The New Rufo’s Famous Tapa in Makati

Wazzup Pilipinas !
 
After 29 years, the original moves to a bigger and better home in A.Venue.

The iconic Rufo’s Famous Tapa Makati in Kalayaan Ave. had been a favorite go-to place for delicious and affordable Pinoy dishes since its inception in 1984. It was one of the few places open 24/7 and customers came at all hours of the day. The humble, hole-in-the-wall ‘tapsihan’ became popular among International School (IS) teachers and students, employees, over-timers, and party-goers who wanted quick, affordable and satisfying comfort food.

When the landlord decided after 29 years to no longer renew the lease, Rufo’s Management quickly moved to re-locate a few steps away to its current location in A.Venue Mall, Makati Ave. “The New Rufo’s Makati” at A.Venue is now a 2-level restaurant which seats 150 people, with multiple air-con and al-fresco sections, function rooms for parties and seminars, and a 2nd floor balcony. Rufo’s A.Venue commits to maintain the same affordable prices, 24/7 operations and laid-back ambiance of the Kalayaan Ave. store while offering a safer (24-hour Security), more mainstream site beside well-known international cafes and restaurants.

Flourish Pilipinas : Bake It Fun In The Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas !

Calling all baking enthusiasts! Join the URC Flourish Pilipinas Bake-off Competition. Simply submit your recipe in the Recipe Contest tab at their Facebook page.
#BakeItFunInThePhilippines

https://www.facebook.com/pages/URC-Flourish-Pilipinas/295110023949303

Now this is something interesting to witness, a tie-up with the Department of Tourism (DOT) to promote "bread" and "tourism".

Starting the project off with a Baking Academy and Bake-Off Competition, I would love to know more about this particular project and how everything will fit in. We would normally see "tourism" partnered with handicrafts, scenic spots, beaches, cultures, and ethnic people, airlines and other means of transportation, travel agencies, etc. It will be exciting to find out more.



Wazzup Pilipinas !

URC Flourish Pilipinas Baking Academy and Bake-off Competition

Mechanics:

This competition is open to all eligible Filipino Citizens who are 18 years of age as of January 2013 who meet the requirements stated herein. All employees and relatives up to the second degree of affinity and consanguinity of URC Flour, its subsidiaries, affiliates, agencies and sponsors are automatically disqualified from entering this contest.

There will be three awards in two categories:


PROFESSIONAL CATEGORIES

FOR OWNERS AND EMPLOYEES OF BAKERIES and BAKESHOPS, INDEPENDENT BAKERS, BAKING INSTRUCTORS AND PROFESSIONALS


1. GLOBE AWARD – This category is open for all recipes using hard flour (URC’s Globe or Blend 100 Flour).

2. SAMPAGUITA AWARD – This category is for all recipes using soft flour (URC’s Sampaguita Soft Flour).



NON- PROFESSIONAL CATEGORY


FOR STUDENTS ENROLLED IN CULINARY, BAKING, FOOD TECHNOLOGY AND HOTEL AND RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT COURSES:

1. DAISY AWARD – This category is for all recipes using cake flour (URC’s Daisy Cake Flour).



HOW TO JOIN THE CONTEST

All Contestants must fill out an entry form which can be accessed through the Recipe Contest tab in the URC Flour/Flourish Pilipinas Facebook page. It can also be downloaded from the URC Flour website.

All finalists must agree to participate in a bake-off in the following designated areas:


GMA Manila June 15

LUZON Baguio July 6

VISAYAS Cebu July 27

MINDANAO Davao August 10

Where applicable, URC Flour shall provide the transportation, food and accommodations of qualified finalists in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. URC Flour shall cover only the transportation, food and accommodations of a qualified finalist in a URC designated hotel.



JUDGING CRITERIA

All entries must meet the requirements of the Recipe category entered. Recipes not meeting contest criteria will be disqualified. Entries must be the original recipe of the entrant.

Judging will be done by a panel consisting of a representative of URC Flour Technical Group and two other food professionals designated by URC Flour using the criteria outlined below:

Taste 20%

Appearance,creativity and plating 15%

Use of local and indigenous ingredients 10%

Extent of use of URC flours in required category 30%

(Globe / Blend 100, Sampaguita, and Daisy)

Extent of use of eligible products 25%

(See list below for corresponding points)

TOTAL 100%


Eligible Products and Points Assigned (5 points each):

Bakewell Siliconized Paper, Saf Yeast, McCormick Flavors and Colors/ Suchero Sugar, Corman, Brim, and Tulip Chocolate

Judges will disqualify previously published recipes such as but not limited to those in cookbooks, magazines, from food companies, food blogs or recipe website and winners in cooking contests.

Contestants are required to certify on the information, or belief, that their recipes are their original creation and have not been published or publicized and have not won a cooking or baking contest. All submitted recipes automatically become the property of URC Flour.

Judges reserve the right to disqualify an entry that does not meet contest criteria. Decisions of the board of judges are final in all matters pertaining to this Contest.


Deadline of Submission of Entries:

Entries from GMA and Luzon April 30, 2013

Entries from Visayas, Mindanao May 31, 2013

All recipes/ entries must include a 4R (4” x 6”) color photograph of the finished product. All recipes/ entries must be submitted to the Flourish Pilipinas Facebook Page or emailed to Kayla Andrea at operations@dtc.com.ph.

All recipes shall be screened and tested by the URC Technical Group which shall determine the finalists who will compete in each area.



BAKE-OFF

For each area, there will be two (2) finalists for Globe Award, two (2) finalists for Sampaguita Award, and two (2) finalists for Daisy Award.

All finalists will be required to participate in the area-wide bake-off.

GMA Manila June 15

LUZON Baguio July 6

VISAYAS Cebu July 27

MINDANAO Davao August 10



ALL STUDENT FINALISTS must agree to demonstrate his/her recipe entry to the URC Technical Team in a separate session in his/her school or home prior to the actual Bake-Off.


Each student finalist will be given ONE THOUSAND PESOS (P1,000) to cover the cost of this demonstration.


SELECTION OF WINNERS:

There will be one (1) winner per category in each area : Globe, Sampaguita, and Daisy.

Venue of the bake-off will be determined by URC Flour Division.



PRIZE STRUCTURE:


All twelve (12) winners i.e., three (3) winners per area will receive the following prizes:

Globe - P10,000 in cash, 1 Kitchen Aid K45 Mixer, Medal and Supply of Participating Products

Sampaguita - P10,000 in cash, 1 Kitchen Aid K45 Mixer, Medal and Supply of Participating Products

Daisy - P10,000 in cash, 1 Kitchen Aid Hand Mixer, Medal and Supply of Participating Products


Companies and Schools represented by the winners shall also receive a trophy.


All recipes/ entries must be submitted to the Flourish Pilipinas Facebook Page or emailed to Kayla Andrea at operations@dtc.com.ph ON OR BEFORE April 30, 2013 (For Entries from GMA and Luzon) and ON OR BEFORE May 31, 2013 (For Visayas, Mindanao). For more information, contact Kayla at 02-892-5842 or visit the Flourish Pilipinas Facebook Page.


Bake It Fun In The Philippines!

#BakeItFunInThePhilippines

https://www.facebook.com/pages/URC-Flourish-Pilipinas/295110023949303


Per FDA Permit # 0324 Series of 2013

Globe Launches BlackBerry Z10 with Best Plan Deals, Offers LTE Version at No Extra Cost

Globe Telecom officially launched the new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone with its suite of fully-customizable unlimited mobile surfing plans bundled with unlimited browsing, consumable amount for calls and texts, and freebies. The leader in postpaid is also offering the BlackBerry Z10 LTE at no extra cost.

Subscribers can get the BlackBerry Z10 for free at Globe Unli Surf Plan 1799 over a 30-month contract. With Globe Unli Surf Plan 1799, subscribers get unlimited and worry-free mobile surfing, P800 monthly consumable amount for calls and texts, and three (3) call and text freebies.

For consumers who opt for a shorter lock-up period, they can avail of the BlackBerry Z10 for free for as low as P1999 monthly at Globe Unli Surf Plan 1799 with P200 monthly cashout over a 24-month contract.


“Finally, the BlackBerry Z10 has arrived in the Philippines and Globe is very excited to offer the latest BlackBerry smartphone to our subscribers under our roster of postpaid plans. Filipinos are huge fans of BlackBerry and as such, we expect a strong demand for the new BlackBerry Z10. With our strong partnership with BlackBerry, subscribers can definitely rely on Globe for the best BlackBerry Z10 offers and deals,” said Martha Sazon, Head of Globe Postpaid.

Sazon added, “The BlackBerry Z10 works best with an unlimited surfing plan from Globe so you can enjoy unlimited and worry-free mobile surfing, a monthly consumable amount for calls and texts, and freebies. Subscribers can further boost their plans with unlimited add-on services available for as low as P349 monthly. Finally, with the Globe Guarantee and an upgraded Globe network with a more aggressive LTE rollout nationwide, subscribers get the best BlackBerry Z10 experience that no other network can provide.”

The new BlackBerry Z10 is the first BlackBerry smartphone to launch with the re-designed, re-engineered and re-invented BlackBerry 10 platform, giving customers a powerful and unique new mobile computing experience. The BlackBerry Z10 smartphone is the fastest and most advanced BlackBerry smartphone yet, and offers customers a smarter experience that continuously adapts to their needs. With BlackBerry 10, every feature, every gesture, and every detail is designed to keep customers moving with new advancements that customers will love.

“We are excited to launch the new BlackBerry Z10 smartphone with Globe in the Philippines. We believe customers will be delighted with the faster and smarter experience from the powerful BlackBerry Z10 running on the Globe LTE network to keep them moving,” said Cameron Vernest, Country Director for the Philippines at BlackBerry.

Interested subscribers can pre-order the BlackBerry Z10 from Globe starting March 9, 2013 at www.globe.com.ph/bbz10. The BlackBerry Z10 will be officially available in Globe Stores nationwide starting March 19, 2013.

Binibining Pilipinas 2013: A Treasure Trove of Beauty and Talent

Wazzup Pilipinas !

Beyond beauty of face and figure, the golden batch of Bb. Pilipinas is also teeming with talent.

I was excited to attend this event - the same way I was excited when I watched the Talent Competition of Miss Philippines last year. But this one was open for the public to watch at the sidelines.

Miss Philippines organizers chose to present it to an exclusive few, but the organizers of the Binibining Pilipinas has chosen an open area instead so many people will have the opportunity to watch beauty and talent unfolding right before their eyes.

Sixteen of the fifty official 2013 Binibining Pilipinas candidates strutted their stuff at the Binibining Pilipinas 2013 Talent Competition recently held at the Gateway Mall Activity Area.



The lovely girls displayed an array of talents that ranged from singing to magic to hula hooping. The roster of judges included Bong Osorio, ABS-CBN Corporate Communications Head , Tim Yap Philippine Star Columnist, Samboy Lim, Ginebra San Miguel Coach, RJ Ledesma, TV host and Uno Magazine Editor, Shamcey Supsup, Miss Universe 2011 3rd Runner Up, Chit Guerrero, ABS-CBN Special Projects Head, and Binibining Pilipinas Charities, Inc. (BPCI) board member Conchitina Bernardo, and artist Betsy Westendorp.

Philrealty and Greenhills Properties MOA Signing of BGC Project

Wazzup Pilipinas !

The trend nowadays in modern economical living is "going up"....which means buying a condo.

I think condos are the most convenient investment nowadays where you really do not have to worry about any real estate complications because it will be the developer who would transact for you. The space may be a bit small and only ideal for just singles, or a couple maybe, but its the only way to go if you intend to live within the busy Metro Manila cities.

If you wish a big property, you might have to look for sites in the provinces like Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, or even farther than these mentioned areas. Owning your own house built at your own lot is already becoming  rare. We just have to live with going through long travel hours and traffic jams everyday on our way to work or anywhere else.

Epson Showcases Environmentally-Sound Manufacturing Processes At Newly-Expanded Manufacturing Plant

I have always been fascinated of seeing how things were made so it was a real treat to be able to join a plant tour where we were shown how printers and projectors were being made. Part were assembled, tested and packaged - all ready to be sent to the requesting parties. It was an experience worth sharing with you guys.

Too bad we were not allowed to take photos at the assembly area itself. Seeing how a particular item goes through the process of assembly, quality testing and monitoring, packaging, etc., is somewhat magical because you even get to see the inner workings of the product and what goes behind the assembly line.

Epson Precision (Philippines), Incorporated (EPPI), the manufacturing arm of Epson in the Philippines, conducted a special plant tour for media guests in its newly-expanded plant located at the Lima Technology Center in Lipa City, Batangas last March 5.

The EPPI manufacturing plant, which showcases Epson’s global standards in green and environmentally-sound processes, produces about 4.5 million printers and 1.0 million projectors (FY12) distributed in 24 countries. A number of Epson’s new projectors and the breakthrough Epson L-series genuine ink tank system printers are manufactured at this plant where more than 10,000 are currently employed.

“Seiko-Epson Corporation (SEC) formally announced the PhP4.5 billion expansion of our manufacturing plant in March 2010. We inaugurated Factory II in December 2011, and since then, we have significantly increased Epson’s manufacturing capacity by 150% for 3LCD projectors and 50% for inkjet printers”, according to EPPI President Kazuyuki Amano.


The whole-day Epson event, which included the plant tour and the launch of new Epson 3D and interactive projectors, adopted the theme “Epson: Harmony and Co-existence” to highlight the company’s accord and cooperative co-existence with the environment and the community.

“Through this event, we are proud to show the harmonious partnership of Japanese precision engineering and Filipino ingenuity and craftsmanship that resulted in world-class products like the new Epson L-Series genuine ink tank system printers and entry-level projectors. Also, we have been dedicated to the cause of environmental protection by following environment-friendly procedures & policies, non-detrimental manufacturing and developmental processes, and collaborative co-existence between business and the global environment,” explained Epson Philippines Corporation (EPC) President/Country Manager Toshimitsu Tanaka.

Since the 1940s, Epson has taken great effort to advance eco-activities through environmentally responsible production processes based on integrated global objectives and standards. One of Epson’s earliest efforts was the thorough wastewater processing conducted before drainage to Lake Suwa, where one of our earliest manufacturing plants was located.

One important landmark in the Epson history of environmental protection was in 1988 when Epson became the first company to introduce a policy to remove CFC from its products. Full elimination of specific CFC’s from products was completed in 1993. This step led to the Epson Environmental Policy issued in 1994 and revised in 1999 to further enhance the conservation efforts of Epson worldwide from product development to recycling.

The Epson Environmental Policy states that Epson will integrate environmental considerations into its corporate activities and actively strive to meet high conservation standards in fulfilling its responsibilities as a good corporate citizen.

This policy has led Epson to:


1. Create and provide earth-friendly products

2. Transform all processes to reduce the burden on the environment

3. Recover and recycle used products

4. Share environmental information and contribute to regional and international preservation efforts

5. Continually improve the environmental management system

Since then, Epson has conducted a variety of programs in all countries where it operates to keep it among the leading environment advocates.

In the Philippines, EPC and EPPI launched Epson’s environmental advocacy in the Philippines, including the Inkjet cartridge recycling program. The investment in the expanded manufacturing plant also enabled the manufacturing processes to be at par with the global standards in productivity, precision, and environmental protection.

EPPI is also at the forefront of various community and environmental programs under its Epson CARES project (Epson’s Contribution to the Advancement & Restoration of Environment & Society), including the donation of recyclable canteen waste to support persons with disabilities (PWDs) at Tahanang Walang Hagdan (TWH), repair and maintenance of schools in nearby communities through Brigada Eskwela, book donation to support the development of education of young children, tree planting and nurturing program, coastal clean-up, and relief operations when calamities strike.


Such initiatives have enabled EPPI to be awarded the following accolades:

1. Don Emillio Abello Energy Efficiency Award

a. Citation Award (December 2007)

b. Outstanding Award & Outstanding Energy Manager Award (December 2008)

c. Outstanding Award & Outstanding Energy Manager Award (December 2009)

2. PCAPI - Outstanding Pollution Control Officer (PCO)

a. Joyce Tan (April 2008 & 2009)

b. Ad Ryan Ilagan (April 2010)

3. Outstanding PEZA Environmental Performer Award (April 2008 & March 2011)

4. PCAPI Success Story Award

a. "Waste turned into Profit" (April 2009)

b. "Carbon Less Footprint" (April 2010)

5. PCAPI Mother Nature Award - 1st Runner-Up (April 2009 & 2011)

6. SEC Environment Excellence Award (May 2008, May 2009, June 2011)

7. TWH Handog sa Kalikasan Award (December 2009)

During the EPPI Plant Tour, the guests were given an inside view of the Printer Production area, the Visual Products area, and Parts Production area.

After the EPPI Plant Tour, Epson unveiled its latest line of 3D and interactive projectors in the Philippines.

 

Palaspas : Palm Leaf Weaving Techniques Workshop

Wazzup Pilipinas !

Craft MNL’s first heritage workshop brings you a session on learning native palm leaf weaving techniques.

Relive your childhoods with this session, as we play with woven stars, balls, and fish. Learn weaving techniques that you can apply to accessories, decor and functional items. Perfect for creatives who’d like to learn this heritage craft to apply with a modern twist.

Palaspas, Palm leaf weaving Workshop fee is only Php 350.

It'll be on March 30 from 10.30 to 1pm. Venue will be at The Forum, 4th Floor, Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street.

For bookings just follow the link below:
http://form.jotform.me/form/21561433741448

Grounded at the Lopez Museum : What's Keeping You From Flight?

Wazzup Pilipinas ! I am "Grounded".

Are we too tied up and "grounded" that it holds us back from our fullest potential?

We try our best to exceed, excel and escape from the norm....but more often than not, we end up getting criticized, questioned, and stricken from the ranks of a so-called law-abiding society.

To be branded as a rebel, a liberal and a rogue makes me wonder if we are all here just to please everyone else except ourselves.

For going above and beyond everyone else's idea of standards, ethics and comfort zones, we limit ourselves to only what others want us to be....and we set aside our real intentions and hide behind a mask of deception.

PH "More Fun" tops Thai International Travel Fair 2013

Honorable Jocelyn Batoon-Garcia,  Philippine Ambassador to Thailand (fourth from left) visited the Philippine Booth

Wazzup Pilipinas !

The Department of Tourism (DOT) won the Best Booth Display during the Thai International Travel Fair held on 14 – 17 February 2013 in Bangkok, Thailand, extending the Philippine tourism’s winning streak in the global stage. The Philippine booth bested fourteen other National Tourism Organizations (NTOs), marking the country’s debut in the said travel fair.

Organized by Thai Travel Agents Association (TTAA), an association of Thai Outbound Tour Operators, the three-day fair held at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok drew almost 600,000 visitors and close to a thousand booths from 14 NTOs, 3 embassies, 19 airlines, 132 travel agents, and other travel-related suppliers. The Thai Minister of Culture, Mr. Sontaya Kunplone, was among those who graced the official opening ceremony.

This maiden Philippine participation led by DOT’s Marketing Representative for Malaysia and Thailand, Datin Melissa Ong, was able to book Manila, Cebu, Bohol, and Palawan with a sizeable number of Thai tourists. Cebu Pacific cabin crew also provided on-site entertainment and fun games throughout the fair.

Wicked Kitchen: An Awesome Adventure in Taste

 

Wazzup Pilipinas ! Its totally "wicked" !

One should exclaim similar words after a taste of the great meals available at Wicked Kitchen - that small yet full of potential restaurant just opposite the ABS-CBN building in Mother Ignacia.

I've learned that it has other branches in other areas but the one we visited was the smallest in area but the only one with a second floor.

I would also expect that celebrities like Luis Manzano celebrates his birthdays there for a damn good reason.