Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Fil Am Stunner Joins Team Pharrell, Chases Dream In The Voice Season 9

Wazzup Pilipinas!

“You can win this whole thing” expressed Adam Levine who had a full team and was unable to bid for Fil Am stunner Amy Vachal. All three other judges Pharrell, Gwen Stefani and Blake Sheldon took only seconds to turn as Amy sang the classic Dream a Little Dream of Me.

The 26-yr old from Brooklyn, New York is also into painting. Musical talent runs in the blood, as her father used to be a member of a Grateful Dead cover band. Val picked a Pharrell to be her mentor – the same judge who produced last season’s winner.

After a standing ovation from the judges; Stefani gushed that that Val was a “princess” and “angel-like.” And Sheldon stated “I’m looking at a superstar”

But it was Pharrell who will get to further refine and enhance this talent and hopefully bring her to superstardom. If their initial exchange was an indication, the viewers can expect a hybrid of soulful, classic style blended with a shot modern hipness from this pretty and talented hopeful.

Family Enterprise Excellence Conference to Tackle Challenges Facing Family Businesses

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Premier Family Business Consulting Inc. (PFBC), the only family enterprise consulting firm in Southeast Asia, is inviting family businesses, practitioners, and stakeholders to join a conference that will tackle the challenges facing family businesses.

Now in its third year, the Family Enterprise Excellence Conference (FEEC) will be held on October 26 at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City. With the theme “United, we unite families in business,” the one-day event will not only feature talks but also serve as an occasion for sharing experiences and best practices among family businesses as well as for networking.

International expert Dr. Dennis Jaffe of the US-based Family Firm Institute will lecture on the topic “Bridging the Gap of the Senior and Younger Generation” to address the issue of nurturing effective working relations between generations of a family business.

Considered one of the architects of family enterprise consulting as a field, Jaffe has taught at Hult University in Dubai and is on the Advisory Board of the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Stetson University. He has also served on the Boards of the World Business Academy and Saybrook University.

Renowned inspirational speaker Francis Kong will meanwhile give a talk on “The Value of Family Unity and Parenting” to emphasize their role as the main drivers in family business perpetuation.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

More than 1.56 billion people worldwide are expected to have hypertension by 2025, making the disease more alarming to healthcare providers. However, most people diagnosed with the condition have no signs nor symptoms of the disease until they reach its life-threatening stages.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one in every five adults with high blood pressure—a more general term for hypertension—is unaware of his or her disease, making prevention to deadly consequences such as stroke more difficult than ever.

“Hypertensive patients may experience frequent headaches, shortness of breath or nosebleeds, but these signs won’t occur until their blood pressure rises to its peak,” said Dr. Amado Nazal, medical director of Pharex HealthCorp. “When left untreated, their high blood pressure may cause them serious health problems, including heart attack and stroke.”

About eight out of ten people who had their first stroke are diagnosed with hypertension, which is responsible for worsening the quality of lives of some 14 million Filipinos, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

“You can have high blood pressure for many years without symptoms surfacing every now and then—what people don’t know is that the disease comes like a thief in the night,” Dr. Nazal said.

He added, “This makes regular monitoring of blood pressure all the more important. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is important whether you are already hypertensive or not; the challenge comes recognizing the disease and taking action before it leads to stroke.”

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The PNP Highway Patrol Group (HPG) took the helm of EDSA traffic a few weeks ago, the latest in the many attempts of the government to solve Metro Manila's traffic problems.

The HPG is meant to be the iron hand, stricter rules that would hopefully result to discipline.

But as we all know by now, no man can control an unstoppable monster. During rush hour or when rain starts to pour, EDSA turns into a parking lot.

So what's the problem? There are just too many cars on the road.

The HPG itself admits: it's a matter of volume rather than discipline.

According to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the average daily capacity of EDSA is 160,000 vehicles. But as of 2014, that number has more than doubled to 360,417 vehicles daily.

That number is poised to increase as Land Transportation Office (LTO) reported an increase in car registration.

According to a report by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in 2012, private vehicles occupied 78% of the road in 2012.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Rediscover local musical treasures in a new ballet about the Filipino family. Ballet Philippines’ Sarong Banggi features new works by six exciting Filipino choreographers set to classic folk songs from around the country, arranged and orchestrated by Ryan Cayabyab, the country’s best-loved composer. This show is co-presented by the Province of Albay.

The show features choreography by Carissa Adea, Ronelson Yadao, Cyril Aran Fallar, Paul Alexander Morales, Nonoy Froilan, and Carlo Pacis. Each choreographer brings to the stage his/her unique impression of the Filipino family in a new contemporary ballet with the cast led by Jean Marc Cordero, Earl John Arisola, Rita Angela Winder, and Monica Amanda Gana.

“Sarong Banggi will tug at the audience’s heartstrings with its nostalgic music and earnest look at traditional Filipino values,” says Ballet Philippines Artistic Director Paul Alexander Morales”. “It will be interesting to see these choreographers’ different takes on familiar themes; love, loss and reconciliation that cements the Filipino family”

When asked by Morales to create two pieces for the show, Hong Kong-based choreographer Carlo Pacis was thrilled at the chance to come home and work with Ballet Philippines again. “As a Filipino living overseas, I felt that it was my responsibility to give back.” Pacis, former soloist of the Hong Kong Ballet is a two-time awardee for Outstanding Choreography at the Philstage Gawad Buhay Awards.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Habitat for Humanity International regrets to announce the cancellation of this year’s Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, formerly scheduled to take place November 1-6, 2015, in the Chitwan District of Nepal.

As reported by news media, Nepal has been experiencing civil unrest due to the country’s recent announcement of its new constitution. Habitat has been closely monitoring the situation and new circumstances have proven to be safety risks for volunteers and staff. Currently, many goods and materials coming into the country—including gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and cooking fuel, as well as food and medical supplies—have been halted or slowed to a critical point, hindering Habitat’s capacity to effectively and safely execute the planned project.

Additionally, the U.S. Embassy located in Kathmandu today issued a message recommending travelers evaluate any upcoming plans in Nepal, stating that due to the nationwide fuel shortage and blockages at the border, “many of the safety measures that would normally be relied on in an emergency situation may become unavailable.”

“I am saddened that we have had to cancel this year’s Carter Work Project,” said Jonathan Reckford, CEO, Habitat for Humanity International. “It's the first time in 32 years that we have found ourselves in such a position. However, the severity of the shortages has proven to be insurmountable and given the circumstances, we would not be able to guarantee volunteer care and safety. Additionally, a large-scale event like this would only take away precious local resources already in short supply. This has been a difficult decision, but it is the responsible thing to do. We are grateful to our supporters and ask for their understanding and patience at this time.”

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Experience to soar high in this year’s Furniture Design Exhibit of the BS Interior Design Students from the College of Architecture and Fine Arts of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines as they break free from their shells and showcase eighteen (18) prototypes of artistic and ingenious furniture translations of the distinct Philippine Avifauna in Cassia Alata forms.

AVESILLA The Plight of Furniture Design through the Philippine Avifauna

The Exhibit shall run from October 17 thru 31, 2015 at the Interior Zone, SM City North Edsa, Quezon City.
See you all there!

Strong Tourist Influx, Economic Growth Spur Serviced Apartment Developments

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The recent years have witnessed an upswing in the tourism industry. According to Colliers International’s Second Quarter 2015 Research and Forecast Report on the Philippines, the number of foreign arrivals to the country improved in the first five months of 2015, with year-to-date 2015 figures representing an 8.15% rise from the same period in 2014.

With this trend is the growing need to improve the quality of destinations and the availability of more accommodations in more parts of the country. Of particular note is the entry of a new kind of accommodation: the serviced apartment — a fully-furnished apartment with amenities usually available in hotels. It is a cheaper alternative to hotels, making it ideal for both short and long term stays.

“The booming economy equals new businesses, which equals to more executives looking for efficient places to live in the central business districts in the Philippines,” said Andrew Sparrow, Development Director for Dusit Thani Residences Davao.

Dusit Thani Residences Davao is Dusit International’s bid to add to the serviced residences options in the Philippines. The international hotel brand has recently opened its showroom for Dusit Thani Residences Davao. This is the first Dusit Thani Residences in Asia-Pacific, as the company’s other serviced apartments are located in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The property is scheduled for turnover in 2018.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With its full range of ICT solutions, Globe Business has become the preferred ICT partner of leading companies in the Philippines

Enterprises looking to maintain a competitive advantage are now relying more heavily on information and communications Technology (ICT) to improve productivity, promote innovation, and speed up the time to market their products and services. The ability to digitize and simplify business-critical operations and management systems continues to grow in importance, since companies need to find ways to keep up as new trends become available and prepare for an eventual business expansion.

To address this, companies are now turning to a partner who understands not only the requirements of their business, but also delivers innovative and relevant solutions as well as consistent superior customer service that will bring forth a meaningful and long-lasting partnership. Enterprises have found that partner in Globe Business.

Globe Business powers close to 10,000 leading corporations, enterprises and companies spanning the spectrum of various industries in the country such as business process outsourcing, manufacturing, financial institutions, services, transport and logistics, healthcare and retail, among many others.

Globe Business has stepped up to the challenge of collaborating with its enterprise clients by allowing them to define and achieve the benefit they need. As the enterprise information and communications technology arm of leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom, Globe Business has been maximizing its full capacity to help make businesses perform at an optimum level with its comprehensive portfolio of mobility, connectivity, business voice, collaboration, business-enabling and IT-enabled services.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

My daughter's classmates went to visit our home last Sunday after a grouping nearby for a school project so I decided to pause my work for a while and let them be downstairs so they would be comfortable without parents looking into and hearing their discussions. My son, who was upstairs when they arrived, also went down to join them as he is also fond of meeting people especially if it's her sisters friends.

I went upstairs to our bedroom to have a short nap but fell asleep for several minutes only to woke up at the sound of laughter and singing. True enough, the teens were all happily having a great time by themselves and doing all sorts of stuff like hearing each other sing and tell stories.

An idea struck in mind when I heard them discussing about my son's singing voice and giving suggestions on how he could improve it. I went down bringing along the Plush and Play stuffed toys along with my camera and directly suggested my idea to the kids. I asked them if they can use their talent to come up with a story involving the stuffed toys which I can take videos of and eventually upload online.

I was in luck because they were all in to it. They loved the idea and went on to think of an impromptu story and coming up with personalities that would match the stuffed toys. They were all keen on making the story relevant to the current issues of today involving political and showbiz characters.

Mystery Affair: A Speed Dating Event by Telu Events (Updated)

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Blood. Black roses. Guns. Candles. Can you keep a secret?

On October 31, let Telu Events present to you a one-of-a-kind Halloween event you shouldn’t missed.

After a successful Valentines special at Oz Bar, Holiday Inn & Suites Makati, Telu Events will once again set the tone for Halloween with their event entitled “Mystery Affair: A Speed Dating Event”, and take you back in the 1920’s to search not only for the suspect, but for friendship, and maybe love?

All single ladies and gentleman aged 23 – 35 years old are invited to attend. Only 25 pairs will be accommodated for the event. Speed daters are mostly professionals, with Telu Events making sure that they screen the participants according to age group and personality profiling so everyone will find a match. Participants will be given 5 minutes to know their dates before the bell rings to signify to move on to the next.

As quoted from their previous participants:

“It was a fun event. The participants are diverse and interesting. Thanks and good job Telu! J ”

Thank you for the great service! :) Great job on the concept as well, it was very consistent.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) is ready to welcome the arrival of more than 200 delegates from Member Economies, including the United States, Japan, People's Republic of China, Russia, and Thailand, among others for the 12th APEC Energy Ministers’ Meeting (EMM12) on 12-14 October 2015 in Cebu.

In addressing the changing energy climate affected by natural and human-induced disasters, Energy Ministers will convene for the EMM12 to set directions and discuss various best practices on climate-proofing energy infrastructures, avenues for promoting cutting edge energy efficiency technologies, community-based clean energies to help alleviate poverty, and most importantly, facilitating energy trade and investment in the APEC community.

The Ministers are also expected to come up with what will be called “the Cebu Declaration” embodying and focusing on plans and strategies “Towards an Energy Resilient APEC Community.” The Energy Working Group will be tasked by the Energy Ministers to develop and implement Action Plans to carry out the agreements to be finalized in the Declaration and may cover the following areas:

— Resiliency of Energy Infrastructures
— Energy Investments
— Low Carbon Development/Clean Energy technologies
— Energy-water Nexus
— Eco-tourism Sites
— Regional Standards on Energy Products and Services
— Inventory and Mapping of Energy Resources
— Human Resources Development
— Gender Fair Approaches in Energy

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Pop star Sarah Geronimo was recently announced as the new celebrity endorser of Michaela, a Filipino brand specializing in bags, shoes, pouches, umbrellas and other fashionable ladies' accessories created by Goldnines International.

A celebration was held at the Activity Center of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong where several friends from the media, partners, customers and all mall-goers were able to witness Sarah Geronimo perform live two of her popular songs matched with her amazingly cute dance moves.

Sarah is very proud to support a Filipino brand that equally came from humble beginnings just as she was. Many have seen the Michaela brand grow from way back to 2005 up to what it is right now that's totally a favorite ladies brand.

We should support Filipino-made products since they would eventually translate to a better economy for the country. As they say, love our own so that many of our Filipino entrepreneurs would be encourage to setup their own business in the country for the benefit of the Filipinos.

Sarah Geronimo has remained humble inspite of her royalty status as one of the most popular singers and actresses of the Philippines. Her albums and movies remained to be always a hit whenever she has launched or released one. She is a real inspiration for many who would like to aspire to be a top entertainer.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We’re back for another Encore! That’s right, the Encore 2 just got a new upgrade! Still armed with the Kitkat OS as well as the AllWinner A33 Quad Core, it’s still twice as fast as the original. Only now, it comes equipped with the HD capacitive touch screen (1024*600 pixels, 16:9) and an increased storage capacity! Double the speed, double the power all wrapped in a sleek 7” tablet. We’ve stepped up the Encore 2u because we believe you deserve the most amazing user experience possible. Consider it, our gift 2 u.

Now available in all Ekotek branches* for only P2999**
No time to hit the mall? We’re also available online: http://j.mp/ekoteklazada

We’ve got branches in SM Megamall, SM North EDSA, SM Fairview, SM Muntinlupa, SM Las Piñas, SM City Pampanga, SM City Clark, SM San Fernando Downtown, SM Southmall, SM San Mateo, SM Manila, SM Valenzuela, Victory Mall Pasay and Victory Mall Antipolo

*SRP. Online Prices are subject to change.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Your Pambansang Blog ng Pilipinas (National Blog of the Philippines), Wazzup Pilipinas, was invited to become an official media partner of the Mr. and Ms. Great Bodies of Slimmers World (Asia’s leader in slimming, health, fitness and beauty) several weeks ago so as an added support for the event, I invited them to guests in the Vigattin Radio of Radyo Inquirer DZIQ 990 AM where I co-anchor with Elison "Vigattin" Barcelo and the Cheerleader of the Startup Community, Professor Arne Barcelo.

Since there is very little room at our radio booth to fit all 32 candidates, we only were able to allow six candidates to guest, along with some of the people from Slimmers' World responsible in managing the event and the candidates themselves.

I asked them to be there as early as 9:30 am so we could do some briefing and photo/video profiling of the candidates. I could use the photo and videos as a promotional material to get the interest of my readers about the event which will be happening six weeks from now.

Within those six weeks, the candidates would have plenty of time (if matched with discipline and determination) to be as fit and fab as possible in time for the two separate pre-judging and grand finale this November.