Claiming to be a fearless soul? We all instantaneously muster up the extensive valor to watch scary movies especially during the Halloween season. After all, it is real fun to spook your friends--including yourself, just admit it--to keep up with the chilling atmosphere. Armed with a resourceful (or otherwise) costume and a bag of mouthwatering goodies from your eventful trick or treat, let’s see if you can bare these frightening films alone or with peers during Halloween night! 

1.    The Shining is a 1980 adaptation of Stephen King’s 1977 illustrious horror novel of the same name. It focuses on a determined writer and recovering alcoholic who works as a custodian at a historic hotel during the off season. He settles in with his wife and son who is besieged by psychic visions. As his son’s premonitions become more difficult, he realizes the hotel's horrifying past and starts turning into a murderous maniac bound to torment his loved ones. The film epitomizes sublime fragments of jump scare:  the captivating visuals and musical scoring, the improvisation of the memorable and startling quote: "Here's Johnny!", and the eerie young twin sisters on the corridor lingered in most people’s nightmares and significantly impressed them. The Shining is hailed by critics, and has become a core of today’s pop culture. Mathematicians at London's King's College utilized statistical figuring in a research mandated by Sky Movies to determine that The Shining was the "perfect scary movie" because of its precise harmony of different aspects such as impact, suspense, and gore. It stars the infamous method actor Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The creepy movie trailer may be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S014oGZiSdI.

2.    The Ring is a 1998 Japanese paranormal and mind-altering horror film. Adapted from the 1991 novel of the same name by Koji Suzuki, as well as the Japanese folk tale Banchō Sarayashiki, a Japanese myth of fragmented faith and vows resulting to a desolate fate, the movie centers on a reporter who probes the mystery behind a cursed videotape that kills the watcher 7 days after viewing it. The movie became the highest grossing horror film in Japan, was critically praised by reviewers, and garnered immense following in the West. The unanticipated twist in the story and the never-ending goosebumps caused by “Sadako”, the vengeful ghost with her long straight black hair covering her face and dirty long white dress while crawling out of the static television screen and that spooky phone call with the screeching sound after watching the videotape paved its status as one of the most petrifying films of all time. It generated several follow-ups and started a trend of Western reprises, beginning with the 2002 American version. The haunting movie trailer may be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcgCM2FyU8s.

3.    Get Out is a 2017 American horror film written and directed by comedian Jordan Peele in his directorial debut. It revolves on an African-American photographer who unravels a troubling secret when he meets the “liberal” family of his Caucasian girlfriend. It stars the remarkable British actor Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, and Catherine Keener. The movie is often considered as one of the greatest horror thrillers of modern American cinema. It is a brilliant allegory on racism and is a political satire on post-Obama America. It successfully triggered the trend of smart horror films (cue John Krasinski’s “A Quiet Place”) with low-key but poignant and frightening narratives with a small budget that can still make you think. It instills dread on Hollywood that loves remakes and recycled superheroes. At the 2018 Academy Awards, Get Out won the celebrated Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. As Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian cleverly summarized: “[Get Out] is a mainstream feature film bold enough, tactless enough, irresponsible enough to invoke race outside the solemn confines of documentary…The point is that Get Out takes pessimism and converts it into defiance – and laughs.” The terrifying movie trailer may be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzfpyUB60YY&t=1s.

These scary movies are best viewed with Vivo’s futuristic flagship phone, the V11. Your viewing experience will never be interrupted because you will never run out of battery due to its dual engine fast charging battery, which safely refills the large 3400mAh capacity battery at rapid speeds. It is also powered by the Snapdragon 660AIE processor with 6GB RAM + 64 ROM, ensuring ultra-smooth performance and the capacity to continuously play heavy video graphics. Supported by the latest Funtouch OS 4.5 (based on Android 8.1) and the global brand’s Jovi (Artificial Intelligence) AI engine, which allocates Central Processing Unit (CPU) and memory resources to enable the smartphone to efficiently handle multiple complex operations. Thus, it is now possible to use other apps while simultaneously watching scary flicks on your smartphone. The V11 also features a Super AMOLED Halo FullView Display which makes films look clearer, richer, and more vivid.  One can never escape the disturbing scenes of these movies as the V11’s specs are powerful, riveting, and engaging.

With the horror movies that we have suggested and a reliable premium smartphone, you are all set for a memorable and thrilling Halloween night at home. For an immersive and ultra-smooth viewing experience, own a V11 now at only P19,999.00. It is available at Vivo kiosks and concept stores nationwide, as well as online via Lazada, Shopee, Argomall, and Akulaku. #

Works Cited:

The Shining: Danko, Meredith. 2018. “25 Things You Might Not Know About The Shining”. http://mentalfloss.com/article/55893/25-things-you-might-not-know-about-shining. October 28, 2018.

The Ring: Shelton, Jacob. “15 Things You Didn’t Know About the Japanese Version of The Ring”.  https://www.ranker.com/list/japan-the-ring-behind-the-scenes/jacob-shelton.

Get Out: Bradshaw, Peter. 2018. “Why Get Out Should Win the 2018 Best Picture Oscar”. https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2018/feb/19/get-out-win-2018-best-picture-oscar-jordan-peele. February 19, 2018.

Halloween is just around the creepy corner and with all the rage for the spooks, have a ball this All Souls’ season with Halloween-inspired mobile games. With just a smartphone in hand and a pair of earphones, thrill-seekers don’t have to get out of their comfort zones for action and adventure.

Here are some of the eerily fun mobile games you can play:

1.    The Walking Dead series from Telltale Games

This game is based on the popular comic book and TV series, The Walking Dead.  Just like Robert Kirkman’s well-loved franchise, gamers would encounter zombie hoards, gore, blood, and other challenges for survival. It is a five-part series where gamers can play as convicted criminal Lee Everett who is determined to protect a girl named Clementine as he tries to live in a world of the undead. You may view the gameplay here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_ej3t8jvhw 

2.    Five Nights at Freddy’s by Scott Cawthon

Five Nights at Freddy’s, first launched in 2014 by independent game designer Scott Hawthon with over 50 million downloads to date, centers around a fictional pizza place called Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and is a series of six games. Each of the games involve three protagonists: a security guard in the first three games, a child in the fourth, a mechanic in the fifth, and in the sixth, the player acts as the owner of the pizza restaurant. All characters have to fight off nightmarish animatronic villains. You may check out the gameplay here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOztnsBPrAA

3.    Eyes – The Horror Game by Paulina Pabis & Michał Pabis

For some people, there is nothing scarier than uncertainty. The Eyes gives gamers that thrill. To play the game, gamers must have their eyes glued to the screens to collect money around a dilapidated mansion and move on to the next level. The catch is that Eyes won’t let gamers do it without some jump scares. You may have a glimpse of the gameplay here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Bstx3JeU0s

The Walking Dead series, Five Nights at Freddy’s, and Eyes could be best played taking advantage of Vivo V11’s 64GB ROM + 6GB RAM providing an ultra-smooth performance. No choppy animation and hanging scenes; Vivo V11’s ample ROM and RAM will deliver the goods the way any eager gamer wants it.

Vivo V11 is any gamer’s dream smartphone. With its improved AI Game Mode feature and a powerful Snapdragon 660AIE processor, the V11 transforms from a mere phone to a portable gaming console, allowing any geek-by-heart to play his games anytime, anywhere at his convenience.

The Vivo V11 also features the latest Funtouch OS 4.5 (based on Android 8.1) and Vivo’s Jovi AI Engine which works together to allocate CPU and memory resources efficiently to handle multiple complex operations. V11 also features a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, 6.41-inch Super AMOLED Halo FullView™ Display with a 91.27% screen-to-body ratio for a more immersive gaming experience. Its ultra-thin 1.76mm side bezels, paired with the 3D curved body design blends the edges of the phone into the display for easier hand grip.

With all the great specs packed in one smartphone, the Vivo V11 is an ideal gaming device. Tired of late-night scary movie marathons? Get your dose of scare by playing the best Halloween-inspired mobile games with the Vivo V11, yours at only P19,999.00 and available on hand at Vivo kiosks and concept stores and online via Lazada, Shopee, Argomall, and Akulaku.  10/31/2018 (The Lifestyle Portal)

Bacolod boy and celebrity chef JP Anglo has been a surfer for six years now. More than a way of keeping fit, he says, it was in the waves that he finds balance and inspiration.

Surfing enthusiasts say the sport is the art of gliding over the waves using the body as a planning surface. Likewise, it is a sport of riding waves in an upright or prone position, where the surfer’s goal is to glide across the surface of the water using a surfboard until the wave breaks and loses energy.

It was Cris Par, a local surfing instructor from La Union, who taught Chef JP how to surf. As he gets deeper into the sport, he also works out to prepare his body for the next best surfing experience. 

“I try to be fit, because of surfing. Everything in my workout routine is related to surfing. It may look cool for a sport, but it’s hard. I am thankful for it made me grounded,” says Chef JP.

In fact, in a stroke of luck, what was seemed to be a hobby led him to a hosting gig for a travel show in CNN Philippines that features his love of surfing and his passion for local culinaria.

Just as a surfer glides freely along the waves, he explains, ideas flow overwhelmingly and naturally as he concocts new dishes for commissioned projects or his thriving restaurant businesses. It was, indeed, surfing that fuels his creative juices.

In all of his surfing adventures in different places in the country, he makes sure he brings his celebrity status to good use by uplifting home cooked Filipino flavors and the story of the local people enjoying them. 

Such is the reason Tanduay Distillers took an interest on his work and eventually made Chef JP its newest brand ambassador. “I love cooking with alcohol. When I started surfing, I used Tanduay in the dishes I make. When we opened our restaurant Sarsa, we put Tanduay in our garlic rice or when we sautéed onions,” he reveals. 

He even shares how in one of his trips to Siargao he prepared lugaw and sardinas with left over Tanduay rhum from a drinking session the night before. Together with friends and the local community where they stayed, they all shared the humble meal made special with Tanduay rhum.

“What makes Tanduay gather a strong following like me as a lifestyle influencer? First, we’re both local. Affordable, pero malakas ang dating. Flavor is complex, but it hits the spot. My cooking is rooted in familiarity and comfort, and at the same time, satisfaction. Lastly, when we drink Tanduay, it’s always a happy

Watch Chef JP creates specialty dishes that perfectly match Tanduay rhum in a new series of online videos posted on the Tanduay Rhum official Facebook page. 10/31/2018 (The Lifestyle Portal)

FWD Life Philippines, one of the country’s fastest-growing life insurers, has introduced a series of new protection plans that can be tailored to meet individual customer needs. 

“FWD’s Set for Tomorrow will provide protection for the people we love and care about. The coverage amount and period can be customized to any personal situation and budget. Our aim is to make real and substantial protection accessible to everyone,” said FWD Life Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Grimes.  

Dubbed Set for Tomorrow, the insurance product has three variants that address the different needs to take care of those left behind should the unexpected happen—Short Term Cover, Income Protector, and Estate Protector. 

“Set for Tomorrow caters to Filipinos from 18 to 70 years of age, from young urban professionals to retirees,” Peter added. “With very basic social security, many professionals have an enormous protection gap.”

Taking responsibility to protect those you love

In today’s uncertain world, FWD’s latest insurance product is there to protect the ones you love. 

Three common reasons that lead to financial problems for those left behind include: 

Solutions that provide guaranteed protection and give you peace of mind

FWD’s Set for Tomorrow has three variants that meet the needs of the modern Filipino. Short Term Cover is an affordable term life plan that provides guaranteed life insurance coverage for five or 10 years. 

Income Protector ensures that your family can continue their life even if you are no longer around. Lastly, Estate Protector is a whole-life plan that provides guaranteed life insurance coverage until 120 years of age. 

FWD wants to guide people in fitting the right variant, protection amount, coverage period, and payment terms to the customer’s preferences and abilities. With this in mind, FWD launched online calculator “Cali”. By answering just a few questions, Cali allows you to determine the best solution for you and your budget. To find out the Set for Tomorrow plan that’s perfect for your budget and insurance needs, simply visit cali.ph/SetForTomorrow. 

FWD’s Set for Tomorrow plans are now available through FWD Life’s Financial Wealth Planners. Interested customers may call the 24/7 FWD Customer Connect Hotline at (02) 888-8388 or chat with a Customer Connect Executive via FWD’s 24/7 Live Chat (www.fwd.com.ph) to set an appointment. The plans will also soon be available at all branches of Security Bank, FWD’s bancassurance partner. 10/31/2018 (The Lifestyle Portal)

From October 26, shop the Shopee 11.11 - 12.12 Big Christmas Sale featuring up to 99% off all categories, daily free shipping specials, and over 11 million Shopee Coins to be won from Shopee Shake

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, announces Jose Mari Chan as its new Christmas Ambassador in line with the return of the biggest Christmas sale of the year, Shopee 11.11 - 12.12 Big Christmas Sale. Affectionately known as the Father of Philippine Christmas music, the singer-songwriter made his debut as the official Shopee 11.11 - 12.12 Big Christmas Sale campaign ambassador at the kickoff event held at Glorietta 2 on October 25, where he made a special appearance and performed Christmas carols to hundreds of mall patrons. As the face of Shopee 11.11 - 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, Jose Mari Chan also stars in Shopee’s latest Christmas television commercial that will screen nationwide starting October 26. 

Terence Pang, Chief Operating Officer at Shopee, said, “Christmas is the most celebrated holiday in the Philippines, and Filipino shoppers are known to start their holiday shopping earlier. In line with this, we are once again bringing back Shopee 11.11 - 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, this time with an even bigger lineup of promotions. We are also honored to have Jose Mari Chan, a household name in the Philippines, join us as our first official Christmas ambassador. Jose Mari Chan embodies the Christmas spirit, and his positive and cheery personality reflects Shopee’s commitment to bringing more joy to shoppers this year-end season.”

“Christmas is a time for us to come together and celebrate. I am thrilled to be joining the Shopee family to spread cheer to all Filipinos this festive season, and to be part of Shopee’s first ever Christmas television commercial. I welcome everyone to join Shopee and I in kickstarting the Christmas season with Shopee 11.11 - 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, and look forward to collaborating with Shopee to deliver a series of surprises this Christmas,” said Jose Mari Chan.

In line with the appointment of Jose Mari Chan as Shopee’s Christmas Ambassador is the launch of the Jose Mari Chan Road to Christmas campaign, which will take place from October 26 to December 12. With this, Jose Mari Chan fans can look forward to a series of exciting Shopee activations with him in the weeks ahead, including once-in-a-lifetime experiences such as the opportunity to sing a duet with him, receive a special dedicated song from him, or to meet and spend time with him on his Shopee Wish Bus tour. 

The debut of Jose Mari Chan as Shopee’s Christmas ambassador marks the official start of Shopee 11.11 - 12.12 Big Christmas Sale. The first wave of promotions will start from October 26 in the lead up to the 11.11 Big Christmas Sale happening on 11 November. Users can look forward to discounts of up to 99% off all categories, daily free shipping promotions, and an upsized coins pool of over 11 million Shopee Coins to be won from Shopee Shake.

16 themed days leading up to the big sale

Shopee 11.11 - 12.12 Big Christmas Sale will see an expanded lineup of themed days, which were a hit among users during the recent Shopee 9.9 Super Shopping Day. This time, users can look forward to 16 back-to-back themed days leading up to 11 November, with not to be missed days including:

●    11.11 Flash Sale Day happening on October 26 and November 6 featuring 9 windows of upsized flash deals, and a bonus Free Shipping with no minimum spend for flash deals

●    11.11 Vouchers Day happening on October 29, where a wide variety of sitewide and category vouchers will be given away

●    11.11 Free Shipping Day happening on November 1 where users can enjoy free shipping for a lower minimum spend of only ₱299

11 Million Shopee Coins up for grabs for Shopee Shake

Shopee is bringing back its iconic in-app game, Shopee Shake, this time with an upsized pool of over 11 million Shopee Coins up for grabs. As a special treat this Christmas season, users will also stand a chance to win surprise Shopee Shake prizes, including roundtrip tickets to Australia, Malaysia, and Japan sponsored by Cebu Pacific. Shopee Shake will be happening twice daily, and nine times on 11.11 Shopee Shake Day on November 3 and 11.11 Big Christmas Sale on November 11.

Exclusive perks for Shopee users

On top of thousands of deals from leading local and international brands including Maybelline, P&G, Mossimo, Unilever, Wyeth, Platinum Karaoke, ASUS, and Unisilver Time, and many more; shoppers can also look forward to additional perks  presented in collaboration with Shopee’s exclusive 11.11 partners, including:

●    SMART customers who subscribe for or renew their SMART plan from October 26 to November 3 will receive Shopee vouchers worth up to ₱300, which can be used for purchases made until the 11.11 Big Christmas Sale on November 11.

●    Viber users who download the special Shopee Christmas Stickers from October 25 to November 11 will receive Shopee discount vouchers. 

“With tons of unbeatable promotions and exciting features launched in response to users’ feedback and demands, Shopee 11.11 - 12.12 Big Christmas Sale is a showcase of Shopee’s continued commitment to delivering the best online shopping experience to consumers in the region, especially during this festive holiday season. We invite everyone to shop together on Shopee 11.11 - 12.12 Big Christmas Sale,” closed Pang.

For more information on the Shopee 11.11 - 12.12 Big Christmas Sale, visit https://shopee.ph/11-11

For more information on the upcoming activations with Jose Mari Chan, visit https://shopee.ph/m/jmc-road-to-christmas

Download the Shopee app for free on the App Store or Google Play Store. 10/30/2018 (The Lifestyle Portal)

In today’s competitive landscape, HP helps micro- and small-scale entrepreneurs take advantage of opportunities by helping increase their resources, scale up operations, or expand their business.

From now until October 31, 2018, every single sales invoice/receipt purchase of a minimum of three HP Ink Tank 315 All-in-One (AIO) printers or HP Ink Tank Wireless 415 AIO printers gives buyers a P500 discount per unit.

Entrepreneurs can print virtually anywhere and enjoy high volume printing with the HP Ink Tank AIO printers as they can easily print up to 8,000 pages of sharp colored images and photos using a tri-color bottle set or 6,000 pages of dark and crisp text with an HP black ink bottle. 

The HP Ink Tank 315 AIO printer can even help multi-tasking-oriented business owners as it can take on scan or copy jobs even while printing. On-the-go entrepreneurs can also remotely print from any device by connecting their smart phone or tablet to the HP Ink Tank Wireless 415 AIO printer using the HP Smart app or HP ePrint.

So, what are you waiting for? Take advantage of business opportunities by getting a minimum of three HP Ink Tank 315 AIO printers or the HP Ink Tank Wireless 415 AIO printers at discounted prices. Get these AIO printers at any authorized HP resellers nationwide. Per DTI-FTEB permit number 14335 series of 2018. Visit www.8hp.com or see posters and print ads for more details. 10/30/2018 (The Lifestyle Portal)

More than 200 travel agents and tour operators visited the Philippines to attend one of the biggest and most significant travel trade events in the country – the Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX) 2018. Organized by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT), PHITEX 2018 served as a venue for the world’s top travel and tour buyers to meet over 220 local sellers and discuss how best to promote the Philippines as a premier travel destination in Asia.

Held at the Marriott Grand Ballroom, PHITEX 2018 is now in its 17th year and aims to contribute more to economic growth and provide more job opportunities for thousands of Filipinos nationwide.  

Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said, “The tourism sector continues to be a key economic driver in the country. It has contributed 12.2% in the country’s GDP in 2017. This has exceeded our target of 10% in 2022 in the national development plan. At the same time, tourism has provided business employment for 5.3 million Filipinos.”

“Last year, PHITEX saw an increase in the number of buyers and first time sellers with business generation computed at Php 2.3 billion, a big leap from 2016 record of Php 1.7 billion,” said TPB Officer-in-Charge Arnold Gonzales.

PHITEX 2018 is slated on the theme, “Tourism is our business: Guarding our Environment, Reliving our Culture.” It kicked off with a pre-tour in Bataan, Laguna, Tagaytay, and Batangas, which featured unique and interesting Philippine culture and heritage.

Highlighting the event was the Travel Exchange (TRAVEX), an exclusive business-to-business appointment between Philippine sellers and international buyers. The foreign travel agents were introduced to the country’s best marketing trends and practices and were able to experience first-hand hand the diversity of the country’s best tourism products and services that they can promote in their home countries. On the other hand, sellers were able to offer globally competitive tour packages to the international market and learn other countries’ trade strategies to apply to their own practices.

More than 30 countries participated in this year’s event. Key buyers include Korea, China, Japan, USA, Canada, and Australia, with new participants from New Zealand. There were also participants from Germany, United Kingdom, Middle East, Russia, Singapore, and Canada, to name a few.

Aside from the pre-tour and the two-day TRAVEX, buyers were also treated to a five-day post tour to main attractions and destinations in the country namely Bicol, Davao, Palawan (Puerto Princesa-El Nido and Coron), Dumaguete-Siquijor-Sumilon and Ilocos. This allowed the buyers to experience first-hand the beauty and warmth of the Philippines.

Seminars on sustainable tourism and culture and tourism were also held for the local sellers. These were conducted by former Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) secretary and known Filipino environmentalist and philanthropist Gina Lopez and Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) president Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso.

Since its foundation in 2001, PHITEX has been continuously putting the Philippines at the forefront of the global tourism market. It has helped promote the country not only as a premier destination for travel but also for trade, lifestyle, entertainment and business opportunities. 

For more information, visit www.phitex.ph. 10/24/2018 (The Lifestyle Portal)

Nothing beats the soothing and gentle care that nature-based products bring, along with the benefits they provide to the body. For centuries, coconut oil has been the beauty and skin secret— a true jewel of nature—used by Asians with its proven benefits and nourishing qualities. And now, the West has also discovered the outstanding benefits it brings—as restorative, healing, and anti-inflammatory oil.

Also, it has many uses too: as a hair conditioner, a face cleanser, a body scrub, a detox bath and an over-all moisturizer that can penetrate the skin better than synthetic products can!



At the Glow Spa of Club Paradise Palawan, an oasis of serenity in a tropical island, you can enjoy natural pampering while protecting the environment as only 100 percent natural coconut oil is used in its rejuvenating treatment selections, instead of synthetic scented oils that can harm the environment or even irritate the skin. You can choose from among different infusions - lemongrass, turmeric, ginger, or local herbs for an even more potent, invigorating and luxuriating experience.

Pure oil is extracted from the coconut by carefully cooking it for at least three hours. The coconut is sourced from women of Barangay Cheey in Coron, Palawan, who rely on coconut for their livelihood and additional income. The arrangement also helps their community.

Other spa treatments also use organic ingredients like yogurt, carrots, cucumber, papaya, oatmeal, fresh milk and honey.  Some of the produce is grown at Club Paradise’s own Taranuman Farm and are completely pesticide and chemical-free!

Among the treatments available are Body Massage, Body Scrub and Natural Body Scrub, Natural Scrub, Luxurious Indulgence or Tropical Hot Pack with Holistic Massage.

So relax and savor the pampering you deserve at the Glow Spa while doing your share in protecting the environment and helping the local community.

For more information, visit https://www.clubparadisepalawan.com/recreation/coron-spa/. 10/11/2018 (The Lifestyle Portal)