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Creamline sweeps way to 7th PVL crown, survives Choco Mucho

December 17, 2023 10 p.m.

Before a new record crowd, Creamline is back on the Premier Volleyball League throne, repelling a game Choco Mucho side in an epic 22-25, 25-20, 29-27, 24-26, 15-12 victory that sent the Cool Smashers’ legion of fans into frenzy but left the equally fervent Flying Titans’ supporters in disappointment.

Pushed and tested to the limit by the Flying Titans, the Cool Smashers showed their championship poise for the nth time, battling back from three points down in the decider with a scorching windup that has marked the team’s rise to women’s volley fame.

Coach Sherwin Meneses’ steadfast trust on the team’s bench players throughout the finals series highlighted the depth and strength that propelled Creamline to the All-Filipino crown via another title sweep.

His tactical substitutions in the fifth set paid off as Michele Gumabao, Pangs Panaga and Alyssa Valdez delivered in the clutch while the Flying Titans’ starters crumbled in the face of the Cool Smashers’ fightback after a fine display of guts and hunger in the fourth and an early run in the fifth to seize a 6-3 advantage.

But no lead is safe against Cool Smashers and the Flying Titans learned it the most bitter way as Creamline roared back to tie it at 9 on a costly Regine Arocha service miscue. Gumabao and Panaga then scored two points apiece and Valdez, who didn’t see action in the second to fourth sets, came out virtually fresh in the decider, firing five points, the last two dashing whatever hopes the Flying Titans had in pursuit of a first win in 11 face-offs with the Cool Smashers.

Creamline earlier won the series’ opener, 25-23, 19-25, 26-24, 25-22.

Half of the crowd of 24,459 fans at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, a new record in Philippine volleyball, erupted in deafening roars as Bernadette Pons wrapped up the crucial third set battle after a Creamline successful defense on Sisi Rondina’s power blast.

But the other half also burst into screams as Choco Mucho forced the decider and hollered more as the Flying Titans raced to a 6-3 lead in the fifth in a celebration that however proved short-lived.

The mammoth crowd surpassed the 22,843 fans who watched the UAAP Season 78 finals between La Salle and Ateneo in 2016.

“It’s the love for each other. Ayaw naming masayang ang pagod namin,” said a teary-eyed Jema Galanza, who clinched game’s top honors with a 21-point performance. “Our mindset was to play it one point at a time, hindi nakukuha sa mabilisan ang lahat.”

Truly, the Cool Smashers worked for every play and for every point to get back into the match with Valdez bucking a couple of foiled attacks with three straight hits and Risa Sato scoring on a quick attack and Galanza adding two more hits to force an 8-all count in the fifth.

But it was all worth the challenge as Creamline completed its amazing 15-game sweep of the season-ending conference, their second All-Filipino crown in the season as the Cool Smashers added another chapter to the franchise’s storied success in women’s volley.

It was Creamline’s seventh PVL championship – and a second straight All-Filipino feat after turning back Petro Gazz in sudden death last March. More importantly, its romp mirrored the team’s Open Conference successful title-retention drive in 2019 where the Cool Smashers won all their 20 games.

Creamline also scored a perfect campaign in the last year’s Open Conference.

Tots Carlos topscored for Creamline with 26 points while Pons and Panaga came up with 14 and 11 points, respectively.

Valdez wound up with eight markers and Gumabao pumped in five clutch points and Lorie Roberto added four points in the two-hour, 40-minute victory that also dashed Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin’s hopes for a double after steering National U to a stirring victory over fancied Cignal in the Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference finals last Friday.

Rondina sizzled with a personal-high 33 points, including 29 on attacks, and went on to capture the MVP honors, while Maddie Madayag and Kat Tolentino finished with 16 and 15 points, respectively. Bea de Leon, Caitlyn Viray and Arocha scored six points apiece.

NEWS

Katapult Digital chairman to conduct free brand-building conference in Manila on Thursday

 9:47 p.m. November 5, 2024    

GLOBAL CEO and sports coach James Michael Lafferty will be returning to Manila for a one-day business conference on how to build a top brand nowadays in the age of fast-growing technological revolutions at the Hilton Hotel Newport on Thursday.

Lafferty, the coach and personal adviser of two-time Olympian and Asia’s No. 1 pole vault king EJ Obiena, will conduct a free 2 to 4 p.m. exclusive networking talk on mastering the art of building global brands in an era of rapidly evolving consumer presence.

The two-hour free conference entitled “Building Global Brands” for a limited 30-person attendees plus a livestream availability is organized by Lafferty, who is the chairman of Katapult Digital, and their CEO Francis Uy.

Lafferty, who was recently named for the fourth time as one of the top 100 CEOs by Forbes, has held CEO positions in some of the most iconic branded companies including Procter and Gamble and Coca-Cola.

He is considered one of the world’s leading experts on branding.

Aside from Obiena, former Southeast Asian Games long jump queen Marestella Torres-Sunang was also one of the Filipino national athletes mentored by Lafferty up to now.

Uy will also discuss the Revolution of Artificial Intelligence and Hyper-Targeting and discover how AI and precision marketing are transforming growth strategies and redefining success in the digital age.

For inquiries and interested parties, please RSVP now before spots fill up: Email: roland.espiritu@katapultdigital.com Contact: +639064993789

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SM Super Pets Club offers more than paw-sibilities with new Facebook group

9:40 p.m. November 5, 2024

Calling all fur parents! The SM Super Pets Club Facebook group has officially launched in partnership with Grab Pet, and exclusive promos await! Connect with other pet owners, gain first dibs on new discounts from partner brands, and receive free consultations from veterinarians–all by joining the SM Super Pets Club.

The winning super pet and fur-parent duo pose in matching superhero-themed costumes.

The launch, held at SM Aura’s Paw Park on October 19, 2024, brought together excited pet parents for an afternoon filled with fun, bonding, and exclusive freebies. Pets arrived in their best costumes for a contest that saw both parents and furry friends show off their ensembles on stage.

Pets socialize with one another at SM Aura’s Paw Park, located at Skypark on Level 5.

Paw-syal at SM is now easier than ever with Grab Pet, which allows passengers to bring their fur-babies along for the ride.

With Grab Pet, passengers can safely bring their furry friends with them to any SM Paw Park in Metro Manila.

SM Supermalls continues to be a pet-friendly space, with this latest initiative creating an interactive hub for pet owners to share their experiences, tips, and more. Fur parents can expect more exciting events, deals, and community activities as the group expands.

Join the SM Super Pets Club Facebook group to connect with other fur parents and exchange photos of your pets.

Want to see more highlights from the launch event and learn more about the paw-sibilities that await you? Watch the video here:

https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsmsupermalls%2Fvideos%2F583719037641608%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0

If you haven’t yet joined the SM Super Pets Club Facebook group, now is the perfect time to do so. For more information, visit www.smsuperpetsclub.com or follow SM Supermalls on all social media.

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NEWS

DITO earns global recognition with 5 awards at 21st International Business Awards

8:00 p.m. November 4, 2024

DITO Telecommunity, the fastest-growing telco in the country, continues to prove its grounds as it recently bagged five awards at the recently concluded 21st International Business Awards (IBA) held in Istanbul, Turkey.

DITO won two silver awards- Influencer Marketing Campaign of the Year and Communications or PR Campaign of the Year-Social Media-Focused – for its Galing DITO 2024 campaign, which was launched early this year and headlined by the emerging Pinoy Pop boy group Alamat.

Moreover, DITO’s commitment to innovation was recognized with three bronze awards- Marketing Disruptor of the Year, User-Centered Redesign Drives Conversions Category: Achievement in User Experience, and Fastest-growing Company of the Year in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.  These awards underscore DITO’s relentless pursuit of enhancing connectivity and customer service experience for the Filipino people.

According to Evelyn Jimenez, DITO Chief Revenue Officer for Consumer Business, these internationally acclaimed awards reinforce DITO’s position as a dynamic force in the Philippine telecommunications industry.

“As a young telco, we’re honored by these global recognitions that not only validate our team’s hard work and dedication but also cement our position in the Philippine telco industry,” Jimenez said.

“The GalingDITO campaign, which champions Filipino talent and excellence, was one of our key initiatives this year. This campaign is more than just an avenue to spotlight homegrown talents but also a reflection of our continuous commitment towards empowering more Filipinos powered by our inclusive, next-generation technology,” Jimenez added.

The IBA, also known as the “International Stevies,” is the world’s premier business awards program, recognizing outstanding achievements in various industries worldwide.

For more information, check out @DITOphofficial at Facebook and Instagram or visit https://dito.ph/.

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