NEWS
Malixi sustains winning streak with Phoenix golf triumph
April 11, 2022 2:59 p.m.
RIANNE Malixi drilled in a pressure-packed three-footer for par on the third playoff hole and claimed the AJGA Thunderbird Junior All-Star crown in Phoenix, Arizona Sunday as Scarlett Schremmer wilted under pressure and missed her bid from closer range.
Malixi blew the chance of winning it in regulation with a three-putt miscue on the 54th hole for a 70 but flashed steely resolve as the duel dragged on. She matched Schremmer’s birdie and par on their return stints on Nos. 10 and 11 then took the hotly-disputed crown as the latter, who closed out with a 69 to force a tie at 207, flubbed a match-extending putt from two-and-a-half feet.
“It’s a great warm-up for me for next week’s AJGA event,” said the 15-year-old Malixi, who humbled the pros back home twice and dominated the SEA Games qualifying the last four months.
It was the ICTSI-backed shotmaker’s second AJGA title following her wire-to-wire triumph in the Se Ri Pak Desert Junior last year with her latest exploit sure to fire her up all the more in the Ping Heather Farr Classic unfolding Thursday at the Longbow Golf Club in Mesa, also in Arizona.
Nikki Oh actually made it a three-player duel after she closed out with a 71 but the two-day leader missed a birdie-putt on the first playoff hole and bowed out of the title race in the circuit for junior players seeking to earn college golf scholarships.
On their second trip to the par-5 No. 10, Malixi reached it in two and two-putted for birdie while Schremmer made it in three but buried her birdie putt. The duo then matched pars on the par-3 11th.
They both overshot the par-4 No. 12 with Malixi chipping to within three feet and Schremmer poised to send the duel to another hole after rolling her third shot closer to the cup but missed.
Malixi battled back from as many as four strokes despite a 69 after 18 holes as Oh opened with a 65 spiked a rare double-eagle feat but the former threatened to within one with a 68 Saturday.
She grabbed the lead as Oh fumbled with a double bogey on the first hole but Schremmer joined her at the turn with a 33 against the former’s 34.
Malixi and Schremmer birdied the 10th to remain tied for the lead but the former reeled back with bogeys on Nos. 11 and 14 but birdied two of the next three to regain a one-stroke lead, only to yield a stroke on a three-putt miscue on the last, enabling Schremmer and Oh, who bounced back with four birdies in the last six holes, to force a tie at nine-under overall.
“I didn’t know I was leading on the last hole. I just had a hunch that I needed just a par or better to win. I had an 8-footer for birdie but it slipped 3 feet past the hole and it lipped the cup on my next putt,” added Malixi.She said her birdies on Nos. 15 and 17 were clutch and rued blowing the chance to clinch it outright in regulation.
“The first three of my last four holes was the huge turning point,” she said while attributing her victory to her team made up of swing coach Norman Sto. Domingo, fairway coach Rick Gibson and conditioning coach Jude Michael Eslera.
“It will also enhance my learning experience so I’ll bring this to my upcoming tournaments, especially the SEA Games,” said Malixi, who will team up with Lois Kaye Go and fellow ICTSI member Mafy Singson in their title-retention drive in the regional biennial games in Hanoi next month.
NEWS
Atayde bats for moratorium on student loan payments during emergencies, calamities
March 17, 2023 9:00 p.m.
STUDENTS won’t have to worry paying their loans during times of calamities and emergencies, as Quezon City first district Congressman Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde has introduced a moratorium on the payment of student loans administered by higher educational institutions (HEIs).
The House Bill 7279, which Atayde filed last Feb. 21, headed into its first reading six days later in the Committee on Higher and Technical Education, chaired by Baguio City Rep. Mark O. Go.
He said the bill — once it turns to a law — will halt the payment of all the fees, charges, and costs relating to student loans and technical-vocational training institutions (TVIs) or by the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UNIFAST) during emergencies.
It will cover all students residing in areas declared to be under a state of calamity or emergency — those who are enrolled in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs), private HEIs, and public and private TVIs.
“We have to find a way to help our students and their families, when natural or even these man-made calamities hit them hard. We just have to make everything easy for them including a moratorium on the payment of student loans,” Atayde said. “It is a burden on a student and their family especially in difficult times like aftermath of typhoon, fire and earthquakes, among other disasters.”
“In the order of spending, student loans will be their least priority since spending will go mostly to basic necessities for survival,” Atayde added.
The moratorium shall be effective for the duration of the state of calamity or emergency and for 30 days after its lifting. No penalties shall be collected on the deferred payments.
“To provide adequate relief and protection to our students in times of calamities and emergencies, this measure shall allow the deferral of student loan collections for a reasonable period during and after the onset of disasters.”
The Quezon City lawmaker cited also the availability of the moratorium, which shall not adversely affect the status of the students concerned with regard to their eligibility for re-enrollment on the succeeding semesters or terms, or their eligibility for graduation.
“The proposed legislation doesn’t prevent public and private HEIs from implementing more favorable forms of payment relief or assistance to students affected by disasters, prohibiting students from voluntarily waiving the moratorium on student loan payments, or availing subsidies and assistance from the government,” Atayde concluded.
NEWS
ShopeePay now available as a payment method for App Store, other Apple services in PH
March 16, 2023 1:59 p.m.
Beginning today, ShopeePay, Shopee’s integrated mobile wallet, is now available as a payment method for Apple services in the Philippines. Customers can use their ShopeePay account to pay for App Store, Apple Music, Apple TV app, and iTunes Store purchases, iCloud storage and more.
The addition of ShopeePay as an Apple ID payment method offers a new way to pay for Apple services without needing a credit card and still allows for easy, secure one-tap purchasing from Apple products including iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Customers can manage their Apple ID payment information in Settings on iPhone and iPad, or on their Mac or PC.
Agatha Soh, Director at ShopeePay commented, “ShopeePay is committed to meeting the needs of users who are increasingly expecting seamless payments across all platforms. We are excited to offer ShopeePay as a convenient payment option for our customers, and expand access to digital payments, benefitting more users.”
For more information on how to add ShopeePay as a payment method, please visit https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201266 or https://shopee.ph/m/ShopeePay-Apple-ID-PH.
NEWS
Be bolder, braver, more confident at SM Supermalls’ Women’s Month celebration!
March 8, 2023, 8:30 p.m.
Ladies, take center stage as SM celebrates Women Power throughout the month of March. Lots of activities both online and on-ground are in store to empower women and girls all over the country.
Join the Future of Women Global Summit
SM Supermalls will be joining UN Women in kicking off the IWD 2023 celebration through a women’s summit on March 8, at the SM Aura Premier Samsung Hall. Focusing on the future of women in ICT, the two-part event will gather young women, country leaders, policy makers, and advocates together to share perspectives and affirm their commitment to supporting digital equality for women and girls.
Photo courtesy of SM City Lucena
Photo courtesy of SM City San Jose del Monte
Support your local Womenpreneurs
Great finds for ladies are on sale at the SM Womenpreneur Market! This pop-up of small and medium businesses owned by women for women will give you everything you need from food and beauty to wellness and fashion!
Wednesdays are for women!
Shopping on Wednesdays has become even more tempting because the Women’s Wednesday Sale is back! Achieve the glow-up you deserve with special discounts, deals, and promos on fashion, beauty, and fitness exclusively for women every Wednesday of March. So don’t hold back on your shopping; you deserve all these and more!
A beautiful treat of wellness all for you
Forda glow-up and pampering sesh tayo this month because lots of self-care deals are available at the Women’s Wellness Sale. Avail of great deals from wellness salons on facials, hair and body treatments, nail care, and massage from March 1 to March 31.
And more deals online!
Special deals are up for women via the SM Malls Online app. Get the best brand offerings every Wednesday from shoes and beauty and wellness to home and hobbies. Use the code WOMEN and get an extra 10% off, capped at 250. What’s great is that there’s no minimum purchase required!
Also, a collection of brand vouchers will be sent to all women SM Malls Online shoppers valid all month. Wait for your Beauty Pass and give yourself the retail therapy you deserve with tons of discounts, GWP deals, samplers, in-store pick up bonuses, and mystery boxes!
Plus, the SM Malls Online app will be hosting self-care sessions online. Follow SM Supermalls on social media to get a dose of starter packages, Get-Ready-With-Me routines, and beauty products that your favorite beauty experts swear by.
Photo courtesy of SM City East Ortigas
Photo courtesy of SM City Manila
Celebrate Women Power on IG!
Capture the beauty and power of women at the beautiful spots and installations all over SM. Be free to express your own uniqueness and creativity in the specially-designed selfie spaces in partnership with Selfie Studio. Don’t forget to tag us on IG!
We don’t know about you but exciting days await every SM woman. So be bolder, braver, and more confident! With these activities, you can confidently step forward in fashion, beauty, wellness, and express yourselves to make a positive impact.
Stay updated on all things women this IWD 2023 by visiting www.smsupermalls.com and following @smsupermalls on social media.
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Atayde bats for moratorium on student loan payments during emergencies, calamities
ShopeePay now available as a payment method for App Store, other Apple services in PH
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