Yummy Eats 2014: The Food Fair Made Bigger and Better

Wazzup Pilipinas!

75 concessionaires in 1 venue and all with free food samples for you.

That just about says it all, and when you've realized you're up to checking each one of them to try their food samplers, then you might have been originally insane if you didn't go loco that day.  I nearly made it to half, but my food tray was already overflowing with delectable bite-size treats, and I couldn't really take in more to make more room for the rest.

Cupcakes, brownies, sandwiches, chocolates, nachos, pasta, ice cream, drinks, and a lot of everything else imaginable were there trying their luck to get you to notice them among a sea of food vendors all wanting your attention and recall of their products, or at least vote for them as the best by leaving your coin token with them to symbolize you chose them to be your favorite.

But what does a fellow do when he can't even finish all 75 of them?

Well, I had to drop off my token somewhere so I chose the best food provider based on both taste and presentation. Should I reveal who it was? No, It's no longer necessary, what is important is that many of them pleased my taste buds and gave me a fulfilled stomach that was about to explode if I persisted on continuing finishing all concessionaires.

Lamudi App Now Available on iOS

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Only a few weeks ago after they launched the Android version of the their app. The global property portal Lamudi recently made its  mobile app now available for Apple users too. Availability of the  app in both iOS and Android versions is the company way to capture the growing smartphone market in the country.


 The app, Lamudi: Real Estate for Sale and Rent, is now available on iOS devices in 16 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America.
Lamudi’s Co-Founder and Managing Director, Antonius Salis, said: “The launch of Lamudi’sAndroid app last month was a great success. We saw huge demand from our customers in thePhilippines and beyond, so we decided to keep the momentum going by moving our services onto iOS straight away.”


The Lamudi app provides the perfect platform for house-hunters to rent, buy or sell property onthe go. Both the iOS and Android apps are designed to meet the growing demand for mobileinternet services in the emerging markets. In the Philippines iOS is the second most popularmobile operating system, with Apple devices accounting for nearly 25% of the local smartphonemarket, according to figures from Statcounter.

eHealth Philippines: Technology in Support of Kalusugang Pangkalahatan

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The dream of a universal health care program is quite noble. We all want everyone to gain access and to receive the necessary health services in order to ensure equal benefits for all. To be able to bring about health care even to the most remote areas of the country is a daunting task but is an ideal necessity that will be very beneficial to our countrymen.

This is where information and communication technology play a vital role. We need an infrastructure that would assist us in getting and delivering information that would be used by our medical practitioners and decision makers involved in the deployment of these health services.

The partnership forged among the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PHIC) and the Department of Health (DOH) to come out with the Philippine Health Information Exchange (PHIE), is an initiative that would ensure accurate and timely health information exchange that can be instrumental in improving the services of these three agencies as well as the other organizations that could use the said data.

At a press conference which was part of the eHealth Forum held the same day, July 26, 2014, at the SMX Convention Center of the Mall of Asia complex, several heads of government agencies like the DOH and DOST presented to the media the PHIE project. Leading the press conference panel were Secretary Enrique T. Ona of DOH, Secretary Mario G. Montejo of DOST, UnderSecretary Teodoro J. Herbosa of DOH, Dr. Jaime C. Montoya of PHRD, and Dr. Shaun J. Grannis of the Regenstrief Institute USA. Everyone was available to the inquiries of the media.

Zomato Foodies Enjoyed Heavenly Delights at Angel's Kitchen

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Zomato let's you discover foodie places that may be out of your radar due to the fact that there are just so many restaurants and other food spots available in the Metro. Their very convenient app allows you to search for dining alternatives so you could experience more possible favorites within your neighborhood or nearby areas.

They also hold special events with foodies every now and then, and you'll feel really honored you are among the few that they invite. Our Zomato foodies meet-up at Angel's Kitchen was more than just a food or restaurant review, it was an opportunity to get to know fellow foodies more intimately, that is, if you can steer your focus away from the delightful and heavenly dishes being served.

Since taking photos of the food is a necessity before finally trying them out, most of us are engrossed in trying our best to get the best shot of the food that will truly be presented in the most delicious way for the benefit of our readers. There is such a thing called the "yummy angle" that would make the food look more sumptuous than it really is. Some would even go to a greater extent of actually doing "food porn", and even beyond that - like applying an assortment of stuff just to make the food look more appetizing.

But the real foodies would spend several minutes taking photos of the food as is from different angles, probably re-arranged the food with a spoon or pork to make it more organized and facing properly, wait for the others to finish, then dine on the already cold food before it gets any more colder.

A Principle to Adhere

Wazzup Pilipinas!

I first got my journalism experience when I was in high school. Although we are "working" at our school, we were taught that it's still unethical even for us student journos then to be biased in our report. Time flies, and now I'm working for two (soon three) online news sites and owning three blogs.

Now working for mainstream media, I have to abide by the rules, and one of the most important rules is to not have some biases. This is especially true in sports, especially if you use to cheer for one team. It may sound easier said than done, but as mediamen, we have to be impartial at all times.

I find it a privilege that my superiors (well, they're my friends) assigned me, an alum from a UAAP school, to the NCAA last year (curiously, they, alums from NCAA schools, reported for the UAAP then) probably so that no bias will be done.

However, some journos still get caught cheering for a particular team or player while flaunting the media passes they have, so it was a no surprise when TJ Jurado sent me and many more media reporters an email regarding this matter.

According to Joey Villar of Philippine Star, the email has something to do with what happened at one Shakey's V-League game when Jun Lumibao, the president of the Philippine Sportswriters Association, was heard getting upset at an apparent cheering of a mediaman at a certain team... with his media pass worn!

Wazzup Pilipinas As Special Guest at The Microphone Club Radio Show

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Your friendly neighborhood pambansang blogger of the Philippines, Ross Del Rosario, was recently invited to be a special guest at The Microphone Club radio show of radio station DWDD 1134 AM Ka-Tropa Radio just last Sunday July 27, 2014.

He invited fellow blogger Rey Estevez aka Boy Raket to join him on the show to serve as his "entourage."  Seriously, he was there as moral support and to give additional "push" in promoting Wazzup Pilipinas, now known as the most awarded Filipino community blog site for earning several awards for being the most outstanding Filipino community blog site in the Philippines.

The Microphone Club resident broadcaster Cannon Lee also played a radio plug-in commercial promoting the new YouTube Channel of Wazzup Pilipinas which promises to contain a lot of informative videos gathered from the blog site's attendance to many events, travels, and reviews. Wazzup Pilipinas will exert more effort in providing not only magnificent stories through words and photos, but also through videos shared via its YouTube channel.

Wazzup Pilipinas Founder Awarded as Influential Social Media Evangelist

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Congratulations are in order every time an individual receives an award. To be recognized for excellence in whatever form of achievement establishes an identity that you are among the more significant few deserving honor and prestige.

The founder of Wazzup Pilipinas, Ross Flores Del Rosario, was officially awarded as the Best Choice Influential Social Media Evangelist during the awarding ceremonies held last July 25, 2014 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel located in Ortigas Center.

The Best Choice Awards recognizes companies and professionals that have gained significant achievements in their respective fields. The Executive award is given to an individual that has made outstanding contributions to the practice of the management profession, and has demonstrated leadership and initiative management concepts, techniques, practices or services.

The selection process to determine the awardees has been perfected with a third party research firm to ensure that only the best choice service providers are the winners within an industry. This is the only organization that conducts research that surveys both the consumer and the business community with statistical accuracy. The research method determines all service providers, products and individuals to ultimately select the Best Choice, and establishes the winner within each industry.

Anibersaya Celebration with Doris Bigornia - The Only Mutya ng Masa of the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!
Got the extremely rare opportunity to meet with ABS-CBN's Mutya ng Masa, Miss Doris Bigornia - the charming lady of the masses for the masses, or shall we say, Madlang People, who has been conquering Philippine television with her down-to-earth interviews and features of the ordinary people around the neighborhoods of Metro Manila and other nearby locations.

What is memorable about the event is that it was actually a surprise on our part that we would actually be a part of her show celebrating its anniversary. As far as we all know when we got invited, we thought we were just covering the event for our blogs but we got the shocked when we were informed that we were actually going to be co-stars of the show.

Just like any TV production, there are times when we were asked to do things for the camera as it rolled to take video shoots of us entering the different venues of the whole-day celebration that was also sort of a tour. From getting on the bus, to entering the first restaurant venue where we had breakfast, we suddenly found ourselves acting for the camera. Lol!

A Dinner Date with Acupuncturist Dr. Philip Nino Tan-Gatue

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Relax! That's not me with a needle pierced through my skin. I would have loved to be the guinea pig, or the lab rat, that night, but no matter how adventurous I was, there still remains the hesitation if its about an old age tradition.

In this day and age, who would believe acupuncturists still exist? Modern medicine has several advance methods, equipment and technologies already so I was actually baffled that Mainland China's traditional Chinese medicine or alternative method of curing used by their ancestors was still around to treat various kinds of problems. Where ever is the source of this kind of treatment, many are still doubtful that it is indeed effective.

We all know how the new generation resist the old practices, the same way how the oldies are hesitant to adapt new technologies, but I guess some people are still into what they believe works. Like what some people say, you don't fix something that is ain't broken.

However, our dinner date with acupuncturist Dr. Philip Nino Tan-Gatue, a Medical Doctor and Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, emphasized the point that the acupuncture method is really just complementary. Meaning, it should be coupled with other means to make it effective or eventually work.  There still exist the need for discipline to keep to the required treatments other than just solely acupuncture.

St. Nicholas Restaurant: Mandaluyong's Newest Dining Experience

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We found a new gem somewhere deep within Mandaluyong's residential area where only a few restaurants exist. Most of the dining spots out there are hole-in-the-wall type that has somehow clicked not only among the neighborhood but has also reached the radar of foodies all over the Metro.

When it's a real hit, it's bound to become the talk-of-the-town or in many cases the talk-of-the-online-world popularly known as social media or the Internet. Through the Internet, many of the new restaurants start getting some attention as soon as one person recommends it among his Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram friends.

There is sure to be many curious peeps out there that would like to try something new in order to satisfy their curiosity, and ultimate desire to be among the first. It is always an honor and privilege to be among the few people who gets to try out for the first time dishes from a new restaurant especially when later on you find the place enjoying its eventual popularity.

St. Nicholas Restaurant owned by Chef Nick Pelaez is a new events place that serves a lot of our favorite Filipino cuisine plus a lot more, even exotic delicacies like the Adobong Crocodile, and their Tapas made from deer and wild boar meat, which makes the place more interesting to visit soon.

Gilas Favorite Takeout Treat at Max's Restaurant

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Max's Restaurant continues to drum up support for these modern-day heroes as Gilas Pilipinas inches closer to the most awaited and prestigious competition in Spain slated for August. Max's recently launched the "Gilas Favorite Delivery Treat," an offering of one whole Max's sarap to the bones fried chicken with a free bottle of banana catsup and a limited edition Gilas Pilipinas Eco Bag for only PhP299.

Fans may now share the thrill of watching their favorite basketball team while enjoying Max's world famous, crispy-on-the-outside-and-tender-on-the-inside fried chicken. Max's Gilas Favorite Delivery Treat is valid until July 31, 2014 for both online and delivery transactions anywhere in the Philippines.

Coinciding with Max's Gilas Favorite Delivery Treat, Max's announced the winner for its "Dito Galing and Gilas" campaign. All set to fly for Spain are winners Pauline Vislenio and Jennifer Tayag Dueñes who will both be given a once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch Gilas Pilipinas compete live against the world's best basketball teams in the world.

Mutya ng Pilipinas 2014 Candidates Media Presentation

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We got first glimpse of all 30 candidates all vying for the top crown as Mutya Ng Pilipinas 2014 at a press conference held at the Manila Ocean Park where Hotel H2O was also located as the official residence of the candidates. A contract signing between the Hotel H2O and Mutya Ng Pilipinas management was held before the presentation of candidates to the members of the media.

I had my eye on a selected few for being so alluring not just because they have a well-proportioned body with vita statistics worth trading your current girlfriend with, hehehe, but also because they seemingly project the confidence that would make them ideal to represent the country.

We've seen how they walk, we've heard how they talk, we've seen them in a fabulous gown and in skimpy two-piece swimsuits, all wearing high-heeled shoes everytime, and we can't help but be amazed of how beautiful and charming they all are.

But one must select "The One" for our vote as the Darling of the Press, or the chosen one who will win an award that day as the choice of the members of the media.Candidate Number 25, Patricia Bosco of Milan,  was chosen as the Darling of the Press. There were two other winners that day that were each awarded a recognition from the sponsors. Chosen as Miss Hotel H2O is Candidate Number 4 Nueva Ecija's Ma. Jackielyn Dulay, and Candidate Number 26, Glennifer Perido of the Cordilleras, was chosen as Miss Tupperware.

Mike Unson: An Interview with a Professional Filipino Stand-Up Comedian

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Based from his Facebook page, "Mike Unson is one of the very few Filipinos who performs wholesome live point-of-view (POV) stand-up comedy. Because of his wholesome approach to the craft of stand-up comedy, he has even been invited to do guest lectures, and performances in many schools, and has also dabbled into event hosting, doing weddings, private parties, and shows for major corporations proving that his brand of comedy can thrive in any given environment."

I have to agree with those lines because I personally witnessed how he delivered his humor to the appreciation of the crowd during the Laugh and Stack Open Mic Showdown of Comedy Cartel held at the Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge last July 12, 2014.

We were invited to watch the show but we got a special treat for coming in early. We were fortunate to meet Mike and his manager, and another friend, who were also there early. We got to chat with the guy and do an up-close intimate video interview. We learned so much about him that it actually made the night really more special since we have an exclusive - no cuts, no edits - interview with the guy whose "clever observations about the Filipino condition surpass the realm of mere insult comedy.”

Madrid Fusión-Manila: Spain’s Famed Culinary Event To Conquer Manila’s Food Scene

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Philippines is set to host the very first Madrid Fusión-Manila in April 2015 after the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Spanish organizers Foro de Debate, S.L. and Arum Estrategias Internacionalización (Arum) inked a partnership agreement last 23 July 2014 (Wednesday).

The signing ceremony was attended by DOT Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez Jr., DOT Assistant Secretary Benito C. Bengzon, Jr., Maria Leonor Esteban (Administrator of Arum), Mr. Iñigo Cañado (Director of Arum), Ms. Lourdes Plana (Partner and General Manager of Foro de Debate), and Ms. Ana Capel Rives (Partner of Foro de Debate).

Madrid Fusión has established itself as one of the leading international gastronomy gatherings held annually in Madrid and attended by elite chefs and experts in the culinary field to discuss trends, evolution of tastes, and new food habits. More than 400 leading chefs from all five continents have graced its stage and performed live culinary demonstrations and memorable presentations on revolutionary techniques. Among these culinary experts included Grant Achatz, Gaston Acurio, Ferran Adria, Juan Mari Arzak, Alex Atala, Nobu Matsuhisa, Heston Blumenthal, Michel Brass, Paul Bocure, Quique Dacosta, Alain Duchase, Joel Robuchon, and Michel Troisgros. In addition to the culinary demonstrations, there have also been master workshops, contests, tastings, tributes, auctions, and exhibitors zone. Madrid Fusion’s 2014 edition brought together 1,000 congress delegates, 120 exhibitors, 96 speakers, 750 journalists, and 8267 authorized guests becoming a national trending topic on Twitter and appearing in most print and online publications.

Chef Lau's Pugon Roasters: Fast Food That is So Good!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Visiting their third branch and learning that they will soon have a fourth one only signifies that the people have really appreciated how Chef Roland (Chef Lau) and Jacqueline Laudico (Chef Jac) has steered their restaurant as an innovative "fast good" on its way into a very successful restaurant chain.

Partnered with the the Raya family, Chef Lau's Pugon Roasters serves dishes with a twist that only the famous chef couple can amazingly conjure like magic. Aside from the two culinary experts, we also met Roberto Luis Raya and found out that he was in charge of operations of the restaurants, and this confirmed my belief that you really need to partner with other people if you want to bring out the best in your craft. Artists also need to partner with other individuals that have the necessary specialties to take their dreams into a better reality.

My experience with their branch in Ayala Triangle Gardens located in Makati was as good as this visit at Venice Piazza located in McKinley Hill of Bonifacio Global City. We were able to dine on different set of dishes that really made our taste buds swoon in delight. Plus the passion of the couple in relating their stories about their food and how they started out, including their belief in using only natural and fresh ingredients was a big bonus for us. It is not everyday that you meet a celebrity chef couple so the lunch date with the Laudicos left us starstruck too.