Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Saturday, April 26, 2014

4th Zero Carbon Resorts Project Conference: Operating Zero Carbon Resorts is More Fun in the Philippines

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As a culminating program of Zero Carbon Resorts (ZCR) Phase 1, the ZCR team in collaboration with the Department of Tourism (DOT) will host its 4th Zero Carbon Resorts (ZCR) Project Conference on May 21, 2014 at Hyatt Regency Hotel and Casino Manila with the theme “Operating Zero Carbon Resorts is More Fun in the Philippines.” Linked to the DOT’s branding campaign, the event will be a celebration of the success and achievements of the ZCR Project Phase 1.

The Switch Asia project Zero Carbon Resorts (ZCR) has challenged the conventional practices of how tourism establishments operate their buildings and facilities in the Philippines. In the last 4 years of its implementation, the project has gathered 500 member companies all over the country. The conference will be a celebration of the success and achievements of the project over the last 4 years

A sample of 150 tourism SMEs has been analyzed in detail and this sample alone accounts for savings of PhP 260 Million per year and 6 million kg of CO2. This indicates the environmental impact of the project and the economic advantage for its beneficiaries.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

From being a waiter at Max's Restaurant in 2000-2001, Coco Martin is now one of the most respected actors in the country.

We invite you to take a peek into Max's new TV commercial as we depict Coco's journey to success.

From the video we will see a glimpse of Coco Martin's past as he struggles to make ends meet while working as a waiter at Max's Restaurant. We will see how he shared his success with his grandmother, the one who raised him.Be inspired with how Coco was able to rise up to life's challenges and become one of the most loved stars of today. Like Coco, Max's success is rooted from traditions, values and relationships. Kaisa mo ang Max's sa pag abot ng iyong pinakamasarap na pangarap!

Everyone of us has a success story to tell, and I am betting that with each story is a wonderful memory worth sharing to everyone so we could inspire at least one more hopeful soul to continue to reach for their dreams and aspirations.

The LAB: ADDLIB Summer Dance Concert is Moved on May 11

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The PHiercest dance crew in the Philippines proudly culminates their summer dance workshop with a big presentation at the SM Skydome. This will definitely be something to look forward to. You must not miss this one or else you're going to regret it.

After 4 weeks with 9 of the best dance teachers from the ADDLIB Mega Dance Crew, their students will proudly show off what they have learned. This will be their night where many people will witness their talent learned from the country's prime choice and most trusted for a dance crew.

The ADDLIB is a powerhouse of multi-talented individuals excelling in their various professions while remaining as the industry’s best dance company in providing the highest standard in multimedia and performance art. They have now somewhat shared their expertise to their students to bring about a new generation of talents who may someday become part of the crew itself!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Due to the country's humid and hot weather, no one ever thought that the physically demanding and brutal game of American football will be introduced to the Philippines. It was way back April 2010 when architect Bernardo "Dodi" Palma II tackled the unimaginable by founding the very first American football league in the country called ArenaBall Philippines (ABP).

This was followed by the founding of the American Tackle Football Association of the Philippines (ATFAP), the governing body of American and flag football and beach flag football in the Philippines which was headed by Dodi with co-founders Apollo Angco and Jon Yamsuan.

Getting memberships from the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) ultimately led to the formation of the Pilipinas Aguilas - the very first tackle football Philippine team who are ready and proud to carry the Philippine flag to new heights.

The Pilipinas Aguilas will have a challenging task ahead on April 26, 2014 as they face Japan - the number 1 ranked country in Asia - in a qualifying match for the 2015 IFAF World Championship in Sweden. They will soon be flying off to Tokyo against a team that is backed by 80 years of tackle football program. But who's afraid? When you go up against Filipinos, you're facing the real challenge!

The team is being managed by Dodi Palma and coached by Will Yeh.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Philippines is regarded as among those that are most vulnerable to uncontrollable and unpredictable weather patterns due to its archipelagic positioning. Being a developing nation and third world-country makes our vulnerabilities even more on a wider scope due to limited resources.

We therefore need to implement measures that everyone needs to follow in order to reduce the damages that may occur during natural disasters like flooding, earthquakes and other similar natural disasters.

The Building Green Imperative Forum is part of a concerted effort to help local government units (LGUs) and their officials make the necessary adjustments and decisions to make our basic structures models in energy and resource use for good health, comfort, utility and durability, and above all for environmental protection and conservation.

Singapore Airlines to be Title Sponsor of Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix

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Singapore Airlines has recently signed an agreement with the Formula One Group to be the Title Sponsor of the FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX.

This year’s event will be named the 2014 FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE AIRLINES SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX and will take place from 19 to 21 September at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

“We are thrilled to be taking up the title sponsorship of one of the most exciting races on the F1 calendar, and we are especially pleased to be doing so in the lead-up to Singapore’s 50th birthday next year,” said Singapore Airlines CEO, Mr Goh Choon Phong.

“Singapore Airlines has always supported the development of both sports and tourism. Through our involvement with the world’s first F1 night race we will be able to enhance both for the benefit of Singaporeans and visitors alike.”

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Comparing Ana Julation with the Pambansang Kamao Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao may be what everyone is thinking right now, but unlike boxing, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is definitely more extreme and requires more endurance from the athlete.

Will Ana Julaton give glory to the country through her foray into MMA and score victories in spectacular fashion similar to what Manny Pacquiao is doing now by beating world-class boxers? Or will she go even beyond and raise the level of champions in the Philippines? We do pray she doesn't go the other way as our Pacman does have his share of defeats.

MMA fans, Filipinos and non-Filipinos, will find this out on May 2 when she makes her debut on ONE Fighting Championship (ONE FC) at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in the card featuring the world bantamweight title fight between Brazilian Bibiano Fernandes and Japanese Masakatsu Ueda.

Julaton, who is of Filipino descent, will be battling former Egyptian kickboxing champion Aya Saeid Saber, who holds an MMA record of 2-3 and has been competing in professional MMA since 2012, which is considered an added advantage against the Fil-Am.

But what is going in favour of Julaton is her boxing skills and experience being the former WBO and the IBA women's super bantamweight champion. She is also into martial arts since she was a kid and has black belts in Tae Kwon Do and Kenpo Karate.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Just when I thought I am already on cloud nine for being conferred with three recognitions, along came an e-mail that arrived just today, April 24, 2014, notifying me that Wazzup Pilipinas just won another award from the Philippine Top Choice Awards for Business Excellence 2014.

Attached on the e-mail is a congratulatory letter from the Philippine Top Choice Awards Council conferring WazzupPilipinas.com as Top Filipino Community Blog Site (National Awards).

If you could still remember, Wazzup Pilipinas was recognized as a Top Emerging Influential Blog last September 2013. It was then awarded as Most Outstanding Filipino Community Blog Site in January 2014, followed by another award as Best Filipino Community Blog Site last March 2014.

Today, I have been notified of winning as the Top Filipino Community Blog Site (National Awards).

Awards ceremonies will be on July 26, 2014 at Luxent Hotel, Timog Avenue, South Triangle Quezon City.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Many are saying that Philippine beauty pageants, just like all the rest out there in other countries, are tourism efforts that showcase the beauty of the woman, in our case, the Filipina. Not only does our country have endearing tourist spots, beaches and getaways, native products and handicrafts, traditional food and delicacies, and heritage structures, it also has plenty of beautiful women everywhere you go.

From all its 7107 islands, you are bound to see several pretty faces along the way. Pretty ladies with adorable smiles will always stand out among the crowd. You'll fall in love with our women because aside from being charming, they are also sweet and caring, and truly a homemaker. In fact, many foreigners have married Filipino women and retired in the Philippines.

The winning streak of Filipinas in many major beauty pageants is an indication of how lovely our Pinay ladies are. I believe we are the country with the most number of candidates who were able to go home with an outstanding place where majority of which are in the top ten.

Among the many beauty pageants which I consider most relevant is the Miss Earth pageant. It remains committed to its vows to help protect and preserve the environment, this time putting ecotourism at the forefront of its annual quest to raise awareness on various environmental issues.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Life in a third world country is terribly bad if you're among the poorest of the poor. Imagine having to live in the dumps of the Metro and surviving on extremely below minimum wage earnings. I cannot fathom how an individual can manage to live in a forsaken surrounding more dreadful than an informal settler's area. With heaps of dirty and disgusting trash, and a smell that can intoxicate and make you vomit, you couldn't stomach the suffering one has to endure just to survive Manila's largest landfill and mountain of garbage.

For the residents of Smokey Mountain, life must go on amidst the sickening dirt and the foul smell. They have very little choice, so they cannot afford to be choosy. Resources are too rare to worry about looking for a cleaner and safer neighborhood. They have to make do of what is available. They have to make ends meet in order to make it throughout the day. Even if majority of the Filipinos are in a deplorable state of "isang kahig, isang tuka", noone can beat the Filipino resilience.

Sometimes, it pains me to realize we may have been too resilient that we made very little effort to change our mindset. I know we deserve more than what we are getting right now, and I know our government should intensify their efforts to enrich the lives of the Filipinos. The thought of hearing from the news of how our taxes were spent irregularly in lavishly wrong ways, that benefited only the few, makes me want to shout out for blood.