The Curious Mom

As the Philippines marks this year’s National Sardines Day, Mega Global Corporation, the company behind Mega Sardines, the leading sardines brand in the country, honors it through a program that supports undernourished children nationwide, even as it focuses on innovations and expansions that will help drive the company move forward.

To add more meaning to the National Sardines Day Celebrations, Mega Global showcased its various initiatives that would help elevate not just the Philippines’ sardines industry, but the economy and people’s lives as well, at a roundtable event held on November 23 to kick off the celebration of the holiday on the 24th. Alongside this, it has also shared the successful results of the Mega Bigay Sustansya Program, which was done in partnership with Reach Out Feed Philippines (ROFP), reflecting its deep malasakit for Filipinos.

Marvin Tiu Lim, Michelle Tiu Lim-Chan, Chris Fernandez, executives of the Mega Global conglomerate, alongside Dawn Marie Cabigon, founder and director of Reach Out Feed Philippines were present at the event to discuss how the Mega Bigay Sustansya program will bring long-term gains to its program beneficiaries.

Mega Bigay Sustansya (MBS) is a CSR program led by the Mega Tiu Lim Foundation that hopes to give a meal planning and distribution program to over 881 children nationwide. The program has supported children in six provinces nationwide for sixty days. Children ages 4 to 12 have received house-to-house delivery of meals every day that included at least one sardines meal, made using Mega Global’s nutrient-packed high-quality sardine.

“Mega Bigay Sustansya is one way for us to support communities who need us the most. Canned sardines is one of the Filipinos staple foods throughout the years and through this program that target to feed malnourished children all over the country, we hope to use the same staple product to nurture the health of these children and sustain it through leave-behind materials that will help them prepare nutritious meals in the long run,” Marvin Tiu Lim, Chief Growth and Development Officer of Mega Global said.

On top of the updates on Mega Global’s MBS program, Mega Global executives have also shared in the discussion how they strived to continue elevating the sardine industry through innovations and the building of new infrastructures. These expansions would maintain the double-digit growth of the company in 2022, allow it to create a more sustainable avenue in producing its products, as well as create new products that will surely be a hit to its customers.

For the past 46 years, Mega Global has been leading the way in supporting Filipino communities through its investments in the sardine industry, which has provided job opportunities for thousands of Filipinos. The company continued to upgrade its Zamboanga facility, where its state-of-the-art operations, including its can-making plant and offices, are based. As part of its sustainability endeavors, it is using solar energy for its warehouses.

Mega SardinaSaya: Game Show Bonanza

Brands have depended on the same-old in-store marketing and visual merchandising to enhance engagement and sales strategies for decades: cardboards, shelf stoppers, sampling initiatives, and price discounts.

So, naturally, there is a strong desire for upgrading the shopping experience within physical stores, as customer behavior changes at a rapid pace.

Then enter the pandemic and everything about what we know was thrown under the bus!

Consumers only visited groceries that follow appropriate health safety protocols, decreased their shopping time, and prioritized only the essential categories.

There is nothing quite like the joy that the Christmas season brings! And SM is spreading even more good vibes and Christmas cheer as it unveils its newest holiday video, Ngayong Pasko, ChristmaSaya sa SM, which you can watch here

The 45-second heartwarming video, which aptly plays a re-arranged rendition of the Boyfriends’ iconic Sumayaw, Sumunod, shows split screens of families and friends happily celebrating, dining, or shopping from home via the SM Malls Online app or at SM malls, signaling that we now have many safe options to enjoy the holidays this year.

As quarantine restrictions have eased, SM malls are ready to welcome us back with safety measures in place to ensure everyone’s safety and well-being. As one of the first establishments to acquire the Safety Seal in all its malls nationwide, SM ensures that all its malls are regularly cleaned and sanitized. All SM employees are fully vaccinated and all health protocols of the IATF and the LGUs are strictly implemented for everyone’s safety.

For many of us who missed the incomparable taste of piping hot specialty dishes such as ramen or paella when dining out, SM’s new video shows us that, with social distancing measures in place, one can safely dine at one’s favorite restaurants, indoor or al fresco This is also the perfect time to Christmas shop for those high value gifts that are best bought in mall, such as gadgets and phones at Cyberzone where a salesperson can explain the latest hi-tech features to you, smart appliances that require a personal tutorial and – last but not least- shoes! One is never sure what shoes chosen online will look like when they are delivered, while a trip to an SM Mall offers an endless variety of choices you can try on for that perfect comfort fit.

If you opt to stay at home this season, SM’s ChristmaSaya video shows you can complete our gift list from home through the SM Store Gift Registry and the SM Malls Online app. It’s easy! Just ask family and friends to register via The SM Store Gift Registry (https://www.thesmstore.com/pages/gift-registry) and come up with their wishlists which can be shared through SMS, Viber, Facebook, or email. Plus, it comes with exclusive perks such as free delivery and free wrapping of gifts. You can take the kids with you to pick the gifts up at the curbside, too.

So, whether you’re celebrating Christmas from home or getting into the festive spirit by marveling at the dazzling decor at the malls, joyfully embrace the season and have a festive celebration with your loved ones, as SM’s new video happily sings: Sumayaw, sumunod ka sa indak ng panahon, makisama, mag enjoy ka ngayon!

SM implements strict #SafeMallingAtSM protocols nationwide and offers an equally convenient online shopping option with the SM Malls Online app on Google Play or App Store. To know more, visit www.smsupermalls.com and follow @smsupermalls on all social media accounts.

A change of scene is always welcome for your baby and you. If your little one has learned to walk, sourcing good walking shoes for baby is preferable. Your daughter or son will enjoy exploring the outside world on their two feet.

Equipping your baby bag with all the essentials ensures you have a memorable outing. Knowing you have all you need for your child at hand is reassuring and allows you to venture out with a peaceful state of mind.

Depending on how long you will be away from home with your baby dictates the extent of baby stuff you ought to carry. Investing in neutral pairs of good walking shoes for the baby will thrill your kid no end.

For a longish stay out, pack an extra pair of footwear for your little one. Enumerated below is a list of five items you must carry along when you step outdoors with a baby in tow.

Disposable diapers are such a boon, especially when your baby is not quite potty trained. Always cater for extras to cover unforeseen eventualities when outdoors.

Suppose you possess a foldable diaper changing station. In that case, cart it along, too, so you need not struggle with this exercise while on the move. Baby wipes make the cleaning process easy, and diaper rash cream keeps your baby out of discomfort when constantly wearing diapers.

When used diapers need disposing of, you can wrap them in disposable bags. Dirty baby clothes that are pending a wash also warrant a dedicated bag on you when out. You can then conveniently segregate these items instead of mixing them with the clean stuff.

Carrying pain relievers, ointments, and lotions is a necessity. Should your baby get hurt when out, rubbing the infected area with a soothing cream brings much relief to your kid? Equipping the first aid kit with general-purpose medicines for a common cold, fever, cough, and diarrhea prepares you to tackle the worst-case scenario.

Fresh sets of clothes for your baby are invariably needed as there is always a possibility of accidental leaks from the diaper. Babies also tend to dirty their clothes, especially when in a playful mood.

Make sure you carry pairs of baby clothes based on the weather outside. Warm clothing will make your baby miserable when out in humid conditions while adequately layering your little one keeps them snug in the chill outdoors.

Your baby will invariably have a favorite stuffed animal or soft toy that they sleep with and carry everywhere. Before stepping out, make sure you carry a couple of your kid’s favorite leisure activities.

Whether your child enjoys reading, playing with a toy, or playing games, keeping them distracted and gainfully engaged will do you good. When in a different environment, you must make your baby feel comfortable, so they do not battle with adjustment issues.

Take your charger along, so you are always connected should you need to reach out for help when out.

Equip yourself with all the requisite baby accessories, including a car seat, so you can make the most of your trip outdoors.

It’s a tradition for a lot of Filipino families to decorate their homes for the Christmas season. Some even do it as early as soon as September hits, while some do it after Halloween.

If you haven’t decorated your home yet, it’s not too late! You still have plenty of time to ornate your home with Christmas decors, both inside and outside. But before you start decorating, beware! It’s a fun thing to do with the whole family, but it’s not easy.

If you’re planning to decorate your home for this Christmas, here are 3 quick and easy tips.

Trust us, it’s going to take more than a day to decorate your home. If you still have the decorations from the past years, dusting them and making sure they’re still in the right condition can take a lot of time. Of course, you also allocate time for cleaning the parts of your home where you’ll place the decorations.

Make sure you plan ahead of time before you decide to decorate. Otherwise, you may end up spending more time decorating the home than you’re supposed to.

Another struggle when decorating for Christmas is setting the theme. Going for the classic red and green never gets old, but it gets boring if that’s all you decorate every year. A cool hack would be to search on Pinterest for new themes to try out.

You don’t have to purchase all new decorations just so you can have a fresh concept. Unleash your creativity and mix and match Christmas decors.

Decorating for Christmas is a family activity, including your kids. Get them involved, but not too involved. Otherwise, you won’t complete your decorating schedule for the day. Be it letting them hang decors on the Christmas tree or placing gifts under the tree, make it clear to them what they can and can’t do.

For the final decor, involve your youngest kid to place the star on top of the Christmas tree! It’s a Pinoy tradition and a cute little note to finish your decorating.

A well-decorated home is not the most important thing this Christmas. It’s getting together as a family and as a community, celebrating the holidays together, and eating good food together. BellaVita places great emphasis on community and enjoying the holidays together.

One of life’s necessities is having a home, but have you ever had a place you can call your own? Here in BellaVita, we will highlight to you the importance of one of our brand pillars, Sakto sa Bulsa, or in other words, affordability.

In a time of great uncertainty, a voice of knowledge and reassurance can make all the difference. "Stay home" has been the consistent mantra of the pandemic, and having a home you love where you can safely shelter in place feels more important than ever. Our mission in BellaVita, to provide a quality and affordable living experience to the Filipino people, remains true and the same especially during times like this.

Having said that, we are focused on fulfilling our mission by offering a house and lot for as low as P450,000 with a 22-square meters floor area and an average lot area of 36 square meters. It only takes Php 3,500.00 out of your wallet or bank account to reserve a unit with BellaVita. Monthly amortization for as low as Php 1,887 or just about P60 per day, cheaper than branded coffee or milk teas. Spending on your own home is a better investment, don’t you think?

BellaVita offers one of the lowest prices you'll ever see in the market. Furthermore, you can choose between Pag-IBIG or a bank to finance your dream investment.

For more details about BellaVita, please visit our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BellaVitaLandCorp)