Saturday, April 7, 2018

Want to study online in Christian College? Know how to Apply


Wazzup Pilipinas!

A Christian college is an educational institution committed to the combination of Christian confidence. And learning in traditional or non-traditional academic fields. Numerous Christian universities are partnered with or are controlled by a Christian group, while others are non-denominational. 

Christian universities incorporate a scope of schools from locally or broadly licensed colleges. Offering human sciences and expert projects to the non-authorize book of scriptures. Schools that prepare students mainly or only for professional service.

Around 50% of the universities in the United States are Religious-affiliated Christian colleges. You can choose various programs according to your preference. Apply to the online program that meets your future vocation objectives! As a completely licensed online Christian college like, Liberty University offers authentication, undergrad, graduate, and doctoral projects incorporating in best online Sociology degrees, science degrees and many more.

When you have connected to an online degree program, you should send your transcripts and other required reports for the Liberty confirmations process. Students can be completely acknowledged into most projects with informal transcripts, yet official school transcripts must be submitted inside 60 days of acknowledgment or preceding non-participation drops for the main arrangement of registered classes, whichever happens first.

Begin setting up your financial aid by following the underneath steps and presenting the structures that apply to you. As a completely certify Christian school, qualified students may utilize government and private allows and help. Ensure you have your FAFSA finished preceding class enrollment. 

Regardless of whether you mean to pay out of pocket through one of Liberty University's sans advantage installment designs, have Military advantages, or have corporate educational cost help, you might be qualified for extra advantages through money related guide.

Once you have done with financial aid process you can register the course you like. You can take help of consultant for your degree completion plan and course guide to identify the best courses you want to opt for. For example, if you are good at artworks like the design then you can go for best online Design degrees

Offered by Christian colleges like Liberty University. After completing you can pre-book your class so that you can lock your seats. It takes around 3-5 days to generate your FAFSA to proceed and on file.

An advantage of picking Christian colleges for advanced education is its tendency to accumulate individuals of similar beliefs under a similar rooftop. Numerous students bond over their mutual religious convictions with countless grounds clubs and even week after week religious administrations hung on-grounds. 

For those students who are strong in their convictions and are not hoping to debate about them with others or get a handle on of place, this is a significant boost of confidence that can really add to better scholastic execution through the course of a typical degree program in many cases. I hope this article has helped you to understand how to apply and study in the Christian college.

Friday, April 6, 2018

Mariah Carey to Return to Manila on October 26


Wazzup Pilipinas!

The one and only, Mariah Carey, is coming back to Manila for a special one-night concert on October 26th at the Araneta Coliseum. The pop icon is set to perform her number ones and more, bringing a new and bigger tour for her Filipino fans. 

The one and only, Mariah Carey, is coming back to Manila for a special one-night concert on October 26th at the Araneta Coliseum. The pop icon is set to perform her number ones and more, bringing a new and bigger tour for her Filipino fans.


Mariah Carey is the best-selling female artiste of all time with more than 200 million records sold worldwide to date and eighteen Billboard #1 singles (seventeen self-penned) including ‘Hero’, ‘Fantasy’, ‘Always Be My Baby’, ‘Honey’, ‘One Sweet Day’, ‘Without You’, ‘Touch My Body’, ‘We Belong Together’, ‘Don’t Forget About Us’ and the global smash hit Christmas single ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’, more than any solo artiste in history. With her distinct five-octave vocal range, prolific song writing, and producing talent, Mariah has defined the modern pop performance. As a singer, songwriter and record producer, she has been recognized with five Grammy Awards, nine American Music Awards, Billboard's "Artist of the Decade" Award, the World Music Award for "World's Best Selling Female Artiste of the Millennium," and BMI's "Icon Award" to name a few.
‘Mariah Carey: Live in Concert’ is presented by Wilbros Live. Tickets will be on-sale beginning Friday, April 20 via TicketNet.com.ph or call 911-5555 for more details.

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Twitter @WilbrosLive
Instagram @WilbrosLive

MIAS 2018 Opens with Work and Play as Theme


Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) 2018 opened yesterday with its theme "Work and Play". 

MIAS is happening until April 8 from 10am to 10pm at the World Trade Center Metro Manila and the Philippine Trade Training Center. 

Tickets for the benefit of the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya and co-presented by BPI Auto Loan. 

(L-R) Jason Ang - MIAS 2018 Co-organizer, Rene Ramos - WSI Director, Arch. Frankie Flameno - WSI Executive Director, Ms. Jill Ang - WSI Managing Director, BGen. Jose V. Campo - OIC - AGM for Planning - Metro Manila Development Authority, Undersecretary Thomas Orbos - Dept. of Road Transport & Infrastructure, Ms. Ma. Corazon Dichosa - Executive Director of the Industry Development Services - Board of Investments, Mr. Joseph Ang - WSI Founding Chairman, Ms. Tessie Roque - WSI Director and Mr. Alvin Uy - MIAS Co-organizer







Cine Lokal Features A Gritty Set of Films for April



Wazzup Pilipinas!
This April, the Film Development Council of the Philippines is featuring three (3) independently produced films of 2017 through Cine Lokal, all set to screen in eight (8) SM Cinemas, focusing on the daily real life struggles of people who are short-changed by life but with big dreams.

Opening this Friday, April 6 is Mga Gabing Kasinghaba ng Hair Ko (Those Long Haired Nights), a film by Gerardo Calagui participated in various international film festivals such as Busan International Film Festival, Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival, Cinematografo Originals International Film Festival, San Diego Asian Film Festival, Black Movie Geneva International Independent Film Festival, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Cambodia International Film Festival and Translations Film Festival Seattle. It also stars Rocky Salumbides, Anthony Falcon, Matt Daclan and Mon Confiado.

The film is about the red light district of Manila, three transgenders are the best of friends; working as masseuses offering sexual services for their clientele. The youngest of them, Tuesday, is a hopeless romantic looking for love in all the wrong places. The wise one, Amanda, returns home to her province to attend the christening of her ex-girlfriend’s son. The brave one, Barbie, looks to make more money through drug deals for a Korean client. As all three of them chase their dreams, it is anything but a normal night in the chaos of Burgos.

This is followed by ‘Bhoy Intsik’ directed by Joel Lamangan, a Sinag Maynila Independent Film Festival 2017 Finalist which won the Sinag Box Office Award. This is featuring RS Francisco, Ronwaldo Martin, Jeric Raval, Elora Espano, Mon Confiado and Tony Mabesa. The film is about two small-time felons with disparate personas cross paths: One is a principled tough gay; the other is a scheming, street-smart teenager. Together, they get caught up in a string of petty exploits while managing to forge a stronger bond.

The final lined up film this April is a sci-fi film ‘Throwback Today’ directed by Joseph Teoxon starring Carlo Aquino, Annicka Dolonuis, Kat Galang, Benj Manalo and Empress Schuck. The film is about Primo, gifted with a good eye for production design, who ventures into the working world with a great desire to succeed. Unprepared for the harsh realities of the real world, Primo experienced failure, heartbreak and regret in a series of unfortunate events. Life didn’t turn out as he had expected: He wasted away, wallowing in grief, and jumped from one odd job to another for more than a decade. While trying to make ends meet at the peak of his misfortunes, he experiences a technological glitch with his old desktop computer and gets a chance to re-write his life.

Catch these films at these dates and time at SM Manila, SM Sta. Mesa, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, SM Fairview, SM Southmall and SM Bacoor:


MGA GABING KASINGHABA NG HAIR KO
Directed by Gerardo Calagui
Opens APRIL 6
1:00pm, 3:30pm, 6:00pm and 8:30pm

BHOY INTSIK
directed by Joel Lamangan
Opens APRIL 13
1:00pm, 3:30pm, 6:00pm and 8:30pm


THROWBACK TODAY
directed by Joseph Teoxon
Opens APRIL 20
1:00pm, 3:30pm, 6:00pm and 8:30pm

Honda PH Adds Hue to the CM Paradise Run Clark Leg



Wazzup Pilipinas!

Honda Philippines, Inc. (HPI), the number one motorcycle manufacturer in the Philippines, excites runners as it ties up with ColorManila (CM) for the biggest colorful running event in the country.

HPI joined the event in line with its support to the active lifestyle of the Filipino millennials.

“We hope to continue our efforts of engaging in activities that young, fun, and fashionable millennials enjoy in the future,” said Mr. Jomel Jerezo, General Manager and Department Manager of the Motorcycle Business Planning Department of HPI.

The company also displayed their automatic models, such as the Honda BeAT, which showed its nine colorful variants that matches the CM Paradise Run. Honda also brought the experience of safety riding by holding its learn-to-ride program and free test ride of its automatic models, complete with enhanced smart and safety features.

CM Paradise Run attracted around 2,500 runners who took part in the colourful fun run. It included three race distances in 3K, 5K, and 10K.

The race was capped off with music from the DJ at the CM Color Festival where runners can have fun and dance while colored powders are thrown in the air.

Founded in 2012, Color Manila is the pioneer of colorful and fun concept runs in the Philippines. Runners can choose to join different concept runs that aim to spread the excitement and fun in running one city at a time. This exciting lifestyle is what Honda also aims to express in the fun-loving Filipino millennials.

Aside from supporting CM’s goals, HPI also advocates helping less-privileged children achieve their dreams through the said partnership in its Manila leg. The children will have the privilege to experience the fun that any young Filipino should have along with all the participating runners.

For more information, visit www.colormanila.com or follow their Facebook and www.facebook.com/colormanila/ and twitter @Colormanila. You can also follow Honda Philippines, Inc. on Facebook – www.facebook.com/hondaph/ or visit their official website – www.hondaph.com

Johnoy Danao, Ebe Dancel, and Bullet Dumas to stage Big Concert at Kia Theatre


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Concert-goers are in for a treat as the acclaimed singer-songwriters behind the sold-out ‘Dama’ concerts at Music Museum return to the big stage--this time on a bigger venue, with an army of orchestra, full band and special guests to complement the performances.

Johnoy Danao, Ebe Dancel and Bullet Dumas, popularly known as 3D in the gig circuit, will be teaming up once again for a night of heartfelt anthems and sing-along classics on June 9, Saturday at Kia Theatre.

With the right blend of quiet moments and big, ornate arrangements, the concert takes a leap from its previous iteration to offer a concert experience like no other.

Dubbed IISA, the show promises to build a whole cathedral out of songs that celebrate and dissect love, life, heartbreak, loss, connection and intimacy. What elevates it further is the level of earnestness that comes with 3D’s brand, where they retain the stripped-down foundations of their performances while also giving it space to swell and soar, haunt and grapple with emotions.

Aside from the highly anticipated group number, the power trio is set to perform individual sets that aim to highlight fan favorites and personal picks from the artists themselves. Expect collaborations with artists from various spectrum of art, music and dance, as part of the ensemble’s pursuit to up the ante of performance level.

This event is produced by Gabi Na Naman Productions and Vandals On The Wall—the tandem behind sold-out shows and concerts in various gig venues, most notably at Music Museum. Dedicated to providing opportunities for talented local musicians to showcase their material live on a bigger stage, the collaborative project takes pride in leaving a significant mark to concert-goers who are looking for quality live shows with global appeal.

Tickets are available at all Ticket Net outlets nationwide and via ticketnet.com.ph. You can also reserve tickets at bit.ly/iisaofflinetickets or text 0945-791-8660.

Limited Edition Gold Lenovo Legion Y520 Gaming Laptop Now Available in the Philippines


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Lenovo recently announced that the limited edition gold Lenovo Legion Y520 gaming laptop is now available in the Philippines. With its new hardware, it is sure to elevate the gaming experience.

It comes with Lenovo’s signature watchband hinge in gold and comes with twice the storage capacity of the original Legion Y520.

It’s also an ideal device for gamers who want a faster device, as buyers are treated with a free memory upgrade of up to 8GB RAM, making it two times faster. Every purchase also comes with a Lenovo backpack.

Specifications of the Gold Edition Lenovo Legion Y520 are as follows:
Processor: 7th Gen Intel Core i7-7700HQ Processor
Operating System: Windows 10 Home
Memory: 4G DDR4 + 4G DDR4
Storage: 2TB SATA HDD + 128GB PCIE SSD
Graphics: NVIDIA® GEFORCE® GTX 1050 Ti (4G GDDR5)
Display: 15.6” Full HD IPS AG (Slim) Display
Warranty: Two years

The limited edition Lenovo Legion Y520 Black and Gold gaming laptop is exclusively available at Octagon stores for PHP 69,995.

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Dusit International Introduces New Hotel Brand for ‘Millennial-Minded’ Travellers



Wazzup Pilipinas!

Dusit International, one of Thailand’s foremost hotel and property development companies, has introduced ASAI Hotels, a distinctive new brand designed to link curious, millennial-minded travellers with authentic local experiences in vibrant cities and resort destinations worldwide.

Set to officially launch in Q1 2019 with its first hotel in Bangkok’s renowned Chatuchak Market, ASAI Hotels embraces a sustainable, community-focused concept, with each property designed to reflect the culture and heritage of its location through collaborations with local artisans.

In line with the four core pillars of the brand – Thoughtful Essentials, Common Areas, Locally Inspired and Connected Community – each hotel will feature compact rooms (approximately 15 sq m), whose contemporary design will emphasize key features like superior quality beds and high pressure rain showers. A large mixed-use space, meanwhile, will include a cosy and efficient work space, a leisure area, and a restaurant concept curated by local chefs who champion sustainability.

In the upcoming Chatuchak hotel, which is the only hotel to be located within the world-famous market, this includes an eatery developed by Bangkok-based chefs and restaurateurs, Jarrett Wrisley and Paolo Vitaletti, whose own restaurants, Soul Food Mahanakorn and Appia, are renowned for their sustainable approach to cooking. Their menu at ASAI Chatuchak will highlight produce from Thailand’s Royal Projects.

Superior quality beds and high pressure rain showers come as standard at ASAI

HUB - the mixed-use space where guests and locals can eat, work and play

First floor bar concept image

Each ASAI hotel worldwide will leverage technology to streamline the booking and stay experience. This includes the implementation of self check-in kiosks, and exclusive online guides that link guests with authentic local experiences and lesser-known, but Instagram-worthy, attractions. ASAI will also link with selected local online start-ups, such as TakeMeTour in Thailand, to offer personalised excursions.

Staff at each property will be hired for personality as much as experience, and they will very much be the face of the brand, expected to be passionate about their neighbourhoods and always ready to share their knowledge with guests.

Alongside ASAI Chatuchak, five more properties are already confirmed in the pipeline. This includes three ASAI Hotels in Cebu, Philippines (in Lapu-Lapu, Oslob, and the city centre); one hotel in Yangon, Myanmar (in the historic Yankin Township); and a second hotel in Bangkok (in the stylish Sathorn district). All are expected to open throughout 2019.

ASAI Hotels’ management team hopes to secure over 10 properties in the pipeline by the end of the year across Southeast Asia and Japan. This includes owned and joint venture properties as well as properties under Hotel Management Agreements. Australia, Europe and Central America are also on the radar for potential projects.

“Inspired by community, and driven by sustainability, ASAI is an exciting new concept for Dusit that will leverage the company’s 70 years of hospitality heritage to deliver a new kind of stay experience in vibrant neighbourhoods worldwide,” said Mr Siradej Donavanik, Managing Director of Asai Holdings Co., Ltd., Dusit International. “The brand has been carefully crafted to meet the needs of millennial-minded travellers who seek authentic local experiences, and who appreciate value and quality for money.

“ASAI is not budget travel – this is an affordable lifestyle brand offering something new, different and bespoke. Our collaborations with local artisans in each destination will ensure each stay is unique, memorable, and definitely worthy of our slogan – Live Local. And everywhere we set foot we will always ensure we have a positive impact.”

Ms Suphajee Suthumpun, Group CEO, Dusit International, said, “In line with our three-pronged strategy for balance, expansion and diversification, the introduction of ASAI Hotels will add an innovative new revenue stream to our company that complements our traditional hospitality offerings and actively responds to the needs and desires of millennial-minded travellers.

“Recent detailed studies in America have shown that, alongside a desire for local experiences, a majority 35% of this segment prefer to stay in luxury and upscale resorts. The majority also placed cost and security as chief concerns when booking accommodation. ASAI is perfectly positioned to meet these needs, and we look forward to making the brand a huge success.”

Dusit International is currently in a significant growth phase which will see the company’s current portfolio of 27 hotels surpass 70 worldwide within the next four years. The company’s other hotel brands, which cover luxury and mid-market segments, include: Dusit Thani, Dusit Devarana, Dusit Princess, and dusitD2.


Photo caption

ASAI Hotels was launched in Bangkok by Dusit's executives on 3 April 2018. Pictured, from left: Mr Siradej Donavanik, Managing Director, Asai Holdings Co., Ltd.; Ms Suphajee Suthumpun, Group CEO, Dusit International; Mr Chanin Donavanik, Vice Chairman and Chairman of the Executive Committee, Dusit International; Ms Natapa Sriyuksiri, Creative Director, ASAI Hotels.

Fresh Eyes! Andy Grammer is Coming for a Special Concert in Manila!


Wazzup Pilipinas!
Multi-platinum selling pop artist Andy Grammer is coming to Manila for a special and intimate concert on June 7th at the Music Museumin Greenhills, San Juan.

This music genius is all about inspiring and empowering the world by communicating his truths through his music. The first male pop star in a decade since John Mayer to reach the Top 10 at Adult Pop Radio on his first two singles, Grammer has taken the music world by storm with a succession of anthemic pop hits, 6 of which are certified gold or better. His debut album featured the platinum singles "Keep Your Head Up" and "Fine By Me." Andy's second album, Magazines or Novels, featured the triple platinum infectious smash hit "Honey, I'm Good," which was one of the best-selling songs of 2015, and the certified gold anthem "Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah)." Andy’s third full-length album, The Good Parts, was released December 1, 2017. The record includes his global smash hit single “Fresh Eyes,” which has become a streaming phenomenon with over 300 million total streams, the catchy summer jam featuring LunchMoney Lewis, “Give Love,” as well as his NEW hit single “Smoke Clears.

Tickets to Andy Grammer – Live in Manila will be on-sale on Friday, April 13 via TicketWorld.com.ph or at the Music Museum box office. For more information, call 891-9999 or 374-9999. Presented by Wilbros Live.

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Twitter @WilbrosLive
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#AndyGrammerMNL #WilbrosLive

Clark Airport Aims 2-Million Passenger Mark, Breaks Records Anew


Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Clark International Airport tallied more than 215,000 passengers in the month of March while over 8,000 travelers passed through Clark on April 2 which broke previous records anew, according to an executive of the Clark International Airport Corp. (CIAC).

Alexander Cauguiran, CIAC president and CEO, said a total of 215,040 passengers from March 1 to 31 were recorded while the highest number of travelers served in just a day was last April 2 at 8,322 individuals.

“These numbers are the highest, so far, in the history of CIAC since 1995,” Cauguiran said.

The average daily passenger volume at the Clark airport is 7,000 and served by a total of 481 weekly flights, 158 of which are international flights while the remaining 323 are domestic routes.

"From January 1 to March 31 this year alone, there were a total of 600,811 passengers that passed through Clark airport. At this rate and with the full support of the Duterte administration, we will be able to break the 2017 record of 1.5 million passengers and will probably reach the two million mark this year," the CIAC chief added.

Airlines operating flights include Asiana Airlines, Cathay Dragon, Cebu Pacific, Emirates, Jetstar Asia, Jinair, Philippines AirAsia, Philippine Airlines, Qatar Airways, Scoot, while chartered flights are operated by AirSwift and Alphaland Aviation.

"There is definitely a surge at Clark airport in terms of the number of flights, destinations and passenger volume, along with the improvements of its facilities, all largely possible under the leadership of President Duterte," Caugurian said.

Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade lauded the management and staff of CIAC for ensuring the convenience and safety of the commuting public particularly during the recent observance of Holy Week.

Secretary Tugade extended his deepest and sincerest gratitude to CIAC personnel who, he said, “unselfishly sacrificed their off days to give and assure the riding public the safety, security and comfort in their Holy Week journeys and travels."

At the same time, five CIAC were commended for “honesty and exemplary service in the performance of their duties” which, Cauguiran pointed out, “gave a breath of fresh air in the light of social media post that have put Clark airport in a bad light the past several months.”

CIAC security officers Christopher Ferry and Larry Magcalas were cited for promptly returning on March 10 the belongings left behind by a passenger and politely turning down a reward.

In February, outsourced personnel Eduardo Labarda returned a passenger’s lost mobile phone and Eranie Decena surrendered a Rolex watch while last December, parking attendant John Pamintuan assisted a troubled balikbayan beyond his duty at the CIAC Park and Fly facility.

Supernatural Gets Animated in Scooby-Doo’s Crossover Episode “Scoobynatural”


Wazzup Pilipinas!


Two beloved worlds collide in the upcoming episode of Supernatural when Sam (Jared Padalecki), Dean (Jensen Ackles) and Castiel (Misha Collins) are transported into the animated world of Scooby-Doo where they join forces with the Scooby gang to solve a ghostly mystery.

The cast of Supernatural shared their excitement about the soon-to-be iconic episode during the recent Comic-Con.

“Everyone’s super excited about the Scooby-Doo episode,” said Jensen Ackles. “I don’t want to give away too much but there is a little live action at the beginning of the episode and that gets us into Scooby-land. I am pretty stoked about it. When we finished voicing the animation, we were like ‘Let’s do another one. That was awesome!’ We’d never been so eager to work before in our lives.”

“Doing the voiceover for Scooby-Doo was awesome. It was a real ‘pinch me’ moment. Frankly, it was one of the moments when I felt – Man, I love this show. It’s so cool that we get to crazy stuff. Embedded within a Supernatural episode, we will have an entire Scooby-Doo episode where our characters are animated. We’re thrust into the Scooby-Doo universe. It’s fantastic.” Misha Collins said.

This highly-anticipated episode of Supernatural premieres on AXN 27 April, Friday at 10:40pm. 







AXN is the leading English general entertainment channel in Asia with engaging content that redefines action. For the latest programming schedule at www.AXN-Asia.com or join the conversation on Facebook @AXNAsia.

AXN is available on Cablelink Channel 38, Cignal Channel 121, Destiny Cable Channel 49, Dream Satellite TV Channel 20, G Sat Channel 51, and SKYCable Channel 49. AXN HD is available on SKYCable Channel 247.

17 Year-Old Singer-Songwriter-Producer Fern. Releases Debut E.P.


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Wunderkind musician Fern. has launched his self-titled debut E.P. ‘Fern.’ last March 30, 2018.

The 17 year-old singer-songwriter-producer having only been active on the scene for a few months has already garnered multiple achievements. His first single ‘Into You,’ debuted and stayed at #1 on the Spotify Philippines Top 50 Viral Chart for one week, and has garnered over 1.5 million plays on Spotify. ‘Into You,’ along with his latest single ‘Wanna Dance With You’ have both been included by Spotify in playlists in countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, and the Philippines. On top of this, Fern. has been featured on Scout Magazine’s 'Teens Under 18 To Watch Out For In 2018,’ and has already been given opportunities to collaborate with young OPM artists such as Asia’s Pop Sweetheart Julie Anne San Jose, TALA, and Claudia Barretto.

Heavily inspired by the beats of the ‘80s, along with a handful of sonic influences from artists such as The 1975, LANY, The Weeknd, and Frank Ocean, the EP features songs that perfectly encapsulate the euphoric experiences of youth, love, and heartbreak that will definitely resonate with everyone looking for songs to chill and groove along to.

In addition, an EP Launch Party was held at Early Night?, BGC last March 26, 2018 to much success, with the attendance of both fans and media alike.

Fern.’s self-titled debut EP, featuring his singles ‘Into You,’ ‘Are You Mine,’ and ‘Wanna Dance With You,’ along with three new tracks, is now available on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, and Amazon.

Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @ferntan_ and on Facebook at facebook.com/fernperiod

From Grassroots Sports to Roots for Boracay


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Tanduay president Lucio “Bong” Tan, Jr. has been actively supporting grassroots sports through an initiative known as Tanduay Athletics. Tan is the backer of Batangas Tanduay Athletics that is now the team lording over the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) founded by Sen. Manuel Pacquioa.  The league replaced a former regional basketball league that supports grassroots basketball.

Beyond sports, Tan is also passionate about green initiatives. He himself was on top of the transformation to a zero-waste facility of Absolut Distillers, Tanduay’s alcohol distillery based in Lian, Batangas. The facility bagged numerous environmental awards, including the prestigious Green Apple Awards, an annual international campaign to recognize, reward and promote environmental best practices around the world. Absolut Distillers is the only local distillery to have received this award up to this day. The company likewise has since been a recipient of awards by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for their outstanding environment conservation practices.     

“We understand the need to lessen our impact by making our operations cleaner and greener. We do not just want to make the best rhum in the Philippines, bet we want everyone to know that our rhum is made with good intentions and we hope to improve our operations year after year,” Tan continued, adding that, they have started investing in solar energy as a cleaner alternative as well. “We want our consumers to know that every bottle of Tanduay that they drink is made from green intentions and green energy.”
The Tanduay president further shared that the concern for the environment sprang from the knowledge that the distillery industry is considered as one of the dirtiest.

“Before we took over Tanduay, there have been cases filed against its practices pertaining to pollution. We said, let us clean up first. We started investing in technologies that we are using in our Absolut distillery in Batangas in order to reduce our carbon footprint. It was a long process, and we did it.”

Now, Tan would like to bring public attention to a project he started in 2011 to protect what little is left of the old Boracay. The island has been noted as one of the world’s top destinations, but it has encountered controversy lately due to the amount of pollution that has been plaguing the once-pristine paradise. There are talks of a government shutdown to tourists in order to rehabilitate the natural landscape.  Tan pioneered the project “Roots for Boracay” to save the last mangroves in the island. “When we first got there, we already saw the amount of solid waste that lay among the mangroves. Before we started reforesting the area, we needed to have it cleaned up,” Tan revealed.

He noted that if the mangroves have not been cut down indiscriminately, the problems being faced by Boracay today would have been much lesser. There would be no need to set up expensive artificial waste treatment facilities for the island’s recovery, as the mangrove roots will naturally filter water waste. According to him, Boracay is far from any of his business interests, but the need to respond to an impending crisis was what drove him to act.

“It took awhile to bring together the various people who will help us in our quest to get hold of the right to implement our project to clean up and re-plant in order to stop the continuous degradation of the mangroves in that area of Boracay,” Tan further related.   


But Tan had the right man on his side to make sure his visions will be realized. Gerry Tee is the chief operating officer of Absolut Distillers. He is the same person with whom his father Lucio Tan Sr. entrusted the green transformation of the Batangas alcohol distillery. With the help of Tee, they engaged the Tan Yan Kee Foundation led by Philip Sing to gather a 200-strong workforce that began the clean up efforts in Barangay Manoc Manoc, where the mangroves are located. They have gathered four truckloads of garbage by the time they finish cleaning the mangroves area.

“To protect Boracay, it is important to go down to its roots. In this case, we seek the last frontier of Boracay – the mangroves. It is where the fish and other sea creatures get nutrients, it is where life starts. Without the mangroves, the island would also cease to exist, as it protects the island from typhoons. The beautiful fine white sand will go back to the sea because their roots are the ones holding the island together,” Tee explained.

He added that aside from building the infrastructures and replanting mangroves, the mission of the project is to showcase that part of Boracay that is often neglected, so people can know what it takes to protect the beaches that tourists love so much.   

The project had partnered with the local government unit, the DENR and concerned non-government organizations to come up with a sustainable development in the area which involves the locals, educating them about the importance of the mangroves to their island. “So much has been cut down to make way for real estate, others cut them down for firewood. A portion is also dying out, because a road development cut off water supply. With Roots For Boracay, people have begun to understand what needs to be done,” said Tee.

The Tanduay executives underscored that it is not about the company, which has also instituted other environmental campaigns in partnership with the Tan Yang Kee Foundation such as The Canopy Project, which replants trees in the denuded forests in the North. “Boracay is only part of the market for Tanduay, we are more concerned about our legacy. It is not about Tanduay, it is about the locals – their subsistence, their livelihood, and their existence. Tanduay is just there as a vehicle to raise awareness,” Tee said. 

They cautioned that if the lack of concern for the environment continues in the name of profit, Boracay will not be the only one. “If Boracay is closed down, people will move on to Palawan. This has happened before, just look at how Matabungkay deteriorated,” Tee admonished. “The issue is lack of awareness, and we are trying to address that with our project.” 

They said that the plans of shutting down Boracay will hurt a lot, but from their perspective of what they have seen in the mangrove forest, it could be a one-step-backward, two-steps-forward situation. “It is about moving forward, and we can all help in our own little way, by doing things like picking up a cigarette butt and not throwing your garbage just anywhere,” Tee said. 

“It was a directive from the Chairman, Mr. Lucio Tan to follow the concept of sustainable development, where we do not profit at the expense of the environment. We make sure that everything we do is about reducing our carbon footprint and become more independent from the environment where we do not use to dump our waste,“ Tee further shared.

Yellow Taxi Driver Returns $3000 to OFW


Wazzup Pilipinas!
Ninoy Aquino International Airport - A newly arrived OFW experienced service at its best after he recovered his hard earned savings in the amount of $3,000.00.

Virgilio Legaspi, who arrived today on board a PAL flight from the Dammam, Saudi Arabia, took a yellow taxi from NAIA 1 and asked to be brought to a bus station in Sampaloc. However, upon checking his belongings, he was shocked to discover that his money was missing. He immediately took a cab back to NAIA 1 with the hope to get his money back.

The driver, Gilbert Punzalan of Golden Star Transport, an accredited transport company in NAIA, said that he noticed a white envelope beside the hand break of his vehicle. Thinking it was trash, he took the envelope and was about to throw it when he felt something was inside it.

He was surprised to see 30 pieces of $100 bills inside and immediately looked for any identification of the owner that he can find. He discovered that the name of the owner matched the name of the passenger in his the dispatch slip. He immediately notified his superiors and rushed back to NAIA Terminal 1 with the hope that the owner would come back for his money.

Legaspi and Punzalan finally met and the former was so happy to get his money back.

“Ako po ay nagpapasalamat kay Bro. Honest siya talaga kaya bilib po ako talaga sa kanya. Talagang improved na.”

When asked further about what advice he can give to other taxi drivers, Punzalan has this to say; “ Pera lang yan madaling kitain. Ang tiwala mawawala sa inyo kung sakaling pag interesan ninyo ang mga bagay na hindi sa inyo. Sana tularan nyo si Bro sa ginawa nya.”

For his part, driver Punzalan said “alam ko pong pinaghirapan ni Sir yan perang yan. Mahirap pong gastusin ang perang hindi mo pinaghirapan. Mas importante po ang trabaho namin.” Punzalan has been an accredited transport driver in NAIA for 6 years.

MIAA GM Ed Monreal said that he is proud to have the likes of Mr. Gilbert Punzalan among the ranks of NAIA accredited taxi drivers.

“Ako ay nagagalak sa katapatan ni Mr. Gilbert Punzalan. Sana manatili siyang tapat sa kanyang trabaho at maging tunay na ehemplo ng kabutihan sa mga kapwa niya transport drivers.

Ang mga maliliit na kabayanihang tulad ng kanyang ginawa ay malaking tulong sa ating efforts na mapaganda ang imahe ng NAIA sa mundo.”

Anggun Named Global Judge for Picture This Festival for the Planet


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Sony Pictures Television Networks (SPTN), in partnership with the United Nations Foundation, today announced that internationally renowned musical artist Anggun has been named global judge for the Picture This Festival for the Planet (www.sonypicturethis.com), a short-film competition for emerging filmmakers, everyday storytellers and changemakers worldwide to showcase the positive future they see for our planet. Also joining an esteemed list of judges announced in the past several weeks are YouTube vloggers Damon and Jo, who will serve as the first and only digital-native judges for the festival.

Anggun, a World Music Award winning artist whose single What We Remember is currently on the Billboard Dance Charts in the US, is a judge on the hit-rated series, “Asia’s Got Talent,” and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador (2009-2017).


Anggun said: “I am very proud to be a global judge for the Picture This Festival. As an environmentally-conscious individual and artist, I believe delivering optimistic messages is the best path to creating public awareness. This festival emphasizes that creativity, imagination and visual talent can make an impact on how we can create a better and more sustainable future.”

Damon and Jo, otherwise known as Damon Dominique and Jo Franco, are digital content creators, entrepreneurs, travel experts and authors who have over 1 million followers across YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. The duo are currently in production on their Facebook Watch series Damn Millennials and recently released their first e-book Woke all while running their YouTube channel and travel site, Shut Up and Go.

Damon and Jo said: “In any given month, we may find ourselves in several different continents. Our passion for traveling, learning languages, documenting, and encouraging others to do the same is because we feel that the Earth's story can be told through every day perspectives. And more importantly, if people see the conditions of what's out there, and experience it either through our lens or that of their own eye, they'll be more empowered to take action and help what's important to them.”


Photo Caption: L-R: Anggun; Damon Dominique & Joanna Franco

Entries opened in January, with people from over 70 countries submitting videos between one and eight minutes in length inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a set of global goals agreed upon by all 193 member states of the United Nations to end poverty, protect the planet and promote prosperity for all.

Partners in this year's festival are: the United Nations Foundation, the United Nations Association of the United States of America, WeTransfer, Sony World Photography Awards, Sony Alpha Universe, the Environmental Media Association, Connect4Climate and leaders and environmental visionaries from around the globe. SPTN launched a similar contest in 2016 across its channel portfolio worldwide, including its flagship brands AXN, Sony Channel, Crackle and Animax and those same flagship channels will participate in this year’s festival.

In addition to Anggun, Damon and Jo, the list of celebrity advocates and industry leaders who will judge film submissions includes: Megan Boone, environmental advocate and actress from the hit TV series “The Blacklist”; Elizabeth Cousens, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, United Nations Foundation; Mr. N.P. Singh, MD & CEO, Sony Pictures Networks India; Marie Jacobson, EVP Programming & Production, Sony Pictures Television Networks; Tom Bernard & Michael Barker, Co-Presidents, Sony Pictures Classics; Glenn Gainor, President of Physical Production, Screen Gems; Debbie Levin, President & CEO, Environmental Media Association; and Damian Bradfield, President and Chief Marketing Officer, WeTransfer.

This summer, eight (8) regional winners will be flown to Los Angeles to attend the Picture This Festival for the Planet for a day of networking and training alongside industry leaders and social impact partners at the Sony Pictures Studio lot, followed by a screening of the regional winners’ films. Regional winners will receive airfare and accommodations for two nights in Los Angeles, along with a Sony RX0 Camera and a one year WeTransfer Plus account, with the grand prize winner honored with a Sony A6500 camera and a SEL1670 lens.

The Picture This Festival for the Planet is Sony Pictures Entertainment’s latest project to bring awareness to the SDGs. In 2016, the United Nations and SPE launched Angry Birds for a Happy Planet, a global youth outreach campaign that leveraged online and social media platforms to encourage action to protect the planet and fight climate change. Centered on the Sustainable Development Goal #13 – to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, the campaign featured Red and other characters of The Angry Birds Movie. In 2017, supported by the cast of the Smurfs: The Lost Village, audiences were encouraged to join “Team Smurfs” for the “Small Smurfs Big Goals” campaign that inspired everyone to learn about and support the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Submissions for the Picture This Festival for the Planet opened January 30 and will close April 30. The contest will be open to entrants from select countries worldwide. Please visit sonypicturethis.com for more information and to enter for free. You can follow the Picture This Festival on social media on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Cre8 Salon Forges Strong Alliance with L'Oreal and Orly


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Cre8 Salon has just recently marked another historic milestone for itself as the company partners with two of the country's premiere brands with products widely used in the salon business, L'Oreal and Orly.

The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) signing ceremony was held on April 3, 2018 at Mesa Filipino Moderne restaurant located in Timog Avenue, Quezon City.

Cre8 Salon, which currently has 21 company-owned branches, plans to expand to 100 more branches within 5 years. From the Question and Answer portion with the members of the media, they said that they may also open the business for franchising opportunities soon.

Basically the partnership involves provision of training to all employees of Cre8 Salon which will be conducted by trainors coming from the camps of both L'Oreal and Orly. This also includes international beauty experts that will be visiting Manila.  The two companies will be providing training to both current and future Cre8 Salon staff to improve their skills, and eventually their services as well.

Cre8 Salon will now carry L'Oreal and Orly brands exclusively. The two brands have consistently provided products that have exceeded their client's expectations and thus helped them solidify their brand presence.




The MOA signing was led by James Paul Santiago, CEO of Cre8 Salon, who also gave the opening remarks, together with his sister, Ma. Angela Santiago, Founder and Finance Director of Cre8 Salon.

The other signatories, which includes the people from Orly and L'Oreal, were Roshell Zamora, Sales Manager; Persie Torregoza, General Manager for Sprint Asia Beauty; Mark Jason Dee, Marketing Director; and Luis Antonio Yanga, General Manager for Professional Products.




We've learned that Cre8 Salon is literally a family business since all 7 siblings are practically involved in the regular operations with specific roles and designations within the company. Angela said in an interview with Wazzup Pilipinas that she visits Cre8 salon branches everyday, so with the current number of 21 branches, we mentioned that their division of visits would most probably be 3 branches per sibling since there's 7 of them. 

But what would happen when they have an additional 100 within the next 5 years? Could they still handle it? That would probably mean hiring even their cousins and other relatives if they want to maintain the management of their business within their ... clan (since they've already grown too big to handle by just 7 people. 

But of course, we'll find a solution to that challenge when we get there. We want Cre8 Salon to grow bigger to provide more employment opportunities. They did say they employ around 10 people per branch so an additional 100 branches would mean 1000 happily employed and skillful staff thanks to their newly forged alliance with L'Oreal and Orly.




What strikes us most everytime we see a Cre8 Salon branch is the stunningly attractive and huge logo cum signage that fronts their salon branches. You'll definitely take a second look, try to read what it says, and admire the artistry that went to the design of the logo. It is apparent that there's a scissor image within the logo and how they capitalize on the lucky number 8 as a prominent part of their business name.




Congratulations to the Cre8 Salon family for this new coalition. We're planning to visit their branch nearest to us soon to probably do a special vlog of their services. That would surely be great to witness how they'll be able to transform us into a new look - a before and after make-over vlog which is just perfect timing since our hair terribly needs a haircut right now, and a possible change of hairstyle that's appropriate for our age.

This means you have to watch out for another special feature about Cre8 Salon soon. So until next time, this has been your Pambansang Blogger signing off for now, and see you again soon on our next blog adventure.

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Early Visita Iglesia with Zooper Cruise of Zoomanity Foundation


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Visita Iglesia is an annual tradition my wife and I do but this time (with apologies to her) I get to experience it alone  with other people (twice) and break the tradition since I got an invite to do an early Visita Iglesia with Zooper Cruise (part of the Zoomanity Group but advertised as under Zoomanity Foundation) of the Yupangco Group of Companies, a few days before the actual day, and another invite with another group who are members of the Miata Club of the Philippines. We did the early Visita Iglesia on a Holy Tuesday (March 27), and the other on a Maundy Thursday (March 29) but it got extended until Good Friday (March 30) when we visited another member's luxurious condominium unit at Tagaytay Highlands. To tell the long story short, my wife and I had to cancel our own Visita Iglesia for this year.

This blog, as the title implies, is all about the early Visita Iglesia with the Zooper Cruise (Though I am a bit confused why they used "zoo" in the name but probably just to indicate that it is operated under the Zoomanity group.

As they advertised, you can get to try a Visita Iglesia like no other for only P1,399 per person. But since I am among the media, the tour was offered to us for free so we could help promote it to our readers, or viewers since I also captured the activity on video of which I will alternate showing on our official Facebook page and official YouTube channel.

The Lenten Week activity (normally done on a Maundy Thursday or like us who do it every Good Friday to avoid the same crowd practicing the activity) is just an example of how we could appreciate a tour via the ferry boat that cruises via the Pasig river. There are actually several options to take advantage of how traffic-free the Pasig river cruise is. Minus the seasonal smell of the Pasig river, the ferry cruise could be a great option to travel and tour aroun the Metro especially if the LGUs of each city would participate in rehabilitating not only the Pasig river but also the sights or locations that we passed by.



 


This is not my first time doing a Pasig river cruise as I have been with the Pasig River Rehabilitation Council twice already, and I could say that there has been a lot of improvement already. This means they are actually doing a great job.

Visionary businessman and agriculture & animal theme-park owner Robert Yupangco sees the potential of the Pasig river cruise so he invested on it. We need more people like him who would take the risk just to prove that there is a visible tourism potential. Some people may call him crazy, but we should rather call him a hero for such an act. We need to emulate his practice because in the long run we will all benefit from the same vision. We need not look far for a solution to the traffic because it is right under our noses. Not to make fun of the pun, but making the Pasig river less smelly is a nationwide task. Each of us should cooperate. From the big businesses to the informal settlers along the rivers, a lot of great possibilities can happen if we all take part in the noble goal.

We are tourists in our own country" says Robert Yupangco, the main man behind the Yupangco Group of Companies which includes the Zoomanity theme-parks.

The Zooper Cruise took us to 7 churches around Makati and Manila. Meeting place was at UnliCity (located at the 3rd floor of Century City Mall) which is also part of the Yupangco Group of Companies.  The tour is actually a combination of a by road and river travel (transport by shuttle and cruise) so it involved going to the different ferry ports in Makati and Manila and some travelling by road to a few of the churches.

St. Andrew the Apostle Parish Church

St. Andrew the Apostle Parish Church

Nuestra Senora de Gracia Church

Nuestra Senora de Gracia Church

Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish Church

Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish Church

Sta. Cruz Paris Church

Sta. Cruz Paris Church

Binondo Church

Binondo Church

Manila Cathedral

Manila Cathedral

San Agustin Church

San Agustin Church

The churches we visited were St. Andrew the Apostle Parish Church located in Bel-Air Village in Makati, Nuestra Senora de Gracia Church (also known as Guadalupe Church) located in Guadalupe, Makati, Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish Church in Sta. Ana, Manila, Sta. Cruz Paris Church in Sta. Cruz, Manila, Binondo Church (also known as the Minor Basilica of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz and Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish) in Binondo, Manila, San Agustin Church (also known as the Immaculate Conception Parish) in Intramuros, Manila, and the Manila Cathedral (also known as the Minor Basilica and Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception) which is also in Intramuros, Manila.

Below are some of the sights you'll see along the Pasig river:





It took almost the entire day for the Visita Iglesia since we got back to our origin at around 4pm already. Registration for the tour started at 8am and we got down from UnliCity at around 8:30am, and to a shuttle sometime after a few minutes.

They let us stay at a church for around 20 minutes which includes time for prayer and photo ops. For a media like me who takes both photos and videos, it was enough. But I was also documenting the attendees so I am rarely in the official photos and videos. However, I never forget to do my own selfies (posted on our social media pages) though you will notice I am a bit haggard due to that tedious task. I guess I need to find a way to always bring at least one team member with me for travel-related events like these so we could divide or alternate the tasks.




The rewarding part is seeing how the attendees appreciate the tour. I could see that they are somewhat tired and exhausted sometime in between and especially at the latter part, but I could also see that it seems worth the effort for these people. After all, we should be doing a form of sacrifice (all those bits of walking and boat transfers) including fasting (the merienda of macaroni salad was not enough to satisfy) but I heard during one of the interviews that it was intentionally meant that way for this particular tour since it was Visita Iglesia.

Thank you Zooper Cruise for another unique and memorable experience.