MANILA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR ON ITS 35TH YEAR

VIBAL'S NEW PRINT/E-BOOK READS AT 2014

MANILA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR

More than 50 titles will be launched by Vibal Group to celebrate Filipinos' love for reading and literacy at this year's edition of the Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), on Sept. 17 to 21 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.

Starting the lineup is the Unang Diksiyonariyo Caton series, translated in various Philippine dialects and designed to complement the Mother Tongue Program espoused by the Department of Education.

New children's books for young readers will be launched under Vibal's Chikiting Books imprint, such as Jomike Tejido's Why Do Squids Squirt Ink?, Nati Santos' Nobody's Hat, and Russell Molina's Salamat Po! translated in Binisaya and Ilokano.

Aside from new Chikiting Books, Vibal will also launch new books under Vibal Foundation: More American Than We Admit features scholarly essays edited by Julian Go, reflecting the cultural interactions between Filipinos and the American colonial masters. Dear Lady S features advice by Lady S—resident love columnist of the Philippine Online Chronicles.

Pagmumuni-muni at Pagtatalak ng Sirenang Nagpapanggap na Prinsesa is a compilation of essays by John Iremil Teodoro, one of the pioneers in gay literature in the country. Bekibolaryo, on the other hand, is a comprehensive lexicon explaining terms, words, and expressions used by the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual (LGBT) community.

K to 12: RA 10533 and Relevant Education Policies by Atty. Joseph Estrada and Atty. Kristjan Gargantiel meanwhile elaborates on how the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 can affect existing policies and laws in education.

These books can actually be previewed for free by mobile device owners by scanning designated QR codes posted along the booth's illustrated panels. Vibal's booth will also feature tablets, all-in-one PCs, and other mobile devices to feature e-book editions of their printed books, along with interactive games, video documentaries, and other rich media content for MIBF visitors.

Now on its 35th year, the MIBF gathers Philippine publishers to showcase their latest books and offer big discounts for their popular bestsellers. Vibal is a regular participant of this annual event that attracts bibliophiles and other book readers alike, along with book sellers and authors to celebrate the power of books, reading, and knowledge.

During the five-day event, Vibal will also be organizing various activities at their booth: an interactive storytelling-cum-zumba session featuring Eugene Evasco's May Lakad Kami ni Tatay will be held on Sept.19. Meet-and-greet sessions with various authors and illustrators will also take place.

For September 17, Atty. Joseph Noel Estrada will headline the meet-and-greet sessions in the morning followed by Bebang Siy and Ronier Verzo in the afternoon. Genaro Gojo Cruz is set to attend the morning session on September 18, while illustrator Jonathan Ranola will grace the afternoon session on the same date. The morning session for September 19 will mark the presence of author Eugene Evasco and three illustrators—namely Brent Sabas, Ariel Santillan, and Leo Ang—while Lady S of the Philippine Online Chronicles, alongside illustrators Jamie Bauza and Valerie Jan Villaflor will be there in the afternoon.

Authors Rhandee Garlitos and John Teodoro, together with illustrator Tokwa Penaflorida are set to appear in the morning of September 20 at the Vibal booth. For the afternoon session on the same date, another group will be present to interact with their fans—authors Heidi Abad and Lem Garcellano, alongside illustrators Wiji Lacsamana, Christian Oliver Cruz, and Doms Agsaway. To cap off the fair, the husband-and-wife tandem of Jomike Tejido and Haraya Ocampo-Tejido will be at the Vibal booth on the afternoon of September 21.

MIBF is organized by Primetrade Asia, Inc. in partnership with Asian Catholic Communicators, Inc., Book Development Association of the Philippines, Philippine Booksellers Association, Inc., and the Overseas Publishers Representatives Organization of the Philippines.

AXA PHILIPPINES

AXA ION, first online life insurance store in PH

AXA Philippines, one of the country’s largest and fastest growing life insurance companies, continues to redefine standards by being the first life insurance company in the Philippines to offer life insurance products online through AXA iON (AXA Insurance Online).

“The internet is playing an ever increasing role in the way we communicate, transact and find information about anything,” says Rien Hermans, President & CEO of AXA Philippines. “Nowadays people meet on social media, find jobs online, buy books, gadgets, clothes, shoes, book hotels and air travel on the internet --- all of this is no surprise to any of us anymore.”

“With AXA iON, we now give customers the chance to secure their financial future from the increasing costs of education, the burden of expensive healthcare costs, and the passing of a breadwinner, all in a digital platform and in just a few, easy steps,” Hermans stated.

Hermans observes that most life insurance companies tend to create a lot of mystery or confusion around their products by coming up with a multitude of options, features and limitations, all packed in a lot of jargon.

“AXA Philippines wants to change this by offering the most basic financial products that can help people secure their financial future in a transparent, easy, and affordable way to the growing population of Filipinos who are logged on to the internet on an almost daily basis,” adds Hermans.

AXA iON offers four (4) fully-guaranteed products that make up the AXA eXentials line, which are designed to be affordable with premiums starting at only P1,000 per month: Health eXentials, Savings eXentials, Academic eXentials, and Life eXentials.

• Savings eXentials is a fail-proof alternative to savings that provide better returns than a regular savings account returns, pays out the cash to your family even if you don’t complete the 5-year savings plan in case of death or disability.

• Academic eXentials gives guaranteed cash benefits once a year for 5 consecutive years, to help defray costs related to tuition or education. But in case of untimely demise before the 5-year payout period, Academic eXentials will give your family additional cash every year until the year before the scheduled release of benefits.

• Life eXentials is a back-to-basics income replacement plan. Unlike typical life insurance plans, Life eXentials pays out its benefits monthly over a period of up to 5 years so there’s no danger of wiping out the insurance proceeds at once and ensures that the beneficiaries get a monthly stipend to replace the income of the loved one who passed away.

• Health eXentials is the affordable complement to HMO coverage as it pays out cash upon diagnosis of critical conditions such as heart attack, stroke, including gender specific cancers (breast, cervical, prostate cancers), stroke, heart attack, Alzheimer’s disease, liver disease and 30 other critical illnesses.

“Through AXA iON, customers can now learn more about these financial solutions, at their own pace and convenience” says Amor Balagtas, Chief Marketing Officer of AXA Philippines.  “Having done one’s own research and now ready to secure his financial future, one can purchase their desired financial product by simply using their credit card in just a few clicks.” 

“But for those who prefer to talk to an AXA Financial Partner, they may use AXA iON to start a conversation on their financial needs, as this is a great tool to help them understand what options are available to them,” Balagtas explains further.

“The internet will not replace the financial advisor, but it will complement the way how we communicate and transact with our clients,” adds Hermans. “This is why we allow customers to select their financial advisor, even if they buy online. This ensures that once they want to do a full financial need analysis, they will have someone that they can turn to.”

“Having someone to support you in the important financial decisions in your life, to balance your investments, to prepare your retirement income and to fail proof your financial plans is of tremendous value. This is the reason why AXA focuses on quality over quantity when it comes to its financial advisers, providing continuous training, and providing them state of the art tools to support their job,” Hermans concludes.

To find out more about AXA iON, visit www.axaion.com.ph.