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

Jan262021 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

PayMaya’s over 200K touchpoints enable cashless transactions for Filipinos

Business, Corporate, Features, Internet, LifeStyle, Mindanaoan Update, Society, Technology

Digital financial services leader PayMaya is leading the charge toward financial inclusion as it expands its footprint to reach over 200,000 touchpoints nationwide, the largest network in the country to date. Filipinos can easily pay, add money, cash out, or remit using their PayMaya accounts through these accessible touchpoints that include convenience stores, retail merchants, groceries, department stores, food outlets, pawnshops, and Smart Padala centers, among others. “As PayMaya continues to lead the push towards cashless for all Filipinos, it is important for us to provide them with the most expansive and reliable on-ground channels that allow them to do safe and convenient financial transactions, no matter where they are in the country,” said Shailesh Baidwan, President of P...

Dec202020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Beautiful reunions and a fun cafe hop

Blogging, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Features, Food, Leisure, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Northern Mindanao, Reviews, Tourism, Travel

I’m sure you’ll agree with me when I say that one of the sad, challenging repercussions of this global health pandemic was that we can’t easily, freely travel and see our family and friends. We had no choice but to be contented with virtual “kamustahans.” Siyempre, it’s still different to physically be with your loved ones, to bond with them and strengthen family ties. So when the travel restrictions started to get eased out, I hatched a plan: to reunite my Mama with her older sister whom she hasn’t seen in more than a year! Thankfully, I had a reliable partner in Ford Philippines. They gave me the chance to drive the all-new Ford Territory, currently the most celebrated vehicle in the compact crossover segment. My plan for a beautiful reunion between sisters was off to a great st...

Dec102020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

How you can support rainforestation and combat adverse effects of natural hazards, climate change

Advocacy, Bukidnon, Corporate, Features, Internet, Mindanaoan Update, Technology

The location of the Philippines in the Pacific has always made the country vulnerable to strong typhoons. About 20 typhoons pass through the Philippine Area of Responsibility annually, about 8-to-9 of which make landfall. However, over the past years, climate change has brought more violent storms to the country, causing severe damage to lives and properties. While resilient infrastructure and disaster preparedness are important during severe weather conditions, nature-based solutions such as rainforestation and watershed conservation also play a vital role in mitigating the adverse effects of these natural phenomena. The Philippines continues to experience the rapid decrease of its primary rainforests from 70% forest cover in the 1990s to only less than 1.8% to date. This rate of e...

Dec42020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

These Mindanao youth groups champion bayanihan during quarantine

Advocacy, Cagayan de Oro City, Campus, Cotabato, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Society, Surigao del Sur

In the midst of so many challenges this year 2020, I'm so glad that several Mindanao youth groups have taken the initiative to address gaps in social services and collaborated with local government units and NGOs to develop projects that prioritized the survival, health, and livelihood of many of our fellow Filipinos. Here is a list of Mindanaoan youth groups that showed bayanihan during the quarantine: Tabang Sikad Tabang Sikad is a fund-raising initiative for sikad drivers from several barangays in Cagayan de Oro City. The project provided relief packs to sikad drivers whose daily income decreased from Php 300 to Php 80 – Php 100 during the quarantine. Started by a duo, Nekka and Liam, the team expanded their impact to collaborate with the Tricycle Operators and Drivers Associa...

Dec42020 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Mindanaoan.com lands on Blogmeter top Philippine blogs list

America, Blogging, Entertainment, Features, Headline, Internet, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, New York, Technology, United States of America

So excited to share with you all that this humble blog, Mindanaoan, landed on BlogMeterTop's top Philippine blogs list. I'm excited about this because it has been quite a challenge to write this year. So this is such a blessing and a reminder for me to always just power through! Mindanaoan.com landed on 3 categories - on the "Top" overall, on the November 2020 top list and on the November 2020 Travel and Leisure. Mindanaoan.com is among the top 50. BlogmeterTop is a Web analytics service that tracks and reports website traffic for all Philippine blogsites. According to BlogmeterTop, they track the user’s activity on the site such as page visits and statistics. BlogmeterTop’s approach is to show the dashboard-type data (as a more in-depth data) report for the casual PH blogsite ow...

Nov192020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Globe expands 5G coverage in these Visayas and Mindanao cities

Bacolod City, Cagayan de Oro City, Cebu City, Davao City, Internet, Technology

Are your gadgets ready for 5G? Experience a different kind of mobile technology as Globe expands their 5G coverage to 17 key cities across NCR, Visayas and Mindanao. The company is accelerating upgrades of its existing technology to improve further the connectivity, mobile experience, and unlock vast potentials for its customers as 5G technology in Bacolod, Boracay, Iloilo, Talisay, Lapu-Lapu, Cordova, Minglanilla and Cebu City in Visayas; and in Davao City and Cagayan De Oro in Mindanao becomes available. In the first week of November, its 5G network has already reached certain areas in Davao City. 5G is the latest wireless internet connectivity that promises faster speeds, higher bandwidth, and more stable internet connections compared to 4G. “We have a very active 5G ...

Nov182020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Ford Philippines offers amazing deals for more Ranger models

Mindanaoan Update

Ford Philippines is extending its widely-anticipated Truck Month until the end of this month, with cash discounts available to more Ford Ranger models. “We are happy to announce that the Ford Truck Month is extended until November 30 to allow more customers to get a Ford Ranger with great deals. The Ford Truck Month also just got better this month with cash discounts extended to more Ford Ranger models, giving customers the widest array of deals for our ‘Built Ford Tough’ pickup trucks,” says PK Umashankar, president and managing director, Ford Philippines. New Truck Month deals available this November include a PHP90,000 cash discount for the Ranger 2.0L Bi-Turbo Wildtrak 4x4 AT as well as for the Ranger 2.2L XLT 4x2 AT and a PHP65,000 cash discount for the Ranger 2.2L XLT 4x2 MT. ...

Nov172020 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Mindanao-based Hineleban Foundation urges corporations to support IP communities

Advocacy, Bukidnon, Features, Kaamulan Festival, Mindanao, Mindanaoan Update, Misamis Oriental, Muslim Mindanao, Society

Mindanao-based Hineleban Foundation, a non-stock, non-profit organization in Bukidnon, is urging corporations to support Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities to not only help secure food and water for them but to also help restore the last virgin forests and ample river flow requirements of all water users in the country. Hineleban’s vision is to ensure the nation’s water, food and human security by reforesting the mountain ranges of Mindanao. These ranges are inhabited by the IP communities. On their official website, Hineleban Foundation explained that by supporting IPs through food security, followed by sustainable livelihood and finally, reforestation, they also play a more active role in the protection of the remaining primary forests in the Philippines. Currently, Hinele...

Nov172020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

3 Reasons You Should Invest in a Wedding Shuttle Service

Mindanaoan Update

Many people dream about their wedding day since childhood. It's a dream come true to find the person you're meant to spend the rest of your life with. However, before you begin this new chapter of life, there's one major part of expressing your love - your wedding. A wedding is a beautiful time to celebrate with people you love and usher in a new chapter of togetherness with your most treasured friends and family. However, a wedding can also be super stressful if you don't plan your big day very well or miss important details. If you're in the wedding planning stages, here are three reasons you should consider renting a dia mountain shuttle for your guests on your wedding day. 1. Shuttles are Safer Most weddings have alcohol at the reception, and a lot of people overindulge whi...

Nov122020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Tried and tested: How to save big on Amazon during Black Friday

Internet, Mindanaoan Update, Shopping, Technology

I love shopping on Amazon. I can actually spend hours just scrolling and looking for great finds on there. Checking on sales on Amazon has become a habit and this habit will take double - no, triple - my time in the next few weeks as Black Friday is fast approaching! Of course, we all know what Black Friday means - a wealth of insane deals! What do you plan to splurge on? I remember my memorable finds on Amazon during Black Friday. I got sweet deals on essential oils, a diffuser (which lasted for years!) and a handy bluetooth keyboard that I use for either my mobile phone or iPad. The prices for those were a dream. I saved a whole lot! Truth be told, I noticed that my shopping preferences on Amazon have actually evolved over the years. In the past, my favorite indulgences were...

Nov112020 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Call for Entries: CineMasayud – A Halad to Health Online Mindanao Short Film Fest and Competition

Advocacy, Announcements, Broadcasting, Bukidnon, Campus, Contests, Events, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Movies, Society

A Mindanao-wide virtual Short Film Festival and Competition will take place on December 2020 and the call for entries has been cast. Halad to Health, in partnership with the Ateneo de Davao University Culture and Arts through the Ateneo Film Circle and the Samahan ng mga Mag-aaral ng Sining at Komunikasyon, will hold the virtual event dubbed "CineMasayud: A Halad to Health Online Mindanao Short Film Fest and Competition." The event is open to all youth across Mindanao to explore their creativity while using art as a safe space to promote dialogues and services responding to Youth Mental Health issues. The event also aims to provide awareness and calls for action about local health issues and other societal ills in Mindanao and influence others to do the same through filmmaking. ...

Nov62020 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

3 smart ways to protect yourself online

Advocacy, Blogging, Events, Internet, Mindanaoan Update, Technology

So here's a true story. I personally know someone who fell for a bad online scam. And by bad I mean really bad. My friend fell for one of those Nigerian catfish love scams. All along, she thought she was involved in a long-distance relationship that was about to lead to marriage. Because she was, well, naive, she sent her lover money, love emails, gifts etc. Long story short, not only did she lose who she thought was her future husband, she also lost a huge chunk of her savings. My friend is now over the whole fiasco (thankfully) but certainly, there is a big lesson to learn from this. And that is to always be extra wary of your online activities and to know how you can protect yourself online. First and foremost, always be mindful of the people you accept into your online network...

Nov12020 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Free to register: premier cybersecurity conference set – DECODE PH 2020

Blogging, Business, Cebu City, Events, Mindanaoan Update, Technology

A 3-day conference, which will feature various industry experts from different parts of the globe to speak about the latest developments in the cyber world, will be held on November 10 to 12, 2020 and here's the best news: it's FREE to register! DECODE, an annual conference organized by Trend Micro, Inc., a global leader in cybersecurity, aims to present an immense opportunity for IT professionals to network, learn and share knowledge among their peers. DECODE will have more than 40 virtual breakout sessions during the event’s three-day run and a panel discussion of threat experts, where participants learn about various latest global trends on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Protection and Privacy, Cybercrime and Incident Response, among others. The conference, wh...

Oct242020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Moving to Chicago? Here are helpful tips to know

America, United States of America

Ah, the Windy City. Ever since I started living in New York, I’ve always wanted to visit this beautiful city, too. I even thought of actually moving to Chicago - so much so that I compiled some helpful tips to know in case I do push through with my plan to move to the 3rd largest city in the US. If you’ve thought of packing up your bags and heading to the birthplace of the skyscraper, then these might help you as well. First off, Chicago is a walkable city so for New York dwellers like myself, who are basically so used to walking, this is good news. I like that they have easy-to-follow street grids. Biking is also highly encouraged and there are bike share offers available. The Chicago City government has made possible several protected bike lanes such as those found along Milwaukee Av...

Oct192020 by Mindanaoan Irene1 Comment

Cash Agad: Your partner for recovery

Advocacy, Announcements, Banks, Business, Consumer, Mindanaoan Update, Technology

This current global health crisis has caused severe effects on families and communities in the country not only because of the fear over COVID-19 but also because of how it disrupted their livelihoods. Many businesses shut down, causing widespread loss of jobs. For those who still had some incomeleft, they could not so easily access their cash at banks and ATMs because public transportation was shut down during the lockdown and quarantine periods. Fortunately, there were Cash Agad partner agents in their communities who were ready to provide banking services even amid the pandemic. While Cash Agad partner agents were also affected by the restrictions of the community quarantine, they were still able to help their respective barangays and are now bouncing back and continuing with their ...

Oct192020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

October is Ford Truck Month – look at these great deals!

Features, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Society, Travel

Ford Philippines is bringing back its much-anticipated Truck Month this October, offering great deals to customers buying a Ford Ranger from any Ford dealership nationwide. From October 1-31, 2020, customers can avail of cash discounts, all-in low downpayment deals, and free ownership package worth PHP100,000 with their purchase of a Ranger Wildtrak, XLS, or Raptor. Ford Ranger Wildtrak Deals The Ranger 2.0L Wildtrak 4x2 MT is available this month with a PHP90,000 cash discount while the Ranger 2.0L Wildtrak 4x2 AT comes with a cash discount of PHP70,000. On the other hand, the Ranger 2.2L XLS 4x2 MT is available with a cash discount of PHP89,000, effectively bringing its starting retail price to only PHP943,000. Customers can also avail of a financing offer of PHP88,000 a...

Oct112020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

BaiCon Infest 2020 set

Advocacy, Blogging, Entertainment, Features, Internet, LifeStyle, Media, Mindanaoan Artists, Mindanaoan Update, Society, Technology

Creators and influencers in the Philippines are set to gather virtually via BaiCon InFest 2020. With the theme "The Space Invasion," BaiCon InFest 2020 will be a two-day (October 23-24) virtual event that will be held throughout various digital platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and Zoom. During a digital press conference held last October 7, 2020, the panel talked about various initiatives like the founding of the Creator and Influencer Council of the Philippines (CICP), its advocacy drive #CreatorsUnitedPH, CICP’s Spotlight Awards, BaiCon’s partnership with the Philippine Public School Teachers’ Association, and the significance of BaiCon in taking the Digital Entertainment Industry in the country to the next level. The digital presscon was hosted by Ace Gapuz of Blogapalooza and wa...

Oct112020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Blogging and being an influencer amidst a pandemic

Blogging, Mindanaoan Update, Technology

This current global health crisis has definitely changed both influencer and blogging landscapes. For bloggers like myself, I had to face a number of challenges. Let me share a few. First off, because of limitations in terms of travel and movement, I can’t easily attend and cover events. That meant declining famtours or familiarization tours, launches, press conferences, hotel stays etc. I miss those terribly, especially since I love to travel and discover new things. Additionally, we all have to be extra careful in all of our actions - from proper handwashing to wearing face masks and face shields to social distancing. Secondly, it has also been a challenge to produce content. It isn’t only because of lack of events and travel restrictions. It’s primarily also because we’...

Oct12020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

FCash Global Lending license canceled

Advocacy, Government, Mindanaoan Update, Technology

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has canceled the certificate of authority (CA) of FCash Global Lending, Inc. to operate as a lending company for its unfair debt collection practices. In an order dated August 25, the SEC Corporate Governance and Finance Department (CGFD) found FCash liable for multiple violations of SEC Memorandum Circular No. 18, Series of 2019 (SEC MC 18), which provides for the Prohibition on Unfair Debt Collection Practices of Financing Companies and Lending Companies. The company, which operates online lending platforms Fast Cash and Fast Cash Loan, has made multiple attempts to collect loan payments by contacting or threatening persons other than those that the borrower has identified as guarantors or co-makers, according to the CGFD. FCash has ...

Oct12020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Did You Know The 3 Relationship Components at the Core of Stargirl?

Mindanaoan Update

Studies have shown that strong relationships are central to dealing effectively with stress. During times of severe isolation, political strife and health fears, people often look toward sources that reinforce that concept. Among those sources: Media that depicts how positive human interconnection during times of stressful events can provide a lifeline in a sea of anxiety. The CW and DC Universe streaming series Stargirl appears to be what so many preteens and teenagers are looking for as they deal with some of the most difficult years of their young lives. Superficially, this 10-part superhero show represents a heavy clash between good and evil. But when you take a deeper dive into the show, you uncover three relationship elements that can actually comfort children and teenagers a...

Sep282020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Wild week with the Ford Ranger Wildtrak

Blogging, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Reviews, Society, Travel, Videos

So I just had a realization. After taking the Ford Ranger Raptor for a spin a few weeks ago, I realized that I LOVE driving pick-up trucks! The Ford Raptor, for instance, is huge but oh what a joy it is to drive! This love for pick-up vehicles was again solidified when I had a fun, wild week with the Ford Ranger Wildtrak (yasss)! Don’t you just love how versatile it looks? The Ford Ranger Wildtrak is a workhorse for sure (built for tough!) but you can also easily take it to easy breezy picnics, to the beach and to the mountains for memorable hang-outs with family and relatives at a cozy cabin (which I did!). Muscular yet feminine. Does that make sense? I brought the Ford Ranger Wildtrak to so many places around Cagayan de Oro and Bukidnon (Malaybalay City and Dahilayan...

Sep212020 by Mindanaoan IreneNo Comments

Ayala Malls Centrio’s ‘ANA’ makes virtual shopping, pick up and delivery a breeze

Business, Cagayan de Oro City, Consumer, Features, Mindanaoan Update, Shopping, Society, Style, Technology

Ayala Malls Centrio, Cagayan de Oro’s complete and favorite shopping, dining and entertainment destination, has launched an innovative solution that makes virtual purchasing from stores within the mall easy, convenient and truly hassle-free. With the Ayala Malls Neighborhood Assistant or “ANA,” anybody can shop from anywhere, during mall hours, with the help of well-trained personal shoppers and at a very minimal service fee. A testament to Ayala Malls Centrio’s commitment to come up with creative and efficient solutions in order to serve their valued customers, “ANA” can help customers buy everything they need at any Ayala Malls Centrio store they prefer. From groceries to school supplies to food and drinks to hardware supplies to clothes and shoes to skin care to medicines to t...