MANILA, SEPTEMBER 18, 2019 - TikTok, the leading destination for short-form mobile video, has partnered with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the world’s largest humanitarian network, to launch the #ForClimate challenge, injecting new vitality into IFRC’s #FacesOfClimateChange global initiative.

From September 16th to 30th, TikTok users can raise awareness of climate change by using three specially designed stickers depicting extreme weather conditions: Rainstorm, Snowstorm and Global Warming. 

In addition, TikTok users can also take part in an interactive quiz where they can test their knowledge on environmental protection and share actions they have done to help end the climate crisis. The quiz consists of 15 questions including “"Should plastic bags be banned?" “"Will you buy used goods?" and beyond.

Dr Jemilah Mahmood, IFRC’s Under Secretary General for Partnerships, said:

“TikTok’s social platform is perfect for getting a serious message across in a way that’s thrilling, inspiring, and energetic. We’re looking forward to seeing young people bring their stories to a global audience.”

Dr. Mahmood also shared her video #ForClimate on TikTok

The IFRC official account on TikTok has also released a series of official videos of global volunteers and staff.

#ForClimate is a global campaign and users from 100+ countries and regions, including United Kingdom, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Russia, Poland, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Brazil, Mexico, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and more can participate.

“TikTok's global community allows users to express their creative ideas through short videos. We’re thrilled to partner with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on the #ForClimate challenge, which empowers our community to creatively show their commitment to climate change and raise awareness for the importance of protecting our planet,” said Helena Lersch, Director of Public Policy, TikTok.

By offering a home for creative expression and an experience that is genuine, joyful, and positive, TikTok is a great platform for driving initiatives on social responsibility. There has already been a series of “TikTok for Good” campaigns such as #SaveOurOceans demonstrating how TikTok users are taking action to protect the planet.

On 22 September, a TikTok representative will join hands with IFRC to present at the 2019 UN Climate Change Summit. Download or open the TikTok app to creatively express your support for #ForClimate.

About TikTok

TikTok is the leading destination for short-form mobile video. Our mission is to inspire and enrich people’s lives by offering a home for creative expression and an experience that is genuine, joyful, and positive. TikTok has global offices including Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo. www.tiktok.com.

About IFRC

IFRC is the world’s largest humanitarian network, comprising 190 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies working to save lives and promote dignity around the world.

www.ifrc.org - Facebook - Twitter - YouTube

Makati City—June 03, 2019—Every year, roughly one-third of the food produced for human consumption—around 1.3 billion tons gets wasted, says a report released by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN). Of these food items, fruits, and vegetables, plus roots and tubers, have the highest wastage rates.



Similarly, food wastage is becoming a public concern in the Philippines, especially that every day, the country discards around 987,952 kg of rice, a staple in every Filipino meal, according to the latest PSA data.

To curb this pressing concern, Beko Philippines urges Filipinos to avoid food wastage, starting from simple habits to develop when preparing meals at home.

Following its goal to prioritize healthy living, Beko listed some clever habits to manage leftovers, while ensuring that you still provide all the nutrients needed by your family: 

Monitor Food Consumption 

Monitoring food consumption during meals can prevent having any leftovers. By doing so, you also promote a well-balanced diet by giving your family just the right portions of each food item that has essential nutrients needed by the body.



To make it easier, it pays to check out the “Pinggang Pinoy,” an easy-to-understand tool released by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). This visual food guide contains the recommended

food portions, aiming to lead Filipinos in consuming the right amount of food for a healthy and balanced diet daily.

Transforming Leftovers to Gourmet Dishes 

Despite trying to prepare just the right amount of food for your family, circumstances happen that leaves food on the table—this is where the fun begins. Whip up a better version of a recipe by mixing the right kind of remaining ingredients.



Keep it simple. Salads and soups are a popular way to manage leftovers. Mix favorite pieces of leftover meats, fish, and choice of crops. Aside from the flavor, these dishes contain nutrients, depending on the ingredients. Also, always remember that being creative in the kitchen doesn’t mean stressing yourself over a new creation.

Like the creation of new dishes, transforming leftovers makes for great appetizers. Kids often leave vegetables untouched because of its blandness. Present in a way that makes it appealing. Use tasteless stalks of leafy greens as a base for smoothies and such. You can also boost its nutritional content by adding black beans, lentils, and quinoa for a filling breakfast.


Store Fresh Produce Properly

You can never go wrong if you know how to store fresh produce in your fridge properly. Improper storage of produce leads to early spoilage. Certain organic compounds, like ethylene gas, contribute to the early maturity of fruits. This type of emission is common in fruits, such as bananas, strawberries, avocados, and mangoes.


You can cover the tips of bananas and keep strawberries in the fridge to slow down their ripening. It is also recommended to separate these types of fruits from the other ethylene-sensitive produce like potatoes and vegetables to avoid spoilage and food waste.

Follow the FIFO Method

Keep your fridge well-stocked but don’t go overboard. Organize your refrigerator to oversee the quality of fresh food and leftovers. You can also try the “First in, First Out” (FIFO) method to avoid food spoilage.

In addition, the features of your fridge can help you in storing leftovers properly. For instance, you can manage them through the Everfresh+® feature of RCNT415E50VZWB, a wooden black finish, bottom mount, inverter refrigerator by Beko Philippines. This refrigerator provides a decent space in its special crisper compartment for storing leftovers that can be used in the next meal plan. Beko’s EverFresh+® technology regulates and controls humidity inside the crisper compartment that aids to prolong the shelf life of the produces, thus preserving its fresh and crisp qualities for up to 30 days.



That’s why the crisper also has Beko Active Fresh Blue Light™ technology that promotes continuous photosynthesizing of your leafy vegetables, keeping it greener and crispier.

Leftovers may emit certain scents. The RCNT415E50VZWB with its IonGuard® technology removes odors in your fridge by circulating negative ions that remove bacteria and other odor-causing particles.

The refrigerator also features NeoFrost™ dual cooling technology that has two separate cooling systems, where you can maintain high humidity in the fridge while keeping the freezer dry, frozen and frost-free - retaining freshness and healthiness of the food.

Finally, RCNT415E50VZWB has Beko ProSmart™ Inverter Compressor. This technology enhances the cooling efficiency of the refrigerator to maintain an even temperature inside, which keeps produces fresher for longer without consuming much energy and electricity, while the compressor remains silently running.

Try developing these habits and, you might just realize that managing your leftovers could unleash the creative chef in you and may not be that big of a task after all!

When it rains, it pours. Yes! It's official, rainy days are here, and this is a perfect time to shop when discounts are pouring in allowing you to save by the bucketful.


Get ready to shop to your heart’s content at the most anticipated sale event of the year. Metro Creative Themes Inc. once again presents the MEGABRANDS & LIFESTYLE SALE happening this July 5, 6 and 7 at the Megatrade Hall 1, 5th level of SM Megamall Building B.
This 3-day midyear back-to-school sale will feature shoes, leather goods, athletic wear, bags, apparels, personal items, fashion and gadget accessories among others.

MEGABRANDS such as REEBOK, DIADORA, SKECHERS, PONY, SAUCONY, SPERRY, MERRELL, TRIUMPH, UMBRO are offering items with up to 70% discount.
But there’s more- CASE LOGIC, EUROPAK, PIERRE CARDIN, KEDS, GRENDHA, ITALIANOS, ROCKFORT are just some of the participating brands that will offer marked down items at prices that you can’t resist. What’s even more amazing is that ADMISSION is FREE!
With huge discounts on branded items and with major cards accepted, you have all the reasons to shop wisely at the Megabrands & Lifestyle Sale this weekend!


For inquiries and more information please get in touch with MCT Inc. through Jonathan Roxas at 0917-5365473 or Vilma Baculot at 09171633597.
Follow Metro Creative Themes on Facebook for updates!

Introduction

What is P2P Lending?
P2P lending, which stands for peer-to-peer lending, is also known as social lending. This is considered as a system that allows a borrower and a lender to administer direct loan processes. There are a number of P2P lending companies that offer numerous kinds of loan investing opportunities. Moreover, if you are planning to get involved with P2P lending, it is important that you understand the different risk profiles and return of each agreement.

Do note that P2P lending has processes that are quite different as compared to that of a bank loan. When you acquire a loan from a bank, the bank will use its own assets to process your request. This means that the deposits made into the customers’ accounts are used to fund the loan.

On the other hand, P2P lending allows borrowers to be matched directly with an investor through a lending platform. The investors can easily see and select which of the loans they want to fund. Most of the times, those who avail of a P2P loan would want to finance the operations of their small businesses or would want to borrow money for personal purposes.

There are a number of P2P lending platforms that are subjected to certain restrictions. Moreover, there are also P2P lending companies that are open to every individual who can meet the account minimums. There are also some who are only open to qualified purchasers and accredited investors. With that in mind, it is important to assess your current standing before choosing one of the many P2P lending companies that are available in the market.



Top P2P Lenders in the World

If you want to ensure that your lending process is secure, one tip would be to choose a well-known P2P company. Typically, these are those that have already gained the trust of both lenders and borrowers.
Here are some of the top P2P lenders in the world. You can very well check out their services and requirements to see if they are a good fit for you

Zopa

Zopa was first founded in 2005. In fact, the whole process of P2P lending started with Zopa. Today, it is considered as one of the largest and oldest P2P lending company. What’s most surprising is that this company was one of those who have survived the 2008 Financial Crisis.

Zopa has about 75,000 active investors who have lent over an amount of £3 billion to its borrowers. One of the best things about Zopa is that it is easy to use considering the fact that it as only two simple investment choices – standard and ISA.

Rate Setter

Rate Setter was established in October 2010. It is considered by most as one of the safest and most secure P2P lending platforms in the world. The investment options offered by Rate Setter are very basic. However, it is highly advisable that you acquire a watchful eye so that you can easily monitor the return rates.

Mintos

Mintos is a huge loan aggregator. It offers numerous loan options that range from business, personal, property, and cars. Do note that these are underwritten through various European finance companies.

Lending Club

With Lending Club, an investor can easily acquire a dramatically high return. However, do note that there are a number of requirements to be fulfilled by an investor. When it comes to the Lending Club, always remember that the higher the risk, the higher the potential reward.

Nonetheless, the interest rates of Lending Club are safe and its fixed-income investments are sitting generally at below 1%. There is a 25$ minimum investment with an average return of 5.06% up to 8.74%.

Prosper

Prosper P2P Lending has been around for over 13 years. Thus, you can guarantee that lending and borrowing money from them is safe and legit. In addition, Prosper has also been BBB accredited with an A+ rating for the last 7 years.

What are the Risks of P2P Lending?
Despite ensuring that the company is a legitimate P2P lending firm, it is always crucial that you understand the risks present in the process of P2P lending itself.

The borrower doesn’t pay

This is one of the most common and obvious risks in lending money. When a borrower does not pay, it could mean that you have lost the money you invested in that loan. Thus, it is important to look for a platform that guarantees safety features like a Buyback Guarantee.

Buyback guarantees mean that the loan originator, which is the P2P lending firm, will buy the loan from you. You will get the accrued interest in addition to the principal amount. With this safety feature, you get some kind of protection in exchange for a premium.

The value of the collateral went down

For those who invest in loans that are secured by collateral, the loan-to-value is crucial. This is the ratio between the loan amount and the market value of the collateral. Remember, loans that are at least 70% or less of the collateral value is deemed secure.

The loan originator or platform goes out of business

Another common risk that may arise with P2P lending is when the loan originator or the P2P lending company goes out of business. This is why it is important that you pay attention to the company history of a P2P platform.

How to Reduce the Risks in P2P Lending

With all of these risks present in a typical P2P lending transaction, you may start to wonder if there are certain ways to avoid it. When it comes to lending, risks will always be present. The best way that you can get the most out of a P2P lending transaction is to reduce the chances of it ever happening; here’s how!

• Understand the P2P platform that you are using
• Do not go overboard and lend your entire savings on one P2P platform
• Split your money among different P2P platforms
• Choose the borrower wisely and perform proper research
• Stay invested and be cautious

Step-by-Step Process of P2P Lending

Step 1: Ask yourself if you have money to invest
Of course, you have to ask yourself if you have enough money to start investing in P2P platforms. This is why one of the most common advice given to those who wish to invest in these transactions is to only invest an amount of your savings or income.

Step 2: Choose a P2P platform of your choice
Ever since the launch of Zopa, there have been a number of P2P platforms in Europe and America. Each of these platforms offers various services at different rates. As a lender, you have to understand what each platform offers, so you can effectively choose which among them is the perfect fit for you.

Step 3: Learn how the P2P platform works
The first two steps are self-explanatory. To guarantee that your P2P lending experience is a success, you only have to perform proper research and ensure that you understand how the P2P platform of your choice works.

Once you have chosen a P2P platform, here are the possible succeeding steps to be followed. Of course, these would vary depending on what platform you choose.
Send the necessary documents as part of your signing up process.

• Make an initial deposit in order to have your account be activated and approved.
• Make a small initial investment to test the waters.
• Withdraw a small number of your earnings to test the withdrawal process and ensure that the P2P platform is a legit firm.
• Explore and learn about different loan types offered by the P2P platform.