Philippine Pageantry Welcomes A New Mover

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Now officially joining the ranks of pageant organizers in the Philippines is the husband and wife team of Carlo and Irene Montemayor of ICSM Infinity Pageants, a new organization consisting of professionals from the posh pageant industry and other businesses. Irene will hold the position of National Director for Operations and Corporate Development, while her husband Carlos takes the role of Managing Director.

At an intimate gathering on May 24. 2019 with members of the media at one of the luxurious pavilion rooms of Shangri-La at the Fort in Bonifacio Global City of Taguig, Irene and her husband formally announced the newest organization to now belong among the groups handling beauty pageants in the country, and sending their winners to compete in corresponding international counterparts.

The other members of the organizations are Ton Lao as Director for Creative Affairs, Jace Chiong as Director for Corporate Communication and Norman Tinio as Director for Media Relations and Publicity.

Everyone was also treated to a Peruvian cuisine lunch personally attended to by resident head Chef Carlo Huerta of Samba, one of the restaurants that are part of the Shangri-La the Fort. It was an amazing array of specialty dishes of the restaurant which also included their various cocktails creatively presented in eye-catching containers.

Philippine Global Queens, the title of the new pageant was formally launched last May 24 at the same venue where six US-based international titles were revealed namely, Miss Cosmos International, Miss Regency International, Miss Global United, Miss Continents and Miss United International. Aside from the six titles, there will be two runners-up. Fabulous prizes and opportunities will await the winners.

The nationwide search is said to begin on the latter part of June, while the pre-pageant events will start sometime August. The grand coronation will be happening on October at the Grand Ballroom of Shangri-La The Fort, also announced as among the brands who are partnering with ICSM Infinity Pageants. For the inaugural year, the organization is expecting fifty (50) qualified applicants to be named as official candidates.

ICSM is also holding a pageant for bonafide college and university students, the Mr. and Miss College University. If initial plan will push thru, the pageant will be held in the last quarter of the year or early next year.

The Montemayors acquired franchises from Cosmos and Regency International Pageants, a US based firms producing and organizing pageants for Miss, Teens, Pre-Teens and Married Women. But for their initial venture, ICSM is focusing on pageants for single women. The eventual winners of the inaugural search will be competing next year in their respective international pageants.

Congratulations and Best of luck to the endeavors of Irene and Carlo!


Photography by Collin Yap

MARINA Urges Stakeholders to Cooperate in Enhancing MET System

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has urged stakeholders to cooperate in enhancing the country’s maritime education and training (MET) system at the Usapang STCW held Monday, 20 May 2019.

“Keeping the position of the Philippines as a major source of quality and highly-competent maritime workforce is our national mission. The MARINA is totally focused on achieving substantial transformation to uplift the standard of our maritime industry, especially our MET system. On behalf of the Philippine government, I am urging you to do your big part as well,” MARINA OIC Vice Admiral Narciso Vingson Jr said.

Moreover, The MARINA OIC emphasized that the upgrading of MET standards is essential in sustaining the Philippines’ stance as the top country of choice in the seafaring industry amidst the increasing competition in the international maritime community.

Finally, Vice Admiral Vingson assured stakeholders that the agency is always open for constructive dialogues to come up with progressive policies for the welfare of the Filipino seafarers and other maritime partners, as envisioned in the 10-year maritime industry development plan (MIDP).

The Usapang STCW is a regular activity of the MARINA intended to update stakeholders and to discuss recommendations to improve the country’s MET system.

In this particular session of the Usapang STCW, the MARINA discussed the enhancement of the qualification of maritime training instructors and assessors to ensure quality and productive learning experience for Filipino seafarers, as well as the obligation of maritime training institutions in the delivery of training programs, as mandated by the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention 1978, as amended.

The MARINA tackled the prescription of minimum training standards on mandatory courses which is one of the major actions taken by the Philippines to address the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) audit report. This measure is implemented to ensure that the country’s MET are structured in accordance with written programs, methods, as well as media of delivery, procedures, and course materials necessary for the achievement of the prescribed standards of competence under the STCW Convention 1978, as amended.

The regular forum on STCW issues concluded with the discussion of the processes of the MARINA Integrated Seafarers Management Online (MISMO) System.

Top 8 Tips To Become Infamous in the Blogging Community

Wazzup Pilipinas!

How can you earn the title of being "infamous" in the blogging community?

1. Be yourself, and not what others prefer you to be. We should all be genuinely unique and not carbon copies. We shoukd not be coming from a single mold, but one of a kind.

2. Disrupt the common, traditional and boring practices by "exerting extra effort" not expected from a blogger. There is no single definition of what a blogger is. We must stand out, and not be just like everyohe else.

3. Stop ass-kissing or butt-licking brands, event organizers, PRs or fellow bloggers. We do not deserve those who would ban us just because we truthfully speak of what's in our our heart and mind.

4. Talk back! Only the fakers would not have the guts to insist on their beliefs. Kapag may katwiran, ipaglaban mo! You'll sleep better knowing you fought for what yoy believe is right than forever be silence by your cowardice.

5. Hang out with those controversial and much-talked about bloggers, and get to know them personally and not just based on hearsays. Who knows, you may be of the same feather, and get to collab and fly off to more thrilling adventures together.

6. Do not let yourself be part of a gangbang. Do your own research, and write from the heart. Friendship could clutter your mind with false and biased facts that will make you lose your genuine trust of your own perception of reality and personal beliefs.

7. Be inconsistent. New information could lead to a change of mind. It is alright to eat your own words. The only thing constant is change, and we are not an exemption.

8. Always be the best version of yourself. Your detractors are keeping an eye on you so you must be doing something right to get their attention. That is the game we play as bloggers, or now more properly known as influencers. Getting noticed is our top priority because no matter how good your content is, it's nothing if it is invisible to an audience thirsting for knowledge.

Whether you take this seriousky or not, it will remain a forever true guide on how to become part of history.