Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

More Renewable Energy with Awarding of New DOE Contracts

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In aggressively fulfilling international commitments and promoting indigenous sustainable energy, the Department of Energy (DOE), through the facilitation of its Renewable Energy Management Bureau, has awarded renewable energy service contracts (RESCs) accounting for about 1,700 megawatts (MW) potential capacities.

These projects are on top of the additional total potential capacity of 12,128 MW recorded in November 2015. If all these projects are aggregated and realized, the country's installed capacity could reach up to about 20,000 MW by 2030, which is higher than the initial National Renewable Energy Program target.

Energy Secretary Zenaida Y. Monsada emphasized that “We are committed to increase our RE capacity and maintain a minimum of 30% share in the power generation mix in the coming years.”

Through this government intervention, the country will be able to achieve its undertaking to triple installed RE capacity by 2030, reflecting its 21st Conference of the Parties pledge and proactively responding to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s aspiration of doubling RE capacities of member-economies from 2010 level by 2030.

Towards the last quarter of 2015, the newly appointed Energy Secretary has greenlighted the following RE projects after having meticulously reviewed each contract (Please see attached list of RE Projects).

The DOE would also like to call on concerned government agencies and local government units to extend utmost assistance to the project proponents to fast track the timely realization of these vital RE projects.

Globe Readies PH Education Sector For 21st Century Learning With Innovative ICT Solutions

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Globe Telecom is priming Philippine schools for 21st century learning with the use of innovative information and communications technology (ICT) solutions that transform the delivery of education.

Through its IT Enabled Services Group, Globe was chosen as the ICT education solutions provider of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) for its Brightspace Learning Management System under the Globe Education Solutions suite.

Globe Education Solutions is the telco’s pursuit into strengthening education delivery in the Philippines through the use of ICT. With the aspiration to mold the youth into world-class and global citizens through technological innovations in education, the Brightspace learning platform seamlessly connects digital content, learning analytics, mobile and collaboration tools, adaptive learning with an ecosystem of applications, resources, and services. Its key benefits include optimized, outcome-based, and student-centered learning; increased faculty productivity and efficiency; improved performance, attainment, and success rates; and improved student engagement and retention among others.

"The digital shift is upon us and now is the best time to bring the benefits of technology to education. This will definitely impact not only the delivery of education but the learning experience of students today and in the future. Our partnership with De La Salle Benilde demonstrates our commitment to transform learning in the country and bring the PH education sector to greater heights and in a global scale,” said Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu.

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Get ready for a rip-roaring laughter from the Comedy Cartel as they return to Big D's Smokehouse at Eastwood City's , City Walk 2 (above Starbucks & beside 711) this Friday January 8, 2016, 9:30pm.

Bring your whole family and friends and hear rib-tickling comedy performances along side the best melt in your mouth smoked ribs and other house specialties!

Tickets at P200.00 only! For seat & show reservations, call or text 0917-8860706.

See you there.

Football Fundamentals For Adults Program Now Offered At Sparta Football Academy

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Whether you are a die-hard football fan who wants to get into the sport, or simply just looking for a new form of exercise, you may be interested in joining the Football Fundamentals for Adults Program at the Sparta Football Academy.

Sparta Football Academy is located inside the 10,000 square-meter Sports and Recreational Training Arena or SPARTA, along Pioneer Street in Mandaluyong City, and is best known for the first and only FIFA certified 1-star indoor football field in the country.

According to SPARTA's owner Amanda Fernandez, "The program was set-up so that adults can experience the beauty of the sport for the first time. It is also meant to teach the basics of football and expand the football community in the Philippines."

"Expected results for this crash course revolve around having a very good understanding of the basic skills and rules of football, as well an appreciation for the sport", she adds.

The program will be headed by Head Coach Joel Villarino and Assistant Coach Joseph Villarino.

The program will start February 3 and will be held every Wednesday from 2-4 in the afternoon for the entire month.

For more information, please call 6553799 or 0977-7634402.

DOTC: More New MRT-3 Coaches On The Way By End Q1 2016

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With the second of forty-eight (48) light rail vehicles (LRV) for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) system assembled and set to be tested this month, passengers will soon have shorter waiting times at stations.

“Commuters will experience increased passenger convenience and service reliability with the arrival of more new LRVs. If the evaluation of the first set is found to be satisfactory, we are expecting one new train to be operational by the end of this quarter,” said Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Jun Abaya.

Once the necessary checks on the different electrical components are completed within the week, the vehicle will be subjected to dynamic testing to ensure the reliability of parts. This includes the required 5,000-kilometer run, which will be done on the main line during non-revenue hours.

Meanwhile, two (2) more LRVs will be delivered by February, and then four (4) per month will be shipped from March until January 2017.

Teen Wolf To Unveil Second Half Of Its Fifth Season: Reconciliation And New Intrigue

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When Scott McCall wished to be more than an ordinary teenager, he did not expect things to take a supernatural turn. Bitten by a werewolf just before he starts sophomore year, his life is turned upside down – as if your regular teenager did not already have enough issues to deal with. Scott is forced to deal with a double life as he struggles to protect his loved ones and keep up a front of being a “normal” teen.

The series set in the town of Beacon Hills is on its 5th season. Coming off the midseason cliffhanger, the new episodes will unfold with Scott’s attempts to reunite his group and other characters picking up broken pieces of their relationships damaged by past conflicts. Tune in to also find out if more light will be shed on what exactly Parrish the hellhound is up to.

Developed by Jeff Davies and starring Tyler Posey as lead actor, Teen Wolf airs every Monday at 8:50 pm. First and exclusive on Sony Channel.

Sony Channel is seen on SKYCable Channel 35, Cignal Digital TV Channel 60, Destiny Cable Channel 62, Cable Link Channel 39.

Jr. NBA/Jr.WNBA Philippines 2016 Presented By Alaska To Encourage Youth Basketball Participation

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The Jr. NBA /Jr. WNBA Philippines 2016 presented by Alaska will return to the Philippines for the ninth consecutive year from Jan. 23-April 24. The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program is free and open to boys and girls between the ages of 10-14.

Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA, the league’s global youth basketball participation program for boys and girls, teaches the fundamental skills as well as the core values of the game at the grassroots level in an effort to help grow and improve the youth basketball experience for players, coaches and parents. During the 2015-16 season, the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program will reach more than 6.5 million youth in 32 countries.

The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines 2016 presented by Alaska is comprised of four stages: skills clinics in schools and communities, Regional Selection Camps, a National Training Camp and an NBA experience trip. The skills clinics will be held nationwide from January through April with stops in Bukidnon, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Dagupan, Davao, Iloilo, Metro Manila and Puerto Princesa, and first-time locations in Batangas, Catanduanes and Cavite. Select players from these clinics will have the opportunity to showcase their skills in tryouts during the Regional Selection Camps, which will be held in Baguio (Feb. 20-21), Davao (Feb. 27-28), Cebu (March 5-6) and Metro Manila (April 9-10). The top 50 boys and 24 girls from the Regional Selection Camps will advance to the National Training Camp in Manila April 22-24.

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Customized malls that reflect the heart and soul of their community are the gifts of the New Year for Vista Land residents. Vista Land & Lifescapes Chairman Manuel B. Villar welcomed the tenants and investors of Vista Malls at a pre-Christmas Investors’ Night at the Laurel House in Vista Shaw, Mandaluyong City to tell them about the wonderful things in store for Vista Land’s commercial projects in 2016.

Six community Vista Malls are already up, Mr. Villar announced: the flagship Vista Mall at EVIA in the heart of Vista City in Daang Hari, the yuppie-oriented Vista Mall at Trevi Residences in Pasong Tamo, Makati City; the scenic Vista Mall Lakefront in Sucat, set on a hill overlooking Laguna de Bay; Vista Mall Pampanga, a center for upscale fashion boutiques and diverse dining options; Vista Mall Antipolo, a mall-next-door that acts as a “big backyard” for its huge community of families; and Vista Mall CDO, an activity hub complete with biking trails, running paths, and pit stops for outdoor sports enthusiasts that will surely delight the active community that it serves.

The exciting news is that more Vista Malls are in the works beginning 2016, Villar shared with mall tenants and partners. With over 80 projects nationwide, Vista Land never forgets to think of ways to give their homeowners all the conveniences and amenities to live the lifestyle they have always dreamt of in Vista’s trademark COMMUNICITIES, he said. These amenities, which are at the center of all Vista Land township projects, house facilities to match the personalities of the communities that they serve.

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The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) seeks to clarify news reports on the Commission on Audit (COA) findings regarding the so-called “unspent P1.2-B fund for poor students.” COA’s latest report which was posted on their website early this week contains the annual audit report executive summary and outlined observations and recommendations on CHED accounts and operations in 2014. The report also enumerated CHED’s courses of action based on the agreements in the Commission’s exit conference with COA in July 2015.

At the time of the exit conference, documentation for the obligation of funds from the CHED regional offices still needed updating, but to date, these reports have already been completed. In fact, by December 31, 2015, the remaining P1.2-B 2014 budget which had a validity of two years, had been fully obligated with an assurance that the beneficiaries will be paid.

It can be recalled that at the end of 2013, the Supreme Court declared the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) unconstitutional. In response, lawmakers realigned their PDAF allocations to the calamity fund and six agencies, including CHED for scholarship assistance to students.

As a consequence, CHED’s Student Financial Assistance Programs (StuFAPs) composed of scholarships, grants-in-aid and loans totaling 58,155 slots in the amount of P997-M in AY 2013-2014, ballooned nearly seven times to 391,817 slots in AY 2014-2015 amounting to P4.87-B, testing the carrying capacity of the agency.

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This year, make it your resolution to learn and go on adventures more, even just through the screen. Discovery Channel, Discovery Science and Discovery Kids will make it easy to stick to your commitment with a line-up of interesting programs for all age groups!

Discovery Channel

Adventures abound as the abalone dive crews of Port Lincoln confront greater challenges this season. Spotting sharks proves a little trickier as an early winter brings vicious swells that cause poor water visibility. Adding to that, a pod of orca whales attack and kill a shark at Neptune Islands, forcing the Great Whites to flee the area. The big sharks now roam the waters off Port Lincoln: where they’ll appear next, no one knows. Despite the deadly challenges, the dive crews continue to enter the water, continuing to risk their lives in search of the lucrative green-lipped abalone. The new season of Abalone Wars premieres January 25, airing Mondays at 9PM.

The image above show Bear Grylls with: (clockwise) Ferguson, Hudson, Rodriguez and Winslet

Airing also this January is the new season of Running Wild With Bear Grylls. Bear Grylls is accompanied by all kinds of celebrities and sent off to the wild. Each of the actors and athletes will partner with Grylls for two days for a one-on-one adventure, tackling everything from skydiving to repelling as they journey through some of the world’s most unforgiving wildernesses. This season will take viewers from the jungles of Panama to the far reaches of the Italian Alps and then to the Colorado Rocky Mountains and the Red Rocks of Utah. The series guests include Drew Brees, James Marsden, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kate Hudson, Kate Winslet, Michael B. Jordan, Michelle Rodriguez and Ed Helms.

A one-episode special of the show aired on December featured US President Barrack Obama joining Bear Grylls in the wild.

The new season of Running Wild With Bear Grylls, which premiered on January 5, airs Tuesdays, 9PM.

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Lyceum of the Philippines University has partnered with Microsoft Philippines to upgrade its educational system for more than 1000 faculty members and staff throughout its 5 LPU campuses.

The partnership was formed to equip school personnel in order to provide students the quality education and services that the institution has been known for since being established in 1952.

“Microsoft creates solutions to help inspire teachers and students realize their full potential,” says Karrie Ilagan, Microsoft Philippines General Manager. “We believe that empowered students will have an enriched mind to prepare him for today’s challenges, and an empowered teacher will help mold students for a lifetime.”

Members of the LPU community have attested to how their partnership with Microsoft has helped them become more advanced and efficient.

“The new solutions brought new improvements on the delivery of our services,” said Devy M. Galang, Information and Communication Technology Director of Lyceum of the Philippines University - Manila Campus. “Our stakeholders became more productive. They are now equipped with the 21st century information skills and knowledge.”

“Communication and collaboration make it easier for the teachers and students to work with each other in real-time from virtually anywhere,” Galang added.

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With one in every three Filipinos having high cholesterol levels, how could they control its onset without sacrificing what this year has to offer—on the table?

A study on cholesterol levels among Filipinos led by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute revealed that 31.4 percent of Filipino adults 20 years old and over had “borderline high to high cholesterol levels.” Now that the New Year is here, it is often challenging to control huge consumptions of food—particularly those that are rich in cholesterol—knowing that annual festivities and birthday celebrations are here left and right.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in fats in the blood. Though cholesterol is needed by the body because it is essential to building healthy cells, too much of it could increase a person’s chance of having cardiovascular disease.

“Some people make it a point to reduce their consumption of cholesterol-rich foods especially now that another year has been capped off,” said Tomas Luke Marcelo Agana III, president and CEO of Pharex HealthCorp. “But enjoying what the New Year brings need not come at the expense of sacrificing your year-long joy and family bondings especially when stories are better shared on the table.”

Bearing that in mind, Pharex HealthCorp.—the most prescribed generic brand of medicines—introduces its 15-day Pharex Compliance Pouch for Cholesterol to help Filipino adults who are prone to high cholesterol adhere to their medication without compromising their plans this 2016.

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Anya Resort & Residences, an up-coming luxury property in Tagaytay, has recently recruited luxury hotel and resort executive Peter Lodovico D’souza as its General Manager. D’souza has 17 years of industry experience, and has worked in several high-end accommodations in Asia and the Middle East prior to joining Anya.

D’souza was introduced to Anya through a former boss in the Maldives. “The project owners showed me around Tagaytay and the project in particular. I’ve always wanted to be in a place that is very close to nature and away from the noise and pollution. Cities like Dubai, where I used to work, can be physically and mentally taxing. I moved to Cambodia because it was more peaceful. From there, taking on the proposal to join Anya was an easy decision,” he said.

The Indian national began his career in the hospitality industry when he was 18 years old, working as a student trainee for a five-star resort in Goa, India. “I got to meet all sorts of people, eat good food and work in a very nice place —which are elements that will get a teenager’s attention. I didn’t like the idea of working as a human resource trainee at first but it grew on me. After a while, there wasn’t a doubt that I’d leave the industry,” he explained.

A gentle and unassuming demeanor betrays D’souza’s competencies and experience. From Cidade de Goa Resort as a trainee, he took on various housekeeping and service positions in top hotels brands in Abu Dhabi, including the Grand Continental Abu Dhabi. A five-year stint with the Jumeirah Group in Dubai allowed him to train at the famed seven-star Burj al Arab as a butler.

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The global phenomena of 'Trampoline Parks' is finally arriving to the Philippines! What are Trampoline Parks? Simply put — giant warehouses filled with dozens of trampoline “matts” that stretch from wall-to-wall and are connected to form one huge surface which is enclosed with padded side walls and angled trampolines – allowing you to jump, fly and literally bounce in every direction.

These ultra-fun parks first originated in the U.S, a decade ago. They offer an amazing adventure of trampolining fun, including an open jumping court, basketball lanes for slam-dunking, dodgeball and volleyball courts for exciting gravity-defying sports, and even a super-fun foam pit where you can launch yourself from a trampoline into a giant pit of foam blocks. The first Trampoline Park in Manila will be located in ‘The Portal’ at Greenfield district, Mandaluyong (off EDSA near Shaw Blvd). In addition to a soaring good time, the Park will also offer unique fitness classes during weekdays, toddler jumping hours in the mornings and exciting zero gravity jumping parties, Friday & Saturday nights — all performed entirely on trampolines.

“It’s amazing fun, truly enjoyable and healthy…it will make you want to do it… again and again”, says Mark Hogsden, a British businessman living in the Philippines and the primary co-founder of the first Trampoline Park soon to rock Manila. “Trampoline Parks have become extremely popular in the U.K, in America and all over Europe—mainly because they offer incredible fun for everyone -– adults, families and children – whatever the weather!”, adds the brit. “Trampoline Parks are popping up all over the world in recent years, and lately even in asian cities like Hong-Kong and Singapore. It's about time we finally have them here in Manila!”.

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Power Mac Center, the leading Apple Authorized Service Provider in the Philippines, with its commitment to deliver utmost customer satisfaction, enhances its repair and inquiry process at the beginning of 2016. The improvements implemented are set to bring convenience and accessibility to valued customers through significant changes on service levels.

Patrons can expect an enhanced Service Menu and a quicker and easier resolution of queries from a well-trained customer service team. Serviced iPhone and iPad devices will also be given the Power Mac Center personal touch upon release through specially designed packaging.

More importantly, Power Mac Center has allotted special lanes for the exclusive use of the elderly, pregnant, and persons with disabilities (PWDs).

“Power Mac Center welcomes 2016 with additional ways to keep our relationship with our customers. At the forefront of that is our service operations,” said Joey Alvarez, Marketing Director of Power Mac Center. “Along with the new year, we renew our commitment to provide our patrons with the complete Apple experience.”