Filipino Gaming Platform OKBet Draws Festive Cheers during MPBL Games in Bacolod

Basketball games were extra festive and colorful in Bacolod as the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League's (MPBL) title sponsor OKBet delivered on its promise to bring the city’s MassKara Festival to life a few months earlier this year.

OKBet, the rising star in the local sports entertainment industry and MPBL's official partner for its ongoing fourth regular season, kicked off the two-day "OKBet Goes To Bacolod" event last July 18 at the University of St. La Salle Gymnasium, coinciding with the highly-anticipated games of the country's top regional basketball league.

Among the four teams that played is the city's very own Bacolod Bingo Plus, one of the top performing teams so far this season in the south division — all the more reason for the dubbed “City of Smiles” to cheer and beam with glee.

Also there to compete were the Valenzuela City XUR Homes Realty Inc., Zamboanga Family's Brand Sardines, and Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards. 

Following the opening match of the first day, a troupe of local performers donning kaleidoscopic costumes and their signature smiling masks entertained both the ever-blissful Bacolodnon crowds and the passionate supporters that poured in from different places to watch their favorite teams duke it out in the basketball court.

Local performers wearing festive masks and costumes entertaining the crowd

last July 18 at the University of St. La Salle Gymnasium in Bacolod City

A special booth clad in the OKBet brand’s colors was set up in the venue, where lucky fans got their hands on loads of freebies and exciting prizes, including OKBet shirts, lanyards, and the chance to meet-and-greet the players once the games had concluded.

Prior to the basketball action, the multi-industry company also donated hygiene kits to the city government of Bacolod, as part of its ongoing string of corporate social responsibility initiatives that took off just a week earlier in Muntinlupa. This was done during the press conference hosted by Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez that welcomed the MPBL delegates.

OKBet representatives with Bacolod City Mayor Albee Benitez during the turnover 

of hygiene kits to the city government last July 17 in the Bacolod City Hall

The rather early celebration, which may very well be the first of many, follows OKBet’s commitment to support and celebrate all things Filipino — this time, with our joyful nature, world-class creativity,  and undeniably fun-loving culture put in the spotlight. Coupled with our proud fighting spirit, these culture-defining traits explain why our people love competitions and sporting events so much. OKBet wishes for us all to embrace such traits, as part of nation-building moving forward.

Over a month ago, this new name in the local gaming and sports entertainment industry unveiled an awe-inspiring mural in the world-famous Tenement Court in Taguig City. The massive artwork, done in collaboration with the Tenement Visual Artists, marked the company's promise to further promote the basketball scene and the countless aspiring athletes in the country after sealing their partnership with MPBL.

The OKBet x MPBL Tenement Court Mural unveiled last June 12 at the Tenement

Famous Court in Taguig City

MPBL league commissioner Kenneth Duremdes formally welcomed OKBet as this season's title sponsor back in June 12 in a joint press conference held at the Grand Ballroom of the Okada Manila in Parañaque City. He noted that the two parties share a common goal in empowering home-grown talents for them to reach their full potential, especially in these trying times when we are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

By embracing and continuously celebrating the Filipino culture and identity, our people's happiness and fulfilment can outshine those of the smiling masks in Bacolod. The early celebration can be all year long instead.

Learn more about OKBet at www.okbet.com.

How do You Spend your First Paycheck? A Finance Expert Weighs In.

When one begins to start earning their own money, one of the most daunting tasks is learning how to manage it. Senior Financial Advisor, Certified Associate Financial Planner, and content creator Antonette Aquino shares tips on how to build good financial habits for yourself as early as your first job, or if you’ve been working several years and want to improve on your money management:

1. Prioritize spending on needs and avoid splurging on things that will not bring you value in the future. Aquino also says that we can treat ourselves once in a while to enjoy the fruits of our hard work…for as long as it doesn’t jeopardize our future.

2. Pay yourself first. Before paying for bills, commit to setting a percentage of your income to savings and investments. This includes putting money into your investment accounts and buying insurance. Make sure to do this consistently!

3. Use the bucketing method to separate your finances. For people who are still trying to get the hang of saving, Aquino recommends trying out the bucketing method which allows you to have a clearer view of your spending and saving habits when all your funds are separated. Instead of having all of your money in one savings account, It is best to have four kinds of accounts: 

1. Operating Fund - Allocate money for recurring expenses such as quarterly, monthly, or annual bills in this account.

2. Emergency Fund – Allocate 20% of your income to this account for unforeseen expenses such as a medical emergency or a job loss.

3. Financial Freedom Fund – This account is for the achievement of life goals and dreams, which include retiring early or going back to school. 

4. Happy Account – This account is for all of your leisurely expenses like travel.

4. When you earn more, don’t immediately upgrade your lifestyle. If you continuously level up your belongings and lifestyle every time you earn more money, you will never be able to hit your targets. Remind yourself to live below your means until you’ve begun to hit them.

5. The longer you put off investing, the harder you’ll need to work to get to the same level of financial freedom as someone who starts investing earlier. If you start saving and investing as soon as you start earning, you will reap the benefits of financial freedom sooner rather than later. 

6. The importance of saving money is simple: It allows you to enjoy greater security in your life. If you have cash set aside for emergencies, you have a fallback should something unexpected happen. Once you’re in the habit of saving, you’ll forget there was ever a time when you didn’t save. In this area of life, the habits you build will make all the difference. 

Start your financial journey with GSave

For those who want to begin their journey to financial stability, look no further. GSave, the first-ever savings account which you can open and maintain on your GCash app, has now built the GSave Marketplace — helping you control your money conveniently through safe and secure digital banking. 

The GSave Marketplace lets users select a bank partner depending on their needs. Whether it’s interest rate or account accessibility, GCash provides trusted bank partners for you, including CIMB Bank and BPI. 

With CIMB Bank, your money can grow at 2.6% interest per year - one of the highest rates in the country.. Meanwhile, with BPI, users can now open a BPI MySaveUp account through the GCash App, allowing them to easily view their balance, deposit and withdraw at their own convenience. BPI account holders will also be issued an ATM card for their account, so they can access their funds via BPI branches and ATMs nationwide. 

Following through with its promise to provide a hassle-free experience to its customers, all you have to do to start your banking journey with GSave is a valid ID to verify your GCash account. Through GSave Marketplace, users can rely on and easily access where users can choose from a variety of saving products. 

Get started on your savings today with GSave! 

To know more about the service, visit https://help.gcash.com/hc/en-us/sections/360004696233-GSave

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.

Ricky Lee Joins Pelikulove’s “Shout Out Festival” as Member of the Board of Directors

Newly conferred National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts, Ricky Lee, is one of the Board of Directors for the Shout Out Festival happening this September 19–25, 2022. 

Even after decades of creating and writing award-winning pieces, teaching and mentoring thousands of writers and filmmakers, and inspiring many people with his stories, Ricky Lee isn’t showing signs of slowing down. He continues to write and teach aspiring storytellers—most recently in his series of live interactive writing workshops titled, “Ricky Lee’s Trip to Quiapo,” which happened in November 2021 to January 2022 in partnership with Pelikulove. As a culminating program, Shout Out will feature nine (9) film and theater shorts from the enrollees of his as well as Palanca Hall of Fame Awardee Rody Vera’s writing masterclasses.

The Shout Out Festival

Shout Out: Maghayag at Lumikha is an online film and theater mentoring festival of hybrid shorts organized and hosted by the online multi-arts platform, Pelikulove, with the support of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). 

Pelikulove describes Shout Out as an “education-based mentorship festival,” which is one of the few if not the first of its kind here in the Philippines. The writers of the featured film and theater shorts are given assistance from writing to production and evaluation. 

The festival activities include virtual discussions, talkbacks, and Q&A with the artists and mentors. There will also be an exhibit of other enrollees and partner groups’ short films and recorded plays. 

Ricky Lee is joined by six other Festival Directors, namely: Rody Vera (playwright, Palanca Hall of Famer, founder of Virgin Labfest & Writer’s Bloc), Jeffrey Jeturian (award-winning film and TV director), Cristina Martinez-Juan (professor, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London), Issa Manalo Lopez (theater director, actor, and educator at UP Diliman), Raffy Tejada (theater director, actor, and educator at DLSU), and Ellen Ongkeko Marfil (filmmaker and videographer).

The Shout Out Festival is free! You can join or become a partner by registering online (https://shoutoutfest.pelikulove.com/). For more information and updates, visit the Pelikulove website or follow the Pelikulove official Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/PelikuLOVE). You can also email Pelikulove at pelikuloveofficial@gmail.com.