UnionBank Continues <|U|>Hack & Pl@y Series

It's a little daunting to talk about this but to put it simply, they want to discover talents, to discover ideas to improve their banking services. In the process, they also have created partnerships by letting them use Unionbank's API's (Application Programming Interface) and improve them even more. They want to push the envelope to find out how to do things even better. They are sponsoring hackathons and you would be amazed at what people offer, no matter what age and show us how their project works. They call it UNIONBANK Hack, going on their 5th one in this series. 

UnionBank's SVP for Human Resource and Director Michelle Rubio says "We have this soul behind the digital transformation, to have people with really good capabilities and harness UnionBank's resources. We want to progress it more and not just be the financial corporation of choice. We want to get apps and API's to deliver technology for nation building. We have been doing this since last year and we are working with the academe and their schools to improve what we have, enjoin more students, professionals and perhaps next year even a hackathon next year, hopefully to attract them to also work later on with us as we are a digital bank. Our objective is also simple, we do not agree that our talented people are being used by other nationalities because we can do it here."

She adds "Last year we thought of wicked problems, this year we want to focus on AI, VR, authenticating identity and things that are related to us as a financial institution. We were surprised that each of the groups that did good in the past are also joining us as institutions, partners or offer even freelance work. "

Not to confuse this with black hat, they're into making things that could spark positive change in the lives of Filipinos. They will also be providing the platform, possible future development of their work if they win the competition. Some cash prizes also await winners. Most of the winners have already worked with Unionbank and have worked with them over the years. If you've got bright ideas and can do code, then this would be a great opportunity for you. They will be roaming around the schools nationwide to choose the best talents, including those recommended by their professors and see how this will grow. I could see the optimism in their eyes, and they are right, why should we be outsourcing these things when we know we could do it ourselves? We've got tons of programmers and leaders in the country who can spark change, and that's a good thing. Congratulations to Unionbank for spearheading this, I can't wait to join your caravans too in the near future. :)

KUMAGCOW
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The Great Grande Cook-Off

I've only used a couple of oil variants in my kitchen which consists mostly of Canola Oil, Corn Oil, Vegetable Oil, Palm Oil, Peanut Oil and Olive Oil. Other than that, I'm quite oblivious to other types of it because as you may know it's uncommon here in the Philippines. I was schooled by Chef Miko Aspiras a couple of weeks ago about Rice Bran Oil. This newcomer called Grande Rice Bran Oil comes from rice which is staple for us Filipinos. It's naturally loaded with anti oxidants, has got a high temperature smoking point, and has got a balanced fat profile. During the small event, he used it to cook great dishes and did a main course plus a lovely "no diet" dessert.

What I immediately noticed is that aside from it's attractive golden color, is how it actually is good for any type of cooking method that needs oil. Whether it's for deep frying, sauteing, pan frying, or even desserts, it doesn't actually change the way the food tastes which is remarkable in my books. I thought it would be slightly nutty since it comes from rice bran but no, it was just as good as them but healthier. I guess that is it's main selling point because you can't see anything that is as au naturelle as this is compared to what we have out in the market.

Tun Aburi Tataki was seared on both sides then sliced thinly. Served with tartar sauce, beet root, and a side salad. Fish tasted like fish, as its supposed to be.

Twice Fried Pork which was brined first, boiled, then fried to get that crisp exterior. It was served with spices, chorizo, and seasoned potatoes.

For dessert Chef Miko Aspiras prepared and ground up some sugar coated Pili Nuts from Bicol. Then he got unsalted butter and melted it with the ground nuts. Et voila! That's Pili Nut Butter for you! So good!

He also deep fried sourdough donuts made into balls then thrown into cinnamon sugar. They poured in a hefty amount of the Pili Butter and now, we have to marvel at this piece which was gone in 20 seconds LOL!

Rice Bran Oil may have been a little too hard to get hence it's price (but I find it competitive), but think about the benefits on how it could lower your bad cholesterol levels, boost you immune system, lessen the chances of cancer, improve your skin health and even help in your weight loss. Women can also get relieve from your usual menopausal symptoms, protect your heart from disease and lower allergic reactions. All you have to do is get good rice bran oil like GRANDE. If you want to know more visit https://www.grande-rbo.com.

KUMAGCOW
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MFT's SALADSTOP! Ventures Into Spanish Market

Have you ever wondered why there are thousands upon thousands of brands around the world that are here in the Philippines but not quite a lot of our own venturing into other countries? That's depressing to know huh? Have you guys seen Saladstop!? I've had the privilege of seeing and experiencing it over at San Juan but they're pretty much everywhere as they have outlets in Makati and Bonifacio Global City. The brand originated in Singapore and is now present in other countries too like Japan and Indonesia.  

Albeit not being that into salad, I tried out several of their best sellers. The Vegetarian Bowl I had is called IRON WO MAN and is comprised of fresh Spinach, salty and creamy feta cheese, roasted pumpkin, sweet and tangy raisins, nutty toasted almonds, in a tangy Raspberry Vinaigrette.

This one is one of their signature wraps. It's got romaine lettuce, grilled chicken, creamy avocado, green apple, celery, grapes in a Ranch dressing. Pretty good and very filling.

This is Fried Kale, it's very nutty and fresh.

The MFT group Joan of Regional Marketing Head says "We were established in 2009 and is one of the world's leading nutrition brand. It is the first time that we are taking this out of the country, to Spain in particularly. Our brand puts holistic customer experience to the forefront because we want this to be an experience for them. The founders are vegetarian and we are sharing the values for the brand. 12 Signature wraps, 4 tortilla wraps, our dressings are home made and fresh made everyday. We source our food locally so for the Spanish branches we maintain a good relationship with the farmers and suppliers. We want people to eat wide awake, in September we are putting this movement in Spain and we are so happy about that."

Paul Paraeda who's handling their operations in Spain and Portugal says "We are moving to these countries in a few months and why not. It's a good place to start for a Philippine business to venture out into the EU. We will have more as soon."

MFT Group CEO Maria Francesca “Mica” Tan adds "MFT is a diversified holding company. We are not limited in regions, involved in 22 subsidiaries under our wing including medical equipment, petroleum, and now SaladStop! in Spain. Barcelona has 5 million people and is an emerging area. There is a very diversified economical structure home to 90% of investments in Spain. Hopefully we would be doing it in the whole of Europe later on. We are not just tied with food, they are also looking for something healthy and this is evident in food clusters in Spain. MFT group is confident about this franchise in Europe and we are present in 6 countries, we love emerging markets. We want SALADSTOP! to be our flagship food product. In SaladStop Spain we have our own suppliers and farmers so it will be a level up as Spain and there is a big demand for what we are offering. The carrier of the food is the sauces, the freshness is still with the farmers that we have locally and you'll only get the best produce."

This is very promising and I can't wait to see how they (being a Filipino owned company) would grow BIG in the European region.

KUMAGCOW
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PH Ice Athletes Promise GOLD in Upcoming SEA Games

Spent the afternoon over at the Ice Skating Rink at the SM Megamall Fashion Hall for the promising partnership of SM Lifestyle and Entertainment Inc. and our athletes who are preparing to represent the country in the Southeast Asian Games. During the opening remarks, their executives said "We are delighted and honored to join Ice games in the SEA Games and we are gearing to winning Gold Medals for the country."

During the press conference, Kathryn Magno (for Short Track Speed Skating), Jules Alpe (for Figure Skating), LR Lancero, Julius Santiago, Miguel Relampagos, BJ Imperial, Jorell Crisostomo and Francis Gautier for Hockey wanted to rally for the Philippines. They fervently hope that it won't be just the organizations supporting them, but the whole country. 

Kathryn says "I am the first speed skater and I want to promote the sport even after the games. I hope a lot of people get to see the potential of Filipinos in this sport and hopefully win more medals for the country soon. I started as a figure skater but did it in 2008, to be motivated no matter what age you are is adamant to success. This is a nice place to train, we are able to do this with SM SKATING to perform in well in Southeast Asia." 

Francois adds "We have been preparing and practicing this for a long time. We are also planning to have a short bonding session a few weeks before the games. Some have been playing for a long time but we have new ones so we need to bond so we won't be awkward on ice. There are private companies like SM LEI and some government agencies that help. Our toughest opponent would probably be Division 1 Gold Medalists Thailand but that doesn't mean we can't play toe to toe with them or with any team in the world. We had the liberty of choosing athletes based on the role they play on ice. We practice countless hours and prepare to play for a longer time, we do this three times a week and practice even more with conditioning on our off days. You'll see us perform more in the SEA Games and hopefully win the Gold for the pride of our country. We are not just representing ourselves as individuals here, especially in the SEA Games."

Here's to hoping they bring more Gold medals for the country and hopefully their best performance against our fellow Southeast Asian countries. 

KUMAGCOW
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