NEWS
Maroons back in UAAP finals, face Eagles for all marbles

May 6, 2022 9:27 p.m.
University of the Philippines is back in the UAAP Finals for the second time in three seasons. Behind Carl Tamayo, the Fighting Maroons pulled off an improbable comeback against third seed De La Salle University, taking a 78-74 triumph, in their do-or-die Final Four matchup, Friday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
“Actually halos buong game we were struggling,” said UP head coach Goldwin Monteverde, who replaced Bo Perasol late last year. “It led until the last four minutes but we never gave up, ‘yung overcoming adversity. Sa totoo lang, ‘di ko maano what I’m feeling right now eh… Going into this game, everyone just decided that we were gonna fight until the end.”
UP will face top team Ateneo de Manila University in the best-of-three Finals. The Fighting Maroons stopped the Blue Eagles’ 39-game winning streak on the last day of the elimination round with an 84-83 win.
Ahead by just five at halftime, the Green Archers finished the third quarter up by 13, thanks to a 7-0 closing blast by Mark Nonoy and Schonny Winston, 64-51.
Down by 14 with 4:31 left in the fourth frame, the Fighting Maroons unleashed a 13-1 run, capped by Malick Diouf’s lucky bounce jumper, to pull his side to within two with 2:08 to go, 69-71.
Mike Phillips made a layup for DLSU on the other end but Carl Tamayo answered back with four straight points for UP to knot the game at 73 with 1:30 left.
After missed plays from both squads, Phillips was fouled with 32.2 seconds left which sent him to the line where he split his freebies to give the Green Archers a one-point lead, 74-73.
Off a timeout, Tamayo drove past Justine Baltazar for a layup and the foul, which he coolly made the bonus, to give the Fighting Maroons a 76-74 lead with 21.5 ticks on the clock.
Evan Nelle then took the shot on the DLSU side but his floater rimmed out as Tamayo secured the rebound and he was fouled with 7.6 seconds remaining. The 6-foot-7 rookie iced the game from the charity stripe.
Tamayo came up big with 19 points, including 9-of-11 from the line – a spot he had difficulty on – to go with 10 rebounds, four steals, and three assists.
Diouf chipped in 14 points, 17 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks, while Harold Alarcon kept the Fighting Maroons afloat early with 14 points, six rebounds, two steals, and a block.
UP finally halted its five-game skid in the playoffs dating back to Season 81 where it got swept by Ateneo in the Finals.
Schonny Winston’s 26-point explosion went for naught for the Green Archers. Phillips was an energy bunny, as usual, with 10 points to go with 17 rebounds and two blocks.
In his final UAAP game, Baltazar struggled with just nine points on a 4-of-13 clip from the field. He also had eight rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block against four turnovers.
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.