Inspire PH Volume 1 issue 1 V.2

PCCI

More than a century of Nation Building through Business

CHASING PH MOTORSPORTS HISTORY

GET IN SHAPE WITH FITFIL

WELLNESS & WORK BALANCE

PUTTING ENERGY INTO ACTION

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t is with great honor to welcome all our readers to this maiden issue. We, at Inspire PH takes pride in bringing you noteworthy articles and features that can inspire you to aim for success in every avenue of your life.

The magazine promises to deliver inspiring stories on Business and Entrepreneurship to push for entrepreneurial spirit as well as stories behind the four walls of the office, the Lifestyle that brings relief and relaxation; the family that give strength and everything in between that makes up for Business and life balance.

FROM

EDITOR

Inspire PH wants to uncover every life facets, the life behind that success. Hobbies that make up for those busy hours, Food fixation that fuels great business ideas, health regimen that keeps you fit for corporate challenges.

These and more are in store for our reader’s pleasure.

Join us as we embark on inspiring many individuals to do more than what is called for.

ON THIS ISSUE: RELAXATION & WELLNESS, THE SPA

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PH MOTORSPORTS IN A NUTSHELL

UNIQUE FRANCHISES

PARTNERS IN BUSINESS AND LIFE

PROJECT: EXPONENTIAL BUSINESS GROWTH

BLEEP BRAND LAUNCH EVENTS, EXPO & PLACES

BLUE PLATE, FOOD SERVICE FROM THE HEART

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FITFITL 2018

Cheers!

Michelle 

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MUCH ADO ABOUT KETO

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PIFF: CANNES OF PH

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COMFORT FOOD WITH FRIENDS & FAMILY

PUTTING ENERGY INTO ACTION

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Cover Story

First Row (from left to right): Dr. Francis Chua, Jose T. Pardo, Pres. Ma. Alegria S. Limjoco, George T. Barcelon, Dr. William S. Co Second Row (from left to right): Sergio R. Ortiz- Luis, Jr., Donald G. Dee, Benedicto V. Yujuico, Alfredo M. Yao, Edgardo G. Lacson, Dr. Alberto P. Fenix, Jr., Ramon S. Ang Third Row (from left to right): Jesus B. Varela, Renato G. Simbulan, Gov. Benjamin T. Loong, Jose P. Leviste, Jr., Eric A. Cruz, Angelito E. Colona, Samie Lim, Teresita M. Leabres, Mercedes S. Quisumbing Fourth Row (from left to right): Jose T. Ng, Crisanto F. Frianeza, Atty. Peter O. Kho, Atty. Anthony D. Bengzon, Atty. Ivan John E. Uy, Pedro C. Dumana, Jr., Robert E. Lim, Samuel L. Chioson, Bernardo T. Benedicto, III

06/ PCCI

10/ INJAP, INNOVATION AWARD

08/ AMY AWARD 11/ 5 CITIES 09/ BIDA

OF 12/ HIGHLIGHT THE PREVIOUS YEAR

Inspire PH | July 2018

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COVER E

ntrepreneurship is the key to nation building. Undeniably, businesses become a platform in creating jobs that will sustain families.

In the Philippines, when we hear the word business we instinctively equate it to big capital and success.

Investments that most of the general public can only dream of. Today’s millennials reflect with the likes of Henry Sy, John Gokongwei, Manny Pangilinan, Lucio Tan, Ramon Ang and the Ayalas. But it’s no secret to us that these business empires also started from a dream and lots of hard work.

Although it is considered easy to start a business in the country if you have an idea and the capital to boot.

But the real measure is, will you be able to sustain and diversify it given the tough competition.

Business entities require balance in terms of stakeholders, government and global relations to be able to survive disruptions in the industry, thus, a governing body needs to be present in maintaining this balance.

This is where the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) comes in.

PCCI being the voice of Philippine business and the only business governing body recognized by the government and international institutions. To achieve its purpose, it consists of chapters all over the country as well as key representations outside the Philippines.

STORY

PCCI serves as a proactive catalyst of development to promote and support the drive for globally competitive Philippine enterprises in partnership with government, local chambers, and other business organizations.

In celebration of its more than a centenary of existence, let us walk through PCCI milestone for the general public to understand why it deserve the recognition to begin with.

Source: http://www. sanmiguel.com.ph/page/ our-history

La Fabrica de Cerveza de San Miguel Southeast Asia’s first brewery

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Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Foundation

President Ferd tion No. 780 desig

OVER

THE CENTURY April 19, 1886

July 19, 1903

March 4, 1950

July 1, 1978

Camara De Commercio De Filipinas

Chamber of Commerce of The Philippines(CCP)

Philippine Chamber of Industries (PCI)

Merger of The CCP And PCI

A group called Small Industries and Machine Shop Owners of the Philippines (SIMSOP) held its first national convention with the theme “Intensified Manufacturing and Solid Support for Basic Philippine Industries”. It was at this time when the “Dean of Filipino Industrialist” Gonzalo Puyat urged SIMSOP to change its name to Philippine Chamber of Industries (PCI). PCI’s major role is to advocate for Philippine- made products through educational campaigns with goal to alter the centuries-old colonial mentality.

Inevitably, with their advocacies overlapping. CCP and PCI agreed to join forces on this day and PCCI was officially established. Its initial funding came from the individual contributions of Charter members, together with some funds from the defunct PCI matched by a counterpart contribution from the CCP.

A group of Spanish businessmen formed the Camara de Commercio de Filipinas on this day to promote business interest. The three largest Spanish companies in Manila: La Compania General de Tabacos de Filipinas, La Fabrica de Cerveza de San Miguel, and Elizalde y Cia. They founded the Camara with basic role to “settle petty disputes between merchants.”

dinand E. Marcos issued Letter of Instrucgnating PCCI as “single voice of Philippine business”.

Due to waning of popularity of La Camara began during this era, a new organization the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (CCP) was formed headed by Filipino and Chinese mestizo businessmen.

PCCI was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission, composed of seven PCI directors and eight from the CCP as incorporators.

December 7, 1978

July 1, 2018

PCCI Designated as “Single Voice of Business”

PCCI 2018 Anniversary

It was at this time, when then President Ferdinand E. Marcos issued Letter of Instruction No. 780 designating the PCCI as “single voice of Philippine business”.

Over the years, PCCI plays a major role in providing focused advocacy for business growth. With its current board lead by PCCI president Ms. Alegria “Bing” Limjoco, the chamber continually provide business assistance to Micro, SME and Large Businesses in the country. It also conducts business matching, trade missions and network information to help start-ups.

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The chamber’s role in the industry goes beyond large business functions, it also promotes sustainable development by providing business services for the advancement of grassroots entrepreneurships, chamber develoZpment, international trade relations, business innovation and excellence, and operating efficiency to all its members and aspiring entrepreneurs.

PCCI also advocates Human Resources Development, Environmental Stewardship and Corporate Social Responsibility among others.

Many of us are unaware that the chamber conducts other functions that are considered steps to nation building as well as highlight each member’s move towards the same goal.

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lfredo Macam Yao’s humble beginnings and entrepreneurial vision led to the establishment of the country’s leading beverage brand, Zest-O Corporation. This beverage mogul credits his innovative spirit and innate creativity for the award bestowed in him as the Most Admired ASEAN Enterprise for Innovation at the first ASEAN Business Awards in 2007.

Putting innovation, research and development in high premium, Mr. Yao continues to inspire the Filipino people through his story of perseverance and determination. PCCI, in cooperation with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines, launched the Alfredo M. Yao Intellectual Property Awards (AMY National IP Awards) in 2009, in furtherance of its advocacy to promote appreciation and application of locally-developed and socially-relevant intellectual properties and to support its development and commercialization.

The AMY IP Awards has been conferred to Filipino-owned intellectual properties from the inventor’s community, the academe, and entrepreneurs.

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Inspire PH | July 2018

Annual Search for the Best Business Idea and Development Award

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o you have an idea for that next big brand?

For over a decade now, PCCI conducts an annual search for Best Business Idea and Development Award (BIDA).

Last year’s theme being, “Creating Innovative Mindsets among Young Entrepreneurs”. The timing is impeccable as innovation and technological disruptions are among the widely talked-about subject in today’s business sector.

Business Idea and Development Award aims to develop and promote creative Filipino entrepreneurs among students, conceptualized to bring out the entrepreneurial spirit and creativeness of the youth sector.

To this date, Dr. Eduardo G. Ong, the chamber’s Chairman for Education continues to pursue the commitment of PCCI to play a big role in the creation of wealth in the countryside through agriculture, manufacturing and service.

BIDA aims to: •

Recognize creative or innovative products and services using available local, indigenous or recycled materials

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Develop entrepreneurial culture among Filipino youth

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Promote and develop a sense of nationalism among Filipino youth through product or service development

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Promote entrepreneurship as major component in our Economic Sustainable Development

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CCI’s Injap Sia Outstanding Young Entrepreneur Awards commenced in 2015 in realization from the need to recognize the invaluable role of entrepreneurs in nation-building and by promoting successful young role models. The award entries were evaluated based on the following criteria: Innovation, Financial Performance, Leadership and Job Generation.

INJAP SIA

yOUNG eNTREPRENEUR AWARDS

The reigning champion and previous year’s awardee is none other than John Paul Miranda, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of ITBS Information Technology Business Solutions Corporation. He was awarded for his exceptional talent and contribution as a young entrepreneur in the country.

Miranda topped 35 nominees from the agriculture, industry and service sectors.

He was cited for his innovation and leadership, having successfully commercialized internally-funded research and development portfolio in the areas of artificial intelligence, big data analytics, neutral networks, facial recognition, license plate recognition, disaster risk reduction and management solutions, intelligent surveillance, border protection and law enforcement and for deploying world-class solutions faster, better and cheaper than its competitors.

His company, ITBS Corporation, has provided new systems solutions for both the government and industrial private companies. The new systems include Disasters Management System for smart province and smart city command and control center, smart buildings and homes, city automation system with unified ID solutions, PAGCOR proxy betting solution, and the Philippines 3200MW Floating Solar Farm with Aquaphonics.

WHO’S NEXT? 10

Inspire PH | July 2018

Security and Safety of Business Environment:

5 Cities cited as the Safest in SEA

As mentioned, PCCI works hand in hand with the government in ensuring the best interest of the industry.

New Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde recently vowed to provide a safe and peaceful environment conducive for business. It is no secret that Albayalde’s good work attitude and solid performance as National Capital Region Police Director bagged him the much-coveted post. This came as a surprise to the general public as Albayalde was not known to a close aide of President Duterte and has not been assigned in Davao City.

“The PNP would like nothing better than every (business people) to be able to do business under ideal conditions of peace and order so that the chamber can make further contributions to the country’s economic growth and development in the years ahead,” Albayalde said in his keynote address during a Joint General Membership Meeting of PCCI together with 11 associate business organizations at the Manila Hotel.

During the meeting, 5 Cities which is cited as safest in South East Asia was awaded.

These cities are Valenzuela, Davao, Makati, Baguio, and Cebu. The data came from a report released by Numbeo from a survey they conducted with Netizens based on crime rate. Numbeo has the world’s largest database of user contributed data about cities and countries worldwide.

The PNP Chief highlighted his plan towards reducing prevalent crimes and improving public safety in communities nationwide. These include enhancing police operations management, widening tight operational plan and, law enforcement activities such as police presence, border control and social investigation, strengthening operational capability, upgrading of training programs, acquiring more equipment, and putting up a feedback mechanism.

“I am determined to initiate drastic reforms to instill discipline, respect and service efficiency in the PNP beginning with a thorough house cleansing to rid the force of undisciplined and undesirable members. With the magnanimous help and cooperation of the Philippine business sector, I know that we can build a competent police force that enjoys the full trust and respect of our people,” he furthers.

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A total of 79 New Members were added in 2017 bringing the total to 1871. This was a result of intensive membership recruitment and retention program with strong growth signals PCCI’s unwavering role in promoting the overall interest of private sector.

GIANT STEPS has been adopted in the Philippine Development Plan 2016-2022.

Sulong Pilipinas had produced 10 recommendations, 5 for infrastructure development and 5 for social development, from the 1,000 business leaders and policymakers who participated.

Various MOUs were signed, including the PCCI-ROSCONGRESS Agreement, as PCCI had taken part in state visits and investment roadshows to Japan, China, Singapore, and Russia.

39 inbound missions and courtesy visits, as well as 4 outbound missions were hosted by the International Trade Affairs.

Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) was passed after a 2-part, 6-leg nationwide consultation headed by the Taxation Committee. The funds to boost infrastructure and development programs will come from this reform.

500 Cooperation Agreements were signed during the Philippines-China Trade and Investment Conference and the ASEAN MSME Link-up with ASEAN Multinationals (co-hosted with the DTI Board of Investments), at the Philippine Business Conference.

The Davao-General Santos-Bitung route of the ASEAN roll-on, roll-off (RORO) network was launched after almost 7 years of being championed by the ASEAN and Transportation and Logistics Committee.

Area Business Conferences were conducted to promote sustainable and inclusive growth in Subic, Lucena, Manila, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro.

Agribusiness Support for Promotion and Investment in Regional Exposition (ASPIRE) was implemented in partnership with the DA and DTI to integrate market development support services to farmers, fisherfolks, MSMEs, and other stakeholders.

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PCCI’s Human Resources Development Foundation initiates developing training standards and regulations to capacitate the local chambers, industry associations, and enterprises to be involved in dual education and training.

Inspire PH | July 2018

The 43rd Philippine Business Conference and Expo was held to be a venue for the various stakeholders to dialogue on important issues of concerns.

Immediate Past PCCI President George T. Barcelon is appointed as the private sector representative to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) in addition to being one of the three Philippine members to the ASEAN Business Advisory Council.

General Membership Meetings, Advocacy seminars and roadshows, such as the Tax Reform Program, Competition Law, among others have provided a good venue for PCCI to reach out to members and non-members alike on topics concerning business competitiveness landscape and enterprise management.

Sectoral Advocacy Committees have provided support and backup to generate policy discussions benefiting PCCI members.

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s PCCI moves towards a new chapter in its steadfast role in supporting trade, investment and enterprise development, it will continue to foster greater synergies, new collaborations and opportunities to enable a stronger and dynamic representation of its members to support advocacies, business development initiatives and networking activities.

Under PCCI’s PROSPERITY for Inclusive Business Banner, PCCI will continue to create synergies between government, local chambers, industry associations, joint foreign chambers, business councils and small and medium

New Business Events were instituted.

Sulong Initiative, ASEAN Business and Investment Summit and a host of other important business events were undertaken strengthening PCCI’s role as conduit of public-private dialogue and advocacy with the government.

Meetings, Networking Events, and Regional Meetings were undertaken to support greater coordination with government officials, cabinet secretaries and legislators on important advocacies affecting PCCI members and local chambers.

Institutionalization of Corporate Governance Program thru the accreditation of PCCI as training provider of Corporate Governance Modules for SMEs under the SEC.

enterprise members economic gains from the “new wave” of business opportunities to trickle down while supporting the competitive advantage of operating MSMEs in basic but critical areas of business planning, financial inclusion, regulatory reform, training and skills development, and international market access.

Building on the success and strong footprint of GIANT STEPS where PCCI’s leadership has propelled strong relations and leadership with both local business and government partners, 2018 will usher in a new wave of commitment to enable full consolidation of the strategic framework of GIANT STEPS to create and support an environment of “PROSPERITY” or “Promoting Sustainable Programs for Entrepreneurial Resilience, Industrialization and Tech-ready economy” for Inclusive Business.

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Stress is present in everything we do, from simple chores at home to your everyday corporate environment. Anything that connotes a challenge to our daily existence poses a risk to feeling stressed and can lead to emotions of being weighed down and often hinder productivity.

Balance these factors by having a regular spa visit and incorporate relaxation and wellness into your regular routine. Doing so will help individuals in relieving pressure and maintain their passion and zest in everyday living.

Work-Life balance in Achieving a Healthy Lifestyle

In order to jumpstart you journey to a healthy work-life balance, there are things you must consider, such as accessibility, exclusivity and services offered. There’s a plethora of things you can integrate to achieve ultimate wellness and The Spa Wellness promises complete wellness with relaxation, fitness and beauty center all stationed in one home.

To Pamper

The Spa Wellness offers executive lounges and resort type villas caters to your utmost satisfaction and gives you the exclusivity that you deserve.

Getting that much needed massage with a suitable ambiance will definitely add to your satisfaction level.

It offers Aromatherapy to satisfy your senses as well as classic massages to volcanic rock massages that remove tension and body aches. They also offer Lymphatic Detox that eliminates metabolic waste, excess fluid, and toxins.

Traditional Hilot which is a powerful therapy rooted in Filipino wellness tradition using virgin coconut oil is also a popular treatment.

Aside from whole body massages, The Spa Wellness indulges you with other pampering services from your face to toe.

You can choose from individual packages or couple’s retreat and even a spa party for a small group of friends out to have fun and relaxation.

To let you achieve glow and freshness

Complete your relaxation by renewing your skin with The Spa Wellness’ SKIN Dermatology and Laser Center. The Center employs highly-qualified experts accredited by the Philippine Dermatological Society (PDS) that caters to dermatological services.

To complete your wellness

The Spa Wellness broaden your total wellness with its Barre3. It involves a workout combining the grace of the ballet barre with the wisdom of yoga and the strength of Pilates. Barre3 classes are set to an upbeat soundtrack and follow a vigorous pace moving through a sequence of postures designed to shape and lift the entire body.

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MOTORSPORTS

Dodjie is also the man responsible for bringing in karting and rallying here in the country with the help of his devoted racing group, the Cam Wreckers. Sadly, Laurel died while chasing for his 3rd title in 1967 around the Macau Guia Circuit.

HISTORY IN A NUTSHELL

By Mike Potenciano & Lindy Pellicer

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hilippine Motorsports is recently experiencing a big

resurgence with a lot of people joining the different

racing disciplines, big multinational companies throwing in their support and social media bringing it to the younger generation of drivers.

This tidal wave of racing frenzy was not there 3 years ago as the sport was struggling to get good grids in racing back then. Let us trace how our very own colorful Motorsports history came up from the ashes and give credit where it is due.

After his tragic death, there were very passionate racers that took up the challenge to continue what Laurel started.

These were Paquito Ventura, Dodo Ayuyao, Baby Luna. Chito Monserrat, Ramy Diez, Ramon Rodriguez and a lot more.

GRANDS PRIX The 70’s brought in 2 Grands Prix that signaled the coming of age of racing. The first was the Cebu Grand Prix, held in the Cebu Reclamation Area on December, 1969, The second, bigger GP was the Manila GP at the Luneta Park on July, 1970.

There were more than 50,000 people that watched the Luneta race firsthand and millions saw it live on Back in the 50’s, the Filipinos’ love for motor cars Television. The car manufacturers like Austin Mini, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Isuzu, Datsun, Volkswagen evolved into simple drag racing and slowly became more organized as a lot more pas- and Toyota all joined the bandwagon as Motorsionate young professionals got involved. sports was fast becoming the love of the people.

HEROES OF THE 60’s

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Ayuyao, Monserrat, Luna and the 70’s young The 60’s racing legend was none other drivers Dante Silverio, Pocholo Ramirez and Arthan Dodjie Laurel who won the thur Tuason all fought the foreigners led by Macau

Macau Grand Prix twice in Champion Albert Poon, American James Cahill and 1962 and 1963. eventual winner British driver Allan Davies in a Mini.

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1- Dodjie Laurel beside his 1st Macau winning Lotus Formula in 1962.

2- Dodo Ayuyao in his Austin Mini that won the 1st Cebu GP but was later on disqualified.

3- Cebu GP start at the Reclamation Area, Dec, 1969.

Photos from AAP’s Fast Lane book 4- Manila GP start at the Luneta Grandstand, July, 1970.

5- John MacDonald and Gary Torres drove this Toyota Corolla no 12 and received the champions trophy for the Gedol Rally, 1975.

6- Asean IV Champion Toyota Driver Leif Asterhag arrives ina checkpoint with a front flat tire.

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7- The start of the 1975 Rally of Champions sponsored by BLTBCo and Maya Industries and ran 1,400 kms.

8- Mandy Eduque and Jun Espino in his Ford Escort for the start of the first rally in 1983 with Alcogas as its fuel.

9- Mike Potenciano in his Toyota AE86 and was the National Slalom Champion in 1986.

10- The first ever Asian Formula 3 Championship race in BRC 2002.

RALLYING AWAY With the on road disciplines taking off in spectacular form, Rallies were also making waves with big events such as the Gedol International Rally in 1975 and the Rally of Champions of 1972 and 1975. The 1975 edition ran for 1,400 kilometers and was even sponsored by our own BLTBCO and Maya Industries.

All of these rallies gave rise to the world class Asean IV International rally in 1979. British Rally Champion Russell Brookes, Australians Colin Bond and Wayne Bell, Swedish Champions Lars Carlsson and Leif Asterhag were all present in different car makes running against their Filipino counterparts.

This gave everyone a chance to see how the best rally drivers in the world can conquer the worst kinds of road conditions and overcome all the mechanical problems of their cars just to get to the finish line. Asterhag in a Toyota Corolla won the event but it was Brookes in a battered Ford Escort that won the hearts of the crowd as they knew how hard it was for him to finish the rally.

RACING REBORN With the advent of the world fuel crisis in 1979, racing took a back seat and hibernated.

It only came back in 1983 when Alcogas was used in all forms of racing. Rallying came back in earnest and karting got a big boost when new blood came in like our MP Turbo Team.

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We did great battles with the Nodalos Team, the Silverios-Ramirezes Team and finally the factory teams of the Mitsubishi Ralliart Team from Hong Kong. In 1991, the Carmona Karting Circuit was finished and this brought the sport of karting to a higher level.

In 1994, the country saw the first permanent racetrack in the old Subic Freeport and was immediately followed by the Batangas Racing Circuit. The late Pocholo Ramirez spearheaded the Subic International Raceway and Johnny Tan for the Rosario, Batangas track. Tan would eventually build more race and kart tracks like the Clark International Speedway and the previous Carmona Track.

PRESENT GLORY With all the logistical requirements present, international races came in droves like the Filipino organized Asian Formula 3 which was organized by racing enthusiast Ed Peña. There were big time racing like the Formula Toyota, Asian Festival of Speed, King of Nations International Drifting, Toyota Vios Cup and the present Formula 4 South East Asia Championship.

All of these would not have happened if the Filipinos didn’t embrace Motorsports. With the international governing Motorsports Authority, FIA holding their World Sport Conference in the Philippines just recently, it affirms that we are getting ready for a big boost in racing soon. Time to invest in the sport and the people behind it! Godspeed!

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16 24 11- 87 Nissan 240RS - The powerful Nissan 240RS, piloted by Mike Potenciano, in the dusty Lemery stage circa 1989.

12- 85 Pocholo Ramirez MP - Pocholo gives his trophy to me since he used our Toyota Corolla AE86 to win the Tagaytay Downhill Rallycross in the mid 80s.

13- BLTBCo-MP Turbo Team inside the BLTBCO Compound Pasay City 1987.

14- Our Mitsubishi Lancer Turbo 1800 IC Rally car at the start of the 1986 Hong Kong to Beijing Rally 15- Our Mazda Familia 323 4WD at the 1990 Malaysia Rally start.

16- Our Mazda Familia 323 4WD crossing a river at full speed.

17- Dante Silverio in his Toyota Celica waiting at the pits and his Celica was the premier racing car of the 70s.

18- F1 World Champion Jackie Stewart with Dante Silverio and Pocholo Ramirex in one o the Grand Prix in the 70’s.

19- Our Mitsubishi lancer Evo in racing trim for the first ever race at the Subic International Raceway 1994.

20- Our victorious Shell-MP Turbo Karting Team in 1992.

21- Our first win in the Promotional Class of the Asia Formula 3 Championship which was held at the Subic Track, 2003.

22- Our Asia Formula 2000 run at the Macau GP in 2002.

23- Close Up in one of the AF2000 press briefings after winning the Thailand Round in 2002.

24- AF3 Chairman and shipping magnate Ed Peña.

25- FIA AAP Sport Conference invite for the Driving Exhibition of F1 Driver Felipe Massa at the SM MOA grounds last June 2018.

26- F1 Driver Felipe Massa and yours truly.

22- The youngest champion ever in the history of the country is 13yo Iñigo Anton.

23- Our 2018 Petron Rally of Champions Round 3 in Subic was swept by father and son racing duo Carlos and Iñigo Anton.

UNIQUE FRANCHISE BRANDS YOU DON’T KNOW EXIST

by Sam Christopher Lim

With more than 1,500 franchise brands in the Philippines, the country is now top 10 when it comes to franchising.

While food remains a growing and formidable segment in the industry, this accounts to only 42% of the franchise concepts in the country. The current level of maturity and sophistication of franchising in the country has paved the way for more unique concepts in the healthcare, education, and services segment as well.

Franchising serves as the “great equalizer;” that is, as long as the business concept has a successful prototype, a duplicable system, a good track record, and a high acceptance rate among aspiring franchisees, it can achieve phenomenal growth via franchising. The following unique franchise brands prove that no business concept is too unique to grow exponentially via franchising.

MEDLINE Dialysis Center The prevalence of Filipino patients experiencing kidney failure and undergoing dialysis grows by 20 to 30 percent per year. MEDLINE Dialysis Center aims to meet this growing demand, and is committed to delivering quality, patient-centric dialysis services at affordable prices. It is also accredited by key government

health institutions, including the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).

Knots Flowers & More Knots Flowers & More is the Philippine franchise of Singapore-based flowers and gift service provider XpressFlower.com. It has a key brand promise: express delivery so customerscan express love through flowers. To deliver on this brand promise, the company has invested in digital technology to strengthen their supply

chain network and manage ment, logistics, and delivery

services.

Inflatable Island The Inflatable Island gives a whole new meaning to your summer splash by combining both the island and waterpark experience. At 3,400 square meters, it is the biggest floating waterpark in Asia, as big as eight basketball courts put together side by side. It boasts of exciting on- and off-shore activities thanks to its state-of-the-art inflatable

slides, towers, bridges, human

launchers, and swings, among

other facilities.

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Inspire PH | July 2018

LT & G Credit Line Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) make up around 90 percent of the businesses in the Philippines.

LT&G Credit Line, a micro-lending franchise based in the Bicol Region, aims to support the continued development of micro and small enterprises, especially in the provinces, by providing friendlier

credit terms for their startup

capital.

The Eyebrowdery Don’t let the name fool you. Contrary to what the name suggests, The Eyebrowdery offers more than just “eyebrow embroidery”—it specializes in 3D permanent makeup inspired by practices from Thailand, Singapore, and South Korea. It only uses natural plant-based extracts,

thereby making its products

and services 100 percent safe,

organic, and enviroment friendly.

Tinker House a mall-based learning and activity center which aims to help parents set up arts and science activities for their children at home. It provides a wide range of quality and age-appropriate project materials for children. Ultimately, the goal of Tinker House is to promote the arts, and science,

technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by creating fun and creative home projects for children.

B&G LifeCasting The country’s first lifecasting service franchise. Lifecasting is the process of creating 3D casts and relief impressions of body parts, usually the hands and feet.

Its materials are sourced from the United Kingdom and are safe to use even on newborns. Its trained technicians can visit

you in the hospital or at home

to do the lifecasting service, with mold-taking guaranteed to

be fast and mess-free.

PCI Car Hub PCI (Pulse Creative Innovations) Car Hub is a car service franchise that specializes in premier auto-detailing services and innovative car products. It pioneered the one-day auto-detailing home service, the only service of its kind in the country and is even faster than the three-day auto-detailing service of most centers. No need to beat the traffic or brave the rush hour just to get your car pampered!

Cosmic Kidz

A brand under the Kidz Republic chain of themed indoor playgrounds, gives children a wide range of real-life role-playing activities focused on space exploration, which hone their multiple intelligences through explorative and experimental play. Its facilities have been designed to not only promote active fun but, more

importantly, to provide a

safe, secure, and creative

learning environment.

Canadian Tourism and Hospitality Institute (CTHI) The Canadian Tourism and Hospitality Institute (CTHI) is the Philippine franchise of the Canadian Tourism College (CTC) of Vancouver, Canada, a multi-awarded and globally recognized provider of world-class tourism education. It provides college programs and trainings that Filipino students can finish in two years or less, so that they can immediately pursue five-star careers in tourism and hospitality.

No business concept is too unique to franchise. Francorp Philippines (www.francorp.com.ph) is here to help you turn your business into a successful franchise. To know if your business is ready to franchise, take a free franchisability assessment here http:// francorp.com.ph/are-you-franchisable/ or contact Francorp Marketing at (+632) 638 3142 / 0917 835 5530 / 0920 961 0810 or email at info@francorp.com.ph

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P R O J E C T I N G

EXPONENTIAL

GROWTH

X

site Solutions is a Growth Consultancy Services firm that assists both emerging and established brands with vertical growth, horizontal growth and profit growth.

It was founded by Jojo Ajero several years ago when acquaintances in top management posts and entrepreneurs asked help from him to find faster ways for

For emerging brand owners and entrepreneurs, the situation was more of surviving a landscape that has become ultra-competitive, where me-too strategies lead to nowhere, hence the need for senior strategists and professional systems developers that they can pay on a per-project basis than hiring them full-time.

Members of the Xsite Team have the appropriate expertise to guide both client groups so Xsite used its experience and expertise in data science, analytics, business model mapping, digital tools development, and customized growth frameworks to grow clients’ businesses.

them to grow since they were craving for more than the usual 10% - 15% increase.

What they needed were ways to find & predict where growth can come from using analytics, map out revisions in their business model, understand when to jump to the next S-Curve and execute an innovation program.

Jojo Ajero’s skill for designing hypergrowth programs was a result of being mentored by one of the country’s top entrepreneurs aside from being coached by a prolific CEO and Finance guy who can solve growth problems like it was no one else’s business.

This gave him the combined expertise of spotting opportunities and solving problems that lead to faster growth.

To add to that, for about three decades, Jojo Ajero has been deeply involved in retail marketing, operations, business development, franchising, financial analysis and digital marketing.

The most recent decade had him immersed in predictive research, analytics, digital transformation, app development and business innovation models across a range of industries.

His mindset had to be more all-encompassing though with his daily personal pathway being a mix of viewing programs at the 30,000 feet level then going back down and deep-diving into specific tasks.

Xsite’s consultancy portfolio is mile-deep into several categories: Retail, Foodservice, Healthcare, Auto Parts and Real Estate; with a service scope that ranges from Retail Brand Strategy, Business Model Mapping, Data Strategy, Customer Experience Design, Cost Accounting, Financial Housekeeping Systems, Mobile Apps Development, Macro-Location Planning and Predictive Location Analytics. Some of their clients include Meralco Bayad Center, Coca-Cola FEMSA, the BSB Group, and San Miguel Foods Inc.

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Inspire PH | July 2018

When your Business Also your

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ost people would surmise that when the apple of your eye becomes your business partner, there are times when he/she would look like a poisonous fruit. Imagine being woken up in the morning by an anxious wife who starts consulting about a client’s issues. Or imagine choosing to lose a business argument to a husband with a you-can’t-mess-with-my-ego attack that day. Quite toxic huh?

For some, the above-mentioned conception might be true, but after finding your groove in running the business together, the joys of married life are multiplied. You get to chase dreams together, encourage each other during disappointing moments, and pray together for miracles.

It wasn’t a walk in the park for me and my husband, Mike— it still isn’t but we’re quite happy in this park. We run an events, brand activations, and video production company named 88 Ville Communications, which he started when he was 22.

PARTNER

is in Life

By Lucci C. Canlas

2. From me: When you have opposing business views, let the man win.

This may not be applicable for all but for me, this works.

Submitting to my husband applies to our workplace as well. Of course, I would still state my case, ever so gently, so I wouldn’t bring it to an emotional discussion. I try to keep it logical because peace is priceless. Many moments, he would decide to follow my advice but when he insists on his decision, I would choose to yield. If his decision turns out wrong, then my role is to help him fix it without ruining his confidence. Having him on the wheel makes it relaxing to be in the passenger seat. It is true that it is hard to be a woman.

When we got married in 2014, I left my writing career, joined him in the business, and we decided to put all our eggs in one basket. There weren’t much eggs, actually.

But hey, we got two chickens!

But I think it is equally difficult, if not more, to be a man, when he chooses to take responsibility for the business as well as for the family.

It’s only been four years since we went all out, full time. This may seem short for some who have been doing it for decades, but we’re a couple of early generation millennials with the passion of Romeo and the patience of a munggo seed in moist cotton. Thus, we had an early beating when it comes to running a business. But those beatings became a slingshot that catapult us to where we are now.

Here are a few tips for couples who are planning to plunge into the world of the unknown monthly income.

1. From Mike: Have an alarm clock in your mind to notify you when it’s family time.

Achieving work-life balance takes conscious effort. Date your wife, play with the kids, cook dinner every now and then. Learn to relax and embrace the blessing of family. He used to think about business every waking moment and this has made him stressedand anxious, making him miss out on the blessings that were already there.

3.

From us: Consult and trust the Big Candle

Remember the candle activity thing during your wedding? When your candle’s fire went out, your spouse’s candle lit it up? And when you blew both your candles, the big candle was there to give light to both of you.

The big candle, symbolizing God, is essential in business. There would be a lot of uncertainties and disappointments but trusting His power is key. Plans could fail, losses may happen, but knowing that there’s someone bigger looking after you gives reason to everything that’s happening. You may not know it yet but there is. He’s the best mentor and investor anyone could ever have.

The challenges may be tremendous for couples in business, but it makes life rewarding and exciting. You would have each other to have and to hold, for better or worse, in lean season and in peak season, for won or loss bids, till death do you part.

Inspire PH | July 2018

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Home Credit Scores a Threefold Growth in 2017

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ome Credit Philippines (HCPH) reported a threefold yearon-year growth in last year’s receivables, capping a landmark year that saw HCPH double its customer base from one to two million, and expand its operations nationwide.

The Prague-based finance technology (FinTech) company entered the Philippine market in 2013. From modest sales of P29 million on their first year, Home Credit’s revenues had grown to P4 billion in 2016, and grew further to P14 billion in 2017. The company now has a 2.5 million Filipino customer base, of which more than 1.5 million have active loans, with receivables of P14 billion as of the end of 2017.

Barely into the first half of this year, HCPH has already signed more than 800,000 new loans. Its highest performing month so far this 2018 is April where it yielded more than 190,000 new active loans.

The company tributes their success to grassroots activities where they reach out to communities by equipping them with financial literacy that would enable them to gain that entrepreneurial spirit, going as far as rural farming communities to expand their advocacy. Their program “Juan, Two, Three” won them their 2018 Silver Stevie award for Asia.

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HCPH chief executive Annica Witschard shared that the company’s performance in 2017 is their new benchmark for what is already considered a steep rate of growth in the local consumer finance industry.

“From day one, our mindset was to grow big and grow fast, while changing the landscape with our financially inclusive products,” Ms. Witschard said, “Our remarkable growth and expansion in 2017 tells us that we are on track in achieving our goals. And our results in 2017 tell us that our business strategy is an effective one,” she added.

HCPH chief finance officer Zdenek Jankovsky shared that the company’s robust sales, effective risk and cost management, and funding have played key roles in HCPH’s business performance.

“We’ve been successful in leveraging our strengths, especially in risk mitigation, sales, and funding, while applying best practices from Home Credit Group’s more than twenty years of experience globally,” Jankovsky said. “In the process, we were able to get the attention of industry stakeholders as well as the trust and support of our banking partners.”

Last year, HCPH obtained a syndicated loan worth P2.25B which was used to support its expansion. The loan was arranged by Citi and was participated by some of the country’s largest banks, Union Bank of the Philippines, East West Bank, RCBC, Citi, and CTBC. Recently, the company raised additional funds to support its expansion in the Philippines from local banks, with banks like Veterans Bank and Land Bank as some of its newest lenders.

More information on Home Credit Philippines is available at www.homecredit.ph.

Philippine’s Very Own Tanduay, World’s No. 1 Rum

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Filipino brand made it to no. 1, a Philippine-made liquor brand has been ranked the top-selling rum by global spirits think tank Drinks International. Tanduay has taken over the number one spot from a list of international rum brands that has long been dominated by Bacardi.

In a report released by Drinks International, the “definitive ranking of the world’s million-case rum brands”, citing Tanduay as the new industry leader followed by Bacardi and McDowell’s No. 1 Celebration.

“Our distinctly Filipino rum is now the world’s number one…We have a great product to offer the world and the world recognized it,” said Lucio “Bong” K. Tan, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Tanduay Distillers, Inc.

MSI-ECS Appointed as Juniper Network Country Distributor

Tan Jr., who actively took the helm the as chief operating officer of the company in 2014, has been credited for the disruptive changes within the company that led to explorations of new markets abroad and new market approaches locally to bring the brand closer to younger product consumers.

“Only a visionary like my father, Dr. Lucio Tan, saw this when he acquired Tanduay from the Elizaldes in 1988. At a time considered very volatile for any business investment in the country, my father held on to the belief that someday the world will know Tanduay,” added Tan Jr. In another statement from Tanduay’s Paul Lim, the company embarked on a brand refresh which is more apt for today’s market since the younger Tan took over.

“We were the first to implement a nationwide music marketing campaign that brought Tanduay to a younger market. We were also the first local liquor brand to sponsor an NBA Team – the Golden State Warriors. We continue to push further as we ride along an ever changing market landscape now dominated by health-conscious, athleisure-loving millennials with the launch of Tanduay Athletics and a sponsorship of the Century Tuna Superbods. Both projects contributing a premium to Tanduay’s brand equity,” he related, citing some of the marketing innovations that led to Tanduay becoming the world’s number one rum.

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o strengthen its presence in the country, Juniper Networks appoints one of the largest IT distributors in the region - MSI-ECS as its Philippines distributor adding to their portfolio Juniper’s full range of high-performance networking, security, data center and cloud solutions. MSI-ECS will support Juniper’s continued plans to increase its presence and customer base in the country, particularly in small and medium-sized businesses.

MSI-ECS plans to develop a full channel partner enablement and acceleration program to complement Juniper’s existing channel program. It will also offer technical, sales and marketing training to help maximize the business opportunities in high-growth markets such as cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and Software Defined Networking (SDN).

With its extensive portfolio, MSI-ECS will enable Juniper to identify their key thrust for partners and prepare them with the appropriate skills to transform their customers’ IT infrastructures with its next-generation networking and security platforms. MSI-ECS will focus on partner recruitment, accreditation and sales enablement, providing value-added services such as solution events, training, lead generation, campaign materials and incentive programs.

“As we continue to bolster our solution offerings, MSI-ECS is committed to growing Juniper’s business in the Philippines by working closely with our channel partners who have strong track records deploying and integrating networking solutions across various industries. Another priority will be to develop and grow our strong base of channel partners, which will allow us to cover and penetrate a bigger market share. In addition to sales and technical enablement initiatives, we will mount lead-generation and solution events to speed up technology adoption, all while launching new incentive programs to make selling Juniper solutions rewarding, fulfilling and exciting for our partners,” said Jimmy D. Go, president and chief executive officer, MSI-ECS. “The Philippines has been a strong growth driver in region for us in recent years, and will continue to be a major priority going forward. As a dynamic industry leader with an extensive channel network, we are delighted to bring MSI-ECS on board as a distributor for the Philippines market to further uplift that growth. We are confident in their ability to be a top-notch partner for us as we strive to simplify the complexities of networking in the cloud era, and to transform the way our customers connect, work and live,” said Ashish Dhawan, vice president, enterprise, commercial & partner sales, Juniper Networks.

For product information, please contact MSI-ECS at (02) 688-3733 or send an email to marketing@msi-ecs.com.ph..

Blue Plate,

SERVING FROM THE HEART We go through various events in our lifetime, some are just passing through but others will stick to your memories forever.

Celebrating these moments is where couples, Jun and Jacqueline Estela put their core talent into. They cater from the heart and aims to fill your memories, more than just your tummies. They value every details of each event and commit to giving their best just like how they give their best to one higher being.

The Estela couple started their catering venture out of a steady requirement from their patrons from their other venture- IJ Executive Suites, a bed and breakfast that caters to corporate accounts.

While their B&B venture slows down during holiday season, they needed something to fill the gap, hence, the food business idea came up. One of their corporate clients asked if they can cater some packed meals for a series of trainings, one who never says no to challenges, Jacqueline signed up for it , this is how they started their food business journey – Blue Plate Exalt Food Corporation.

They initially offered elegantly packed meal which comes in bento boxes, this became a hit with their corporate clients and when the demand ballooned, they soon offered disposable bento. When the request for buffet catering presented itself, Blue Plate as expected, rose to the challenge and heed the call to diversify.

The couple believes that going the extra mile will earn you loyalty points from your clients. While other caterers automatically turn down an engagement that does not reach the minimum quantity or does not fit into the allowable lead time, Blue Plate is always ready to forego these terms for their valued clients.

More than investing in equipments, Blue Plate is invests heavily in relationships which for them is more important than any material things. Jacqueline added “If the customer requested for 25pax and our minimum is for 30pax, I wouldn’t turn it down. In the end, all these requirements adds up and will suffice” In a query on how they are able to bring down the price given such an elegant set-up and premium dishes, the Estela couple credits it to their entrepreneurial mindset of serving more customer at an affordable price gives you the advantage of pooling your resources in achieving cost-efficiency.

Blue Plate cuts its costs not by scrimping on ingredients but by going straight to the source. Their commissary is equipped with cold storage that can last up to 1 week of full operations running full capacity.

They invested in a state-of-the art technology for their commissary and ready to serve 3,000 meals at any given time. With over 600 menu to choose from, the company is geared towards serving people using only the freshest ingredients at the most-affordable price with a service that is committed to extending the extra mile.

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Relationships and External Mission Jun and Jacqueline also shared their advocacy in the aim to inspire more people to look into their inner call.

Jacqueline started out with this mission out of her desire to serve amidst her own adversity. From an early age, their son IJ is suffering from low blood platelet which requires him to undergo blood transfusion every week at Philippine General Hospital(PGH) during that time, the couple were both working for BDO. Jacqueline’s heart melted seeing other parents who she meets at PGH, these were the ones whose kids needed procedures but they literally have no single pennies in their pockets.

She knew right then and there that she needed to do something.

This was when she asked God for a wager, she committed 10% every month from their sinking fund (a fund they set aside for IJ’s medical procedures) to help these families from PGH. In return, she asked God to keep IJ’s health stable.

Trials are not measure of God’s providence Trying times came when their sinking fund needed to be used for IJs health, but during this time, Jacqueline still managed to worry about her commitment to other kids in the hospital.

With this, her advocacy “Dugo Mo, Buhay Ko” started.

She went to her former HR from BDO and asked for pledges of blood donation. Ecstatic to learn that the company is looking into such program, she happily announced that she will supply the meals needed for the activity.

The foundation regularly conducts blood-letting activities with cooperation from CSR departments of several corporations.

Higher Purpose You can be the best caterer, you can serve the best food but you don’t have what it takes for people to trust you then you have no business to be in this industry.

THE FIT FILIPINO NATIONAL WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE BUILDING A FIT AND HEALTHY NATION – 1 POUND AT A TIME

by Coaches Jim and Toni Saret

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Coaches Jim and Toni Saret, Coaches of The Biggest Loser Philippines; Founders of The FITFIL Movement

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he Philippines is one of the developing countries in the World with a high level of obesity. Presently, 1 out of 4 Filipinos are overweight, and from that group, 3 out of 10 are obese. That roughly translates to 25 Million Overweight Filipinos and 7.5 Million Obese Filipinos!

With such a high health risk for something that can prevented and reversed, why don’t we see Filipinos moving more and eating better?

Because “exercising and losing weight is hard, boring and lonely”.

How much fun can it be when you are trying to diet while everyone around you is eating to their heart’s content? How excited can you get when you have to grind on the treadmill or elliptical machine for an hour or so everyday?

When you finally start seeing some results, what form of reward do you get?

“Great job” and “Keep it up” remarks from your family and friends and off they go.

You’re back with your lone self to continue grinding away. That’s not really much for all the hard work, sacrifice and discipline you put in.

No wonder it’s so easy to just “quit” or not even start to begin with. Nobody wants to go thru a lot of hard work and sacrifice alone -- even if they know it’s going to be good for them.

Enter the

FIT FILIPINO

10 Million Lbs

NATIONAL WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE

The FitFil Challenge is a Nationwide Fitness and Wellness Advocacy Coach Toni and I came up with where we Challenged Filipinos to “Donate (lose) Weight,” not just for themselves, but for a Fitter and Healthier Nation as well. Having been the Coaches of ABS-CBN’s “The Biggest Loser Philippines,” Coach Toni and I know very well how tough losing weight can be specially if you are doing it on your own.

The Biggest Loser Franchise works because everyone had a “support group” of like-minded people that were all undertaking the same journey.

Mayor Edwin Olivarez was the first mayor to join us and pledged 10k lbs for Paranaque City. Mayor Sara Duterte joined the campaign as well pledging 12k lbs for Davao City and 10 lbs for herself personally. Ten other City Mayors joined us after that.

We also knew that having a support group was just one of the ingredients for success, you also needed be motivated, inspired and educated with the right tools and knowledge, plus it had to be fun!

One by one, private corporations started joining the FITFIL Challenge and made it a part of their Corporate Wellness Program.

The overall concept was to make dieting, working out and losing weight enjoyable. We wanted people to diet together, workout together and lose weight together! We also wanted people to get rewarded for working out and losing weight. We also wanted to create a community of people that all had the same goals of becoming healthier wherever they were in the Philippines. Because of the FITFIL Challenge, losing weight will now become a journey ALL OF US – and the entire country -- will be doing together. And this was all for FREE! What started out as a simple Advocacy idea suddenly “ignited” to become the biggest health, fitness and wellness program in the country! It was a simple idea that suddenly got the whole country united and moving.

First to join and make the pledge was the Philippine Heart Association which was immediately followed by the other Medical Organizations. Eventually, the entire Philippine Medical Association came on board and supported the FITFIL Program.

The fitness industry came on board next with Fitness First, Anytime Fitness and Elorde’s Gym leading the way. Then came General Bato bringing with him the entire PNP and making the biggest pledge of all --- 500k lbs!

Jose Rizal University was the first University to Accept the FITFIL Challenge and 8 more universities followed after them.

The National Kidney and Transplant Institute followed by Makati Medical Center, Manila Medical Center and Philippine Heart Center led the way for the Hospitals

At the end of 6 months, we were able to collect a total of 1.02M lbs of weight lost! This was a first for the entire country – and a first in the world as well!

What started out as a simple “fun” challenge suddenly took a life of its own and united an entire country in the name of health and wellness.

This 2018, we are re-launching FITFIL again with the National Youth Commission, together with all the 30 Million Youth under them, paving the way by pledging to donate 1 Million lbs for a Healthier and Fitter Youth!

If you have always wanted to be stronger, fitter, sexier and healthier, then join us as an individual or have your entire company join us as well! It’s completely FREE. Eating better and working out harder is a lot more fun when you are doing it together with your officemates, classmates, family members – or with the entire country.

Thank you to everyone that joined us!

Let’s all start getting healthier again this 2018!

Let’s Get Fit Philippines – One pound at a time!

Do you need to lose weight?

Do you know someone that need to lose weight?

Ok. Now how many of you (or those that you know) are actually doing something about it?

By Leslie Tarroza

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ocial media is abuzz on the current diet trend called ketogenic diet and we shall find out why?

Ketogenic diet is currently being used by known celebrities here and abroad. Filipinos are quick to relate to it due to the fact that, with keto, they can eat “Lechon” and “Chicharon” as snack and still lose weight. Now, this is the kind of diet most of us want.

In our country where rice and pandesal is a staple, people find it hard to achieve their ideal weight due to their carbohydrate consumption. Funny that I sometimes hear people saying that they refrained from eating rice, yet, you see them munching on bread which is actually another form of carbohydrate.

With Keto, your body’s reaction to eating fat sans carbohydrate is astonishing. During the normal process, our body burns carbohydrate into glucose that fuels our energy. While in ketogenic diet, the fat that we consume forces our bloodstream into ketosis whereas the absence of carbohydrate forces our system to burn fat instead.

Ketosis, is the body’s metabolic state when a person experience raised levels of ketone in their blood stream. This condition is usual for those who are diabetic or those who consume a diet with very low or zero carbohydrates.

Ketogenic diet was introduce in the late 1920s primarily for children with epilepsy where ketosis reduces epileptic seizure. Prior to keto, fasting was the main practice but this was objected by a lot of people saying that this treatment is inhumane.

As mentioned, during ketosis, your body produces ketones which uses your stored fats as energy. This metabolic state is also common in those who are into fasting in long periods, although, in a ketogenic diet, one does not go through the H-angry mode. (H-angry mode is described as beast mode-like action in reaction to being hungry for a long period of time).

How To Make Your

Bullet-Proof Coffee Ingredients per serving: •

2 Shots of Espresso*

•

2 Tbsp. Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT) Oil**

•

2 Tbsp. Grass-fed, Unsalted Butter ***

Combine all ingredients in a blender and process for 30seconds to emulsify. To know that it’s ready, the top should form a foam. *To make espresso, it is important to choose high-grade coffee beans (less acidity). You may use ordinary coffee maker or you can use a manual coffee press (preferred as this produce a better coffee concentration). **MCT oil is different from Virgin Coconut Oil. MCT oil or Liquid coconut oil is refined by fractionation from coconut oil. This process separates the MCT from VCO. ***Regular Salted butter cannot be alternated.

Here are some reasons to help you decide to choose this kind of diet: •

Ketosis help induce and sustain weight loss by regulating hormones that affect our weight. It is also noted that cravings for unhealthy foods is reduced in a ketogenic diet which in effect reduces the chance of gaining back the weight.

•

Since fat and protein consumption makes you feel full longer, it suppress your appetite, thus, lessens your hunger signal.

•

This diet is also great for diabetics since it regulate your blood sugar by controlling your carbohydrate intake.

•

Those into cross-fit training and marathon can also benefit from this diet as this prevent crashes during long period exercises. It also improve the use of oxygen during strength training.

Bullet-proof coffee heightens your ketosis and intensify your weight loss. Studies shows that the MCT in the coffee helps you feel fuller longer. The mixture also acts as a brain booster that gives you more and mental alertness. Another plus is that it boosts your metabolism which results to more fat loss and greater weight.

•

Obese people will highly benefit from starting with ketogenic diet since also burn your own body fat as its primary source of fuel.

•

Ketogenic diet is not for those who tends to eat lots of fruits since most fruit have sugar in them as well as hidden carbohydrate.

Some people are concerned by mental function during any kind of diet. Good news is, healthy fats are essential to brain function, since each cell in our body including our brain needs fat to function. Our brain is the fattiest organ, comprised of over 60% fat and prefers fat for fuel, especially our brain cells.

Another brain booster supplement that is almost always connected to ketogenic diet is the Bullet-Proof coffee. This was made popular by Dave Asprey, he is commonly referred to as a bio-hacker with this formulation.

Those who do not drink coffee need not fret as I have learned that you can also try Bullet-proof Tea by using Tea instead of coffee and the effectw are almost the same.

Given all these ideas about ketogenic diet, you now have a better leverage whether this diet is worth a try or not.

Inspire PH | July 2018

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By Inspire PH Team

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he Philippine Film industry has proven its worth globally as it has received acclaims for several Filipino films over the years. A pride worthy of the blood, sweat and tears the industry has invested with much of the credit goes to sheer talent and passion.

One of these film hero is the acclaimed Director who took a chance off the beaten path and held the first Palawan International Film Festival (PIFF) in San Vicente Palawan.

Direk Dante Nico Garcia whom netizens call Direk Ga or Tito Direk to the millennials. He is widely-known as the director of Judy Ann Santos’ multi-awarded film “Ploning”. He made his dream a reality when he staged PIFF and got a resounding approval from the media.

Direk Ga was overwhelmed with gratitude to all who graced the event especially to a good friend- LJ Javier who helped make all of this possible. Extending his appreciation to partners and sponsors such as Palaweño Brewery, Motolite, Globe, Liberty Grounds, Farm Belle, Club Agutaya, Foxy’s Resort, TKTV, Cinema Regla, Casa Nieves, GaStation, CineMaborit and Marina Terrace.

Situated at the beachfront, the film festival featured several noteworthy films from all over the country, as well as some international film entry. The scene of the festival is very laid back as it composed of native –artistic furniture pieces laid scattered within the vicinity and a few dozen tent, all camped out under the bright starry night of the dreamy town.

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San Vicente is a first-class municipality situated in the north side of Palawan, this paradise recently got a wide media exposure because of its majestic 14km white beach stretch. It can be reached directly via its recently inaugurated San Vicente Airport (SVA) and alternately via land transfers from Puerto Princessa, Palawan.

The festival ran from April 27-May 1 of this year as guest were treated to several activities such as visual exhibit from Noah’s Art, Kaingud Crafts and tribal sounds from the Kawangis group. The festival was also visited by the Emerging band IV of Spades which added social media presence.

Inspire PH | July 2018

Short film category went to Siyudad sa Bulawan (City of Gold), a film by Jarell Mahinay Serencio.

The film was awarded with a special trophy made by mixed media artist Nuno Finez and Php50,000 sponsored Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) The film festival jurors were composed of known film critics, Erwin Romulo, Aiza Suegera, Sigrid Bernardo & Evelyn Vargas. Program headed by Direk Jun Sabayton. The event was also attended by known film makers, Direk Lau Fajardo, Direk Laurice Guillen, and DIrek Mike Sandejas.

A bigger and brighter PIFF 2019 is anticipaded as more International entries are expected to come in!

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atherings will never be complete without having people closest to you sharing over a meal full of laughter and cheers. More so if you are partaking over a delectable spread reminiscent of old Manila.

Friends & Family is a tribute to classic comfort food that we have grown to love. Prominently positioned in Bonifacio High Street Central it aims to impart the most flavorful Filipino aromas making use of the Pugon’s natural wood and the Rotisserie’s unique cooking.

A member of the Raintree group of restaurant, it promises a nice twist to the food we’ve grown to love over the years. Food that we are all familiar with.

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