BREAKING

Saturday, February 6, 2016

Dog Sees God: Confessions Of A Teenage Blockhead Sets Asian Premiere Feb. 12-26


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Twin Bill Theater proudly presents “ Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead ” as its maiden offering in the local theater scene beginning February 11.

Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead ” by Bert V. Royal is a very cleverly written exploration of modern teen angst as seen by Peanuts characters. As an “unauthorized parody, ” audiences will be taken on a journey by eight teenagers whose characters are so cruel, so harmful, and how they breathe a breath of reality on today's social issues of sexual relations and identity, bullying, teen violence, drug use, child sexual abuse, suicide, eating disorders, rebellion, and more.

In 2004, “Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead” was one of the breakout hits at the New York International Fringe Festival, winning the Excellence Award for Best Overall Production, as well as Theatermania's Play Award of 2004, the GLAAD Media Award for Best Off-Off-Broadway production, Broadway.com's 2006 Audience Award for Favorite Off-Broadway Production and the 2006 HX Award for Best Play.

The play revisits familiar characters from the Peanuts comic strip—Charlie Brown, his little sister Sally, Linus and Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, Shroeder, the Little Red-Headed Girl, and Pigpen—grown up and in high school. All the characters go by different names, because the play was produced as an “unauthorized parody.” (Charles M. Shulz had nothing to do with it.) Van (Linus) is a stoner; Tricia (Patti) and Marcy (Marcie) are party girls; Lucy has been institutionalized for pyromania; CB (Charlie Brown) and Matt (Pigpen) are the popular kids at school, if only because they bully everyone else; and Sally and Beethoven (Shroeder) are mistreated, disliked outcasts.

Global Property Portal Lamudi Receives New Investment Boost To Grow Operations


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Emerging markets real estate network Lamudi has raised EUR 29 million (USD 31.4 million) in investment to grow its operations across Latin America and Asia.

Three investors have backed the business: Asia Pacific Internet Group, which is a joint venture of Rocket Internet and Ooredoo; Holtzbrinck Ventures, a leading European venture capital investor; and current investor Tengelmann Ventures, a division of international multi-sector retailer Tengelmann Group.

Lamudi, a global real estate portal, was launched in October 2013 by German Internet platform Rocket Internet. Since that time, the company has seen significant year on year growth and achieved market leadership in several countries. Lamudi operates exclusively in the emerging markets and is currently active in nine locations across Asia and Latin America (Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Colombia and Peru).

In February 2015, the venture received 16 million EUR in investment to boost its Latin American and Asian operations. A year later, an additional 29 million EUR will be invested in the business.

Hanno Stegmann, CEO APACIG, states: "We are very happy with the development of Lamudi within our portfolio. The demand for great classifieds platforms across emerging and frontier markets in the APAC region is high. Lamudi has proven a strong capability to adapt to diverse markets and offer the best user experience. We are confident to see the business growing further."

CHED Statement: Students Protest Against Tuition Fee Hike is Premature


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In a brief response to the claims made by students that rallied at the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on February 5, CHED Chairperson Patricia B. Licuanan clarified that it is too early in the year to be able to determine the number of higher education institutions (HEIs) that will increase tuition and/or other school fees.

About a dozen or so students led by Kabataan Partylist and the National Union of Students of the Philippines marched to CHED with banners, slogans and strong statements against CHED and the Aquino Administration for increases in fees in over 400 colleges and universities next year. Once again, they defaced the CHED gate with sprayed graffiti. They were accompanied by some members of the media.

As specified in CHED’s guidelines governing tuition and other school fees, higher education institutions (HEIs) have until the end of February to comply with the consultation process. The HEIs are given until April 01 to submit duly notarized documentary requirements to their CHED regional office should they decide to increase fees. Only then can realistic numbers be determined.

CHED will ensure that HEIs meet the guidelines provided by law and adhere strictly to requirements that seek to make tuition fee increases transparent, reasonable and affordable.

Issued this 5th Day of February 2016 at the Higher Education Development Center, C.P. Garcia Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.

(signed)
Patricia B. Licuanan, Ph.D.
Chairperson

Discovery Channel Presents February Lineup


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Josh James is a hardcore hunter from the backwoods of New Zealand and Matt Tebbutt is a British chef who lives for fine food and loves foraging for wild ingredients.

They couldn’t be more different, but these two unlikely buddies have set themselves an ambitious goal – to travel to some of the toughest environments on earth and prove in just seven days that they can make incredible food from the most unlikely of ingredients.

They’ll be travelling to some of the most remote regions of earth, from the river valleys and cloud forests of Mexico, to the ancient forests and arctic wastes of Europe. And to make their quest even more of a challenge, they’ll be trying to hunt and forage for everything they need to survive with the barest minimum of equipment.

But will the struggle to tame the wild push them and their skills to the limit? Follow them on Kings Of The Wild airing February 9, Tuesdays, at 8 PM.

Direksyon: A Cultural Awakening Through Means of Exploration Throughout the Philippines


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Awaken your inner explorer and join Artekolasa 2016 on February 26 - March 3 as they showcase their thesis, Direksyon: A cultural awakening through means of exploration throughout the Philippines at the Mall of Asia. See you there!

DIREKSYON is the thesis exhibit of the 2016 graduating class of Fine Arts Majors in Advertising from St. Scholastica’s College-Manila. The exhibit highlights the importance of cultural preservation and cultural awareness in the Philippines. 14 places in the country will be featured, with each place presenting a problem that the students aim to resolve through different advertising and marketing strategies. The exhibit will show a variety of works, from print advertisements to TVCs, all of which endeavor to entice and inspire viewers to help achieve DIREKSYON’s goal of promoting the Philippines.

Opening Night will be on 26th of February, 6:00 pm. It will be held at the Ground Floor, North Pavilion (Near Cabalen), SM Mall of Asia. Exhibit runs till the 3rd of March, open during mall hours.

DOE Heads Special Task Force to Resolve Transmission Concerns in Mindanao


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A special inter-agency task force will now address the growing concern on the transmission tower bombings and right-of-way (ROW) issues posing economic impediment in Mindanao despite the additional 770 megawatts of power capacity coming in this year in the region.

During the Principals’ Meeting of the Mindanao Power Monitoring Committee (MPMC) held in Davao on 04 February 2016, Energy Secretary Zenaida Y. Monsada emphasized that transmission and distribution facilities are critical infrastructures in delivering electricity to the end-users (individuals, households, industries and businesses), in which bombings and ROW issues delay and hinder progress for the people of Mindanao. “We have to work all together, both the Mindanaoans and industry participants, as there can be no development without power or stable power fuels development,” she added.

The meeting was attended by representatives from the DOE, Mindanao Development Authority led by Secretary Luwalhati R. Antonino, the National Electrification Administration, the National Power Corp., the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management, the National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the Mindanao Electric Power Alliance and the Association of Mindanao Rural Electric Cooperatives.

With the recent transmission situation in the area becoming of national interest, Secretary Monsada relayed that early this week, President Benigno S. Aquino created the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Security of Energy Facilities (IATFSEF) to be spearheaded by the Department of Energy (DOE).

Friday, February 5, 2016

ePLDT Urges Firms To Bolster Growth With Big Data


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With a steadily growing Internet penetration rate, and an ongoing surge in smartphone adoption, the Philippines is in the midst of a digital transformation that not only affects daily life, but is also expected to drive an uptake in digitization among businesses in terms of operations and decision-making. ePLDT, the digital enterprise enabler of the PLDT Group, strongly urges organizations to consider a Big Data Analytics strategy to accelerate business growth.

"Every person somehow leaves a digital footprint, whether it’s on social media or with electronic transactions. There is a tremendous amount of data waiting to be mined, refined, and analyzed. With the right infrastructure, tools, and expertise, valuable insight can be gleaned from all this information," said ePLDT Group Chief Operating Officer Nerissa S. Ramos.

Citing a study by Bain & Company, Ramos said that companies with Big Data platforms are two times more likely to have superior financial performance within their industries, and five times more likely to make faster business decisions.

"And this is not just about speed. In this day and age, accuracy through predictive data-driven decision-making is key. By using historical data, one can understand the reasons behind past successes or failures. With this, decision-makers can make wiser business choices moving forward," she said.

Globe Business to Revolutionize PH Enterprises Through ICT at 10th International ICT Awards


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Globe Telecom information and communication technology (ICT) arm Globe Business is lending its support to the 10th International ICT awards, one of the most renowned awarding ceremonies in the IT-Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry as part of its commitment to revolutionize and scale up Philippine enterprises and business organizations through ICT.

In its upcoming 10th year, the International ICT Awards is introducing the Most Popular Team Leader of the Year in the ICT Industry category, a new category which determines the winner via on-site SMS voting. The new category features a voting system that is powered by AdSpark, a Globe venture.

The ICT Awards also helps improve processes and operations geared towards achieving the best service to clients that benefit not only the industry, but also the nation. In addition, it will continue the Cities for ICT sponsorship program where the identified next wave cities can showcase themselves as a potential outsourcing hub to ICT companies who are looking to expand.

“Our support in this year’s ICT Awards is testament to Globe Business’ goal to become the preferred business advisor to Philippine enterprises as we help them realizing the importance of ICT in driving operational efficiency and productivity, which ultimately play a role in achieving success and global visibility,” shared Globe Senior Advisor for Enterprise and IT-Enabled Services Group Mike Frausing.

UP Organization of Business Economics Majors Proudly Presents Econ­No­Mix 2016


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The largest Economics convention for high school students is coming!

UP Organization of Business Economics Majors (UP OBEM) is once again holding​ Econ­No­Mix​. Thrice awarded by the Junior Philippine Economics Society as the ​ Best Organizational Activity nationwide, it aims to promote economics by introducing different economic concepts to various fields, and features different competitions starring young minds which will later shape the future of the country.

This year, Econ­No­Mix 2016 is themed, ​ “Upsurge: Shaping Economics Through Heightened Tourism”. It aims not only to highlight the role of tourism in shaping the business establishments in the society but also to discuss how tourism served as an approach to the growth of the economy in the Philippine setting. 

The event will be held on​ February 15th, February 22nd, and February 29th, 2016 at​ the UP School of Economics, UP Diliman Quezon City. ​ Competitions that high school students may partake in include Quiz Bee,​ ​ Debate, Poster Making, Essay Writing, and Idea Generation.  

Sign­-ups for participants are still ongoing! For more information, please contact AJ Almonte (09178879314) or e­mail us at economix.upobem@gmail.com.

Top 10 Alternatives To Malling In Metro Manila


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Going to the mall has become a staple for anyone living in Metro Manila looking to pass the time, which is kind of a shame in some aspects. There are so many other ways you could be spending your free time if you dared to venture out of the multiple walls of your favorite monolithic shopping center. If you want to change up your usual routine, check out MyProperty.ph’s list of things you can do in various cities of Metro Manila.

See Manila in a different light
“Walk This Way,” a Manila walking tour founded in 2002 by performance artist/political activist/tour guide Carlos Celdran, is a history lesson taught by someone who’s far from the one you probably had in school. The tour is basically a one-man show; a period-costumed Celdran narrates significant points of Philippine history through acting, music, and a lot of comedy.

Work out at SM MOA’s seaside grounds
The long boardwalk on SM Mall of Asia’s seaside is a favorite go-to for people trying to be more physically active. Visit on a weekend morning and you’ll find the place teeming with people doing all sorts of outdoor activities, from jogging to walking their dogs to even Zumba.

Play restaurant bingo in Sikatuna, Quezon City
Okay, so there isn’t really an activity like that (although wouldn’t that be fun?), but there’s no denying that over the years, we’ve seen the rise of various types of restaurants in the area, particularly in Maginhawa Street. Cuisines range from European to Asian to American, and styles from holes-in-the-wall to big brand franchises, so if you want to eat something different every day for at least a month here, you won’t be disappointed.

Enjoy AirAsia’s Lowest Fares, Budget Travel Deals and Exclusive Treats Only at PTAA Travel Expo 2016


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AirAsia, voted the World’s Best Low Cost Carrier for seven consecutive years, is offering exclusive budget travel deals and lowest fares to Cebu, Davao, Boracay, Palawan, Bohol, Tacloban and to international destinations in Malaysia, Korea, China and much more at the 3-day travel sale hosted by the Philippine Travel Agencies Association in SMX, Mall of Asia in Pasay City.

The Travel Tour Expo is on its 23rd year and has been regarded as the grandest annual event in the travel and tourism industry. The travel fair starts on Friday (5 February) until Sunday, (7 February) with over 300 participating exhibitors from various industries such as airline, hotel, resort including travel, tourism and tour operators.

Best travel deals for AirAsia flights to and from Davao are also available at the travel expo in conjunction with the formal launch and announcement of Visit Davao Fun Sale with outdoor sports activities, eco-tourism package tour, beach and entertainment parties already lined up for summer this year.

AirAsia services Manila-Davao with 3x flights daily departing from Manila’s NAIA Terminal 4 at 6:20AM, 3:35PM and 8:10PM. The airline also offers multiple flights daily from/to Cebu, Bohol, Palawan, Kalibo (Boracay) and Tacloban. AirAsia's international flights include direct flights to various points in Malaysia, China and Korea from Manila, Cebu and Kalibo.

Keep updated with AirAsia’s latest promotion and activities via twitter (@AirAsiaPH), Facebook (facebook.com/AirAsiaPhilippines) and on Instagram (@AirAsiaPh).

Sophos Delivers Easy-to-Use Security Solutions for Enterprise Mobility Management


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Sophos, a global leader in network and endpoint security, today announced the availability of Sophos Mobile Control 6.0, which now includes Sophos Secure Email, a container solution that isolates and secures business data from personal information on devices. Sophos Mobile Control 6.0 also enhances data protection capabilities and allows IT managers to oversee devices used throughout their organisation through a simple interface and intuitive workflows.

Within Sophos Mobile Control 6.0 is Sophos Secure Email, a personal information management (PIM) container solution for email, calendar and contacts. Personal and corporate data can be separated, allowing organisations to manage business data security while enhancing user privacy. IT administrators can remotely provision email to employee mobile devices across popular platforms, including iOS, and multiple Android versions.

Also new to version 6.0 is Sophos Secure Workspace which includes Corporate Browser to facilitate safe access to frequently used business productivity sites and applications. Sophos Secure Workspace enables employees to seamlessly access and collaborate on the documents they need, when they need them, in a secure manner. Users also can control levels of access and publishing rights for various cloud storage providers like Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Egnyte. For additional protection, users now can securely move documents and data between mobile devices, cloud storage and corporate endpoints as Sophos SafeGuard file encryption is built in.

With the continued growth in mobile malware, the ability to detect and quarantine infected devices is a growing priority for enterprise mobility management (EMM). In fact, more than 95 percent of attacks today involve harvesting credentials from customer devices and using those stolen credentials to log in to web applications, according to Verizon 2015 Data Breach Investigations Report.

Device security is especially difficult to manage in mid-size enterprises that have widely distributed workforces, yet are resource-stretched. A September 2015 CompTIA study, Managing the Multi-Generational Workforce, showed that nearly half (46 percent) of small and mid-sized businesses have now fully adopted BYOD as a standard practice, as opposed to only 28 percent of large enterprises.

“It’s too easy for employees to unknowingly download dangerous apps that expose valuable corporate data, or worse, provide an open path to business networks,” said Dan Schiappa, senior vice president and general manager of Sophos Enduser Group. “Providing management, anti-malware and data protection for mobile devices is just as important as it is for laptops or any other corporate asset – the devices are small but they can be hacked and cracked just like any PC. Balancing the levels of productivity and access demanded by users today with the growing need for tighter data security requires the ability to manage and protect. Having an enterprise mobility management solution with integrated security is becoming a critical need to organisations of any size.”

Sophos Mobile Control 6.0 also detects jail-broken or rooted devices, plus malware and potentially unwanted applications (PUAs). The product blocks infected or non-compliant devices from entering the corporate network and automatically blocks malicious or undesirable websites. A recent analysis by third party AV-Test confirmed that Sophos Mobile Control 5.5 detected 100 percent of known Android malware applied during the test period. All of this is done behind the scenes to users so that productivity isn’t sacrificed and critical, confidential data remains private and safe.

Sophos Mobile Control 6.0 is available now from the global network of Sophos certified partners.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

San Miguel Beats Alaska for PBA PH Cup Title After Epic Comeback


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San Miguel pulled off a feat no team in all professional basketball leagues in the world has ever done, a comeback from a 0-3 finals series deficit.

As a saying goes, albeit grammatically wrong, "Comeback is real!"

The Beermen accomplished the historic rally with a 96-89 victory against the Alaska in the final game of the best-of-seven PBA Philippine Cup championship series at the Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday night, February 3, 2016.

San Miguel withstood an intriguing strategy by Alaska right at the opening tip-off and banked on a big game by Chris Ross to win its 22nd PBA title.

Coach Alex Compton called three timeouts just after his team won the tip-off, something that made the 23,616 people at the Mall of Asia Arena and even the televiewers confused.

The people became even more puzzled when the said move, which was supposed to get some of the Beermen out of focus early on, somewhat backfired when the Beermen opened an 18-8 lead.

The Aces, however, kept in pace and were within as close as three, early in the third quarter.

San Miguel then began pulling away, opening a 21-point cushion, 68-47, later in the third, and it appeared the team will get a smooth sailing.

Home Credit Philippines Donates to Community in Laguna


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As part of Home Credit Group’s global social responsibility program, Home Credit Philippines visited Southville 7 in Calauan, Laguna to hand over donated clothes and toys and to introduce a Financial Literacy Game especially designed to educate and inform the adult members of the community.

Home Credit Philippines held a donation program for the community of Southville 7 in Calauan, Laguna. This 107-hectare relocation site is inhabited by families affected by Typhoon Ondoy and displaced due to the Pasig River rehabilitation. Owned by the National Housing Authority, the property is home to roughly 4,500 families. The life of the community is well organized: its members are involved in the agricultural activities, paper and clothing production, small business, etc. But, still, food, water, shelter, decent job, and clean clothing remain a problem in the community.

The volunteers of Home Credit arrived in the community with five boxes of clothes and toys as well as food baskets to raise the spirits of the community members.

After a brief speech of the community’s leader, Father Boy Salvador, and introductory words from Home Credit representatives Dr. Richard Fababier, Mr. Dmitry Borisenko and Mr. Eduardo Visperas Jr, different activities were held for both children and adults. While the younger members of the community were having fun playing traditional Pinoy games, the grown-ups took part in a financial literacy game. They were separated into two teams which acted as families. During the game, they planned a given budget for the months ahead. Each monthly expense had an either positive or negative effect on the quality of family life. The game promoted a responsible and entrepreneurial financial behavior encouraging them to start their own business.

Video Coverage: Dance for Health 3 Team Performances


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I previously wrote about the winners of the Dance for Health 3 dance competition organized by Healthway Philippines where Indak [24]7 Dance Force won as the back-to-back grand champion. You can check the article here: http://www.wazzuppilipinas.com/2016/02/indak-247-dance-force-is-back-to-back.html

Indak [24]7 Dance Force successfully impressed all of the judges even though they were the last team to perform. One of the judges, Zumba Instructor Mark Angeles, even went up to them to signify his admiration to the dance team. As if giving up his heart, it was already evident who he now considers the top winner of the competition. I could sense that the other two judges were all in favor of awarding Indak [24]7 Dance Force as the winner of the Dance for Health 3.

Now I present to you all the dance performances captured on our video coverage of the event. We were not able to get a video of the first dance team since we came late at the event. We came all the way from Makati where members of the media met at a popular coffee shop, and had a bit difficulty leaving on time because of a few late ones who arrived an hour after the call time.

We also got a bit lost going to the Alabang Town Center (ATC) since none of us were familiar of the place. But it was just a few minutes of losing our way because we quickly were able to locate ATC. We were still able to catch the host interviewing the first team who just finished their performance.

Anyway, here are seven of the performances that you can also see from our video channel on YouTube: http://www.YouTube.com/wazzuppilipinas
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