Women power! FWD Philippines is making it happen as one of today's female triathlete/marathoner, Joyette Jopson will represent the Philippines for the FWD North Pole Marathon. This is the "World's Coolest Marathon" where the marathon is happening in a below negative degrees temperature location in the world.

During the media event, friends, FWD Philippines Executives, supporters and family members gave their full support to Ms. Joyette. Good lucks and words of encouragements comes from the squad member to FWD Philippines executives, to members and supporters were also given to her.



Ms Joyette is a triathlete, 2014 Ironman 70.3 Philippines Filipino Elite Champion, and FWD Financial Wealth Officer. She will be flying to the northernmost point on Earth to represent the Philippines in the forthcoming FWD North Polo Marathon. Imagine the cold weather, the terrain, and the challenge.

“FWD is extremely proud to continue our support for this challenging and one-of-a-kind event, as it resonates our core values of empowering people to pursue their passions and explore a lifetime of limitless possibilities,” said FWD Life Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Grimes said. “Moreover, as a Pan-Asian insurer, we are a strong supporter of Asian achievement, endurance, and excellence.”




Jopson will be joined by FWD representative runners from Hong Kong, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand, collectively called FWD Team Asia, as well as runners from around the world, in what is dubbed as one of the world’s most challenging and grueling sporting events.

“We chose Joyette as the Philippines’ representative to the FWD North Pole Marathon this year because of her indomitable spirit, something that will help her conquer the North Pole. As the first Filipina who is set to conquer the marathon, she will proudly bring both FWD and Filipino Pride to the world stage,” Grimes added. “Joyette has broken her own barriers as a triathlete, competing with the most experienced athletes in the world, and this is why we believe she is perfect to be the country’s representative this year.”



“As an FWD Financial Wealth Officer, I take to heart our mission to take care of our customers’ financial future and change the way people feel about insurance,” Jopson said. “I am truly grateful to have been chosen to represent FWD and the Philippines in the North Pole Marathon as this really will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me! Inspired by the FWD’s Get Ready to Live brand spirit, I will bring with me relentless courage and determination against the world’s harshest conditions as I aim to make my country proud.”




How extreme is the "World's Coolest Marathon"? Well, as what the Guinness World Record recognize it the "Northernmost Marathon on Earth" is a very unique and extreme marathon, it is run on a small 4.22-kilometer (2.62-mile) loop about 10 times, over hard snow or ice. This marathon is recognized by the Association of International Marathons & Distance Races (AIMS). Adding to its uniqueness, it is the only certified marathon that is run entirely on the frozen water of the Arctic Ocean.



Toughest marathons it may seems but we know Filipinos can conquer everything and Joyette, she'll the first Filipina to conquer the "World's Coolest Marathon".

Adulting, during my days it is just being mindful of the obligations in life and just simply being adult. If you lived in our time for sure you'll hear different voices from left to right. You may consider it a nag but I'm sure, for all my co-era, now you understand why.

For these generation they now call it adulting, acting accordingly and age appropriately. Here's something that I would like to share to my readers about signing your first loan and take note they are five things that should know.

For a generation largely thought of as entitled and unprepared for the real world, Millennials, currently aged 22-36, are doing better financially than people give them credit for.

As young professionals, entrepreneurs, creatives, artists, freelancers, among many, many others, living in constant contemplation of their future, most Millennials are, in fact, so passionate about and consumed by their #lifegoals, that most, if not, all their income go to paying for their first car, getting their own place, and generally, living the best years of their lives.

An equal mix of angst and excitement fueled by an almost frantic desire for independence, Millennials are ready and raring to leave the nest and live their lives on their own terms. And they actually have the financial capacity to afford it. Or do they?

Short-term loans and mortgages allow young professionals—from first jobbers to senior managers—to invest in that two-bedroom condo or that first car. But remember, it’s not as simple as it seems. If you are looking to take out your first bank, car, or home loan, better read on. Here are five things to keep in mind before you sign on the dotted line!

Work on your credit history first
If you’re planning to get a loan, take care of your credit history now. A good credit history will mean better loan offers. You won’t even have to look. Banks and financial institutions will be scrambling to give you one. How to do it? Pay your monthly bills on time and in full!

Choose your lender wisely
To avoid losing money or your collateral, go for reputable lenders like banks and other financial institutions that have good backgrounds and credentials. Their rates may be a bit high but at least you know they’re legit.

Compare rates
Don’t just choose the first bank that offers you a loan. Shop around and compare bank rates. If you do have a bank in mind, knowing the rates of other banks will give you leverage on the negotiation table.

Consider the time frame
It's so easy to just go for a 10-year-loan or even a 15-year-loan because the monthly dues will be significantly lower. But consider, too, how you will pay for it and the interests that your loan will incur. Longer payment terms mean you will pay more. Calculate that. Try to picture where you will be in 10 or 15 years. Will you still be working and earning an income? It is best to consider these things before deciding on a payment term.

Financially protect your investment and family
Who will pay for the loan if you are suddenly not able to? In the Philippines, Millennials in the workplace do not only work for themselves but also for their families. One way to ensure that your loans won’t become a burden to your family in the future is to take out short term insurance plans for the same length of time and amount as your loan. That way, you can be confident that your unpaid loans will be taken care of, no matter what happens to you.

Try to check out pan-Asian Insurer FWD Life Philippines’ Set for Tomorrow Short Term Cover. For as low as P2,000 a month, it provides a guaranteed 100% life insurance protection against uncertainties and unforeseen life risks in 5 or 10 years—the same time period as a car or house loan. Should anything happen to you, your family will have the money to pay for the debts you left behind. It’s renewable, too, should you decide to take out another loan. And when you’re ready to invest for the long term, you can convert it to a plan that can potentially grow your money through investment funds. Now that’s the height of adulting!

Want to know more? Visit http://bit.ly/SetForTomorrowforLoans or get a quote using FWD’s Cali, http://bit.ly/AdultingSetforTomorrow

 I haven't been working in the corporate world for quite some time but I'm updated that there are organizations and companies employs extraordinary individuals. It was great that it is being pushed and making an opportunity to everyone who really need it the most.

Everyone must be given a chance to prove that too can do things for the company and for the community. I am glad that I was invited to be part of the event conducted by FWD Life Insurance, the most exciting insurance brand in the country, and Humanity & Inclusion (this is formerly known as Handicap International), an independent international aid organization, which is the celebration of the beginning of Forward Together project. It aims to help young people with disabilities find employment opportunities in the Philippines and beyond.
It is an event created to help media and bloggers (me included)  understand people with disabilities through an interactive visual language activity, and escape room challenge (which unfortunately I wasn't able to join).

Through the regional partnership initially announced by the insurer in the first half of 2018, both organizations will work towards advocating equal opportunities and empowering people with disabilities in Asia. With FWD Group investing USD 1million, the Forward Together project will train at least 380 youth with disabilities in the Philippines and Indonesia and help them secure sustainable employment or business opportunities.
“FWD Life Philippines aims to end the stigma that disability corresponds to inability,” FWD Life Philippines President and Chief Executive Officer Peter Grimes said. “Through our partnership with Humanity & Inclusion, we hope to provide a platform for people with disabilities to showcase their strengths and abilities. We want to encourage everyone to help create a future with a difference for people with disabilities with opportunities to become valuable and equal contributors to the community.”

“Developing countries are encouraged to invest in youth, but unfortunately, young people with disabilities are usually overlooked in employment and entrepreneurship opportunities,” said Bryan Andrew Marsalis, Humanity & Inclusion Regional Operation Coordinator. “That is why we are very delighted to have such strong support from FWD Group in our advocacy of improving the lives of youth with disabilities. Through this project, we will work with selected employers – including FWD Group – across the two target countries to improve their capacity to employ youth with disabilities.”

 
“At FWD, we are committed to promoting social inclusion and active participation of persons with disabilities, and are very excited to kick start our work with Humanity & Inclusion,” said FWD Life Philippines Head of Marketing and Community Care Country Lead Roche Vandenberghe. “With the Forward Together project, we are enabling businesses and organizations such as ours to become catalysts for quality job creation.”

To give you a few information about FWD and Humanity & Inclusion please see below details and how to contact them.

FWD Philippines
FWD Life Insurance Corporation (“FWD Life”) is the first life insurance company licensed by the Insurance Commission of the Philippines under the new Insurance Code. FWD launched its commercial operations in September 2014. By March 2017, FWD Life is the highest-capitalized life insurer in the Philippines with PhP 2.3 billion in paid-up capitalization.1 Based on premium income data published by the Insurance Commission2, FWD Life now ranks 10th in the insurance industry in terms of weighted new business premiums.3

FWD Group spans Hong Kong & Macau, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, and Japan, offering life and medical insurance, general insurance, and employee benefits across a number of its markets. Established in Asia in 2013, FWD is the insurance business arm of investment group, Pacific Century Group. In the Philippines, FWD has 12 business hubs located in key cities nationwide with its headquarters in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. FWD is focused on creating fresh customer experiences, with easy-to-understand products, supported by digital technology. Through this customer-led approach, FWD aims to become a leading pan-Asian insurer that changes the way people feel about insurance.

For more information, please visit fwd.com.ph

1 www.insurance.gov.ph> Statistics > 2017 > Based on Paid-Up Capital
2 www.insurance.gov.ph> Statistics > 2017 > Based on Premium Income
3 Weighted New Business Premium Income: 100% of first-year premium on regular-pay plans + 10% of single-pay premiums

About Humanity & Inclusion
Founded in 1982 in refugee camps on the Thai-Cambodian border, co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize, Humanity & Inclusion (the new name of Handicap International) is an independent and impartial organization working in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster.

We work alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, taking action and bearing witness in order to respond to their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights.

Outraged by the injustice faced by people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, we aspire to a world of solidarity and inclusion, enriched by our differences, where everyone can live in dignity.

At present, Humanity & Inclusion works in 59 countries globally, with additional offices in 8 high-income countries. For more information, please visit www.handicapinternational.ph.

Just got a chance to to see again one of known chefs today and what's even great is that I was able to taste some of his dish. What do celebrity chefs Ina Gartein, Claude Tayag, and Gaita Fores have in common?(Well aside from their obvious success in the food and restaurant business.) All of them didn’t get their start in culinary school and are all self-taught savants and mavens in the kitchen. This only proves that, sometimes, you don’t necessarily need a degree from the finest, most expensive culinary school to make it in the food business.
Chef Rolando Laudico, for one, albeit graduating from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA), believes that anyone with the burning passion, business savvy, endurance, and, most important, creativity has what it takes to take their humble dishes from their kitchen counters to the tables of their very own restaurant – if they work hard enough for it.

In fact, the Philippines’ rock star chef and former host and judge of MasterChef Pinoy Edition, started his carrer in the food business washing dishes and chopping ingredients before saving enough money to get into the CIA in New York. “We all have to start somewhere, “ says Chef Lau, as close friends in the industry like to call him.

And from there, Chef Lau went from dreaming of starting his own restaurant to opening dining concepts that had made him, quite literally, a household name in the local culinary scene – Guevarra’s by Chef Luadico in San Juan and Chef Laudico Ok Café in Pasig

As for the winners of the FWD Life Philippines’ (FWD) Bucket List Contest, they all started in their own kitchens-attracted by the lure of slowly melting shallots and caramelized pork belly or perfectly fluffy cheese omelets-cooking their much loved specialty dish for friends and family. On their bucket list; Learn to create dishes that will someday wow the world. And FWD Life Philippines and Chef Lau himself are helping to make that happen for them.

In August 2017, FWD launched the Lifetime of Possibilities social media campaign to challenge the public to live life to the fullest, say yes to every possibility, and start working on their bucket lists. The pan-Asian Insurance company – with office in Hong Kong and Macau, Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines – partnered with experts in different fields: Coach Jim and Coach Toni Saret for Fitness, Doms Lim and PErci Intalan for filmmaking, Casa Escondida Anilao Resort & Dive Center for Scuba Diving, and Chef Laudico for Culinary to help them take their first step to achieving their bucket list goals.

Thousands heeded the call,posting pictures of their own #FWDBucketLIstMoment on Instagram and joining the contest on Facebook. Prizes are actual experiences of taking that first step to fulfilling their bucket lists, whether it’s a one-on-one with a Chef, a film making workshop, a fitness session, or a trip of the lifetime they’ve always wanted and treat every Day as a new adventure because FWD has their backs, covering them for a lifetime of possibilities.


The Culinary Bucket List event was held at Guevarra’s by Chef Laudico in San Juan, the bucket list winners were asked to bring their signature dish, to be heated, finished and presented to Chef Lau at the restaurant a la Masterchef. After the presentation, the winners had a chance to pick the brains of the rockstar chef and get valuable tips about home cooking, as well as starting their own brand as “chefs” over a hearty Guevarra’s breakfast.

The exclusive mentoring with winners was then followed by a media event, where Chef Lau presented the new and improved signature dishes of the winners, before presenting his very own FWD Dish, a brighter and more vibrant twist to Chicken Pyanggang, a Tausug chicken delicacy marinated in burnt coconut and tossed with vegetables.

“When I was asked to create a dish that ‘s surprising, innovative, and different like FWD, I immediately thought of Chicken Pyanggang, which I tried recently during a trip in Mindanao,” Chef Lau says. “Cooking chicken in burnt coconut in itself is very surprising and very unique to how Filipinos are used to eating poultry. To take that Tausug dish and make it more vibrant is even more interesting and refreshing. It’s pushing the boundaries of flavours and spices, the way FWD is encouraging people, like our bucket list winners, to push their boundaries and go out of their comfort zones.”

To know more about FWD’s bucket list adventures, visit www.fwd.com.ph, like Facebook/fwdlife.ph, and follow @fwdlife_ph on instagram. #FWDLifetimeOfPossibilities #FWDBucketListMoment #GetReadyToLive