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Thursday, November 17, 2016

Senator Risa Hontiveros Pushes for Debt Audit in 2017 Budget


Wazzup Pilipinas!

An audit of loan agreements challenged as illegitimate, fraudulent and/or wasteful was pushed in the proposed P1.9 trillion 2017 national government budget by Senator Risa Hontiveros.

In her maiden budget interpellation on Tuesday, Hontiveros proposed the inclusion in the said budget of a special provision to “hold in trust” interest payments for at least 20 loan agreements pending a thorough review through a congressional debt audit.

Hontiveros assured that debts validated to be aboveboard will continue to be serviced. However, those proven to be illegitimate or riddled with questionable processes, contractual obligations, purposes and use will be subjected to renegotiation and/or repudiation. Subsequently, funds allotted for their payments will be re-channeled to augment the government’s spending for important social services.

“It is only apt that the Duterte government’s first proposed appropriation law dubbed as ‘a budget for real change,' has a specific policy language to safeguard the nation’s coffers from illegitimate loan agreements. It is only common sense that we should not pay what we don’t owe. A congressional debt audit is a step in the right direction to scrutinize these debts and avoid repeating the mistakes of the past,” Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros explained that the country endured paying for illegitimate debts in the past like the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) and the defunct Austrian Medical Waste Incinerator Project. She cited a study by the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC) which has identified 20 questionable loan agreements amounting to P 900 million (please see attached) in the proposed 2017 budget. The debt watchdog said that many of the loans came from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the World Bank (WB).

Senator Loren Legarda, who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, and principal sponsor of the proposed budget, agreed to a congressional debt audit.

 

“BNPP revival a public health risk”

Meanwhile, Hontiveros opposed the government’s plan to revive BNNP, saying it poses a serious risk to public health. She said that one of the primary consequences of radiation exposure is DNA damage while long term risks include an increased probability of contracting thyroid cancer and leukemia. The senator also argued that nuclear experts couldn’t provide a fail-safe measure to dispose of nuclear waste.

Hontiveros added that the proposed revival of the BNPP runs contrary to the prevailing attitudes of more experienced nations regarding the future of nuclear energy.

“In the wake of the Fukushima disaster, Germany, through its Energiewnede program, has pledged to fully close all of its nuclear energy plants by 2022. The risks to human health and the environment cannot be overstated. We live in an age where our actions directly shape the natural world. Our existing laws such as the Renewable Energy Act of 2008 represents our commitment to renewable energy and increase its share in our energy mix.”

Everything You Need to Know Before Joining a Property Auction


Wazzup Pilipinas!

To prepare interested participants of the most-anticipated activity set to happen at the Lamudi Housing Fair on November 18 to 20, property portal Lamudi Philippines listed down some basic guidelines for the property auction. Led by partner banks RCBC Savings Bank and Philippine National Bank and My Saving Grace Realty & Development Corporation, the property auction will showcase hundreds of properties that can be taken home by the highest bidder.

Ramil Alquileta, owner of MSGRDC, a brokerage that specializes in property auctions and foreclosed properties, shared important reminders for the public to be ready with the basic requirements when attending an auction.

Proper Identification and Show Money

As with any other public events, aspiring bidders in a property auction need to bring all legal identifications that he or she can provide. Government-issued ID’s with signature and picture is a must. Prior to the start of the public auction, a bidder needs to present his or her name and a valid ID. Subsequently, a paddle to bid will only be given upon registration and deposit of show money. The required show money per property varies on the bidding amount that you wish to place. For Php1 million and below minimum bid price per property, a show money of Php10,000 is required while for Php1 million and above, a Php25,000 show money per property must be deposited. This can be in the form of cash or Manager’s Check.

For winning bidders, the show money will be considered as a reservation fee and will be deducted to the total price that they will pay. On the other hand, unsuccessful bidders will get their show money back.

For bidders who cannot be physically present during the auction proper, an authorized representative may stand on his or her behalf. The authorized representative on auction day must submit a Letter of Authority signed by both the Bidder and the Representative. For signature verification purposes, the Representative must likewise present photocopies of the Bidder’s valid government issued ID with a clear imprint of the Bidder’s signature.

Bidding Rules and Regulations

The bidding is presided over by a representative of the Selling Entity or owners of the properties subject for bidding. An auction officially starts when the selling entity announces the minimum bid on a particular property. The price will then progressively increase following the standard increment for others to challenge until such time that only the highest bidder remains.

Upon the fall of the hammer, the selling entity will announce the paddle number of the winning bidder, likewise, the selling entity reserves the right to reject any or all bids for whatever reason it deem fit. After winning the bid, an Award Certificate will be given to the winner bearing the name, amount and description of the property.

After the issuance of the Award Certificate but before execution of Contract to Sell, the selling entity shall conduct whatever investigation (i.e., court case checking, credit investigation, etc.) over the winning bidder. Should there be negative findings that the Winning Bidder did not disclose, the selling entity has the right to cancel the Award Certificate and forfeit any amount paid.

Tips and Advice

Other documents such as Marriage of Certificate (if applicable) and valid Community Tax Certificate will also come in handy to fast track your papers in case you are the highest bidder. It will also be helpful if you can bring financial documents, such as Certificate of Employment and Income or pay slip issued in the last three months, Income Tax Return (ITR) and bank statements.

In addition, Alquileta also recommended that studying the properties before participating in the actual bid is crucial and necessary, after all big financial decisions such as home-buying requires due diligence.

Lamudi Philippines and partner MSGRDC will showcase some of the 15,000 foreclosed properties that they manage and will offer it for auction to the public at the Lamudi Housing Fair on November 20. On the other hand, RCBC will conduct its property auction during the Housing Fair on November 18, while PNB on November 19. All auctions will start at 2 p.m.

Take advantage of the property auction only at the biggest housing event in the country this 2016. Apart from the auction, the Lamudi fair will also feature the widest selection of properties and offer exclusive discounts to homebuyers and property investors. Investment and homebuying seminars and virtual reality application in real estate can also be learned and enjoyed at the fair.


For more information, visit www.lamudi.com.ph/housing_fair/

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Trek Valdizno's Space Dust on Exhibit at Galleria Duemila


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Space dust. A whiff and a puff on the canvas. The artist explores geometrical and biomorphic figures, a niche beyond his comfort zone of abstraction. The looseness and fluidity of colors are turned into shapes of imagined realities.

The play on metallics is a muted method of elegance, a style that besets the artist’s works. Like sorcery, a belief of undetermined results highlights a being in conscious, present in a chaotic world yet ascending to a greater consciousness. Space Dust. A magic cast on the canvas.

Trek Valdizno is a graduate of the University of the Philippines with a degree in Fine Arts major in Painting. His works has been exhibited in Ayala Museum, Vargas Museum and Cultural Center of the Philippines. He also did commissioned and collaborative works in various international institutions in Australia, Hong Kong and France. •

The exhibition will run from Nov. 12 to Dec. 31, 2016 at Galleria Duemila, located at 210 Loring St. 1300 Pasay City. 

For more information, please email them at hello@galleriaduemila.com or at art@galleriaduemila.com. Visit their website at www.galleriaduemila.com and follow us them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @galleriaduemila


Space Dust
Trek Valdizno


EXHIBITION RUN: Nov. 12 - Dec. 31, 2016
OPENING RECEPTION: Nov. 12, Saturday, 4pm


Exhibition curated by Sandra Palomar

Get "Blown Away" with Glass Blowing and Glass Sculpting by Czech Artist Jiri Pacinek at Museo Orlina


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Museo Orlina in Tagaytay City presents a rare demonstration of hot glass blowing and glass sculpting,
to be conducted by prominent Czech glass artist Jiri Pacinek from November 18 - 20.

This will be held on the stage of the amphitheater of the Sculpture Garden.

Mr. Pacinek has shipped in from the Czech Republic his portable furnace and annealer, as well as other glassblowing and sculpting equipment.

He and his team of experts will be creating sculptural pieces on the spot, live on our stage,
and will call on volunteers from the audience to try simple glassblowing and hot sculpting.

The program will also include a brief lecture, an interview portion and a tour of his exhibition “Blown Away
of 30 recent works at the Reflections Gallery of Museo Orlina, curated by the eminent art critic and scholar Cid Reyes.

A special invitation goes out to:

1. Art Practitioners for Friday, Nov 18, 2016
2. Fine Art Students and Faculty for Saturday, Nov 19, 2016.

We are offering two sessions for the workshops on November 18 and 19, 2016:

1. 10.00am-1.00pm
2. 2.00pm-5.00pm

Nominal workshop fees apply per session. For those interested please pre-register online:

Online Form Link for students/faculty: https://goo.gl/2RJPcN

Online Form Link for art practitioners: https://goo.gl/4IR8hu

Please do not hesitate to contact us at 09175315108 or tel nos 7815918/7496439 for any inquiries. 

Chef Laudico's Feast is Now Open at SM Clark in Angeles, Pampanga


Wazzup Pilipinas!

"#FeastAllYouCan with our wide spread of dishes, from all time Pinoy favorites to amazing fusion dishes, each recipe is made from the freshest ingredients with all natural spices and flavoring."

Chef Laudico's Feast - a festival of food just as how we Filipinos love to celebrate every occasion with a festive feast. Their newest buffet restaurant located at SM Clark in Angeles, Pampanga may not be as big as some of the other brands out there in Manila, but aside from the flavorful select dishes, the restaurant has a big heart to offer only the best for your health - like no MSGs or artificial and instant seasonings, just like their other restaurants carrying the Laudico brand.

They use only natural spices and flavoring and never the branded ones which offer instant flavorings that contain unwanted and unnecessary ingredients that would eventually only cause more harm than good.

What I love about the Laudicos is that they serve only what's best for you. Like in our interview earlier, though I was encouraging everyone to come visit the restaurant daily, Chef Roland immediately said that's not advisable because we might get a heart attack if we abuse our food intake. Lol!

This is probably why my cover photo is the sushi and not the "meaty" dishes, I am for a bountiful feast but as what Chef Roland implied, we don't need to abuse our health by pampering ourselves with a buffet meals occasionally only. But just how can you resist coming back to a smorgasbord of gastronomic delights? Well, some people say we only live once, so our lifetime should be spent experiencing everything possible before regrets come in to haunt us. However, we also need to live a good, productive and fruitful life so we can leave a legacy worth remembering.

Globe and PHIVOLCS Team Up in Developing Hazard and Risk Information Maps


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Globe Telecom has teamed up with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) in developing data base for 56 provinces. The information are integrated with the PHIVOLCS-developed Rapid Earthquake Damage Assessment System (REDAS) software, a tool which can be used in developing hazard and risk information.

REDAS, a hazard simulation software of PHIVOLCS that aims to produce seismic hazard and risk maps immediately after the occurrence of a potentially damaging earthquake, can be used as a tool for emergency preparedness, and contingency planning, Globe Chief Finance Officer and Chief Risk Officer Rizza Maniego-Eala said.

“Globe Telecom, as a telecommunications provider, is cognizant of the fact that availability of telecommunication services especially during times of emergencies is critical not only in minimizing casualties but also in providing rescue and rehabilitation efforts. We hope that the effective utilization of REDAS can provide deeper understanding and appreciation of earthquake hazards and risks that will hopefully lead to a more comprehensive planning and active formulation of an effective disaster prevention program and policies that will benefit not only service providers like Globe but also the entire country,” Eala said.

Specifically, Globe provided financial support for the creation of the additional REDAS hazard database. The built-in database consisted of multi-hazard maps from PAGASA and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) as well as census and base maps from government institutions.

Celebrating Filipino Christmas at the 18th Global Pinoy Bazaar


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Many people in most parts of the world say that Christmas season in the Philippines is the longest to celebrate. As early as September, most Filipinos plan ahead on various things--- the gifts to purchase for the Christmas parties, the things to buy for their godchildren and their relatives, new clothes to sport at the Misa de Gallo, and even foods to prepare for Noche Buena. Most often than not, we feel that Christmas is almost near when he hear yuletide songs everywhere and we see the holiday rush from different malls and trade centers.

Yabang Pinoy believes that Christmas is the most perfect occasion to splurge on the things that we wanted to share to our friends and loved ones. On December 7-11 (Wednesday to Sunday), Yabang Pinoy will once again step into the spotlight for the 18th Global PInoy Bazaar at Glorietta Activity Center, Makati City with the theme “Celebrating Filipino Chritmas”. It will be a fete of Filipino creativity and ingenuity for the Christmas season as we feature the different iconic brands and upbeat startups.

This event will be the biggest bazaar of Yabang Pinoy this year as we stage almost one hundred and fifty (150) different brands that will perfectly fit your Christmas wishlist. Aside from the regular clothing, footwear and accessories mix, there will be specialized zones in the bazaar that will help the shoppers to decide on their retail options. Such zones are the DISTRICT ZONE that caters to the art and design brands, FOODSOURCE ZONE which is a collection of food and beverage brands, and HOMEBRAND ZONE that houses the brands developed by the volunteers of Yabang Pinoy.


Come and see Filipino Christmas in full color and experience retail adventure with love and pride.

Wazzup Pilipinas is a proud media partner!

Please visit www.yabangpinoy.com or e-mail globalpinoy2016@gmail.com for more information.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Hontiveros to LGUs: Respect and Fully Implement RH Law


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Senator Risa Hontiveros and Rep. Emmeline Aglipay-Villar vows to defend the RH law budget in a press conference last September.

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros called on the local government of Sorsogon City to respect the full implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act (Republic Act 10354), also known as the RH Law, after a Commission on Human Rights (CHR) report indicated that it withheld artificial contraceptives from women residents in the last four years.

“Sorsogon City Mayor Sally Lee, who is otherwise known as an advocate of women's participation in societal affairs, should immediately answer the serious allegations made by the CHR. Withholding artificial contraceptives from women is an insult to the hard work of Filipino women’s movement who waited 13 long years for the passage of the RH Law," Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros, who is the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography, said that the RH Law is a landmark piece of legislation that solidified reproductive health rights and choices.

"The government must provide free access to family planning commodities to poor women nationwide to help address the country’s high maternal mortality rate. Our women should be given the widest array of options on how to plan and manage their families. Withholding access to contraceptives is a clear violation of the law,” Sen. Hontiveros said.

It was reported that the CHR has documented reports that women in far-flung barangays in Sorsogon City were denied reproductive health products and services. The documentation likewise reported of unwanted pregnancies and instances that women gave up their babies for adoption as a result of the denial of RH services.

“We want the Sorsogon City government to explain and be accountable to these alleged violations. It is our moral and civil obligation to ensure that we continue to respect, protect and uphold women’s rights. The refusal to implement the RH Law is an utmost disrespect to the choices of women regarding family planning methods in accordance with the law. Kailangan may sumagot at may managot sa mga paglabag na ito,” she added.

Hontiveros vowed to ensure the full funding of the RH Law in the proposed 2017 National Budget

Lazada Philippines Sweeps the Christmas Season with More Than 400,000 Items in 24 Hours


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Lazada Philippines has set a new record on the first day of its highly-anticipated shopping event. On November 11, Filipino shoppers checked out more than 400,000 items on the website and mobile app.

“Online Revolution is the biggest online shopping event in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.” said Inanc Balci, CEO of Lazada Philippines. “We created Online Revolution in 2012 to encourage more consumers to experience the benefits of shopping online. Every year we see a larger pool of online shoppers, with growing diversity across generations and geographical locations. This was once again confirmed this year, as we saw consumers ordering from places as far as Bongao, Tawi-Tawi to purchase international and local brands not previously available to them. This makes us very excited about the future”

The operations team was in full swing as items shipped from the warehouse were 22x more than an average day. The shortest lead time from checkout to delivery was a record-breaking 8 hours, a feat worth celebrating at the Lazada warehouse. The first 11.11 delivery was received by a customer at 10:29am.

Filipinos were truly in a Christmas shopping frenzy. With deals starting from midnight, shoppers spent about seven minutes on the Lazada’s website and fourteen minutes on the Lazada mobile app. In the first minute of the sale alone, a total of 241 items were checked out, ending the day with more than 400,000 items.

11.11 is only the beginning of a month long sales event. During the next 4 weeks, Lazada will tailor its offering to all its customers’ interests with a weekly curated selection of items for beauty fans, supermoms and families, techies and fashionistas. The deals extend over 17 product categories including Fashion, Health & Beauty, Home & Living, and Electronics.

Customers also get a chance to win an Isuzu D-Max and Turkish Airlines international roundtrip tickets with a minimum purchase. Join the Christmas shopping craze by visiting www.lazada.com.ph or downloading the Lazada Mobile App for free.

The Power of Pen Food Writing Forum Visayas Tour Speakers


Wazzup Pilipinas!

Food has gone out of the confines of the kitchen. For many years now, its emergence in art has influenced our experience with cookery. Aside from the act of preparing a dish; our contemporary culture has opened to many other subjects of interest such as food blogging, food styling, and food writing in general.

In fact, the vast surfacing of blogs and social media platforms have instituted food blogging as a career path for those who would like to establish themselves in the culinary world.

Food writing and critiquing however are not merely made of personal commentaries of one’s experience of a specific dish or restaurant. Its arising demand for discourse and discussion have initiated The Power of Pen, a food writing forum workshop that aims to instruct both amateur and professional writers and culinary practitioners as to how they should utilize writing in their chosen fields of either exploration or expertise.

 On its 5th year, The Power of Pen is touring Visayas with the University of Cebu as its co-­‐presentor and official venue. The forum will be studded by highly commendable personalities from our culinary and cultural threshold from chefs and restaurateurs to authors and publishers.
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