Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Friday, July 25, 2014

Math Becomes Easy as 123 with Koobits

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Math is undoubtedly the meanest subject in school where many of our students are having difficulty of learning. Even adults cringe at the thought of having to solve math problems for their kids. It seems all those numbers keep jumbling up like crazy every time we are faced with the dilemma of solving a math problem.

Singapore children had an advantage having an online portal that was very useful in learning math the fun and easy way. Now, the Philippines is also fortunate that the people behind the project has also decided to launch it in our country.

The launch of Koobits Pte. Ltd. Singapore was held last July 15, 2014, Tuesday, 10 am at the Nostalg Ballroom of Oakwood Premier Joy-Nostalg Center located at 17 ADB Ave, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

Multi-awarded speaker Mr. Stanley Han, author of the book Motivation Dynamics: From Gaming to Learning and Chief Executive Officer of Koobits Pte. Ltd. Singapore, led the launch of Singapore's top online math portal here in the Philippines.

With special guest celebrity G Toengi-Walters, KooBits Brand Ambassador, participating in the panel that were interviewed by the members of the press.

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I got a tasty invite to the 2nd run of a culinary tour within a continuously developing but balanced mixed-use district of residential, office, and commercial establishments with more than 240-hectare of urban development.

They say the Bonifacio Global City BGC EATS citywide food tour was cooked up by Passionate Minds for passionate Stomachs. I may have to agree, as we all experienced a very creative and scientific way of exploring the sights. There was Science in everywhere that we went to.

From the first stop at Gustare kitchen or commissary where their elite customers can also dine on not just sweet treats like the Strawberry Lemon juice, Canonigo w/ custard sauce, Calamansi sans rival but also on uniwue food like the Salabat cookies, the shamporado cookies, and the Santol Bagoong.

The second destination we visited was another delightful feast. Prost German pub was a great choice to dine on splendid sausages of all kinds - from the lengthy to the most stout! I heard there were also a lot of kinds of beers served especially during night time while watching your favorite sports on TV.

Our third and last stop was at the Mind Museum where everyone were treated to the weird stuff. Imagine biting on a jelly added with a whole locust prepared by Adobo Queen Chef Nancy Reyes Lumen, eating earthworms hidden within the banana bread prepared by Chefs Erik Capaque and Claudette Uy, trying out the milk and ice cream made from nuts, tasting the seaweed and cassava starch of Kyle Imao of Kyle's Lab, and feasting on soy and moringa treats, otherwise known as malunggay, prepared by tukayo Chef Sau Del Rosario.

Incidentally, there's going to be an event called Future Feast to be held at the Mind Museum on July 26, 2014 Saturday from 12 noon to 7 pm.

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Webcams let family members, friends and business associates connect face-to-face across the world.

Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions observed that in the last decade, webcams become so ubiquitous.

The phenomenon of seeing someone as they speak with another person tens or thousands of miles away has gone from a pipedream to a commonplace reality that can take place in the palm of a hand, courtesy of smartphones.

But users are not the only people who can access the webcam on a computer.

Attackers with programs like Blackshades remote access tool (RAT), which was cracked down on earlier this year, can essentially hack their way into other computer and use the camera at will.

The program is sold for only USD40 (more than P1,500) at different sites.

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Your dream car is now just a tap away with a mobile app that can help you search for it!

Carmudi is the world’s fastest growing online car classified which offers buyers, sellers and car dealers the ideal platform to find cars, motorcycles and commercial vehicles online. The vehicle marketplace is all set to change the experience of shopping for car enthusiasts globally.

The online car classified has launched a mobile application which will allow users to browse thousands of cars on the go. Hosting over 200,000 vehicles online, Carmudi’s app will give users an excellent experience of buying cars while on the move, thus allowing them the same sense of ease and comfort out and about as they would experience in front of their PCs at home.

The app is available to Android users in 17 countries across Asia, Africa, the Middle East and LATAM. For the convenience of customers, Carmudi has made the app available in 9 different languages.

The app features the same usability and filter functions as its computer counterpart www.carmudi.com.ph. Customers can filter searches by any means that they wish, from brand to model and year to price. Users can also share listings on various social platforms to gain opinions from friends and family if they are unsure. In addition, the Carmudi app allows for favoriting of listings so that they get instant notifications on their favourite rides.

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A person’s smile conveys happiness, pleasure and amusement. And the power of this smile has plenty to do with how clean one’s teeth are. That’s why people go to great lengths to ensure their oral hygiene with daily brushing and regular visits to the dentist.

“Oral health is something that people should not overlook. Clean teeth and gums not only look good, but also help us to avoid oral infections and even diseases,” comments Ms. Me-Ann Achacoso, Philips Business Development Manager for Health and Wellness.

To promote good oral habits, Philips is introducing its new Sonicare EasyClean toothbrush. Equipped with its very own patented sonic technology and ProResults brush head, the Sonicare EasyClean promises to whiten teeth by removing and reducing stains, with up to two times more plaque removal than a manual toothbrush.

According to Ms. Achacoso, the Sonicare EasyClean toothbrush produces 31,000 brush strokes per minute which results into a dynamic cleaning action that drives fluids between the teeth and along the gumline to remove harmful plaque. It features a Smartimer that helps ensure the recommended dental time for brushing, and a Quadpacer that encourages thorough brushing in all quadrants of the mouth.

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Gameloft are proud to announce the release of the #1 FPS on mobile, MODERN COMBAT 5: BLACKOUT!

Step into the action as the latest instalment in the best FPS series raises the bar for shooters once more! Create a squad, add your friends and test your individual and team skills against other squads!

4 customizable classes that you can level up across single- and multiplayer
Activate class-specific skills by earning and spending Skill Points
Epic team clashes in Squad vs. Squad multiplayer matches
Talk to other players in Global and Squad Chat
Fast-paced story missions with various challenges taking you from Tokyo to Venice

Available on App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/app/modern-combat-5-blackout/id656176278&mt=8

Get it on Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gameloft.android.ANMP.GloftM5HM

Download from Windows Store: http://www.windowsphone.com/en-ph/store/app/modern-combat-5-blackout/21ed995b-239d-4ffe-b352-76fc11cd940c

Watch the Youtube trailer here: http://youtu.be/st7eMfykiVE

What Situation did the President Compare the Supreme Court Decision to?

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In President Benigno Simeon Aquino III’s speech last week addressing the Disbursement Acceleration Program, he compared the Supreme Court’s decision to make it unconstitutional to a motorist getting arrested just because he parked his motorcycle in a no parking zone because he had to save the life of a victim who either go ran over by a bus or stabbed by a snatcher. It is a sorry situation for the victim to say the least. However, this comparison is far from the truth. President Aquino is not exactly a Good Samaritan since the Filipino people know him too well.

You have to give credit to whoever outlined the speech of President Aquino because that is a good comparison to tell the people. The people will think that the president was treated unfairly by the Supreme Court since they made the DAP unconstitutional. It looks like Aquino is not going to give up on trying appealing the decision of the Supreme Court anytime soon so you have to admire the courage of the President for trying. He is trying to show that he has leadership in this country which makes him the boss but he has stated several times in his speeches that the Filipino people are his true boss.

The President should have compared the decision to yesterday’s event at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. It was poor decision making on the part of Manny Pangilinan to let the event with the NBA players go on when they were not allowed to play a 5 on 5 games against the Smart Gilas team back in April. Despite that, the event pushed through and a bunch of NBA players backed out at the last minute. If the president’s speech happened sooner, then that situation would have been a better comparison to the Supreme Court’s ruling of the DAP.

Did Mar Roxas Doomed his Looming 2016 Presidential Candidacy Because of DAP?

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It is pretty obvious why President Aquino defended DAP so much during his last speech. His best friend Mar Roxas just got P10 billion from it for a project that is not among the mandate of the DILG. The man responsible for giving him that amount is none other than Department of Budget secretary Butch Abad. The amount could very well give Roxas a good start for his presidential campaign com 2016. Mar is expected to be the leading candidate of the Liberal Party for the upcoming presidential elections. As early as now, he could be preparing for this since it is always an advantage over other opponents if you prepare early.

It does not appear that Mar Roxas is contented with his post as secretary of DILG as he is getting funds for other projects that are not under DILG. Now that it is made public that he was given P10 billion from the DAP, will Mar step out of the presidential race? He could still run for president in the upcoming elections since he has nothing to lose anyway. If you lose in the presidential elections then you won’t really lose much.

However, it is one thing to be addressed as the president of the country so it is understandable why a lot of people would love to become a president here. Mar Roxas was supposed to run for presidency in the last presidential elections but being a good friend that he is, he decided to give way to his best friend Ninoy Aquino in running for the post. When Pnoy’s term is over, Mar looks to become the next president. However, he should be careful with what he is doing during his term as the vice president since the people are watching his every move then decide from there.

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

The Last Home Stand Between Gilas Pilipinas and NBA All Stars: What Really Happened?

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The organizers, including PLDT (Panay Lang Drills and Tricks) and NBA (No Basketball, Anyare?), knows they did something wrong but they're not telling us the whole story. I was there at the "charity event" and stayed a little while. I was able to talk with some key personalities and they all seem hesitant to reveal everything they know of what really happened.

Many were screaming for a refund and obviously full of disgusts while watching the "charity event" that turned out to be the most expensive for the people who were all there to witness what they thought was a friendly competitive game between the two teams.

There was even a sign shown containing telephone numbers for people to contact for refund requests, and many also lined up to sign their name and mobile numbers only to find out later that nobody from PLDT was getting the list anyway.

The hallways of Smart Araneta Coliseum were full of frustrated basketball lovers all cursing the organizers for the perceived scam that they felt cheated them of their hard-earned money.
Below are the official statements released by PLDT and NBA.

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Isko’t Iska is an annual theater production headed by Umalohokan, Inc., a UPLB socio-cultural organization, in partnership with the UPLB University Student Council along with other student organizations. Aimed at continuing the fight for the rights of the masses, Isko’t Iska features an all-freshman ensemble and is shown free of charge to the UPLB community.

Through creative presentations and narration, the play, often in the form of satire, provides an alternative way of heightening the audience’s awareness of local and national issues.

This year, Isko’t Iska 2014 will portray the situation not only of the University of the Philippines (UP) system but also the issues encountered by the whole nation. The play also serves as a venue for the appreciation of the progressive art that reflects the social realities and experiences of the youth.

All new freshmen students of UPLB are invited to become a part of this theater production.

The auditions for Isko’t Iska 2014 will be on August 18-22, 2014 (7PM) at the Student Union Building, UPLB.

For inquiries, please contact Darwin Mercado (0935-870-0775) or Lei Lizarondo (0935-662-3038). Important announcements and activities are also posted on Umalohokan, Inc’s official facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/umal.inc

Museum Foundation Mounts Proudly MaArte 2014

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Proudly MaArte 2014 promises to be an outstanding intersection of arts and crafts as it brings together carefully selected pieces exquisitely designed and executed by local Filipino artisans from all over the country.

Now on its 5th year, the MaARTe Artisan Fair is an annual fundraising project of the Museum Foundation of the Philippines (MFPI) and will be staged at the Rockwell Tent on August 29-31, Friday to Sunday, from 10am to 10pm. Craft items produced by entrepreneurs, NGOs, designers and craftsmen have been meticulously selected to provide the discerning MaARTe shopper a wide array of striking items ranging from indigenous baskets and fabrics, charming home decor to elegant fashion accessories and delicate jewelry from more than 50 participants. For limited edition items from designer ateliers and museum shops, MFPI has a special section dubbed as MaARTe Finds.

This yearly gathering of local artisans at the MaARTe Fair aims to support the creative industries, and has been a unique platform for the Museum Foundation as it continues to support the National Museum and its many activities. Dannie Alvarez, a long-time exhibitions curator in numerous museum exhibitions and design fairs, has joined the MaARTe organizing committee as creative director. He envisions this project as a showcase for “museum-quality crafts” that will provide the visitor a unique cultural shopping experience. Over the span of 3 days, The Rockwell Tent will be the perfect playground for those who enjoy draping and surrounding themselves with beautiful, vibrant and well-made pieces and aim to live life “may Arte”.

For this year, Security Bank and Smart Infinity lead the list of its partners. Corporate foundations have joined MaArte as well in presenting their community based efforts in assisting local artisans. The Museum Foundation of the Philippines will also include local food items under its banner, MaARTe Eats, which visitors can indulge in at the MaArte Lounge by Gree, and the MaARTe Café.

Epson Philippines Honors Regional Partners

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Celebrating its “People’s Choice” status after securing the No.1 position in value share in the inkjet market1, 13th consecutive year of global leadership position in projectors2, and its continuing dominance in the dot matrix printer category3, Epson Philippines Corporation (EPC) recently honored the company’s top trade regional partners at the Makati Shangri-La hotel.

EPC’s President/Country Manager, Toshimitsu Tanaka, said that the company will continue to capitalize on the overwhelming support of Filipinos on the Epson L-Series. “Without a doubt, we are still the company that provides the best value in printers with our unbeatable 4,000 pages per one bottle offering,” said Tanaka. “Our recent wins in our market share in projectors and unassailable position in dot matrix also reflects how Filipinos trust Epson products,” added Tanaka.

1 http://www.epson.com.ph/NumberOneInkjet2013
2 http://www.epson.com.ph/NumberOneProjector2013
3 http://www.epson.com.ph/NumberOneDotMatrix2013

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Fresh from her successful UK and European tour as Grizabella in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats, the album mixes old and new songs with a star-studded line-up of collaborators and producers.

The first single release is Hanggang Saan, a composition by hitmaker Vehnee Saturno who also produced the song which is now on heavy rotation in various radio stations.

Another highlight is Never Thought I’d Ever Love This Way, a duet with Concert King Martin Nievera that was produced by Christian de Walden of Hollywood. The song is a composition by Italian pop star Tony Renis who also wrote The Prayer.

Joanna was discovered as an unknown 17-year-old by Cameron MacKintosh and signed up to play Kim in the London production of Miss Saigon. She has since then made the theater her career and has divided her time between Manila and London. She has played both Eponine and Fantine in Les Miserables; Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar; Maria in West Side Story; Maria in The Sound of Music and other famous roles.

Joanna's new album tour continues on July 25 at Trinoma Mall with special guest Mark Bautista.

Lamudi is Most Visited Property Portal in the Philippines

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Lamudi is officially the most visited property portal in the Philippines, with the website now the country’s number one real estate platform for traffic.

Lamudi Philippines has overtaken its competitors just six months after officially launching locally. Lamudi, the global property portal for the emerging markets, arrived in the Philippines in January.

Lamudi is now the Philippines’ leading online property portal in terms of visitors and traffic. Elsewhere in Asia, Lamudi is market leader in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar for number of online listings.

Co-founder and Managing Director of Lamudi Philippines, Jacqueline van den Ende, said: “Our early success in the Philippines just goes to show the huge demand that exists here for high-quality online property listings. An increasing number of Filipinos are looking for property to buy or rent online, and they are turning to Lamudi as their platform of choice.

After just a few months in operation in the region, Lamudi is now well on track to becoming Asia’s number one real estate marketplace.”

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Playing a significant role in the country’s long-term airport strategy, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) are pouring investments into the Clark aerotropolis’ development, to prepare it as an international hub alongside the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and the Sangley airport for decades to come.

“We see Clark International Airport (CRK) as a premier gateway alongside NAIA and Sangley, especially in view of its rapid growth over the past few years, as well as government’s development plans for the entire economic zone and the rest of the region. This is the direction we are taking for presentation to the President, for his consideration,” remarked DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya.

“The airport’s passenger terminal building (PTB) was expanded last May, providing new and modernized facilities to better serve the public and boosting annual passenger capacity to around 4 million from the previous 2.5 million,” he said.

The P 417-Million improvement project increased the PTB’s size from 11,439 square meters to 19,799 square meters, and increased its check-in counters from 13 to 34. In order to accommodate more passengers and ease queuing, 12 departure counters and 5 arrival counters have also been added. The modernized portion of the terminal itself has 8 entry points and 3 customs stations. This allows CRK to expand its airport operations by accommodating more international flights from Qatar Airways and Emirates.

CRK’s expanded operations began last May, upon the completion of its Passenger Terminal Expansion Project (Phase II).