Photographer From Philippines Crowned Runner-Up in Regional Photography Competition

Contestant Silver Vito Niño Andrada represented the Philippines in regional photography competition, Through the Lens, hosted by Wildlife Reserves Singapore and has emerged as the competition runner-up

Image 1: Runner-up Silver Vito Niño Andrada from the Philippines snapped two squirrel monkeys—submitted in
the ‘cute’ category—‘hanging out’ in the forest canopy.

Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) today revealed the overall winner for its inaugural wildlife photography competition, Through the Lens.

Photographer Tapan Sheth from India took the winning title for his entry capturing a veiled chameleon in Singapore Zoo’s newest exhibit, RepTopia.

The competition, which was open to professional and aspiring photographers in the region, received over 1,700 entries across five countries in Asia. Representing India in the regional finals which took place in Singapore last month, Tapan competed against other finalists from China, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines to capture what nature means to him, through his lens.

Tapan commented: “I wanted to capture the physical attributes of the animals ijn detail, and most importantly, in an angle that intrigues the viewer to look beyond the surface of an image.

“The veiled chameleon on its own is beautiful to behold. Here its natural colour is set off by the forest environment captured in the photo, which makes it easier to appreciate with the naked eye.

More often than not, we overlook so many of the elements that make up the natural habitats around us.

With this photo, I hope I can encourage the public to take a moment to appreciate even the smallest details that surround us.”

“I’m passionate about wildlife photography so my visit to the wildlife parks in Singapore was an unforgettable experience. Through various behind the scenes tours we got to really witness the passion that the keepers show when educating members of the public on the importance of wildlife appreciation and conservation.”

Ms Isabel Cheng, Chief Marketing Officer, Wildlife Reserves Singapore, said: “We thank all of the talented contestants for their participation and remarkable entries. Their images caught so many beautiful moments and it’s been fascinating to see the different stories captured by each participant through their lens—influenced by the natural landscapes from their own country. The winning image by Tapan inspires us to look closer at, and appreciate, the environment around us—the beauty of which is very often right under our noses without us seeing it.”

The contest was launched for the first time this year by WRS, in partnership with local photography groups around the region, including Kunzum.com in India, to encourage photographers to capture the powerful connection between humans, nature and wildlife through their lens. The entries were assessed based on five different categories including cute, humorous, animals up-close, meaningful and park icons.

WRS manages four award-winning wildlife attractions—Jurong Bird Park, Night Safari, River Safari and Singapore Zoo. Each park offers a unique experience for visitors, infused with education around biodiversity and conservation efforts, which WRS is driving around the region.

For more information on Through the Lens, visit https://www.facebook.com/wrs.sg/.

The grand prize winner and runners-up each receive a HTC U11, the world’s first squeezable smartphone with the highest ever smartphone camera ratingi—ideal for capturing nature and wildlife moments on the go!

TAS Trans P2P buses, now accepting beep card

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AF Payments Inc. announced that starting August 23, Wednesday, commuters can use their beep™ card to pay for rides in TAS Trans’ point-to-point (P2P) buses plying Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna to Promenade Glorietta 2 and Circuit Makati in Makati City. Trips are from 5AM to 9PM, with buses leaving every 20 minutes during peak hours to an hour during off-peak hours, or when the bus is full.

To celebrate the launch of this new route, TAS Trans will offer a promo fare of only P150 (one way), while the discounted fare for senior citizens, PWDs, and students is at P120. This will be offered until November 30, after which, regular fare will be P250 (one-way).

TAS Trans premium P2P buses are 45-seaters, with provisions for a wheelchair. They boast of fully climate-controlled environments, leather and padded reclining seats, and free Wi-Fi. All buses are GPS-enabled and equipped with CCTVs, with first aid kits and drivers competent to administer emergency medical aid.

The P2P bus service system was created by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to help reduce traffic congestion since these buses travel nonstop from the terminal to the drop-off point. From only three routes in end-2015, it has expanded to more destinations from as far as Fairview in the north to Dasmariñas, Cavite in the south. With P2P buses, commuters enjoy the convenience of guaranteed seats, premium amenities, and buses that depart as scheduled.

“P2P buses offer a convenient alternative to ease commuting worries these days. The service is continuously expanding and with beep™ card acceptance, commuters can transfer seamlessly from one line to another as necessary,” said Peter Maher, President and CEO of AF Payments Inc..

beep™ card is a tap-and-go payment system accepted in all three elevated railways (LRT 1, LRT 2, and MRT 3), CAVITEX, NLEX, and at select bus lines, FamilyMart, and Robinsons Movieworld branches. It is reloadable and valid for up to four years. More information may be obtained from beep card on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Glupa: Putting the Spotlight on Women Empowerment

An empowered woman is a beautiful woman. She possesses a lasting beauty that radiates from within. She is content with what she has, but that is not to say she does not aspire to improve her life and the lives of the people around her. She strives to do better every single day, and she is motivated by something far more important than material wealth.

It is easy to label beautiful women as shallow and superficial. We see them and judge them outright. For most, it is incomprehensible for beauty and substance to go together. However, this writer was lucky enough to sit down with two smart, eloquent, beautiful, and empowered women for a chat about beauty and women empowerment.

Aiza Diuco, founder and CEO of Age Defying Solutions, and Glupa’s latest endorser model Bea Candaza, each looked radiant as they approached our table at the lobby of the EDSA Shangri-la. They were hard to miss because they are both statuesque and quite striking.

Ms. Diuco has long been an advocate of women empowerment and a strong believer in education as an effective means of improving one’s life and as a solution to poverty eradication. Ms. Candaza, on the other hand, once gave up an opportunity to enter the lucrative world of show business when she was granted a full college scholarship.



Both women have always worked hard and they have always known which things to prioritize and which things only weigh them down.

At 10, Ms. Candaza started working as a model. By the time she turned 13, she was handling her finances on her own. Work has always been a part of her life. And as a young girl, she thought every child worked and made his or her own money.
“I started doing commercials at a very young age. So during that time, I thought everybody did the same. I grew up with friends who were also commercial models,” said Ms. Candaza.

There was no hint of resentment in her voice, despite circumstances forcing her to help provide for her family. With the money she earned from modeling, she was able to send herself and her siblings to a private school.

Ms. Candaza is grateful that she was given the opportunity to help her parents at such a young age. She said they did not have much while she was growing up, but they always made her and her siblings feel loved.

It is not hard to imagine why Ms. Diuco chose Ms. Candaza to represent Glupa, a company which she has built from the ground up. When asked what made her decide to hire Ms. Candaza, she said, “I’d been following her on Instagram. I met her through Jay Buen, who was my photographer in one of my photoshoots for a Manila Bulletin feature. I saw in her posts that she’s not just beautiful outside, she’s also beautiful inside. Every time I look at her posts, I see how she looks at life, how she views reality, and even though she’s a millennial, I feel that she’s mature for her age. I believe she can be a good brand spokesperson, aside from being an image model. I was looking for someone who’s a total package. Someone who won’t just display her skin or beauty, but someone who can speak on my and company’s behalf and the talk about Glupa.

More than whitening skin, Glupa is also about giving their clients a healthy, smooth, and even-toned skin. Their products are backed by a solid Research and Development team, led by the very competent and very hands-on Ms. Diuco.

Ms. Candaza believes in the importance of finding the best skincare products that suit one’s needs. She said her search for the best skin whitening products came to an end the moment she tried Glupa. She does not only believe in the products, she also believes in the company behind them.

“Glupa has been here for almost a decade. I guess you could say it’s one of the pioneers of skin whitening products. Apart from the research and development that went into developing these products, this company is a company built by a woman who had a vision. So, this was not meant solely as a business that they would really mass produce. This is someone’s dream, crafted with love. Everything is handpicked by Ms. Aiza herself. It makes you appreciate the products even more because you know all the hard work that goes into making them,” said Ms. Candaza.

Ms. Diuco is a true visionary. Not only is she empowering women by making them more confident and providing jobs for them, she also empowers young women by focusing on Personality Development.
“Currently I’m very passionate about educating young women about developing their personalities. Ranging from skincare to the way they carry themselves, the way they walk, poise and posture, how they talk. Part of that is good communication skills. Teaching them about that. I have future speaking engagements at different schools for girls, where I’ll be talking about personality development. I’ll be talking about not just skincare but other aspects as well that will help them improve themselves. What I want to do is empower them through my seminars and workshops, giving them tips so that they will be ready for college or their future careers.”
This holistic approach to personality development is a welcome change in a seemingly shallow world focused on physical beauty.

When asked to define beauty, Ms. Candaza said, “I’ve always said it’s something that is within. Whatever you have within, it radiates, and that’s how you become beautiful. If you keep negative things inside you, people will see it. I believe in inner peace and inner balance.”

“For me, beauty is not just something that you see outside but something that you also feel and see inside. It doesn’t stop at having good features or a perfect skin. It goes deeper than that. A person becomes more beautiful if she has a good heart. And if she has substance. When I say substance, I mean she has to have the necessary knowledge and skills to face the world,” said Ms. Diuco.