Free HIV Screening, Pageant Set for World AIDS Day

Wazzup Pilipinas!

In line with the celebration of World AIDS Day on December 1, the advocacy group LoveYourself, Inc. will be holding back-to-back events in a massive awareness campaign to help curb the rising cases of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in the country.

LoveYourself will be conducting a free and confidential HIV screening on November 29 to raise awareness about sexual health, particularly about knowing one’s HIV status. The event, dubbed as “Ito ang Tamang Panahon” in reference to the hugely popular celebrity couple Alden Richards and Maine Mendoza, is the group’s second free HIV Screening Day for this year and will be conducted in Victoria Court, North EDSA in Caloocan City.

“There’s no better time to know your HIV status than now,” said Ronivin Pagtakhan, founder and executive director of LoveYourself, adding that regular testing goes a long way in combating the spread of the virus. Pagtakhan also invited everyone to sign-up and register at go.loveyourself.ph/TamangPanahon.

Aside from free HIV testing, LoveYourself will also be holding the first Mr. and Ms. Fratpad, a pageant for “ambassadors of self-worth” aimed at spreading HIV/AIDS awareness in the country through clans and groups of young Ms. Winners of Mr. and Ms. Fratpad will be crowned in a culmination night on November 28 at the Kaban ng Hiyas Hall, 3/F Mandaluyong City Hall, which will include performances from renowned acts, such as, the Philippine All-Stars and Leah Patricio, among others.

U.S. Black Friday and Cyber Monday Shopping Madness Made More Accessible and Affordable to GCash Customers

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Black Friday and Cyber Monday, two of the most anticipated shopping sales in the United States, are made more accessible and affordable to digital-savvy GCash customers through the international shipping provided by GCash American Express Virtual Pay in partnership with My Shopping Box.

“This is the fourth year for GCash American Express Virtual Pay to participate in Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale and once again we’re giving our customers a better way to enjoy the biggest discounts and most amazing shopping deals from their favorite international online retail stores,” said Xavier Marzan, President and CEO of G-Xchange Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe Telecom, operator of GCash.

With a waived annual fee of USD 25 from My Shopping Box, GCash American Express® Virtual Pay customers will also be able to enjoy an additional 3% rebate in their international shipments. GCash American Express Virtual Pay’s subscription fee for this year was also waived.

To be celebrated on November 27 this year, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving which marks the unofficial start of the U.S. Christmas season and is often associated with huge shopping discounts. Cyber Monday, on the other hand, happens on the Monday after Thanksgiving which falls on November 30. It also involves large price cuts from smaller online retailers.

First Startup Weekend in Dumaguete to be held on Nov 27-29

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Aiming to cultivate technological entrepreneurship in Dumaguete, the first ever Startup Weekend Dumaguete 2015 will be held on November 27-29.

“We want to introduce the local community to the idea that it is possible to locally grow alternative businesses that use non-traditional business models,” said Danah V. Fortunato, Executive Director of ICT Association of Dumaguete and Negros Oriental (ICT DGTE).

The inaugural SW Dumaguete is a 54-hour event that begins with participants pitching startup ideas, developing such concepts into feasible businesses, and presenting them to judges on the final day. Winners will have their business ideas undergo development for possible launching to the market.

SW Dumaguete will be at Audio-Visual Theater 1, Multimedia Center, Silliman University, Dumaguete City.

The event was pushed for by Fortunato, Randolf Bandiola, along with members of the local tech community and the support of ICT DGTE and Department of Science and Technology Information and Communications Technology Office’s (DOST-ICTO) Mon Ibrahim and Emmy Delfin.