The pilot project of SFIO: Epiphany Cafe’s global expansion

EPIPHANY Café [franchise group] was born from a love of coffee and donuts. Through passion, and much dedication, Epiphany Café quickly became the gourmet donut café in Hamilton, before expanding across New Zealand through its Regional Master Franchisees, serving an eclectic selection of artisanal donuts, coffee, and more. Epiphany has now expanded its wholesale business…

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PH files new diplomatic protests vs China

PHILIPPINE Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has ordered the filing of three new diplomatic protests against China’s continued presence and other activities in the West Philippine Sea. In a series of tweets on Thursday, September 30, Locsin told the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to protest China’s radio challenges issued against Philippine maritime patrols,…

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SFIO kicks off US education road tour

Smokefree Innotec, Inc. (SFIO), a New Zealand-based Filipino company, is starting its educational road tour in the United States. The company’s chairman, Jeths De Jesus Lacson, announced that SFIO has successfully acquired Agrokings, Inc. and its subsidiaries in August 2021. This roadshow is focused on digital entrepreneurial education, giving people a first-hand education in adapting…

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PH ranks last in COVID-19 resilience ranking

THE Philippines is the worst place to be during the pandemic, according to a study that measures economies’ resilience to COVID-19. In Bloomberg’s COVID Resilience Ranking released Tuesday, September 28, the Philippines placed last among 53 countries with a dismal score of 40.2. It is one rank lower than its 52nd position in the previous…

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[COLUMN] COVID-19 scenarios

WITH the politicization of the COVID-19 pandemic, CDC preventive guidelines, vaccines, and booster shot, people are so confused and scared, and are making the wrong choices, unwise decisions, and endangering their lives, those of their loved ones and people around them. Allow me to review some proven scientific facts and various scenarios we now know…

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Lea Salonga joins ‘Pretty Little Liars’ reboot on HBO Max

TONY Award winner Lea Salonga has been cast as a series regular in HBO Max’s upcoming reboot of hit TV series “Pretty Little Liars.” According to Deadline, “Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin” is a present-day iteration of the original series with a brand-new set of Little Liars who “find themselves tormented by an unknown Assailant…

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Filipina filmmaker Marie Jamora on directing ‘Queen Sugar,’ cultivating a more inclusive filmmaker community

EVEN though the current Hollywood landscape still leans white and male, the calls for diversity and more sophisticated representations and renderings of communities of color ring  loud and clear. As the hunger for more diverse storytelling continues to pressure major entertainment brands to expand the threshold of opportunity, figures like Oprah Winfrey (who heads the…

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California reaches major milestone in spending federal rent relief dollars before eviction protections change on October 1

SACRAMENTO – The California COVID-19 Rent Relief Program marked another significant milestone with $650 million paid out to 55,000 households as the state prepares to transition to new eviction protections that take effect from October 1, 2020 to March 31, 2022. “The COVID-19 pandemic left many families without the income needed to cover their rent and stay in…

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Palace: Duterte’s VP bid doesn’t violate Constitution

MALACAÑANG has maintained that President Rodrigo Duterte’s vice presidential bid in the 2022 national elections is legal. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the statement on Tuesday, September 28, after a survey found that the majority of Filipinos believe Duterte’s candidacy violates the intent of the Constitution. “Abogado rin naman ang Presidente. Sa tingin niya, hindi…

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Following federal approval, California ready to administer booster doses to high-risk residents

SACRAMENTO – With the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorizing the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for boosters for those over the age of 65 and high-risk individuals, Governor Gavin Newsom today released a COVID-19 Vaccine Action Plan that outlines how the state will be able to immediately begin administering doses to eligible Californians, continue our equity-centered focus…

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[COLUMN] Are your debt problems getting worse every month?

IF you are searching for debt reduction solutions, no doubt you’ve been inundated with advertisements for various debt management programs, companies and solutions. The choices seem confusing to the average consumer. The truth is that every situation is different and what may work perfectly for others is not necessarily going to work the same way…

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[COLUMN] Should I buy or rent?

THE ongoing debate of real estate is — “Should you buy or rent?” The right answer is: it depends. It depends on your situation and the factors in your lifestyle, your short-term goals, and long-term goals. The real estate market is hyperlocal, meaning that the market is based on your local market, as specific as…

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PH to start COVID-19 vaccination for general public in October

PHILIPPINE President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the vaccination of the general population against COVID-19 in October, according to Malacañang. Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque on Tuesday, September 28, said that the chief executive gave his approval to the recommendation of National Task Force Against COVID-19 and vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr. to start vaccinating the general…

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