There’s no better time to go all out in celebration than Christmas. With family members coming together to celebrate what is the most loved holiday of the year, our Prime Moms are always looking forward to making it the most memorable celebration ever.

All over the world, it is known that the way we celebrate Christmas in the Philippines is truly unique, and some may say that Paskong Pinoy is the best. As such, we want to help make Filipino moms shine even brighter this season by going back to our roots by creating twists on well-loved Pinoy handa and decor. Mega Prime and Prime Mom Club made this happen by organizing the Paskong Easy Sarap workshop, which offered moms new recipes and a DIY holiday decor that will surely make for a memorable Christmas.

Headlining the event is Mega Prime’s newest products Young Corn, Nata de Coco Ube, Melon and Pineapple, added into new and exciting recipes by some of our favorite Prime Moms-- Mommy Connh Cruz, Chef Rosebud, and Prime Mom Club’s honorary member and Mega Prime’s brand ambassador, Marian Rivera Dantes. With their help, moms can now add Ube Macapuno Coolers, Melon Nata Coolers, Mongolian Beef, and Tropical Fruit Ref Cake to their holiday menu.

Stepping out of the kitchen for a bit, guests exchanged utensils for craft materials as they made their own parol with the help of workshop master, Ian Santos. Guests proudly showed off their finished stars to be hung at their homes, adding more to the holiday vibe.

Ian and Mommy Vanna took the audiences on a fun-filled afternoon with Mega Prime through a

do-it-yourself parol-making segment

Truly an afternoon of fun, guests were treated to some fun games and exciting prizes as they took an afternoon off from their homemaking duties, and enjoyed the company of their fellow moms.

“We formed the Prime Mom Club because we wanted to create a fun and enriching space where moms can bond with other moms, learn from each other, and at the same time have easy access to home and kitchen hacks that make their life a little easier. With the holiday season always being hectic, we hope that this workshop, along with our new Mega Prime products, lessen their stress and give them more time with family,” said Marvin Tiu Lim, Mega Global Chief Growth and Development Officer.

The Prime Mom Club has been an avenue for moms to improve their skills as homemakers. Combining information and education with interactive and engaging events, Prime Moms are given exclusive access to enriching activities featuring experts and celebrities to guide them. Be sure to sign up for the Prime Mom Club at www.primemomclub.com to join the growing community of modern home-makers and receive exclusive information on future events and perks. For more information, be sure to follow @megaprimequality on Facebook and Instagram.

 Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, we knew of the bittersweet stories of returning Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs). Often, they go abroad for high-paying jobs so that they can save and send money to their families back home. But migration stories don’t always guarantee a happy ending, and they need help when they are forced to return home.

“Dahil ang pagkakaakala ko ay ang pagiging OFW ang sagot sa lahat ng naging problemang financial namin at gusto kong maiahon ang aking pamilya at mapagtapos ang aking anak,” said returning OFW Marites Coronado. The journey, however, wasn’t simple.

Take the case of another former OFW, Alma Palafox. She recounted: “Hindi po ako sini-suwerte sa napupuntahan na bansa. Laging may masamang nangyayari po sa akin. At minsan na rin muntik na akong hindi nakabalik ng Pinas ng buhay. Kaya hindi ko po natatapos kontrata ko.”

Gerlie Austria shares a similar experience but remains grateful despite the hardships she endured abroad. “Hindi man po ako naging maswerte sa ibang bansa, pero nagpapasalamat po ako sa Panginoong Diyos at ako po ay nakauwi nang buhay.”

Myrna Peñosa Corporal recalled the gloom she felt when she decided to go back to her family. “Noong nagsabi ako sa amo ko na ibalik na ako sa agency, dinala po nila ako sa Labor. Ang unang pumasok sa isip ko at naiyak ako, ‘Paano na ang pamilya ko? Uuwi ako na walang pera at naipon’,” said Corporal.

Coronado, Palafox, Austria, and Corporal are among the OFWs who had to return home even if they haven’t achieved yet the financial goals they set for themselves.

The Balikabayanihan campaign, a program supported by the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), seeks to help these OFWs whose dreams were interrupted for various reasons.

Spearheaded by NEDA-Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency and Atikha — a non-government organization working with OFWs and their families to maximize the gains of working abroad — Balikabayanihan calls on the spirit of volunteerism of Filipinos to help returning OFWs.

It is a call for partnership by the Overseas Filipino organizations with government agencies, local government units, and the private sector to help OFWs by providing the needed resources — manpower and funds or mobilizing their volunteer network to serve as mentors to the OFWs.

Melanie Labera, a returning OFW whose plan to resume her work abroad was put on hold because of the COVID-19 pandemic, benefitted from the program. “Nang umuwi ako ng Pilipinas, nagkataon naman na pandemic. Gusto ko sana bumalik [abroad], pero di na ako makabalik. Kaya malaki ang pasasalamat ko sa programang ito, pati sa BPI. May konting puhunan naman ako sa aking tindahan, pero konti lang. Kaya nagpapasalamat ako na nadagdagan dahil sa inyo.”

For her part, Austria, also a program beneficiary, said, “Nang makabalik po ako sa Pilipinas, isa po ako sa maswerteng napili ng Atikha na mabigyan ng tulong upang ako’y makapagsimula ulit sa aking buhay. Naging masaya po ako at nagkaroon ng pag-asa sa buhay. Ngayon po ay natupad ang isa kong pangarap na makabili ng makina.”  

Financial empowerment

As one of the program supporters, BPI aims to empower repatriated OFWs by helping them manage their finances through learning webinars and by mobilizing volunteers and sponsors. BPI implements their programs through its business units BPI Foundation, BPI-Philam, and Remittance and Fund Transfers.

“This pandemic has been hard on everyone, but repatriated OFWs and their families have been particularly affected. OFWs have done so much to uplift our entire nation’s economy over the decades. It’s only right that we stand by them now and help them get back on their feet and establish a financially secure life for themselves and their families,” said Reggie Cariaso, BPI Head of Corporate Banking Strategy, Products, and Support.

“Napakaganda po ng aking karanasan dahil nagkaroon po ako ng pag-asa sa buhay at talagang ipinangako ko po sa aking sarili na pagbubutihin ko po itong tulong na ibinigay sa akin ng Atikha at BPI Pamana Padala. At ang nagustuhan ko po dito ay ang mga taong kasapi dito na maaayos ang pakikitungo at napakamapagkumbaba at napakababait upang matulungan kaming lahat,” said Coronado.

BPI Foundation holds mentoring sessions for OFWs with BPI Unibankers as volunteer mentors. For its part, BPI Philam provides free COVID-19 insurance coverage worth P200,000. BPI’s Remittance and Fund Transfers offers financial grants and monthly mentoring sessions for chosen OFWs  and instills the value of saving using their BPI Pamana Padala account.

With opportunities such as the Balikabayanihan, returning OFWs are more empowered than ever to try their luck in their home country.

Palafox said, “Dito nalang po ako sa Pinas. Kahit mahirap po basta’t sama-sama kami ng mga anak ko. Kaya nagpapasalamat kami sa Balikabayanihan at sa BPI. Ang tanging hinahangad ko po sa aking sarili ay mapaunlad ko ang munting negosyo at magkaroon pa ng maraming kaalaman.”

Corporal shared another insight: “Natutunan ko po sa Balikabayanihan na kailangan po tayong magtulungan para makabangon ulit sa hamon ng buhay.” 

Transitioning to adulthood is never easy. Even when you plan or think you’re ready for what’s to come, there will always be bumps along the way. That said, growing up can feel less overwhelming once you start achieving adulting milestones step-by-step.

Think you’ve mastered the art of adulting? Here are signs to look out for:

You have a steady job.

It’s natural to jump from one job to another at the beginning of your career, but as you grow older, you begin to understand what you want to do until you retire. You weigh in on the pros and cons before accepting a job offer because you know your value. You’re aware that there are other jobs out there that would better suit your skills and experience.

You manage your time wisely.

There is a common misconception that being busy equates to being productive. Many people try to multitask and eventually produce low-quality output or get burned out. Adulthood is about accepting the fact that you can’t juggle multiple responsibilities all at once and understanding that prioritization is key to lessening the burden.

You prioritize your finances, and ensure government papers.

When you were younger, you were comfortable living from paycheck to paycheck. Now, you’re financially independent and only spend what you can afford. You keep track of all your bills. You want to avoid the hassle of time-consuming queues, and so you pay for your utilities and reload your radio-frequency identification (RFID) stickers on time and online.

You also ensure that aside from updating government IDs such as your driver’s license and passport, your NBI clearance is up to date in case of employment. For secure and worry-free transactions, Shopee has you covered. Use ShopeePay, Shopee’s official mobile wallet, to top-up your EasyTrip account and pay for your NBI clearance.

Here’s how you can reload your EasyTrip account and pay for your NBI clearance with ShopeePay:

ShopeePay is a safe, convenient, and secure way for users to pay for their bills and online shopping purchases. It also offers monthly promos, cash backs, daily vouchers, and discounts for both new and regular users.

Until February 1, users can enjoy 10% cashback when they pay their postpaid bills and 20% cashback when they pay for their NBI clearance using ShopeePay.* For more information about the bill payment, check out https://shopee.ph/m/bills-payment.

 ShopeePay users can also redeem exclusive rewards such as free shipping, coins cashback, and more this January 21-28, 2021

ShopeePay, an integrated mobile wallet that offers users easy access to digital payment services, launches its first-ever ShopeePay Cashless Festival this January 21-28, 2021. Shoppers who use ShopeePay can enjoy free shipping, coins cashback, a chance to win ₱10,000, and more exclusive rewards during the promo period.

Martin Yu, Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “With the launch of our inaugural ShopeePay Cashless Festival, Shopee encourages more consumers to adopt digital payments for a safer, more rewarding, and seamless shopping experience. Filipinos are slowly embracing a more cashless lifestyle, and Shopee is excited to be at the forefront of this evolution. We remain committed to providing easy access to a wide range of digital payment options such as ShopeePay to cater to Filipinos’ evolving needs.”

Key highlights of the ShopeePay Cashless Festival:

From January 21-28, ShopeePay users can redeem these deals and rewards when they activate and top up their e-wallet:

●     Free shipping: During the promo period, users who activate their ShopeePay wallets for the first time can enjoy a free shipping voucher with no minimum spend. New free shipping vouchers with a minimum spend of ₱149 will also be released daily.

●     Coins cashback from participating shops: Shoppers can look forward to 20% coins cashback on categories such as gadgets, home and living, mom essentials, and sports and motors.

●     Bills payment coins cashback: From January 21-27, ShopeePay users get 15% cashback capped at 120 coins when they pay their bills with a minimum spend of ₱800. On January 28, they can get 20% cashback capped at 160 coins with a minimum spend of ₱800.

●     Deals Near Me: ShopeePay users get to enjoy ₱1 deals, up to 50% off on e-vouchers, and up to 15% coins cashback capped at 60 coins.

●     Flash deals on mobile load and data: Throughout the week, shoppers can buy ₱100 worth of load/data for only ₱90. On January 25 and 28, users should be on the lookout for flash deals such as ₱10 load/data for ₱6, ₱15 load/data for ₱9, and ₱20 load/data for ₱12.

●     Grand prize worth ₱10,000: There are two ways to win ₱10,000: users simply have to either top-up at least ₱300, or transfer ₱1. All users can also get rewards in the form of Shopee coins or vouchers.

●     Play & Win on Shopee Live: Score up to ₱20,000 worth of ShopeePay credits by joining Play & Win ShopeePay Edition on weekdays, every 5:00-6:30 PM.

●     Tutok to Win: All successful callers on Wowowin’s Tutok to Win will receive ShopeePay credits worth ₱5,000 each, on top of the usual cash prize of ₱20,000.

For more information on the ShopeePay Cashless Festival, visit https://shopee.ph/m/shopee-pay.

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

Google Ads with Shopee offers specialized marketing support for brands to boost their e-commerce presence in Southeast Asia and Taiwan