Jack Daniel's Holiday Barrel Tree Lighting at Fuente Circle Eastwood

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Christmas tree has been a long-time tradition being practiced in many countries worldwide including the Philippines. Through the years, there have been so many different versions and style of the Christmas tree, as well as the manner they are decorated. Usually topped with a star at its very peak, and tree is also colorfully lighted all over to provide more beauty and attract more attention. This symbol of the holiday season is also bound to every man’s independent spirit and belief in what this season is about.

No matter what tradition, the community and togetherness are always in the heart this time of the year. Just like the Jack Daniel’s Holiday Barrel Tree which is a Lynchburg Tennessee holiday tradition that through the years has spread to the United Kingdom and Canada.

The holidays just keep getting better now that the Jack Daniel's Holiday Barrel Tree comes to Manila. The 30 feet and 7 barrel-layered composed of 82 pieces of barrels had a ceremonial lighting last December 16, 2014 at the Fuente Circle in Eastwood Libis Quezon City. 

Mr. Anthony Ramirez, Brown Forman Corporation Philippine Market Manager initiated the lighting of the first and only Jack Daniel’s Barrel Tree in Asia, along with Mr. Gabriel Fajardo, Jack Daniel’s Philippine Brand Manager. Another tree will also be setup at The Fort Plaza in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) on Saturday, December 20, 2014 thus offering more wonder and amazement for the Filipino people especially to the ones near the two locations. 

Vamos A Malolos: Looking Back at Our Glorious Past When the Philippine Republic Was Born

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Where do you start when you have so much to say?

The city of Malolos from the province of Bulacan has so many rich historical and cultural discoveries that it is a huge enigma why not so many people are aware that it is in this city where the first democracy in the continents of Asia and Africa was founded, specifically at the Barasoain Church. This is where the first Philippine Republic was proclaimed.

At the press conference that we attended at Bahay na Tisa restaurant during the media launch of Vamos a Malolos held last December 15, Mayor Christian Natividad passionately shared his sentiments that after more than a century, of us proclaiming the very first Republic of the Philippines, it seems we have all forgotten about the real significance of that moment, and we are now just contented that every January 23 we are just going to raise the flag of the Philippines, while the President, Vice President, House Speaker, Senate President, Supreme Court justices, and other honorable guests from the government, will all be coming to Malolos to attend a short program, and that's it. Nothing more.

Everyone goes back home until the same event next year when we would be doing the same thing all over again. Is that how it should really be?

If we don't look at back at our past, how would we be able to understand ourselves? If we are not going to look back at the important events that took place a long time ago, where do we intend to go? Which direction are we heading?

Singapore Airlines to Launch First Class Seats for the Manila-Singapore Route

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Singapore Airlines passengers flying from Manila to Singapore will have the option to fly in even greater comfort and luxury as Singapore Airlines launches its First Class cabin on its Manila to Singapore route starting January 12, 2015. Singapore Airlines will be the only airline offering the First Class product on this sector.

Singapore Airlines offers four daily flights on the Boeing 777-200 and the Airbus A330-300 aircraft at present, but by next year, travelers from Manila will get to experience flying on the airline’s B777-300ER fleet which features the First Class product. Operating the SQ910 and SQ917 daily service, the B777-300ER will provide eight first class seats, 42 business class seats, and 228 economy seats.

In First Class, each passenger is provided with a vanity corner complete with a mirror, a table that can be adjusted for height to suit individual preferences, and a 35-inch seat that can be converted to the largest fully flat bed in the sky.

First Class passengers are treated to the airline’s world gourmet cuisine created by its International Culinary Panel of world-renowned chefs accompanied by a tantalizing selection of wine and beverages specially designed to delight the discerning palate.

Taking Care of Your Skin During the Holidays

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With the holidays fast-approaching come the different how-to-dos on surviving this merry yet frenzied season. These range from managing work and play, recovering from a dreadful hangover, getting back into shape, but nothing focuses on how the stress of the season actually affects your skin.

Imagine having parties lined on your social calendar for the week, but then you suddenly wake up with flared-up skin one morning. What a nightmare! Due to excessive celebrations, sleepless nights, exposure to harsh elements and the holiday stress, it’s the time of the year where puffy eyes, tired-looking skin and breakouts appear more than usual. What do you do when your skin gets the holiday blues?

Cleanse and moisturize. Make sure you cleanse and prep your face properly before hitting the sack. The all-time, no-no rule of sleeping with your makeup on still tops the list. And if the colder weather begins to dry out your skin, double up the potency of your current moisturizer by switching to a richer version. After all, nothing says happy holidays more than having healthy skin in time for all the celebrations!

Exfoliate weekly. Partying all night means you tend to reapply make up more frequently than usual. Through gentle exfoliation, you can clear the impurities in your pores plus scrub off dead skin cells that may lead to breakouts.

Epson Ships 100 Millionth HTPS Panel For 3LCD Projectors

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Seiko Epson Corporation recently announced that it had shipped its 100 millionth high-temperature polysilicon ("HTPS") TFT liquid crystal panel for 3LCD projectors, enough for more than 33.3 million projector units.

Epson began developing HTPS, the core devices at the heart of 3LCD projectors, in the 1980s and introduced its first 3LCD projector in 1989. Since then, shipments of Epson HTPS panels have grown in tandem with the projector market, reaching 50 million in 2008, and now, 25 years since the launch of the first 3LCD projector, achieving 100 million.

Applications for projectors have now expanded, for example, for business presentations in offices, for home theaters, for education, and for commerce. By continuing to develop products that fulfill the demands of these markets, Epson has maintained its position as the world's No.1* supplier of 3LCD projectors for 13 successive years.

Hashtag Indak 24/7 Wins as Grand Champion of Healthway Medical Dance for Health 2: Take the Lead

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Congratulations to Indaks 24/7 (Team Hashtag) for winning the grand prize for the Healthway Medical "Dance for Health 2: Take the Lead" dance competition.

They were actually my bet as well from the very first time I saw them, not only from their exceptional dance moves but also based from their excellent branding using the popular hashtag symbol, their cool and edgy dance outfits, their outstanding choice of dance beats, and their overall presence on and off the stage.

Ms. Eleonor Bengco-Tan, President of Healthway Medical, was there for a short message to welcome the participants and attendees of the Dance for Health yearly dance competition sponsored by Healthway Medical to promote dancing as an avenue of maintaining an active and healthy lifestyle.

Ms. Carmi De Leon, Vice President for Sales and Marketing of Healthway Medical, said that they only hire employees that can dance. I also believe that dancing should be a part of our lifestyle. We should make dancing a habit if we want to reach our full potential. She also gave a sample of her belly-dancing steps during the introduction of judges.

My Luck As a Blogger Keeps Getting Better

Wazuup Pilipinas!

My producer/partner requested me to email my personal profile and some of my photos so UNTV can make me a promotional profile for the TV shows I will be involved in. He then forwarded it to UNTV with the following message:

"Below is an initial profile and photos of one of our partner/producer/host/blogger of our incoming TV shows to promote our merchants & etc..."

That statement calls for a celebration. I believe I deserve a feast fit for a King ... or a Blogger ... that's soon to be a ...  "Partner/Producer/Host of TV shows" (not my words).

"Sana di ako magkalat sa taping or shoot. Lol! Sobrang kabado ako. Baka ma-mental block lang ako when infront of the camera. Nakakahiya kapag ganoon ang mangyayari. Sino ba gagawa ng script? Ano ba dapat isusuot ko?. Magpapa-make-up rin ba ako? Kailangan ko na bang magpapayat..o mas nakakatuwa ang mataba sa TV?...Hahaha .. Kaloka talaga!"

I am so grateful that my luck keeps getting better everyday, and I owe it all to the people who believed and supported Wazzup Pilipinas.  This is one of the nicest early Christmas present I got this year. My enthusiasm is at its peak right now, and hoping for more good fortune soon.

Let's Take It Offline: A Much Needed Break from the Online World

Wazzup Pilipinas!

A PR approached me yesterday and shared his deep concern of what some bloggers are doing. He said a lot are doing rants against each other, backstabbing, spreading rumors, cursing, etc. He emphasized that these are the reasons why some organizations are still hesitant to invite or partner with bloggers because of the ill behavior some bloggers are showing towards each other in the blogging community. Lack of respect and courtesy. Iisa ang mundong ginagalawan natin pero tayo-tayo rin ang nagsisiraan. Ipinapakita natin sa public ang isang parte ng ating komunidad na hindi kaaya-aya at lubhang makakasira sa ating lahat.

Let me reiterate. He did not mention any wrongdoing of individual bloggers but what bloggers as a whole are doing against each other - spreading negativity about the blogging community specifically through online and social media rants. May pinariringgan, may pinatatamaan at walang humpay na pagrereklamo. Ang impression tuloy ng iba ay tayo ay nagiging sobrang antipatiko, kunsintidor, mayabang, materialistiko, walang utang na loob, makapal ang mukha, inggitero, at kung ano-ano pang malalaswang kaugalian na dapat sana ay maiiwasan kung hindi tayo mismo ang nagkakalat.

Mas nakakairita ang mga taong lalo pang pinaiigting ang galit ng threadstarter. OK lang magbigay ng simpatiya pero kapag ikaw ay kumampi, naniwala ng agad-agad, at ang mas masahol ay nagalit rin sa taong pinatatamaan ng iyong kaibigan, ay higit ka pang nagdulot ng mas matinding yurak para lalong maging magulo ang inyong mundo. Bakit kamo? Dahil imbes na iilan lang ang nag-aaway ay dumagdag ka pa.

This does not apply only to the blogging community but for every group or organization.

National Geographic Explorer E3 Pedagogy in Learning

Wazzup Pilipinas!

National Geographic Explorer extended its program to the young minds by bringing the world inside the classroom. The organization developed a holistic and integrative environmental education program to further encourage learners and educators to engage in purposive learning. The aim of this organization is not just to inform the public about the what's, the how's and why's of things, but also to inspire them to move and do something about the world around them. Informative, entertaining and interactive activities were developed as well to motivate young learners to explore within the safety of the classroom.

The E3 Pedagogy in Learning: Interactive Approaches Improving Classroom Instructions and Methodologies for Millenial Learners was held at the 3rd Flr. Auditorium, Kaban ng Hiyas Building City of Mandaluyong. The event shared tips and techniques to K12 teachers to become innovative leaders to the students in order to make them life-long learners. They give both prestige and a remarkable experience to the educators of this country.

The honorable Mayor Benjamin Abalos was there to give the Welcome Remarks. Ms. Arlene Padua Martinez, President and Managing Director of National Geographic Explorer Philippines gave the Opening and Closing Remarks, while Ms. Jeanne Danielle Martinez, Program Manager of National Geographic Explorer Philippines, launched the program.

Nurture Wellness Village: Going Back to the Basics to Promote Health and Wellness Tourism (Part 2)

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Aside from the Gabriela experience that we talked about from our previous blog article, there are a lot of things to do in and around Nurture Wellness Village of Tagaytay. Our one and half hour ride from Metro Manila was all worth the travel time as the beauty and healing properties of the place was extremely rewarding.

Our visit at the enchanting and strikingly soothing place formerly called Nurture Spa, allowed us to experience a more profound self-discovery. It made us look more intimately on our personal totality. There are only a few spots near Manila where you can find a vast array of relaxing eco-friendly amenities located within nature itself.

The esteemed health and wellness destination can be found at Pulong Sagingan at Barangay Maitim II West Tagaytay City and was built by Dr. Mike Turvill, a british national who holds a PhD in Chemistry, and his wife Cathy Turvill, a certified Worksite Wellness Specialist, Health and Wellness Coach and internationally licensed therapist.

Nurture Wellness Village has been widely known for its amazing and high quality spa and wellness services highlighted by their skillful therapists trained by internationally certified trainers and the Amu'in massage oils made from pure therapeutic essential oils formulated by Dr. Mike himself, plus the "ulogs" guest accommodations that are authentic Ifugao heritage huts originally sourced from Banaue built by Igorot natives.