Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Thursday, June 26, 2014

The New MINI. The New Original: Epic Driving Fun Better than Before

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At a media and VIP launch held at the MINI Cooper showroom located at Bonifacio Global City, many witnessed eh unveiling of the new MINIs. Hosted by UK born Filipino/British Rugby Sevens Player, model and host Andrew Wolff, and graced by actor heartthrob Jericho Rosales and famed racecar driver and racing legend George Ramirez.

I got to see several makes of the new Minis including the Cooper S and the F56. I personally did a test drive, and also did a slalom course with George Ramirez himself driving, and whoah! was I in a state of shock for several minutes after those few seconds of high-impact adrenaline that I could feel rushing in my veins and making my heart beat faster than normal. I never thought the MINI can be both smooth and powerful. I had a blast driving it on my own but with George on the wheel, I was glad I had my seatbelt on and I didn't have a weak heart.

Watch below as I post videos (more to be uploaded soon and added to this post as soon as available). For the meantime, here are some photos during the launch and the official press release. More photos will be uploaded soon on the Wazzup Pilipinas Facebook fan page.

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Epson Philippines Corporation recently unveiled the new flagship interactive model EB-595Wi, the World's 1st 3LCD, finger touch-enabled interactive projector, along with six (6) other projector models in the company’s Ultra Short Throw projector range. The Epson EB-500 series is targeted specifically at educational institutions, and is designed to enhance engagement for both teachers and students.

With the Epson EB-500 Series interactive projectors, users can just touch the screen to scroll up and down, move icons and annotate, zoom in or out, open or close files, enlarge, reduce and rotate images, and even erase images – just like a regular touchscreen device, such as smartphones and tablets.

The new projectors can deliver color brightness of up to 3300 lumens on selected models, allowing the screen to be easily viewed from anywhere in the classroom without the need to dim the lights. The new Epson projectors have a contrast ratio of 10,000:1 and longer lamp life of up to 10,000 hours in ECO mode for better cost efficiency and savings.

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Fans were all swooning with delight and admiration during the Meet and Greet event held by Fila Philippines at 4 selected branches namely Robinson's Galleria and SM Megamall last June 21, 2014 and Glorietta and Mall of Asia last June 22, 2014.

The hunky members of the Philippine National Rugby Union Team (more popularly known as the Volcanoes), the first Southeast Asian figure skater to compete in the Winter Olympics Michael Christian Martinez, ultra-charming model, actor, host Fabio Ide and fashion designer, columnist and socialite-philanthropist known for her flamboyant outfits Tessa Prieto-Valdez was able to interact with fans of all ages at the Fila branches during these special events.

I think I was also overwhelmed of how fans lined up to get their Fila fans signed by the celebrities, as well as get photo opportunities, group shots especially "selfies". Some even had Fila shirts signed by the Fila brand endorsers.Another one even had his newly bought shoes signed by one of the Fila brand endorsers.

I am witness to how the girls all went gaga over the men endorsers namely the volcanic rugby hunks and especially to Olympic figure-skating fame Michael Martinez, Fabio Ide has a great number of lady fans all wanting to have a photo with him, and Tessa Prieto-Valdez was so fashionista with her outfits on both days that numerous fans also gathered around her.

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The 4th Yahoo Celebrity Awards (formerly Yahoo OMG! Awards) is proving to be the most exciting one yet! After only three weeks of voting, over 9 million votes have already been notched online, surpassing last year’s total number of votes! Voting for nominees is open online at yahoo.com.ph/celebrityawards until July 12, 2014, and Yahoo Philippines is hoping to achieve more votes as the awards night draws nearer.

Yahoo Celebrity Awards honors Filipino celebrities from the fields of movies, music, radio and television, who are voted into the top ranks by their fans from across the world. This is the fourth consecutive year of Yahoo Celebrity Awards, which are not only the most popular awards program in the country but also uniquely “Powered by You” - as fans have the exclusive power to vote for their favorite stars.

Kate Delos Reyes, Country Manager and Country Editor of Yahoo Philippines was ecstatic with the results and said, “We all know how much Filipino fans love our celebrities! Now is the time to show them how important they are to you. Ask your friends and family to vote to make sure your favorites win in their respective categories!”

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Ever contemplated the difference between ‘price’ and ‘value’? Ever watched a ‘special performance lecture’? How about drank milk in a theater while doing all of the above? Now you can.

The PETA Theater Center, the Cultural Center of the Philippines, and British Council Philippines present The Price of Everything by British performer Daniel Bye, showing at the PETA Studios on Thursday, July 10, 7:00 PM.

The Price of Everything has been performed to critical acclaim at the 2012 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and enjoyed a sold-out run as part of the Northern Stage at St. Stephens Festival last year .

Profound, provocative and definitely funny, Bye becomes the proverbial gadfly through this one-man show. Touted as a ‘special performance lecture’, the show combines stand-up comedy, satire and storytelling.

Bye is a theatre-maker from North East England whose material tackles big political and philosophical issues with naivety and reckless abandon. As part of the show, Bye asks the audience serious questions about ideology and money, while offering them all free glasses of milk!

Kathryn Bernardo is on the Cover of Metro Magazine July 2014 Issue

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"Teen Queen Kathryn Bernardo graces Metro magazine's cover for the third time, headlining their 2014 Celebrity Issue. This is her first magazine cover after turning 18 and they're so into her newfound maturity and sophistication, but they also love how she remains down to earth and a breeze to work with."
Nice Job, Metro! Embracing womanhood to the fullest. Passion and beauty demands to be felt.

You got to love her outfit especially the much coveted jacket that totally made her look more like a woman. The teen queen is really all woman in this fabulous cover. Though the chin up look may be a bit more domineering and made her neck look longer than normal.

I also like an article here that talks about several star style secrets. The best cuts, colors, silhouettes, and styles of the season are also discussed. Plus the Pre-Fall 2014 Trend Report.

Watch out for Metro magazine's July issue in bookstores and newsstands this week. Let's make her cover trend, shall we?

Roxee B: Reinvented to be More Daring on UNO Magazine

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I thought I'd be only seeing toys at a toy convention but ToyCon 2014 has expanded into a huge gathering of enthusiasts and fanatics of many fields of entertainment from toys to video games, cosplayers to comics, collectors' items to sculptures, and everything else you can think of including the toys for the big boys.

There is truth when they say that boys will be boys and that aside from playing time is plenty of leisure time ogling at beautiful girls wearing skimpy and revealing outfits may it be as an alluring booth model, a cute and sexy cosplayer, or a seductive magazine cover model.

There's simply more-than-meets-the-eye in the ToyCon 2014 event aside from child's play. There will always be stunning ladies present in every boys event just as we see in car shows, product launches and even trade fairs.

I've seen Roxie Barcelo or Anne Roxanne "Roxie" Jordan Barcelo, or now known as Roxee B, before but she still pleased all senses when she graced the 3rd day of the ToyCon 2014 event with her provocating presence. I know black is beautiful but her body-hugging and tight dark outfit was made even more astonishing as seen on her sultry and sensual body. I've seen her shots already at the UNO magazine issue so I was already imagining what she would look like underneath the black dress. I can't help but swoon in delight, and made me want to get closer for the photo ops.

Below are some images taken at the UNO Magazine Autograph signing:

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Apparently, there was more reasons why traffic along SM Megamall was horrendously hair-pulling days aside from the overflowing attendance of cosplayers to join the cosplay competitions at the 2014 run of ToyCon. UNO magazine also seized two days to bring in two of their lovely cover models on separate days specifically day 2 and day 3.

No wonder why Day 1 of Toycon was not as problematic as Day 2 and 3, the lovely ladies of UNO Magazine decided to drop by at the peak hours of the afternoon when most toy and cosplay fanatics where at a huge quantity. Almost every cosplaying group, and even solo flight individuals were there to show off their costumes depicting their favorite anime, superhero or cartoon character, I heard there was even a guy who cosplayed as Bong Revilla Jr wearing the white shirt with religious writings on it.

During Day 2, Ryza Cenon, with her floral top and pinkish bottom skirt wowed the crowd during the autograph signing of the UNO Swmsuit Special where she is one of the four cover models. Though I didn't really liked her sort of crazy curly hairdo that day.

Aside from Ryza, the other three UNO magazine swimsuit special cover models are Mercedes Cabral, Aubrey Miles, and Danica Torres. Also part of the magazine issue are Emmerie Cunanan, Georgina Knight, Kookie Sarmiento and Jacq Yu.

Below is the official press release about Ryza Cenon:

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There's a bunch of gourmet burgers already out there that are all tempting and flavorful. Now, Johnny Rockets has recently introduced another gourmet burger like no other. Introducing the new Lobster Wagyu Burger - Yes! you heard it right! It's a unique serving of sumptuous Lobster and a well-grilled Wagyu meat patty combined into one burger creation that is sure to make you want to try it for yourself. Plus there's also American fries on the sides for a real hefty meal to keep you on the go for any task.

An interesting meal also deserves a drink that's equally adventurous in taste. Be prepared to meet the Wasabi Shake. Oh my! and I thought I only see that green stuff with sushi. You will really taste the Wasabi flavor in this drink that Johnny Rockets has prepared for their avid customers who can expect something new from the restaurant every three months.

Top this meal and drink with a dance performance form the Johnny Rockets crew that are prepared to wiggle, shake and strut to a beat every 30 minutes or even upon request of the customers. Nothing beats seeing live performances by vibrant teens all willing to entertain and impress the people while they enjoy dining on the many gourmet burgers, meals and drinks of Johnny Rockets.

The Lobster Wagyu Burger and Wasabi Shake launch or new menu tasting event was held last June 20, 2014 at the Eastwood Mall branch of the restaurant and was attended by several members of the media including Wazzup Pilipinas.

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Young people use the power of social media to raise awareness on Manila’s forgotten but beloved heritage street in this all-day arts, music and food fest.

The Queen of Manila streets is reclaiming her crown as a relevant and productive district in modern times.

The Escolta Revival Movement, an umbrella group composed of property and business owners, public institutions, and organizations from the arts and heritage conservation sectors have joined forces for one vision. They have united for a collective effort to rescue and revive Escolta, to make it the country’s premier central business and luxury district once again.

To raise awareness and help boost Manila’s local tourism, they will hold an event called #selfiEscolta: The Manila Street Heritage Festival. It will be held along Escolta Street on June 28, 2014 (Saturday), from 9:00 am to 10:00 pm.

#selfiEscolta features various simultaneous activities to showcase the best of Manila’s famed district. These include special guided tours that will take attendees to all the heritage buildings in the district. There will also be an art and food market plus on-site entertainment, among others. Confirmed performers include the likes of Gary Granada, Tres Marias (Cookie Chua, Bayang Barrios, Lolita Carbon), Plagpul, Persephone, Estribo, Fiona, and more.

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Nowadays, almost everyone rely on their smartphone to keep themselves updated and informed. Looking at how things are going right now, it will be no surprise when after a few more years, online media will be the only option fast, convenient and reliable enough to refer to. With the ever-growing popularity of smartphones already becoming a necessity among many people, it is a wise decision to incorporate almost everything on a mobile platform including the way we do business.

To meet the growing demand for mobile internet services in the emerging markets, Lamudi Philippines has recently launched an app that would allow house-hunters to buy, rent or sell real estate using an Android phone - the dominant mobile platform worldwide capturing more than 60 percent of the local mobile market.

Launched in 2013, Lamudi is a global property portal focusing exclusively on emerging markets. The fast-growing platform is currently available in 28 countries in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America, with 400,000 real estate listings across its global network. The leading real estate marketplace offers sellers, buyers, landlords and renters a secure and easy-to-use platform to find or list properties online.

Held at the Croque Cafe and + Bakery in Makati last June 20, 2014, the app named Lamudi: Real Estate for Sale and Rent was introduced to selected members of the media by Jacqueline van den Ende, Managing Director of Lamudi Philippines. It's technical features was further discussed by Benedict Plaza, Lamudi Philippines' resident tech expert.

Social Innovators: An Interview with Jay Jaboneta of the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation

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I know there are a lot of efforts to help out our countrymen especially during times of disaster or conflict, but I never really realized that it can be initiated not only by the big corporations, whom we thought would normally have the money to spend coming from their corporate social responsibility funds, but also by individuals who have the strong inner compassion to band together and raise funds for the welfare of the less fortunate.

Many have taken time off from their daytime jobs to lend a hand in any way they can. Some of the people I know even resigned from work to dedicate their lives to similar efforts. I learned about some of them from the recently concluded social innovators gathering called The Dream Expo MNL that was held at the Asian Development Bank in Ortigas Center last June 11 to 13, 2014, of which 200 selected social innovation groups, including Wazzup Pilipinas, attended to listen to several speakers who have already gained a significant footing towards social innovation movements. Many of them have been recognized already for their achievements and contributions making me so very proud I was there to listen to how they chased and lived their dreams of forming an organization that would eventually make this country better if all the rest of us would follow.

I sent a private message through Facebook to many of them and requested an online interview that I sent over email after they agreed. The first one to reply back with a filled up questionnaire was Jay Jaboneta, Fire Starter and Chief Storyteller of the Yellow Boat of Hope Foundation. The story of his valiant advocacy was among the interesting ones that caught my attention during The Dream Expo MNL because it was centered on youth education, specifically on the provision of boats to children who had to swim just to go to school.

Below is my interview with Jay Jaboneta done online, but I am still hoping that one of these days I may be able to join his group in one of their on-site activities so I could cover them personally and get to feel how it is really like to see glimpses of hope seen on the children's eyes.

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I recently got my hand on this cool portable keyboard that's so thin yet durable enough to perhaps lasts longer than what I've been currently using.

I used to have a foldable keyboard that I bring around everywhere I go. I attach it to my tablet so I can work on my writing more comfortably even while traveling, or during certain times while while for an event to start, break time during conferences or seminars, or even while at a coffee shop drinking my favorite brewed concoction and eating a slice of cake.

Logitech makes an extensive line of keyboard cases for all variants of iPad and one of their newest offerings is the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Folio. I was pleased with the look, feel, comfort, and protection that it provides.

It was so easy to attach it and configure on my tablet. I got it working after a few seconds and it tested out fine even after several hours of usage. It's more practical to use it because of its durable rubber material that is said to be shock resistant rather than my foldable keyboard whose body is made of softer rubber, which incidentally has some numbers at the numeric keypad area already not working. It may have been caused by the multiple times it has been folded and unfolded but for sure this will no longer be fixable.

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NBFI Youth federation for environmental preservation (NBFI YFEP) is an environmental Youth organization committed to nature preservation through knowledge and student empowerment. Our mission is to increase youth awareness on various environmental issues through social networking and be one with other environmental units with similar aspiration, to create and organize a range of projects and advocacies that would address the different ecological challenges and to take the necessary actions that will guarantee a safe and viable earth for future generations.

NBFI MUSIC ARTISTS “APOLAKI” created their original songs and one of these is “Sama Sama” “Pagbago” at “Iyak ng Kabatann” which then hit the social networks locally and internationally. They guested on several big events like in Robert B. Estrella Memorial National High School in Carmen, Pangasinan, Sierra Madre Day in Quezon Memorial Circle, Quezon City, De La Salle- Dasma., 4th Philippine Greeneration Summit in SM Mall of Asia, People’s Congress with former Chief Justice Reynato Puno in AIM Convention Center, Makati City, SEARICE Convention in UP Diliman, Batangas State University, UPLB, Ateneo De Manila, Earthday Jamwith Ms. Lou Bonnevie , Aquatech Philippines, radio Veritas and several radio stations they have visited.

“Apolaki” means God of sun and war. "Sun" because they believe that their group will shine bright because of their impressive talents and devotion, and “war”because they can be warriors of and for the environment.

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Looking for a great bag for your kids and teens? Want to impress your friends without breaking the bank? Looking for something fashionable , functional, and yet affordable? Then you have to try out the Parachute brand!

Parachute was launched in November of last year, available at department stores and kiosks nationwide, including provinces like Cebu, Davao, Bacolod and Cagayan de Oro. It aims to engage a customer base that aspires to be chic and versatile. Two differing personalities rolled into one. That is Parachute’s core.

Parachute has been created to channel the spirit of eco-friendly shopping. Parachute uses eye-catching shapes and colors, featuring bold characters, strong prints, and lightweight material. Keeping busy customers in mind, Parachute bags are portable and stylish.

Each bag can be converted from one style to another. Perfect for traveling, it looks like a pouch one moment; pop it into your luggage and when it’s time to use, open it up and you’ve got an extra carry-on.