The beauty of life can easily be seen through the presence of a flower. It starts close and shut, then blooms eventually through time. Flowers come in all shapes, forms, colors, and sizes but the beauty of each are distinct to each other and they all vary in usage. Some are given as gifts, some for commemorative, some for ornament, while some are just really left unbothered staying outside our homes. What I love abour flowers is that when given to you, you would really feel special because it's not everyday you get them. It's sometimes reserved for special occasions.

However, fresh flowers often wither after 10 days of plucking them out of their main stems. Imagine buying fresh flowers only to decay after a couple of days. Good thing our society is evolving which paved way to producing dried flowers which are very appealing and just as good as those fresh ones.

Check out @lee_fleurs on instagram to take a glimpse of a wonderful way to present flowers in every occasion. Dried flowers undergo a specific process that would really cast the life of the whole pack by years- and when I say years, I meant YEARS. They're longer lasting compared to fresh flowers, and are still very aromatic. Remember the synthetic flowers you often see in home stores around the mall? They very much resemble the dried flowers- except that the dried flowers from Lee Fleurs are very classy, elegant, and would definitely light the whole room. 

Not to mention these dried flowers are low maintenance and doesn't need watering at all. This is surely something that we should add on our homes as decoration or gift to our loved ones in replacement of the usual boquets that we buy. 

While it is important to express our love to our family and friends on special events, may we almost think of sustainable ways and more practical ways to appreciate and enjoy every moments. With Lee Fleurs dried flowers, the love keeps on and on after years! 

Check out the beautiful dried flower bouquets and arrangements now on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lee_fleurs/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrsleefleurs

 realme Philippines claims the number 1 spot in the country’s smartphone market, recording triple-digit growth in Q3 2020 -- a feat the brand achieved in just two years. International market research firms Canalys, IDC and Counterpoint Research all confirm the two-year-old brand’s local market lead in their Q3 reports.

Global market intelligence firm IDC reported realme Philippines achieved staggering 962.5 percent annual growth and captured 25.4 percent local market share this third quarter.

realme Philippines’ leading local market position is further corroborated by global technology market analyst firm Canalys, which in early November reported a 25 percent market share and 531 percent year-on-year growth for realme Philippines, the fastest quarterly growth a smartphone vendor has attained in the Philippine market this year.

Counterpoint Research also reported the same local market position for realme Philippines, which entered the country in November 2018.

realme Philippines has so far launched four smartphone lines: the premier X-series, the midranger number series, and the bang-for-buck narzo and C-series lines. The brand is also working vigorously on growing its AIoT and smart device portfolios, broadening the realme experience to deliver a well-rounded ecosystem.

“We are immensely grateful to our Filipino fans for helping us reach the top spot here in the Philippines. We celebrate this remarkable achievement with every Filipino realme user who shares our confidence in the performance and capability of our products -- this would not have been possible without you. We assure our fans that we’ll continue to be relentless in bringing top-notch devices to the country as we aim to embolden them in achieving their every goal. Maraming salamat po!” shares realme Philippines VP for Marketing Austine Huang.

realme Philippines attributes its strong market presence to its strong and wide -- and growing -- network across the nation, both offline and online. The brand currently has 465 kiosks, 119 concept stores and 5200+ partner stores in key areas across the country. It also has a strong partnership with e-commerce giants Lazada and Shopee, where it consistently tops the platforms’ list of best-selling brands.

realme has forged relationships with key industry players such as Moonton, the game developer of the smash-hit Mobile Legends. The biggest smartphone-branded online community is also spearheaded by realme Philippines, an avenue the brand uses for direct communication with its customers on various announcements, promos and exclusive events.

Globally, realme continues to be the smartphone industry’s fastest-growing smartphone brand with 132 percent growth quarter-on-quarter in shipment volume. This is the strongest growth momentum among all major global smartphone original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), according to Counterpoint Research, with the brand braving a global year-on-year market decline of 4 percent.

Fans of realme in the Philippines can enjoy more products from the leading smartphone brand before the year ends as it launches more new smart lifestyle devices and a powerful flagship contender.

Get real-time updates on other promos and announcements from realme Philippines through its official Facebook andInstagram accounts.

About realme

realme is a technology brand that specializes in providing high-quality smartphones with the best design and performance. The brand was officially established on May 4, 2018, by its founder Sky Li and Madhav Sheth in India, together with a young team with rich experience in the smartphone industry. realme is committed to offering powerful performance, stylish design, industry-leading qualities, and exploring more possibilities of UNI Smart AIoT. realme has launched various smartphones across all price ranges, from entry level value king realme C3 to the flagship X3 SuperZoom. realme has also introduced smartphone accessories such as fast-charging power banks and its realme Buds series. 

Bent on offering high-tier devices with superb capabilities, realme Philippines stands strong as the No. 2 smartphone brand in the country as it continuously strives in making technology much more attainable for every Filipino.

Food is memories. One bite of ensaymada from a favorite bakery brings back memories of after-school meriendas; a sniff of a favorite chocolate drink and suddenly one is a child again, rejoicing at home because classes have been cancelled. 

Food is love. For Filipinos, sharing food has always been part of the culture and an expression of care and love. Neighbors exchanging home-cooked meals during fiestas, potluck lunches in the office, reunions filled with all sorts of dishes … these reflect how Filipinos bond through food. Christmas — both the noche buena feast and the family gathering on Christmas day itself — is everyone’s most awaited time to gather at the dinner table and share not just our favorite meals but gifts, stories and love most of all with those we hold dear. 

But will Christmas this year be the same? With the pandemic-caused travel and crowd restrictions continuing to restrict families and friends from gathering together and the sustained spread of the virus dampening the supposedly merriest season of all, will we be celebrating the holidays like before? Or has Christmas been stolen by the Grinch that is COVID-19? 

Lemon Grass Food Services Inc., a catering, canteen and fine dining business specializing in gourmet Filipino and intercontinental food, believes nothing can stop families from continuing the tradition of sharing stories and love through food on Christmas.

“At the heart of Lemon Grass is a home-cooked meal, a passion for cooking and my mom who started it all. We understand and value the essence of eating together as a family, especially during these stressful and uncertain times. Christmas has always been a time to reunite with families and loved ones – sons and daughters from the city and even relatives from abroad come home to celebrate. With good food being shared, the Christmas spirit remains alive despite the challenges we currently face,” shares Lemon Grass owner Ray Anthony Cleofe. 

Lemon Grass offers gourmet-style Filipino favorites such as beef caldereta and pork barbeque and best-sellers such as fish salad and roast beef that can be enjoyed by the whole family and delivered to loved ones around the metro and nearby cities. This way, even apart, food and stories can be shared with the family – via a video call that is. 

“Every food on the table not only provides nourishment but also creates new memories and brings back old ones. With every serving of our creamy fettuccine carbonara, shrimp picante and parmigiana pasta, keep in mind that above all else, you have a family to be thankful for and share a meal with. As you bite into Lemon Grass’ cream puff, mango crepe and chocoflan cake, remember that in the midst of a pandemic, love and the unfailing spirit of giving will prevail,” Cleofe added. 

Christmas might look different this year – noche buena via a video call instead of the usual dinner table gathering – but with love and good food, even without your loved ones physically next to you, Christmas will be as memorable and special. After all, Christmas is all about saying thanks, sharing a good meal and making memories to talk about in the years to come.

To learn more about the services and menu offered by Lemon Grass Food Services Inc., check their Facebook and Instagram accounts.

 This Christmas, PayMaya is offering Filipinos more rewards as it launches its "PayMayaguinaldo" campaign, where users have a chance to win as much as 1 million pesos in the Grand raffle draw and an opportunity to help micro entrepreneurs around the country. Users also have a chance to win up to P285,000 worth of prizes to be given away in the weekly raffle draws from today until January 10, 2021.

By going cashless, you can easily earn a raffle entry every time you #ScanToPay via PayMaya QR at any of their partner merchants, use your PayMaya-registered mobile number when you buy items online, or purchase prepaid load and other treats at the PayMaya in-app shop with a minimum of P100 purchase.

Every time you pay with PayMaya, you not only earn a raffle entry to win cash prizes, you also get a chance to help fellow Filipinos. With each purchase, you are also giving a PayMayaguinaldo to help micro entrepreneurs in underprivileged communities as PayMaya will also be donating a P1 million Grand Aguinaldo to Gawad Kalinga to help establish more resilient communities via micro-entrepreneurship around the country.  

“Even though our Christmas celebrations won't be the same as they have been before, there are a lot of creative ways where families can keep the holiday spirit alive. Through our 'PayMayaguinaldo' campaign, we hope to inspire hope and generosity among Filipinos as we offer them more reasons to give to their friends and families, share their blessings to their officemates, and even give back to underprivileged communities whenever they pay using their PayMaya accounts," said Mark Dee, Head of Growth and Marketing at PayMaya.

A Christmas store in your hands

On top of the exciting prizes from the PayMayaguinaldo raffle promo, you can also enjoy instant discounts and vouchers from top brands and merchants when you visit the PayMayaguinaldo Christmas store in the PayMaya app.

Shoppers can get exclusive deals offered by brands such as Unilever, Goldilocks, Rustan's, Boozy, Sariwon Korean Barbecue, Soban K-Town Grill, Boteyju, Wingzone, Pepi Cubano, Papermoon, FreshMart, Memo Xpress, Vamos, and Pet Warehouse, among others which they can enjoy when you pay using their PayMaya account at these merchants.

Check the PayMayaguinaldo Christmas store to know which new brands are offering discounts so that you can get the best value for your money when you do your shopping with PayMaya!

PayMaya is the #BetterQR for your holiday shopping

And because shopping for gifts in malls has become a time-honored tradition among many Filipinos, PayMaya is also offering a safer, more convenient, and even more rewarding shopping experience with the #BetterQR this holiday season!

Get to enjoy the following perks in various malls around the country when you #ScanToPay with PayMaya QR:

• THE SM STORE: Take home one of the 100 motorcycles being given away when you #ScanToPay at least P1,500 at The SM Store until January 15, 2021.
• MEGAWORLD LIFESTYLE MALLS: Get an instant P200 cashback when you spend an accumulated amount of P2,000 PLUS a chance to win P10,000 when you #ScanToPay at least P500 using PayMaya QR at participating merchants in Megaworld Lifestyle Malls (Eastwood City, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Forbes Town, Southwoods Mall, Uptown Mall, McKinley Hill, Newport Mall, and Festival Walk Mall Iloilo) until January 10, 2021. You can enjoy the P200 cashback reward twice during the promo period, for a total of P400 savings!
• POWER PLANT MALL and SANTOLAN TOWN PLAZA: Enjoy exclusive perks and prizes when you shop at participating merchants using PayMaya QR. Stay tuned for more details!

"PayMaya is really the #BetterQR when it comes to shopping for your friends, officemates, and loved ones this holiday season. You not only get to stay safe while shopping in your favorite malls, you also enjoy the convenience and the exciting rewards whenever you pay cashless using PayMaya," said Raymund Villanueva, Business Head for QR Ecosystems at PayMaya.

The best way to give this holiday season 

With all these exciting offers, using PayMaya is clearly the best way to give gifts to your loved ones this Christmas season – especially for ninongs and ninangs who prefer to stay at home in the holidays.  

With PayMaya on hand, you can easily take advantage of the exciting PayMayaguinaldo offers and get a more rewarding experience when you choose to shop for your gifts at PayMaya’s partner establishments online and in-stores, or send treats to your inaanaks purchased from the PayMaya in-app shop. If you’re the type who lets your inaanak buy their own gift, you can easily send them aguinaldo money via PayMaya from the comforts of your home! 

PayMaya enables all kinds of creative ways to give this season—the joy is in discovering them and making your loved ones happy! 

Getting PayMaya and paying for your purchases during the holidays using the app is very easy. Just download the PayMaya app at https://official.paymaya.com/CAK1/425eb133 and register an account using the invite code BETTERWAYTOPAY to earn P100, to find out what it’s like to go cashless with the fastest, safest, and most rewarding, to pay for anything online and in stores! Remember, for everything you need to pay, don’t pay cash. PayMaya! 

PayMaya is the only end-to-end digital payments ecosystem enabler in the Philippines with platforms and services that cut across consumers, merchants, and government. Aside from providing payments acceptance for the largest e-Commerce and "everyday" merchants in the Philippines, PayMaya enables national and social services agencies, as well as local government units, with digital payments and disbursement services.         

Through its app and wallet, PayMaya provides millions of Filipinos with the fastest way to own a financial account, with the widest 57,000 Add Money touchpoints nationwide. Its Smart Padala by PayMaya remittance agent network of over 30,000 partner touchpoints nationwide serves as last mile digital financial hubs in communities, providing the unbanked and underserved with access to services. To know more about PayMaya's products and services, visit www.PayMaya.com or follow @PayMayaOfficial on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  

 Working from home has now become our day-in and day-out. Staying productive all day while keeping our hands as clean and sanitized as possible has taken a toll on them. As we alternate between keyboard, phone, and the sink, our hands have become tired and dry. It’s time to give them a break and show them some love. 

Give your hardworking hands the much-needed care they deserve with the new Love Beauty and Planet Liquid Handwashes, which are infused with goodness and sublime scents. From the eco-beauty brand that’s all about performing small acts of love for yourself and the planet, the Love Beauty and Planet Liquid Handwash line features lovingly crafted liquid soap formulas that are gentle on the hands and kind to the planet, too.

Just like the rest of the offerings from Love Beauty and Planet, these handwashes are vegan and cruelty-free, made with no parabens, dyes or sulfates. While its formula is made from ethically-sourced organic ingredients, each bottle is made with 100% recycled materials and can be recycled after use!

Pack on moisture and gentleness on your hands with these four handwashes:

Coconut Water and Mimosa Flower Petal Soft Handwash

Enjoy the feeling of delicately scented, refreshed hands with the Petal Soft Handwash, infused with Coconut Water, known for its hydrating properties, and handpicked Mimosa Flower.

Coconut Oil and Ylang Ylang Tropical Fresh Handwash

Made with locally-sourced virgin coconut oil for repair and protection, the Tropical Fresh Handwash gives your hands ultimate freshness and nourishment while leaving a delicate floral scent.

Murumuru Butter and Belgian Rose Majestic Moisture Handwash

With a rich floral scent like that of a bountiful bouquet, the Majestic Moisture Handwash pampers and soothes your delicate hands, protecting them from dryness – all thanks to murumuru butter that’s ethically-sourced from the Amazon.

Tea Tree Oil and Vetiver Pure and Positive Handwash

Blended with tea tree oil and vetiver, for an earthy, refined scent, the Pure and Positive Handwash gives overworked hands a chance to detoxify and relax, allowing you to breathe a sigh of relief after a long day of work.

Whatever scent you choose, all you need to do is pump, lather and rinse! Just make sure to go easy on the tap so we can stay kind to the planet while soothing our hands.

The Love Beauty and Planet Liquid Handwash line is available in 400mL bottles for Php 290 in all e-commerce retailers nationwide. For more information, visit  http://www.lovebeautyandplanet.com/ph and follow Love Beauty and Planet Philippines on Facebook and Instagram.

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, partners with KonsultaMD, a subscription-based telehealth service, to provide Filipinos affordable healthcare subscriptions and a safer way to consult with licensed doctors online. 

Martin Yu, Associate Director at Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee is excited to partner with KonsultaMD to give Filipinos access to affordable healthcare consultations. We understand that some are still hesitant to visit a hospital because of the ongoing global pandemic. With this, Shopee will continue to collaborate with different organizations like KonsultaMD to provide reliable and quality healthcare products and services such as medical assessments, advice on basic healthcare, and proper medication, in a more convenient and timely manner.”

Each KonsultaMD membership comes with the following:

Cholo Tagaysay, Chief Operating Officer at KonsultaMD, said, “We’re excited to partner with Shopee to provide everyone easy access to medical consultations anywhere, anytime. What makes KonsultaMD unique is that our doctors are available 24/7. Need to consult a medical doctor at 3 am? Our doctors are always online. You don’t need to make an appointment, and it’s unlimited.”

KonsultaMD will officially launch its store on Shopee this December 1, 2020, and offers three membership plans. 

●      One (1) month membership

●      Unlimited voice consult 

●      One (1) video consult 

●      E-prescription, e-laboratory request, and e-medical certificate 

●      Access to partner benefits

Find out more about KonsultaMD here: https://www.konsulta.md/

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

 If you love classics “Bahay Kubo” and “Da Coconut Nut”, then you are likely to enjoy a new song that has been recently creating buzz, called “Prutas Pilipinas.” Music by National Artist Ryan Cayabyab, lyrics by Noel Ferrer and performed by The Company, the song was created in collaboration with local juice brand, Locally, and aims to educate and celebrate one of the best things we as Filipinos can be proud of – our fruits. 

In line with Locally’s mission of honoring our Filipino farmers and their crops, this collaboration with top Filipino music artists entitled “Prutas Pilipinas” is a  contemporary Filipino folk song featuring rhymes and riddles about homegrown fruits, both known and unknown.

“We are extremely proud of this unique collaboration between icons. Ryan Cayabyab is a national artist, Noel Ferrer is a well-known and respected lyricist with a deep knowledge of Filipino culture, The Company, is an amazing group of talented Filipino singers, and Maribel Garcia is a passionate advocate of the arts being the head of BGC’s art program as well as Mind Museum,” says Gretchen King, Locally Category Manager. “Filipinos are of course known to love music, so we wanted to reach out to them through this medium.”

“Nature, music, and science come together in our song “Prutas Pilipinas”. What better way to celebrate life than to sing a song about our fruits that give us life!” says Ryan Cayabyab

A way to spread more knowledge about something we all eat every day, “Prutas Pilipinas” not only names popular fruits, like mangoes, melons, and grapes but also more unique ones like chico, mangosteen, and dragonfruit. The song also mentions how nutritious and good these local fruits are, Locally’s way of championing what is proudly our own.

“I thought that it would be a good opportunity to start from basic fruits and expand it to a collective push for a healthy nation - para sa masigla, magaling at masayang Pilipinas. The genius of our National Artist Mr. Cayabyab, as shown in the excellent music, and the exceptional vocal quality and harmony of The Company made the song truly fun, dynamic, and meaningful,” shares Noel Ferrer.

“We feel that it is our mission to not only introduce these Philippine fruits through our juices but also to imbibe the knowledge and culture in every Filipino, especially today’s youth,” King continues. 

“Prutas Pilipinas is that rare moment in OPM where we get to tick all of the right boxes. This contemporary folk song is entertaining, educational and edifying. Transcending merely sensory enjoyment, this song becomes a pro-active participant in nation-building,” says The Company founding member, Moy Ortiz. 

The song has three versions – the first is the main song which has already been released and is quickly growing in popularity on Spotify. Set to be released soon, the second version integrates a little bit of “bugtungan” at the song’s beginning, while the third version is short and easy to memorize, made to be shared in schools nationwide through DepEd.

“This song is just the beginning,” says King. “We have exciting plans in collaboration with DepEd to integrate learning about Filipino fruits in the curriculum. We strongly believe that loving local and supporting our own is a culture that can be taught and encouraged at a young age. Our country produces some of the best and most amazing fruits in the world, and it’s time for all of us to know about and be proud of them,” concludes King. 

“Prutas Pilipinas” is available for streaming on Spotify and soon, on YouTube. Locally juices are available in all leading convenience stores and supermarkets. For more information, you may visit @Locally_PH on Instagram and Facebook.