Flipzoids: A Must See Play Featuring Three Filipino Immigrants in America

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With only three characters Aying, Vangie and Redford, the play is circa 1985 and is set on a beach in Southern California. It is a funny and highly moving story about three Filipino immigrants in America navigating through the shifting landscape of home, desire, loneliness and belonging. The play examines what it means to be an outsider, to be Filipino and/or American, to be a hybrid.

BECCA GODINEZ ( AYING ) is a seasoned singer, songwriter, director and actress. Her career has taken her through numerous musical avenues, from country to musical theater and everything else in between. She was a student of classical voice, where she competed and won for her college its first classical voice trophy. Believing in her gifts, she was given the lead role in the operetta, “The Telephone” by Gian Carlo Menotti, where she sang the difficult lines of the sole female soprano, Lucy. Simultaneously, she was a student of vocal jazz, scatting and enjoying the less traditional and less rigid boundaries of that genre, and for a season, she was a member of a vocal jazz ensemble that toured Northern California. Years later, she performed as front act to jazz musicians, Tom Scott, Richard Tee, Carlos Rios and Steve Gadd.

Becca spent a good amount of time on the legitimate stage, where she performed in straight plays and in musical theatre. She was a member of Repertory Philippines where she portrayed numerous roles which included Tuptim in The King and I, Hodel in Fiddler on the Roof, and in a CA production of West Side Story where she played Anita. An Orange County newspaper’s review stated... “In her role of Anita, she displayed a deep understanding of the role and gave it a passionate interpretation, which outshone Rita Moreno's interpretation …of "West Side." When she came to her big song "A Boy Like That," she gave it tragic and heart-wringing overtones …”

Avida Shares Inspired Home Interior Ideas for Elle Deco Talks Series

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Avida, in partnership with ELLE Decoration Philippines, recently concluded the second edition of the magazine’s Deco Talks series. Moderated by ELLE Decoration’s Tom Castañeda, the second series of design conversations assembled an impressive panel of industry specialists who shared their expertise and discussed the importance of creating inspired interiors. Interior designer Eric Tañedo-Paras, architect Lara Fernandez Barrios, and art consultant Miguel Rosales led the panel discussion. They were also joined by Avida’s Innovation and Design Group Head Jojo Fabricante, who shared the design aesthetics and inspiration behind the featured projects in Avida Showroom Glorietta.

Fabricante also noted the importance of visiting a showroom particularly for condo dwellers looking for design inspirations. “Here at the Avida showroom, we feature a deliverable unit that shows you what you will get, while the model units show you the potential [of your home]. It gives you an idea on what you can do and how you can maximize your space.”

The Avida Showroom in Glorietta served as the perfect venue for the event as it embodies the essence of an inspired interior. With its contemporary modern design, the showroom feature separate nooks that introduces the company’s newest projects, allowing guests to view model units that can be found in an Avida residential development.

Epson Introduces New Models To Expand Award-Winning L-Series Original Ink Tank System Printers

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Epson, the world’s first, and to date the only printer maker to offer genuine ink tank system printers, announced the launch of the latest models in the award winning L-Series Original Ink Tank Printers. With four new models being introduced into the market - the L120, L1300, L1800 and L555 - Epson continues to offer an incredible print volume at the lowest cost per page of any genuine supplies printer.

Target Market	Type	Model	Print Speed	Connectivity
Home/Small Office	Single Function Document Printer	L120	Up to 8.5 ipm2 (ISO)	USB
SMB Print Provider/ Professional photo studios	Single Function A3 Photo Printer	L1800	Up to 45 sec per 4R Photo (borderless)	USB
Small Office to Medium Sized Business	Single Function A3 Printer	L1300	Up to 15 ipm2 (ISO)	USB
	All-in-one Fax Printer	L555	Up to 9 ipm2 (ISO)	USB and Wi-Fi

The new range of L-Series printers continues to provide for all level of users from the more affordable, high-speed L120, which offers SOHO and small businesses the option of a highly reliable, low cost document printer with a small footprint, to the all-in-one, super high ink capacity L555 with fax, Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) and wireless printing flexibility for medium sized businesses that need speed and reliability.

Anti-Corruption to be Discussed on SONA

image from gmanewsnetwork.com

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Office of the Ombudsman filed plunder charges against three senators for their roles in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) and President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III is expected to address that on his state of the nation address scheduled on July 28. It will be interesting to see what he has to say about it since it is very embarrassing how three senators are found to be pocketing funds. It is going to tarnish the reputation of the country since these people were voted in to their positions by the people. There have been rumblings that the senators will be reconsidered but those rumors were quickly put to rest by the Ombudsman.

The corruption cases made a lot of headlines nowadays due to the fact that the government officials were using funds that came from the citizens. The Filipinos paid their taxes rightfully so they deserve to know where the funds go to. Once the issue with Janet Lim Napoles came out, Filipinos started to rally since they realized their money is going to the benefit of the government officials. In fact, the children of these officials are seen having a good time like going on out of the country trips and buying luxury items such as gold watches and jewelry.

President Aquino will most likely encourage everyone to vote wisely on the next election which is in 2 years. He will point out that it is the Filipinos who are responsible for the high ranked government officials right now. One issue that is expected to be tackled in the next SONA is the preparation of the Filipinos for upcoming storms. It seems like every year lives and homes are shattered thanks to really bad weather. President Aquino is expected to announce new ways in finding out about the storm in advance so everyone can prepare.

Accept Abad’s Resignation, President Aquino

image from Bandera

Wazzup Pilipinas!

President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Cojuangco Aquino III actually issued a statement when asked why he did not accept Budget Secretary Florencio "Butch" Abad’s resignation from his post at the Department of Budget and Management. Unfortunately, the president did not really state a valid reason. He is saying the DAP or Disbursement Acceleration Program is benefitting the people when there is no evidence that it has indeed benefitted them. The president is saying the government’s most vociferous critics are saying that the program has benefitted the country. Unfortunately, the opposite is true for his statement as the government’s most harsh critics are completely against the program.

Nobody really knows the true effect of the DAP to the people and the justice department are determined more than ever to find that out. Secretary Abad has the right to resign so President Aquino should not stop him for any reason. Abad could want to have a career shift and President Aquino does not know it. The fact that the country improved from the DAP is just an opinion from the President and Secretary Abad. There is really no proof that the country was able to benefit from the program so the fact that the country was able to benefit was made from pure presumption.

The DAP is illegal so it has no right to exist. The Supreme Court of the Philippines has deemed it unconstitutional. The president must know that Abad can be replaced as there are many people who want his post right now. If he wants to resign because of something he either did right or wrong then let him do it. It is going to do P-Noy more harm if he refuses to accept the resignation of one of his men. It is also possible Abad wants to get out of this mess while it is still early.

SM Says Aura Area Should Not Go to BCDA

SM Aura image from Manila Coconuts

Wazzup Pilipinas!

SM Prime Holdings Inc. has built SM Aura for the residents of Taguig so they see no reason why it should benefit BCDA and not the people of Taguig. SM is sick and tired of all the restrictions the BCDA is trying to place on the property when it is not really theirs. The BCDA is trying to argue that the property should also benefit Taguig when SM did just that when they placed a park on top of the mall that can be accessed even when it is off mall hours. The food establishments on SM Aura are international brands like NBA Café, Ramen Nagi and Todd English Food Hall. There is a reason why the Al Fresco part of SM Aura is always jam packed and that is because the food here is good.

SM won the bidding for the property in an auction fair and square so BCDA really has no right to dictate to them what they want them to build in the property. They actually let Taguig dictate what they want to build as there is a little bit of everything in the Aura property including a mall, convention center, park, government offices and a lot more. The fact that SM let BCDA dictate what they have to build in the property is completely unfair since they won the auction.

It is widely expected that SM Aura is going to be crowded for a long time since it is a nice place to hang out. It won’t be long before the building there is open to be occupied by offices which will make the area even more crowded. BCDA’s arguments are so pointless that Taguig officials are starting to questions their points. Even the Taguig mayor knows that the Taguig residents were able to benefit from the new mall of SM.

ValGrine Entered the Bellecour Committee

Wazzup Pilipinas!

ValGrine is now a part of the board of high French designers and craftsmen. ValGrine entered officially the Bellecour committee in the end of June. The committee is exclusive and unique in France, wanting to be the showcase of French luxury. The specificity of its membership is settled on a precise know how, very exclusive. ValGrine joins jewelers, masons, carpenters and upholsterers.

During the exhibition “One designer, One craftsman, One oeuvre”, ValGrine putters were introduced to professionals as well to the general public, touching the unreachable. This was organized under the supervision of Joël Madile, ambassador of the Lyon region to the international audiences.

This novel exhibition had as main goal to display œuvres realized between artists and craftsmen. The S.T. Dupont putter was elected, wedding between two Maisons recognized for their daring, exclusivity and sumptuousness. This putter is engraved and lacquered by the hands of S.T. Dupont craftsmen.

From the emotion of the public stood out the delicacy and refinery of these putters’ lines, the quality of the materials and the embellishments, world unique.

This success settles ValGrine as legitimate member of the Bellecour committee, and announces an amazing future under the skies of the creation.

For further information, feel free to contact us through our site www.valgrine.com or Facebook www.facebook.com/www.valgrine.fr.

Philippine International Motor Show: Progress In Motion Towards the Future of Automotive Industry

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines (CAMPI) brings back the country’s premiere motoring exhibit on September 18-21 at the World Trade Center, Pasay City. 

At a press conference held last Thursday, July 10, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Ballroom 1, Fairmont Hotel, Makati City, CAMPI announced the much-awaited 5th Philippine International Motor Show (PIMS) which banners the theme “Progress in Motion” to highlight the robust performance of the motoring industry and its vital role in Philippines’ growing economy.the event focused on how the automotive industry’s recent triumphs boost the nation’s upward mobility and economic growth.

PIMS was established by CAMPI in 2008 as the prime industry supported motor show in the country.The last show had the theme "Drive The Fun." The CEOs and Presidents of the CAMPI members were present in this momentous event. 

Present at the event were Maricar Parco - President of Asian Carmakers Corporation, Felix Ang - President of Auto Nation Group Inc., John Philip Orbeta - President of Automobile Central Enterprise, Steven Tan - President of Berjaya Auto Philippines Inc., Ginnia Domingo - President of Columbian Autocar Corporation, Arsenio Yap - President of Columbian Manufacturing Corporation, Dong Magsajo - Marketing and Communications Director - Eurobrands Distributor Inc., Atty. Rommel Guttierez - President of CAMPI, USEC Edwin Lopez of DOTC, Gov. Jose Alvarez - Chairman Emeritus of CAMPI, Noel Barachina - Vice President of Honda Cars Philippines, Nobuo Izumina - President of Isuzu Philippines Corporation, Hikosaburo Shibata - President of Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation, Kenji Naito - President and Managing Director Nissan Philippines, Inc., Shuzo Hoshikura - Automotive Division General Manager of Suzuki Philippines Inc., Yohei Murase - EVP for Marketing of Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation, and George Chua - Principal Adviser of Universal Motors Corporation.

Laugh and Stack Open Mic Showdown: Laughing Out Loud All Night with the Boys of Comedy Cartel

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Being a stand-up comic is really hard work. For one, you need to match your jokes to your audience profiles. You can only find out what tickles their fancy once you're already in the middle of the stage and doing your thing. Thus, you need to have a lot of stuff as reserve. Find their soft spot first by trying out a few short jokes, serve the similar ones that clicks, and continue pushing the experience further to that point where they will really laugh out loud, and you're good for the rest of the night.

The experience on stage and performing for a huge crowd must have been totally out of this world. I can imagine the stage fright, and that "mental block" state when you forgot all of your lines, plus all the sweaty foreheads and armpits due to nervousness especially if the crowd does not react to your initial jokes. I would have fainted and almost died immediately.

I therefore admired those who were able to finish their few minutes of fame or shame, whatever they may call it, but the courage they showed to get up on that stage really points more to respect towards the boys of Comedy Cartel during the Laugh and Stack Open Mic Showdown held at Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge located at Bonifacio Global City last July 12, 2014.

The night was filled with jokes coming from both newbies and veteran stand-up comics who all fought for the votes of the audience on who will emerge as the crowd's favorite. With special guests like Uli Oposa and Mike Unson, the night promised to be full of laughter.

Ryzza Mae Dizon Wows the Crowd at the Loom Band Magic Show

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Young and old alike, everyone loves Ryzza Mae Dizon - that cute and cuddly "Aleng Maliit" that we see almost everyday from Monday to Saturday at the popular noon time show Eat Bulaga which airs on GMA 7 and also has her bubbly and vibrant show dubbed as The Ryzza Mae Show.

I've witnessed how the children adored the child star and former Little Miss Philippines winner who has consistently amazed the crowd with her charming personality and an aura that fascinates everyone inside the Solaire Resort and Casino Grand Ballroom. The Loom Bands Magic Show, with Ryzza Mae and Rico the Magician as headliners, was jam-packed with half of the audience being children of all ages.

Though there were many other performers that were equally amazing, it was still Ryzza Mae who got a standing ovation and literally the security couldn't stop everyone, especially the children, to go up front towards the stage to see the child star up close. Everyone was truly starstruck and if it were not for the security, everyone would have asked for a photo ops or "selfie" with the little wonder girl.

Wazzup Pilipinas is proud to have been a media partner of the event as everyone in the family really love Ryzza Mae. It was actually my second time to see her in person but I still couldn't stop myself staring at her performance. I am that kind of person that is hard to impress but there is something in the child that always triggers the child in me.

Manila in Fragments WTA Architecture and Design Studio in La Biennale 2014

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Metro Manila continues to witness major transformations on its landscape. What were once barren districts are now thriving with structures that host multinational companies and iconic commercial and residential developments.

Long-standing buildings from old avenues are being preserved through furthering its purpose and role in the growth of its provenance. The number of city centers, or at least those that are aspiring to serve as one, is on the rise—bringing together the live-work-play aspects in a single dense area to fulfill the promise of convenience and modern living.

Despite such renovations, the paths that identify the richness of Manila’s history are still visible— how the metropolis sprung from cohesion of small communities in the form of barangays, as well as the influence of the colonial era. Picturing these elements, when combined, the city has an immense contrast of edifices that help strengthen the character and diversity of its entirety.

These are just some of the ideas that make up WTA Architect and Design Studio’s installation for the Global Art Affairs Foundation Architecture Exhibition, a collateral event for the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale. Carrying the theme "Fragments: Uncertainties and Characters," WTA will be presenting the various cultural, social, and political influences that mold the urban character of cities in the Philippines, particularly that of Metro Manila. Dissecting Manila’s Urban Fabric “Our exhibit seeks to elaborate how uncertainty and informality allow for a greater growth and creativity,” shares Founder of WTA Architect William T. Ti.

Wazzup Pilipinas Bloggers Ruled the Airwaves at Vigattin Radio Show

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We have witnessed how tri-media (print, radio and TV) networks have crossed over new media (blogs and social media networks) to share their news. Bloggers have also been doing the same as they now penetrate the mentioned news and entertainment sources. Many bloggers have written for newspapers and magazines and been interviewed and guested on TV and radio shows. It seems blogging has reached a new level as many bloggers are really investing on better ways to share their stories online, and now embracing other mediums to gain access to a wider audience.

Bloggers from the Wazzup Pilipinas community were given the opportunity to guest at the Vigattin Radio Show of Radyo Inquirer DZIQ 990 AM last July 12, 2014 during the 10 to 11 am time slot. Thank you to Elison Barcelo, CEO of of Vigattin Inc. and co-anchors Den Macaranas and Arne Bacelo for allowing Ross Del Rosario of Wazzup Pilipinas to bring along other bloggers to share the spotlight. If Ross was all alone there being interviewed, he would have suffered terribly from "mental block," "stage fright", and who knows what else. It was great to have fellow bloggers with him as it was more comfortable to talk while they had fun temporary ruling the airwaves that day.

Pepi De Leon of Kampeon Ng Pag-Ibig, Rey Estevez of Boy Raket, Ronnie Bernardo of Helicon Projects and of course, Ross Del Rosario of Wazzup Pilipinas were interviewed about their lives as a blogger - how they got started, what influenced them to start blogging, to answer the question "Is there money in blogging," and other topics circling the blogosphere including an on-the-spot blogging-on-air task given by the radio anchors.

Algoriddim Partners with Spotify for Next Generation Intelligent DJ Experience

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Algoriddim and Spotify recently announced a major update to djay for iPhone and iPad, the world’s best selling DJ app with over 10 million users on iOS. This new version lets Spotify Premium subscribers mix millions of tracks using their iPhone and iPad, as well as hook up their professional DJ hardware to a massive library of music - being a DJ has never been easier or more fun!

● Find the perfect next track with Match. Finding the next track to mix has always been one of the biggest challenges for DJs, and it doesn’t get easier when you’ve got millions of tracks to choose from. Also recently introduced is Match, an innovative feature that recommends tracks that go well with what the DJ is currently playing - allowing users of any skill level to create professional sounding mixes. Match, powered by Spotify’s recent acquisition The Echo Nest, provides unprecedented track recommendations based on danceability, BPM, key, music style, and how well the song mixes with the currently playing track.

● Introducing Automix Radio. For people who simply want to lean back and have a continuous music mix at their next party, the all-new Automix Radio in djay 2 not only picks tracks that go well with each other, but also automatically mixes these tracks for them with beatmatched, DJ-style transitions. This means users can step away and enjoy live DJ mixes based on their personal musical taste. All with the simple tap of a button.

3M: Enabling Next Generation Electronics at the PSECE 2014

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Hundreds of people flocked to the semiconductor and electronics industry’s biggest and most awaited event of the year - the Philippine Semiconductor and Electronics Convention and Exhibition 2014 (PSECE 2014). Exhibitors and delegates from the industry, government, and academe all gathered to showcase and witness a wide variety of technologies as well as participate in numerous forums on this year’s theme: Manufacturing and R&D: Leveling Up the Philippines’ Capability.

3M Philippines was a highlight at the exhibition, celebrating 50 years of Innovation in the country. At the forefront was 3M Electronics business stressing vitality of innovation to the growth of the entire local industry. The 3M two-story booth – which bagged the best booth award in the 36sqm category - stood tall at the front of the exhibition hall demonstrating a culture of innovation spilling over to fun and exciting activities and displays such as product-fashion shows, a daring VHB tape hanging chair photobooth, a Lego®-robot static monitoring display, and a working CPU submerged in Novec™ liquid.

The event held at the SMX from June 4-6 was organized by the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, Inc. (SEIPI). Electronics products continue to be the country’s top export and as such present during the opening ceremony was PEZA Director-General Dr. Lilia De Lima.

Mental Strengthening Seminar of Lito Cinco Kicks Off at R.O.X.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Veteran team building facilitator, management consultant and long time sportswriter Lito Cinco has successfully finished part 1 of his free Mental Strengthening Seminar being held at R.O.X. Bonifacio Global City for two dates. The first part last July 10 was all about the athlete and the coach and how each one can offer his best towards achieving any goal especially in sports.Both athlete and coach needs to mentally dig deep within their personality to be able to accomplish tasks that would be a lot more difficult if you have no "will power" to begin with.

Sponsored by 3M Futuro, a full line of supports, braces, and compression products, the seminar dubbed as "Skills & Attitude, Life's Winning Combination" shared several learning that may become optimal towards coach and athlete relationships. I learned from the first part that talent and skills alone may not be enough to win a game. Most of the time, it takes a  lot of positive and good attitude in order to increase our chances of "winning" - in both sports-related activities and our lives as well.

A lot has been said but many are basically common sense that we often neglect to do since we are sometimes blinded by too much or lack of domineering authority, in the case of the coaches, or by too much or the lack of self confidence, in the case of the players or athletes.