If you’re a qualified Citi credit cardholder, you now have the opportunity to use your rewards points to help frontliners fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Citi Philippines is working with World Vision and the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) to aid the country’s medical frontliners and the families who have been affected by the lockdown.

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If you are after a new laptop, there are some excellent bargains to be had. You simply need to know where to look. Shoppers are savvier than ever before and since the advent of Google, people can research hardware specifications. Now, they know exactly what they want when they hit the stores. To get your money’s worth, you need to be armed with a shopping list of must-haves such as RAM, memory, and processor speed. Take a look at this simple guide to help you get the most bang for your buck when buying your next laptop.

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As quarantine guidelines relax across the country, it is still important to continue practicing social distancing in order to curb the spread of the virus. Some physical stores may have started to resume operations but purchasing essentials online remains to be the safest and most convenient option for consumers. And when you pay online using your PayMaya account, your shopping experience is not only more safe and convenient, it is also more sulit!

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I’m happy that even during the modified enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), more and more restaurants have opened to serve their customers and allow us to satisfy our cravings. Sure, they mostly do deliveries and pick-ups, but that makes it even more convenient since we can have our favorite food without having to leave home.

Here are seven of my fave restaurants that are open during the modified ECQ:

1. Max’s Group

 

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A post shared by Koji Arsua (@kojiarsua) on Feb 25, 2019 at 5:16am PST

Max’s Group has a ton of restaurants in its lineup and the ones offering deliveries are Max’s Restaurant, Yellow Cab, Pancake House, Teriyaki Boy, Sizzlin’ Steak, Dencio’s, Krispy Kreme, Maple, and Kabisera. There’s plenty of choices so you can go for some chicken at Max’s (and my favorite Sizzling Tofu), edge-to-edge pizza at Yellow Cab, and some fluffy Original Glazed doughnuts at Krispy Kreme. Max’s Group also has a Pledge-a-Plate campaign where you can donate P90, which will be delivered to select hospitals in Metro Manila.

2. Chopstop

 

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A post shared by Chopstop (@chopstopph) on Nov 8, 2016 at 8:30pm PST

I love eating at Chopstop when I’m hungry because of their unli rice! It’s best paired with my favorites: the BBQ Pork and the Jack Daniel’s Pork. I cap off my meals here with some dessert, like an Oreo S’mores or Fudge Brownie mug cake.

3. Banapple

 

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A post shared by Koji Arsua (@kojiarsua) on Dec 14, 2019 at 5:00am PST

There’s plenty of choices at Banapple, whether you’re there to have a meal, a snack, or maybe some desserts. When I eat here, I usually get the Hickory Smoked Barbecued Country Ribs, or the Baked Creamy Cheesy Penne. After my meal, I make sure to bring something home, like a couple of cookies.

4. Jollibee

 

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A post shared by Koji Arsua (@kojiarsua) on Feb 6, 2020 at 5:36am PST

Jollibee is a staple craving so I’m happy that they’ve remained open during the ECQ. I don’t need to tell you what they offer but I want to share that I’ll be getting their C3: Chickenjoy with Jolly Spaghetti. Or maybe I’ll order a pan and a bucket of chicken? Who knows?

5. Kko Kko

 

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A post shared by Kko Kko (@kkokkoph) on Apr 21, 2020 at 2:25am PDT

I’m sure a lot of you have been catching up on your K-dramas during the ECQ. Why not have a Korean meal that will make you feel you’re eating with your oppa? Kko Kko has Korean staples like fried chicken, kimbap (rice seaweed roll), bibimbap (rice with toppings), tteokbokki (stir-fried rice cakes), and japchae (stir-fried glass noodles).

6. Cafe Mary Grace

 

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A post shared by Mary Grace Cafe & Bakery (@cafemarygrace) on Mar 15, 2019 at 11:22pm PDT

Cafe Mary Grace is the ultimate tita place and I love it here. The Fried Kesong Puti & Calamansi Vinaigrette salad is an excellent starter, followed by any of the pastas. The stars here are the cakes, such as the Apple Pie with Walnut Crumble. If I’m only feeling a bit peckish, it’s always a Grilled Cheese Roll (slightly toasted), paired with the Tsoknut Chocolate or any of the flavored iced teas.

7. Macao Imperial Tea

 

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A post shared by Macao Imperial Tea (@macaoimperialteaph) on Apr 27, 2020 at 3:35am PDT

For milk tea I’ll go straight to Macao Imperial Tea, where I’ll have the biggest size of the Cream Cheese Milk Tea. Enough said.

Pay cashless by using GCash! GCash helps in social distancing because you can pay using your smartphone. You can use the scan-to-pay function to avoid physical contact. This also prevents you from touching bills and coins, which has been passed around and can be risky.

This story is in partnership with GCash. For more information, visit the website or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

These days, as we find ourselves in extraordinarily difficult times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, showing our love, gratitude, and affection towards our mother is more relevant and timely. Families and loved ones are unfortunately brought apart by social distancing, with some having family members who are health workers at the forefront of the fight against the health crisis.

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Mother’s Day is coming up tomorrow and while we’re all on stay-at-home quarantine mode, it’s still more than possible to make your mom feel special on the day of the year that’s just for her! 

With many businesses now opening online stores with delivery and cashless payment options, finding a good gift for your mom should be a breeze. Here are some hassle-free gift ideas: 

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The current situation has turned home into an important space of comfort and protection, and has put mothers into the spotlight as frontliners of our homes. The role of mothers has never been more important and challenging especially with the whole family at home—always working tirelessly to provide the needs of the family while also ensuring their safety.

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Just because we’re under an enhanced community quarantine doesn’t mean we can lower our guard and not be careful when we go out. In fact, I believe that anything can happen during these volatile times, so it’s important to be as cautious, maybe even more so, now. This is especially true for those who do not have private vehicles such as myself, because public utility vehicles have been suspended and we have to walk when going out to buy essentials.

Here are 8 simple tips to remember when going out. Keep in mind that it’s best to stay home and to only step out when absolutely necessary.

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