WATCH: Fil-Am millionaire tours the world to help others

MANILA, Philippines - A 26-year-old Filipino-American millionaire decided to take his family to a one-of-a-kind world tour after taking home $54 million from selling his mobile app to Snapchat.

Garret Gee, a father-of-two and a soccer player at Brigham Young University, is the man behind Scan, a mobile scanning app which allows users to scan bar codes, QR codes, and NFC tags automatically without the need to push a button. His invention became a global success generating $60,000 per month.

Exploring the big world with his little family. PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook/Garret Gee

“Scan started as a side project, and then, it turned out to be something pretty special,” Gee told Balitang America.

In December 2015, he and his partners sold Scan to Snapchat and split the profits.

After amassing the whooping amount of fortune, Gee decided travel the world with his family. They even created Bucket List Family, a YouTube show featuring their adventure around the world. However, Gee’s family decided to give their world tour an interesting twist. Instead of just taking photos and souvenirs from the locations, they opted to look for opportunities to help the less fortunate.

“We’ll find some anonymous way to help another family in need or anonymously give back to others,” Gee explained.

The family has explored Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and Tonga. By 2016, Gee and his siblings are hoping to come to the Philippines.

Travelling the world to help the less fortunate. PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook/Garret Gee

Interestingly, a report by The Daily Mail UK revealed that Gee and his family sold their possessions to fund their trip instead of using the money he received from Snapchat.

“Part of the reason we're selling everything we own, even though we don't need to, is so we don't dip into our savings in any way. We're going to be totally self-sufficient,' he told The Daily Mail UK.

He added: “For me, because of my family's history, there is a big feeling of being frugal and careful with this money.”

Watch his story.


-Mini/The Summit Express

11 ways to attract good luck in the Year of the Fire Monkey

MANILA, Philippines - The Marites Allen Annual Feng Shui Convention is a veritable source of auspicious ideas to meet each Chinese New Year with confidence. First held in 2006, The 11th staging of the event was held recently at The Marco Polo Hotel to usher in the Year of the Fire Monkey, which starts on February 8, 2016.

Here’s a mix of tested and innovative ways gleaned from the event on how to attract good fortune. Eleven represents the number of years that Marites — the first Filipina feng shui master accredited to date by the International Feng Shui Association (IFSA) — has been sharing prosperity tips to avid feng shui followers.

1. Know the good and bad sectors for the year. Each year, the so-called Flying Stars or energies fly into different directions bringing lucky and unlucky prospects wherever they have landed. It helps to determine those locations and to place the appropriate enhancers to boost good energies. It is just as important to install the recommended cures to deflect the negative ones.

The Annual Feng Shui Chart 2016: Numbers 1, 6, 8, 9, and 4 represent the lucky sectors that must be activated with the proper enhancers.  Numbers 2, 5, 7, and 3 are the unlucky sectors that must be weakened by suggested cures.

2. Understand the five feng shui elements. Many are familiar with those five elements—Water, Wood, Earth, Metal, and Fire. A better understanding of how they relate with each other and knowing that each element represents specific sectors and colors may increase one’s chances of enjoying better feng shui.

3. Look good in auspicious clothes. Depending on your aspirations, a unique brand of fashionable wear can help you achieve your specific goals. The recent collaboration between Frigga Charmed Life and award-winning designer Frederick Peralta has produced a classic and comfy fashion collection with exciting combinations of colors, prints, and designs that are meant to boost opportunities for many aspects of your life.

The combination of lush florals and the auspicious coins symbol helps attract money luck. 

4. Complete your lucky look with the right accessories. Attract good prospects and be protected from afflicted energies using scarves, hankies, wallets, bags, belts and jewelry designed with auspicious symbols.

5. Furnish your home with unique, luck-enhancing decors. If you find some feng shui charms too Chinesey, you will love the new line of very functional and stylish Frigga home accessories. The limited-edition displays include auspicious cushions, decorative mirrors, paintings, mantra stickers, and other out-of-the-box ideas.

6. Spray on some Frigga scents. Yes, now you can also smell lucky. The available sets of eau de toilette, room fragrances and fragrance diffusers will help enhance Prosperity, Love, Beauty, Harmony, Longevity, Happiness, Wealth and Good Fortune.

7. Carry luck with you when you travel. Whether you travel for business or pleasure, use these colorful luggage tags to help you identify your bags easily. They are designed with different luck symbols to protect you on your trips.

8. Know your allies and friends. Destiny is not always kind, and if you’re not blessed with positive energies on a specific year, you may “borrow” good luck from your astrological allies. They will help you survive a bad period. Aside from your Affinity Triangle, there is another grouping called the “seasonal combinations” that could prove helpful.

9. Equip yourself with handy feng shui references. Make sure you have your 2016 Feng Shui Almanac and Feng Shui Planner to guide you in choosing lucky days and hours for important activities. Your personal horoscope book provides helpful indications in many aspects of your life, including wealth, career, romance, and health. It also has valuable suggestions every month on what enhancers to place in specific sectors of the home and recommended fashion wear to attract positive energies.

10. Have your destiny chart plotted. This is the way to go if you want a truly personalized reading based on your birth date and hour, which sets you apart from others who may be born under the same animal sign. It uses the Four Pillars Chart of destiny forecasting that includes all elements at play for you as a unique individual. Please call 0920-9509390 for personal consultations.

11. Be the reason others feel lucky. This suggestion works all the time and never loses its charm. The universe keeps score and the things we do have a way of coming back to us in unexpected ways. Do good to others every chance you can, and let karma work wonders in your life.

- Chit A. Tribiana/The Summit Express

ABS-CBN vs. GMA: Which network is the real no. 1 in TV Ratings for January 2016

MANILA, Philippines - ABS-CBN and GMA Network both claimed leadership as the most watched TV network nationwide for January 2016 based from different ratings service provider Kantar Media and AGB Nielsen.

The Kapamilya network said it ruled last January after the station garnered an average audience share of 43% from combined urban and rural homes vs GMA 7’s 36%, according to recent data from Kantar Media.

Meanwhile, GMA claimed the network garnered 37.5 percent in NUTAM (National Urban Television Audience Measurement) in January (with the dates of January 24 to 31 based on overnight readings), up 2.2 points from ABS-CBN’s 35.3 percent.


Kantar Media: ABS-CBN tops January 2016 ratings game

ABS-CBN kept a stronghold of the primetime block hitting an average audience share of 48% nationwide versus rival’s 33%. The station’s afternoon block also garnered a 42% nationwide rating versus GMA’s 37%. The primetime block is the most important part of the day when most Filipinos watch TV and advertisers put a larger chunk of their investment in to reach more consumers effectively.

Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,609 urban and rural homes that represent 100% of the total Philippine TV viewing population, while the other ratings data supplier AGB Nielsen reportedly has only 1,980 homes based solely in urban areas that represent only 57% of the Philippine TV viewing population.

Still topping the list of most watched programs during the previous month is “FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano” with an average national TV rating of 39.8% followed by “Pangako Sa’Yo” with 31.4% which tied at second with weekend top-raters “Maalaala Mo Kaya” and “Wansapanataym.” “Dance Kids” maintained its good showing (29.8%) at third place.

Primetime newscast “TV Patrol” continues to be the choice news source of majority of the Filipinos as the only news program in the Top 10 programs of January, landing at the fourth spot with an average national TV rating of 28.7%.

Two new programs also debuted strongly in January. “Pilipinas Got Talent Season 5” averaged a rating of 26.6% while late morning feel-good series “Be My Lady” earned a remarkable 18.3% rating, almost 10 points higher than competition. “Rated K” (24.3%) and “Home Sweetie Home” (24.1%) rounded up the Kapamilya programs in the Top 10.

“It’s Showtime” (16.1%) was also able to regain the lead in the weekday noontime slot as its rival show’s rating dropped to 15.2%.

ABS-CBN also fared better than its competition in other territories such as Balance Luzon (areas in Luzon outside Mega Manila) where it scored a national average audience share of 45% vs GMA’s 36%; in Visayas with 54% vs rival’s 26% and in Mindanao with 55% vs GMA’s 27%

Kantar Media is a leading television (TV) audience measurement provider with capabilities in gathering TV viewing data in both digital and analog platforms. It is a multinational market research group that specializes in audience measurement in more than 80 countries, has 26 TV networks, ad agencies, and pan-regional networks subscribing to its ratings services.

Among its local current subscribers are ABS-CBN, Peoples Television Network Inc., The Huddle Room Media Inc., JRA Advertising (J. Romero and Associates), 720 Consumer Connect, ZenithOptimedia, Viva Communications Inc., Manprom, Philippine Daily Inquirer , CNN Philippines, Starcom, Clubmedia, Havas Media Ortega, and Media Agency groups IPG Mediabrands (Touch BPN, UM), Dentsu Aegis Network (Dentsu, Mediaforce, Carat), Omnicom Media Group (OMD, PHD and M2M) as well as Group M (Mindshare, MEC, MediaCom, and Maxus).

International subscribers to Kantar Media include Turner Broadcasting System Asia, NBCU Global Networks Asia Pte Ltd, Google Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Home Box Office (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Scripps Networks Interactive (Asia) Pte. Ltd., MTV Asia, Fox International Channels, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific Pte Ltd, CSM Media Research (China), AETN All Asia Networks Pte Ltd, Celestial Tiger Entertainment and Sony Pictures International.


GMA Network keeps nationwide ratings leadership in January

GMA continued to be the most watched channel across all timeblocks in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, where most of the urban TV households are found. Urban Luzon accounts for 77 percent, while Mega Manila increased its urban population share to 60 percent effective January 2016.

In Urban Luzon, GMA posted a total day audience share of 42.5 percent, higher than ABS-CBN’s 30.1 percent by 12.4 points and TV5’s 7.4 percent by 35.1 points.

The Kapuso Network was also largely ahead in Mega Manila with 44 percent, leading ABS-CBN’s 27.4 percent by 16.6 points and TV5’s 7.8 percent by 36.2 points.

Compared to its rival ABS-CBN, more Kapuso programs entered the top 30 programs (including specials) list in NUTAM, Urban Luzon and Mega Manila.

The reality sitcom Pepito Manaloto took the top spot in Urban Luzon; while multi-awarded news magazine program Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho emerged number one in Mega Manila and led the list of Kapuso shows in NUTAM.

Magpakailanman, Eat Bulaga, Marimar, 24 Oras, Ismol Family, Sunday Pinasaya, and Little Nanay also ranked among the top-performing programs in January.

Completing the list are Because of You, That’s My Amboy, Celebrity Bluff, Wowowin, 24 Oras Weekend, The Half Sisters, Karelasyon, Kapuso Primetime Cinema, Vampire Ang Daddy Ko, IMBG 20 I Am Bubble Gang, Wish I May, Wanted: President, Buena Familia and i-Witness.

So, which network do you think is the real number 1? Tell us in the comment section below.

Google releases Top 10 most viewed YouTube ads in PH

MANILA, Philippines - As usage of smartphone devices grows, so does the consumption of content. More and more brands are moving from traditional to digital when communicating with their target audience. Clearly, digital has changed the game and this presents opportunities for brands to get even more creative with their ideas.

Most viewed YouTube ads in PH. Screengrab from Youtube.

Take video ads, for example. Now that digital has come to play, videos are no longer just viewable on TV but has found an extended home on the internet where it can reach a wider audience by the millions. This made brands create longer storylines and get more personal and real-time feedback from consumers.

Although the power of online videos is undeniable, a more important question is, what type of video content resonates the most with audiences? According to Google Philippines Country Manager Ken Lingan, creating video content and simply sharing it on a video-sharing platform like YouTube do not guarantee views because consumers still have the power to skip ads. What really matters is the quality of the content. “Authentic story, coupled with a complete understanding of consumer passion, is still the key. The platforms may change, but what has not changed is the desire for dialogue and stories. Brands have always been one of the best storytellers and they now have the opportunity to re-fulfill this need,” he said.

To recognize the top-viewed YouTube ads in the Philippines, Google released the YouTube Ads Leaderboard for the second half of 2015. It is the first time that all the ads on the Leaderboard are local and because of this, advertisers now know what types of digital content get more attention from Filipino audiences.

Topping the list is McDonald’s Papa Na Kita #ALDUBKoTo ad. McDonald’s Philippines Marketing Director Christina Lao shared that social listening is one way to know what audiences really want. When the famous AlDub tandem became a hit, McDonald’s was one of the first brands to respond to their followers’ request. “We got AlDub because people were sending us a lot of tweets to get them as our brand ambassadors. We listened also because AlDub embodies the values and personalities of the brand.”

Nestle’s Chuckie Buddy commercial, which made it to the third spot on the Leaderboard, highlights the classic Filipino mother-son relationship where the mom takes on the role of both a mother and a friend and ends with an emotional reminder, “Minsan lang sila bata kaya sabayan mo na.”

Ramon Garcia, managing partner at McCann Worldgroup, the creative agency that worked on the Chuckie commercial, emphasized the importance of knowing what the brands stand for. For Chuckie, it’s the concept of “active play” where moms play a major role. This resulted in content that made viewers remember their own mother-child bonding moments.

Andrea Raralio, consumer marketing manager at Nestle Philippines, emphasizes the power of storytelling. “At the end of day, it is the story and the brand that the consumers will remember. It will not be about all the froo froo that comes with the ad.”

Lady’s Choice Maine Mendoza sinurpresa ang pamilya Mendoza ng Laguna! ad has a different take on Filipinos being family-oriented. Although Maine was featured in the video, it is the Filipinos’ love for family reunions that makes the ad relatable.

Eskinol’s Wattpad webisode, landing on the ninth spot, also shows a different way of extending reach via digital. Despite being over five minutes long, the ad caught the attention of the viewers because of its take on teenage love and attraction. Viewers even took their sentiments to the comment box and expressed how they could not wait for the next episode. One viewer even mentioned that it was her first time to finish an ad despite its length.

Ken further highlighted the effectiveness of authentic content and how, when married with the digital platform like YouTube, it can create a powerful impact. According to him, this impact resonates so well that the viewers cannot wait to know what’s next, turning them from mere spectators to actual fans. “YouTube was built by and for fans. If you are able to nurture that fan base, you have an amazing pool of viewers that could be your brand ambassadors.”

Here's the complete list of most viewed YouTube ads in the Philippines:

1. McDonald’s: Papa Na Kita #ALDUBKoTo (1:32)



2. Bear Brand, Nestle: Micronutrient Deficiency Edutainment Video (1:00)



3. Chuckie, Nestle: CHUCKIE Buddy (1:02)



4. Resorts World Manila: WOMAN GETS LUCKY IN CINEMA!!! (2:20)



5. Tide, P&G: Tide AlDub Commercial of Alden and Maine for Tide6! #ALDUBabaTide6 (0:52)


6. Lady’s Choice, Unilever: Maine Mendoza sinurpresa ang pamilya Mendoza ng Laguna! (2:58)

7. Jollibee: The Voice Kids I Love You Sabado! (1:32)

8. Globe: Express all your emotions inside and out with GoSurf (0:30)

9. Eskinol, Unilever: Eskinol on Wattpad: Face to Face Episode 2 (5:40)

10. Knorr Philippines, Unilever: Asim Kilig #KinikiligKumain MTV (1:01)

LOOK: Mandaluyong City gov't post signs blaming DPWH for slow-paced project

MANILA, Philippines- To express dismay over a slow-paced flood control project in Mandaluyong, the city government put up several signs blaming the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Mandaluyong City government blames DPWH over a slow-paced flood control project causing inconvenience to residents, motorists and businessmen. PHOTO CREDIT: April Rose Aquino Velasco via Top Gear Philippines

A photo sent by a certain April Rose Aquino Velasco to Top Gear Philippines shows a sign that says: “Ito po ay proyekto ng DPWH hindi ng lungsod ng Mandaluyong. Ipagpaumanhin po ang abalang dulot ng proyektong ito.”

(This is a project by DPWH and not by the city of Mandaluyong. Our apologies for the inconvenience brought about by this project.)

According to Velasco, several signs like this were put up in the city after a netizen posted a complaint about the said flood control project.

A report by Inquirer revealed that the ongoing drainage improvement project of the DPWH began as early as January 2013. Because of the delay in the completion of the project, foul-smelling stagnant water surrounding portions of Boni Avenue, Maysilo Circilo and adjacent streets has brought inconvenience to residents, motorists and businessmen in the area.

In order to address such complaints, Abalos wrote to DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson.

“While the project is owned and operated by your department, [the] city government continues to be blamed and criticized for [it],” he wrote in his letter.

In addition, Abalos urged Singson to produce a detailed plan of the project including the progress and expected completion date which he could show to residents. Meanwhile, the DPWH website indicates that the project is set to be completed by May 30 this year and about 54% of the project has been completed as of December 31, 2015.

DPWH chief issues apology

On Tuesday, February 2, Abalos disclosed that Singson apologized to him for the criticisms and inconvenience the local government of Mandaluyong faced brought about by DPWH’s flood control project. Singson also promised Abalos that he will look into the issue and will ensure that L.R. Tiqui Builders Inc., the contractor, would speed up the completion of the project.

-Mini/The Summit Express