Gracee's Lifestyle Journal

As Chinese New Year approaches, Filipinos are turning cultural traditions and  ‘suwerte’  (luck) into a shopping list, fueling a sales surge in sari-sari stores nationwide as families prepare to welcome prosperity for the year ahead. Filipino tech startup  Packworks , through its business intelligence tool Sari IQ, analyzed over a million monthly transactions across its network of 300,000 stores over a three-year period. The study compared sales trends for holiday-related items two weeks before and after Chinese New Year from 2023 to 2025. The data reveals that items linked to abundance and luck, such as hopia, Chinese wine, and Asian noodles, posted sales increases, reflecting how Filipino beliefs influence consumption during the occasion. Hopia, a round pastry of Chinese origin symbolizing togetherness and good fortune, steadily grew sales from 2023 to 2025. Its median gross merchandise value (GMV) rose 20% in 2025, up from 14% increase in 2023. The Visayas regions led ...

The Jollibee Group has received a Special Citation at the Zero Waste to Nature Recognition Awards, led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), for exceeding its baseline targets under the country’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework. The awards program—organized with the Philippine Alliance for Recycling and Materials Sustainability (PARMS) as organizer partner and technical committee head, in coordination with the National Ecology Center—recognizes obligated enterprises that go beyond regulatory compliance by demonstrating leadership in plastic waste recovery, upstream reduction, innovation, and inclusive circular economy practices. The Jollibee Group was cited for surpassing its recovery commitments and for implementing additional initiatives in partnership with government agencies. These include the Jollibee x Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) Abot Kamay para sa Laguna de Bay Program and the Jollibee x Metropolitan Manila Development Autho...

Early recognition is emerging as the front line in the fight against encephalitis, as global health experts highlight the urgent need to identify warning signs sooner to prevent death and lifelong neurological disability ahead of World Encephalitis Day on 22 February. In neurological emergencies, minutes shape survival, recovery, and long-term quality of life. This reality defines encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain where early symptoms often resemble common illness, yet delayed recognition leads to severe disability or death.  As World Encephalitis Day approaches, Encephalitis International is drawing attention to the critical gap between first symptoms and accurate diagnosis. To help close this gap, the organization is introducing FLAMES, a structured recall tool designed to support earlier recognition in both clinical settings and everyday community awareness.  FLAMES highlights six urgent warning signs: flu-like symptoms, loss of consciousness, acute headache, memor...

Bitget Wallet , a leading non-custodial crypto wallet with over 80 million users, has officially doubled its tokenized stock offerings, allowing Filipinos and users anywhere in the world access to more than 200 US stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The expanded offerings are made possible through Ondo Finance’s Global Markets infrastructure. This blockchain-based platform brings traditionally traded US stocks and ETFs on-chain, allowing users outside the United States to gain exposure to these assets. Through this integration, Filipino users can manage a hybrid portfolio of cryptocurrencies and US equities directly within the Bitget Wallet application. This eliminates the need for traditional brokerage accounts or navigating complex international banking intermediaries, effectively democratizing access to global wealth-building tools. “As markets change, access should change with them. By expanding the range of stocks available in our app, we’re giving users more ways to particip...

For many Filipinos, ordering food has become part of the weekly rhythm. A quick lunch between meetings, a late-night craving after work, or a weekend treat shared with family—food delivery is no longer an occasional indulgence but a regular habit. Among frequent users, how they pay is quietly changing. Instead of chasing one-off promos or switching apps for discounts, digitally minded consumers are starting to look for payment options that work seamlessly with the routines they already have. That’s where the EastWest–foodpanda Visa Credit Card comes in—designed to fit naturally into how people order, pay, and repeat the cycle the following week. In tandem with the foodpanda ecosystem, the card allows users to earn up to 10% cashback on foodpanda transactions instantly, with cashback credited directly to pandapay, foodpanda’s in-app wallet for immediate use on future orders. There is no need to redeem —just a straightforward reward that shows up in-app, ready for the next meal. And this...

Manila Water closed 2025 with nonrevenue water (NRW) at 13.55 percent. This level remains among the lowest in Asia and reflects the company’s continued commitment to efficient water system management. Maintaining NRW at this level demonstrates disciplined efforts to reduce losses arising from leaks, pilferage, and metering inaccuracies. For the full year 2025, Manila Water posted an average NRW of 14.27 percent, showing sustained operational efficiency across the network.  Lowering NRW directly benefits customers because every percentage point reduced translates to more water that can be delivered to households. Manila Water estimates that a onepercent reduction in NRW can make available up to 15 million liters of water per day that would otherwise be lost. This additional volume supports growing communities and contributes to more stable and reliable service across the East Zone. “ Keeping NRW low allows more of the water we produce to reach our customers. Every liter we save stre...