Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Monday, May 2, 2016

ePLDT Reinforces Leadership in Cloud Security with CSA STAR Certification

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ePLDT, the digital enterprise enabler of PLDT Inc., the country's leading telecoms and digital services provider, has reinforced its security capability for cloud computing as it attained Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) Security, Trust and Assurance Registry (STAR) certification.

The industry’s most powerful security provider certification program, CSA STAR is a three-tiered provider assurance program encompassing rigorous auditing, transparency principles, standards harmonization, and continuous monitoring. It was established and is operated by CSA, the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining and raising awareness of best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment. With this new status as a CSA STAR registered service provider, ePLDT assures enterprise clients that the PLDT Group’s cloud services adhere the global industry’s security best practices.

“We understand our customers’ need for transparency and visibility in terms of the security controls provided by our cloud computing solutions, as these services handle sensitive, mission-critical data that must be safely guarded and protected” said Nico Alcoseba, Head of PLDT Group’s Disruptive Business Group. “As a CSA STAR registered service provider, we ensure our customers that the cloud solutions we offer are not only secure but consistently comply with globally recognized standards.”

“This certification solidifies our position as a trusted provider of cloud services for the enterprise, as well as demonstrates our increased cloud computing maturity,” added Dave Simon, ePLDT Group CTO and Service Delivery & Operations Group Head. “Through continuous applications of the different security controls set by CSA on our own cloud operations, we as a provider can in turn educate our customers on the best practices in the cloud.”

To know more about ePLDT’s Cloud Services, visit www.epldt.com.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Alex Gonzaga, TV show host extraordinaire, actress and certified funny girl, recently guested at Mellow Touch 94.7 FM radio station.

She visited the radio station to promote her latest endorsement, Proactiv, a top skin care product not only in the Philippines but all over several countries.

Exhibiting a young and vibrant charm, Alex, a loyal Proactiv user, is the first Filipina face of Proactiv. At the radio guesting, she wowed her hosts with her trademark wit and candor that made her one of the top TV hosts in the country today.

Alex also explained how Proactiv is so easy to use in making it a daily skin care routine in just 3 easy steps.

For Step 1, use the Renewing Cleanser, an oil-free medicated exfoliating cleanser that kills acne-causing bacteria with benzoyl peroxide.

Step 2 is the Revitalizing Toner, a refreshing, alcohol-free toner that refines and purifies pores, with Glycolic Acid that exfoliates dead skin cells to help keep pores unplugged.

Finally, Step 3, the Repairing Treatment, a feather-light, invisible medicated treatment that kills acne-causing bacteria preventing zits and acne.

Watch full video below:

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhnq7HPzkl8

Choosing the Lesser Evil Among the Presidential Candidates

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Only a few days to go before the national election in the Philippines, and yet many of us are still undecided on who to vote for on May 9.

Why, because we find no one among the presidential candidates worthy of the highest position in the country. Please do not call us perfectionists since you can hardly find anyone without any fault. But we believe it is because we are left to choose among the lesser evil.

The choices we have are quite unappealing which leads us to ask "Isn't there a more decent Filipino that could run for President?'

And when we say decent, it does not mean the "decent" that the Mar Roxas camp brands itself. We have our own meaning of the word decent and it does not reflect him at all.

The 2016 elections, just like every election before that, might turn out to be just another popularity campaign. Those candidates whose names are more actively proliferated throughout the many corners of the country, or highly grandstanded on a nationwide level, are those that win the vote of the masses. After all, not everyone is concerned of the nitty-gritty details about a candidate and just vote for the one who they originally favor in the very beginning. No more research since which of these information can you really trust nowadays. The Internet can be filled with so many propaganda stories especially if you have the funds to sell yourself online via release of so many positive news about you. It's usually the less talked about who really does the hard work, but he or she could not advertise their accomplishments that abundantly.

Overall, the world could be full of shit but many have the capacity to brainwash the people to believe those shit are good for us.

Below are some of our insights about the presidential candidates. Please read on and hope these information helps you vote wisely.

6 Fun Ways You Can Train Your Child’s Brain

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The idea that the brain can be trained to perform better is not new, and it’s all too often that we find out there are scientific bases for the exercises and activities we do to help us remember things better, pay more attention, and so on. But sometimes it can be hard to say what specific activities can do any good, and with all the information available via a single online search, you may feel confused about activities that will help rather than harm.

This is especially true for kids, because different approaches need to be taken for different stages of development, and it’s especially advantageous to start the brain training process young so they develop habits in their formative years and reap the benefits as early as grade school or even kindergarten.

Enter BrainFit Studios, who offer programs for kids aged 3 to 18 that help train the brain to process information faster and more accurately. They believe brain fitness is determined by strength in five areas or “pillars” of mental function: attention and memory, sensory-motor coordination, auditory and language processing, visual and spatial processing, and social-emotional self-regulation. They share a few tips and suggestions as to how parents can encourage their kids to build up their brain power.

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Honda Philippines invited media, riders clubs and dealers to a one-day event to launch their latest addition to the Honda Safety Driving Center line-up of training courses - the "1-Day Training Course" designed to teach new riders who recently bought their new motorcycle, may it be Honda brand or not.

Yes, the Honda Safety Driving Center located at Km. 17 East Service Road of South Super Hi-way, Paranaque, is open to all brands of motor vehicles. People can use their facilities to train regardless of which brand you prefer as your mode of transport.

The great thing about this training is that it is only available for a very low amount of P1,500. And there's a significant 25% discount promo for the first 100 people who would enroll on the program, making the fee drop to only P1,125.

Members of the media were given the opportunity to try out the training, while some, composed of the more experienced riders, were also challenged for the fastest rider who can go through a certain course which the Honda crew prepared to test the feature of their motorbikes.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

There's a new all-female group that's positively aiming to reach greater heights soon.

Jimmy Dee Productions takes pride in presenting to us the Dee Girls. They're all passionate, vibrant, and determined young ladies who are all eager to please everybody with their well-rehearsed song and dance numbers that are bound to mesmerize all kinds of audiences, especially the men, who would all gawk at their world-class talent and appeal.

Armed with that desire to excel and uphold a classier form of entertainment, it will be no surprise if you'll soon see them perform at popular venues both locally and international. From the Philippines, to Guam, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and even Hollywood, they can easily take command of the stage with their fabulous routines that are beyond extraordinary.

Since the group is quite new, expect that they'll do their very best to impress an audience all hungry for a resounding performance. With the right motivation and perseverance, they might as well declare a rightful success to be among the many, if not the top-most, talented all-ladies group in the Philippines and even the world.

The group is initially composed of 7 charming individuals namely Lea Ibanez, Nicole Nasayao, Tin Oco, Mary Rose Romualdez, Mariane Brenda Bordador, Jay Burbano, and Glyza Ibanez, and will soon be continuously growing its team members because the demand for better acts grows challenging everyday.

We interviewed some of the girls during the media launch held on April 27, 2016 at Merci Restaurant and Bar in Quezon City, and all are aspiring to be at their peak to graciously outshine and outperform other all-ladies groups when it comes to presenting a more diversified set of acts.

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The Brillante Ma Mendoza Film Workshop has recently held its culminating activity on April at the Samsung Hall located at SM Aura Premier where it also awarded the top films done during the workshop led by top internationally acclaimed and award-winning director Brillante Mendoza.

Your Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas was invited to witness this amazing event featuring the works of soon to be famous film makers who were guided and taught by renowned experts from the different fields involved in film making.

A pre-event dinner was held at the rooftop of SM Aura beside the half-spherical dome of the Samsung Hall. The sunset was witness to how film makers and enthusiasts, with their supporters, including invited members of the media, all gathered together to finally acknowledge the most significant work that was born out from the film workshop.

The top awards included recognition for best actor, actress, director and movie, plus a People's Choice award called the SM Choice Award where the audience that night voted for their top choice among the handful of participants whose films where shown that night.

One of the host took notice of one actress in the films known in the movie as Strawberry Girl, who was a real stunner in person as she was among the individuals who graced the event and even won as Best Actress.

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Satisfy your cool and sweet cravings this summer with Gumbo’s Fruity Sudae! This delicious ice cream concoction is simply made of vanilla and chocolate ice cream topped with your favourite fruits such as strawberries, bananas and cherries, both young and adults will surely like! Likewise enjoy other sumptuous treats at Gumbo such as Cajun Blackened Salmon, Barbecued Shrimps, Family Feast, Baked Artichoke Formagio, Cream Dory with Mango Salsa, Seafood Jambalaya, Seafood Gumbo, Fish & Chips, Ultimate Seafood Feast, Halibut Pesto, delightful pizzas and pasta and must-try desserts!

Gumbo restaurants are located at the 2nd level, Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia; 2nd level, The Block, SM City North Edsa; 3rd level, Robinsons Place Manila Midtown; 2nd level, Atrium Bldg., SM Megamall; Gateway Mall Araneta Center; and Robinsons Magnolia. For reservations and inquiries, please call 5560238, 4420106, 5671820 and 6353015.

Manila, Then and Now as Seen at "Maynila, Kay Ganda" Photo Exhibit

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Home Credit Philippines CEO David Minol, together with the local Czech community, showcased the beauty of the old and new Manila in a photo exhibit launched recently in Makati. The photo exhibit featured the photographs by Prof. Teodulo Protomatir, considered the Father of Philippine Photography.

Below is Minol (left) showing Jaroslav Olša, jr., Czech Ambassador to the Philippines, old photos of Manila from a private collection that were included in the photo exhibit dubbed "Maynila, Kay Ganda" (Manila, How Beautiful). According to Minol, who organized the exhibit together with the local Czech community, they aimed to showcase the beauty of Manila, both past and present, to Filipinos and foreigners alike.

The exhibit, located in Pivo Praha in Makati, features photographs of pre- and post-war Manila taken by Protomartir. The photos are juxtaposed with photos taken by Jun Miranda, who reproduced Protomartir’s shots using modern-day Manila, resulting in a ‘before and after’ perspective.

Jensen and the Flips Band Featured at A. Refinery Jam Sessions

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A band called Jensen and the Flips was featured at the Jam Sessions of A. Refinery which happened during the grand launch of their UP Town Center branch here in Metro Manila.

A. Refinery is concept store which specializes on top quality and branded audio solutions designed to satisfy even the most critical critic. They now have three branches where the other two are located in Ayala Malls in Davao and Cebu.

Jam Sessions were held after the opening ceremonies and featured popular bands like Mayonnaise and top emerging bands like Jensen and the Flips which is composed of 7 talented individuals but due to the space limitations at A. Refinery, only four decided to perform for us.

However, I would still say they did a splendid job of catching our attention all throughout their singing a total of 7 songs.

From their official Facebook fan page, it says FLIPS stands for Freaky Little Island People - now that's an ingenious way to describe their group led by, of course, a guy named Jensen Gomez who's the lead vocals of the band. Other members are Michael Gemina on drums and vocals, Choi Padilla on bass and vocals, Sam Valenia on guitar and vocals, Mel Rono on guitar, Miggy Concepcion on keyboards, and Carlo Maraingan on Perscussion.

Below are videos of all 7 of their performances held during the A. Refinery Jam Sessions:

Wazzup Pilipinas!

A. Refinery audio concept store opens up a branch here in Metro Manila, specifically at the UP Town Center. The brand has two branches in Davao and Cebu located also at Ayala Malls making this one in Manila their 3rd branch so far.

During the formal launch, we were introduced to the Jam Sessions, their series of performances featuring both up-and-coming or newly emerging bands like Jensen and the Flips, and already hugging the limelight bands like the Mayonnaise band.

For this blog post, we are highlighting the Mayonnaise band and we'll feature Jensen and the Flips on another blog post. Be sure to watch out for all of them or go directly to our video channel if you're too excited already to watch them.

Mayonnaise is an alternative rock band fronted by Monty Macalino as lead vocalist. They are known for their most popular song like "Jopay." They sang 5 songs at the A. Refinery Jam Sessions and Wazzup Pilipinas has all of them for your viewing pleasure.

Wazzup Pilipinas stayed on until all band performances were finish so we are proud to present to you all their songs on our video coverage available at our official YouTube channel at http://www.YouTube.com/user/wazzuppilipinas

Below are the embedded links to the Mayonnaise band videos for you to enjoy:

Summer Treat At Burgoo

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Beat the summer heat with this cool and refreshing Fruity Ice Cream from Burgoo! Simply combination of sumptuous vanilla and chocolate ice cream with fresh strawberries, bananas and cherries but this will surely satisfy your cool and sweet cravings. Enjoy them at all Burgoo outlets located at T. Morato in Quezon City; Powerplant Mall in Rockwell Makati; The Podium in Ortigas; Gateway Mall in Araneta Center Cubao; Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas; SM City The Block in North EDSA; Mall of Asia in Pasay; SM City Marikina: SM Southmall in Alabang, The District in Cavite, The Terraces Mall in Fairview, Vista Mall in Taguig and the newly-opened Solenad 3 in Sta Rosa Laguna.

Moreover don’t miss, Burgoo’s quality and sumptuous dishes for your dining pleasure which includes: Mozzarella Sticks, Fried Calamari, Gambas al Ajillo, Seafood Caesar Supreme, Shrimp Pomelo Salad, Frutte de Mare and Garden Fresh Pizza, Seafood Jambalaya Pasta, Seafood Linguini, Linguini with Clams, Shrimp Arrabiatta, Tomato Basil Spaghetti, Shrimps and Chips, Seafood Jambalaya,, Spinach Grilled Salmon, and Friday Fish Fry. For sweet endings, highly recommended are Raspberry Cheesecake, American Fruit Salad, Brownie ala Mode, etc.

For reservations and inquiries, please call 9277424, 8381815, 6875254, 7263578, 9136112, 5560091, 6336256 or 4420115.

Sekitori Authentic Japanese Restaurant

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Minna-san! Kore wa Sekitori Authentic Japanese Restaurant desu. Watashi wa Sekitori ni ikemashita. Tottemo, kirei na basho desu. Soshite food wa oishikatta desu! Sorekara menu wa takusan desu. Soshite takusan shashin o torimashita. Sekitori wa takusan tabemashita. Tottemo oishikatta desu.
When they brought out the wooden ship dish filled with sashimi - composed of beautifully arranged fresh fish, like the blue fin tuna in season from all over Japan - from their kitchen, I had to agree that it is indeed a feast for the eyes, as well as the taste buds!

Sekitori Authentic Japanese Restaurant really knows how to please for bringing out the best first, sustaining our delight with more than a dozen equally tasteful dishes ...and ending it with another winner for our dessert with assorted Japanese sweets.

The Sashimi Nihon Chokuso Mori that you see above is a mouthful that can already satisfy a few hungry souls. Though we had to make room for the other dishes, we opted to sample more than a slice of each kind for that night. We were warned that more dishes will be coming out, but they were just too good to ignore. It's not every day that you get to enjoy a huge treat as fresh as this.

But I was not surprised when something as huge as this ship full of sashimi was served because the restaurant's theme is also based on something big - the Japanese Sumo Wrestlers, specifically the Sekitori , a class or ranking in the middle of the sumo wrestler field, which was were they got the name of the restaurant. Also, the restaurant owner was a sumo wrestler himself, as well as some of his relatives.

Aruba Delivers Mobile-First Networking Portfolio to Accelerate the Move to the Digital Workplace

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Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, announced a new suite of integrated networking software and hardware solutions that enable enterprises to address the digital workplace requirements of GenMobile, today’s mobile-savvy workforce, and the escalating connectivity demands of Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The new portfolio enables IT teams to anticipate and resolve connectivity problems, and create secure policies to build digital workplaces that are optimized to boost employee productivity.

Legacy networking models were built on the concept of static, wired desktop clients communicating with a pool of internal servers, an approach that is outdated in today’s business environment. The proliferation of mobile and IoT devices, as well as cloud-based apps, has caused enterprises to rethink traditional connectivity and mobility requirements to accommodate new workplace behavior, where collaboration and non-routine schedules have become the new normal. As a result, organizations must adjust their approach to implementing employee-centric services to attract and retain top talent.

Aruba’s new set of networking solutions and software-powered approach advance its offering beyond fixed, hardware-focused networking solutions. The new, integrated wired and wireless portfolio, combined with innovations in network management and security, allow IT organizations to design and augment their networks for the digital workplace.

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Can online access to data change commercial real estate?

Buying property is usually the single biggest purchase a person will make over the course of their life. The process of searching for a new home is arduous and any prospective buyer will consume vast quantities of information before tenuously making their final decision.

The Internet age has ushered a new epoch, where consumers have most of the power. When shopping for a house you can use Lamudi an online portal that provides a prospector with numerous data points: recent sales in the area, price fluctuations in the past year, average prices per square meter and even mortgage prices. This puts the customer in the driving seat when it comes to negotiations.

Although information is now readily available online for private real estate, commercial real estate remains a different animal. It is still quite difficult to obtain information about lease and sales transactions and even in some cases the available space. Transparency of data has completely disrupted other major markets recently, Uber being the classic example, so is commercial real estate the next to change, change utterly?