No Expiry Date For Gift Certificates

No Expiry Date For Gift Certificates

To all business establishments:

Ignorance of the law excuses no one.

Please read...

Pursuant to DTI Administrative Order No. 10-04 on the Guidelines on the Issuance, Use and Redemption of Gift Checks, Certificates or Gift Cards in accordance with Republic Act No. 7394, otherwise known as the Consumer Act of the Philippines, and for other Purposes

Starting 01 July 2012, all suppliers, issuers, distributors and sellers are prohibited to issue and/or sell gift certificates/check/cards with an expiry date. 

However, gift certificates/checks/cards that are distributed to consumers under awards, loyalty, or promotional programs are not covered.

All gift checks/certificates/cards with no expiry dates shall be redeemable until used by the bearer.

Holders of unused and unexpired gift check/ certificates/ cards after June 30, 2012 shall be entitled to replacement after revalidation by suppliers.

Terms and conditions of unused gift checks/ certificates/ cards issued before the effectivity of this order shall be honored; but those bearing expiry dates beyond June 30, 2012 shall be subject to revalidation or replacement.

Goods and services that are paid with gift certificates/check/card are qualified in promotional sales activities, loyalty programs, warranties, return policies for cash purchases, and discounts for senior citizens/persons with disability.

The suppliers cannot be held liable for gift certificates/ checks/ cards under that are: 

(a) lost due to no fault of the supplier; and
(b) mutilated or defaced due to no fault of the supplier and such damage prevents the supplier from identifying the security and authenticity features thereof.

BIR: Extended The Validity of Unused/ Unissued Receipt

BIR: Extended The Validity of Unused/ Unissued Receipt

Attention: Business Owners, Professionals, Any person or Corporation issuing Receipt

Good News folks! The BIR extended the validity of unissued and Unused Receipt!

Circular 2013-014: BIR Revenue Memorandum Circular 44-2013 - Extending the validity of unused/unissued principal and supplementary receipts/invoices printed prior to January 18, 2013, the effectivity date of Revenue Regulation No. 18-2012, from June 30, 2013 to August 30, 2013. However, the deadline for filing an application for the printing of new receipts to replace all unused/unissued principal/supplementary receipts/invoices printed prior to January 18, 2013, shall be maintained as of April 30, 2013, and therefore all applications received after said date shall be considered late application and the penalties for late filing shall be imposed.

You could download the copy of  BIR Revenue Memorandum Circular 44-2013 here.

Source: PMAP

Claudine Barreto: Controversial Instagram Post

Claudine Barreto: Controversial Instagram Post

Claudine's fans were concerned with the instagram photo that Claudine Barreto uploaded on social network Instagram earlier today, June 21, 2013. Claudine's daughter Sabina turned nine(9) years old today. Claudine uploaded a photo with daughter Sabina and two unidentified little girls who attended Sabina's birthday party.

In this photo, the black eye and bruises on her right cheek are very obvious. I think ( I may be wrong ) her right cheek is a little bit bloated. What exactly happened to Claudine Barreto? 

This instagram photo were deleted by Claudine when her fans began asking her why she had those bruises.

Champs: Chewable Vitamins For Mommy's Champion

Champs: Chewable Vitamins For Mommy's Champion

When I was just a little girl, I look like a stick. Believe it or not, I was skinny thin! My parents, grandparents, aunts, uncle are worried that I was malnourished. Good thing, I don't have a  big belly. I am thin because I was a picky eater. I turned out to be undernourished. Under nutrition is a consequence of consuming too few essential nutrients. Infants, young children, and teenagers need additional nutrients in order to be healthy.

Recently, I was invited to a round table discussion on the health and wellness of Filipino children hosted by Chemical Company of Malaysia International Philippines, (CCM) the distributor of CHAMPS Chewable Vitamins. 

According to Dra. Lourdes B. Escobar, Obstetrician-Gynecologist at  Delos Santos Medical Center in Quezon City, even if we train our child to eat the proper food, sooner or later when they start to go out in the real world, these little humans will soon start to develop their own preferences and taste.  

It is a sad fact that parent/s can only do "forced" proper feeding to their child up to two (2) years of age. After that, the child will start complaining and eventually start their own diet. When that happens, the child will most probably have inadequate vitamins and minerals required for proper development. Yes, even if he or she appears healthy. 

What to do when your kids are undernourished?

This is where multivitamin supplements, like CHAMPS, come in.  It is safe for children as long as it does not exceed the recommended daily allowance for any vitamins and minerals. Same statement is true even for adults! Giving double dose of multivitamins without doctor's prescription is a big NO-NO!

Dra. Lourdes gave important tips to mommies and guardians. She advised every mommies not to forget to give their children multivitamins everyday.  She also said that it is necessary to consult a pediatrician for proper evaluation and not just celebrity endorsers! There is also a proper time of taking multivitamins, which is after a meal for proper and best absorption.

It is important to present vitamins to your child with a nice taste or else you have to run around the house just to let your child drink vitamins. With this in mind, CMM formulated CHAMPS Chewable Vitamins in fun shapes that taste and smell like candy! CHAMPS Chewable Vitamins have 4 variants formulated to meet specific needs for the Pediatric age group (2-12 years old)





CHAMPS VITAMIN C





CHAMPS M



CHAMPS M + LYSINE


CHAMPS OMEGA-3 PLUS

Champs Chewable Vitamins are distributed by CCM International Philippines, Inc., the local arm of Chemical Company of Malaysia (CCM), the largest generic company in Malaysia. CCM advocates providing effective medications at affordable prices. Consult your doctor about it.

Travel agencies can no longer process Philippine passports

Aimed at bringing equality among all passport applicants, the move of taking away from travel agencies the business of processing of passport application will now be implemented.

Those who will be hit hard by this move are some travel agencies that derive their income mostly from processing of passport application and renewal.

Starting June 21, 2013, travel agencies can no longer process Philippine passports. The accreditation of travel agencies by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to provide passport-related services will lapse on June 20, 2013, after it was extended from December 31, 2012. 

“All applicants will have to go to the DFA in order to have their biometrics taken and other information that will have to be provided to our passport office so that’s why we have seen that the role of travel agencies will be curtailed because of those requirements,” DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez said.

Travel agencies, however, may assist passport applicants only for the purpose of collating the required documents needed to secure a passport. The DFA accreditation of travel agencies for this limited purpose will start in July 2013 up to June 2014.

Under the new guidelines, “there will be no special privileges for passport applicants who go through travel agencies” according to Hernandez.

He said that the only difference between applicants who go through travel agencies and those who do not is that the former may pay the processing fee at any Landbank branch. 

Gone are the days when travel agencies could give special privileges for their clients, including guaranteed same-day processing and access to passport express lanes. 

Yes, folks. Basically, this means that you have to apply for your Philippine passport or its renewal by yourself. Assistance by the accredited travel agencies will be limited to the facilitation of documents needed for passport application. 

Don't you worry. You can very well do it yourself.

For first time applicants of Philippine passports, click HERE.

To secure Philippine passports for minor children, click HERE.

For renewal of Philippine passports, click HERE.