Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Appreciated in a World Full of Thank You

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The day of July 31 was so heartwarming. It's the last day of July gearing up for the first day of August, but somehow this day was so blessed for me as it seems to be the day when more opportunities begin to show up. Here are the reasons why:

I got a message of support, a congratulations, a personal call of thanks, an offer to collaborate, and emails sharing similar support and praises, from several different persons at different times of the day and at different locations, appreciating my work as a blogger.

1. Meeting with a sponsor who voluntarily informs you of her support towards your decisions and methods, and then invites you to explore possible opportunities to work together, definitely perks you up and also lightens up the heavy load you were carrying. It was nice of her to inform me that at the other side of the wall lies several people who believed I am the more credible.

2. Arriving at an event, being recognized immediately, greeted warmly and then being congratulated, was also music to my ears. It is such an honor to be treated like a VIP because of the achievements I was lucky enough to get. True enough, all our sincere efforts and hard work will be eventually rewarded.

Marian Rivera: The Real Queen of All Queens

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Marian Rivera has always been as charming as the first days she first appeared on national television. She already had the face to soothe any savage beast into submission. Even though there were appearances as a mother to young children, we all know she does not meet that particular role yet as evident to the fact that many roles are yet to be discovered for her.

She has emerged as the Queen of all Queens, and always a winner in both beauty and appeal. She could probably win you over any argument if she wants to. She has that charm that cam make people meek out of admiration to her glowing beauty.

Mega Magazine joins the worldwide cause of anything and everything sustainable and eco-friendly. And it's just perfect to have the naturally beautiful and newest endorser of Hana, Marian Rivera, on their July 2014 cover. In this issue, they finally got to know Marian as Marian herself.

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The Norse pirates or other wise known as vikings have more great reasons to celebrate and shout their battle cry. Not to go to war but to dine on South East Asian menu that features dishes from all over. Every weekend, diners of Vikings Luxury Buffet will go buffet crazy and immensely appreciative.

Foodies will experience feasting on a combination of Singaporean, Indian, Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines that was freshly cooked and prepared that same day. You'll never stop scooping on those delectable dishes once you've learned they are available via a grand buffet all ready for you to dive in and get out of control. Their newest offering promises to be great choices to please every taste bud out there.

At this restaurant, no one will be surprised if they see people keep coming back to the buffet spreads like warriors marching on towards the enemy grounds. The chefs have made the dishes so irresistible that even the mightiest viking will indulge on an eating frenzy because of the tempting gastronomic delights!

Give this food fight all you've got, we're all likely going to go hungry again after a few hours anyway, and never eat just right so you could eat again another day. Go for more, there's a reason why it's called a buffet. You are expected to splurge and not hesitate because you only live once so always eat a hearty meal.

But who needs more motivation. We will let the food speaks for itself. Once you've tasted just a few of them, you are bound to get hooked and try out more dishes.

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Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions has detected a hidden part of the malicious campaign which introduced Koler “police” mobile ransomware for Android devices to the world in April 2014.

This part includes some browser-based ransomware and an exploit kit.

Since July 23, the mobile component of the campaign has been disrupted, as the command and control server started sending ‘Uninstall’ commands to mobile victims, effectively deleting the malicious application.

However, the rest of the malicious components for PC users – including the exploit kit – are still active.

Kaspersky Lab is keeping an eye on the malware, which was first described by a security researcher named Kaffeine1.

Those behind the attacks used an unusual scheme to scan victims’ systems and offer customized ransomware depending on location and device type – mobile or PC.

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Rarely do we encounter some local poets and writers that pours his or her heart and soul to the craft. Our culture tends to focus on foreign authors that some of our local writers are forgotten. So they venture to cyberspace to find not just a voice but a crowd who is willing to listen. We need to support them in their works and make Pinoy authors on top again. Today we will meet such rarities of the wordsmith kind. She hails from Batangas City and is a former teacher. She is ready to guide you to her turning point. Will you come and join the journey? Here's our interview with poet and writer Agnes Tadia.

Wazzup Pilipinas: Is there a difference between teaching and writing?

Agnes Tadia: In the real sense of the word, there are differences between teaching and writing. Teaching is instructing and facilitating learning among students while writing is composing text through words or symbols to convey meaning.

On a personal level, teaching for me is my career that gives me joy and satisfaction. It is the extension of myself wherein it improves my personal and professional life. Through it, I can share my knowledge in English and Literature subjects to students which in the process beneficial for both of us. However, writing is the outlet of my deepest thoughts and emotions fashioning it to be the imprint of my insights in life.

Patrick Gonzales: An Interview with the Youngest Broadcaster of the Philippines

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I was probably still playing with Legos and Transformer robots when I was 8 years old. Those younger days must have been spent watching Popeye and Flintstones cartoons. So imagine my surprise when I learned that there's this kid who has been conquering the radio air waves at that very young and fragile age.

His father must have been a great influence on him since the kid did say during the interview that he really wanted to beat his father's record who took on the role of a broadcaster at the age of 16. He had his wish, and how proud he was of being the youngest broadcaster in the Philippines.

Patrick Gonzales must have idolized his father so much that he chose to follow his footsteps. He just used to hang around in one of his father's radio show, and now he has his own one-hour show that has been going on for two months already. Many kids will feel envious, and a lot of adults impressed with what he has achieved. Though we may think like it's just another playground for him, the radio booth sparks a lot of possibilities of how great he would eventually be after a few more years.

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The Philippines is such an amazing place to spend your holiday. During summer you get an opportunity to bask under the tropical sun. Its rich natural treasures, scrumptious foods, feisty festivals, and vibrant culture attract people all over the world. The tropical climate makes Philippines a perfect place to enjoy. Most of its islands are surrounded by Pacific Ocean providing a cool climate. The clean beaches provide a serene environment.

Most notable is Cebu, a tropical paradise consisting of Cebu Island and 167 other islands. Its white sand beaches are teeming with diverse aquatic life. Our visit to Cebu a few months ago is living proof that there really are a lot of beautiful destinations within its islands. I can't wait to go back and explore more of its wonders.

According to Wikipedia, the name "Cebu" came from the old Cebuano word sibu or sibo ("trade"), a shortened form of sinibuayng hingpit ("the place for trading"). It was originally applied to the harbors of the town of Sugbo, the ancient name for Cebu City. Sugbo, in turn, was derived from the Old Cebuano term for "scorched earth" or "great fire".

Below are top 5 tropical islands of Cebu which you should visit;

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Volleybelles Gretchen Ho and Michele Gumabao is on the cover of Women's Health magazine for the month of August 2014.

They're rivals on court, but great gal pals IRL. Gretchen and Michele talks about their secret on how to stay fit, as evident on how they look in the cover wearing body fit outfits quite flattering and thoroughly showing off their voluptuous bodies. They talk about pursuing their passion in the field of sports and other interests.

Ateneo Volleyball star-turned-TV-host- to-entrepreneur Gretchen Ho has former Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition runner up and now host Robi Domingo as a boyfriend.

Former De La Salle University (DLSU) volleybelle Michele Theresa Imperial Gumabao in real life was also a Pinoy Big Brother housemate, and the daughter of former actor and politician Dennis Roldan who was indicted on kidnapping charges a few years back.

The two were certainly among the catalysts in bringing the volleyball sport into the consciousness of many people especially the guys. It was definitely the charm of these ladies and not only the Ateneo-La Salle rivalry that brought droves to watch the games.

Beauty Gonzalez is FHM Philippines' August 2014 Cover Model

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The name Beauty Gonzalez has been going around lately in social media and her previous home TV network ABS-CBN due to the amazing transformation from a chubby Pinoy Big Brother housemate into a voluptuous FHM Philippines star.

Critics keep mentioning her now slim figure which is now so evident if you will compare it with her previous TV appearances. Even her face got tone down. No more baby fat, a lot more sizzling sexiness.

We can imagine the number of work-outs and dieting that must have been a part of her life just to be able to accomplish this fast physical change into a fit and fab waistline, and more firmed muscles to lose all those flabby skin.

Katrina Marie Gonzalez in real life, the Filipino-Spanish model and actress and former reality show contestant revealed that she is currently happily in a relationship with a non-showbiz guy 16 years her senior. Could it be her inspiration? What we can confirm is that she is thankful to her non-showbiz boyfriend for being supportive of her career, and she still could not believe how she stunned the crowd with her total transformation when she took the stage in a black bikini at the FHM 100 Sexiest bash held at the World Trade Centers.

We all agree that she was definitely oozing with beauty that night.

Wazzup Pilipinas To Receive Award for Best Filipino Community Blog Site of 2014

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We were informed a week ago through email that Wazzup Pilipinas will again be receiving another award as Best Filipino Community Blog Site for the year 2014.

Wow!...Now let us catch my breath again as this was such awesome news for us because of the fact that our founder just received an award lately just a few days ago last July 25, 2014 for Influential Social Media Evangelist at the Best Choice Awards 2014 mainly because of his work for Wazzup Pilipinas, now being identified as the most awarded blog site in the Philippines. The Filipino community blog has been receiving several awards lately and we are just too overwhelmed of the many recognitions. The blog site is just around 16 months old yet we have been honored with amazing recognitions already.

The awarding ceremonies will be on August 10, 2014 and will be held at the AFP Grand Theater inside Camp Aguinaldo located in Quezon City.

We would like to thank the awarding committee for recognizing Wazzup Pilipinas as the Best Filipino Community Blog Site alongside other great companies. We promise to become more "colorful" and "flowery" for all of you!

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75 concessionaires in 1 venue and all with free food samples for you.

That just about says it all, and when you've realized you're up to checking each one of them to try their food samplers, then you might have been originally insane if you didn't go loco that day. I nearly made it to half, but my food tray was already overflowing with delectable bite-size treats, and I couldn't really take in more to make more room for the rest.

Cupcakes, brownies, sandwiches, chocolates, nachos, pasta, ice cream, drinks, and a lot of everything else imaginable were there trying their luck to get you to notice them among a sea of food vendors all wanting your attention and recall of their products, or at least vote for them as the best by leaving your coin token with them to symbolize you chose them to be your favorite.

But what does a fellow do when he can't even finish all 75 of them?

Well, I had to drop off my token somewhere so I chose the best food provider based on both taste and presentation. Should I reveal who it was? No, It's no longer necessary, what is important is that many of them pleased my taste buds and gave me a fulfilled stomach that was about to explode if I persisted on continuing finishing all concessionaires.

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Only a few weeks ago after they launched the Android version of the their app. The global property portal Lamudi recently made its mobile app now available for Apple users too. Availability of the app in both iOS and Android versions is the company way to capture the growing smartphone market in the country.

The app, Lamudi: Real Estate for Sale and Rent, is now available on iOS devices in 16 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
Lamudi’s Co-Founder and Managing Director, Antonius Salis, said: “The launch of Lamudi’sAndroid app last month was a great success. We saw huge demand from our customers in thePhilippines and beyond, so we decided to keep the momentum going by moving our services onto iOS straight away.”

The Lamudi app provides the perfect platform for house-hunters to rent, buy or sell property onthe go. Both the iOS and Android apps are designed to meet the growing demand for mobileinternet services in the emerging markets. In the Philippines iOS is the second most popularmobile operating system, with Apple devices accounting for nearly 25% of the local smartphonemarket, according to figures from Statcounter.

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The dream of a universal health care program is quite noble. We all want everyone to gain access and to receive the necessary health services in order to ensure equal benefits for all. To be able to bring about health care even to the most remote areas of the country is a daunting task but is an ideal necessity that will be very beneficial to our countrymen.

This is where information and communication technology play a vital role. We need an infrastructure that would assist us in getting and delivering information that would be used by our medical practitioners and decision makers involved in the deployment of these health services.

The partnership forged among the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) and the Department of Health (DOH) to come out with the Philippine Health Information Exchange (PHIE), is an initiative that would ensure accurate and timely health information exchange that can be instrumental in improving the services of these three agencies as well as the other organizations that could use the said data.

At a press conference which was part of the eHealth Forum held the same day, July 26, 2014, at the SMX Convention Center of the Mall of Asia complex, several heads of government agencies like the DOH and DOST presented to the media the PHIE project. Leading the press conference panel were Secretary Enrique T. Ona of DOH, Secretary Mario G. Montejo of DOST, UnderSecretary Teodoro J. Herbosa of DOH, Dr. Jaime C. Montoya of PHRD, and Dr. Shaun J. Grannis of the Regenstrief Institute USA. Everyone was available to the inquiries of the media.

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Zomato let's you discover foodie places that may be out of your radar due to the fact that there are just so many restaurants and other food spots available in the Metro. Their very convenient app allows you to search for dining alternatives so you could experience more possible favorites within your neighborhood or nearby areas.

They also hold special events with foodies every now and then, and you'll feel really honored you are among the few that they invite. Our Zomato foodies meet-up at Angel's Kitchen was more than just a food or restaurant review, it was an opportunity to get to know fellow foodies more intimately, that is, if you can steer your focus away from the delightful and heavenly dishes being served.

Since taking photos of the food is a necessity before finally trying them out, most of us are engrossed in trying our best to get the best shot of the food that will truly be presented in the most delicious way for the benefit of our readers. There is such a thing called the "yummy angle" that would make the food look more sumptuous than it really is. Some would even go to a greater extent of actually doing "food porn", and even beyond that - like applying an assortment of stuff just to make the food look more appetizing.

But the real foodies would spend several minutes taking photos of the food as is from different angles, probably re-arranged the food with a spoon or pork to make it more organized and facing properly, wait for the others to finish, then dine on the already cold food before it gets any more colder.

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I first got my journalism experience when I was in high school. Although we are "working" at our school, we were taught that it's still unethical even for us student journos then to be biased in our report. Time flies, and now I'm working for two (soon three) online news sites and owning three blogs.

Now working for mainstream media, I have to abide by the rules, and one of the most important rules is to not have some biases. This is especially true in sports, especially if you use to cheer for one team. It may sound easier said than done, but as mediamen, we have to be impartial at all times.

I find it a privilege that my superiors (well, they're my friends) assigned me, an alum from a UAAP school, to the NCAA last year (curiously, they, alums from NCAA schools, reported for the UAAP then) probably so that no bias will be done.

However, some journos still get caught cheering for a particular team or player while flaunting the media passes they have, so it was a no surprise when TJ Jurado sent me and many more media reporters an email regarding this matter.

According to Joey Villar of Philippine Star, the email has something to do with what happened at one Shakey's V-League game when Jun Lumibao, the president of the Philippine Sportswriters Association, was heard getting upset at an apparent cheering of a mediaman at a certain team... with his media pass worn!