Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Puerto Galera: Summer Belongs to You

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Do you believe that every summer has a story? Well, I do. It’s because I know that in a span of more or less 60 days, a lot of things can happen, a lot of changes may occur, a lot of memories will surely be treasured.

Last April 25, 2014, we went to Calapan, Oriental Mindoro. First, we traveled from Pasay to Batangas Port to ride a ferry. I was quite excited because it’s my first time riding such ‘cause most of the time, we travel by plane or a van. I fell asleep during the road trip because I woke up so early in the morning so that we would be able to ride the 12 o’clock trip. As soon as we got there, we just paid the fee then headed to the ferry. The trip lasted for 3 hours and even if we’re just sitting there, I find it exhausting but the view during the ride was priceless.

We stayed in my mom’s friend’s house in Calapan but we left the place first thing in the morning so that we’ll have a lot of time to enjoy the beach in Puerto Galera. It took us an hour and a half to travel from Calapan to Puerto Galera. The trip’s exciting but at the same time scary because of the zigzag road but fortunately we got there safe. After lunch, we’ve decided to swim though it’s kind of hot and we’ll surely be toasted but we didn’t mind. After all, we’re there to enjoy and not to be a kill joy. We rode the banana boat and I was able to try kayaking.

“How Do I Love Thee II ” Photo Exhibit Set to Open at LoveYourself Anglo

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LoveYourself, a volunteer advocacy organization proudly presents “How Do I Love Thee II ”- a fund raising photo-exhibit whose theme focuses on the ideals of Love Yourself by propagating ideas and practices that encourage loving one's self -- to DARE to be oneself, to CARE for oneself, and to SHARE oneself as a way to multiplying joy, will feature the maiden works of self-taught photographer Kraus Estanislao.
Volunteers of LoveYourself live by the mission of embracing and nurturing self-worth, inspiring others, and creating ripples of positive change in the community. They work together to create a model community of MSM and friends who empower and affirm the self-worth of youth and MSM in the Philippines through various services, including free HIV testing and counseling. Through the unwavering courage and dedication of its volunteers, the organization was recognized nationally as one of the finalists to the Ten Accomplished Youth Organizations in 2013.

" The theme that I chose for this exhibit is the beauty of the male human body in different forms, perspective and treatment. My photographs shall explore all its flawed but fascinating glory as magnified to clarity so that the audience will see through the marked difference between a nude man and a naked man. Both naked and nude maybe similar to one's thought, but nude photography has eroticism as its minor priority or should we say the last thing on one's spectator's mind. A nude photo is a celebration of the male human body with the power to captivate audiences, instead of a vulgar spectacle that screams for attention. " says Estanislao.

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The Global football-based HIV prevention campaign Protect the Goal headlined by the Philippine football national team, Azkals, and targeting youth at risk, will officially be launched in the Philippines on June 22, 2014 during the opening of the LoveYourself Anglo, a new free HIV testing community center along Shaw Boulevard near Ortigas.

Protect the Goal has swept the world with its sports-oriented approach to promoting HIV testing and safer sex behavior. The campaign ultimately seeks to help lower the risk of HIV transmission among the Filipino youth, specifically among young Filipino men. In the Philippines, 71% of new infections since 1984 were in young people and that two-thirds of high risk young people actually do not know their HIV status.

First launched at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, the campaign has since been replicated in other Southeast Asian countries, and has now been launched in the Philippines led by Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and local partner, the Philippine Football Federation. The campaign also draws multi-sectoral support from partners such as the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS), the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and advocacy group LoveYourself.

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The Red Bull Thre3style has officially made its way to the Philippines! Qualifier rounds have been set up in Cebu and Metro Manila on June 21st and June 26th, respectively, with the Finals Night on June 28th. For the first time ever, one Filipino DJ will be given the chance to compete at the Thre3style World Championships to be held later this year in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Thre3style is a competition that gives DJs the opportunity to showcase all of their DJ skills – technicality, originality, creativity, the art of gauging the crowd and selecting tracks, stage presence, energy and ultimately the DJ's ability to lure people on to the dance floor and keep them going wild.

DJs from around the world will be whittling down the contenders to find a representative to showcase our country's DJ prowess at the Thre3style World Championships.

This year, thirteen DJs will be pitted against each other in two qualifying rounds:

Competing in Cebu’s J. Ave Superclub on June 21st:
• DJ K Groove | 2x Queensland (AUS) DMC Champion;
• DJ Niki | K1 Amateur DJ Champion;
• DJ Katsy Lee | 2012 Pioneer Philippines DJ Digital Battle Champion;
• DJ Luigi Guzman | Resident DJ at Prohibition;
• DJ Carlo Atendido | Spin City DJ Competition finalist;
• DJ Short | Negros Occidental’s DJ Hobbyist

Competing in Manila’s URBN Bar and Kitchen on June 26th:
• DJ Aryan | Instructor at Beat Project Manila;
• DJ Mick | Music director and head DJ of Collective Concepts;
• DJ Buzz | Wave 89.1 resident DJ;
• DJ Supremefist | 2008 Pioneer Philippines DJ Digital Battle Champion;
• DJ Nix Damn P! | Los Angeles’ Best Buy DJ Champion;
• DJ Flava Matikz of Q-York | Official DJ of the Philippine Allstars;
• DJ Brandon Jon | Red Bull Thre3style University Champion

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Hack the Climate Manila, recognized as the very first environment-themed hackathon, was a total of 58 hours of continuous software development setting the record for the longest hackathon to develop apps for NGOs for the battle against climate change. I just don't know if the attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the longest hackathon was achieved since I didn't see the presence of a representative from Guinness. In partnership with Princeton University's Pace Center for Civic Engagement.

The hackathon, held last June 6 to 8, 2014 at the De La Salle College of St. Benilde, brought together professional and student developers, designers, and environmental activists who think about the challenges climate change will pose, today & 100 years from now. They were tasked to develop mobile and web applications dedicated to climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience. The organizers envision that the apps developed at the hackathon could be utilized long after the hackathon concludes.

The two Princeton University juniors Mechanical Engineer Jacob Scheer and Economist Miguel Lachanski, along with Filipino technology specialist Diego Jose Ramos, plus all the other individuals responsible in organizing this hackathon, must be very proud of the outcome. Since finding solutions against Climate Change has always been almost everyone's advocacy especially the NGOs who are there to protect the environment and its natural resources, many have the keen interest to participate in related advocacy programs. Though the effort is not enough to be complacent because the very little few that exploit our environment are apparently more powerful, resourceful and influential. We may all need to combine our forces and really boost our efforts to go against these misguided elements of society.

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Congratulations to all the winners at the Philippine Legitimate Stage Artists Group (Philstage) Gawad Buhay Awards held at the at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino (Little Theater) of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) last June 6, 2014. It's my first time to see Audie Gemora dressed up like a drag queen while singing “Keep It Gay” pretentiously so attending the awards night was very much humorously rewarding for me as well.

Audie Gemora won the Outstanding Male Featured Performance in a Musical Award.....and I thought the movie version of The Producers was one of the most hilarious musicals I have ever seen. I am now hating myself for missing out on the Pinoy theater version. I hope there's a re-run soon so I could be the first one to sign-up.

The Gawad Buhay Awards are conferred to the best and brightest theater artists by a jury that views all the productions by Philstage member companies over the previous calendar year.

Christian Bautista and Karylle hosted the night dressed initially in their glamorous Cinderella theater show outfits which earned a resounding praise from the audience.

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As I sip my cold drink and enjoy the morning breeze, I wonder about my future. I am thinking of a well-postured woman, with a lot of wisdom in her heart and mind. I am thinking of a woman that has no financial problem because she has the best job a woman could ever dream of. I wonder if I can mold my present to that kind of future.

Then, the sun directly hit me in the face as if it was angry with what I am doing. I asked myself "What am I doing wrong? There’s nothing wrong with dreaming. I can dream even if it is an endless dream." Well, you know what’s wrong? It is wrong letting time pass by and letting myself do nothing but enjoy the summer heat. It is wrong to dream, only if you are not doing anything to make it possible.

A year of endless paper works already ended and it is time to have some bonding moments with the people that surround me, and share the moments with them.

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The Ilocos province is a perfect place for your most craved me-time or a perfect place for couples- or in my case, with my family. About 400 kilometers from Manila and about 8 hours of travel by car is the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Vigan, Ilocos Sur. This is where we spent our summer vacation, and I'm here to tell you our adventure in the city where time stood still.

Vigan City is the capital city of Ilocos Sur and the seat of the provincial government. It was once a thriving center for trade and commerce among the people of Ilocandia and the Cordilleras.

The name Vigan came from the Ilocano word "kabiga-an" pertaining to the plant "biga" which is a tuberous plant that once grew along the banks of its rivers. The must-sees and must-do's wonders of the tiny yet culture-filled Vigan can be toured within two days. It is one of the few remaining 16th century towns in the Philippines.

People describe Vigan as a place where "time stood still" because it is the most intact example of a Spanish colonial town in Asia, and is well-known for its cobblestone streets and a unique architecture that fuses Asian building design and construction with European colonial architecture and planning.

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Infocomm Investments Pte Ltd is a venture capital firm that manages more than S$200million and builds & invests in global infocomm technology startups.

Managing more than S$200 million, Infocomm Investments is an active VC that accelerates the development of start-ups in their formative phase, and invests further as they move towards growth and expansion. Joyful Frog Digital Incubator (JFDI) is a leading start-up accelerator that Infocomm Investments has partnered to run accelerator programmes in Singapore for innovation-driven, tech product start-ups.

This partnership is the first-of-its-kind in Singapore, where Infocomm Investments’ entry as an anchor investor helps scale-up acceleration programs and build a strong pipeline of high quality, tech product start-ups able to scale globally.

On the 19th – 20th of June 2014, Infocomm Investments team members will be visiting Manila to drive awareness among tech teams & start-ups for JFDI (Joyful Frog Digital Incubator), an accelerator program run in partnership with Infocomm Investments. The team will also be keen to meet startups seeking Series A or B investment.

JFDI is the first accelerator in Southeast Asia to bring to the region the winning formula for boosting start-up success pioneered by Techstars in the United States. JFDI takes teams of entrepreneurs from idea to investment in 100 days, with greater than 60% success raising an average S$650,000 per team.

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Treat the whole family to a day of fun and games with Avida’s Come Alive in BGC!

Happening on Saturday, June 14 at the Bonifacio High Street Activity Center, attendees will have a chance to experience the dynamic and active lifestyle of the North Side of BGC with activities such as virtual soccer match, photo booths, life-sized Jenga, and many more. Cool giveaways and free Krispy Kreme doughnuts also await participants.

Don’t miss this exciting event for a truly one-of-a-kind Father’s Day celebration. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/AvidaLandPH and www.avidaland.com

My Dream Island Wedding Now Fulfilled at The Lakeshore

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Whenever I see beautiful weddings, I reminisce the days when my wife and I once became equally busy preparing for our own wedding plans. Like all other couples that are planning to get married, we both wanted it to be truly special, and tried our best to give everything we got just to make it the most memorable celebration of our lives.

But also like most couples, we were both young and inexperienced, so there were a lot of struggles. Sometimes we get so caught up in making the big day polished and perfect that we forget to have fun and live in the moment. But what I liked most about all the effort and brainstorming to come up with our own dream wedding is that we shared equally memorable times of sleepless nights, wandering thoughts and hopeful expectations as we drew near that special day when we finally exchange vows, delightful laughter and sweet promises.

If you can still recall our blog coverage of a surprise wedding proposal, followed by another article which tells the story of the planning stage for an island dream wedding, we now bring you the story of the actual wedding itself - the culmination of a love story between two individuals that are now intimately bonded as one and both ready to face the beginning of more wonderful chapters in their lives as husband and wife.

The fairy tale-like island wedding plans I told you about last December 2013 just came true last April 26, 2014, and this is their wedding story retold through my eyes. I am totally inspired by their love story. I also remembered that endearing wedding proposal that brought most of the attendees to an emotion of mixed tears and delight.

There were a million blessings to be thankful during the wedding day, and many of them are enveloped in this blog article. The scenes you are about to see are so breathtaking that we strongly suggest that you take a seat before you scroll down. So, just sit back, relax, and let this love story unfold right before your eyes!

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Almost all the techie stuff you need to run your business smarter was there at the Samsung Business Solutions Center and Industry Solutions Launch held last June 5, 2014. We were introduced to technologies that we've heard and seen mostly on cable TV features but this was the first time we've seen and used them in action. Samsung Electronics Philippines Co. (SEPCO) unveiled to us its Industry Business Solution Center that will showcase the breadth of Samsung solutions available to business productivity and creativity.

There is truth in saying that a well-connected and fully-automated office that takes advantage of the existing technologies to enhance the business processes will eventually benefit well in the long run and will continue to do so as long as it frequently adapts to emerging technologies.

The best business partner is with a technology provider that will tend to all your business requirement needs to make you excel in all your endeavors and continue to outperform the competitions. You'll be surprised to learn that investing on a more advance system may not actually break the bank and may lead to a more fruitful operational efficiencies and benefits to put you in a competitive edge.

ECOLEADERS INC.: Linking Nature and Technology, One Drop a a Time

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Only less than 1 percent of the world's fresh water is accessible for direct human use because 97.5% of the water on Earth is salt water and out of the remaining 2.5% fresh water, 70% is frozen in the ice caps of Antartica and Greenland, and are present either as soil moisture or lies in deep underground aquifers as ground water not accessible to human use.

The amount of water available is being threatened by the rapid rate of population growth. If the current water usage trend continues, two-thirds of the world's population - or 5.3 billion people - will be vulnerable to water shortages.

ECOLEADERS INC., the global and exclusive distributor of friendly and green solution products, has recently announced during its blessing of its Quezon City showroom and office, that they are the exclusively distributing US brand Ecoloblue Atmospheric Water Generators (AWGs) appliances - the most technologically advanced and sustainable AWGs in the world. They envision the AWG products as an effective solution to the water shortages we are already experiencing right now.

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Acupuncture has long been associated with pins and needles which is why a lot of people balk at the thought of trying it. Many Filipinos are scared of the needle and having a few being poked at you to treat a sickness is not their idea of fun. Truth be told, most would choose to suffer through their illness than have some needles be stuck on them. Thankfully, Doc Philip Nino Tan-Gatue, an acupuncturist, is more than willing to shed light as to why Acupuncture is nothing to be afraid of.

1. What is acupuncture?

Acupuncture, in the narrow sense, refers to the insertion and manipulation of needles into the body, usually at set locations known popularly as “points”. In the broad sense, it refers to a collection of procedures related to needling. The word itself comes from the latin acus meaning “needle” and pungere meaning “to puncture” and it involves penetrating the skin with thin, solid, metallic needles. These needles are then manipulated by hand or by electrical stimulation. Needles can be placed on sites of local pain or on pre-defined acupuncture points that lie on pathways of Qi known as “meridians” or “channels”.

2. What are its benefits?

The most important benefit that acupuncture offers comes from the fact that it does not involve administering or taking any medication. There are patients who, for various reasons, are unable or unwilling to take or to increase medication dose or number. These include patients on kidney or liver failure, or simply patients who want to take less medication - pharmaceutical or herbal - to keep from "overloading" their systems.

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There are so many unemployed individuals in our country yet our government claims there has been an increase in the number of jobs that have been introduced in the country brought about by the influx of BPO's or call centers that hire by the hundreds in just a few months. However, not many of our people are a perfect match for the jobs available so what happens is a number of job mismatches happening all over the country. The end result: not many are staying in their companies and finding new jobs elsewhere, or those who stayed are not really happy or satisfied with their current job.

The main reason is usually due to the the increase of interests on courses that do not really have an accompanying demand and availability of jobs as required by employers. Many of the recent graduates find themselves underemployed or just accepting jobs that are available but does not really match their skills and academic background.

We can't really do something about what jobs are in demand because that is based on what businesses are growing or expanding based on economic progress, but there's a new job search engine site created by German and Filipino web developers that is offering a cool way to help you land in a job that suits your skills and at the same time, relieves employers from the stress of hunting for the right talents.

JobMatch.pro, the latest innovation from the German IT provider- ISI Teletrade, was launched simultaneously in Manila and Germany to address the lingering problems of job mismatch. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) pegged underemployment or those still looking for another job at 7-million while unemployment is at 2.96 million. The site uses an intelligent software that recognizes suitable talents while blocking those unmatched applications.At least with this site, we get an opportunity to try out first at companies that where identified matching to our qualifications.