Devin Edwards, Progresif’s Chief Marketing Officer, 3rd from left, with students from Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien College, Meragang Sixth Form, Rimba Secondary School, Raja Isteri Girls High School, Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College and Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Masna Secondary School. Also in the photo were representatives from Brunei Film Blitz.

Progresif is paving the way for the development of future filmmakers and producers in its latest Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative for Brunei’s creative industry.

The company announced that they are sponsoring 15 students from six schools for their entry into the Brunei Film Blitz 2018 (BFB), giving them the opportunity to expand on their talents and passion for film.

Abd Mateen Yakof, Wan Wafiy Hasif Hj Wan Joffry, Md Adam Aiman Hj Mohd Firman, Md Ilyas Abdullah @ Ilyas De Lara Bautista, Md Rosmuliamin Mustapa, Md Haziq Hafizzudin Shahron, Mohd Danial Basyri Zamain, Md Azizul Halif Hj Bagul, Lim Hui Ying, Muhammad Adam, Dk Syarifah Afiqah binti Pg Hj Shamsir, Dk Aida Nabilah binti Pg Haji Dahlan, Nabilah Munazah binti Raup, Abdul Hazim bin Mastadi and Rauufah will all have full access to film workshops and screenings during the BFB 2018.

The nominated students are currently studying at Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien College, Meragang Sixth Form, Rimba Secondary School, Raja Isteri Girls High School, Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan Science College and Pengiran Anak Puteri Hajah Masna Secondary School.

This is also the second consecutive year that Progresif has supported the Brunei Film Blitz as part of ongoing efforts support and nurture the growth of Brunei’s creative industry.

Devin Edwards, Progresif’s Chief Marketing Officer, said: “Our investment into the local creative industry stems from our belief that Brunei’s creative talents can grow much further when they have a platform that supports them.”

“This is our second year of supporting the Film Blitz and we’re proud to be able to play a role in nurturing the abilities of young filmmakers, so they are inspired to pursue their passion and turn their talents into viable careers or businesses,” he said.

The BFB aims to push the abilities of local filmmakers to international standards through a series of workshops, screenings and a competition to produce a short film in 96 hours.

The winner of this competition will receive a full scholarship for a two-year Diploma in Screen and Media, also sponsored by Progresif. Winners will be announced on December 24 during the Gala Awards Night.

Registration for the BFB is open from November 9 until December 20, 2018. To register for the event, visit www.bruneifilmblitz.org

Lavie’s Youth defying Night Crème, Beauty Insider Winner for Best Breakthrough Product 2018

Dr. Juliana Latif (2nd from left) sharing her product line to the guests at Avenue 41 last Sunday

According to their official website, Le Miracle De La Vie was created and formulated by a pair of female doctors who were driven scientifically for results, in search for the perfect skincare products that could address everyday women’s skin needs and concerns. Their decisions were based on two key elements, effectiveness and user experience.

Premium active ingredients, clinically tested for their effectiveness on the skin, were handpicked from an award-winning Switzerland based lab, with the primary objective to address essential skin issues of hydration, whitening and anti-aging which are the main focus for Le Miracle de La Vie. It was imperative that the concentrations of each active ingredient were kept high and never compromised.

To enhance the user’s experience luxurious textures with sophisticated scents are a pivotal characteristic of each product. Like a shot of caffeine, the daytime products are refreshing and awakens the body and spirit. Like a relaxing cup of camomile tea, the night-time products will calm and sooth the mind to melt away stress. Immaculately wrapped in exclusively designed boxes, Le Miracle De La Vie chose Rose Gold as their signature stamp to emulate sophistication, luxury and premium quality.

To my surprise, one of the founders happened to be a Bruneian and a mutual friend of mine, Dr. Juliana Latif, who nows run two clinics, one General Health Clinic and the other in Aesthetics and Wellness, in Singapore. It has been her dream to pursue into aesthetics when she noticed changes in her own skin. Slowly, she created her own brand Lavie that focuses on whitening range and anti-aging range.

Even with a short span of time in the market, Lavie have won two awards from Beauty Insider Singapore in the Beauty & Wellness Awards 2018 – the first being Best Breakthrough Product for Lavie’s Youth Defying Night Crème and the second being Best Face Save Facial Serum for Lavie’s Intense Lightening Serum. That alone is a great testament for Lavie and Dr. Juliana shared how the awards have boosted their exposure in Singapore market and now she targets the regional market including China where her products are quite well received.

Recently, Dr. Juliana hosted a small event at Avenue 41 to introduce her Lavie line in Brunei Darussalam. The reception has been very positive during the short visit and she hopes one day, the products will be readily available in Brunei Darussalam in the near future.

For the moment, those who are interested, you make your order online through their official website or if you happen to be in Singapore, you can visit Lavie’s physical store at #04-11, Wheelock Place, 501 Orchard Road.

All the best, Dr. Juliana, in your business venture in aesthetics and wellness. Your dreams are definitely being pursued. It was great to see you again after such a long time.

One of the products from Lavie being displayed at Avenue 41

You can opt for this box and try out four products from Lavie

A beautiful set up at Avenue 41

Dr. Juliana mingling with her guests

Another award from Beauty Insider for Lavie’s Intense Lightening Serum

A photo opportunity with Dr. Juliana Latif

With the top three winners of At-Taqwa Travel Tours promotion held yesterday

The grand winner, Massharyanti binti Haji Hussain who an Umrah package for two, receiving the prize from Ak Md Nassiruddeen Pg Hj Yussof, Chief Financial Officer of At-Taqwa Travels Tour

At-Taqwa Travel Tours Sdn Bhd has been making a name for themselves for the past year or so. With a very solid team, they provided the best service to every customer they can within their resources. I have worked closely with them last year during my Umrah trip and they were very particular when it came to service.

And yes, when you provide good service, you will eventually get more customers and so they did. The last travel fair, Sabre Travel Fair 2018 drew 562 bookings and it was the biggest milestone for a new player in the industry.

Apart from that At-Taqwa also had special lucky draw promotions and yesterday, three top winners were feted with awesome prizes from the travel agent.

The Grand Prize went to Massharyanti binti Haji Hussain who won an Umrah package for two. The second prize winner went to Fauzian Hj Samat with a BND 2,500 travel voucher while third place winner won a BND 1,500 travel voucher which went to Muhd Wazif Asryaf bin Md Affendy.

Ak Md Nassiruddeen Pg Hj Yussof, Chief Financial Officer of At-Taqwa Travels Tour thanked the customers for their support during the travel fair and also to their loyal customers.

All present during the prize presentation were Pg Hj Rosdimar bin Pg Hj Omarali, Managing Director of At-Taqwa Travels Tour and the management as well as representative from Royal Brunei Airlines.

At-Taqwa Travels Tour will be in full swing this until next year as the first batch of Umrah pilgrims will fly off today. They have been busy with the preparations especially with the practical session for the pilgrims to be familiar before they reach the Holy land.

You can follow their updates on IG @at_taqwa_travel_tours for updates.

Ak Md Nassiruddeen delivering his welcoming remarks

Fauzian Hj Samat receiving 2nd prize from Pg Hj Mohd Fakhrulrazi Pg Hj Omarali, Head of Department, Haji and Umrah, At-Taqwa Travels Tour

Representative of Muhd Wazif Asryaf bin Md Affendy receiving third prize from Dk Sabtuyah binti Pg Hj Abdul Rahman, Head of Department of travel and tourism, At-Taqwa Travels Tour

Representatives from At-Taqwa and Royal Brunei Airline

Check out the merchandise from At-Taqwa

The first batch of Umrah pilgrims flying to Jeddah today

Evergreen Park, Haikou. Image from Hainan Explore website

Royal Brunei Airlines is pleased to announce that the national carrier has launched direct scheduled services to Haikou effective 22 November 2018.

RB’s CEO Karam Chand said, “We are pleased to introduce Haikou, the capital of Hainan province, to our growing network of scheduled flights to China. Adding Haikou to our scheduled services will support our airlines’ network development and builds on the strong bilateral relationship between Brunei and China. The new route presents a very special opportunity for both cities to boost tourism and trade sectors.

In addition to Haikou, we have already launched Nanning and Hangzhou routes and soon Changsha which will operate effective 15 January 2019. Further establishing RB’s presence in China is very important for us as we are constantly exploring new opportunities to grow our footprint in one of the largest market in the world. With the growth of our short-haul network to China and vice versa to Brunei, we are confident our guest will benefit from the increased connections and enhanced travel experience from non-stop flights and signature RB service on our game changing A320 NEO aircraft.”

The flight is available on www.flyroyalbrunei.com and also at RB’s travel agents.

RB flies twice weekly to Haikou

View of Haikou. Taken from South China Morning Post

Marriot Hotel, Haikou, Hainan Province.

Audi e-tron

“Best of the Best” award in Spain: Audi e-tron is SUV of the Year
Publishing group Spainmedia singled out the fully electric powered Audi e-tron as best SUV of the year. Apart from the efficient drive technology, the premium character and the quality of the full-size SUV were particularly compelling. Spainmedia publishes the Spanish edition of the renowned luxury magazine “Robb Report” and presents its “Best of the Best” awards for products and services in twelve categories. These include watches, wines and cosmetics as well as the two automobile categories SUVs and new products. The field of entrants included more than 50 car models.
(October 2018)

German Car Awards 2019: second place for the new Audi A6
The new Audi A6 took second place in the German Car Awards 2019. 59 models with an entry-level price under 100,000 euros competed for the awards. All these models were launched over the past twelve months in Germany. A 14-strong jury tested five of them on public roads and on the Bilster Berg racetrack near Paderborn. The automotive journalists and experts assessed a total of 12 categories, including driving pleasure, safety, comfort, infotainment, design and quality. Once again the Audi A6 proved to be a balanced, versatile multitalent in the full-size class.
(November 2018)

“Best of Show”: Audi 100 Coupé S in “Great Wall” classic rally in China
This year participants clocked up more than 500 kilometers (310.7 mi) in the “Great Wall” classic rally in China, organized by German magazine Auto Bild. Three automobiles lined up on the starting grid for Audi China: an Auto Union 1000SP, an Audi 200 and an Audi 100 Coupé S. The coupé took the “Best of Show” award in the Yanqi Island Concours d’Elegance. Audi secured the runner-up slot in the team rankings for the rally.
(October 2018)

Audi R8: award from CNET in the United States
The CNET consumer portal awarded the Audi R8 V10 RWS Coupé (combined fuel consumption in l/100 km: 12.4 (19.0 US mpg); combined CO2 emissions in g/km: 283 (455.4 g/mi)) the “Editor’s Choice Award” in the “Roadshow” category. The 540-hp high-performance sports car scored 9.1 out of a possible ten points; the car also came away with 9.5 points in the two individual rankings of “Performance” and “Media.” According to the jury’s verdict, the rear-wheel drive takes the excellent R8 driving experience to a new level and turns the Audi R8 V10 RWS Coupé into an exclusive option. CNET tests and assesses high-quality products and uses its “Editor’s Choice Award” to single out the best product in a total of 20 different categories.
(October 2018)

Gold and Silver: “Q8 Unleashed” at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards
The Golden Dolphin for the best webisode of the year went to Audi. That was the jury’s verdict at the Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards. The five-part mini-series entitled “Q8 Unleashed” about a young couple from California came to life as part of the advance communications campaign for the world premiere of the Audi Q8. Produced in collaboration with Kropac Media GmbH, the series provided the first glimpse of the new SUV. In the “Best Integrated Communication” category, the Q8 Unleashed campaign was awarded Silver. Besides internal channels, the series was also shown on YouTube and Amazon Prime Video.
(September 2018)

Audi obtains top results in digital services: victories with Forrester study and Auto Bild
Vorsprung in the digital world: A study by IT research company Forrester Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States) singled out Audi as the “Strongest Performer in European Automotive Websites.” Audi’s digital offerings stood out in particular for their user experience and superb functionality. Users receive tailored offerings and, in turn, excellent content support for their decision. Top spot also went to the Audi vehicle configurator with a test organized by Auto Bild in August, further testimony to the brand’s success. The large amount of information provided was especially compelling. The magazine also praised the “impeccable presence on the net.”
(September 2018)

10 lucky shoppers who swiped with Baiduri cards won a Shopping Spree promotion at Sim Kim Huat Supermarket and Department Store, Airport Mall

With the conclusion of the second month of the ‘Win a Shopping Spree” promotion, Baiduri Bank, in collaboration with Sim Kim Huat Supermarket and Department Store, hosted another round of winners in a shopping spree earlier today. The event was held at Sim Kim Huat Supermarket and Department Store in Airport Mall.

Between 1 September to 31 December 2018, with every BND50 paid using a Baiduri Bank issued credit or debit card at participating outlets, cardholders stand a chance to win a shopping spree worth BND200. Cardholders who spend a minimum of BND100 in a single receipt will receive a complimentary shopping bag. In addition, all Baiduri cardholders will enjoy a 10% discount on department store items.

At the event, the 10 lucky winners for the month of October, were flagged off for their spree by Mr Lim Kian Chiong, Head of Card Business, Baiduri Bank.

Another 10 winners will be selected for November and will be announced next month. To be eligible to enter the monthly draw, simply spend a minimum of BND50 in a single receipt and pay using a Baiduri credit or debit card. The promotion ends on 31 December 2018.

Terms and conditions of the promotion can be viewed on Baiduri Bank website at www.baiduri.com under the Promotions section, or on the Baiduri Bank mobile app – Baiduri Deals. For more information, customers may also contact the Baiduri Bank Customer Helpline at 2449666.

Baiduri Bank is one of the largest providers of payment products in Brunei, and holds franchise to four major card brands – Visa, MasterCard, American Express as well as the UnionPay. On top of cashless convenience, Baiduri credit and debit cards come with an array of benefits, such as exclusive rewards and offers, easy instalment plans as well as ability to accumulate Bonus Points for the Baiduri Instant Rewards programme.

To be in the know of Baiduri promotions, the public may stay updated by following Baiduri Bank Group on Facebook and Twitter or Instagram @baiduribank.

Kingston Beverage & Creamery Sdn Bhd team with members of the press

One of the press shortlisting a monthly winner

Kingston Beverage & Creamery Sdn Bhd conducted the All New Pepsi Max Taste monthly draw at its office at beribi recently. There are 10 finalist that have been drawn by the member of press for the upcoming Prize Presentation on the 23rd November 2018 (Friday) that will be held at Soon Lee Megamart, Lambak Kanan.

The 10 finalist will be contacted to present on that day to participate in mini games challenge for their prizes. The prizes for the monthly draw are 7 nos of Pepsi Hamper worth B$50 and Shopping Voucher worth of B$100 for 3rd Prize, B$200 for 2nd Prize and B$300 for 1st Prize.

Other participants are still in chance to win the unforgettable 2nos of Turkey Tour Package for 2 pax with allowance as Grand Prize, 2 nos of exotic Dubai Tour Package for 2 pax as 1st Prize and a lot other great prizes.

The All New Pepsi Max Taste Lucky Draw 2018 which runs from October 1st till December 31st will be also collaborating with Ayamku, KFC, MarryBrown and PepperLunch as part of their draw. This means that consumer will be able to participate for the draw when they consume at these participating food outlet.

The participating brands for the draw are Pepsi Products which is includes PEPSI BLACK, Pepsi, Pepsi Twist, 7up, Assorted Mirinda and Revive. PEPSI BLACK, the new cola with no calories is one of brand highlight for this campaign. With its MAX TASTE ZERO SUGAR, Pepsi Black comes in 330ml, 600ml and 1.5L bottles available for your choice in the market.

To participate in this All New Pepsi Max Taste Lucky Draw 2018 is as simple as 3 steps. STEP 1: Purchase any value pack SIX (6) tins/bottles 330ml/600ml/1.5L Pepsi Products in a single receipt. STEP 2: You will need to answer: All New Pepsi Black contains zero sugar? “True / False”. STEP 3: WhatsApp details to +673 8300 833 with clear picture of the original receipt, or you can submit your participation via Kingston Instagram @kingstonbn with terms and conditions apply.

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Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism (2nd from left) during the memorandum of Agreement between Royal Brunei and Sarawak Tourism Board held recently

Meeeowwww!!!! It’s back again!! After a 4 year hiatus, direct flight from Bandar Seri Begawan to Kuching is back!!! The previous connection was via MASwings which stopped its operation back in October 2014. Royal Brunei ever flew to Kuching and its first flight was back on 15th May 1975 while its last flight was 28th July 2011. So it’s good to see that Royal Brunei has finally re-commencement its flight services to Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, starting 28th December 2018.

A signing of memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between RB and the Sarawak Tourism Board (STB) was held yesterday, aimed on offering bi-weekly flights between Bandar Seri Begawan to Kuching and vice versa.

Present was the guest of honour, Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali bin Haji Apong, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism. Present during the MoA were Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports, Sharzede binti Datuk Haji Salleh Askor, CEO of Sarawak Tourism Board and Karam Chand, CEO of Royal Brunei.

“The signing of the MoA between the Sarawak Tourism Board and Royal Brunei Airlines bears great importance to both our capitals,” said Sharzede binti Datuk Haji Salleh Askor, CEO of Sarawak Tourism Board. “First, it symbolises the start of the many collaborative efforts between our two capitals which will bring about sustainable socio-economic growth for both Sarawak and Brunei with tourism as a significant contributor, as well as strengthening the friendship between our people.

“Secondly, the Sarawak-Brunei tourism collaboration, especially with the strengthened connectivity between the two destinations, will increase the competitiveness and attractiveness as twin tourism destinations to capture tourists around the regions and the world, especially making Kuching more accessible to our focus markets including Melbourne, Shanghai and London, which augurs well for the marketing of the destination.”

RB will fly to Kuching on December 28 using the RB A320, with the route operating twice weekly before increasing to four times a week by February 3, 2019.

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The signing of the memorandum of agreement

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Datuk Haji Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Arts, Culture, Youth and Sports speaking during the press conference

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Karam Chand, CEO of Royal Brunei, on a side note, mentioned there will be no changes in scheduling for BSB to KK with the arrival of their competitor this coming January

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