Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Saturday, July 19, 2014

Yahoo Celebrity Awards 2014: Kim Chiu Emerges as Top Celebrity Awardee

Wazzup Pilipinas!It looks like Kim Chiu has gained a significant footing among her online fans as she emerged as the most popular celebrity gaining the largest votes and in a lead with hundreds of thousands among the other nominees at the recently concluded Yahoo Celebrity Awards.

Aside from winning the highest Celebrity of the Year award for 2014 because of her 744, 773 votes, she was also awarded as the Actress of the Year with 725, 162 votes.

Her movie Bride for Rent also won as Movie of the Year with 630, 061 votes, and her teleserye Ikaw Lamang won as Teleserye of the Year with 704, 038 votes.

I guess her die-hard supporters really made a lot of effort to see her lead the Yahoo Philippines online voting and totally showed their strength as they also dominated the online votes as her love team fan club with Xian Lim, KimXi, also won as the Fan Club of the Year with 578, 015 votes.

Her leading man on the Ikaw Lamang teleserye Coco Martin also won as Actor of the Year, of which must have been influenced by her fans as well since the two are love team in the show.

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Yahoo Philippines staged an awesome awarding event last night that literally made the fans cheer to the top of their lungs with the delight of the many fans and supporters who flocked the SM Mall of Asia Arena last July 18, 2014. The Yahoo Celebrity Awards was a truly memorable night celebrated with style and powered by the fans. Hosted by Maxene Magalona and Robbie Domingo, the night was made even more special with teh appearances of celebrities we rarely see nowadays.

It was a truly star-studded evening filled with lots of entertainment numbers by our popular performers including Maja Salvador who was the most requested to perform based on online votes so therefore the audience got its wish and we saw how charming the young My Legal Wife actress was on stage. Parokya ni Edgar, Spongecola, Gary and Gab Valenciano, Sam Concepcion, Mark Herras, Jasmine Curtis Smith, and a lot more.

Many celebrities also were tasked as award presenters like Richard Gomez, Jolina Magdangal with Marvin Agustin on video, Gladys Reyes and her husband Christopher Roxas, Barbie Almalbis, beauty queen Ariella Arida, and a lot more stars that made the night sparkle with excitement.

Below are just some of the many photos that I took form the awards night:

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Let us see who walked the purple carpet of Yahoo Philippines' awards night held last July 18, 2014 at the SM Mall of Arena dubbed as the Yahoo Celebrity Awards. The likes of Annalisa star Andrea Brillantes, the awards hosts for the night Maxene Magalona and Robbie Domingo, and the collegiate basketball stars Teng Brothers Jeric and Jeron, were among the early birds who walked the purple carpet leading towards the awarding ceremonies.

Fans were all swooning over the purple carpet as they catch glimpses of their favorite stars along with some photo ops and especially selfies as the stars walked along their way. The night was filled with cheers and lots of flash bulbs from many photographers and fans who have now captured the images of many of these celebrities and made part of their portfolios, fan photo albums or even scrapbooks.

Joyce Pring led the interviews along the purple carpet as they took opportunities to chat with the celebrities before they proceed to the stage lounge to await the awarding ceremonies. I got an opportunity to only have a photo with ABS-CBN Entertainment News Reporter Gretchen Fullido and the Queen of All Media, who also won as Female TV Host of the Year, Kris Aquino.

Let me share some of the many photos I got from the event for your viewing pleasure.

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Yahoo Philippines once again rolled out the purple carpet last night to award the Best of the Best as voted by the fans and supporters of the celebrities in this year's Yahoo Celebrity Awards. Formerly called the Yahoo OMG! Awards, this year's awards has new categories available including the Male and Female Hotlete - a combination of the words "hot" and "athlete" of which the Teng brothers, Jeric and Jeron with 98, 918 votes, and Gretchen Ho, with 116, 021 votes, won respectively.

Yahoo was true to its theme of "Powered by You" since the highest record-breaking votes are all because of the fans that support their online voting, including attendance to teh star-studded event that was held at SM Arena at the Mall of Asia Complex last July 18, 2008.

Garnering the highest votes form fans, Kim Chiu emerged as the over-all highest scored celebrity to received a whopping 744,773 votes earning her the award as Celebrity of the Year. She also won as the Actress of the Year for getting 725, 162 votes. Her movie Bride for Rent won as Movie of the Year with 630, 061 votes and her teleserye Ikaw Lamang won as Teleserye of the Year with a total vote of 704, 038. Coco Martin who also stars in the Ikaw Lamang teleserye won as Actor of the Year with votes reaching up to 490, 179.

Internet-Connected Cars Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks - Kaspersky Lab

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Internet-connected cars are now becoming a reality and various international studies show that their market will continue to grow in the near future. But this emerging trend in the automotive industry can also become a new vehicle for cybercrimes, according to a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions Kaspersky Lab.

Announcing the First Annual Connected Cars Study that seeks to provide an overview of the connected car market, Kaspersky Lab said motorists can no longer ignore safety concerns about the communications and Internet services included in the new generation of connected cars.

Kaspersky Lab said privacy, software updates and car-oriented mobile applications in Internet-connected cars are three areas where cybercriminals could potentially launch attacks.

"Connected cars can open the door to threats that have long existed in the PC and smartphone world," said
Vicente Diaz, the Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab who developed a proof of concept to analyze the safety implications of connecting these cars to the Internet.

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Right beside the Rockwell Powerplant Mall is Amorsolo Square where you'll find Chef Jessie's Rockwell Club fine dining restaurant that serves a lot of culinary expertise in International cuisines - French, Mediterranean, American, Asian, and probably a lot more inspirations since we all know many restaurants nowadays are evolving and coming out with many fusion dishes).

After a road trip in a MINI Cooper that was generously lent to me for a two days test drive, my son and I went over to the Rockwell Club for lunch to experience dining at another Chef Jessie restaurant. The famous chef is also widely known for her 100 Revolving Restaurant on top of MDC 100 at Eastwood Libis Quezon City, and the Top of the Citi restaurant on top of Citibank Tower in Makati. All-in-all there are three but who knows maybe she would agree to handle a fourth one soon.

Mall goers may not realize it but the best restaurants are not only located within the Powerplant mall but also around it. I've dined in quite a handful already from both within and the surrounding areas and truly the Rockwell district has become another place where you'll find great restaurants.

But it's actually the first time I've visited one where I find all the dishes served truly a delight to the appetite. Maybe we were in luck that we ordered the best among the many choices, but some of the other dishes I've tasted already from Chef Jessie's other restaurants and I also find them superb in both taste and presentation. It only means one thing: Chef Jessie's own distinct style of cooking beats even mother's homemade specialties.

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The Necessary Theatre will stage the Philippine premiere of “Venus in Fur” by David Ives. This is a hilarious, sexy romp of a play that stormed Broadway and won major awards in its wake.

Directed by Bart Guingona fresh from his highly acclaimed “Red,” and “Full Gallop.”

Featured artists: Jennifer Blair-Bianco and David Bianco.

Performance dates: July 25, 26 and 27
Venue: CCP Tanghalang Huseng Batute.

Tickets are at :
P1200 (Orchestra Premium Reserved)
P800 (Orchestra Free Seating)
P600 (Orchestra Balcony Seating)

For Inquiries contact :
Grace Firmeza / 09272858580
Tickets available at Ticketworld 891-9999 and the CCP Box Office 8323704.

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The De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde’s Technical Theater Program Batch 111 proudly presents a reinterpretation of the Palanca Award-winning play, “ FLUID ”.

Written and directed by Floy Quintos, the comedy is about young Filipino contemporary artists struggling to make a name for themselves as they negotiate the tricky terrain between Love, Art and Compromise.

“ FLUID ” is set to open on July 24 and shall continue to run on July 25 and 26 (1:00 pm and 7:00 pm) at the 5/F SDA Theater, School of Design and Arts Campus, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, 950 P. Ocampo St., Malate, Manila. A press preview is set on July 23 at 7 p.m.

“ FLUID ” is written as a series of scenes in different locations featuring three pairs of characters who seemingly have nothing to do with each other. Amir is a struggling and frustrated young painter whose life is about to be changed by Mira a wealthy art collector who dreams of discovering new talent. Jom and Alben are passionate theater actors torn between their passion for their craft and the lure of fame. Renata is a seemingly batty orchestra coordinator out to defend the dignity of her orchestra when it is hired to play at a society wedding by the overbearing events coordinator, Simone. All these unique and clashing characters come together unexpectedly at an art exhibit where their impulses lead to joyful mayhem.

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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

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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.

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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
Small Office to Medium Sized Business	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.

image from gmanewsnetwork.com

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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

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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

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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

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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.