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4 shopping steps for a new car

PHOTO FROM RCBC

RCBC LISTS a useful guide for people on the prowl for a new car. “If you’ve had it with asking family members or friends for rides or taking public transport daily to get to work, buying your own car is the wise and practical solution,” said the company in a release, and added that the process is not as straightforward as when buying a new pair of jeans or a gadget, but “it is not as complicated as (one) might think either.”

LOOK AROUND
The first step is knowing which car is right for one’s needs and budget. Check the websites of different car manufacturers or dealerships in the Philippines. Are you eyeing a sedan for your daily drive to work, an SUV for navigating rough terrains and harsh driving conditions in the metro, or a dream sports car now that you can afford it? Go online for more information about the car’s selling price, features, reviews, and dealer options. Some websites even have filter functions where you can check by car price, make, model, trim, color, and more. Use these tools to your advantage so you can trim down your list. Ask someone who already owns the car model you’re planning to buy, and get feedback on its performance and ownership experience.

Visit a car dealership to inspect the actual unit yourself. Don’t be afraid to ask direct questions about the car or even about financing. Inquire if there are dealer-installed options or add-ons like car covers, floor mats, dash cams, early warning devices, or preventive maintenance service vouchers. These are very practical and useful car accessories that would help keep your vehicle is in top shape and ultimately ensure your safety as a passenger and driver.

INSPECT AND TEST
This is very important, especially when buying a used car. Aside from seeing the actual unit in person, you should conduct a thorough check to spot any red flags. Make sure to check the tires, the paint quality, and the engine. Look for any inconsistencies, touch-ups, or any car component that’s not working properly. After the visual inspection, take the car for a test drive. See how you or your family fit in the car and how it handles traffic jams, tight spaces, and different roads. Check the entertainment features, cargo space, and the driving and riding experience.

CONSIDER A CAR LOAN
After conducting research and deciding on a car, it’s time to determine how to pay for it. Because a car is a significant expense, most Filipinos opt for a car loan to spread the payments and make a car purchase more affordable. The most common auto loan term is 60 months, and the down payment is usually 20%. You can take out a bank loan or apply for one through the car dealership. Car dealerships also offer in-housing financing for car buyers.

Research which lender is right for the purpose. Opt for a quick and easy auto loan application, whether you’re planning to buy a brand-new or pre-owned car. RCBC Auto Loan promises low down payment, affordable monthly installments, and flexible terms of up to five years. You can customize your RCBC Auto Loan according to your needs. For brand-new cars, for instance, you can enjoy low monthly amortizations and free one-year insurance.

As an exclusive treat this holiday season, RCBC offers free chattel mortgage for all auto loan borrowers. The promo is until Dec. 31, 2022 only. For pre-owned cars, on the other hand, you can borrow from P200,000 with a 30% down payment and enjoy a repayment period of 12 to 48 months.

REVIEW THE LOAN CONTRACT
The car purchase price is one of many things that make a good car deal. Make sure to look at your car loan’s repayment period, interest rate, and even intangibles like customer service and convenience. If everything’s good, then it’s time to close the deal. Sign the papers and make your car purchase official.

For more information on the RCBC Auto Loan, call (+632) 8877-7222.

Global coffee surplus expected next season

FREEPIK

NEW YORK — The global coffee supply balance will shift from a deficit of 2.17 million bags in 2022/23 (Oct-Sept) to a surplus of 3.74 million bags in 2023/24 as Brazil’s output partly recovers, according to a report by consultancy HedgePoint.

It projected Brazilian 2023/24 (April-March) coffee production to be between 64.9 million bags and 68.9 million bags, compared to 59 million bags projected for 2022/23.

HedgePoint coffee analyst Natalia Gandolphi said in the report that despite a Brazilian recovery next season compared to the two previous crops, which were impacted by frosts and drought, production will still be 14% smaller than the 2020/21 record of 72.6 million bags.

Ms. Gandolphi said many coffee fields in Brazil are still recovering after pruning. The consultancy projects Brazil’s 2023/24 arabica coffee production between 44.4 million bags and 46.4 million bags, versus 36 million bags in 2022/23.

Robusta coffee output is expected to be between 20.5 and 22.5 million bags compared to 23 million bags in 2022/23.

The report said that despite a global surplus in 2023/24, the stocks-to-use ratio will improve only slightly since global inventories are expected to remain historically low, particularly during the second quarter of next year.

Only a few estimates for Brazil’s new coffee season have been released so far. Dutch bank Rabobank expects production to grow at least 8% to 68.5 million bags, while consultancy SpillingTheBeans expects between 50 million bags and 56 million bags. — Reuters

Balenciaga’s controversial new campaign and the long history of ‘shockvertising’

KIM KARDASHIAN is refining her personal brand. Right-wing news outlet Fox TV is gaining viewers through attention-grabbing headlines. Photographer Gabriele Galimberti is gaining notoriety. All this is due to a recent advertising campaign from leading global fashion brand Balenciaga that has caused widespread controversy.

One photograph shows a child in a string vest holding a bondage gear-clad teddy bear. Another shows a handbag resting on paperwork about child abuse. Balenciaga responded to the backlash to its campaign by issuing an apology that blamed the set designers and photographers for the uncomfortable messages. It has also filed a $25 million lawsuit against the campaign’s producers. (It has since dropped the suit. — Ed.)

As an expert in branding who has worked in advertising for over 25 years, I am wary of Balenciaga’s responses. All major brands have people in place to approve these types of advertising campaigns. The approval process would be especially comprehensive for a brand like Balenciaga, which spends around $100 million a year on publicity.

Advertising is, of course, designed to get attention. According to the University of Southern California, urban consumers see more than 5,000 advertising messages a day but remember only three or four. Brands invest a lot of money with the goal of becoming one of those memorable ads.

One technique used to achieve that goal is “shockvertising” — an advert that “deliberately, rather than inadvertently, startles and offends its audience by violating norms for social values and personal ideals.” Fashion brands such as Benetton, Calvin Klein and FCUK have all created shocking ads resulting in free media coverage that benefited the brand and those associated with it.

From the 1970s through to the early 2000s, Italian clothing brand Benetton created simple photographic adverts that featured controversial topics. A priest and a nun kissing. A black woman nursing a white baby. A man dying of AIDS surrounded by his family.

These adverts, placed in popular magazines and on billboards, were designed to attract attention. The dying man imagery, for example, was published as news broke that AIDS had become the leading cause of death for young men in the US. The campaign’s creator Oliviero Toscani became world famous and Benetton an even more popular global brand, although it later severed ties with the photographer.

In the early 2000s, French Connection launched a campaign around the acronym FCUK (French Connection United Kingdom). Its slogan “FCUKinkyBugger” caused Britain’s advertising watchdog, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), to respond to 132 complaints from the public. French Connection reacted by putting the sign “Sorry FCUK” in its store windows, attracting even more young consumers to their high street stops and increasing sales from £6.4 million to £19 million.

In 1980, Calvin Klein released adverts featuring the very young supermodel Brooke Shields modelling the brand’s jeans while saying: “Do you know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.”

The print and TV ads placed the 15-year-old in sexually provocative positions and caused an uproar with the public. In the US, ABC network stations banned the TV commercial. However, due to the controversy, Calvin Klein boosted sales and Brooke Shields’ career took off. She has since appeared on over 300 magazine covers internationally and starred in Hollywood films.

As these examples demonstrate, people associated with a shockvertising campaign can take advantage of the news it generates to further their own interests.

Kardashian, who has been something of a muse for Balenciaga in recent years, published a reaction on her Instagram to the controversial campaign. This allowed her fanbase to voice their opinions on the matter, an example of Kardashian using controversy to build up her personal brand.

Galimberti, who photographed some of the most controversial images in the Balenciaga campaign, stated: “I was not entitled in whatsoever manner to … choose the products, nor the models, nor the combination of the same.” He has since given several interviews to mainstream media, bringing his name to an even bigger audience and, potentially, the opportunity to gain new clients.

Balenciaga did not respond to our request for comment on whether the campaign may have intentionally courted press coverage. The brand’s creative director Demna Gvasalia, however, issued a public statement on Dec. 2 taking personal responsibility for the campaign.

“As much as I would sometimes like to provoke a thought through my work, I would NEVER have an intention to do that with such an awful subject as child abuse that I condemn,” he told his Instagram followers. “It was inappropriate to have kids promote objects that had nothing to do with them.”

Shockvertising strategies allow adverts to be seen by millions of potential consumers despite being aired for only a limited amount of time before being taken down. As the current Balenciaga controversy demonstrates, the way to make paid advertising work harder is to get it talked about for free. — The Conversation via Reuters Connect

 

Carl W. Jones is a Course Leader and Senior Lecturer at the School of Media and Communication, University of Westminster.

Meralco hopes to secure power deal within the week 

MERALCO.COM.PH

MANILA ELECTRIC Co. (Meralco) hopes to seal a contract for emergency power supply within this week after a unit of San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp. notified the electricity distributor that it will cease supplying under their previously agreed contract.

“We’re trying to rush the contract and to close the deal as soon as possible, hopefully, [by] next week,” Meralco Vice-President and Head of Utility Economics Lawrence S. Fernandez said during a briefing on Friday.

Meralco has secured a certificate of exemption from the Department of Energy (DoE) from the competitive selection process (CSP) for the supply of 670 megawatts (MW) of power after SMC Global Power’s unit, South Premiere Power Corp. (SPPC), issued the notice of cessation effective Dec. 7.

The power distributor has said that so far, the company had negotiated with Aboitiz Power Corp., which offered 300 MW of capacity and only for two months or until Jan. 25.

Meralco has been trying to secure emergency power supply agreements (EPSAs) after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) rejected its joint petition with SMC Global Power, the power arm of San Miguel Corp. (SMC), for a rate increase, saying it had no basis as the agreement is a fixed-rate contract.

“We’re guided by the CSP guidelines of the DoE. Under the guidelines we will be granted an exemption from CSP only when an emergency situation exists and only for a temporary period of [a] year,” Mr. Fernandez said.

Joe R. Zaldarriaga, Meralco spokesperson and head of corporate communications, said that there is an expected adjustment that will impact consumers’ power bills in January due to a mandated refund.

Meralco has yet to complete three refunds totaling P1.334 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) that continue to temper residential customers’ monthly bills. The power distributor said the refund was expected to be fully completed by December 2022, January 2023, and May 2023.

“The SMC’s suspension to supply Meralco will also probably result to an upward adjustment but still remain to be seen,” Mr. Zaldarriaga said.

For the month of December, Meralco announced that customers in its franchise area should expect to pay more after the completion of a distribution-related refund amounting to P0.4669 per kWh.

In a statement, Meralco said the overall rate for a typical household rose by P0.3297 per kWh to P10.2769 per kWh from  P9.9472 per kWh in November.

Households consuming 200 kWh will see their power bills increase by P66, while those consuming 300 kWh, 400 kWh, and 500 kWh will see their bills increase by P99, P132, and P165, respectively.

For the month, the generation charge declined by P0.1942 to P6.7975 from P6.9917 per kWh in November.

Meralco is the largest power distribution company and the largest private-sector utility in the Philippines. Its controlling stakeholder, Beacon Electric Asset Holdings, Inc., is partly owned by PLDT, Inc.

Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has an interest in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Fitch expects PHL banks to stay resilient amid global headwinds

THE PHILIPPINE banking system is likely to remain resilient in 2023 despite headwinds stemming from higher borrowing costs and slowing global growth, Fitch Ratings said.

Fitch Asia-Pacific Financial Institutions Director Tamma Febrian said in an interview with BusinessWorld that their sectoral outlook for the Philippine banking sector is “neutral” for 2023. This is in line with its outlook for other markets in the region.

“Overall, I think the banking sector’s financial performance will continue to be relatively resilient next year, despite some of the headwinds in terms of interest rates and global external growth,” Mr. Febrian said.

“In terms of our expectations of profitability, we do see quite a bit of a positive momentum in terms of revenue growth for the banking sector next year, on the back of expansion in margins,” he said, adding that banks’ net margins will continue to expand this year. 

The net profit of banks operating in the country jumped by 44.8% to P244.875 billion from January to September compared with last year’s P169.09 billion, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) data showed.

Meanwhile, loan growth is expected to slow next year due to higher interest rates, Mr. Febrian said. 

“We are expecting loan growth to be at around 6-6.5% next year on our base case scenario. This is lower than what we’re expecting this year, which is going to be around 9%, but it’s still going to be positive,” he said.

Outstanding loans by big banks, net of reverse repurchase placements with the central bank, jumped by 13.9% year on year in October to P10.56 trillion.

The October pace was the fastest in nearly four years or since the 15.3% expansion posted in January 2019

Meanwhile, the BSP Monetary Board has hiked borrowing costs by 300 basis points (bps) since May and is widely expected to raise interest rates by 50 bps at its last meeting for this year on Dec. 15.

On the other hand, Mr. Febrian said asset quality of Philippine banks will also remain broadly stable, and there might be room for improvement if interest rates would stabilize to a level lower than expected.

“I think Filipino borrowers have been quite used to a relatively elevated kind of interest rate environment. Take a look at just before the pandemic when it was around 4.25%. At that level, NPL (nonperforming loan) ratio was around 2%,” he said. “At the current moment, we are looking at an elevated inflation. So, I don’t think we’re going to reach a 2% (NPL ratio) anytime soon.”

“I think there is a degree of resilience in borrowers and especially among the corporate borrowers, which I think has a relatively healthy financial buffers to withstand any rise in interest rates in their interest repayments,” he said. “In short, I think any asset quality repercussions will likely be moderate at most in our base case expectation.”

Bad loans held by banks declined for a seventh straight month in September, bringing the NPL ratio to its lowest in 25 months, according to BSP data.

Philippine banks’ gross NPL ratio eased to 3.43% in September from 3.53% in August. It was the lowest in 25 months or since the 2.84% recorded in August 2020.    

Soured loans fell by 14.6% year on year to P415.225 billion in September.

BSP officials earlier said banks’ NPL ratio may peak at 8.2% in 2022. The ratio stood at 3.99% as of end-December 2021.

Meanwhile, headline inflation rose to 8% in November from 7.7% in October and 3.7% in November 2021. For the 11-month period, inflation averaged 5.6%, still lower than the BSP’s 5.8% full-year forecast. — Keisha B. Ta-asan

C5 Ugong is 700th Seaoil station

Seaoil C5 Ugong — PHOTO FROM SEAOIL

SEAOIL, the leading independent fuel provider in the Philippines, now has 700 stations in the country with the recent inauguration of its newest branch along the northbound direction of E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue (C5) in Pasig City.

Said Seaoil CEO Glenn Yu in a release, “The opening of our 700th station is a remarkable milestone for Seaoil. Part of our efforts to provide ‘Alagang Seaoil’ to our customers is to ensure that they can avail of our products and services with ease wherever they are in the country.”

The Seaoil C5 Ugong branch is a full-service station that will soon have Text LubeServ center and a Lawson convenience store. More retail shops, restaurants, and personal care service establishments are expected to open in the coming months. The station also accepts PriceLocq, Seaoil’s innovative app for purchasing fuel, as a mode of payment.

Seaoil also marks the fifth year of its partnership with Ampol, Australia’s largest transport energy distributor and retailer, which acquired 20% equity interest in the company in 2017. The long-term partnership was forged as part of Seaoil’s plans to aggressively expand its retail network and terminal storage capacity in the coming years. Since then, the brand’s retail network has more than doubled. Currently, Seaoil has 305 stations in Luzon, 179 in Visayas, and 216 in Mindanao. The company also has 12 storage terminals nationwide, with another one in Zamboanga City in the works.

Seaoil targets to have 850 stations by 2023, and recently launched the sixth run of its Lifetime Free Gas promo where three lucky customers will win a lifetime’s supply of free fuels. Participants will also get a chance to win P3 million worth of instant prizes.

Malampaya consortium denies SMC Global Power’s claim on banked gas delivery

THE Malampaya consortium has denied that it is refusing to deliver banked gas to SMC Global Power Holdings Corp. unit South Premiere Power Corp. (SPPC), the administrator of the gas-fired power plant in Ilijan, Batangas.

“The consortium strongly refutes SPPC’s claim and maintains that there is no refusal to sell to Ilijan because there [are] no legal means by which the sale of gas to the plant could be made,” the consortium said in a statement on Sunday.

In June, San Miguel Corp. (SMC) bought the remaining 70.26 petajoules (PJ) of banked gas from Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) for $1.2 billion.

“Currently, the Ilijan facility is on extended outage following the refusal of Shell Philippines Exploration BV (SPEx) to supply the 70 PJ in banked gas from Malampaya, that SPPC acquired from PNOC in June 2022,” SMC Global Power said in a statement issued on Dec. 4.

The statement came after SMC Global Power, the power arm of SMC, offered the 1,200 megawatts (MW) capacity of its Ilijan natural gas to Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).

Members of the Malampaya consortium are the contractors behind Service Contract (SC) 38, which covers the Malampaya gas field. They are Prime Energy Resources Development B.V., which has a 45% stake; UC38 LLC, and PNOC Exploration Corp., which own a 45% and 10% interest, respectively. The Malampaya concession is set to expire by 2024.

SMC claimed that the banked gas would support the projected fuel requirements of SPPC’s Ilijan power plant until February 2024. However, SMC Global Power said that PNOC has yet to deliver the banked gas. Ilijan’s natural gas supply agreement expired in June.

“Without a live contract, Malampaya gas cannot be sold legally to SPPC,” the Malampaya consortium members said.

It also said that diverting supply to Ilijan is illegal because it would deprive other power producers with active contracts in the Luzon grid.

“The volume of gas from the Malampaya field, as everyone knows and as verified by the Department of Energy (DoE), is nearing maximum reserve drawdown, so supply covered by Service Contract 38 needs to be fairly distributed,” it said.

The Malampaya gas field supplies up to 20% of Luzon’s total electricity requirements. However, it is expected to be depleted by 2027.

“There is no basis to the claim that the Luzon power grid would be affected if the Ilijan power plant was not given priority in Malampaya’s banked gas allocation,” the consortium said.

In its statement, the consortium said that diverting supply to Ilijan would not generate additional power as it would only mean less supply to other power plant customers.

“Diverting gas supply to Ilijan at this time would siphon off supply from other power producers and worsen the power supply situation,” the consortium said.

Meanwhile, Meralco has said that it is considering the offer of SMC Global Power for the output of the 1,200-MW Ilijan power plant.

Jose Ronald V. Valles, Meralco’s first vice-president and head of its regulatory management, told reporters last week that Meralco would negotiate with First Gen Corp. to divert Malampaya gas to Ilijan as it is fully allocated to the company’s plants. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Britain reviews financial rules

LONDON — Britain set out a raft of measures on Friday to bolster the City of London’s role as a global financial center, under strain since Brexit ushered in new competition from Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt.

The planned reforms also include a review of rules put in place following the financial crisis over a decade ago to make bankers accountable for their decisions and easing capital requirements for smaller lenders, after much lobbying by banks.

Finance Minister Jeremy Hunt said it would be wrong to describe the 30 measures as a “Big Bang” -— a reference to deregulating the stock market in the 1980s — that will unravel tougher rules introduced after the global financial crisis.

“We have to make sure that we don’t unlearn the lessons of 2008, but at the same time recognise that banks today have much stronger balance sheets,” he told an event hosted by the Financial Times.

The city has been largely cut off from the European Union (EU) by Brexit, putting pressure on the government to ease rules as Amsterdam overtook London to become Europe’s top share trading centre, adding to competition from New York and Singapore.

Leaving the EU allows Britain to write its own rules, but as it hosts scores of international banks, it has little room to diverge radically from international norms.

“The government’s approach to reforming the financial services regulatory landscape recognizes and protects the foundations on which the UK’s success as a financial services hub is built: agility, consistently high regulatory standards, and openness,” the finance ministry said in a statement.

Hunt set out his plans at a meeting with financial sector officials in Edinburgh.

Now dubbed the “Edinburgh Reforms,” the proposed reset had been trailed as “Big Bang 2.0,” raising expectations of a big deregulatory push which left banks fearing costly systems changes.

But the emphasis has shifted to reviewing and tweaking rules while remaining aligned with global standards, rather than any wholesale dismantling of regulations.

The batch of planned reforms include a review of securitization and short-selling rules, overhauling prospectuses issued by companies when they list, and a plan for repealing and reforming rules that were introduced when Britain was in the EU.

Other plans include a consultation in coming weeks on a central bank digital currency, a project that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was keen on as finance minister.

There will also be a consultation on regulating compilers of ratings on company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) impacts.

“It is important for people not to overplay this — there is no sense of any move back to a pre-financial crisis world,” said Jonathan Herbst, a lawyer at Norton Rose Fulbright.

The EU is updating its own financial rules to reduce remaining reliance on London, and is ahead in areas like crypto assets.

ACCOUNTABILITY
The reforms target two sets of rules introduced by Britain in the aftermath of the financial crisis over a decade ago when the government had to bail out undercapitalized banks while few individual bankers were punished.

The first set, known as the senior managers’ and certification regime (SMCR), requires banks and insurers to name individuals responsible for specific activities, making it easier for regulators to punish them when things go wrong.

Bankers have complained that regulators take too long to vet these senior appointments.

The second set of rules requires banks to “ring fence” their retail arms with a cushion of capital to insulate deposits from a blow up in riskier activities, such as trading derivatives.

The ring-fencing regime will be reformed to free retail focused banks and ease “unnecessary regulatory burdens on firms while maintaining protections for depositors.”

Banks have lobbied to either scrap the rule or significantly raise the deposits threshold which triggers the requirement. The changes are likely to ease burdens on smaller banks to help Britain’s longstanding attempts to increase competition in a sector dominated by HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds and NatWest.

Bank of England Deputy Governor Sam Woods said in 2020 that he would defend the ring-fencing rules to his “last drop of blood.” The BoE said on Friday it would work with the ministry to ensure a safe and competitive financial system.

The ministry will also review EU-era stock and bond trading requirements known as MiFID II, in particular a rule requiring brokers to itemise or “unbundle” their customer charges for research on stock picks and for executing stock orders.

Britain had already set out initial reforms in its financial services and markets bill being approved in parliament. It includes giving regulators an extra objective of paying heed to the City’s global competitiveness when writing rules.

Sophie Lund-Yates, Lead Equity Analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said London’s financial center has been severely held back since Brexit. “Sadly, the allure simply isn’t there, with many of the UK’s brightest companies being snapped up by overseas investors, and London losing its top share-dealing status,” she said.

Other reforms already announced include scrapping a cap on banker bonuses and easing capital rules for insurers. A public consultation on regulating crypto assets has also been flagged. — Reuters

US sanctions individuals, entities over China-based illegal fishing

PXHERE.COM

WASHINGTON — The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on individuals and companies, including Nasdaq-listed Pingtan Marine Enterprise, Ltd. (PME), over what Washington says are human rights abuses linked to China-based illegal distant water fishing.

The US Treasury department imposed sanctions on Li Zhenyu and Xinrong Zhuo, both Chinese nationals, and 10 entities they control, including Dalian Ocean Fishing Co., Ltd. and PME, the US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) said in a statement.

It also targeted 157 China-flagged fishing vessels linked to those entities, it said.

“Treasury condemns the practices of those sanctioned today, which often involve the abuse of human rights, undermine fundamental labor and environmental standards, and harm the economic prospects of local populations in the Indo-Pacific,” the Treasury’s Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in the statement.

The designation of PME marks the first time the US has imposed sanctions on an entity listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange. The Treasury also issued general licenses allowing US persons to engage in certain transactions related to the wind down of financial contracts and other agreements related to PME or the divestment or transfer of debt or equity of PME until March 9. — Reuters

Genuine Honda parts, accessories now available online

IMAGE FROM HONDA CARS PHILIPPINES, INC.

HONDA CARS Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) has opened an online parts-selling platform at its official website, www.hondaphil.com. “Honda recommends genuine parts and accessories that are guaranteed (to be) made of quality materials that passed stringent tests,” it said in a release. “Using genuine parts help ensure safety and maintain the vehicle’s pristine condition.” The company added that genuine parts enable customers to save money over the long term, as these do not fail suddenly and do not need to be replaced more often than expected. Customers can shop for Honda genuine parts and accessories through their mobile devices, and can order regular-priced or discounted parts and accessories from 32 participating dealerships nationwide.

The participating dealers include: Honda Cars Ilocos Norte, Honda Cars Pasig, Honda Cars Pangasinan, Honda Cars Shaw, Honda Cars Tarlac, Honda Cars Alabang, Honda Cars Nueva Ecija, Honda Cars Batangas, Honda Cars Pampanga, Honda Cars Calamba, Honda Cars Angeles Clark, Honda Cars Lipa City, Honda Cars Bulacan, Honda Cars San Pablo, Honda Cars Baliuag, Honda Cars Sta. Rosa, Honda Cars Manila, Honda Cars Camsur Pili, Honda Cars Greenhills, Honda Cars Cebu, Honda Cars Quezon City, Honda Cars Mandaue, Honda Cars Marcos Hi-Way, Honda Cars Iloilo, Honda Cars Fairview, Honda Cars Negros, Honda Cars Balintawak, Honda Cars Cagayan, Honda Cars Makati, Honda Cars General Santos, Honda Cars Manila Bay, and Honda Cars Tagum.

On the website, customers need to look for the parts inquiry page and input the Honda vehicle owned along with its year model, with the selection able to be filtered by dealer and discounts. Click the “Search” button to see the list of available parts or accessories; items for purchase can be added by clicking the cart icon. After selecting the preferred parts and accessories, the order will be confirmed once the complete name of the customer, mobile number, and e-mail have been provided for dealer reference. Click the “Send Order” button to finish the purchase process. Payments for the ordered part/s may be done online or onsite.

Online payment modes include bank transfer, GCash, Maya, Credit Card, and Palawan Express (Ayala Cebu Group). Onsite payment may be done via cash, GCash, and credit card. The customer’s preferred dealer will then inform the customer via SMS or e-mail regarding the availability of the item/s ordered. This will be followed by the scheduling of a dealer visit for the installation of these, or customers may also arrange for parts delivery with corresponding shipping fees.

Style (12/12/22)

M&S’ Dog Christmas Crew Neck Jumper

Plains and Prints inspired by Emily in Paris

FOR HOLIDAY 2022, the homegrown local fashion brand Plains and Prints offers a unique collection inspired by the hit Netflix series Emily in Paris. “The diverse and stylish characters of Emily in Paris are a treasure trove of inspiration that inspire women all over the world,” said Roxanne Farillas, owner of Plains and Prints, in a statement. “Fashion was a device in the series that allowed each character to be easily identifiable, to showcase their personalities, and at the same time, allow us to dream and relate with them.” The collection features colorful prints, festive silhouettes, and separates. The show returns for its third season on Dec. 21. Catch the exclusive preview of the collection online via plainsandprints.com and ZALORA on Dec. 12 and visit the pop-up store at Shangri-La Plaza Mall from Dec. 12 to 14 at Level 2, Grand Atrium and Dec. 15 to 29 at Level 1, Main Wing. Shop the collection in stores nationwide and online starting Dec. 14.

Celebrate the festive season with COS

EXPLORE the curated edit of gifting inspiration from COS, together with the winter 2022 collection, all made to gift and keep beyond the season, from statement accessories and stocking fillers to warming cashmere. Oversized scarves are crafted from a blend containing alpaca and traceable wool for an extra fluffy hand feel. Minimal jewelry constructed from recycled silver, timeless leather goods, and clutches in color-block bright shades make gifting easy. For those who are eager to travel, there are luxurious knits, silky separates, and tactile accessories. Crafted from traceable merino wool, signature knitwear tops are set to become the headliner of the holiday wardrobe. Colder weather also calls for layering with faux shearling coats and lightweight recycled down puffers, topped off with knitted balaclava or a classic checked scarf.

Gucci’s new hobo bag is the Aphrodite

A NEW hobo bag introduced in Gucci’s Cruise collection, the Aphrodite is a crescent moon-shaped shoulder bag inspired by the House archives. Crafted in soft goat leather, the timeless bag features the Double G emblem — a code originally introduced in the 1970s and a homage to the Gucci heritage. The new addition to the Gucci handbag family is available in three sizes — the functional Medium size perfect for toting about the city, the Small size that lends a trendy silhouette to its wearer with the chain/leather shoulder strap, and the versatile mini size. The Aphrodite medium shoulder bag, which arrived at the stores recently, comes with an additional strap which can be attached to the bag with a buckle closure. The bag is available in five colorways — black, white, brown, light pink and purple leather.

M&S’ Winter 2022 Collection Christmas gifts

MARKS & SPENCER (M&S) makes Christmas extra special with a collection of stocking fillers and festive gifts suggestions from its Winter 2022 Collection, including scented candles, responsibly sourced cotton holiday outfits and nourishing beauty gifts. Spoil the ladies with the latest fragrances and body care products such as the Fragrance Society and Apothecary. For party ready outfits, there is a faux leather chain strap clutch bag, while for comfortable rest after the holiday parties, opt for a super soft pure cotton red checked pajama set. Prepare an aromatherapy session with scented candles or diffusers from Apothecary. For the gentlemen, give him a gift of laughter with a pair of festive reindeer socks that go with any of the themed holiday loungewear tops and M&S’s cheery embroidered animal jumpers. For the urban gentleman, a sleek Recycled Polyester Pro-Tect Cross Body Bag will make anyone look chic. For children, there is a selection of knitted sleepsuits and holiday outfits. Aside from M&S stores, the  holiday items are also available online at www.marksandspencer.com. Shop in-store and earn Loyalty points through the M&S Philippines Viber Community at bit.ly/MSPH-VC.

New lipstick collection from Avon

THE BEAUTY giant Avon has relaunched and improved its best-selling range with the new Ultra Lipstick collection, which now comes in 26 bold shades of Ultra Matte and Ultra Creamy finishes. Each Ultra lipstick is reformulated with nourishing ingredients infused with an exclusive and luxurious blend of Avocado Oil, Sesame Oil, and Vitamin E to keep lips plump and moisturized while retaining an ultra-rich color payoff. The lipsticks come with a new bullet shape and precision tip, SPF 15 and a mocha crème aroma. Follow Avon Philippines on Facebook and Instagram for more updates and shop the new Ultra Lipstick Collection and other Avon products at www.avonshop.ph or contact your local Avon representative.

Give relaxation this Christmas

OGAWA, known for its high-quality massage chairs, accessories, and even spin bikes, has a list of items to gift to loved ones (or one’s self) this holiday season. There is the Ogawa Neo Rev which delivers an integrated massage experience powered by 4D Massage Rollers combined with advanced air pressure technology that lets one enjoy six types of massage techniques (kneading, tapping, shiatsu, clapping, and rolling) to comprehensively soothe away fatigue and soreness. Featuring a combination of traditional Chinese medicine concepts with advanced 4D massage technology, the Master Drive Plus 5 Elements boasts five therapeutic massage programs with each procedure promising benefits in blood circulation and strengthening of internal organs. Then there is the Studio Spin Bike for all-around cardio. With a flywheel weight of 13 kg, this can be easily installed in any make-shift gym at home and go all out, whilst monitoring goals through the Progress Tracker. The Ogawa Mobile Cozmic Premium Massage Seat is meant for quick rejuvenation anytime, anywhere. Users can enjoy a deep tissue massage as it comes with an expandable back strap designed to secure the mobile massage seat to various chair types one may have at home. Then there is the Tapping Foottee for convenient foot reflexology. Built with three professional foot reflexology programs and three massage techniques, it improves feet health to promote better blood circulation, better sleep, muscle inactivity prevention, and body pain relief. Visit any Ogawa store to get a free Studio Spin Bike for every Neo Rev or Master Drive Plus 5 Elements Special Edition purchase. The sale comes with an after-sales support of two years warranty on parts and labor, plus free Lifetime Technical Support (terms and conditions apply). Exclusive to in-store purchases only, patrons can take advantage of special rates at 0% interest when purchasing using select credit cards. Avail 36 months installment for 0% interest with Citibank, Metrobank, Unionbank, HSBC, and Bank of Commerce. With this, customers can get the Master Drive Plus 5 Elements Special Edition at a discounted price of P290,000 (from SRP P479,000) with an installment of P8,055.55/month for 36 months. Likewise, the Neo Rev can be purchased at a discounted price of P250,000 (from SRP P399,000) for an installment of P6,944.44/month for 36 months. One can also opt for a 24-month installment plan at 0% interest with BDO, Citibank, BPI, Metrobank, Security Bank, RCBC, PNB, Unionbank, Bank of Commerce, HSBC, Maybank, and AUB. Get the Cozmic Premium Massage Seat and Tapping Foottee bundle at a discounted price of P38,000 (from P89,980) when one shops through the OGAWA Lazada Flagship Store. Visit the nearest OGAWA store or head on to www.ogawaworld.net.ph for more information.

Valentino designer Piccioli, model Bella Hadid win at Fashion Awards

LONDON — Valentino designer Pierpaolo Piccioli and model Bella Hadid were among the winners at the Fashion Awards in London on Dec. 5.

Mr. Piccioli, who is creative director of the Italian luxury brand, was named designer of the year at the annual event. Ms. Hadid, a regular on the catwalks of fashion capitals Milan, Paris, London and New York took the title of model of the year.

“To me fashion has a responsibility, I feel (I) have a voice and I want to use my voice even for who doesn’t have a voice,” Mr. Piccioli told Reuters on the red carpet before the awards.

Other winners included Yvon Chouinard, founder of outerwear brand Patagonia, who received the outstanding achievement award. In September, Mr. Chouinard said he was giving away the apparel company to a trust that will use its profit to fight the climate crisis.

British brand Burberry won the metaverse world and gaming experience award for its ventures into the virtual world. —  Reuters

Winners of the 2022 Fashion Awards

Designer of the Year: Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino

BFC Foundation Award:  S.S. DALEY

Independent British Brand: Wales Bonner

Special Recognition Award for Cultural Curation: Jefferson Hack

Leaders of Change (15 designers, brands, creatives, and individuals who created positive change within the fashion industry this past year under three categories: Environment, People, and Creativity.)

Creativity: Alessandro Michele, Daniel Roseberry, Harris Reed, Ibrahim Kamara, Raf Simons

Environment: Bethany Williams, Connor Ives, Gabriela Hearst, Marine Serre, Priya Ahluwalia

People: Aurora James, Harry Lambert, Julie Pelipas, Sinéad Burke, Rafael Pavarotti

Model of the Year Award: Bella Hadid

Outstanding Achievement Award: Yvon Chouinard

Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator: Katie Grand

Fashion Award for Metaverse World and Gaming Experience: Burberry

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