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Maxxis offroad beasts that are as tough as your rig, SUV

December 13, 2021 2:28 p.m.

Your SUV will encounter different kinds of obstacles, on and off the road.  That’s why it’s important to invest in tires that live up to the demands on the vehicle. Tires will take a lot of punishment and have to keep up with the purpose of the vehicle.

SUVs on Philippine roads, particularly, have to deal with potholes and a lot of road hazards on city roads, and mud, rocks and uneven terrain in the countryside. Not many realize it but a puncture-resistant, heavy duty construction is an investment in value as these make them ultra-durable and will take a long time and a lot of abuse before they succumb to wear and tear.

These choices from Maxxis are all engineered and reinforced to resist punctures and wear so they last longer despite being subjected to punishing conditions. There’s a tire that can keep up with the tough life of your SUV, on the country roads and on city streets, and it’s bound to be one of these:

The RAZR MT772 is made to meet a different kind of challenge: being discreet and silent on city pavements while not compromising on performance. The first thing off roaders will notice with the RAZR MT772 is that there is definitely something missing: the tire noise.

Quite surprising since all the other specs of the RAZR MT772 read like what you would expect of a road warrior: it’s puncture-resistant and has deeply staggered shoulder blocks to ensure additional traction on tough terrain. A novel and sturdy sidewall design maximizes sidewall traction and adds to puncture resistance.

No doubt these would come in handy in the rough roads, but you will thank the tread design that ejects stone and mud when your wheels arrive clean as a whistle as you roll into the city after a weekend in the countryside.

The Trepador series, on the other hand, is all business. It is road-legal, of course, but you have to treat the Trepador M8060 with respect. It’s the choice of professional racers and championship rallies, now made accessible to mere mortals. It expects to be punished on rough roads so it’s made using a heavy-duty ply construction with composite material-belt reinforcement to make it resistant to punctures.

 A multicurve tread siping can grip both loose dirt and wet surfaces because the unique arrangement of the tread creates even contact with the surface and hangs on to the surfaces even as this varies from terrain to terrain.

The Trepador M9060 is also reliable on all types of extreme terrain, wet or dry. Aggressive directional treads with deep-set lugs let you shed mud on the dirt road. It’s also composite material-reinforced so it extends tread life. Good for unpaved roads and off-road trails, it delivers sports traction and endurance yet never compromises on safety.

The Bighorn MT764 also has a motorsports pedigree. Created to frolic in the mud, it has the “eagle claw” – a dual-stage tread design that grips mud extra hard, but sheds it just as easily, making it practically self-cleaning.

You know The Bighorn MT764 is made for the mud just by looking at it: the treads are extra-large and deep, and the lugs on the shoulder are pronounced, giving it sidewall traction on dirt roads. A nylon-cap ply and G-buttresses spit out stones and repel sharp objects, prolonging its life on the road.

Rounding out the choices for hardworking SUV tires is the Creepy Crawler M8090, so named because it practically bites the surface with wraparound square shoulder lugs that are hard to ignore. These provide extra grip as you try and get out of deep ruts and uneven surfaces, and cleans itself as it goes. And there’s plenty of these deep, multi-edged lugs on the Creepy Crawler M8090.

So what do all these choices have in common? Performance, safety and prolonged life – all you’ll ever need to consider w

hen fitting your SUV for the action it’s bound to encounter.

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.

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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.

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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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