Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Breakthrough: The Great Launch of Aspire Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Every great idea deserves a breakthrough.

What started out as a vision to empower and inspire the Filipino youth through leadership trainings, public speaking workshops, and motivational talks for Aspire Philippines’ Founders V Manalo and Raymond Rodis is now a reality.

Don’t miss out as Aspire Philippines officially breaks through the Metro with its grand launch party, Breakthrough, at The Lounge in Tomas Morato, Quezon City on July 31, 2015 from 9:00pm – 1:00am!

From free flowing drinks to freebies, finger food and other fun games and surprises, this much-awaited party is definitely worth the wait. Party with the cool kids and bright minds, and you’re definitely in for a treat!

In ASPIRE PH, we don’t just WORK HARD. We PARTY HARDER!

Register now at tinyurl.com/ASPIREBreakthrough

For inquiries, contact Vinz Bana at 09269007332

This event is also brought to by BREAKTHROUGH’s media sponsors: When in Manila, Adobo Magazine, WazzupPilipinas.com and Astig.

Gantimpala Theater Foundation Presents Kanser@35 the Musical

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Gantimpala Theater Foundation's 38th Season is mounting KANSER@35 THE MUSICAL

by Dr. Jose Rizal based from the novel Noli Me Tangere. Over the past seasons, KANSER has always been staged as a straight play and it is considered as the " longest running play in Philippine theater. For this year, it will be presented for the first time as a musical theater production.

At the press launch last July 14, 2015 at Dong Juan restaurant located at 72 Mother Ignacia Avenue, Quezon City, most of the cast and crew were present to give members of the media a glimpse of what to expect on the musical to be held on August 28 and 29 (9 am, 12 pm and 3 pm) at the AFP Theater of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. It will then be held at the Star Theater of Star City on September 4 (9 am, 12 pm and 3 pm), then Cinema 3 of SM Southmall on September 11 and 12 (11 am and 2 pm)

No less than Gantimpala Theater Foundation president Jun Pablo was there, along with its creative creative director Joel Lamangan. Of course, the director of Kanser@35 the Musical, Franniel Zamora was there to introduce all cast and production members who were able to be there. Publicist Toots Tolentino officiated the program.

The main and some supporting casts also rendered a few beautiful song numbers for the appreciation of the audience who were present at the media launch.

Preparing for the Big One: UP Mountaineers and Primer Group Join to Ready the Public for Disasters

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Primer Group, the country’s leading retailer and distributor of premium travel, outdoor, footwear, wellness and urban lifestyle consumer brands, and the UP Mountaineers Search and Rescue, together mounted a series of disaster preparedness talks held at the Recreational Outdoor Exchange (R.O.X) at the Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City. The series is part of Primer Group’s effort to help in disaster awareness.

The partnership came in the heels of a recent study done by the Phivolcs and the Japanese government about the probability of a major movement of the West Valley Fault. This fault line runs from San Del Monte in Bulacan to Calamba in Laguna. Any movement will immediately impact cities like Quezon City, Paranaque, Alabang, Marikina, Pasig, among others, and is expected to cause massive damage to the surrounding cities.

What’s more, Metro Manila will be hit hard because of the large concentration of people and property.

“When the UP Mountaineers Search and Rescue started, we were mostly focused on search and rescue operations in non-urban areas. It was only after the Ondoy incident that we realized the need to educate and prepare people in cities for disaster situations because we realized how vulnerable urbanites really are.” said Jom Daclan, executive member of the UP Mountaineers Search and Rescue. “Many city residents are not aware of what to do and how to prepare for a disaster.”

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Are you in dire need of a relaxing vacation yet you don’t know where to go? This August, find out stunning destinations, de-stressing activities, rich cultures and great food on the all-new series JOJO’S DIARY OF ASIA, premiering on August 3, airing Mondays at 10 p.m.

JOJO’S DIARY OF ASIA follows the unforgettable journey of TV host and travel enthusiast Jojo Struys as she uncovers the unique ways people can disconnect from stress in their daily lives while soaking up different cultures and learning how to make a diverse array of traditional Asian dishes. Follow Jojo as she immerses in the deeply cultural customs and delights in Japan, the breathtaking natural beauty of Nepal and the bustling metropolis of Hong Kong.

Unearth the multitude of ways you can de-stress - bathing elephants in the Himalayas, learning breathing techniques from a Zen Buddhist monk and wielding a samurai sword in Tokyo. Join her as she discovers the pampering secrets of these three wondrous countries in JOJO’S DIARY OF ASIA, airing this August on TLC.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

WD, a Western Digital company, and world leader in storage solutions, today introduced the new, redesigned My Passport Ultra portable hard drives and My Passport for Mac drives. With the My Passport line now in its 7th generation, the My Passport Ultra and My Passport for Mac portable hard drives are now available in capacities up to 3 TB and in four stylish colors - Classic Black, Brilliant White, Wild Berry and Noble Blue.

“With more photos being taken than ever before, it’s critical to have a high capacity, reliable external storage solution that you can carry everywhere,” said Tony Tate, general manager and vice president of Content Storage Solutions at WD. “The latest generation My Passport drives deliver an easier automatic back-up experience, hardware-based encryption for security and higher capacities than ever before.”

My Passport Ultra portable drives come in 3 TB, 2 TB, 1 TB and 500 GB capacities and feature 256-bit AES hardware encryption – delivering a high level of security with no impact to write-speed or CPU activity. If your My Passport Ultra falls into the wrong hands, the 256-bit AES hardware encryption protects users’ files, folders, photos, videos and music with a password known only to them. USB 3.0 compatibility provides fast data transfer rates of up to 5 gigabits per second, while being backwardly compatible with USB 2.0. My Passport for Mac portable drives are available in capacities of 3 TB, 2 TB, 1 TB and also feature 256-bit AES hardware encryption with USB 3.0 connectivity.

Galileo is 10 Years Old! Let’s Celebrate at the Galileo Fun Fair on October 27 and 28

Wazzup Pilipinas!

For 10 awesome years, the Galileo Enrichment Learning Program has been enriching 3-12 year olds, discovering and unleashing their amazing powers in Math, English and Singapore Math, nurturing them into academic achievers and overall wonderful kids. To celebrate 10 years of fun learning, we have lined up a series of special events. One of which was the recently concluded Singapore Math Learning Festival held at the AIM Conference Center in Makati City last July 4, 2015. It was attended by more than 300 teachers, educators, homeschool moms, and math enthusiasts. The event was a huge success.

On October 27 and 28, 2015, they will hold the Galileo Fun Fair at the Glorietta Activity Center, Ayala Commercial Center, Makati City. These 2-day festivities is not only open to the whole family but once again educators, math enthusiasts and school children will converge to celebrate with them. This 2-day event is a perfect fit for many business and marketing objectives, more importantly pursue a larger common aspiration to help uplift the standards of Philippine education.

One of the highlights is the launching of the “Math-alino ang Batang Pinoy Movement”, an advocacy that seeks to build a community of co-advocate partners from all sectors for the future of children’s education in the Philippines, most critically in the pre-school and primary levels. It aims to help raise public awareness and build support for the activities of Galileo and the Movement in promoting Math education, especially Singapore Math. There will also be lots of fun educational team games for the whole family, a forum on Child Development, and many more interactive sessions.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The baseline prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis is 66% among 1-5 years old (2004) and 65% among 6-14 years old (2003). In response, the Department of Health (DOH) implemented mass deworming beginning in 2006 as one of the strategies to control STH infections.

Deworming has been found to have significant impact on the improvement of children’s education and health. However, there is a continuous challenge in achieving the desired MDA coverage among eligible school-aged children nationwide. Yearly, reports fall below 85%.

To deworm approximately 16 million school-aged children enrolled in 38,659 public elementary schools in one (1) day through the National School Deworming Day (NSDD) initiative this coming 29 July 2015.

–The NSDD is a nationwide effort targeting all 5 to 12 years old (Kindergarten to Grade VI) children enrolled in public elementary schools.

–School-aged children enrolled in private schools and children who are not enrolled are encouraged to participate. They can inform the DepEd Regional Office regarding their willingness to participate and in turn, the DepEd Regional Office can refer them to the DOH Regional Office.

The drug (Albendazole) is safe, effective and teacher-assisted given as a single dose in chewable form.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Triple Threat Concert Series in cooperation with Talent Factory Inc. and Artist Playground proudly presents “ FULL RANGE ” –featuring noted composer JESSE LUCAS on August 20 8 p.m. at the CCP Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino.

Jesse Lucas is a multi-awarded composer of music for film, television, theater and dance. He studied composition at the University of the Philippines’ College of Music. Fine examples of his work have been adapted by some of the premiere theater and ballet groups of the country, namely: Tanghalang Pilipino of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Dulaang UP, Dramatis Personae, Gantimpala Theater Foundation, Ballet Philippines and the Philippine Ballet Theater. His awards include GAWAD URIAN, YOUNG CRITICS CIRCLE, STAR, FAMAS (Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Science), GAWAD TANGLAW and ALIW. He won Best Music at the 2005 Screamfest International Film Festival in Los Angeles, California. In 2010, he was elevated to the FAMAS Hall of Fame for Best Music.

Directed by Floy Quintos, FULL RANGE will feature some of the music Jesse has written for theater, film, television and ballet. These are his collaborations with well respected artists like Gener A. Caringal, Paul Dumol, Ricky Gallardo, Chris Millado, Jose Jeffrey B Camanag, Dennis N. Marasigan, Jose Javier Reyes, Nonon Padilla, and Floy Quintos.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In line with relations between the Philippines and Spain, the National Commission on Culture And Arts (NCCA) and Independent Philippine Art Ventures Inc. (IPAV) in cooperation with Alliance Francaise and Fairmont Hotel, proudly presents " SPANISH GUITAR NIGHT featuring FRANCISCO BERNIER, one of the world"s top classical guitarists in a one-night only concert at the Ayala Museum Lobby on Aug. 18 at 7:30 pm.

Special guest for the Manila concert is Adrik Cristobal, noted Filipino classic guitarist who is a Certificate of Music Graduate from the University of the Philippines College of Music under Lester Demetillo. He was a member of the UP Guitar Orchestra from 2010-2014 and performed with them around the Philippines and Bangkok. He also attended master classes with world renowned guitarists such as Shin-ichi Fukuda, Marco Tamayo, Aniello Desiderio, Judicaël Perroy, and many Others.

He is currently starting his studies at the Conservatorio Manuel Castillo de Sevilla with Prof. Francisco Bernier. And it is with great excitement that Adrik will be performing with his mentor for this concert.

A native of Seville, Spain, Francisco Bernier has forged a successful and prize-winning career throughout the years. His achievements led him to perform in over 37 countries around the globe, in prestigious venues such as the Salle Cortot and the Mogador Theatre in Paris, the Salle Corum in Montpellier, the Grand Theatre in Bordeaux, Oji Hall in Tokyo, the Kyoto Concert Hall, the Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg, Teatro Maestranza in Seville, Teatro Comunale in Alessandria, Merkin Hall in New York, Hall of the O.E.A (Organization of American States) in Washington D.C., and the Zellerbach Hall in San Francisco, to name a few.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As a season offering to all schools, parents and children, Kids Acts Philippines proudly presents “ BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ” with script and lyrics by LUIGI NACARIO and music by EUGENE BELBIS which is adapted from the original book by Jeanne-Marie LePrince De Beaumont.

Beauty and the Beast is a tale of friendship and true love of a beautiful girl and a horrible beast. Their love story started when Beauty’s father gathered a rose in the beast’s garden who dearly treasured and value it beyond anything in the universe.

The Beast furiously attempted to kill Beauty’s father. He begged for his life, and he told Beast that he gathered it for one of his daughters who desired him to bring him one. The Beast decided to let him go in a condition that, he will let her daughter come to the palace willingly and stay with him as he desired. But if she refused to the idea, the merchant will go back to the palace to pay for his ungratefulness.

Beauty willingly, went to Beast’s palace to save her father’s life until one time Beast asked her to be his wife but she offered friendship instead of marrying him. Beast’s persistence softened her heart and discovered that the monster had a pure heart. He gave a magical looking glass to Beauty as a gift of gratitude which was her only way to see the outside world.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Only four countries in Asia will qualify for the World Cup Finals in 2018 in Russia and Azkals manager Dan Palami called the Philippine national football team’s chances as “promising.”

Palami is hoping that “everything would fall in place” for the Philippine national football team to make it to the world’s largest international team sport competition.

“It’s a tall order for us to make the third round, especially with our group that includes some very strong teams. But the team (Azkals) got off to a good start with two wins and the performance was also very satisfying, so it’s really promising,” Palami said.

The Philippine Team, recently described by a FIFA.com article as "fast-progressing," beat Bahrain for the first time, 2-1, at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan, last June 11 then trounced Yemen, 2-0, on the road last June 16. It will face tough Uzbekistan on Sept. 8 at the Philippine Sports Stadium.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

FlipTrip.ph, an online travel platform that enables itinerary customization and booking for off the beaten path destinations in the Philippines. is giving you the most soulful and inspiring weekend of the year!

This is because FlipTrip.ph believes in curated and meaningful trips that make a traveller really experience a place. Find your tours, accommodations, and transportation, pick what you want and need, then book it all in one go! They are currently serving Zambales, Manila, Tarlac, Aurora, Bulacan, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, and Albay.

In partnership with Smart Communications, Nescafe Ready to Drink, and Play FM 99.5, proudly present Sun & Soul 2015 which will be held on August 8 to 9, 2015 in Liwliwa, San Felipe, Zambales. This event is co-presented with The Circle Hostel; in cooperation with the local community of Liwliwa, Zambales. WazzupPilipinas.com is a media partner.

Interview with Dr. Niobe Thompson of The Great Human Odyssey

Wazzup Pilipinas!

This is an interview with Dr. Niobe Thompson of The Great Human Odyssey which will air on the 2nd of August, 8:00 p.m. on Discovery Channel.

Media: My question is about the Homo Sapiens, right, what was it about them that make them outlast (inaudible) before them, I mean, such the Neanderthals and all that, who were quite strong and you know, and very intelligent? So what was it about the Homo Sapiens that helped them evolved especially during that particular era in earth’s history which was very volatile?

Niobe Thompson: That’s a great question and we’ve been asking this for a long time already, and I wish I had a definitive answer.

I think that the mystery of our survival and the extinction of all of the human cousins is one of the things that keeps me coming back to, you know, the story of human evolution. I have a personal opinion, and that is that really it was our ability to work together.

Neanderthals and other human cousins closely related humans you could say were very intelligent, very resourceful. The Neanderthals survived for 10 times longer in Europe than humans have so far. So you know, these were formidable human-like creatures. But what none of them had was the ability to work together in a group. I don’t think that any human intel, modern humans, Homo Sapiens has had the ability to speak. I don’t think that Neanderthals or Denisovans or other forms of Homo Erectus had language.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

This August, MANILA SHAKESPEARE COMPANY revisits Verona as 21st century Manila in their inaugural production of ROMEO AND JULIET. At the helm once again is actor-cum-director, Nicanor Campos.

The production had a brief initial run in February and March of this year, playing to sold out houses every evening. Audiences were surprised and moved by the production's unique staging, subtle localization, and passionate ensemble performances.

Teatrino at the Promenade in Greenhills will house the rerun with most of the original cast intact. Bright Shakespearean newcomers Nelsito Gomez and Rachel Coates shall resume the center of the play, strongly supported by the likes of Meynard Peñalosa, Issa Litton, Katski Flores, Micko Yabut, and Jonas Gruet - among others.

Come, see this dynamic cast in action on August, 7, 8, 14, and 15 at 8:00 p.m.!

Tickets are available at all TicketWorld outlets. For more information, TEXT 0939-5969250 or EMAIL mnlshakesco@gmail.com.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Climate change, geological hazards, E-titling, computerized land registration, the Uniform Loan And Mortgage Agreement (ULAMA) and the real estate industry’s contributions to the national economy topbill the agenda for the 2nd TOPS-LRA Summit on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati City.

The one-day event collaborative project of The Organization of Property Stakeholders Inc. (TOPS) and the Land Registration Authority (LRA), aspires to provide new solutions and strategies to future challenges that might slow down the development of the property sector in the country.

With the theme “Measuring Our Gains and Meeting the Challenges Ahead,” the summit will have experts and leaders such as Mr. Oscar Victor Lizardo of Project NOAH, Dr. Renato Solidum Jr. of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Atty. Darlene Berberabe of PAG-IBIG, Atty. Chito Cruz of the National Housing Authority and Atty. Tony Bernardo of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) as featured speakers and panel discussants. Keynote speaker in the morning will be Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority while Hon. Nestor A. Espenilla Jr., Deputy Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas will be the keynote speaker in the afternoon.