Sinag Maynila Film Festival now poised for its second year

Sinag Maynila Festival Director Brillante Mendoza & CEO and Founder Mr. Wilson Tieng

Since its successful inauguration last March 2015, the first set of featured films have debuted in various international film festivals. “The exposure of the filmmakers in other countries brings pride and honor to Sinag Maynila and to the Filipino Filmmakers,” says Festival Director Brillante Mendoza. As we welcome the new year, the independent film festival Sinag Maynila already has a line-up of films to be premiered this April.

Conceptualized and helmed by its CEO and Founder Wilson Tieng, together with world-renowned and internationally acclaimed film director Brillante Mendoza, Sinag Maynila gives grants to independent filmmakers so they can develop their individual material to a full-length film for public exhibition. For 2016, the festival has been opened to any Filipino independent filmmaker who wish to apply for a film grant.

Five chosen filmmakers closely collaborated with Tieng and Mendoza. This collaboration resulted in stories that reflect the Filipino culture while illustrating messages that will resonate globally.  

MRS. by Adolf Alix Jr. 

70-year-old Virginia shares the old ancestral house with Delia, her ever-loyal maid. Delia is marrying her long-time boyfriend, Rene, and tearfully confides to Virginia that she wants to go home to her parents in the province to start a new family life with him. Haunted by a past that Virginia tries to conquer—her only son Sonny Boy who disappeared years ago, what follows shows a portrait of a woman and a mother trying to juggle the sad realities of life in a cycle of life and death. “MRS.” stars Elizabeth Oropesa, Lotlot de Leon, Rosanna Roces, Anita Linda, Mark Herras.

EXPRESSWAY by Ato Bautista

A syndicate old-timer named Ben needs to do one last assignment before the boss he works for grants him his much delayed retirement. Assigned to be his partner is the neophyte Morris, a trigger-happy, sadist who yearns to impress the syndicate boss. For Ben, this last assignment turns out to be a journey of introspection, self-healing and redemption. With this awakening, he takes it upon himself to pull Morris out of the eventual hell-of-a-life he says he has lived as a hitman. “EXPRESSWAY” stars Alvin Anson, Aljur Abrenica, RK Bagatsing, Kiko Matos, Inez Bernardo, Japo Parcero, Arpee Bautista, Jim Libiran.

DYAMPER by Mes De Guzman

Three friends wait along Dalton Pass every dawn to jump at the back of rice delivery trucks to steal the goods and sell it at the wet market as their means of income. One of them accidentally gets a pack of drugs in one of the trucks they jumped and finds themselves in jeopardy when its owners track them down to retrieve the stash, and gives them a chance to get off the hook by means of taking on a risky mission. “DYAMPER” stars Carlo Aquino, Alchris Galura, Tim Mabalot, Kristofer King, Liza Dino-Seguerra, and Debbie Garcia.

T.P.O. by Jay Altarejos

Teresa is a battered mother in the hands of her husband, Miguel. When their son Miguelito starts to get hurt as violence erupts at its worst, Teresa will seek Temporary Prtotection Order (TPO) against her husband. Meanwhile, Miguel, together with their son, goes through the same long and arduous process of applying for the custody of their son on the town’s most festive and busiest day. When they see each other in the middle of the road, an accident will ensue leaving them both destroyed and at the losing end. The narrative will start repeating backwards, the truth will be revealed with scenes that have yet to unfold. “T.P.O.” stars Oliver Aquino, Mara Lopez, Micko Laurente, Menggie Cobarrubias, and Lui Manansala.

LILA by Gino M. Santos

Jess is a young woman running from her past and moves into the house of a warmhearted landlady. She finds a diary in her room that belonged to an old tenant.  As days pass, strange occurrences ensue and the diary's words take an eerie turn when Jess finds herself in the middle of a malevolent turn of events from a dark past not entirely her own. “LILA” stars Janine Gutierrez, Enchong Dee, Sherry Lara, Miggs Cuaderno, Kate Alejandrino, and Socrates Jose.

The 2nd Sinag Maynila Film Festival will run from April 21 to 26, 2016. For more updates, log on to www.sinagmaynilafilmfestival.com, on Facebook (SinagMaynila), Twitter and Instagram (@sinagmaynila). Subscribe also to the official Sinag Maynila Youtube Account: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmZPI6kPKUCsbim9e_qByNQ.

ADP CIRCLE CSR VILLA MARIA OUTREACH

ADP Philippines associate Maxine Bahatan teaches a child to read letters of the alphabet during an outreach program organized by ADP CIRCLE’s Community & Learning Pillars at Villa Maria, a community for indigenous people in Porac, Pampanga. Forty seven associates from ADP Philippines volunteered for the activity, with some of them spending their time telling stories to the children. ADP CIRCLE (Corporate Involvement and Responsibility to the Community, Learning and Environment) is the corporate social responsibility program of ADP Philippines with the objective of supporting its associates’ commitment to giving back and helping improve communities. To learn more about ADP and its Social Responsibility efforts, visit www.adp.com/who-we-are/corporate-social-responsibility. (Photo by Ian Vaño)

PLDT Smart SME Nation rolls out E-Commerce on Wheels for MSMEs

Techmobile is a caravan targeting MSMEs who want to venture out into the online marketplace.

VP and PLDT Smart SME Nation Head Mitch Locsin

Manila, Philippines - Micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) who want to digitally expand their businesses can now use a new mobile technology platform powered by PLDT Smart SME Nation.

The business IT leader recently launched Techmobile—a caravan comprised of business solutions and digital tools designed to empower MSMEs. It aims to empower MSMEs to be future-ready by optimizing and digitizing business marketing, operations, and management.

MSMEs who work with PLDT SME Nation benefit from a basic connectivity set-up for their business and consultation on which specific tools can help boost their business. Solutions include mobile connectivity bundles from Smart which are particularly ideal for MSMEs in regional areas where IT infrastructures may not be as fully developed.

Other IT business tools available are TackThis!­—an e-commerce website builder and Paymaya—an e-payment solution for faster and safer transactions. These tools are specifically designed to help MSMEs establish their online footprint.

For the month of March, Techmobiles will be deployed in Iloilo. Next stops for April will be in Negros and Cebu. During these caravans, PLDT Smart SME Nation will also be conducting Social Media for Business seminars featuring Apprentice Asia’s grand winner Jonathan Yabut. The seminar aims to participants with an in-depth workshop on online readiness for business. Yabut will also share insights and best practices on how MSMEs can utilize mobile applications as well digitizing business management and increasing brand awareness and customer base online.

“We are here to help MSMEs harness opportunities in utilizing digital technologies to make their services and operations more efficient, which will give them better chances at grabbing opportunities especially given market developments such as the ASEAN integration,” VP and PLDT Smart SME Nation Head Mitch Locsin said. “Our goal is to get our MSMEs online and encourage them to take advantage of the e-commerce space and other digital tools available like e-payment solution PayMaya. We aim to boost their capabilities as they form the essential backbone of the economy, representing 99 percent of Philippine businesses.”

Changing landscape

The business sector is perhaps the most transformed by the onset of the digital age as the latter has revolutionized the traditional ways of doing business. But unlike big companies that have the resources to acquire these technologies, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) have limited means to usher their businesses into the digital landscape.

To help MSMEs succeed in today’s technology driven world, PLDT Smart SME Nation, the enterprise arm of the country’s largest telecommunications company, has made it its mission to provide them the connectivity, support and hardware tailored to meet their needs.

PLDT Smart SME Nation helps level the playing field by making enterprise-level asset, service and inventory management tools accessible to MSMEs as well as empowering them with mobility, connectivity and online presence. By promoting the migration or the adaptation of the digital platform for their business, MSMEs can save on operating costs while maximizing the opportunity to reach their growing online markets.

“Digitally empowering the MSME sector is our way of helping boost the country’s economic and business landscape. We are committed to enabling the success of all Filipino entrepreneurs, wherever they may be, and no matter how small or big their businesses may be,” Locsin added.

To know more about how PLDT Smart SME Nation can help your business, visit smenation.com.