Universal Robina Corp. (URC) is expanding into the spiked spirit category with a new product that is set to disrupt the Philippine alcoholic beverages market.

“Chill Spiked Spirit will offer a refreshing, laid back drinking experience, with just the right kick, minus the heavy feeling,” said URC Chief Marketing Officer Mian D. David.
David said more people are now looking for the same relaxing, light, personal moments they experienced when drinking at home because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“In URC, our purpose is to delight consumers with better food and beverage choices. Chill is an embodiment of that purpose. It’s a delightful drink that’s refreshing and delicious. It’s better than others because it contains real fruit juice and just the right level of alcohol plus zero added sugar.”
 URC forays into the alcoholic beverage market with Chill piked Spirit, a refreshing drink that has zero trans fats, no artificial sweetener and with real fruit extracts.
Chill Spiked Spirit contains 5 percent double distilled alcohol, real fruit extract and soda water.  This means it has the same alcohol strength, but with a more refreshing taste.  
It has no artificial sweetener and with zero trans fats, eliminating that heavy feeling in the gut that beer drinkers feel.  
Spiked spirits, hard seltzers, and other similar beverages have been disrupting the global beer category.  They now account for a 6 percent share of the alcoholic beverages market in the United States.
In 2018, the category was worth US$500 million.  By 2023, that is projected to soar to US$3 billion.
Chill Spiked Spirit will be available in 330ml cans at a suggested retail price of P51 each. It will come in red apple, lemon lime and lychee.
David is confident that with its resources, reputation and history, URC will soon be making headways in the P252 Billion alcoholic beverages market in the Philippines. A little over half of the market is still in beer, others are from spirits and other product categories.

“We are looking at young consumers of legal drinking age, who are authentic with their outlook and passionate with their calling, but who still know how to have fun. They like to let loose and unwind after a long day without going over the top,” said David.

URC is one of the Philippines’ biggest companies, with products found in nine out of 10 homes. It has the top-selling brands in the snacks, candies, chocolates, coffee and ready-to-drink tea categories.

Manila, Philippines, National Heroes Day has been observed in the Philippines every 29th of August.

What’s interesting about this day is that we are not only reminded of the heroes who fought for our independence, but also about the heroism of regular people around us.
This year, Revlon Professional Philippines took this opportunity to interview and reward the heroes who braved the challenges and fought for what we all deserve, a happier and healthier world.
The brand that lives by ‘Living Boldly’ provided a head-to-toe makeover to three different advocates on Mental Health, Education, and Agriculture!
More than that, they made sure that their heroism will resonate in this year’s celebration, featuring Rural Rising Philippines, Avegale Acosta, and Prof. Emmanuel Raon – Santos.
Rural Rising Philippines (RuRi), led by spouses Ace and Andie Estrada of Baguio City, is a collective, non-profit grassroots effort to help distressed Filipino farmers get back on their feet and feed the nation with pride.
RuRi conducts “Rescue Buys” in areas where there is a surplus of fruits and vegetables, paying farmers over-farm gate prices, then distributing the rescued produce to its members at below-bagsakan prices. It’s a win-win formula for both farmers and consumers.
All fruits and vegetables that are not claimed within 48 hours are automatically donated to hungry communities in the NCR and to various community pantries. No produce goes to waste.
“We believe that when farmers are paid the right price, they have a chance at achieving rural prosperity; that by giving members access to fresh and cheap produce, they would share what they cannot consume to the needy, or perhaps create a profitable reseller business; that by channeling all unclaimed or unsold produce to residents in economically depressed communities, their lives are sustained, their souls given hope”.

Today, RuRi is working to erect vegetable tramlines in Benguet, create a water and forest conservation project in Nueva Ecija, and establish community libraries in various farmer communities. It also aims to establish a processing and packaging facility for rescued produce, and the country’s first Rescue Kitchen.

“We welcome offers of help in whatever form it comes if it would help the farmers and create small but impactful change in the countryside.”

Avegale Acosta, MA, RPsy, RPm, Lecturer, Ateneo de Manila University; Psychologist, Ateneo Bulatao Center. Avy has been practicing in the field of psychology for 12 years, and has been teaching for 7 years. She provides psychotherapy for those who experienced trauma, anxiety, grief, and other mental health concerns. She also worked with communities by co-developing and implementing resilience and community-based drug recovery interventions.

During this time when an estimate of 3.6 million Filipinos are facing mental health issues (DOH) with a limited mental health professionals, she spends most of her time providing psychosocial support to those experiencing mental health distress, teaching and mentoring future psychologists, and training individuals from schools and organizations to provide psychological first aid for those in distress.

“Ang mental health issues ay isang invisible epidemic. Maaaring hindi natin makita agad ang sintomas nito. May mga tao na tinatago ito. Pero hindi natin alam na marami na pala silang pinagdadaanan na problema o maaaring nakaranas ng traumatic events o maaaring nabu-burnout na. Madalas isinasawalang bahala rin natin ang ating mental health hanggang sa dumating ang araw na maaaring sasabog na lang ito, o wala na tayong motibasyon o ganang mabuhay, o nagkakasakit na tayo”.

“Ang pagsuporta sa mental health ay hindi lamang trabaho ng professionals. If we can educate more people how to prioritize and take care of their mental health and how to respond to people in distress, we can prevent many mental health distress from escalating to mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, and substance use,” she added.

Prof. Emmanuel Raon – Santos of PUP, Manila. Sir Ems as his students fondly call him, has been teaching since 2008. But in 2015, he decided to pursue a path outside the academe and flew to Dubai. The odds turned in his favor and he successfully got a lucrative job in the corporate arena. During the pandemic, he decided to stay in the Philippines. When asked why, he shared:

“I had many chances of going back in the UAE. Pero nakita ko yung mga kaibigan kong nurses at doctors, lumalaban talaga sila para sa bansa natin. Naramdaman ko na bilang isang Filipino at guro that I should do my part as well, most especially sa ganitong pitch dark moments natin. Maraming educational institutions ang nangailangan ng mga guro na kayang sumabak sa virtual classes. Kaya, I decided na mag-stay muna.”

He also told us that the pandemic is not just a battle meant to be fought by medical professionals.

“Eh yung pandemic eh hindi lang ito laban ng mga medical professionals e. Laban ito nating lahat. Laban ng bawa’t Pinoy! Education must continue lalung-lalo na sa ganitong pagkakataon. There are no small roles sa ganitong uri ng giyera. Bawat isa sa atin ay essential. Pinipili ko na mag-contribute sa alam kong paraan.”

Ace, Andie, Avy, and Ems are from different sectors, but all of them are heroes! Their advocacies are timely and essential to our post Pandemic world. May the stories shared today inspire the hero amongst all of us. Happy National Heroes Day!