Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Saturday, July 5, 2014

The Evolution of a Blogger: The Top Blogger of the Philippines

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There should be no exceptions! Yes! Except for press releases? Nah! Except for very technical topics? Nah! Except for events or products that were not worthy of any praises? Nah! To blog or not to blog? That is the question! But please don't min my ramblings as I am purely talking to myself. In the end it is still all up to me. I chose to put whatever I want in my blog. My blog, my rules! Like it or hate it, you don't dictate to me what I want to put in my blog, so accept it as the only truth, for I am the only one liable to its contents.

The blogger has evolved. That's for sure! Modern day professional bloggers now exist because the needs and demands call for it. Only a few remain that are truly keeping to the original intention of what a blog is all about. Bloggers have adapted to the times, and the technology.

Some would even be identified as "top" bloggers - forming themselves into groups and calling themselves elite, authorities, and A-list... laughable but merely a branding strategy to uplift themselves in the eyes of potential clients. Yey! We're above and beyond the rest of the indies out there! We're an exclusive batch of self-declared prominent bloggers backed by years of experience and maturity - in other words, we are old and desperate for some attention.

It is good to create a union, but it is bad to close the opportunities to newbies because we all know that the new generation may also have fresh innovative ideas that even experienced bloggers may be unable to realize. The rookies were newly-trained and are most probably backed by more advanced learning that could be better appreciated by majority of their readers.

Upbeat Economy Results in Bullish Business Gifts Industry

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The Philippines is currently enjoying revived confidence from domestic and international business, as evidenced by, among other things, upgraded ratings from the world’s leading credit rating agencies. These improvements have directly resulted in an upbeat corporate gifts and rewards industry, poised to take advantage of the increased economic activity.

Hundreds of the country’s most reliable suppliers of business gift items are set to showcase their products and services at the annual Corporate Giveaways Buyers’ Show, the Philippines longest-running and most successful trade exhibition on business gifts, premiums, promotional ideas and merchandise incentives.

Now on its 27th year, the Corporate Giveaways Buyers’ Show regularly attracts purchasing managers, marketing and event professionals, HR practitioners, public relations specialists who visit the show to explore and source their year-round business gifts requirements, office solutions and even food and beverage gift options. It is scheduled on July 9-11 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

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"Our young are falling prey to and are being devoured by their quest for power via a brotherhood that is fake."

Who in his right mind would believe a group of people who claim to be your best friends forever (BFFs) in exchange of beating you to a pulp during acceptance rites. I believe it should be the other way around. Try beating them up to a pulp and see if they will still love you after they are all bloody black, red and blue.

These things happen at prominent colleges and university without the knowledge of anybody at the top of the school? I'm betting many of the students are aware and could easily point fingers but the so-called death threats from the brotherhood are preventing them to do so.

This could easily be remedied if the students all band together with a promise of protection and safety from the authorities. However, there have been many graduates already that are part of the brotherhood. The lucky ones who made it and whose bodies were strong enough to tolerate and endure the pain.

These hazing deaths have been going on for years, and why has it not stopped the fraternities? There is only one answer to this question - the stench is much worst to what we could only see. There are poop out of the fart that we hear....and it smells so bad that it reaches all the way up to the top of the city.

The situation is all fucked up...but that's normal for many.

Business Tips for Young People

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Back then, the common scenario in the corporate industry is that the old people are wearing newly pressed suits while bringing their suitcases and walking briskly on their way to board meetings. This is the typical face of the business industry for a long time. Not until young risk-takers started to join the field and made way to their own adventures in business. Whether you are still a student or just a fresh graduate, here are some of the things you need to remember if you want to start a business:

Find where you are good at

Not only where you are good at but also something that you love doing. Doing things without passion can be suicidal for your business. You’ll easily get tired of it and chances are, you’ll quit even before your business takes off. Aside from that, it’s more convenient to start a business wherein you’re already an expert.

Look for connections

Your connections can be your market since you are still starting. Asking for your friends and relatives may help you widen your network. Once you finally got these people who buy from you, you must learn about customer retention.

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Do you know what motivates athletes and teams to do their best? Do you want to know the right approaches to build a champion team?

Veteran team building facilitator, management consultant, and long time sports writer Lito Cinco is conducting a free two-part sports psychology seminar. The seminar focuses on mental strengthening of individual athletes and building a team. This will be on July 10 and 24 at the ROX at Bonifacio High Street in Bonifacio Global City from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Backed by 3M Futuro, a full line of supports, braces and compression products, the seminars dubbed " Skills & Attitude, Life's Winning Combination”. It will increase awareness among athletes and coaches on the importance of sports psychology to help enhance the performance of athletes and teams with specific steps and recommended applications.

The seminar is on a first come-first served basis and is limited to 50 participants. Athletes, coaches and coaching enthusiasts are advised to be at the venue before the seminar starts. Snacks and product give aways will be given to the participants.

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Professional photographers Mark Nicdao and BJ Pascual never fails to amaze me with his artistic shots full of creativity. His shot with Ellen Adarna for the Special Collectors' Issue of Preview Magazine's "Skin" is also oozing with sensuality and really spells SKIN.

The cover is more than a photoshoot. It is a work of art. The inside photos continues to sizzle and wet the imagination of the readers. Skin is bared but not too much to keep thoughts still wandering. There are still some left to the mind to play and linger with.

Sorry to the haters, but if you can't see the art in this collaborative effort then you are too malicious.

Like they said, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, so to the ones who only see nudity in this series of shots merged into a masterpiece are those that are either too conservative or too dim-witted to accept that beauty is a reflection of your idenity. If you can't see any sense of beauty, then your minds are too down the drain already.

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Richard Gutierrez, Sarah Lahbati and Baby Zion on the cover of Smart Parenting?

Aside from being a controversial couple, I don't see anything else that exactly makes them "smart" "parents"?

The magazine must be only banking on the popularity of the issue that surrounds the couple and their baby. They are not really applicable to be on the cover. Face value does not justify being anywhere within your magazine that carries the title of both "smart" and "parenting". Neither of the two represent any of the attributes.

Is keeping your child in secret for a year or shall I say from the time of pregnacy a good example of a smart parent??? Hmmm I guess not!

"Would it be more appropriate if you feature parents who are legally married as a role model? Yes they look good & gorgeous but what about the moral values we're instilling in the young people's mind....be more responsible please!"

I would have wanted to see Team Kramer or Team Melason on their cover, instead of the Guttierez. It takes Gutz to be a Guttierez, yeah...talk to my hand. It's a good influencer for the young viewers to view the mag as a family oriented wholistic reading material.

Sandara Park Covers Meg Magazine July 2014

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Do you remember Korean Sandara Park from her love team with Star Circle Quest main winner Hero Angeles. Well, we don't see Hero anymore but Sandara left the Philippines and joined an all-girl Korean pop group named 2NE1.

Has she truly leveled up on her career from her popularity here in the Philippines? Version 2.0? Compared to the big winner of Star Circle Quest, that may be a big Yes...but 2NE1 seems to be just popular in Asia, and not really a big hit anywhere else. Correct me if I'm wrong but I don't see much of the group in the news.

The South Korean K-Pop group member now covers Meg magazine July 2014 issue wearing an attire consisting of a blue jacket, stripped jeans and a partial reveal of her belly button because of a hanging beige top.

Dara or Sandy, as some of her friends call her, also recently appeared at an episode of Pinoy Big Brother All-In show - the scripted and not really true-to-life representation of what actual life really is. The show is even under heat when the so-called "Kuya" ordered for a "nude painting" task among the house mates. Horny big brother just couldn't stop himself from making the show controversial in the eagerness to get as much rating as possible.

The magazine has articles like how to Up-Style your basic get-up, 4 underdog stories, and a guide to lipstick.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

What Happened to That 1996 Lease Agreement?

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There was a 1996 lease agreement that was signed which was signed by Camp John Hay Development Corporation and Bases Conversion and Development Authority where Bob Sobrepena was supposed to pay an annual rent of P425 million or 5% of the gross sales whichever of the two is higher. I don’t know what they were thinking when they signed that because it is clearly a one sided deal in favor of the BCDA. It is no surprise how CJHDevCo struggled in their first 5 years since this was supposed to last for the first 5 years of the contract.

The lease payment of CJHDevCo should belong to the city of Baguio and not BCDA. The mayor himself has expressed concern that this has gone on too far. He is calling for BCDA to participate in the proceedings in order to find out who really is at fault. It is obvious BCDA CEO Arnel Casanova has gone overboard with all of his accusations towards Bobby. One way or the other, the two parties are going to resolve this matter. However, Casanova won’t stop pinning accusations on Sobrepena like there is some kind of personal grudge between them.

The 1996 lease agreement was restructured in 2000 due to the fact that the operations of Camp John Hay were adversely affected resulting to a loss of P1.445 billion. I really felt sorry for Bobby because of that. It is not easy to run a business and he had to take a major step back down because of what he lost there. President Aquino’s PPP program would have benefitted both parties if they agree to resolve the case. However, that is not going to happen anytime soon and we have Arnel Casanova to thank for that. He should really think more about the country than himself.

New Leadership in DOTC Better Make the Right Call

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Mar Roxas has one of the biggest decisions to make in his long term as the vice president of the country since he has just been appointed as the new head of the Department of Transportation and Communication or DoTC. Mar Roxas is expected to be one of the frontrunners for the next presidential race so his decision here could either make or break his candidacy since there is expected to be a lot of sleeper candidates for that election. For now, Roxas chose to freeze all talks with the Metro Pacific Investments Corporation regarding their proposal that would take 30 years in improving the MRT line 3.

The MRT line 3 is the longest train in the country as it stretches along the country’s longest street, the Epifanio Delos Santos Avenue or EDSA for short. This street is known for very heavy traffic during rush hour which is why the MRT was put here in the first place. The MRT is not really ideal for most people when they exit the office though as they would rather ride the bus going home since it is going to be tough to get in the MRT during 5 to 6 PM on weekdays.

The Metro Investments Pacific Corporation will invest a whopping $650 million for this project. That amount is probably something I will never reach in my life so we are all lucky they made this proposal. They would even buy Development Bank of the Philippines and Land Bank of the Philippines. Is this going to take out the long lines during rush hour? Probably not! However, it will surely minimize it to the extent that it won’t become a bothersome sight to most observers. Because of this, the government won’t propose silly schemes to cut down on the number of people riding the MRT.

Entrepreneurs Explore Opportunities at Entrepreneur & Franchise Expo 2014

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The recently concluded Entrepreneur & Franchise Expo 2014 opened business opportunities to business professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs last June 27-29, 2014 at the Megatrade Hall 1, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City. With the tagline “Your Step to Success!” the expo was dedicated to empower over 100 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) from various business sectors.

Organized by MediaCom Solutions, Inc, sponsored by Injoy Philippines, 2Go Express, Globe MyBusiness, Benchmark Email Marketing, Uber Technologies, Infinity Hub and Gleent Innovations, the Entrepreneur & Franchise Expo 2014 was officially launched last Friday, June 27, 2014. The opening and ribbon cutting ceremony was attended by local and international entrepreneurs and business executives from various industry sectors that supported the expo’s advocacy. Gracing the event was Mandaluyong City Councilor and Vice Chair for MSME Development Council, honorable CHARISSE ABALOS; Young Entrepreneur Society Philippines President, HENRY ONG; Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Mandaluyong President, ANDREW ONG; ATTY. NIKKI DE VEGA, President of Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Mandaluyong; together with 2Go Express AVP for Retail Sales and Marketing JOANNE RAMOS; Globe MyBusiness Trade Marketing Manager for Emerging Channels KRISTINE TRAVINO; celebrity food entrepreneur KIAN KAZEMI, president of Persia Grill; email marketing innovator CHUCK SCHIPPER, director & business development EMEAA @ Benchmark Internet Group, LLC (USA), international networking entrepreneur NILS WALLE, founder of the Freight Summit (Hong Kong); branding and design entrepreneur GILMAR PADUA, founder of Infinity Hub; CHRISTIAN RAEUBER of MediaCom Solutions Inc.; design strategist and brand expert BRIAN TENORIO, founder of KKK Coffee; Australian Actress singer lead in 'The Boston' Kitchen Musical and GMA talent NATALIA MOON, celebrity entrepreneur and Mercato Centrale co-founder RJ LEDESMA, and many more.

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The search for the first-ever Filipino representative to the Red Bull (Blue & Silver) Thre3style World Championships 2014 this year culminated in one epic night of partying at the Philippine finals held at the famed Republiq Club in Resorts World Manila. The event saw six qualifying winners battle it out with their DJing skills, technical wizardry and ability to light the dance floor on fire.

Making the cut from the Cebu qualifier last June 21 and rocking the Republiq crowd were: two-time Australian QLD DMC champion DJ K Groove (Kristian Hernandez) who brought his mad turntable skills to the fore just like he’s done in Sydney, Paris, London, New York, Barcelona and Tokyo; DJ Niki Del Rosario, who funked up the proceedings with his mixed-genre party set that got everyone jumping around and cheering for more; and the Cebu’s overall winner DJ Carlo Atendido, whose varied set of funky beats, pop gems and club favorites, added surprise elements and showmanship elicited massive crowd response.

Not to be outdone, the DJs from the Manila qualifier last June 26 were battle-ready: DJ Aryan (Aryan Magat) stepped up with his trademark party style and eclectic mix that got the crowd chanting – a familiar scene in residencies in top clubs from Makati to Cebu, Boracay to Vietnam; DJ Nix Damn P (Nix Pernia) rocked the party with bold choices, including Tagalog tracks, slow tunes and a cheeky recorded cellphone conversation with Ramon Bautista to cap off his set; and Manila’s overall winner DJ Supreme Fist, a 2008 Pioneer Philippines DJ Digital Battle Champion, electrified the night with a monster mix of groove, funk, soul, hip hop, dub and disco, and threw in bits of “Yugyugan Na” midway through his set that got people singing “sige na, sige na, sige na, sige na!”

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When you retire and fate gives you a chance to pursue your first love, would you?

Follow Cory, who is in her 60's, as she takes a leap to reignite an old flame in a story that would give an interestingly different look at love in 1st Ko si 3rd, an official entry to the 2014 Cinemalaya Film Festival.

The movie is about that "what if" of the heart and giving it a second chance. The lead character, Cory, is played by veteran comedienne Ms. Nova Villa who once again is partnering with her on-screen duo, Mr. Freddie Webb. The latter is playing Cory's love interest, Third.

For the first time in years the duo brings back to life their chemistry in cinemas by reliving their love team. This time however the comic antics are tamed to a level of serious but light depiction of sensible situations.

1st Ko si 3rd is written and directed by Real Florido and will be showing at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Ayala Cinemas on August 1 to 10, 2014.

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Who doesn't love magic? Magic opens up a whole new world especially to the first-timers. Every child, and even adults, are totally awed seeing magicians perform almost unexplainable feats in a way that both baffles and amazes. Call it illusion, slight of hand, fast reflexes that tricks the senses...whatever it may be, some consider it as a form of art that stimulates the imagination and entertains the mind.

If you want to be entertained with magic, catch Aleng Maliit, Ryzza Mae Dizon and Pilipinas Got Talent's very own, Rico the Magician as they perform live at Solaire Grand Ballroom on July 12, 2014 at 4pm.

Catch this once in a lifetime Magic Show brought to you by Showbiz Mansion Entertainment in partnership with Solaire Resort and Casino.

For tickets and queries, call or text 0921.234.4257 or 0906.1601562

For more information please check the following links:

1. Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Showbiz-Mansion-Entertainment/1500672743495992?ref=hl

2. Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1420901721516354/

Please also join the contest below to win silver tickets to the show:

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Young people use the power of social media to raise awareness on Manila’s forgotten but beloved heritage street in this all-day arts, music and food fest.

After its postponement last week due to a bad weather forecast, #selfiEscolta: The Manila Street Heritage Festival will finally hit the historic district as well as our social media feeds this Saturday! Finally, the Queen of Manila’s streets is reclaiming her crown as a relevant and productive district in modern times.

This event will be held along Calle Escolta on July 5, 2014 (Saturday), from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm. It aims to raise awareness and help boost local tourism by featuring various simultaneous activities to showcase Manila’s famed district. These include special guided tours that will take attendees to all the heritage buildings in the area.

There will also be an art and food market plus on-site entertainment, among others. Confirmed performers include the likes of Gary Granada, Tres Marias (Cookie Chua, Bayang Barrios, Lolita Carbon), Plagpul, Ukulele Philippines Ensemble, Sanghabi, One Hit Combo, Estribo, Persephone, and more.