In 2012, Time magazine included the word "selfie" among its Top 10 buzzwords of the year. Last year, "selfie" not only earned its inclusion in the dictionary but was also chosen as word of the year by the Oxford English Dictionary.

From Hollywood and local celebrities, athletes, and even politicians, “selfies” have seemingly become the norm in social networking sites, making up a majority of the pictures taken by smartphone users---both young and old.

Its appeal not only lies on just how easy it is to create and share, but because it also gives self-photographers control on how they present themselves. Presenting yourself to get “likes” and be noticed by your peers, however, can often be quite different from who you really are. And there lies the problem with selfies—when it becomes more of a projection rather than a reflection of who you really are.

But there is a rising online movement, a growing surge of positivity that urges the youth to be true to themselves. To accept who they are, and be proud of what they have become.

The mysterious website "www.showit-off.com" centers on the hashtag #showitoff, and calls for everyone to post their selfies that showcase who they really are, their unique fashion style, their true sexuality, their real passion — raw, unedited, honest.

You were born unique. You were created to stand out. Don’t just Be In. Its more about Being True. Being You. It's time to unleash the real you. Unleash your reality! #showitoff

For contest mechanics, go to http://www.showit-off.com/selfie.html.

When the mid-year strikes, shopping is blown wide open for all types of shoppers: fashionistas, techie guys, yuppies and moms! With every brand of clothing, gadget store and specialty boutiques rolling out their mid-year sale banners; the rush to shop until you drop is far too exciting to resist. But where to find the extra cash for shopping is a whole different story.

This is where AyosDito.ph whets the appetite of every smart shopper. If you’re looking at a prospect new bag, new pair of shoes or even a grand new haircut, AyosDito.ph brings you the chance to get those and more with the launch of their Post Share Win CASH promo! 

Instead of breaking the bank or setting your plastic on fire, Team AyosDito.ph invites every smart shopper to sell an item online to win cash weekly! That’s right, for every item you post and share on AyosDito.ph, you get the chance to win ₱15,000 cash every week! 

To join, simply:

1. Sell an item you don’t need or use anymore. Post an ad on AyosDito.ph!

2. Once approved, Share your ad on Facebook and Twitter using the Share Ad buttons on your ad page.

3. To increase your chances at winning, invite your friends and family to also Share your ads! 

4. To further increase your chances at winning ₱15,000 every week, you can post more ads so you can share more ads online!

So go home, collect your unused items and sell them on AyosDito.ph! Not only do you get to earn extra by selling items you no longer need; but also, you get the chance to win more cash to shop for new items you want! 

Your next shopping spree is on us, so start selling items on AyosDito.ph and tell your friends about it!

For more information, visit www.AyosDito.ph.

If you need to travel long distances for your daily commute, it is essential to have enough fuel in your tank to get through the day. And it’s a huge windfall to get all the fuel that you need, free!

Petron “Win Free Fuel for a Year” promo winner Aidal B. Ladia (center) received her prize last June 18, at the Petron service station (Perfect Line Gasoline Station) in Novaliches, Quezon City. In photo (L-R): Martin Favila and AnetteFavila, station dealer; Michael Tolentino and Dave Ordiz, of Petron. Ms. Ladia is one of five grand prize winners who will receive a maximum of Php120,000 worth of Petron fuels, free for one year.

This is what Bulacan native Aidal B. Ladia is enjoying afterbeing picked as the big winner of the National Capital Region (NCR) leg of Petron’s “Free Fuel For A Year” promo. She won P120,000.00 worth of free fuel loaded into  her Petron Value Card (PVC)—which can be used at participating Petron stations nationwide to fuel up with  Petron Blaze 100, Petron XCS, Petron Super Unleaded, Petron Xtra Unleaded, Petron Diesel Max or Petron Turbo Diesel. 

It started when a friend gave her a Petron Value Card (PVC), and that led to good things for her. “I’ve been using it for a year now. Prior to me winning, I’d always use my Petron Value Card every time I’d gas up at any Petron station. The rewards after certain points accumulated are very useful for motorists. There was one time that my friend pointed out the [Petron Free Fuel For a Year] promo while I was filling up the tank on my personal car [a ’94 Honda Civic ESi] at one Petron station, free gas for one year. So I registered via text message, filled up the necessary details, and received confirmation via text message. I’ve been registered for two months already and one day someone from Petron called me up while I was in the office, claiming that I will get a registered mail from Petron confirming that I was the promo winner.” 

Ladia’s use of the PVC was borne out of a loyalty to Petron fuels and one Petron station. “Ever since I got my Petron Value Card, I’ve always been going to Petron— including the station I frequent. Perfect Line Petron was recommended to me by my Lagro-based boss. I live in Bulacan, but I work in Makati, so it’s a big help. Petron fuels, they get me further every time I’d put their fuels in my tank.” 

There are four other grand prize winners of the Petron “Free Fuel for a Year” promo, each of whom will receive P120,000-worth of free fuel. Representing the diffierent regions in the country, the winners are: Nelson C. de la Cruz for North Luzon, Jeonard P. Penalba  for South Luzon, Cherry H. Palomo for the Visayas, and Jimmy L. Bastes  for Mindanao. 

Also drawn along with the grand prize were the fourth batch of minor prize winners, consisting of 50 winners of P1,000-worth of Petron Value Card bonus points, and 100 winners of P100 PVC bonus points.

The names of all promo winners are listed in www.petron.com, as well as in Petron’s facebook page, www.facebook.com/PetronCorporation.

Petron Value Card is available to everyone who patronizes Petron products and services. Simply present P500-worth of Petron receipts at any participating Petron station to get your card on-site so you can immediately start enjoying its perks. As a reward card, you earn 1-point (with a cash value of P1) for every P250-worth of fuel spend. As a discount card, you get discounts for purchases of Petron Gasul and Petron lubricants, SMC products at San Mig Food Ave., and as much as 70% off from partner establishments. It also offers free personal accident insurance coverage as well as free 24-hour towing and roadside assistance. Check out posters and flyers for more information about Petron Value Card rewards and privileges.

Vision Petron, the award-winning national student art competition of industry leader Petron Corporation is now calling for entries for its 13th iteration, with the theme Lakbay Tagumpay—A Journey of Triumphs and Milestones.

This year Vision Petron continues the road to rediscovery by celebrating our individual triumphs and historical victories. We dwell deeper into the Filipino psyche and focus on what defines us through our sense of achievement; how these fulfill us and make us proud and strive even harder through lessons learned in life. Examples for Lakbay Tagumpay could evolve around goals and beliefs in life. Values of determination, discipline, love for one’s work, patience, sacrifice for the greater good are related to one’s success in life.

Vision Petron is a partnership between Petron Corporation and the youth, both sharing a common advocacy of preserving Philippine art and culture, values, traditions and skills. It is open to all talentedstudents enrolled in a regular university or college course, or in tutorial art and photography classes.  Participants must be Filipino and ages 16-28 years old. Student artists may compete in four categories:  Painting (oil and water-based media), colored photography, t-shirt art design, and video-making.

Entries for the painting categories (oil and water-based media) should be no bigger than 4ft x 4ft unframed. Colored photography entries should be 8.5 x 11 inches to 10 x 15 inches unframed, taken after 30 April 2013.T-shirt art design entries must be executed on a white, round-neck short-sleeved t-shirt.

Video-making is a new competition category and is open to individual students or a group with up to 3 members. Entries must be up to 3-minutes in length, and produced and edited exclusively by the entrants.

Prizes for the various categories are as follows: Painting—P50,000 each for six grand prize winners; P20,000 each for six runners-up; and P5,000 each for 18 semi-finalists.  Photography—P30,000 each for six grand prize winners and P15,ooo each for six runners-up. T-shirt art design—P30,000 each for three grand prize winners and P5,000 each for nine semifinalists. Vide0-making—P30,000 per entry for three grand prize winners. All Grand Prize winners will get trophies and plaques made by National Artist Napoleon V. Abueva. Schools of the Grand Prize winners will also get special prizes from Petron.

Application forms may be downloaded from the website: www.visionpetron.com and at the Vision Petron Facebook page. These must be signed by the participant’s college or university dean or the art teacher of a tutorial to confirm the entrant’s current enrollment. 

Deadline for submission of entries is 09 August 2013 at Petron bulk plants nationwide or 16 August 2013at the Vision Petron Project Secretariat located at Studio 5 Designs, 28 Paseo de Roxas cor Jupiter St., Bel-Air Village, Makati City. If submitting by courier, the entry must be sent to the secretariat's address and postmarked 09 August 2013.

Winners will be notified personally or through a phone call—and not by any other means—by the Vision Petron Secretariat.