Raycop brings cleaner air for everyone

At the Raycop presscon are (from left) Bukang Sems Co., Ltd. President Dr. Sung Jin Lee, Zinven International Corp. General Manager Catherine Dy and Allergologist Dr. Manuel Po of Fe Del Mundo Hospital

The threat to the health and well-being of Filipino families’ and homes’ brought by various bacteria, allergens and those dangerous dust mites now has a new nemesis: the Raycop UVC Anti-Allergy Cleaner.

Launched today in Pasig City, the Raycop UVC Anti-Allergy Cleaner is a compact, easy and totally convenient smart vacuum cleaner that uses “UVC,” a type of germicidal ultraviolet ray that has been safely and effectively used for disinfection in hospitals, clinics and laboratories for decades.

Using “UVC,” the Raycop UVC Anti-Allergy Cleaner has been proven to effectively eliminate 99% of bacteria and almost 94% of dust mites, and even shown to deactivate the perilous H1N1 Influenza A virus, according to studies done by the Tokyo Allergy Research Center and the Japan Food Research Laboratories.

The Raycop UVC Anti-Allergy Cleaner uses a patented 3-step vibrating, sterilizing and double-filtering cleaning process to remove the bacteria. The vibrating pad first shakes the bacteria and dust mites from the fabric. Then, a powerful UVC sterilization lamp takes over by killing these dangerous bacteria, dust mites and virus. Lastly, the Raycop UVC Anti-Allergy Cleaner’s powerful vacuum sucks the dead dust mites and bacteria and then traps them using a Micro Allergy Filtration system to make sure they don’t re-enter the room and land again on any fabric.

This cleaning device is designed for use in homes, offices, hotels, lodges, or just about any structure where there are beds, linens, sofas, curtains, futons, cribs, beddings, pillows and other types of furnishings that use fabrics. These are where microscopic allergens, bacteria and the dreaded dust mites that attack both adults and children usually stay deep beneath the fabric, and cannot be removed by mere shaking. 

Magnus series

The traditional practice of Filipino families, particularly with family members who are susceptible to air-borne allergens, is to take out the beddings or fabrics and place them under direct sunlight to remove allergens, bacteria and dust mites. Studies made by the Tokyo Allergy Research Center, however, revealed that direct exposure to sunlight even for up to 6 hours only manages to remove dust mite population by only 3.8%. But now that the Raycop UVC Anti-Allergy Cleaner is available in the Philippines, this practice of putting beddings under the sun will now be a thing of the past.

“We know that dust mites, allergens and other types of bacteria are common problems in Filipino homes that affect family members with respiratory ailments. However, through the Raycop UVC Anti-Allergy Cleaner, they can now eliminate these bacteria faster, safer and more effectively so they won’t have to take their beddings out into the sun,” explains Catherine Dy, General Manager of Zinven International Corp., the exclusive distributor of Raycop UVC Anti-Allergy cleaner in the Philippines.

“Our goal as a company is to provide homes all over the world with a cleaner and healthier environment with the use of the Raycop vacuum cleaner. We believe that Filipino homes deserve the best products they can have to clean their homes, and we know that Raycop is the product they can truly trust,” says Sung Jin Lee, President of the Health and Home Appliances Division of Bukang Sems Co., Ltd., makers of Raycop.

Available in the Philippines will be two models: the “Smart” and “Hera” product lines.  Raycop “Smart” is the original model and best-selling Raycop product, with more than 1,000,000 units sold in more than 30 countries. This lightweight model kills 99% of E.Coli, Staphylococcus and Candida bacteria, and kills almost 94% of dust mites. It has a replaceable Micro Allergy Filtration filter that filters more than 99.97% of dust remnants and keeps cleaning with utmost efficiency. 

Smart series

 On the other hand, the Raycop “Hera” is the latest model in the Raycop line, boasting of an ergonomic design and comes with a removable handle. Its double vibrating pad removes allergens more effectively and has the same bacteria- and allergen-killing efficiency as that of the Raycop “Smart.” Both products come with a transparent window that tells the user when it is time to empty the dust bin of particles.

Hera series

The Raycop UVC Anti-Allergy cleaner is the first anti-allergy vacuum cleaner with the Seal of Approval of the prestigious British Allergy Foundation, the Trophée de la Maison from the French Consumers’ Union and the LOHAS Seal of Approval from the Korea Standards Association. Sold in more than 30 countries around the world including the United States, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Japan and South Korea, Raycop UVC Anti-Allergy cleaner is manufactured by the Health and Home Appliances Division of Bukang Sems Co., Ltd., the global and award-winning Incheon, Korea-based company whose aim is to help people live healthier and create a better home environment.

For more information about the Raycop product line and its outstanding features, visit www.raycop.com.

Conquering the Challenge of Changing Business Landscapes

In a constantly changing marketing landscape subject to unpredictable interactions between market forces, it is necessary to be updated on emerging trends and practices in the field of Marketing. According to a Philippine Marketing Association (PMA) official, it is crucial to be always a step ahead and to always ask “what’s next” in order to maintain competitiveness.

“It’s every marketing professional’s responsibility to be aware of new developments and trends in marketing to be able to grow and sustain the business and even become globally competitive,” explains Gwenn Albarracin, PMA President, adding that practices aren’t always timeless and professionals may be employing strategies that are no longer applicable or may need certain tweaks to be effective.

She shares that there are a lot of promising new theories in the field that may change or re-define marketing practices. Among which are ‘Marketing 3.0’ and ‘New Wave Marketing’ espoused by the Founder and CEO of MarkPlus Inc. – a leading marketing professional service firm (Consulting, Education, Research, Media) based in Indonesia and Malaysia – Hermawan Kartajaya.

“Kartajaya perceives changes in the business landscape as an indication that marketing has turned from vertical to horizontal; that it should no longer be viewed from a top-down perspective but should be seen as a level playing field instead,” adds Albaraccin.

Described as a unique combination of practitioner and theorist, Kartajaya has written several international books and has even co-authored some with the Father of Modern Marketing, Philip Kotler.

His co-authored book, Marketing 3.0: from Products to Customers to the Human Spirit, explains that there are three forces that set forth the birth of Marketing 3.0: The Age of Participation and Collaborative Marketing, The Age of Globalization Paradox and Cultural Marketing, and The Age of Creative Society and Human Spirit Marketing. It also describes Marketing 3.0 as the period by which practices are very much influenced by changes in consumer behavior and attitude.

He will be among the speakers in the upcoming Asian Marketing Conference to be held on July 19-20 at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. Albaraccin says that Kartajaya’s insights will be helpful in understanding how practitioners and business owners can adjust strategies and practices in response to political, technological, socio-cultural, economic changes in the business scene.

As one of the “50 Gurus Who Have Shaped the Future of Marketing” by the Chartered Institute of Marketing United Kingdom, sharing theories and experiences has been a fact of life for Kartajaya, “I have been speaking in several marketing conferences since 1995 in US, Asia, Europe, and Australia. In fact, I have been in the Philippines several times already for various speaking engagements.”

He claims that global marketing practice has a lot of shortcomings. “There are generally a lot of bad practices that we should slowly do the correction. I hope that the attendees of the upcoming Asian Marketing Conference will be part of correcting these bad practices and become aware that Marketing is shifting from ‘vertical’ to ‘horizontal.’”

Albarracin encourages marketing practitioners and key decision-makers to take part in this opportunity to learn from globally-renowned experts and interact with fellow practitioners. “As marketing professionals, we need to play an active role in advancing our knowledge of the craft and be able to better conquer its challenges,” she concludes.

For more information about the Asian Marketing Conference, kindly visit www.asianmarketingconference.com or call +632 634-5722.

Harnessing Youth’s Community-changing Ideas

After a series of rigorous nationwide screenings in search for the best social marketing ideas around the country, Unilab Ideas Positive has chosen 12 student teams to implement their community-changing projects with a seed money of P100, 000 each. To help them prepare for their project implementation, Unilab Ideas Positive gathered these teams in a 3-day social marketing boot camp led by the country’s topmost and well-known social marketing practitioners at the Unilab Bayanihan Center in Mandaluyong City.

Among the 12 finalists, Team Five for Life (Metro Manila), Tamang TEAMpla (Metro Manila), Team Kabataang Katipuneros (Iloilo City) and Team Green Label (Davao City) focused their efforts on solving their community’s main issue of malnutrition through fun and innovative ideas such as nutrition plate guides and cooking contests. Meanwhile, Team Ba (Baguio City) and Team FNEC (Bicol) focused on improving the hygiene practices of Benguet school children and Muslim Maranao settlers respectively.

Taking on the challenge of environmental care and preservation, Team Protogenia (Batangas) proposed to train the Badjaos of Batangas on how to best utilize their surroundings for methods of self-sustenance while Team W.A.Y.A. (Iloilo City) suggested a mussel-conservation campaign. On the other hand, water-oriented projects were recommended by Team Matalaw (Batangas) and Team JEYTUDITUSI (Cavite) as they sought to establish clean-up efforts for their rivers while Team Bang (Cebu) and Team Transits (Cebu) developed water-filtering systems.

“Unilab Ideas Positive was developed to create meaningful change towards the nation. We seriously take our role as a health and wellness company in building the nation, which is the reason behind the nationwide expansion of the program this year,” shared Unilab Ideas Positive program lead Barry Barrientos. “Knowing that change starts with small steps, we built Unilab Ideas Positive to partner with and give a platform for the youth to ‘positivize’ the Philippines in true Bayanihan spirit, one community at a time.”

The 12 teams took time to pose for a shot during the boot camp

As part of their learning adventure, the students spent time with the country’s best industry practitioners: social marketing guru Dr. Ned Roberto, social entrepreneurs Mark Ruiz, Reese Fernandez-Ruiz, Jayson Lo, Krie Reyes-Lopez and Chit Juan, and creative and communication strategist Peachy Pacquing. Dr. Ivanhoe Escartin of the DOH National Center for Health Promotion gave the students an overview of the country’s health and wellness landscape. Meanwhile, social marketing consultants and academicians Harvey Keh, Ma. Christine Reyes and Dr. Sylvia Claudio, among others, dug into the implementation details of the students’ projects to ensure smooth rollout. Social advocate Jay Jaboneta and award-winning director Jim Libiran also inspired the participants with their stories of their own advocacies.

The teams were also brought to the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Enchanted Farm in Bulacan to witness social marketing and innovation in action, led by a talk by GK Founder and President Tony Meloto.

The Unilab Ideas Positive 2011 winners—Grand Winner Team High 5, Runners-up Team AweEights and Team KaBaLiKAT—also shared their boot camp and project implementation experience.

 “Assuming our newfound roles as agents of positive change in their chosen communities, we have learned the basics of social marketing and even immersed ourselves in actual social marketing practices in preparation for our very own project implementation,” shared Jhanette Co of 2011 Unilab Ideas Positive Grand Prize winner, Team High 5.

In the next six months, all 12 student teams will be implementing their projects in their respective communities, mentored by social marketing practitioners from around the country. From the 12, the five most successful youth teams in project implementation will advance to the finals for a chance to become the Unilab Ideas Positive 2012 grand winner.

For more information on the event and each team’s progress, visit www.Facebook.com/Unilab.IdeasPositive and www.unilabideaspositive.com. Follow us on Twitter via @ideaspositive.

UNIQLO opens its first store at the SM Mall of Asia

UNIQLO is finally opening on Friday, June 15, 2012 at the SM Mall of Asia. UNIQLO is a global apparel brand and number 1 clothing company in Japan offering wide array of simple, timeless and functional apparel for men, women, and kids. In support of the first store opening, in Manila its Chairman and CEO Tadashi Yanai is visiting FROM TOKYO TO MANILA on Wednesday, June 13. Yanai will meet with members of Philippines and Japanese media to share his economic vision for UNIQLO in the Philippines.

The opening of the first UNIQLO store in Manila, in the SM Mall of Asia, makes the Philippines the 12th country outside of Japan where it has presence, after opening stores in the US, UK, France, Russia, China, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. UNIQLO also operates stores in Southeast Asian countries like, Thailand, Malaysia, and Singapore.

With the vision to improve people’s lives through the power of clothing, UNIQLO is seen as an innovator in the apparel industry. In its product lines are highly functional clothes like AIRism, an undergarment that provides cool comfort to the wearer, Dry Pique Polo Shirt, a polo shirt that quickly dries body sweat, and UV Cut apparel, a clothes line with SPF protecting wearer from harmful sun rays.

UNIQLO promotes its “MADE FOR ALL” Philosophy, which captures the company’s vision of providing casual clothing that is made for all people regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, or any other ways that define an individual.

As UNIQLO opens its doors to the Filipinos on Friday, it marks the official day of the brand’s landing FROM TOKYO TO MANILA.

The UNIQLO store at the SM Mall of Asia is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

UNIQLO is opening its first store in the Philippines in SM Mall of Asia, one of the largest shopping malls in the world, occupying a waterfront site on Manila Bay spanning 407,000 square meters. This massive shopping complex hosts a wide range of retail tenants, including a number of major fashion brands, and is a major draw for both tourists and local residents. The new UNIQLO Mall of Asia Store will be one of SM Mall of Asia’s largest tenants.

Asia offers enormous growth potential for UNIQLO and is a key regional focus of the brand’s global expansion strategy. UNIQLO started opening its first stores in Thailand in September 2011, following its successful expansion into Singapore and Malaysia, increasing its lineup in Southeast Asia to 15 retail locations. Now, as the brand continues to accelerate its regional expansion efforts, the UNIQLO Mall of Asia is set to offer the joy of truly great clothing to shoppers in the Philippines.

For more information about UNIQLO and other FR group companies, please visit www.uniqlo.com or www.fastretailing.com.

Cortal SQR Sponsors Fun Run to Benefit Scholars

Cortal SQR, the pain reliever from Pharma-Rex Inc. that gives the safest and quickest relief from body pain through its advanced formulation of Ibuprofen and Paracetamol, recently held its running event, “Cortal SQR Run and Fly Away from Pain”.

In support of the scholars of AMY Foundation, the participants were challenged to a 5k, 10k and 15k long trail along Roxas Boulevard which stretched the cities of Manila and Pasay. Aside from helping the student beneficiaries of AMY Foundation, the runners also got to chance to win two roundtrip tickets from Zest Air, one of the event partners, to prime destinations in the Philippines- Cebu, Puerto Princesa and Boracay via a raffle. Top finishers of the race per category also received cash and other prizes from Cortal SQR and its other event partners.

The AMY Foundation is a non-stock, non-profit organization founded by Ambassador Alfredo Yao of the Zest-O Group of Companies. The Foundation aims to implement and sustain socio-economic programs in support of the development and advancement of the less privileged and less fortunate youth sectors of the society.

Image credit: www.amyfoundationph.com

 “We acknowledge the help of Cortal SQR through this fun run to support our various academic programs for the youth.” said Ambassador Alfredo Yao. “With the support of companies such as Cortal SQR, we would be able to reach our goal of supporting our scholars and help them reach their goals and finish their studies.” Ambassador Yao adds.

For more information about Cortal SQR, visit www.cortal.com.ph/ or like their page at www.facebook.com/cortalsqr

YakitoriQ: The Newest Barbecue Concept in Town

(L-R) Ms. Judy King Tecson, Senior Vice President, BPI,Ms. Sapna A.Uttamchandani, Vice President/Treasurer, Esquire International Financing, Inc.,Mr. Ramon Sy, Vice Chairman, Asia United Bank, Cory Quirino (TV/Radio Host) ,Mr. Timmy G. Tan, Chairman SK Techno-lube Corporation,Allied Bank, Mr. Ashok Uttamchandani, Chairman, Esquire International Financing, Inc.,Ms.Tin Patrimonio (Celebrity, Pinoy Big Brother housemate) , Rajan Uttamdanchani (CEO, Esquire Financing Inc.), Mildred Caballero (President, Tradecon)

Attending  business expos and events is one good way to find out what is the current trend of the industry and innovative products and services in store for the consumer in the future.

Last May 12, the 4th Philippine Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) and Franchise Expo with the theme “Grow Your Business” was presented by Tradecon Inc. and Esquire Financing Inc. at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).

For three days, it brought together various businesses and brands which included franchising, direct selling, retailing and networking. Randell Tiongson, business columnist and financial adviser, and Chinkee Tan, TV and radio host and wealth coach, gave motivational talks on how change in the Filipino mindset can help empower  each one in attaining our financial goals. Esquire Financing, Inc. also presented its service, providing intelligent funding and strategic guidance with its principle that SMEs should never remain SME’s because every business has the brimming capacity to become large. 

One of the highlight of the event was the unveiling of the newest barbecue concept in town: YakitoriQ!

YakitoriQ is the brainchild of entrepreneur-business consultant Mr. Jorge Noel Wieneke III, dubbed “Mr. KaAsenso” of PLDT, and known for his advocacy on entrepreneurial education for those who wish to put up their “mini negosyo” or have plans to expand their business.

Mr. Wieneke was a former advertising guy and was responsible for putting up “Potato Corner,” the country’s first flavored French Fries brand that revolutionized the food cart business. He is also a founding member of the Association of Filipino Franchisers, Inc., one of the biggest franchise associations in the Philippines today, and teaches Applied Entrepreneurship at the Ateneo de Manila’s Center for Continuous Education (CCE).

The company infuses a little modification on the popular yakitori food. Yakitori is a barbeque in Japan that even with the modification is still Japanese food--- on stick, on this case.
 
For only P16 per stick, one can enjoy the real-meat YakitoriQ. One stick with rice is already fulfilling at P26 or you may want to taste the original or American version on two separate sticks with rice for P42. They also introduce chicken isaw, pork isaw and pork tenga in yakitori style.

You can find YakitoriQ starting next month in Victory Mall, MCU, Greenhills shopping center, Tutuban Center, in Food Street, St. Francis Square and Robinson’s Ermita.

Digital Education Conference for Teachers

 

The Philippine Normal University (PNU), the country’s National Center for Teacher Education, conducted a conference last May 7, 2012 billed as Teaching Powered by Technology: 21^st Century Skills and Tools for Teachers   at the AV Theater of Edilberto P. Dagot Hall, PNU campus in Taft Avenue, Manila. This event is in collaboration with Vibe Technologies, the technology arm of Vibal Publishing House, Inc. 

Gaspar A. Vibal, President/Executive Director, Vibal

The event is also in support of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) thrust towards the integration of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in education. DepEd Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro has issued DepEd Advisory No. 212 s. 2012, calling for the participation of school administrators, supervisors, principals, school heads, coordinators and classroom teachers from both public and private schools all over the country.

Among the speakers in the conference are Mr. Erico Habijan (Director, National Educators Association of the Philippines), Hal Plotkin (Senior Policy Adviser, US Department of Education), Michelle Casio (Education Lead, Microsoft Philippines), Fr. Johnny Go, S.J. (President, Xavier School) and Michael Xia (Regional Sales and Marketing Manager, McGraw Hill).

Highlights of the event include the launch of Vibe Tablet, the first Philippine tablet specifically meant for school use, and the formal donation and turnover of the open courseware repository of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), to the PNU for the use of their teachers and students.  MIT is recognized as a leading engineering and technology university globally.

In further collaboration, Vibal Publishing House, Inc. is donating a “classroom of the future” concept which will serve as the official home of the continuing year-long course with degree units at PNU.  The facility will be equipped with mobile PC tablets, an interactive whiteboard and LCD projector.  The project is also in line with PNU’s objective to enter into a twinning agreement with Columbia Universityʼs Center for Technology and School Change, which has a reputable international technology curriculum.

Join the 2012 Run United 2

Unilab ActiveHealth invites  everyone to take part in advocating an active and healthy lifestyle by joining the second leg of the 2012 Run United on June 17, 2012 at Mall of Asia.

Choose from any of the race categories and challenge each other to see how fast you can go.

You can register your kids, aged 5 to 12 years old, in the Ceelin 500-meter dash, a perfect way to jumpstart their journey to fitness. You and older children can join the other race categories: 3km, 5km, 10km and 21km.

Registered participants of 500-meter dash, 3km, 5km, and 10km will receive their singlet upon registration. The Active Health race belt bag, bib with timing chip, and Riovana 10% discount stub can be claimed during the 1st ever Run United race expo scheduled on June 13-16, 2012 at BGC Grounds near Mercato from 12nn to 8pm.

The participants of the 21k category will have a different singlet color design which makes the runners extra special, aside from the freebies that they will get during the race expo in BGC and the 2nd piece of the collectible medal and finisher shirt. A personalized RunRio Timing Card will be exclusively given to them they just need to present their old IPICO timing chip during the registration to get the replacement.

21km runners will also get to enjoy running the Bonifacio Global City to Mall of Asia race route, giving them a chance to improve their PR for Run United 1. Shuttle service will be provided from MOA as pick-up point for 21km runners.

“Active Health delivers Unilab’s vision of providing active health solutions for Filipino families,” Unilab Active Health Head Alex Panlilio said. “We encourage families to start or continue leading active lives through our events like Run United.

Active Health Sport Events Executive Lester Castillo said, “As we have always done in the past, we continuously improve Run United series to give runners a better experience and encourage them to keep running. Through our partnership with Coach Rio dela Cruz, Run United has become one, if not the best, running event in the country.”

As a testament to the level of commitment that Active Health brings to the runners, it has brought in the Team Bike Boutique, the official merchandise partner of Ironman races worldwide, to organize the Run United Race Expo happening on June 13-16, 2012 at the BGC Grounds near Mercato.

The race expo completes the active health experience by gathering runners, sports enthusiasts and their families in this four-day event. Runners can hang out with their friends while checking out the coolest and latest sports apparel. Fitness and athletic brands also present their latest products and services, including gadgets, running gear, among others.

Coach Rio dela Cruz said the race expo brings Run United to a whole new level. “Major international marathons like the ING New York Marathon and Chicago Marathon hold their own expos days before the event. Together with UNILAB Active Health, we look at some of the best practices from international races, and apply them to the Run United Series to further enhance the race experience of the Filipino running community.”

Registration for 2012 Run United 2 is ongoing at the following stores:

 ·        Riovana at Bonifacio Global City and Katipunan, Quezon City

·         Toby’s at SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City and SM North The Block, Quezon City

For online registration, check details at www.unilabactivehealth.com or www.runrio.com. Registration is until June 3, 2012 on a first come first serve basis.

2012 Run United 2 is for the benefit of Gawad Kalinga and Children’s Hour. For more inquiries, check out www.unilabactivehealth.com and www.facebook.com/unilabactivehealth.

 

Portal East reaches out to Visayas market

Portal East opens Cebu showroom—Top uPVC doors and windows manufacturer Portal East, Inc. expands its reach to the Visayas-Mindanao region by opening its very first showroom located along A.S. Fortuna Road in Mandaue, Cebu recently. The showroom was created by Portal East, Inc., a leader in terms of innovation in creating a better view for homes and businesses by designing, testing, manufacturing quality uPVC windows and doors for new construction, remodeling and replacement applications, in order for its Cebu- and Mindanao-based clients to better appreciate what Portal East’s products can do for them in terms of their windows and doors requirements. Shown in photo are (from left) Ralph Tanco, General Manager of Portal East, Inc.; Dannie Lim, one of the top furniture exporters in Cebu; Ingrid Santamaria, one of the Top 10 most influential women in Cebu; Haidee Ong from Golden Highway Distributors, a partner of Portal East, Inc. in the Visayas-Mindanao area; and Lester Ong, also from Golden Highway Distributors, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony that marked the formal opening of the showroom.www.portaleast.com

Portal East, Inc., distributor of quality uPVC windows and doors in the Philippines, is opening its Visayas showroom at a two-storey commercial building along A. S. Fortuna Street in Cebu City to reach out to the local market.

The 50-square meter showroom will showcase Portal East’s top-notch uPVC windows and doors. With this showroom, the company will reach a wider base of customers who require quality uPVC windows and doors for their homes or offices.

Ralph Tanco, Portal East Inc.’s Marketing Manager, says that construction for the new showroom started in July and is slated to open by November 25, 2011.

The showroom will feature Portal East’s line of uPVC windows and doors. The showroom has a sitting area where Portal East customer service representatives can assess the needs of their clients. Tanco says the area will be cozy and have the same relaxed and homey atmosphere as in their showrooms in Valenzuela and at their plant in Caloocan. Even the showroom’s signage has been designed to attract the attention and curiosity of prospective clients.

He says Cebu was chosen for the Visayas showroom because of its strategic location in the Visayas-Mindanao region. He said there are plans to expand in the Davao City area within the next two years.

“We will see first how the Cebu showroom will fare before we look at opening showrooms in other areas,” he explains.

Tanco is optimistic the Cebu market will boost the firm’s success. “We are confident that our portfolio of products and their sculptured designs will suit the unique taste of Cebuanos for their homes,” he says.

With its foray in the Visayan region, customers in the area will experience the Portal East brand of customer service. “Part of our reputation was spread through word-of-mouth,” he says. “With our presence in Cebu, we hope to spread the word about our company, our quality products that offer them safety, security and privacy, and the kind of no-nonsense customer service we provide.”

Since it started nine years ago, Portal East Inc. has serviced more than 2,000 clients, mostly residential clients who comprise 70 percent of its market. Its product have caught the attention of many high-profile consumers who value the kind of innovative designs that is the hallmark of its lines of uPVC windows and doors.

The company is also looking into the possibility of opening within the next two years additional showrooms in the Luzon area, particularly in Tuguegarao City.

Portal East is an affiliate of Dalian Shide of China, a multi-billion-dollar global building materials company based in the People’s Republic of China that exports to major countries in North America, Europe and Asia. For details, contact Portal East via sales@portaleast.com or visit its Website at www.portaleast.com.