SEEK has merged its employment websites in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region - SEEK, Jobstreet, and Jobsdb - into a single platform. This change aims to make it easier for millions of job seekers and employers across APAC to connect and find suitable work opportunities.

This integration comes a decade after SEEK acquired Jobstreet and Jobsdb, following three years of development and an investment of around AUD$180 million.

Peter Bithos, Chief Executive Officer for Asia at SEEK, emphasizes the company's focus on its customers. The unified platform allows SEEK to reach millions across Asia in a new way, enhancing the job search and talent recruitment process. Bithos believes this positions SEEK better than ever to fulfill its goal of assisting 500 million people in advancing their careers with five million companies in the region.

Revolutionizing the job market in the Philippines

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recently reported an unemployment rate of 3.6% in November 2023. SEEK's efforts to unify its platforms reinforce its commitment to providing job opportunities to every Filipino. Dan Majarocon​, Managing Director for the Philippines at Jobstreet by SEEK, is excited about the platform's ability to facilitate tailored job matches based on specific skills, job roles, and career aspirations, improving the job market experience in the country.

The Manila Hotel offers a memorable Valentine's Day experience with special dining options emphasizing timeless romance.

Quintessential 5-Star Culinary Experiences

At the iconic Champagne Room, guests can indulge in the finest French and Italian cuisine through an exclusive Valentine’s Day set menu. This specially curated menu includes delectable dishes such as Lobster-Mango Delight Salad, Pan Fried Scallops on Pink Beetroot Risotto, Carrot Purple Yam Soup, and a choice of Oven Roasted Black Cod on Parmesan Asparagus or Filet Mignon Foie Gras in Red Wine Truffle Sauce for the main course. To conclude the meal, guests can enjoy Delice Du Chocolate Sans Farine, Pomegranate Sorbet in Prosecco Float, and Valentine French Macarons for dessert. Available for dinner from February 13 to 15, 2024, the menu is priced from Php 7,800 to Php 8,000 nett per person.

The Manila Hotel is gearing up for the Year of the Dragon with a lineup of festive events and offerings, adding an extra touch of luxury to the celebrations. The hotel's iconic Grand Lobby will be adorned with elaborate Chinese New Year decorations, setting the stage for a memorable experience.

Dragon and Lion Dance Spectacle

 

Fresh off the press! HONOR and Porsche Design have just unveiled their latest creation, the PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR, in Shanghai. This sleek inward-foldable phone is making waves for being the thinnest on the market. It's a perfect blend of tech and design expertise from these two giants. This collaboration is not just about innovation; it's setting the tone for what's next in the world of gadgets. Stay tuned for the future of tech and design!

This momentous partnership between HONOR and Porsche Design is another best practice for HONOR, as a global and premium brand, to bring collective innovations to consumers around the world. As George Zhao, CEO of HONOR Device Co., Ltd., stated, "United by a shared pursuit of excellence, HONOR and Porsche Design will co-design the next generation of smart devices, combining human-centric technology and functional design to create exciting products for global consumers."

“From day one of this extraordinary partnership, we have been eagerly awaiting the reveal of our first jointly developed smartphone. At Porsche Design, we want to bring the unique Porsche spirit and values to life through our products. Anyone who buys a Porsche Design item becomes part of the global Porsche family. Our goal is to transport this emotion as well as the progressive functionality, cutting-edge technology, and the unique design language to customers around the globe,” says Stefan Buescher, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche Lifestyle Group.

Introducing the PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR

Debuting as the first innovation where HONOR’s human-centric approach meets the purist, functional aesthetics of Porsche Design, the PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR features a bold design inspired by motorsports. The flyline of the backside of the industry-leading foldable smartphone is intricately reminiscent of the hood of a Porsche 911. The improved grip provides a sportscar experience in the user’s palm. The PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR comes in the Porsche car color Agate Grey.

Ultra-thin foldable device with Anti-scratch NanoCrystal Shield

In pursuit of convenient portability, HONOR and Porsche Design have jointly refined the choice of materials in the PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR to create a pioneering device that weighs only 234g and is just 9.9mm thick. Incorporating the industry’s first Anti-scratch NanoCrystal Shield, the PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR races ahead of the pack with improvements in display durability, providing enhanced protection to the device. The tenfold improved scratch resistance and the hardness rating of over seven on the Mohs scale - a scale which indicates the degree of strength of a material - ensures superior resistance to damages.

Exceptional Display for Human-centric Visual Experience

The PORSCHE DESIGN HONOR Magic V2 RSR has a stunning foldable OLED LTPO display that offers an unprecedented visual experience. With support for 1.07 billion colors, the screen delivers vivid, accurate visuals that captivate and immerse users. As a testament to HONOR’s commitment to human-centric technology, the device incorporates eye protection features such as 3840Hz PWM Dimming, Dynamic Dimming and Circadian Night Display, which reduce fatigue of the eyes, thus, catering to the needs of heavy users.

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. and Google Cloud have entered into a new multi-year partnership to introduce Google Cloud's advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technology to Samsung smartphone users worldwide. The collaboration kicks off with the announcement of the Samsung Galaxy S24 series during Galaxy Unpacked in San Jose, California. Notably, Samsung takes the lead as the inaugural Google Cloud partner to integrate Gemini Pro and Imagen 2 on Vertex AI through the cloud into their smartphone devices.

Expressing enthusiasm for the partnership, Janghyun Yoon, Corporate EVP and Head of Software Office of Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics, stated, "Google and Samsung have a shared commitment to making technology more helpful and accessible to everyone. We are excited to debut the Galaxy S24 series as the first smartphones featuring Gemini Pro and Imagen 2 on Vertex AI. Following extensive testing and competitive evaluation, the collaboration between Google Cloud and Samsung has resulted in delivering the finest Gemini-powered AI experience on the Galaxy."

Samsung is the first Google Cloud partner to deploy Gemini Pro on Vertex AI to consumers. Built from the ground up to be multimodal, Gemini can generalize and seamlessly understand, operate across, and combine different types of information including text, code, images, and video. Starting with Samsung-native applications, users can take advantage of the summarization feature across Notes, Voice Recorder, and Keyboard.[ Galaxy AI features may require internet connection, Samsung Account login, and/or update to latest Android version. Product functionality may be dependent on your app and device settings. Some functions may not be compatible with certain apps or require additional software downloads, such as language packs. Availability of the service may vary by country, region, or market. Accuracy of results not guaranteed. For detailed specifications and conditions, refer to your local Samsung website.] Gemini Pro on Vertex AI provides Samsung with critical Google Cloud features, including security, safety, privacy, and data compliance.

Galaxy S24 series users can also immediately benefit from Imagen 2, Google’s most advanced text-to-image diffusion technology from Google DeepMind to date. With Imagen 2 on Vertex AI, Samsung can bring safe and intuitive photo-editing capabilities into users’ hands. These features can be found in Generative Edit[ Generative Edit requires a network connection and Samsung Account login. Editing with Generative Edit results in a resized photo up to 12MP. A visible watermark is overlaid on the image output upon saving in order to indicate that the image is generated by AI. The accuracy and reliability of the generated output is not guaranteed. ] in S24’s Gallery application.

As part of this partnership, Samsung is also one of the first customers to test Gemini Ultra, Google’s most capable and largest model for highly-complex tasks. The S24 series will also use Gemini Nano, an on-device LLM delivered as part of the Android 14 operating system, the most efficient model of Gemini for on-device tasks.

“Together with Samsung, Google Cloud sees the tremendous opportunity for generative AI to create meaningful mobile experiences that stimulate and strengthen connection and communication for millions,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud. “With Gemini, Samsung’s developers can leverage Google Cloud’s world-class infrastructure, cutting-edge performance, and flexibility to deliver safe, reliable, and engaging generative AI powered applications on Samsung smartphone devices.”

Traffic was already bad but witnessing the milestone of one of the already known brand in the country and its CEO, is just an event not to miss before year 2023 ends. Sick or not, the show must go on.

Brilliant Skin Inc., a top beauty and cosmetic brand, concluded the year with a grand celebration at the Brilliant Awards 2023: Brightest of All Time on December 21 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater. Franchisees and distributors from various regions donned dazzling pink gowns for the event. The pink carpet was graced by TikTok comedienne and content creator, Queen Dura, marking one of Brilliant Skin Essentials' major events this year.

 

As the clock ticks towards midnight, people around the world eagerly anticipate the arrival of a new year. The celebration of New Year's Eve is a global tradition that transcends cultural boundaries and brings people together in a shared moment of reflection and anticipation. Have you ever wonder when and how New Year's Eve started? Well, let's uncover the origin, the time, and the evolution of this time-honored celebration.

Our story begins in ancient times, where the concept of marking the passage of time was intertwined with celestial events. The Babylonians, over 4,000 years ago, are credited with one of the earliest New Year celebrations. Their festivities were linked to the vernal equinox, a moment when day and night are of equal length. This event signaled the rebirth of nature and inspired the Babylonians to make resolutions for the coming year.

Puerto Princesa City, situated in the renowned Last Frontier of the Philippines, is topping the charts as a preferred destination for travelers, adventure enthusiasts, and nature lovers. The city's growing popularity is further boosted by hosting numerous sports tournaments, establishing itself as the recognized "Sports Capital of the Philippines."

Relentless. Exceptional. Indomitable. That's the spirit of Puerto Princesa, showcasing top-notch sports events including marine activities such as kite-boarding, wakeboarding, water skiing, banana-boat rides, tube riding, and hookah diving. The city is also a consistent host of the "Motocross Masters of Asia," featuring the Philippine leg of the FIM UAM Asian Motocross Series, Puerto Princesa International Motocross Grand Prix, Thai Riders, Pinoy Riders, Mountain Bike XC Challenge, and Boxing Eve "Hamon sa Puerto Princesa."

Puerto Princesa understands that sports and tourism are interrelated and complementary driving forces for the promotion and sustainable economic development of the city as an attractive tourism destination. It continues to boost its tourist arrivals by hosting and organizing more sporting events.

Gathering strength, determination, and a sea of endurance: Participants unite for the Ironman 70.3 Puerto Princesa 2023, capturing the essence of the long-distance triathlon journey in a single frame.

The city is blessed with natural resources and landscape to hold excellent mass-participation events such as triathlons and marathons, mountain bike and motor cross races, beach volleyball, and other water sports competitions.

“Talagang naka-project na ang Puerto Princesa sa sports tourism. Syempre yung hinahabol nating sports tourism yung mayroong international flavor,” City Mayor Lucilo Rodriguez Bayron said. Mega sports events such as Ironman and dragon boat festival can be catalysts for tourism development in Puerto Princesa if successfully leveraged in terms of destination branding, infrastructure development and other economic, cultural, and social benefits.

IRONMAN 70.3 PUERTO PRINCESA-ASIA TRI-CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP

The second year of the IRONMAN 70.3 Puerto Princesa - Asia Tri-Club Championship, the ultimate test of endurance, strategy, and strength, capped off the Philippines' triathlon season. It was successfully held in Puerto Princesa on November 12.

A total of 523 foreign and Filipino triathletes from 38 countries participated in the amazing race. Satar Salem (4 hours, 22 minutes, and 25 seconds) and Leyann Ramo (5 hours, 2 minutes, and 56 seconds) both of Tri SND Barracuda dominated the top overall age group for the male and female categories, respectively.

China’s Junyu Cao finished the race in second place at 4:23.13 while Dutch Olympian Eric Van der Linden rounded off the top three finishers in the male category with 4:24.41. Ramo’s teammate Lyllian Grace Banzon trailed her at second place in 5:29.23 while American Catherine Wood completed the top three in the women’s side with the time of 5:36.26.

Tri SND Barracuda of Lanao del Norte netted the country’s top triathlon squad a whopping P500,000 purse put up by Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron.

The competition was divided into three segments: a 1.9-kilometer swim in Puerto Princesa Baywalk, a 90-kilometer bike ride through the city’s southern part, and a 21.1-kilometer run. The grueling course covered 113.0 kilometers, or 70.3 miles.

Ironman 70.3 participants rushing from Puerto Princesa Bay

 

City Mayor Lucilo Rodriguez Bayron expressed his gratitude to the organizers, participants, and spectators for their support for Ironman 70.3. He also showed confidence that the competition will be successfully held again in the city next year as more local and foreign delegates are expected to attend.

THIRD LEGENDS RIDE 2023

The city understands that one of the most popular ways to experience a destination is through a sports event. It allows sports enthusiasts as well as tourists to better engage with local people, nature, and culture.

That happened when about 200 local and visiting riders participated in the 3rd Legends Ride 2023 held on November 18 in Puerto Princesa. The sports activity is part of the successful Subaraw Biodiversity Festival 2023.

From the starting point at Caltex Junction 3, the riders of different groups from all over the country, led by the Tamilok Motorcycle Group, marched together. The other participants were the Big Bikes, Palawan Street Monkeys, Himass Motorcycle Group/Hijos, United Sports Bike of Palawan (USP) and others on small bikes.

The route took the legend riders to Puerto Princesa landmarks such as the Montible Junction, Napsan at the Villa Francesca Resort in Simpocan, the Tala Beach Resort and straight to the Tennis Covered Court of the Ramon V. Mitra Sports Complex, inside Balayong People’s Park.

“Thank you very much for bringing the Legends Ride to our city. Because you enjoyed it, you will definitely come back here. You are always welcome here in Puerto Princesa City,” said City Mayor Bayron at the fellowship dinner at the Tennis Covered Court as he congratulated the organizers, riders, guests, and sponsors for the successful holding of the Legends Ride 2023.

Jun Diagono, president of the National Federation of Motorcycles said they are very happy with the success of Legends Ride 2023. He set two goals in going to Puerto Princesa City: first was to unite all the big bikes clubs in the Philippines; and second, to invite various groups to the National Motorcycle Convention on April 26-27, 2024, at the Subic Bay Convention Center.

Diagono also convinced Puerto Princesa City bike legend Edward Butch Chase to hold the national convention in the city next year. He also promised to bring LMFI’s 54-member bike clubs to participate in the upcoming event, including the Federation of Bikes Club based in Mindanao.

At the awarding, the youngest rider was Blu Andre Rausa, 19 years old; and the oldest rider was Bob Del Rosario, 74 years old. The Most Organized Group is Evo Riders Club Philippines and Biggest Group is Palawan Street Monkeys. A Special Citation was given to Philip Dulatas as the overall chair of the event, and a Certificate of Greatest Appreciation for the support of William Genato, Naj Abdul, and Elroy John “Clink: Hagedorn. The Living legend award was given to Edward Butch Chase.

The other participating groups were the Legends Ride are Binuang, GBC, Bandits, Baghawi Rider Club, Bundakan Motorcycle Club and Widows Son Masonic Riders Association. 2ND INTERNATIONAL DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL 2023

The 2nd International Dragon Boat Festival 2023, held on November 19, attracted teams from Chinese Taipei, Manila, Cebu and Siargao which competed in the just-concluded 200-meter event. From this series of international activities, it has been proven that it is possible to raise the level of programs and activities in Puerto Princesa.

Strength, strategy, paddling speed, and teamwork were the advantages of the 'paddlers' who won the championship in the final competition. They showed the audience a breath-taking fight. Everyone wants to get away and no one wants to be left behind. So even on a sunny day, the applause and screams from the audience were loud and clear.

In the Women’s Category, the Alliance of Masters from Manila won the championship; 1st runner-up is the Philippine Titans – Manila; Fire Dragons A is 2nd runner-up – Manila; and Rampage is 3rd runner-up – Manila.

In the Men’s Category, Mr. Canoe from Chinese Taipei won the championship. Followed by Philippine Titans in second place, Dagun Pilipinas A in third place and Alliance of Masters in fourth place. The battle in the Mixed Category was also uneventful where the Siargao Dragons from Surigao del Norte proved that they deserve to be champions. The Alliance of Masters placed second; Hongkong China Canoe took third place followed by SAG-1 from Manila in fourth place.

In the Masters Category where those aged 40 and above were given the opportunity to show their skills, the Sugbo Mighty Dragons from Cebu became champions; followed in second place by the Alliance of Masters; Rampage in third place; and Blue Phoenix from Manila in fourth place.

Praise and admiration were showered on the leadership of the Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragon Boat Federation, or PCKDF, for taking the lead in organizing the international sports event in the city. Also heavily praised were the efforts shown by Mayor Lucilo Rodriguez Bayron in the tremendous success achieved by the municipal government for the competition.

“It was not easy but we know that we can win these big international events of ours. Of course with the support of department heads, city hall employees and the citizens who are there to support what we do. And even the organizations that trust us for big events. I am very grateful,” said City Mayor Bayron. “Please also expect that there are many more activities to look forward to that will definitely make the city recognized by the whole world not only for its eco-tourism wealth but also to become famous as the Sports Tourism Capital of the Philippines!”

The holiday season is upon us, and while the festive spirit is in the air, finding the perfect gifts for your loved ones can sometimes be a daunting task. However, spreading joy doesn't have to come with a hefty price tag. In this guide, we'll explore a myriad of thoughtful and budget-friendly gift ideas that will make this Christmas special without breaking the bank.

Personalized DIY Gifts:
There's something truly special about receiving a gift that someone has put time and effort into creating. Consider making personalized DIY gifts like homemade candles, photo albums, or hand-knit scarves. These items not only showcase your creativity but also carry a sentimental value that store-bought gifts often lack.

Source: Martha Stewart's DIY Holiday Gifts 

 

Anticipating the 2024 holidays, many eagerly await the reveal of the upcoming year's calendar model. Often, people speculate about the identity of this model, pondering whether she is a beauty queen or a well-known celebrity.

Ginebra San Miguel, renowned for featuring numerous Calendar Girls, continues this tradition. Recently, at a lively media launch at The Westin Manila in Mandaluyong City, the world's leading gin brand introduced Heaven Peralejo as the 2024 Calendar Girl.

Ginebra San Miguel carefully selects a Calendar Girl who embodies the essence of the brand, and Heaven Peralejo's unwavering spirit has earned her the title of the brand's 2024 Calendar Girl.