilacad.

“My Big Bossing” will be in theaters starting Christmas Day, Dec. 25.