Allianz renews partnership with 4-time PFL champion United City Football Club

Allianz renews partnership with 4-time PFL champion United City Football Club

Thursday, March 17, 2022

Allianz PNB Life and the United City Football Club (UCFC) look forward to another year of partnership after the renewal of their contract last March 14, Monday.

“Allianz is very proud to be working with UCFC again, one of the best Filipino football teams in the country,” said Alexander Grenz, President and CEO of Allianz PNB Life. “Globally, we remain dedicated to celebrating the exciting sport of football, and we believe that this partnership will help us in reaching more Filipinos and encouraging a deeper, more fervent interest in this sport.”

Established in 2021, the UCFC is the four-time reigning champion of the Philippines Football League (PFL), one of the most prestigious professional football leagues in the country. The team also became the first Filipino club to enter the group stages of the AFC Champions League in 2021, winning against the Chinese Super League powerhouse Beijing FC with a score of 3:2.

“We are very grateful to Allianz for their continued support,” said Eric Gottschalk, President and co-founder of UCFC. “In spite of the difficulties we have faced because of the pandemic, interest for the sport here in the Philippines only keeps growing, and we believe partnering with Allianz will amplify the awareness and enthusiasm for football.”

Allianz PNB Life, on the other hand, has been a long-time supporter of football and futsal. Together with UCFC, the Department of Education (DepEd), and the Moran Foundation, Allianz recently launched a nationwide online challenge for young Filipino amateur football and futsal players called “Kickoff!: The Allianz PNB Life Virtual Football and Futsal Mastery Challenge”, where they can showcase their ball mastery skills via social media. Allianz also won a silver award for its National Youth Futsal Invitational (ANYFI) at the Sports Industry Awards Asia in 2019, and supported the 10th ASEAN Para Games bid of the Philippines’ first cerebral palsy football team, the CP Rascals.

“We have always believed and proudly supported Filipino athletes, and we will continue to do so in both the local and global stages,” stated Grenz. “This partnership with UCFC is further proof of our commitment to empower and enable Filipino athletes in their goal to achieve greater heights and bring pride to the Philippines.”

For more information on Allianz PNB Life, please visit www.allianzpnblife.ph, or visit their Facebook at @allianzpnblifeofficial.

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Allianz PNB Life partners with Moran Foundation, DepEd for Filipino youth football campaign

Allianz PNB Life partners with Moran Foundation, DepEd for Filipino youth football campaign

Friday, March 11, 2022

Allianz PNB Life just launched “Kickoff!: The Allianz PNB Life Virtual Football and Futsal Mastery Challenge” last February 17, together with its partner, the Moran Foundation. They are joined by the Department of Education (DepEd), United City Football Club (UCFC), TikTok and Sunsport Soccerball in the promotion of this event.

“Kickoff!” is a nationwide online challenge for young Filipino amateur football and futsal players, where they can showcase their ball mastery skills via social media, specifically on Tiktok and Facebook. This is open to males and females aged 18 and below, provided they are currently enrolled at a DepEd-accredited school.

Eligible contestants must post a 30-second Tiktok video entry and cross-share it on Facebook with the hashtag #AllianzBallMastery. A panel of judges from Allianz PNB Life, DepEd, the Moran Foundation, and UCFC will decide the overall winners of the challenge. The closing of the event and awarding of winners is set for April 1.

“Due to the limited mobility we are experiencing from the pandemic, it has been difficult for organizations, interested learners, and fans alike to engage in any face-to-face sporting events,” said Alexander Grenz, President and CEO of Allianz PNB Life. “This online challenge was developed in order to reach young Filipino football and futsal players, providing them a platform to showcase their skills, and an opportunity to celebrate football and futsal as a sport in a safe, responsible manner.”

“Our surveys show that there is a great need for young Filipino students to continue to be active and engaged in sports during the pandemic.” said Danny Moran, Chairman of the Moran Foundation. “In partnering with Allianz PNB Life and the Department of Education, we will be able, despite of the restrictions on face-to-face sports, to support the sporting interests of younger, school-age athletes by helping them be physically active and motivating them to maximize their skills via a virtual competition.”

Allianz PNB Life has been a long-time partner of the Moran Foundation in developing grassroots football and futsal in the Philippines. Together, the two organizations have backed the National Youth Futsal Cup, and Allianz PNB Life supported the 10th ASEAN Para Games bid of the Philippines’ first cerebral palsy football team, the Moran-established CP Rascals. Allianz PNB Life also won a silver award for its National Youth Futsal Invitational (ANYFI) at the Sports Industry Awards Asia in 2019.

“Globally, Allianz is a massive supporter of football, and we are thrilled to see the awareness and interest in it grow here in the Philippines. We want to contribute to that through the Allianz Football and Futsal Virtual Skills Challenge, which is a great way to promote football and futsal in the country, as well as recognize talented Filipino kids who want to take part in the sport,” said Grenz. “We are inviting every young athlete out there to join us in this endeavor. For the love of the sport, let’s play ball!”

For more information on Allianz PNB Life’s Football and Futsal Virtual Skills Challenge, please visit www.allianzpnblife.ph, or visit their Facebook at @allianzpnblifeofficial.zpnblifeofficial.

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A biker's haven at The SM Store

A biker's haven at The SM Store

Friday, November 26, 2021

Cycling has suddenly become cool in a big way as we navigate the pandemic. A healthy, and low impact exercise that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, biking has emerged as a favorite way of transportation especially during the community quarantine days, when major transportations are not allowed to operate. Many communities have also allocated bike lanes for those who prefer to pedal their way around the city. The good news is that The SM Store now has cool gear for bike enthusiasts in its Men’s Accessories Department. These include bikes, as well as safety helmets, multi-purpose masks, gloves, repair kits, lights, bags, and cargo nets to keep us safe and stylish on the road. There are Mountain Bikes designed for off-road cycling - mountain trails, single track, fire roads, and other unpaved surfaces; as well as lightweight and sportive Road Bikes built for traveling at speed on paved roads. Bike enthusiasts will also enjoy trying out Gravel/Adventure bikes, Utility bikes, E-bikes, Triathlon bikes, Tandem bikes, Park bikes and Kids bikes. 

Urban planner, cycling advocate, and founder of active transport advocacy group MNL Moves, Aldrin Pelicano shares with us tips to anyone before going on a ride or who wants to give biking a start. Here are his must-haves: 

• Helmets. “Investing in a good helmet is always worth it,” says Aldrin. “When choosing a helmet, always look for the Consumer Product Safety Committee (CPSC) sticker inside. This ensures you’ll be offered a high level of protection if you do end up in a crash.” 

• Bike Lights. It is important to see and be seen when you’re out on the road, and Aldrin advises us to “choose a white bike light in front and red bike light for the back. High visibility (hi-viz) clothes or vest and straps can also help for you to be visible especially in low-light conditions or at night.” 

• Repair Kits. “Don’t go out on a ride, whether short or long, without your tool kit,” says Aldrin. “A good kit should include spare tube/s and/or patch kit, pump, tire levers and cycling multi-tool.” 

• A Bike bag – “It’s a good idea to bring essentials like IDs, money, mask, face shield (if you will go to an indoor place, closed venue), food and water,” says Aldrin. And find yourself a good bag for all your stuff. 

• A Water bottle – “If your bike has eyelets,” says Aldrin.” it would be good to get a bottle cage so you can bring water bottles for hydration.” 

• Wear as you ride – How do you dress the part? Some advice from Aldrin: “You don’t have to wear cycling jerseys to make trips on a bicycle. As long as it’s comfortable and will help you ride safely, any clothes should do it. Also, “don’t underestimate the sun so it’s also good to wear some protection like arm sleeves and sunglasses.” 

Bike lovers and enthusiasts, like Aldrin, can visit The SM Store Men’s Accessories Department to check out their latest bike collections, as well as accessories, safety kits and gears, and other must-haves that can be used while going on a ride. 

You can also check out these collection and other more fashion finds online at https://bit.ly/3Eyi50K and chat and shop at m.me/SMFashionMen 

These bike collection is all available at The SM Store Men’s Fashion Accessories Department.

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