Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Friday, January 9, 2015

Arbol de Fuego: Cherie Gil Leads Cast of Filipino Adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Cherry Orchard

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"It's serendipitous!" says Cherie Gil proudly as she lands a role in a play entitled 'Arbol de Fuego' that would honorably cap the 47th season of the iconic theater company we all know as the Philippine Educational Theater Association or PETA.

Arbol de Fuego is a Filipino adaptation of Anton Chekhov's Cherry Orchard. This is a re-imagining of the classic play having a somber yet with underlying sarcasm and humor that's now conveniently situated in a Philippine setting during the late 70s when Marcos made Roberto Benedicto his sugar czar- the beginning of the downfall of the Negros Occidental sugar industry and the gilded lifestyles of the Negrense sugar barons.

Last January 8, members of the media, including yours truly, the friendly neighborhood Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas, were invited to witness a dramatic reading of some portions of the play at the PETA Theater Center so we could meet the cast, director and writer, plus get glimpses of what to expect.

All of the cast have expressed that they have not even fully understood the characters they were portraying as they have only recently began rehearsing their lines and sink deeper into their roles. Nevertheless the preview was already promising that got us more excited to watch out for the media preview day.

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Whoever thought of the idea of forcing MMDA enforcers to wear adult diapers should try it himself at once, stay in the post under the sun and be ready to get strange looks from citizens all grinning with the thought.

They should have not divulge this stupid idea to the public since the MMDA Officers would surely feel a bit shameful standing at their post. Where's the dignity in this? Why can't there be a change of guard? There's so many policemen doing nothing at the police stations so why can't they be assigned to do shifting instead?

The wearers will likely need to buy trousers or pants a size bigger. A condom catheter with a urine bag strapped to the leg would be a better option. They will still have to leave their post to change the diaper anyway. But I do agree it will lessen their absence from their post. But who in his right mind would want to endure something to emotionally stressful especially if it will be done by the individual for the very first time. Hahaha, I would be laughing if they underwent training for getting used to peeing in the adult diaper!

I bet the MMDA found implementing several portable toilets all over very expensive so they decided to humiliate their people instead. MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino defends that the adult diapers are "1. used by the Beijing police during d 2008 beijing olympics , 2. used by all NASA ausronauts during all space shuttle launches and reentry into earth atmosphere and 3.used by Buckingham Palace guards." But hey, you don't hear them announcing these facts all over the news.

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Viva, Nuestro Senor Nazareno!

Today, January 9, 2015 is the Feast of the Black Nazarene. I'm always amaze how Filipinos would do anything for their belief. Happy Feast Day, Nuestro Padre Jesus Nazareno. Thank you for all the blessings, the miracles and the faith that abounds for all the believers.

There's 3,500 police officers assigned to secure the Nazareno procession or traslacion. I'm just not sure if it already includes the MMDA enforcers who were reported to be wearing adult diapers to keep them on guard at their post and avoid having them leave to look for a restroom or toilet. "Paano na kung natatae?" Lol!

How about you, do you think its a practical thing to do or would only put their personnel into disgrace and shame? Is it a violation of their human rights? Imagine having to do their duty while aware that they're "wet" in their pants. So when you're talking to an enforcer, wondering why it seems "kinikilig siya", now you know.

How come there was a long delay before the procession even started. The organizers from the church only realized to make use of the police to make the crowd move away from the path of the procession after a few hours of waiting. The church leaders couldn't make the people move out of the way so their men could connect the rope to pull the "karosa" or carriage holding the Nazareno. The people wouldn't cooperate since everyone wants to keep their location advantage. Kahit sinabihan na ng pari "Yung mga uusog ay pagpapalain, pero yung ayaw ay kakabagin" ay wala pa ring nangyari. Honestly, the behavior of some people at the Nazareno doesn’t bode well for the Papal visit.

The Nazareno image is one of two statues sculpted from pure ivory and were burnt aboard a ship during the Manila galleon expedition from Mexico leaving the other destroyed. The descriptive name of the sculpture is then taken it being "Black" resulting from the incident that happened. "Ang estatwa ng Nazareno ay larawan ng pagpapakumbaba, pagsunod, at pag-ibig."

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Though not yet underway, The Senior High School (SHS) program is assumed to be the highlight of the K to 12 program. It is greater just an additional two years to our previous education system. It is also more than what everyone, particularly the government and the millions of students in the Philippines, has to spend in line with its birth. What is the SHS program anyway?

We all know that Filipino citizens of today are in their own specified fields such as law, culinary, engineering, journalism, medicine, and so on. Before this; however, they all went through experiences to lead them to where they are today. All of them studied the curriculum and took their respective programs and other prerequisites beforehand, and so shall each person who wants to be like them eventually.

In addition, it is not a surprise to see various students visualizing themselves to be professionals in whichever fields they opt to serve in the near future. Because of this, the didactic program we all know as K to 12 is aiming for the improvement of the quality of education our nation currently offers –especially in the domains students discover themselves to be good at or interested in–to hopefully maximize their ability.

Department of Education Secretary Armin Luistro assured that all cities and municipalities across the country will have a SHS program. He added that all municipalities, no matter how small, shall align to the development of the program. Schools located in different parts of the country were selected to offer four main tracks — Academic, Technical-Vocational, Sports, and Arts and Design.

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I am very pleased to share with you an advance primer on Ayala Land¹s Newest Commercial District at the heart of Makati, The Ayala North Gateway as well as The Kroma Tower, the most highly sought after and only new residential development of Ayala Land nearest to this new commercial hubs.

In a city that excites and ignites, your home is, like you, second to none.

Kroma Tower - Alveo Land's newest and hottest mixed-use high-rise development in the Makati Central Business District (MCBD). Located along the energetic Dela Rosa Street, Kroma Tower pumps up urban lifestyles with proximity and access to the city's power core, space-efficient units, and sleek amenities, including a rooftop enterprise lounge with killer views.

Everyone wants your connections - to Makati Central Business District. Right within the MCBD north cultural district in Legazpi Village, and along the vigorous street of Dela Rosa, it is walking distance from key establishments such as Greenbelt, Glorietta, Makati Medical Center and DLSUGraduate School of Business.

Increasing Internet Penetration Changing the Way Asia Does Real Estate

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Real estate industries across Asia are moving online, with a new report revealing that online property search is on the rise across the region.

The findings are contained in a new report from global property website Lamudi into real estate in 16 emerging countries. The report, Real Estate in the Emerging Markets, covers six countries in Asia: the Philippines, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

The report, which is available in an easy-to-read web format, is based on a series of online surveys of house-hunters and real estate agents in each country. Extensive onsite data from Lamudi’s global network of websites was also used in the research.

The trend towards online property search is particularly pronounced in Indonesia, where 96 percent of agents surveyed by Lamudi said the Internet was now frequently used during the house-hunting process. Similarly, 90 percent of agents in the Philippines say the web is a commonly used tool among those looking for a new home. This is mainly due to the fact that the number of internet users in the Philippines grew by 531% in the last five years.

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The ADB Youth Initiative is reaching out to share with you an opportunity for your friends, partners and network in the development sector - particularly those led, organised or focused on youth - to participate in the Youth4Asia call of the ADB’s NGO Centre for the Greater Mekong Subregion (Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, China, Laos, and Myanmar).

This is a particularly interesting opportunity for initiatives in the subregion to scale up with the help of ADB’s partners, to achieve bigger and longer-lasting impact in their communities. In particular, the call invites entries from those working in environmental management, biodiversity conservation, poverty reduction and social entrepreneurship, and climate change mitigation.

The call closes on 15 JAN and chosen projects will be flown to Myanmar for the recognition ceremonies at the end of January. Several benefits await the chosen initiatives: i.e., mentoring support and assistance to scale up including trainings and coaching, access to the networks of partners of the ADB and AsianNGO, and exposure in international expos and events.

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Philippine indigenous textiles are not just objects of beauty and inspiration. Their threads, colors, motifs, and patterns reveal stories about the weaver’s culture and the surprisingly methodical work that goes into these fabrics. They showcase intricate ornamentation, meticulous patterns, and mythical stories linked to the world of magic and spirits. With careful study and analysis, textiles unveil a complex, mythic, and minute universe.

Currently on view at Yuchengco Museum is Woven Universes: Math, Method, Meaning, and Magic in Philippine Indigenous Textiles, an exhibit of close to 40 fabrics and clothing from the collection of Floy Quintos. On exhibit until February 2015, Woven Universes highlights the traits inherent to the creation and usage of the textiles woven by various indigenous peoples from all over the Philippines.

From owes (blankets) from Abra province to pis (scarves) from the Sulu archipelago, each piece of fabric has been specially analyzed and annotated by scholars and academics from different fields: Art Studies professor Dr. Norma Respicio of the University of the Philippines Diliman, Mathematics professor Dr. Ma. Louise Antonette De Las Peñas of Ateneo de Manila University, Mathematics professor Dr. Agnes Garciano of Ateneo de Manila University, Mathematics professor Dr. Debbie Marie Versoza of Ateneo de Manila University, and Social Anthropology assistant professor Dr. Analyn Salvador – Amores of University of the Philippines Baguio.

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Your friendly neighborhood Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas is excited to be part of the 2nd edition of Tour De Tayabas - anticipated to be one of the most exciting and competitive cycling challenges in the Philippines this 2015.

This three-day competition at the Quezon Province is happening on May 29 to 31 and is also sure to boost the tourism and economy of the region.

The event has 3 stages and 4 categories and will be highly attended by executives, company heads, business owners, high profile cyclists, cycling enthusiasts and their followers!

An event as prestigious as this will surely give an enormous exposure to any brand or product that would like to become partners or sponsors. The media such as TV, radio, print and online will definitely be covering this event.

Take the challenge and conquer this race!

Graceland Estates & Country Club is the proud home of Tour de Tayabas 2015.
Wazzup Pilipinas is a proud online media partner!

Learn more about this exciting even soon here at WazzupPilipinas.com

#CavEAT: Cavinti Eco-Adventure Tour on January 10 to 11

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Your friendly neighborhood Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas is excited to share that I will be joining the #CavEAT: Cavinti Eco-Adventure Tour on January 10-11, 2015.

#CavEAT: Cavinti Eco-Adventure Tour is a Tourism Advocacy Campaign organized for the Municipality of Cavinti, Laguna to help promote and raise online awareness for the upcoming Cavinti Water Sports Olympics: 1st International Competition the municipality is organizing on February 8-14, 2015.

The tour includes interesting activities and places that tourists could enjoy when they visit the municipality, showcasing the beautiful wonders of man-made and natural landscapes that the visitors could explore and enjoy. Since I love nature so much, I'm betting I would be taking lots of photos of the sights, and definitely take some videos as well. This adventure will be so nice to add as a travel feature in my blog.

Highlights of the tour will be the alternative route going to the Cavinti Falls, formerly known as Pagsanjan Falls, by way of trekking and rappelling down to the falls passing through the thick and forested El Pueblo del Salvador Eco-Park.

Infinity Nado: Unboxing the World's First Digital Fighting Top

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After attending the Infinity Nado Philippine launch a few days ago, my kids were all so eager to play already with the top that I brought home after luckily winning it in a raffle conducted at the event.

I wanted to do a video unboxing first before I let them play with it so I asked them if its possible to give it to them on the weekend after I am able to find time to do. They agreed, but just after a day, they seem to have changed their mind and were asking me about it again.

So I challenged them that I will let them have it after they do the video unboxing themselves. Surprisingly, they quickly grabbed my camera, the tripod, and worked on the video on their own after I helped them set the camera up at their room.

Hezron Kyle, my 15 year old kid did all the talking and unboxing while Hansel Kyro, the younger one, acted as director who couldn't help but silently laugh at his big brother while the video camera was rolling.

So here goes my kids' video unboxing of the Infinity Nado Furious - an attack top. Watch how they discuss the parts and assemble it. Please watch it and comment please.

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Are you ready?

Prepare. It's BIG!

PRODIGIOUS! The UST ChES Grand Acquaintance Night 2015.

See you on January 14, Wednesday, from 6:30PM - 12:00MN at Le Pavillon, Metrobank Ave., Pasay City!

Registration starts at 6:00PM.

ATTIRE: Smart Casual

Wear any SOLID COLOR attire (no pattern and minimal print) found in rubik's cube.

Early bird ticket price: P380.00
Regular ticket price: P430.00

Early bird ticket selling is until Friday only. Avail now!

01.14.2015

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As a company, Coca-Cola has been committed to supporting women micro-entrepreneurs in the country. Through their 5by20 program, they aim to empower five million Filipinas by 2020 by providing them the means and skills to sustain a small business of their own. Now they want to take it further to the grassroots by making people realize the role of women entrepreneurs in their communities – and how they actually bring happiness to the whole neighborhood.

The campaign aims to empower female sari-sari store owners and highlight their role as the pillars of the Coca-Cola business. This reminded me of the times when I would drink my soft drinks through a straw placed inside a plastic. I often frequent the neighborhood sari-sari stores to buy almost anything from gums to crackers. Not to be left out in almost every transaction is the "panulak" that is usually the "gulaman" or soft-drinks - the two most affordable drinks even before the iced tea became a popular alternative.

We all know it is alright to indulge on soft-drinks once in a while just to please the craving for a carbonated drink. What is notable is the fact that the campaigns the Coca-Cola company leads are truly admirable and with an authentic Pinoy-touch that's both inspiring and sometimes nostalgic for many. They bring out the sincere and deep emotions that is necessary to engage customers through their advertisements, corporate social responsibility programs and campaign initiatives.

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AMD and its technology partners are ready to wow attendees of the 2015 International CES with a wide range of new products and technology demonstrations that showcase AMD’s view of the future of computing, and reinforce the company’s surround computing leadership. The company will showcase an array of innovations powered by the latest AMD Accelerated Processing Unit (APU), Radeon Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) technologies, and embedded designs that push the boundaries of modern computing.

“AMD is contributing to the excitement of CES 2015 with new graphics and computing technology that powers breakthrough consumer and commercial computing experiences of today and tomorrow,” said John Byrne, senior vice president and general manager, Computing and Graphics business group, AMD.

“This year, we continue to see inspiring developments in virtual reality, Ultra high Definition 4K resolution computing and beyond, computing form factor and intuitive user interface innovation. AMD is thrilled to power the best of these with new generations of our smart, innovative, and efficient technology.” he adds.

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WD, a Western Digital company and world leader in storage solutions, demonstrated the world’s fastest 4 TB hybrid drive at the SATA-IO booth (#205) at Storage Visions 2015 last January 4 and 5 in Las Vegas, NV. WD’s prototype drive utilized the SATA Express PCI-e interface, 4 TB 3.5-inch hybrid hard drive, and up to 128 GB solid state drive to deliver compelling performance and GB-per-dollar solutions for desktop and gaming applications.

The two WD SATA Express interface demonstrations at Storage Visions 2015 included commercially available motherboards from WD partners ASRock and Gigabyte. These systems demonstrated cabled SATA Express PCI-e interconnect flexibility and configuration options for single-volume caching and RAID.

Heavy desktop usage scenarios will benefit from larger cache sizes (64 GB will be demonstrated) by enabling retention of key hot data across multiple applications, which improves overall performance. In WD’s labs, WD’s SATA Express 4 TB drive with 64 GB cache achieved a PCMark8 benchmark score of 4459, demonstrating near-SSD performance at an optimized GB-per-dollar value.

“WD is committed to working with the industry to push the boundaries of what you might expect from a traditional hard drive,” said Matt Rutledge, senior vice president, Storage Technology, WD. “By moving to PCI Express, the industry marries the world’s most popular storage bus with the world’s most popular computer bus. This union provides a solid growth path to innovate new capability, while preserving the ability to plug legacy SATA drives into new SATA Express based computers.”