The Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta Returns for Its 22nd Run

Wazzup Pilipinas!

For the 22nd Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta,  held from February 8 to 11, 2018 at Omni Aviation Airfield of Clark, Pampanga, you may just want to attend the early morning ceremonies only. That's when they blow up the balloons and fly to the skies.....but that may be too early for kids so you may want to reconsider bringing them to this Weekend of Everything that Flies.

Also, the event is not recommended for those with asthma or breathing problems because of too much dust at the area...so wear a mask. Plus you need sunblock because of the sun and plenty of water to fight the thirst due to heat. Though there are a few food stalls to choose from. Some souvenir spots to buy items or booths for photo ops and selfies.

But parking is a bit far from the site, so expect to walk a few, and thus sweat a bit.

You may just want to go on a food trip around Pampanga since it is known for its culinary expertise.....or try the newly-opened Yami Bulgogi at SM Clark if you want good old airconditioned...then be back for the night glow at night time (now only during weekends - Sat and Sun) and a concert featuring local OPM bands and singers.

For first-timers, you'll be awed at all the balloons when they are inflated all at the same time, but frequent visitors to this event would notice the big difference.

There are other attractions, like the Wing Walker exhibitions, that were not there last year, but some highlights from before were also no longer there.

The entrance fee may be a bit stiff considering what you'll find there but I'll gladly pay up if I want to capture great shots using a professional top-of-the-line digital camera for photos and videos.

There were quite a number of fancy balloons of different shapes and sizes plus a few sponsors with balloons of their own too.

Getting in a balloon to actually fly with the pilot is something very memorable but do expect heat on top of your head coming from the contraption that fires up hot air to the balloons. They should provide water bottles for you to drink in case you get dehydrated up there. But it would be best to bring your own.

If you must know, there's another hot air balloon event to be held in Lubao, also in Pampanga, and held after two months sonif you miss this one, you can go there instead. This second hot air balloon event rivals the first one since the organizers of both events were formerly one group. Now they separated and setup their own different events.

More photos can be found at http://www.Facebook.com/wazzuppilipinas

Photography by Collin Yap

#WazzupPilipinas #PambansangBlogger

On the Protest Rally of Anakbayan Against the DOTr’s Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok Operations

Wazzup Pilipinas!

DOTr PRESS STATEMENT

08 February 2018

The protest rally of leftist group Anakbayan against the “Tanggal Bulok, Tanggal Usok” operations in UP Diliman is unfortunate and unwarranted.  

The surprise operations was conducted after Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade received text complaints from UP students during an interview in a radio program that there are a lot of old, dilapidated, and smoke-belching jeepneys roaming in UP. 

To assist commuters who were affected by the operations, solar-powered jeepneys were deployed to ferry affected passengers to their destinations.

Anakbayan prides itself as a progressive youth organization. Sadly, their actions speak of the opposite. Their actions also do not reflect the majority of our youth, who they claim to represent.

Implementing the campaign against smoke-belching PUVs is a tough, but necessary task. It is long overdue. This is an integral part of the PUV Modernization Program, which aims to bring about a comprehensive system reform of the public transportation industry. 

The DOTr is bent on giving the riding public a safer and more comfortable commuting experience. Is Anakbayan opposed to better public transportation? Is Anakbayan opposed to progress?

#PUVModernizationNOW #SupportPUVModernization

RUNRIO Honors Winners of 2017 Trilogy Race Series

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The group announces its line-up of activities for 2018

 RUNRIO Events, Inc., the country’s premier organizer of running events, recently held the RUNRIO Trilogy Awards at the Grand Ballroom of the Okada Manila in Pasay City.

The main highlight of the event is the RUNRIO Trilogy Awards. This is intended to recognize the last year’s runners who completed the 2017 RUNRIO Trilogy Series where they completed the three-leg race series namely, 21k, 32k, and 42k that happened last June 25, August 31 and October 1, respectively. The awards will not only recognize the participants but will also honor the fastest and the oldest finishers. All awardees will receive a limited edition medal hanger.

“The RUNRIO Trilogy Awards is our way of showing our appreciation to all those who participated and gave everything they’ve got fueled by their #HeartToFinish strong,” said Andrew Neri, RUNRIO Events, Inc. Managing Partner.

Moreover, the evening will also be an opportunity for RUNRIO to present YesPinoy Foundation with a PhP500,000.00 donation. Founded in 2009, the foundation in partnership with Taclob, produces emergency bags made by survivors of Typhoon Yolanda. The aim is to provide hooded cloak backpacks with emergency kits and learner’s materials to young people in vulnerable public schools particularly those in areas affected by Typhoons.

Aside from the Trilogy Awards, RUNRIO also announced the scheduled of races for 2018 as the RUNRIO Trilogy Race Series expands its presence in Cebu. This year, the first leg of the race series will be held on March 4 in Cebu and on March 18 in Manila. The second leg will be in Cebu this time on May 6 and again in Manila on June 3. The last leg will be on August 19 and again on September 23 in Cebu and Manila, respectively.

Running enthusiasts can also look forward to more exciting running activities in store for everyone. First is the 5k Family Run. For this race, teams must consist of two adults and two kids. Each kid must be 15 years or below to qualify. The 5k Barkada Run, on the other hand, is open to four adults each of whom must be 16 years of age or older. There is also the 10k Buddy Run which, is also for participants 16 years old and above.

As an added incentive for runners, participants who register in groups are entitled to a substantial discount on the registration fees.

“This year promises to be exciting for us and for all those who want to join our runs,” said Coach Rio Dela Cruz, RUNRIO President and CEO. “Running enthusiasts can look forward to the 2018 RUNRIO Trilogy not only as an avenue to push their limits but also to spend quality time with friends and family.”

The RUNRIO Trilogy was made possible by its other partners, namely, Gatorade, Maynilad, Garmin, SM Mall of Asia, Nyxsys, Inside Manila, Fitbar, KitKat, Efes, Nizoral, Salonpas, and Milcu Deodorant Powder.

For more information on the registration fees and the online registration schedule, visit www.runrio.com.

Survey Reveals Filipinos Are Among Most Confidently Ignorant About Issues

Wazzup Pilipinas!

It's ironic that in this age of highly developed information technology, most people speak confidently about issues they are really ignorant of.

A survey revealed that the Philippines is one of the most ignorant countries in the world regarding issues about the nation. But it doesn't mean we're dumb. Our country placed 3rd because we just choose to ignore, and forget, stuff. And that's worse.

Perhaps the questions are biased? I'd like to see the questions/methodology before believing their conclusion. Further I'd blame TV. Better that they measured idiocy levels of audience on TV because it has been dumbing the masses for so long already with all thise predictable teleseryes and noontime shows.

Sadly, we are also exposed to an oppressive political environment (specifically systemic suppression of education) which is the more likely cause. It's been around since the Spanish colonial days. Ever wondered why education is still not the top prioriry? Because knowledgeable constituents are more difficult to control. But that only goes so far. We might not have created the problem, but we're at least partially culpable if we don't address it.

"Ay yay yay….. Most uninformed yet most confident…. dangerous combination.

My thoughts:  I think we are too emotional when we engage national issues.  The more emotions we have, the more we feel we own an issue.  But come to think of it, ownership really means understanding root causes and the dynamics of the issues.  Sadly, we stop with the emotions and judge without truly understanding.  This is probably why we are left demanding too much of ALL our leaders without adequately making them truly accountable.  This is a strong indicator of our great lack of social accountability.

This is a form of entitlement."

Be prepared to laugh, roll your eyes, shake your head, and maybe even shed a tear or two. Our Best and Brightest are seemingky "ignoramus" when it comes to the expected skills and wisdom since just about anybody popular and with influence could become a leader.

It is the Dunning-Kruger effect. "Confidently ignorant."

What is Dunning-Kruger effect?

It is a phenomenon where people with little knowledge or skill think they know more or have more skill than they do. This occurs while simultaneously overlooking and/or underestimating the knowledge and skills of those involved in the task at hand.

Did we get worse after one year? Tell us who to blame.

"'It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.' attributed to Mark Twain who also campaigned for our sovereignty back in the day."

UP Math Club to Hold the 45th Annual Nationwide Search fir Math Wizard

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The University of the Philippines Mathematics Club (UPMC) will be hosting the 45th Annual Nationwide Search for the Math Wizard, one of the country’s most prestigious math competitions in the collegiate level. The event will be held on February 17, 2018 at the University of the Philippines Diliman.

The competition is open to all undergraduate college students. Eliminations will be held at the Institute of Mathematics while the final round will be held at the NISMED Auditorium.
Coverage of the competition will be: Algebra (Linear, Vector, and Analytic), Geometry, Trigonometry, Elementary Statistics and Probability, Logic, Number Theory, Elementary Calculus (Differential and Integral), and applications of the topics listed.

The registration fee for the event is Php 230 for early registrants and Php 250 for walk-in registrants. Cash prizes will be given to the winners: 4th-6th place – Php 500, 3rd place – Php 1500, 2nd place – Php 5,000, and 1st place – Php 10,000.

You may register online through this link: tinyurl.com/MW2018-JOIN. The mechanics of the competition can be viewed at tinyurl.com/MW2018-RULES.

For inquiries, feel free to send a message to our Facebook page:
facebook.com/upmathclub.mw. You may contact us at 0975 184 4581 (Celine) or upmathclub.org@gmail.com. You may also visit our booth at the UP Diliman Institute of Mathematics until February 15, 2018.

To request for an invitation, kindly send a message to our Facebook page, or send an email to upmathclub.org@gmail.com.

This event is presented by the UP Mathematics Club. Also brought to you by UP Diliman Institute of Mathematics, Study International, Tokyo Finds, Zest-O, National Youth Commission, Adarna House, and Orange Segment Print and Design Studio. With our media partners Maroon FM, CHALK.PH, DZUP, and Wazzup Pilipinas.

About the University of the Philippines Mathematics Club (UPMC)
Established in 1921, the University of the Philippines Mathematics Club is a non-stock, non-profit university-wide organization dedicated to promoting and sustaining students’ interest in mathematics through competitive and friendly activities.
To learn more, visit facebook.com/UPMathematicsClub.

DOTr-LTFRB Orders All PUV Operators, Drivers to Grant 20% Fare Discount to PWDs

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade through the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has ordered the full compliance of all Public Utility Vehicles (PUVs) operators and drivers in granting a 20% fare discount to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).

Memorandum Circular (MC) ‎‎2018-004 or the order on PWD fare discount was issued pursuant to Republic Act No. 10754 or “An Act Expanding the Benefits and Privileges of Persons with Disability.”

Under the MC, PWDs can avail of the discounted fares provided they present documents such as an identification card issued by the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons or duly authorized LGU officials.

Having a natural soft spot for the elderly and PWDs, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade said the discount is a benefit guaranteed by the law.

“Napakaliit na bagay nito para sa mga kababayan nating may kapansanan. Kaya sana naman, lahat ng ating PUV operators at drivers, mula jeep hanggang taxi ay sundin ito,” said Tugade.

PWDs can also avail of the full 20% fare discount from Transportation Network Vehicle Services (TNVS), such as Grab and Uber, and taxi service, regardless of the number of his/her companions.

Violators shall be slapped with a PhP5,000 fine for the first offense, PhP10,000 for the second offense plus a six-month suspension of their Certificate of Public Convenience (CPC).

For the third and final offense, operators would have their franchises cancelled or revoked.

Under the RA 10754, the DOTR and those agencies attached under its administrative supervision and control shall issue the similar guidelines, circulars or directives related to domestic air, sea, and land transportation travel, including Light Transit, Metro Rail Transit and the Philippine National Railways.

Cine Lokal Highlights Pride and Love in ‘4 Days’

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Will you stay inside a relationship that keeps you from being proud?

Cine Lokal continues its offering on all kinds of love this month with the 4 Days, an LGBT romantic drama directed by award-winning film director Adolf Alix Jr. and featuring Mikoy Morales and Sebastian Castro.

4 Days tells the story of two college friends who slowly realize they mean more to each other than either had initially realized. The film joins Derek and Mark in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day over the course of a few 

years- charting the blossoming of a friendship in to something much more enduring as time goes on - and challenging both to question who they thought they were and who they truly want to me. Painting a moving picture of how an abiding friendship can sometimes lead to love - and how we sometimes have to wrestle with our own demons to find their true self, 4 Days is achingly romantic and delicate.

Watch 4 Days as it opens in the following cinemas this February 9 at SM Mall of Asia, Megamall, North Edsa, Fairview, Southmall, Bacoor, Sta. Mesa and Bacoor at 1:00pm, 3:30pm, 6:00pm and 8:30pm.

Musical Theater Songwriter William Elvin to Release New Album of Personal Songs in October

Wazzup Pilipinas!

After producing a string of original Filipino musicals, including 2011’s “Rizal X”, 2013’s “Maxie The Musicale” and 2016’s “Mula sa Buwan”, singer-songwriter William Elvin is set to release a new collection of personal songs on Spotify and Apple Music in October this year.

Having gained fan support through his emotionally vulnerable and brutally honest musical works, songs such as Ang Sabi Nila (Mula sa Buwan), But I Love No One But You and Tonight, I Break Some Promises (Rizal X) have garnered thousands of listeners on Spotify. With the new album’s release, William aims to express his musical message on a more personal level and connect with his listeners more intimately.

“I think the new album will be an exploration of where I am now as an artist as opposed to where I was creatively when I was just starting out,” said William. “It will contain a mix of songs I have recently written here in HK and some that were from when I was 17 years old,” he revealed.

William Elvin started performing music in 2003 with small band gigs in the now-defunct iconic rock club Mayric’s in Espana, Manila. He then went on to become a performer, writer and director for the stage after being trained in Dulaang UP, the official theater group of the University of the Philippines Diliman.  He is now based in Hong Kong and is active in the Filipino musician community in the city, and continues to perform with his band William Elvin and the Circus Tour.

To listen to William Elvin’s music, visit his official website at www.williamelvinmusic.com, or like his official Facebook page www.facebook.com/williamelvinmusicj.

How 5G Gadgets will turbocharge the move to the cloud

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Most gadgets already have some sort of connection to the internet. Web based email accounts, storage applications like Dropbox, spreadsheets and word processes from Google - and a myriad more applications - are just different ‘Front Ends’ to the cloud. Credible estimates suggest that the cloud is already responsible for nearly 60% of company IT spend and that this trend will continue, rising to 80% of company IT budgets before the end of the decade.

And now, here comes 5G for any new gadgets that come to market. 5G is likely to change the nature of what we do, the ways that we do it and could result in the currently cheap cost of mobile data services rising quickly, to be a higher proportion of family and business expenses.

5G may be here much sooner than you think - in around 2 years

A host of gadgets are going to make use of 5G. 5G technology, which will supersede 4G / LTE connectivity, from the year 2020 (trials will start in most countries as early as 2018), will offer data speeds so fast that for most users, downloads will seem to occur instantaneously and bandwidth will seem infinite. It’s this sort of super speed that will turbo charge the move to the cloud for business and consumers alike.

What's more, gadgets that use 5G will benefit from something we've never experienced before : near zero latency. (5G connections will respond in less than 1 millisecond. Humans can only detect responses less than around 200 milliseconds.

An example of the difference 5G can make to your gadgets

As soon as you hit enter, whatever gadget you’re using, you'll get the response to your query. Both aspects of 5G favour web based interactions, over larger, more expensive to maintain and inconvenient to download native apps.

At the moment, using Google Sheets, (Google’s free web based Excel equivalent) for example, can be slower than undertaking the same task on Microsoft’s software. The difference users experience is precisely because of the latency between the submission of information to each cell and the time it takes the page to download / respond. 

To the user, this appears as a delay between pressing return and seeing the numbers they’ve typed in appear on the page. In Excel, the information is held and worked on locally rather than in the cloud which works better when processing power and storage is local. The principal applies both to laptop and smartphone interactions.

What could happen to the apps we use when 5G gets here

More than 50% of all internet transactions are already performed from mobile devices. When 5G arrives, the new technical features of the technology are likely to cause an even faster migration of the things which are not currently in the cloud, across to web based.

In simple terms Google's free 'Sheets' software will function just as effectively over a 5G connection as Excel does now. We will all benefit from the change. Sheets is free, to begin with, can be worked on by many people at the same time and is automatically backed up. 

Since processing is done centrally, it’s more efficient. Instead of the processor in your phone or laptop being unused most of the time, it’s far more likely that centralized resources will be better utilized. That’s the primary reason we have networks, after all, to make resource utilization more efficient.

Summing up 5G's effect on all your gadgets

Ironically, the centralization of everything in the cloud could lead to things being more, not less available. When Doctors can operate remotely, using a 5G connection, as if they were in the same room as the person being operated on, they can remove the need for patients to travel to them.

At an individual level, the phones we use may become much cheaper – since expensive processors and storage will no longer have to be bought by the user – they will be available online for a fraction of the cost. Prices for digital services are likely to fall as standards rise and the world moves to a ‘pay per use’ model of everything.

5G is likely to be so successful at driving adoption of web based services that WiFi, the last mile of current fixed connections will have to be improved or it will be sidestepped. Our expectations of technology are rising rapidly and are re-framed by every new ‘optimal’ experience we have. When we’re used to infinite bandwidth and immediate turnaround from 5G, why would we settle for less elsewhere?

If there is a fly in the ointment, it’s the relative costs involved. Mobile data is typically far more expensive than fixed equivalents, where only the final steps are over a mobile, wifi network. Mobile phone bills are already around 5% of household bills. Even with the ongoing reductions in the price of data delivered by phone companies over mobile networks, the move to the cloud will end up costing even more than it does now, for consumers and businesses alike.

Go Beyond Boundaries. Create Tomorrow's Possibilities

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The 2017 Most Outstanding Finance Student Organization in South Luzon, Southern Luzon State University – Junior Financial Executives (SLSU JFINEX) in Lucban, Quezon will be celebrating its 9th foundation anniversary.

The event will be held on February 9, 2018 at SLSU Covered Court. The theme of Finance Fest 2018 is “Go Beyond Boundaries. Create Tomorrow’s Possibilities”.

This one-day event aims to encourage its 450 member-students to refresh their bodies and minds with wide array of unique and inspiring activities.

The Keynote Speaker for the Opening Ceremonies will be Mr. Alberto C. Manduriao, the Regional Vice President of PhilHealth Region IV-A. Afterwards, there will be simultaneous activities like Sagip Buhay: Phoenix Blood Donation Drive in cooperation with Philippine Red Cross – Quezon Province Chapter.

This activity aims to build awareness among our members of the need for regular blood donation in order to maintain an adequate supply of blood for patients requiring transfusion.

Also, the Sining Galing: Phoenix Creativity Showcase include different categories such as poster making, essay writing, pagsulat ng sanaysay and malayang talumpati that aim to boost the creativity of our members.

This event will also serve as the venue for the 1st SLSU Financial Research Forum - an event in which the organization celebrates the wealth of research carried out by the dedicated students of BSBA-Financial Management. The panel of the forum includes Prof. Hermina Babia, CBA Faculty and Mr. Nicolas Andre Devanadera, a CFA Charterholder and current Municipal Administrator of Sariaya, Quezon. An information session about the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) Curriculum as well as the Asia Pacific Research Exchange will be leaded by Ms. Rizchelle Manaog, the Program Director of CFA Society Philippines.

The afternoon program includes PinekSaya: Salute to Philippine Traditions, Pineks Pautakan: Quiz Bowl Challenge and the Phoenix Talent Exposition: Battle of the Decades. Preceding to the day of the event, the Clash of Greek Gods and Goddesses: Creative Photo Contest was also conducted.

This event would not be possible without our Official Media Partners – Astig.PH, Creativoices Productions, Voice of the Youth Online, InqPop, Philippine Daily Inquirer and Wazzup Pilipinas.

A big thanks to our official Telecommunications Partner Smart, as well as the Municipal Government of Lucban, Quezon, the Office of Vice Governor Sam Nantes, the Office of Governor Jayjay Suarez.

SLSU JFINEX is a proud member of the Junior Confederation of Finance Associations – Philippines and a proud student organization affiliate of the CFA Society Philippines.