Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Monday, July 7, 2014

Bambike Ecotours of Intramuros: The Coolest Way to Tour Intramuros

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"Bambike Ecotours Intramuros is an exciting and educational ecotourism activity in the heart of Manila’s old walled city of Intramuros. Guests will be riding through the streets on bamboo bikes that have been handmade by Gawad Kalinga villagers here in the Philippines. Tourists will be led around the area, getting to cover more ground than if on a walking tour and having a more interesting experience than if going around on a calesa.This ecotour will both teach visitors about Philippine history and make them feel like kids again."

I agree to their Facebook page description. The tour will make you feel like a kid again. That's for sure. I saw these in the faces of my fellow bloggers before they proceeded with the actual tour. Yes! I mean "they" for I had to miss the opportunity to ride with them and Bryan, the proprietor and brains behind "Bambike" because I had to pick up a Mini Cooper S at the Bonifacio Global City Mini showroom. The guys at Mini scheduled the pick-up the same time I was supposed to be riding with the Wazzup Pilipinas community.

It was between riding a Bambike and a Mini...I would have chosen the Bambike but Bryan made it easier for me - he gave me another opportunity to join them in any schedule tour. Thus after taking a group photo with them, I ran off to the Mini showroom all eager and excited to drive like there was no tomorrow (joke). Seriously, I was very careful in driving the Mini since it was not mine to begin with.

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I am a frustrated artist. I loved to draw during my younger years. I even had my own line of characters similar to the popular groups back when I was still studying. Name all the cartoons and I had my own version patterned after them. My own superhero team, my own transforming robots, my own creations with their distinct personalities, costumes and personal backgrounds.

I could have been a Fine Arts student, but my parents said there was no future in the arts. They were implying, but obviously stating, that there's no financial assurance in drawing, sketching, painting, or whatever form it may be.

I ended up taking an Engineering course from one of the reputable colleges in Manila. But even until now after graduation and several employments with top-notch multi-national corporations and organizations, I somehow still feel incomplete and empty. I keep longing for opportunities to apply my artistry and creativity. Some could probably see it in my past works - I was always appointed as the presentation master since I was great at Powerpoint,, the one who draws for the assignments or homeworks of my cousins, and the one who prepares announcement posters for the company. They chose me because they can see that I know how to match colors that will look good. I have an eye for beauty as I lay-out posters and ads, - in other words - the desire to be creative always shines out in almost everything that I do.

Attending the Icon Manila 2014 event made me realize that these guest artists share a common story with me. Not all of them intended to be an artist. Most of them ended up at their work because the passion was there. It seems noone really can be stopped if there is passion inside still burning and yearning to get out. No amount of opportunity will be reason enough if there was no passion. For them, when the opportunity came, they grabbed it. Some may have worked for it all of their life, but it would have not lasts if there was no passion.

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Basketball fanatics had another awesome NBA experience with the return of the NBA 3X here in the Philippines. Presented by Sprite, boys and girls of all skill levels - with an open division for men and women - were able to participate and vie for top honors and bragging rights at the SM Mall of Asia and Philippine International Convention Center from July 4 to 6, 2014.

At a press conference held at the NBA Cafe of SM Aura located in Bonifacio Global City, members of the media had the opportunity to interview popular personalities like Toronto Raptors' DeMar DeRozan, Los Angeles Lakers' Wesley Johnson, the Raptors Dance Pak, and Sacramento Kings' Slamson the Lion.

Coco-Cola executive Adel Tamano was there to represent Sprite, and joined the organizers from NBA Philippines in a photo ops, along with the celebrity guests.

Aside from the competitive 3x3 tournaments, the NBA 3X Philippines 2014 celebrates basketball and the NBA with many free fan activities like a slam dunk contest, basketball clinics, 3-point shoot-outs, skill challenges, autograph sessions, live bands and DJs, NBA merchandize giveaways, and appearances of local celebrities at a celebrity division 3x3 tournament.

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The International Film Expo 2014 with a theme of "Your Film Corridor to Asia" was held at the SMX Convention Center of the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay City last June 27 to 29, 2014. The event is one of the premier film expositions that brought together the world’s most prominent players in the film industry and showcased the best and the latest trends surrounding the global film market.

The expo features several exhibitors from all over the world and a series of symposia covering a wide array of topics about the state, challenges, and opportunities surrounding the film industry worldwide. The conference brought together international stakeholders in film that discussed critical issues affecting the film industry worldwide, present technological advances and promote education as a tool towards a future-ready film industry.

Primarily brought to us by the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), the expo aims to make the Philippines a central hub for international film providers eying the Asian market through co-productions, partnerships, and other mutually beneficial arrangements. The expo featured reputable local and international production companies, film schools, film equipment suppliers, and other organizations like RSVP Film Studios, Black Magic Design, Array’s Technology, Inc., CMB Film Services, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation from South Korea, just to name few. The FDCP hopes to continue developing more opportunities for partnership and growth for local and international filmmakers.

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Tanghalang Ateneo’s repertoire of plays is daunting: world classics, Filipino originals, and documentary texts turned into theater pieces. Its productions are noted for thought, generosity, and energy, while its lingua franca on stage is both Filipino and English.

The longest-running theater company of the Loyola Schools, Ateneo de Manila University uses theater to foster eloquentia, sapientia, and humanitas – the pillars of Jesuit pedagogy. It sees itself as a theater company in the service of student formation, and by extension – given the Jesuit ideal of magis – a theater in service of the nation.

Since its founding in 1972 (and formally recognized five years later), Tanghalang Ateneo has grown from a fledgling band of student players to one of the country’s leading school-based theater companies.

Tanghalang Ateneo proudly announces its 36th season line-up for the school year 2014-2015 consisting of three productions with the theme “Navigating Identities” revolving around man's need to define himself and his significance in the world.

Nominate Wazzup Pilipinas to the Globe Tatt Awards as Best Lifestyle Blog

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Please nominate our blog to the Globe Tatt Awards 2014 as the Best Lifestyle Blog/Microblog. Please vote for Wazzup Pilipinas and let us all share the recognition - because we are a community, and our community is one! We are Wazzup Pilipinas!

Nominations are open until July 10, and voting starts on July 15. Why nominate for Wazzup Pilipinas? Aside from its already existing awards as Top Emerging Blog of 2013, Most Outstanding Filipino Community Blog Site of 2013, Best Filipino Community Blog Site of 2014, and Top Filipino Community Blog Site of 2014, the blog is a merging of uber creative and passionate correspondents of mixed age, specialties and background - as young as high school students to as experienced as professional bloggers, writers and employees that are all sharing their stories to the world in support of the It's More Fun in the Philippines program of the Department of Tourism.

Its founder, Ross Flores Del Rosario, was also awarded as Best Choice Influential Social Media Evangelist of which formal awarding ceremonies will be held on July 25, 2014 at the Crowne Plaza located in Ortigas, Pasig city.

Please click on the link below to take you to the voting site:

http://www.tattawards2014.com?kid=3G03P

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The Department of Transportation and Communications’ (DOTC) push to modernize urban mobility by introducing the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system to the country has garnered praises from foreign and local advocates of democratized, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly transport systems.

“The goal is not simply to modernize transport facilities and improve commuter experience, it is also to provide the public with a better quality of life. Due to the fast, efficient, and convenient features of BRTs, they save passengers the time normally wasted in traffic jams. BRTs allow people to be more productive and to have better access to opportunities,” remarked DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya.

The Cebu BRT project of the DOTC, recently approved by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), was first conceptualized as early as the 1990s. This P 10.6-Billion project is financed by the World Bank through its Clean Technology Fund.

Nigel Paul Villarete, who was City Administrator and later City Planning Officer of Cebu, was in charge of project development. Villarete says that: “The fulfillment of the Cebu BRT will change the face of Metro Cebu forever, and will auger well for the metropolis to become a people-oriented, humane, sustainable, and livable city in the future, where the rich share the same ride with the poor. The BRT is not just a transportation project, it’s an urban improvement project.”

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The Department of Tourism (DOT) sees strong interest from international cruise lines increasing their ports of call and expanding visits to more islands in the country.

Speaking before guests and industry stakeholders during the Philippine Cruise Industry Workshop held last week at the Makati Shangri-la, Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. said that cruise arrivals in the Philippines grew by 48 percent in the last two years since 2011 amounting close to 20,000 in 2013. And while the country’s cruise infrastructure is being developed, international cruise lines calling in the country have increased substantially, with 16 cruise vessels last year from just 10 in 2011.

“We are expecting some 18 cruise ships this year that should bring in more than 20,000 tourists. Our country’s proximity to major cruise source markets like China, Japan, and Hong Kong positions us at a competitive and comparative advantage in the Asia-Pacific region. This should give industry stakeholders greater prospects and our local communities new jobs and opportunities,” the tourism chief added.

Secretary Jimenez believes that what is now considered a niche market will see an increase in demand in the years ahead. “Preparation is absolutely essential. And that is what this workshop precisely calls for—to formulate a national cruise development plan that will chart the Philippines’ role in the cruising business in Southeast Asia,” he further explained.

The Evolution of a Blogger: The Top Blogger of the Philippines

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There should be no exceptions! Yes! Except for press releases? Nah! Except for very technical topics? Nah! Except for events or products that were not worthy of any praises? Nah! To blog or not to blog? That is the question! But please don't min my ramblings as I am purely talking to myself. In the end it is still all up to me. I chose to put whatever I want in my blog. My blog, my rules! Like it or hate it, you don't dictate to me what I want to put in my blog, so accept it as the only truth, for I am the only one liable to its contents.

The blogger has evolved. That's for sure! Modern day professional bloggers now exist because the needs and demands call for it. Only a few remain that are truly keeping to the original intention of what a blog is all about. Bloggers have adapted to the times, and the technology.

Some would even be identified as "top" bloggers - forming themselves into groups and calling themselves elite, authorities, and A-list... laughable but merely a branding strategy to uplift themselves in the eyes of potential clients. Yey! We're above and beyond the rest of the indies out there! We're an exclusive batch of self-declared prominent bloggers backed by years of experience and maturity - in other words, we are old and desperate for some attention.

It is good to create a union, but it is bad to close the opportunities to newbies because we all know that the new generation may also have fresh innovative ideas that even experienced bloggers may be unable to realize. The rookies were newly-trained and are most probably backed by more advanced learning that could be better appreciated by majority of their readers.

Upbeat Economy Results in Bullish Business Gifts Industry

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The Philippines is currently enjoying revived confidence from domestic and international business, as evidenced by, among other things, upgraded ratings from the world’s leading credit rating agencies. These improvements have directly resulted in an upbeat corporate gifts and rewards industry, poised to take advantage of the increased economic activity.

Hundreds of the country’s most reliable suppliers of business gift items are set to showcase their products and services at the annual Corporate Giveaways Buyers’ Show, the Philippines longest-running and most successful trade exhibition on business gifts, premiums, promotional ideas and merchandise incentives.

Now on its 27th year, the Corporate Giveaways Buyers’ Show regularly attracts purchasing managers, marketing and event professionals, HR practitioners, public relations specialists who visit the show to explore and source their year-round business gifts requirements, office solutions and even food and beverage gift options. It is scheduled on July 9-11 at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City.

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"Our young are falling prey to and are being devoured by their quest for power via a brotherhood that is fake."

Who in his right mind would believe a group of people who claim to be your best friends forever (BFFs) in exchange of beating you to a pulp during acceptance rites. I believe it should be the other way around. Try beating them up to a pulp and see if they will still love you after they are all bloody black, red and blue.

These things happen at prominent colleges and university without the knowledge of anybody at the top of the school? I'm betting many of the students are aware and could easily point fingers but the so-called death threats from the brotherhood are preventing them to do so.

This could easily be remedied if the students all band together with a promise of protection and safety from the authorities. However, there have been many graduates already that are part of the brotherhood. The lucky ones who made it and whose bodies were strong enough to tolerate and endure the pain.

These hazing deaths have been going on for years, and why has it not stopped the fraternities? There is only one answer to this question - the stench is much worst to what we could only see. There are poop out of the fart that we hear....and it smells so bad that it reaches all the way up to the top of the city.

The situation is all fucked up...but that's normal for many.

Business Tips for Young People

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Back then, the common scenario in the corporate industry is that the old people are wearing newly pressed suits while bringing their suitcases and walking briskly on their way to board meetings. This is the typical face of the business industry for a long time. Not until young risk-takers started to join the field and made way to their own adventures in business. Whether you are still a student or just a fresh graduate, here are some of the things you need to remember if you want to start a business:

Find where you are good at

Not only where you are good at but also something that you love doing. Doing things without passion can be suicidal for your business. You’ll easily get tired of it and chances are, you’ll quit even before your business takes off. Aside from that, it’s more convenient to start a business wherein you’re already an expert.

Look for connections

Your connections can be your market since you are still starting. Asking for your friends and relatives may help you widen your network. Once you finally got these people who buy from you, you must learn about customer retention.

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Do you know what motivates athletes and teams to do their best? Do you want to know the right approaches to build a champion team?

Veteran team building facilitator, management consultant, and long time sports writer Lito Cinco is conducting a free two-part sports psychology seminar. The seminar focuses on mental strengthening of individual athletes and building a team. This will be on July 10 and 24 at the ROX at Bonifacio High Street in Bonifacio Global City from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM.

Backed by 3M Futuro, a full line of supports, braces and compression products, the seminars dubbed " Skills & Attitude, Life's Winning Combination”. It will increase awareness among athletes and coaches on the importance of sports psychology to help enhance the performance of athletes and teams with specific steps and recommended applications.

The seminar is on a first come-first served basis and is limited to 50 participants. Athletes, coaches and coaching enthusiasts are advised to be at the venue before the seminar starts. Snacks and product give aways will be given to the participants.

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Professional photographers Mark Nicdao and BJ Pascual never fails to amaze me with his artistic shots full of creativity. His shot with Ellen Adarna for the Special Collectors' Issue of Preview Magazine's "Skin" is also oozing with sensuality and really spells SKIN.

The cover is more than a photoshoot. It is a work of art. The inside photos continues to sizzle and wet the imagination of the readers. Skin is bared but not too much to keep thoughts still wandering. There are still some left to the mind to play and linger with.

Sorry to the haters, but if you can't see the art in this collaborative effort then you are too malicious.

Like they said, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, so to the ones who only see nudity in this series of shots merged into a masterpiece are those that are either too conservative or too dim-witted to accept that beauty is a reflection of your idenity. If you can't see any sense of beauty, then your minds are too down the drain already.

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Richard Gutierrez, Sarah Lahbati and Baby Zion on the cover of Smart Parenting?

Aside from being a controversial couple, I don't see anything else that exactly makes them "smart" "parents"?

The magazine must be only banking on the popularity of the issue that surrounds the couple and their baby. They are not really applicable to be on the cover. Face value does not justify being anywhere within your magazine that carries the title of both "smart" and "parenting". Neither of the two represent any of the attributes.

Is keeping your child in secret for a year or shall I say from the time of pregnacy a good example of a smart parent??? Hmmm I guess not!

"Would it be more appropriate if you feature parents who are legally married as a role model? Yes they look good & gorgeous but what about the moral values we're instilling in the young people's mind....be more responsible please!"

I would have wanted to see Team Kramer or Team Melason on their cover, instead of the Guttierez. It takes Gutz to be a Guttierez, yeah...talk to my hand. It's a good influencer for the young viewers to view the mag as a family oriented wholistic reading material.