Xiaomi, Maybelline, and The SM Store Named The Most Popular Brands on Shopee Philippines in 2018 Kickstart the new year at Shopee with the best brand deals at the first Payday Sale of 2019

Building on the buzz of the new year, Shopee Philippines unveils the top categories and brands in 2018 ahead of the first Payday sale of 2019 from 10 to 18 January. Electronics, Health & Beauty, and Home & Living emerged as the top categories for 2018, with Xiaomi, Maybelline, and The SM Store topping the charts for each category.

Martin Yu, Associate Director, Shopee Philippines, said, “Shopee Philippines achieved many exciting milestones in 2018, including the launch of Shopee Mall which cemented our position as a one-stop online shopping destination and delivered increased convenience for users seeking a more diverse online shopping experience. Since its launch, Shopee Mall has seen tremendous growth due to strong support from both brands and shoppers in the Philippines. In 2019, we will continue to expand our assortment on Shopee Mall to give users even better deals from leading local and international brands and retailers.”

Xiaomi emerges as best-selling electronics brand in Shopee Philippines

The electronics category recorded around 300% increase in orders in 2018, becoming one of the top 3 categories on Shopee Philippines as Filipinos shopped for tech products online more. Shopee catered to this trend by onboarding leading electronics brands on Shopee Mall and also launching Shopee Gadget Zone, a dedicated portal featuring Lowest Price Guaranteed deals on tech products from top brands including Xiaomi, Samsung, and Oppo.

Xiaomi emerged as the top electronics brand on Shopee Philippines in 2018. Xiaomi enjoyed a strong debut on Shopee Philippines as the Redmi 5 smartphone sold out in less than a minute during the brand’s first flash sale in April. It was also one of the most sought-after brands for Filipinos, as “Xiaomi” was searched around 900,000 times on Shopee Philippines over 2018. Finally, one of its most awaited smartphones, the Pocophone F1, sold out in 16 minutes on flash sale during Shopee 11.11 Big Christmas Sale.

In addition, televisions were also popular among Shopee users in 2018, as TV brands Ace, Mass, and Avision ranked among the top 5 electronics brands on Shopee Philippines.

Consumers snap up bath and bedroom supplies as The SM Store leads Home & Living

Home & Living was also among the hottest categories in Shopee Philippines in 2018. Bath and bedroom supplies were especially popular among Filipino users; on average, over 2,000 bath and bedroom-related products were sold every day. In line with the global trend of cutting down on plastic use, around 400 stainless steel straws were sold per day on Shopee Philippines in 2018.

The SM Store, the largest department store chain in the Philippines, was the number one brand in the Home & Living category in 2018. Insulated tumblers, oil diffusers, and hard case luggage bags were the hottest products on The SM Store as the brand saw robust performance over the year, ranking among the best-selling brands during Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale.

In line with the growing popularity of online shopping among men, there was also an increase in demand for electrical appliances and power tools as TCL, Bosch, and Lotus ranked among the top 10 Home & Living brands.

Maybelline crowned the queen of Health & Beauty

Health & Beauty rounds off the top categories on Shopee Philippines in 2018 as Shopee users continued to snap up skincare products and cosmetics.

Maybelline emerged as the top beauty brand on Shopee Philippines after a fruitful Shopee 12.12 Birthday Sale, where it sold over 50,000 items on 12 December alone. Maybelline’s success was driven by several hit products launched in 2018, such as the Superstay Matte Liquid Lipstick, Hypercurl Mascara, and the Fit Me Liquid Foundation.

Filipino users were also interested in skincare and personal grooming, with P&G, Nivea, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, and Garnier also named among the top Home & Living brands.

Shoppers can look forward to even better deals from their favorite brands on Shopee in 2019, starting with the first Payday Sale of the year from 10 to 18 January. Users can enjoy free shipping with a minimum spend of ₱150, up to 7 rounds of flash sales daily, and the return of the new interactive live quiz game Shopee Quiz after a strong debut during Shopee 12.12 Big Christmas Sale.

For more information, https://shopee.ph/.

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

Residential real estate prices up by as much as 33% from Q1 2017 to Q3 2018

People planning to purchase a new home have a lot to consider, as prices of residential real estate properties have increased by as much as 33% from January 2017 to October 2018. This is according to data from the country’s leading property portal, Property24.

“Because of the numerous residential listings that we have on OLX and Property24, we have access to data that can help consumers make an informed decision if and when they decide to purchase and sell real estate properties,” says Property24 head of real estate Tina Bautista.

Condominiums’ prices saw a 10% growth

The average price of condominiums rose by 10 percent during the period, driven by the price increase in Metro Manila. In Pasig City’s Kapitolyo area alone, one-bedroom units’ average price saw a 54 percent price surge, while two-bedroom units’ had a 49 percent increase in price. Three-bedroom units in this part of Pasig had an average price increase of 37 percent. The cities in Metro Manila with the highest price increase of condominium units are Pateros (77 percent), Taguig (27 percent), Mandaluyong (19 percent), Pasig (18 percent), and Las Piñas and Malabon (17 percent).

In provincial areas, prices of one- and two-bedroom units decreased by 5 percent and 10 percent respectively, while three-bedroom units’ price increased by 32 percent.

Other cities experienced a drop in average price, though. Makati City’s average condominium prices decreased by 55 percent. Novaliches City’s condo units’ prices declined by 41 percent, and Caloocan City saw a 14 percent price decrease.

House and lot prices increased by 33%
Meanwhile, house and lot prices also saw an increase of 33 percent. In Metro Manila, all cities’ house and lot prices rose, except for Makati (whose house and lot prices decreased by 4 percent), Muntinlupa (24 percent decline), and Pateros (79 percent drop).

In cities outside Metro Manila, house and lot prices increased overall, except for Davao del Norte (22 percent decline) and Cavite (2 percent decrease). Rizal had the highest price increase outside Metro Manila, with 32 percent growth. It was followed by Davao del Sur and Laguna, with 19 percent and 18 percent price increase respectively. Cebu’s house and lot prices also increased by 1 percent.

Townhouses’ prices rose by 18%
Lastly, townhouses had a price increase of 18 percent. Davao del Norte and Makati City had price surges of 606 percent and 207 percent respectively.

In Metro Manila, all cities’ townhouse prices increased. Behind Makati City in terms of year-on-year price increase in percentage is Manila City, whose townhouse prices rose by 58 percent. Pasay City and Valenzuela increased by 48 percent and 33 percent respectively. Caloocan City also increased by 30 percent.

In the provincial areas, only townhouses in Cavite saw a price decline (-6 percent). In Davao del Sur, these terraced housing had a 53 percent price increase. Laguna and Rizal also had their townhouses’ price rise to 48 percent and 16 percent respectively. Townhouses in Cebu also increased their price by 7 percent.

Price changes are affected by a number of factors, including supply and demand, economic growth, and inflation, among others.

Property24 and OLX Philippines are part of the OLX Group, the world’s leading classifieds platform in growth markets. Having 17 brands worldwide, OLX Group is available in more than 40 countries, where its market-leading trading platforms are being used by more than 330 million people monthly.

UNISDR ARISE PH moves closer to achieving resiliency

The Philippines is turning challenges into accomplishments as it continues to deal with natural disasters.

This was the assessment of experts during “A Forum on Understanding Risk and Resilience” held to mark the International Day of Disaster Reduction.

Undersecretary Adoracion Navarro of the National Economic and Development Authority cited the reduction in loss of human lives during recent calamities. “In terms of magnitude, the number of casualties from typhoon Ompong was only 79, unlike in previous strong typhoons where they reached thousands. This gives us a more positive view of how we are building a resilient nation,” she said.

“We have proactively empowered our local government in DRRM (Disaster Risk Reduction and Management) councils through effective policy guidance,” said assistant secretary Kristoffer James Purisima, deputy administrator for administration of the Office of Civil Defense.  

Specialists from the government, business, academe and civil society organizations attended the forum organized by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR)’s ARISE Philippines, Department of National Defense, National Resilience Council and SM Prime Holdings to enhance understanding of resilience – conceptually and operationally.

In his opening remarks, Zuellig Family Foundation president Ernesto Garilao said, “We need to shift the way we, as a nation, think about disasters so that, together, we can be better prepared in the future. But to promote a culture of preparedness, we must first understand risk.”  

Speakers presented information and possible strategies to respond to possible risks in the future. They suggested adopting, in the face of adversity, lessons from the experiences in Yolanda, the Zamboanga siege and the landslide in Naga, Cebu, highlighting the need for a shared understanding of the risks presented in the communities.

Talking about dangerous phenomena that make up risk, Dr. Rosa Perez, member of the National Panel of Technical Experts, said that the Philippines aimed to minimize risks as much as possible. “We should asses how often these events occur, their effects, how bad they are and what can we do to address the bad effects and harness the good ones,” she said.

The Philippines remains at the top of world risk indices due to several vulnerability factors so the government, through the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, continues to find ways to address effectively the challenges of disasters and build national resilience.

5 Reasons To Watch ONE: ETERNAL GLORY

ONE Championship returns with its first event of 2019 from Istora Senayan in Jakarta, Indonesia on 19 January. After more than a month since the promotion's last event, ONE: DESTINY OF CHAMPIONS, fans of the organization will be eager to see ONE return.

The ONE: ETERNAL GLORY card isn't packed with every household name on the roster, but there is still no shortage of stories fueling every match.

Aside from being hungry for martial arts action, here are five reasons to watch ONE: ETERNAL GLORY.

Joshua Pacio's Title Defense

Initially, Joshua "The Passion" Pacio was scheduled to defend his title against Hayato Suzuki in a rematch of their August 2017 clash at ONE: KINGS AND CONQUERORS. However, Suzuki suffered an injury. Japan's Yosuke Saruta stepped in to replace his injured countryman and is now the man receiving a title shot.

The 22-year-old Filipino already equaled the score with Yoshitaka Naito with a unanimous-decision win in September at ONE: CONQUEST OF HEROES. He was supposed to even the score against Suzuki in a rematch. Suzuki was the last man to defeat Pacio when the former made his ONE debut in August 2017.

Pacio cannot afford to look past Saruta however. The 31-year-old veteran has a wealth of experience and will likely be looking to catch the champion slipping. Saruta has had 26 professional matches, and he enjoyed a successful ONE Championship debut in December against Alex Silva. Saruta isn't a normal replacement opponent, and if the champion takes the challenger lightly, it could be a disaster for him.

Can Pacio maintain his focus and avoid the upset?

The Christian Lee-Edward Kelly Rematch

We're along for the ride as 20-year-old Christian "The Warrior" Lee continues his hardline education in the world of mixed martial arts. His next assignment takes place at ONE: ETERNAL GLORY when he takes on the "The Ferocious" Edward Kelly in a rematch of a bout that ended controversially in September at ONE: BEYOND THE HORIZON. Lee suplexed Kelly inadvertently causing a disqualification.

There are recurring themes for this match. Will Lee be able to control the match the way he did in the first meeting, and gain the finish to put a stamp on this short saga with Kelly, or will the Filipino rise to the occasion?

Both men face pressure to perform because of the success of those closely associated with them under the ONE banner.

Lee is the younger brother of ONE Women's Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee. Kelly belongs to Team Lakay where his training partners include Pacio, ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard "Landslide" Folayang, ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje Eustaquio and ONE Bantamweight World Champion Kevin "The Silencer" Belingon.

It's a lively time for Filipino martial arts, and Kelly wants to earn his piece of the success.


Battle of the Wushu Queens

Priscilla Hertati Lumban Goal was as active as anyone in ONE in 2018. She competed six times and put together a sterling 5-1 run during that stretch. Lumban Goal is back in the organization's first event to embark upon what she hopes is another fruitful year. The Indonesian National Wushu Champion faces another expert Wushu practitioner in Indian champion Puja Tomar.

The women's atomweight division could be headed for some transition if Lee moves up to strawweight permanently. That's a genuine possibility as she is set to challenge for the title in March at ONE: A NEW WRA. If that happens, a scramble to compete for the vacant title could well include the winner of this bout.

With integral positioning potentially at stake, Lumban Goal and Tomar may be set to put on a show.

Action-Packed Muay Thai Clash

Italy's Joseph "The Hurricane" Lasiri returns to compete against England's Jonathan Haggerty in a ONE Super Series Muay Thai match. Lasiri is one of the most accomplished Muay Thai competitors in the world. He's won world championships in multiple weight classes and he uses a style that is traditionally fan friendly.

He'll get a chance to test his exquisite striking against Haggerty in a bout that could feature a highlight-reel finish.

The Return of The Gracie Pupil

Stefer Rahardian, a student of the legendary Carlson Gracie, to match up against the Philippines' Robin "The Ilongo" Catalan. It's a strawweight battle that should have fans interested from the outset.

Rahardian has an elite-level Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu base from his time with Gracie, but he has expanded his game beyond just grappling. He's already won the ONE Indonesia Flyweight Tournament which was a mixed martial arts contest.

While his striking has improved, Rahardian will likely need to lean heavily on his Jiu-Jitsu to beat Catalan. The latter is a former Wushu and Muay Thai world champion who would love nothing better than to keep his bout with Rahardian standing.

Which man will win the battle of styles?

MICECON 2018, a success!

MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions/Events) Conference, the largest gathering of local and international MICE industry experts and practitioners, was successfully mounted this year in Bacolod. Organized by the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), the marketing arm of the Department of Tourism (DOT),

MICECON 2018 featured educational talks from world-class experts. TPB uses MICECON to strengthen the country’s reputation as the preferred MICE destination in Asia.

The four-day conference was spearheaded by (center) TPB chief operating officer Marie Venus Tan and Bacolod City mayor Evelio Leonardia. Others in photo are (L-R) Bacolod City councilor Em Ang, DOT regional director Helen Catalbas, Bacolod City administrator John Orola, DOT assistant secretary Robert Alabado III and DOT Policy Formulation and International Cooperation division chief Alex Macatuno.

INITIAL BOUTS ANNOUNCED FOR ONE: HERO’S ASCENT ON 25 JANUARY IN MANILA

GEJE EUSTAQUIO TO DEFEND ONE FLYWEIGHT WORLD TITLE AGAINST ADRIANO MORAES

3 January 2019 – Manila, Philippines: The largest global sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship™ (ONE), has just announced the initial bouts for ONE: HERO’S ASCENT, which is set for the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila on 25 January. Once again, the absolute best in local and international martial arts talent is set to showcase their skills in the ONE Championship cage. In the main event, reigning ONE Flyweight World Champion Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio of the Philippines will defend his title against Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes of Brazil in a historic trilogy bout.

Ticket information for ONE: HERO’S ASCENT is available at www.onefc.com.

Moraes first defeated Eustaquio in September 2014, winning by second-round guillotine choke.

Eustaquio then worked his way back up the ranks in order to secure a rematch with the Brazilian four years later. He picked up the ONE Interim Flyweight World Title with a victory over Kairat Akhmetov in January 2018, which set up the title unification bout with Moraes.

In the highly-anticipated rematch, Eustaquio and Moraes figured in a tremendous five-round battle, but it was “Gravity” who claimed a split decision victory and the undisputed championship. Now, they face off one more time in a rubber match to determine the rightful owner of the ONE Flyweight World Title.

In the quarter-final of the ONE Lightweight World Grand Prix, Team Lakay veteran Honorio “The Rock” Banario of the Philippines will face undefeated lightweight Lowen Tynanes of Hawaii, USA.

Banario, a former ONE Featherweight World Champion, has experienced a career resurgence ever since moving up to the lightweight division. “The Rock” has won six of his last seven bouts, and he is considered one of the top competitors in the weight class.

Tynanes is a former KOTC Light Welterweight Champion and is a Hawaii state champion wrestler. He owns victories over some of the lightweight division’s best including Rasul Yakhyaev, Koji Ando, and even current ONE Lightweight World Champion Eduard “Landslide” Folayang. Now, following a nearly three-year break, the American is ready to resume his career.

Team Lakay prodigy Danny “The King” Kingad of Baguio City, Philippines will be taking on Japanese veteran Tatsumitsu “The Sweeper” Wada in a showdown between top flyweight contenders.

Since dropping a first-round submission to Moraes in November 2017, Kingad has stormed back into title contention. He went 3-0 in 2018 and looks to make a statement in the new year with another solid win.

Wada, on the other hand, made his ONE Championship debut last July, falling to Reece McLaren via split decision. He bounced back months later to defeat Eugene Toquero via first-round rear-naked choke.

Rising Muay Thai superstar Rodtang “Iron Man” Jitmuangnon of Thailand is scheduled to return to ONE Super Series in a Muay Thai match-up against Fahdi Khaled of Tunisia. The striking spectacle will feature both martial artists donning 4-ounce grappling gloves.

Rodtang, a two-time Omnoi Stadium Muay Thai World Champion, made a successful ONE Super Series debut in September when he overpowered Sergio Wielzen to claim a thrilling unanimous decision.

Meanwhile, Khaled, who trains at Venum Training Camp in Thailand, is an accomplished kickboxer ready to make his ONE Championship debut against one of the hottest superstars in Muay Thai today.

In another ONE Super Series match-up at ONE: HERO’S ASCENT, Brown Pinas of Holland looks to build on his scintillating knockout performance last November by taking on Thailand’s Bangpleenoi Petchyindee Academy.

Pinas knocked out Yohann Fairtex Drai with a beautiful spinning back elbow at ONE: WARRIOR’S DREAM, and announced his arrival to the global stage of martial arts with his first promotional victory.

Bangpleenoi, who aims to impress in his ONE Super Series debut, will look to put his Muay Thai experience on display and stop Pinas in his tracks.

Elias Mahmoudi of France will make his ONE Super Series debut against Japan’s Yukinori Ogasawara.

Mahmoudi is one of the fastest rising talents in Muay Thai. He is a WPMF World Champion, whereas Ogasawara is a WBC Japan Super Bantamweight Muay Thai Champion. The two talented strikers aim to put on a show at the Mall of Asia Arena with the entire world watching.

South Korean mixed martial artist Sung Jong Lee has decided to remain in the ONE Championship featherweight division. He will take on ONE Championship debutant Tang Kai of China.

Lee is a NAGA No-Gi Grappling Champion who first began his martial arts journey by training in taekwondo. After experiencing success in the discipline, however, he shifted his focus to the grappling arts and began training at Eddie Bravo’s 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu.

The well-rounded mixed martial artist wants to prove to the world that he belongs with the best in his new weight class, but Tang stands in his way. Tang, who trains out of Dragon Warrior in Shanghai, wants to spoil Lee’s second featherweight outing and claim victory for himself in his grand premiere.

Malaysian striking sensation Mohammed “Jordan Boy” Bin Mahmoud is making a quick turnaround to face Hiroaki Suzukiof Japan. Both ONE Super Series proponents made exceptional promotional debuts.

Suzuki joined ONE Super Series first, defeating Deividas “The Lithuanian Savage” Danyla in a three-round thriller at ONE: CONQUEST OF CHAMPIONS last November. On the other hand, “Jordan Boy” electrified his hometown of Kuala Lumpur last December when he finished Stergos “Greek Dynamite” Mikkios via stunning first-round knockout.

Kicking off the action in the preliminary bouts at ONE: HERO’S ASCENT are strawweights Egi Rozten of Indonesia and Himanshu Kaushik of India.

Rozten is currently riding a two-bout win streak, with both victories coming by way of knockout. The Indonesian regional boxing champion has made his power known as of late, showcasing his incredible hands to the delight of his hometown crowd.

Kaushik will be looking to use Rozten as a springboard, however. The seven-time Indian Wushu Champion wants to prove he is a top contender, and he can accomplish that by defeating the Indonesian.

For more updates on ONE Championship, visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.

Japan Airlines offers round-trip flights to Tokyo with year-end ticket sale

Manila, Philippines - Japan Airlines’ special fares for all Tokyo bound flights comes at the perfect time as travelers prepare for their 2019 trips. With over 10 non-working holidays in the first half of the year, Filipino travelers will be glad to know that they can start filing their leaves to visit Japan either for winter or their famed spring blossom season for discounted fares.

Tickets go on sale from December 11, 2018 until January 10, 2019 with a travel period of December 11, 2018 to July 31, 2019. Prices are as lows as USD 320 for Economy Class, USD 699 for Premium Economy (applicable only to flight JL742/Narita), and USD 1099 for Business Class.

Apart from Narita, the Japanese flag carrier also launched its newest route from Manila to Tokyo via Haneda which is the only flight that allows passengers leaving from Manila to arrive in Japan early in the morning. With JAL's newest flight route, this allows travelers to make the most of their stay by ensuring they don't lose a day when travelling effectively.

Japan Airlines Philippines’s General Manager, Mr. Chikara Mochihara expressed his excitement over seeing more Filipino travelers heading over to Japan. “With the Japanese government’s effort to boost repeat visitors in the country, we’ve seen more Filipinos acting on their desire to visit Japan as we welcomed the moe than 400,000 tourists from the Philippines in 2017. As the flag carrier, we are very proud to be part of the Filipino tourist’s journey as we extend the Japanese experience from the moment you step on board to the moment you arrive in Japan.”, said Mochihara.

For more booking and sale guidelines, visit Japan Airlines’ website.