1800 Eastwood Avenue and 1880 Eastwood Avenue are awarded prestigious certifications for leading the way in PH as ‘healthy buildings of the future’

MANILA, Philippines, June 20, 2022 — Two out of the 14 buildings under the portfolio of MREIT, Inc., the REIT company of the country’s largest office landlord, Megaworld, etched a historic milestone after each receiving a Powerful (4 stars) IMMUNE™ certification from Healthy by Design Building Institute (HDBI) – the first-ever recognition of its kind in entire Asia.

Both located in Eastwood City, Megaworld’s first-ever township development, 1800 Eastwood Avenue and 1880 Eastwood Avenue office towers were given the certifications during a virtual awarding ceremony attended by key executives from HDBI, MREIT, Inc., and Megaworld.

“We take great pride in becoming the first-ever recipient of the IMMUNE Building Standard™ certifications in Asia. We hope to make this a benchmark across all the properties in our portfolio, and we look forward to accrediting all our assets in the future. As you know, we are into township development, and creating safe working environments not only benefits the office population but also the greater community that surrounds our developments. That’s why it’s a very important step for MREIT to be taking. We are truly honored to be given this recognition,” Kevin L. Tan, president and CEO, MREIT, Inc.

The IMMUNE™ Shell & Core certification awarded by Healthy by Design Building Institute (HDBI) was achieved by the two properties after the implementation, in the shared areas of the building, of a large majority of measures included in the IMMUNE™ Assessment Scoring Index. This is an evaluation tool developed at the initiative of Genesis Property, a leading member of the European Property Federation and renowned Class-A office developer.

1880 Eastwood Avenue

Designed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and launched in 2020 by Genesis Property, the IMMUNE Building Standard™ aims to help mitigate the effects of pandemics and other bacteriological and toxicological health threats by creating and promoting healthy buildings of the future.

“The first IMMUNE™ building in Asia is another major step for the standard, and we are happy to contribute with our know-how in creating healthier workplaces for people all around the world. Megaworld has truly become trailblazers within this particular field and a beacon within Asia,” said Dr. Darren Allen, Director at the Healthy by Design Building Institute.

IMMUNE™ is based on a practical investment in a Healthy by Design System (HbDS), which incorporates a network of specialized sensors measuring the indoor environment parameters such as air, humidity, temperature, or CO2 levels, devices and available technologies, specialized equipment, dedicated personnel such as the IMMUNE™ Steward, and new amenities, promoting operational and health rules. An authorized building assessor performs the evaluation and recommends a property to become IMMUNE™-certified with one of the three labels: Strong (3 stars), Powerful (4 stars), or Resilient (5 stars). 

MREIT recently announced the acquisition of an additional four prime properties worth

P5.3-billion. Once this is completed, MREIT's portfolio will cover 18 office properties from four (4) Megaworld premier townships: 1800 Eastwood Avenue, 1880 Eastwood Avenue, and ECommerce Plaza in Eastwood City; One World Square, Two World Square, Three World Square, 8/10 Upper McKinley, 18/20 Upper McKinley, and World Finance Plaza in McKinley Hill; One Techno Place, Two Techno Place, Three Techno Place, One Global Center, Two Global Center, Festive Walk 1B, and Richmonde Tower in Iloilo Business Park; and One West Campus and Five West Campus in McKinley West.

Fill your home with popular and stylish items when you checkout #ShopeeFinds this June 23 to July 6! 

Upgrading your home is always a great idea to keep up with the ever-changing trends and to show off your personality to guests who visit your humble abode. And where else can you find a variety of quirky and functional home items? Only at Shopee of course! From trending items online, to Nordic-inspired pieces, and even home accessories you didn’t think you needed, discovering new budols on #ShopeeFinds can help everyone achieve their room goals each time they check out.

#ShopeeFinds is the destination for cool kitchen essentials, the freshest bedroom accessories, and even popular TikTok recommendations. Just type “#ShopeeFinds” on the search bar, or visit the Shopee Finds page to see the newest and hottest items in store for shoppers.

We’ve rounded up our latest #ShopeeFinds favorites to give you inspiration on how to upgrade each room:

Have a statement piece in the middle of your living room when you checkout this iron metal coffee table, which has a sleek and multipurpose design where you can store extra items for more space. Got too many shoes and not enough space? This Nordic-designed two-door shoe cabinet is a lifesaver thanks to its 2-layer shoe storage compartment where you can store all pairs of shoes with ease. Lounge in your living room comfortably with this minimalist lounge chair, designed in leather to help accentuate the look of your co-living space.   

Bring your Nordic mood board to life when you dine at home! Maximize your dining space with this foldable dining table, which can accommodate up to four people and has multiple compartments for your kitchen essentials. Feel fancy with a gorgeous lace-embroidered placemat, which you can use for fine dining and special occasions. Checkout this vintage-style fruit basket, which you can even use to take IG-worthy photos of your ingredients and meals.

Creating the perfect ambience for your bedroom is a must and non-negotiable for a lot of us. To help set a more relaxing vibe in your sacred space, try out this moon-designed night light, embossed with cute lunar details which you can appreciate at nightime. Unwind after a long day and enjoy better rest using the plush pillow cover that’s soft on the skin and easy on the eyes. Have a minimalist portable USB humidifier situated near your bed so you can relax and keep your room’s tranquility while you sleep soundly through the night.

Upgrade your usual cup of coffee into an IG-worthy one with this Nordic-inspired ceramic bamboo mug, which comes in different earth colors, a wooden cover, and a free teaspoon. This unique espresso measuring cup is designed with an eye-catching wooden handle that helps you craft the perfect espresso cup with ease. Been wanting to try your hand at latte art? This milk frothing pitcher should be your next buy as it allows you to hone your microfoaming skills at home before you share your work to the world on social media.

To make you even more excited to enhance your home, you can watch out for the #ShopeeFinds Home & Living Takeover this June 23 to July 6 to know the trending items to add in your home aesthetic. For the takeover, you can scroll through a collection of trending items and home inspirations where you can discover home upgrades and essentials that best fit your needs! 

Before you go shopping for your #ShopeeFinds, make sure your ShopeePay is all set. Checkout with ShopeePay and enjoy free shipping vouchers and cashback vouchers—cash in for free when you link your BPI or Unionbank account or use InstaPay to get up to P25 cashback on your first two cash in transactions per month. Share your budol and surprise multiple friends when you send money for free with ShopeePay Ang Pao. Don’t miss out on ShopeePay’s exciting features and rewards like Happy Hour where you can win up to 100 coins daily for your next shopping haul. Discover more promos when you visit and follow ShopeePay’s Instagram and Facebook pages.

GCash, the country’s no.1 mobile wallet app, reminded users to exercise more caution and vigilance as various online scams continue to proliferate.

Customers must watch out for “Account Takeover” wherein log-in details are compromised due to phishing scams. Scammers often use fake social media accounts and pretend to be a GCash agent offering to solve their tickets or concerns with their GCash wallets, but the ultimate goal is to steal money from the victims.

Swindling is another modus which happens when a scammer tricks a user into buying a service or product and paying for it using GCash but will not deliver the item that has been paid for. 

In light of these scams, GCash has several reminders to help ensure users can protect their accounts from fraudsters:

To avoid account takeovers, users should never give out any information about their accounts like MPINs and One-time Pins (OTP) and only transact with official channels like the GCash Help Center (help.gcash.com) or the GCash hotline: 2882. It’s also important for users to make sure they verify transactions within the GCash app to avoid giving important information to fake websites.

• To avoid being swindled online, be sure to research and read reseller reviews on the product you’re buying and who you’re buying it from.
• To avoid unauthorized charges and risks, GCash is reminding users to never share account details with other people and to always check before they tap ads or when downloading from applications they do not trust.
• GCash also urges its users to stop the practice of lending or selling their accounts to receive potentially illicit remittances from others. This is commonly called "money mule" scams. Account owners that are caught doing this illegal act can be prosecuted under the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2021.

Aside from warning its users against various scams, the leading e-wallet is also working in tandem with the National Bureau Investigation (NBI), the Philippine National Police – Anti-Cybercrime Group (PNP-ACG), and PNP – Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) to uncover online scams and apprehend perpetrators. So far, there have been a total of 17 arrested and imprisoned fraudsters.

Likewise, GCash maintains topnotch security systems and has tightened its user verification and onboarding process. From January 2021 to March 2022, the mobile wallet app has blacklisted 14,752 wallets due to “Account Takeover”, 4,609 wallets for swindling, and 923,164 for identity fraud.

“At GCash, we remain relentless in our pursuit against online scamming. We will continue to work closely with various authorities to fight scammers and  protect our legitimate users. We are constantly upgrading our security systems, as well as educating our customers so that they can use the GCash app without worries,” said Martha Sazon, GCash President and CEO.

With its #GCheckMuna campaign, GCash also empowers users to be more vigilant in the face of scams. The company also just recently introduced the beta version of Gigi the chatbot to immediately help customers with their various scamming concerns/incidents. GCash users may also visit the Help Center at help.gcash.com to report a phishing scam anytime. Fake pages will then be taken down within 24 hours.

In addition, users can activate biometrics login such as face recognition and digital fingerprint to ensure that only they can access their GCash account. To do this, they just need to enable biometrics on the settings of their device and proceed to their GCash profile. After tapping “Biometrics Log-in,” a six-digit authentication code will be sent to the device. After submitting the code, the face recognition and fingerprint can now be used to log in on the GCash app.

Committed to keeping its platform secure, GCash also implements Customer Protect Program, which is designed to help detect and prevent fraudulent activities. It also ensures users will not be held liable for unauthorized transactions made on their accounts.

To know more, visit www.gcash.com. If you need assistance or would like to report a scam, visit help.gcash.com.

About GCash

GCash (G-Xchange, Inc.) is the #1 Financial App in the Philippines. Through the GCash App, customers can easily purchase prepaid airtime; pay bills at over 1,400k partner billers; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines, even to other bank accounts; purchase from over 5M partner merchants and social sellers; cash-in and cash-out at 232k partner agent network; and get access to savings, credit, insurance and invest money all at the convenience of their smartphones. GCash is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt (Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc.).

GCash was recognized by The Asian Banker (TAB) and by the IDC in 2021 for its outstanding digital financial inclusion programs impacting more than 60 million Filipinos in the country today.

Skechers, The Comfort Technology Company, is continuing its expansion in the Philippines with the opening of its largest store in the country at Ayala Center Cebu.

Following the recent opening of five (5) locations in Metro Manila and one (1) in North Luzon, the new Skechers store in the queen city of the south, Cebu City, is in the heart of the region’s premier shopping, dining and entertainment destination, and sets the global lifestyle brand up to deliver stylish and innovative footwear and apparel to more Filipinos in the Visayas.

"We are delighted to continue our expansion in the country with the opening of our largest store in the Philippines here at Ayala Center Cebu in Cebu City,” shared Skechers Philippines country manager Sue Pasustento. “With its prime location and an extensive offering of Skechers footwear, apparel and accessories, this store will be a showpiece for the brand and allow more Cebuanos to directly experience the comfort, style and innovation that defines Skechers around the world.”

Skechers Ayala Center Cebu, biggest in the Philippines

Located on the 1st Floor of Ayala Center Cebu in Cebu City, the latest Skechers store in the Philippines features a mid-century modern style inspired design, opening the interior space to bring in the outdoors. The 3,400-square-foot store will offer a wide range of Skechers footwear, apparel and accessories including fashion product, lifestyle looks and Skechers Performance shoes for sport enthusiasts, including Skechers GO WALK, one of the brand’s best-selling categories.

Skechers’ offering is enhanced with the company’s signature comfort innovations—including its patented Skechers Arch Fit Technology™, Skechers Max Cushioning Technology™, Skechers Hyper Burst Technology™, Skechers Air-Cooled Memory Foam®, Skechers Relaxed Fit Technology™ and Skechers Stretch Fit Technology™.

Skechers' wide selection of versatile and functional apparel, which include hoodies, jackets, sportswear and shirts, as well as socks, backpacks and hats, allows consumers to dress head-to-toe in active lifestyle looks. 

Established in 1992, Skechers’ reputation for style, innovation, quality, and comfort have helped the brand expand worldwide. In 2021, the company transitioned its operations in the Philippines, becoming a directly owned operations and expanding its capital investment in the country. Skechers now has five stores in Metro Manila and seven total retail destinations across the Philippines.

About Skechers USA Philippines, Inc. and Skechers USA, Inc.

Skechers USA Philippines, Inc. is operated by Skechers USA, Inc. (NYSE:SKX), The Comfort Technology Company based in Southern California. Skechers designs, develops and markets a diverse range of lifestyle and performance footwear, apparel and accessories for men, women and children. The Company’s collections are available in over 180 countries and territories through department and specialty stores, and direct to consumers through digital stores and 4,308 Company- and third-party-owned physical retail stores. The Company manages its international business through a network of wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint venture partners, and distributors. For more information, please visit about.skechers.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

The Noble Cebu, the newest addition to the hospitality sector in Cebu City, is opening its doors to guests as the hotel sector here continues to enjoy increasing occupancy rates.

The Noble Cebu is owned by the Grand Group of Companies and is its first SERVICED RESIDENCES venture in Cebu City. It held its soft opening on June 12, 2022.

“The Noble brand is part of our expansion plan for our Grand Regal Hotel and Resorts portfolio,” says Ryan Bernard Go, president of Grand Land Inc.

Mr. Go explained that NOBLE is the company’s limited-service lifestyle brand.

“This is a new generation of affordable luxury with a focus to the local lifestyle experience,” he said. “We have seen the growth of Airbnb in our projects with travelers blending business, leisure and seeking the local experience in their place of stay.”

According to Mr. Go, they saw the opportunity in this kind of market so the company decided to develop the Noble brand.

Having a management company operate the hotel also addressed the need for their real estate buyers who are looking for someone to manage their units to gain their potential, he added.

The Grand Group has tapped the Quantum Makati Residences and Resorts to manage the Noble Cebu. The management company is a leading serviced apartment (condominium hotel) management company established in 2000 that provides high quality services to its managed Philippine properties. It has been managing service apartments in Makati and other areas in the Philippines.

Industry stakeholders have projected that tourist arrivals are now in an upswing as the government has slowly eased restrictions.

Owned by the Grand Group of Companies, the 38-floor hotel and service residences has 100 rooms, with two room categories - the Standard Deluxe Room and the One Bedroom Deluxe Room. The Noble Cebu has set its soft opening on June 12, 2022.

The 22-sq.m. Standard Deluxe Room has two single beds with cable TV, refrigerator and has free Wi-fi Internet connection. It is priced at P2,750 net per night, including free breakfast.

On the other hand, the One Bedroom Deluxe Room has a spacious 32 sq.m. area with a living room, dining area and kitchenette. It also has a cable TV, a refrigerator and free Wi-fi Internet connection. The room rate is at P3,700 per night and also with free breakfast.

The serviced residences amenities include a swimming pool, fitness gym, a themed garden and kids playroom and outside playground, as well as four high speed elevators. For fitness enthusiasts, the hotel has a fitness center and also offers a jogging path.

Its Restaurant/Roofdeck Resto Bar will be available in October this year.

In addition, it has function areas, a function room that could accommodate 80 to 100 persons and a meeting room for up to 20 persons.

The Noble Cebu is strategically located just five minutes away from the Cebu IT Park and is near the Cebu business district. It would take between 25 minutes to 45 minutes travel to and from the airport, depending on the traffic condition.