Robinsons Retail Group and Robina Farms Continue to Back the UP Fighting Maroons

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons will continue to get valuable support from their most loyal and staunchest supporters, the Robinsons Retail Group and Universal Robina Corporation’s Agro Industrial Group (URC-AIG), as they continue their build-up for the upcoming UAAP season and beyond. They officially renewed their partnership recently with Robinsons Retail Holdings, Inc. President and CEO Robina Gokongwei-Pe, and URC-AIG Group Business Unit General Manager Vincent Henry Go, and UP Fighting Maroons Team Manager Agaton Uvero and Head Coach Bo Perasol signing the Memorandum of Agreement at the UP Executive House in Diliman, Quezon City.

Robina Gokongwei-Pe, a UP alumna and avid backer of the Fighting Maroons involved Robinsons Supermarket and Handyman as Fighting Maroons supporters in 2010. Even as UP went winless and won only a total of three games in four seasons (2010-2013), Robina and her group stuck it out with the country’s premier state university in its quest back to relevancy in the field of sports.

More recently, Universal Robina Corporation’s Agro- Industrial Group, through its premium farm products unit Robina Farms, was added to the companies that threw its support behind the Fighting Maroons.

“We firmly believe that the UP Fighting Maroons shares the same values as us, such as passion for excellence and loyalty to our stakeholders. As we renew our official support for the men’s basketball team, we want them to continue to imbibe the same things that our company lives by as they seek to surpass last year’s achievement. This upcoming UAAP Season 82, it would be another great privilege to stand by this team together with the whole UP community. Hoping to exemplify ISKOs values of honor and excellence in every endeavor” said Vincent Henry Go of AIG’s Robina Farms.

“UP’s run last year is proof that everything is possible,” said Universal Robina Corporation – Agro Industrial Group’s Marketing Director Jonathan Diño. “Hopefully, this year’s team will build on what Batch 81 started and bring home the UAAP Championship for the first time since ’86. It’s UP’s time! They should take it. They deserve it.”

“We’re always grateful for all the support we have received from our alumni, especially from Ms. Gokongwei and her group of companies, who have been with us through our ups and downs. This team knows what it’s like to be at the bottom, to lack basic necessities like food and allowances. We are thankful for the faith and loyalty of the Robinsons Retail Group,” said UP head coach Bo Perasol.

Also present at the signing besides Robina Gokongwei-Pe and Vincent Henry Go were Willy Co (Handyman Vice Chairman), Jody Gadia (Robinsons Supermarket Managing Director), Stanley Co (Handyman Group General Manager), Katherine Yu (Daiso General Manager), Agnes Rafinan (TGP General Manager), Abet Liuson (TGP AVP – Supply Chain), Dr. Florante Palabrica (Robina Farms Farm Operations Director), and Jonathan Dino (Robina Farms Marketing Manager).

The Fighting Maroons fresh from their Championship run in Taiwan’s Buddha’s Light International Association (BLIA) Cup coupled with offseason trainings in Las Vegas and Japan, look to give back to their supporters in Season 82.

Lenovo Announces Limited-time Cash Rebate on Select IdeaPads

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Global innovation leader and world’s number one PC maker Lenovo is offering its laptop devices at discounted prices this August as part of its cash rebate campaign that coincides with SM’s Cybermonth celebration, where customers can purchase a Lenovo Ultrabook for as low as PHP 12,995.

Featured in the campaign are the newly released S145 and S130 Ultrabooks that measure as thin as 17.7mm and less than 1.5kg in weight. The bezels are also significantly reduced on the sides for a more compact form factor, and internals are upgradeable for both RAM and SSD storage.

From now until August 30, 2019, the S130, S145, and IdeaPad 330 will be offered at prices below their SRP. The full list of participating Lenovo devices and their promo prices are as follows:

For Lenovo Philippines Country General Manager Michael Ngan, the rebate promo is for students and those who are still looking for the ideal device that can be used for everyday needs. “The academic year has just begun for most schools and to help students make the most of their learning experience, we are offering our IdeaPads at a much affordable price range. Apart from the lower price, users will enjoy various features critical in boosting productivity, whether at home or in school.”

Embracing form, function, style, and fun, each IdeaPad delivers responsive performance users can count on. The IdeaPad S145, for instance, which was just released this July, is a reliable and affordable device for everyday needs. Its narrow bezel makes for a cleaner and larger display area, and the crystal-clear Dolby Audio™ provides exceptional entertainment.

In addition to the discount, the participating devices come with a 2-year onsite warranty. To avail, visit major electronics stores nationwide. For more information, contact Lenovo Philippines on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/lenovophilippines/.

DOE Opens Applications for its First Nominated Petroleum Blocks

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Energy (DOE) shall be conducting the opening of applications for nominated areas under the Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program (PCECP) on August 16 (Sulu Sea Basin), 19 (Northwest Palawan Basin), and 20 (Southeast Luzon Basin) at the agency's headquarters.

Each of the three nominating companies has complied with area clearance and nomination requirements prescribed under Department Circular (DC) No. 2017-12-0017 on the PCECP Circular and Guidelines.

Challengers have until 11:00 AM on each day to submit their application requirements before bids are opened at 1:30 PM.

The DOE has set up a one-stop-shop at the venue to accommodate any last-minute submissions from challengers until the prescribed deadline.

Members of the Centralized Review and Evaluation Committee (C-REC) will be spearheading the bid opening activity to run the "completeness check" for each submitted PROPOSAL. The lack of any documentary requisite in the PCECP Guidelines and Application Checklist, which includes legal, technical and financial qualification documents, will warrant an automatic disqualification.

On the other hand, qualified applications shall be subjected to further exhaustive evaluations from the C-REC, before the endorsement of the highest-ranked application to the Secretary. This would then be followed by the signing of a corresponding Service Contract by the President.

The DOE is pushing to reinvigorate petroleum exploration and development activities in the country to serve as a cushioning measure against the volatility of oil prices, which has a direct impact on the costs of transport and power. One successful case is the Malampaya Deep Water Gas-to-Power Project, the largest natural gas industrial project in the Philippines, which recovered all costs in four years.

Thus, the Department is committed to 'Explore, Explore, Explore' in its pursuit of energy independence, security, and sustainability through the effective and reasonable development of all indigenous energy resources in the Philippines.