Mindanaoan Irene, Author at Mindanaoan - Multi awarded CDO and New York Lifestyle Blog

Mar232023 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

narzo rolls out software updates for 50 Series lineup

narzo Philippines advises the media and the public of its recent rollout of software updates for the narzo 50 Series lineup. These Over-The-Air (OTA) UI updates provide a variety of improvements to the overall narzo smartphone experience, including but not limited to: safety and security features, performance upgrades, interface enhancements, customizations, and bug fixes. “We stand by our promise of longevity when it comes to supporting all narzo models,” says Elaine Dela Cruz, narzo Brand Representative. “Quality Sulit means that we want our fans to always get the full extent of their money’s worth whenever they trust the narzo brand to be their daily driver, not only in terms of hardware reliability, but also in software and user experience.” The local rollout of all so...

Mar222023 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

GCash now in the United States, enables Filipinos to sign up with US numbers

Announcements, Business, Consumer, Corporate, Features, Korea, Malaysia, New York, Singapore, Society, Technology, United States of America

GCash Overseas has officially landed in the United States, allowing the first 1,000 Filipinos there to sign up for the Philippines’ number one financial app by using their US mobile numbers. This is definitely good news especially for those who frequently send money back home. Filipinos in the US can begin signing up for GCash regardless of their SIM cards and start supporting their families back home by sending money for FREE (GCash to GCash), paying bills, and buying them prepaid load credits. GCash President and CEO Martha Sazon said that they are also preparing for a full launch later this year. Earlier this month, GCash received the green light from the BSP to start the initial launch of its overseas service which allowed Filipinos in Japan, Australia, and Italy to use GCas...

Mar222023 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Congress designates prayer room for Muslim members, employees for duration of Ramadan

Government, Muslim Mindanao, Politics, Society

For the very first time in the history of the chamber, a prayer room for Muslim members, employees, and even guests of the House of Representatives has been designated and opened in time for the observance of the Holy Month of Ramadan. Conference Room 6 in the Ramon V. Mitra Building has been set aside and designated as a Muslim prayer room starting Tuesday and until the end of Ramadan next month. The simple opening ceremonies was prepared by the House Committee on Muslim Affairs led by its chair Rep. Khalid Dimaporo and vice chair Rep. Bai Dimple Mastura. Mastura, representative of Maguindanao and Cotabato City’s 1st District, personally made the request for the prayer room to the Speaker in the plenary on the sidelines of the approval on third reading of the P5.268-trilli...

Mar212023 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Hulak Cafe at Subida CDO aka the cafe owned by Mark Bautista and family

Business, Cafe, Cagayan de Oro City, Food, Mindanaoan Artists, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Personalities, Society

Let's face it. When people find out that a celebrity owns a certain business, people have the tendency to flock to it and patronize it. That means publicity, strong recall and of course, strong sales. Great! Unfortunately, this may also work the other way around especially if the products aren't good, the prices are way too expensive or if the business owners themselves don't exercise proper customer service. In the case of Hulak Cafe, however, a business owned by internationally renowned Kagay-anon singer, actor, host and theater actor Mark Bautista, they didn't disappoint! Located at the Subida Complex along the South Diversion Road in Taguanao, Hulak Cafe serves breakfast, mains, vegan-friendly breads, cakes, sandwiches, pastas, coffees and juices. It's a nice, cozy place where...

Mar212023 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Vehicle owners will love these freebies at S&R Tire Center (I sure did!)

Automotive, Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Shopping

Just a few weeks ago, the tires of my vehicle finally gave in and had to be replaced. I only had one tire installation center in my mind - S&R Membership Shopping. Now, I know you may think --- S&R? Of all places? YEP. And it was the best decision! Let me tell you why. So I went to S&R Cagayan de Oro and went to their tire installation center, which was located at the back of their facility (parking area). I consulted their friendly staff member and he checked my vehicle and told me the kind of tires I needed. He checked their inventory and told me they had some in stock. Then, I proceeded to pay for the tires at the cashier inside the store, presented the receipt to the staff and was told to wait for about an hour. I had the option to wait at the installation area whil...

Mar92023 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Foundever™ Donates Over 8000 Books to Nationwide Library Program

Advocacy

Foundever™ shows its commitment in making education inclusive and accessible to every Filipino by raising 8,400 books via its Big MAX Book Drive for the Library Renewal Partnership (LRP), a non-profit organization that aims to provide communities with a safe space where people can come together to learn, find livelihood, and support those in need. The donated books, a mix of fiction and non-fiction covering a wide variety of topics, will benefit 100,000 learners in areas that include NCR, Baguio, Naga, and Puerto Princesa. "Through our CSR Big MAX Book Drive, we help enable Filipinos to dream and empower them to pursue it," Foundever™ Senior Manager for HR Organization Development Hiroki Revereza says. "It's very important for us to give our employees a platform to achieve their ...

Feb232023 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Coca-Cola has this program that allows collection and recycling of plastic bottles during fiestas

Advocacy, Cebu City, Features, Mindanaoan Update

Coca-Cola Beverages Philippines, Inc. (CCBPI), the bottling arm of the company in the country, activated Tapon to Ipon: Basta Klaro, Panalo! pop-up booths in Cebu and Iloilo and collected over 400 kilograms of post-consumer clear PET plastic bottles, toward helping hold waste-free festival celebrations. Tapon to Ipon is Coca Cola's nationwide collection program for post-consumer PET plastic bottles, with bottles from any brand accepted as long as they are clear. The company deployed pop-up booths at the Sinulog and Dinagyang Festivals. “We maximize every opportunity to bring Tapon to Ipon to more communities across the Philippines. We bring our Tapon to Ipon program where we can and integrate them with our selling activities. As our consumers enjoy our refreshing beverages and cele...

Feb212023 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

foodpanda is first official online food delivery platform partner of NBA in the Philippines

Announcements, Food, Society, Sports, Technology

Here's some exciting news for basketball fans! The National Basketball Association (NBA) and foodpanda, a leading online quick commerce digital platform in Asia, has forged a marketing partnership that makes foodpanda the league’s first Official Online Food Delivery Platform Partner in the Philippines. And Mindanaoan was there to witness the formal announcement! The announcement was made Saturday, February 18, 2023, ahead of the 72nd NBA All-Star Game, which aired live in the Philippines across One Sports and NBA TV Philippines. NBA Philippines Senior Director of Global Marketing Partnerships Mae Dichupa and foodpanda Philippines Director for Growth Guilherme Porto made the announcement at an event at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay City that featured a shooting contest for ...

Feb12023 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Now open: POPS Seaside in El Salvador, Misamis Oriental

Cafe, Cagayan de Oro City, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Tourism, Travel

POPS All Filipino Eatery, known for their eat-and-drink-all-you-can offers at affordable prices, has opened their 5th branch. This time, in El Salvador, Misamis Oriental, just across the Asia Brewery, Inc. El Salvador plant. It's a great pitstop if you're heading to the Laguindingan Airport or if you just like to chill in a place at the outskirts of CDO and enjoy the sea breeze! For now, they don't offer buffets at the El Salvador branch but who knows, they might do so soon! So please follow their page for updates: http://www.facebook.com/popsseasideelsalvador You can also visit their page to see their menu (I highly recommend you try the seafood boil!) In front of Asia Brewery, Inc. El Salvador plant Operating hours: 10 AM to 10 PM Please call (0917) 716 7200 for inquir...

Jan312023 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

They’re back! What to eat at Del Monte Golf Clubhouse Bukidnon (menu inside)

Bukidnon, Business, Features, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Tourism

The Del Monte Golf Clubhouse in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, Philippines is a golf club that is located within the vast Del Monte Pineapple Plantation. It was built in the 1950s and has served as a center of social and recreational activities for the employees and guests of Del Monte Philippines, Inc. During the pandemic, they operated but only offered takeouts. These days, they've reopened with fresher interiors and menu. Are you planning to visit this famed Bukidnon tourist spot? Read on and don't forget to share this with your friends, family and colleagues! My family and I often visit this place before the pandemic. We often ordered the delicious and generously portioned steaks (which are infamous for being derived from pineapple-fed cattle). This time, however, my Mom and I or...

Jan162023 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Schedule: Kaamulan Festival 2023 in Bukidnon (only authentic ethnic fest in the Philippines)

Bukidnon, Events, Features, Festivals, Malaybalay City, Mindanaoan Update, Tourism

Kaamulan Festival is the annual gathering of the Province of Bukidnon's 7 hill tribes. A former Tourism Secretary called it the only authentic ethnic festival in the Philippines and I must say, there's nothing like it! It's colorful, vibrant, loud, warm, heartwarming and just full of energy, culture and tradition. This year, the Kaamulan Festival 2023 is happening! The Bukidnon festival was suspended for 2 years during the pandemic. The Kaamulan Festival 2022 happened but it was toned down to just a few events. Hopefully, this Kaamulan 2023, the festivities will be back in full force and everyone can really feel the vibrancy of this amazing ethnic festival. The Kaamulan Festival is a yearly gathering of the Talaandig, Tigwahanun, Higaonon, Manolo, Matigsalug, Umayamnun and Bukidno...

Jan112023 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

The Ultimate Guide to Hiring the Best Roofing Company

Mindanaoan Update

It's time to replace your roof. Lucky for you, you've come to the right place! Here is the help that will put you through hiring an installation company. There are a lot of things to take into account when hiring a roofing company. One of the most important things to ask a roofing company is if they have references and testimonials. This will give you an idea of their work's quality and how happy their past clients have been. Below is an ultimate guide that will put you through the decision-making process. Decide if You are Hiring an Independent Roofing Contractor or a Company Only a few people realize that there are crucial differences between an independent contractor and an installation company. The primary difference between an independent contractor and a company is the s...

Jan42023 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Honored to be elected as the new CDO Bloggers President 2023

Advocacy, Announcements, Blogging, Features, Internet, LifeStyle, Media, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Musings, Personal, Personalities, Society

I'm very excited and humbled to share that I have been elected as the NEW PRESIDENT of the Cagayan de Oro Bloggers Network or CDO Bloggers, a 14-year old organization (yep, OG!) that's home to many award-winning and internationally-recognized bloggers, vloggers, influencers, social media practitioners and content creators. The election of officers/annual general membership meeting/Christmas party was held at The Cistern, Xavier Sports and Country Club, Masterson Avenue, Cagayan de Oro. I recommend the venue for small and intimate events, by the way! Here's the list of the 2023 CDO Bloggers Officers: President - Maria Irene Aserios of Mindanaoan.com - Mindanaoan Meets World VP for Membership - Chen Siwagan of Laag & More w/ Awesome ChenS VP for Events - Irene Dayo of...

Dec192022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

The 6 buena mano local businesses at the SM CDO Downtown StartUp Market

Mindanaoan Update

There's a special area at the SM CDO Downtown Premier where you can buy local and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) shine ever so brightly! If you love supporting local brands just like me, come check out the SM StartUp Market at the 5th Floor! The 7th StartUp Market of SM in the entire Philippines, the one at SM CDO Downtown Premier has 6 buena mano MSMEs. These local businesses are actually pretty lucky especially because the StartUp Market package includes very friendly rates, free use of the kiosks, free online and offline exposure, financial assistance from BDO etc. I also learned that the brands that can participate in the StartUp Market program are ones that do not have brick-and-mortar shops yet and have only operated online or through bazaars and pop-up shops...

Dec102022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Seda Centrio has these awesome room and food packages for your Yuletide celebration

Cagayan de Oro City, Hotels, Mindanaoan Update, Society

Thinking of celebrating your Christmas and New Year at Seda Centrio Cagayan de Oro hotel? You're in for a treat! Seda Centrio is offering awesome food and hotel room packages for you and your loved ones that are guaranteed to elicit #TheBestFeelingsInTheWorld! Whether you want to go solo (self-care aficionados, hello there!), with a partner/significant other or with family and friends, you definitely have amazing choices that would fit your budget and schedule. They even have packages that include cinema passes at neighboring Ayala Malls Centrio! Check out the Seda CDO packages below: Call (088) 3238888 or send an email to [email protected] for inquiries and reservations. If you happen to book after the holiday season, you may want t...

Nov282022 by Mindanaoan Irene4 Comments

Teaching social media and digital marketing in 8 towns around Mindanao (during the pandemic!)

Advocacy, Blogging, Business, Education, Features, Internet, Media, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Update, Society, Technology

When the pandemic hit, we all know that the entrepreneurs were among those who got affected the most. Some businesses went to a screeching halt, some were forced to pivot just to survive and some tried to continue operations but with owners, very sadly, feeling they were running around like headless chickens. I should know because I heard numerous of these stories from business owners themselves. Yes, it was heartbreaking to listen to them but you know what? I still held on to that spark of optimism. I knew that somehow, each and every one of us can help these businesses. After all, you and I know very well that the success of just about anything never depends on the hands of only one man. Instead, it has always rested on the collective shoulders of many. I wanted to help esp...

Nov232022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Tips on how to protect seniors against cybersecurity risks

Events, Mindanaoan Update, Technology

Cyber criminals definitely do not choose their victims. This means that senior citizens or the elderly, especially the non-tech savvy ones, are super prone to online scams, fake news, online identity theft, romance scams and other cybersecurity attacks. In fact, I actually personally know a senior citizen who fell for a bad online scam. Sadly, the elderly are easy targets! This topic is also sensitive to me because my senior citizen Mama blogs and she dabbles in social media so I want to always help protect her from cyber crooks. So how do we make sure that our beloved senior citizens are safe from cybersecurity threats? First off, let's help them with their passwords. They should have strong passwords ideally containing a mix of upper and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. ...

Nov202022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

REVIEW: Testing the narzo 50i prime super affordable smartphone during a flight

Features, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Technology

Does the narzo brand sound a little new to you? I can't blame you. The narzo brand is a new, standalone brand (officially launched in the Philippines just last July 2022!) borne out of the realme ecosystem. However, trust me, narzo is fast (and I mean FAST) gaining fans not only because of their really affordable price points but also because the smartphones are, hands down, value for money. Just take the case of the narzo 50i Prime. The fact that their units sold out in a record-breaking time of under 3 minutes at their Shopee store is saying something! Priced at less than Php 4,000 (around US $75 --- yes, you read that right) and with a remarkable product rating of 4.9/5 on Shopee, the narzo 50i Prime really is a quality sulit smartphone. Just recently, I took this gamechanger ou...

Oct242022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

LOOK: Lock-unlock feature of BDO Online Banking

Mindanaoan Update

Have you ever lost or forgotten where you last placed an important item such as an ATM or debit card? Quite a burden, right? Especially when there's an emergency or if you absolutely need to withdraw cash. Delikado rin kung makuha ng iba ang ATM o debit card at ma-access ang pera saiyong account. BDO Unibank has a handy suggestion for bank clients and debit cardholders: i-lock ang BDO Debit Card kapag pansamantalang hindi ito gagamitin upang maprotektahan ito sa mga unauthorized card-based transactions—isa sa mga scams na laganap ngayon. Kung gagamitin na ang ATM o debit card para sa transactions, napakadali lang din nitong i-unlock. "(The Card Lock setting) protects your BDO Debit Card from unauthorized transactions. If you misplace or lose your debit card, you can lock your card ...

Oct182022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Mukbang CDO – where you can enjoy authentic, unlimited Korean samgyupsal

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Food, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews

Ever since they started operations, I've already brought a lot of my relatives, friends and colleagues here! Check out Mukbang CDO - this is where you can enjoy authentic, unlimited Korean samgyupsal or samgyeopsal in Cagayan de Oro. Located inside the King's Food and Music Expo (just behind the SM City Uptown parking lot along Beacon Avenue, Cagayan De Oro), Mukbang CDO offers authentic Korean samgyupsal with over 20 side dishes. Their food is prepared by a chef from Korea! Whenever I dine there, I can't help but remember my trip to Korea. Can't wait to go back very soon. Anyway, what I like about the setup at Mukbang CDO is that you yourself can go ahead and refill your preferred meat and side dishes (they also have soup, BTW!). Lessens the wait time for refills (in other establis...

Oct172022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

mWell unites hundreds of doctor-volunteers, mental health experts, and health-conscious Filipinos on National mWellness Day

Technology

Last August 27-28, Metro Pacific Investments Corporation’s (PSE: MPI) mWell, the Philippines’ fastest-growing health app, made history by gathering hundreds of doctors, medical specialists, and mental health experts to give free online consultation and sound medical advice to patients and health-conscious Filipinos from all over the country. National mWellness Day, mounted for the 2 nd time since its inception in 2021, has achieved a milestone in its mission to bring quality healthcare to more Filipinos nationwide in the new normal by providing free online consultation to hundreds of patients from all over the country through the mWell PH app. The two-day advocacy event was helmed by hundreds of family doctors and specialists from Metro Manila, Cagayan De Oro, Davao, and Zamboanga w...

Oct172022 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Gabay Guro gathers biggest stars to honor Filipino teacher’s pride, purpose and passion

Announcements, Events

Despite the continuing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Gabay Guro remained steadfast in its avowed commitment to uphold the Filipino teachers and their noble mission of empowering the mind of the youth as it held another tribute event for the modern-day heroes of our time via PLDT-Smart Foundation’s annual Gabay Guro Grand Gathering last Oct. 15, 2022 at 1 p.m. Held virtually for the third time since the pandemic hit in 2020, this year’s teachers’ star-studded tribute went by the theme “The Filipino Teacher: Our Pride, Our Purpose, Our Passion” and was streamed LIVE via Gabay Guro’s Facebook page and Youtube Channel. Just like the first two events which were presented by the Metro Pacific Investments Corp. (MPIC), with PLDT Home and PLDT-Smart Foundation and powered on the digi...