Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Thursday, December 11, 2014

All I Want for Christmas is the Freedom to Rant Without Fear

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Sometimes we just need to fight for what we believe is right no matter how insignificant or less important it is. We should be following a principle guided by moral values that we should strictly adhere to even if it means sacrificing our personal interests.

It is very rare in this world to see people concerned about the small and trivial things which could very well eventually lead to bigger problems if ignored or taken for granted.

Sa maliliit na mga bagay nagsisimula ang mga malalaking kalokohan kapag pinabayaan o ipinasa-Diyos na lamang. Tandaan, "Nasa tao ang gawa, nasa Diyos ang awa." Dapat rin po tayong kumilos because we owe it to ourselves, and to the other people who may have encountered the same situations, to seek the truth and demand for justice.

Huwag hintaying lumala ang mga bagay-bagay bago tutukan ng pansin. Nasa huli ang pagsisisi. Huwag nating hahayaang ipagpatuloy ang tila karumal-dumal na mga gawain ng mga nilalang na halang ang kaluluwa.

Dapat ba na kumanta na lang tayo ng "Let It Go" at hayaan na lang na humupa ang ating galit?

Pero teka, di ba dapat rin nating tandaan na ang lahat ng bagay ay nareresolba kapag may tunay na hangaring maisaayos ang nasirang pagsasama o mapagkasundo ang magkabilang panig na nagtutunggali?

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"Like any good deed, gender equality should start at home" says Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Jun Abaya in his first statements of the closing remarks speech he gave at the Gender and Transportation Summit, a milestone in the history of the transportation sector, held at the Philippine International Convention Center last November 17 and 18, 2014.

Secretary Abaya was grateful for the representatives from the private sector who took time out to participate in the gender equality and transportation activity. This is the first time that the transportation sector would join hands and put into writing the various commitments to advance gender equality of each of the transport sub-sectors - the road, railways, civil aviation and maritime.

He also recognized the efforts of Director Quiogue and Assistant Secretary Lantin for their valuable contributions in the preparation, coordination and setting up of the activities involved in the Gender and Transportation Summit.

Below are statements grabbed from his speech done on the second day and con concluding hours of the summit before the signing of MOUs took place. Some of the statements were re-arranged in order to give a clearer presentation of facts. We also removed some of his other statements that we feel are no longer necessary.

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It's the time of the year again to recognize outstanding companies and individuals who have excelled in their respective businesses and careers. It is but proper to give recognition to a year of hard work and perseverance especially to those who went through some desperate times before they finally reached their success. An award is an acknowledgement for all the efforts exerted, a reminder to keep the perseverance, and an encouragement to always do our best.

Everyone reveled in happiness as each one of the awardees of the National Costumers' Choice Annual Awards for 2014 received their respective awards conferring to them the recognition for their most outstanding contribution or achievement. The awarding ceremonies was held last December 4, 2014 at the Hotel Richmonde Eastwood in Quezon City.

The awards celebration is a joint undertaking of the National Customers' Choice Awards Annual Council, Philippine Events Specialist and Marketing Services Co. Ltd., Consumer Eye Marketing and Research, and the ShopBest Magazine.

A huge gathering of Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurs (SME) were seen in attendance at this awarding ceremonies that's now definitely bigger and better. There were lots of familiar brands present that were all eager and anticipating the moment they would go up on stage and received their much-awaited award.

More Choices for Hungry Pandas: The foodpanda Mantra

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foodpanda, the leading global online food delivery marketplace is at it again, acquiring more and more partner establishments to cater the hungry Filipinos! Launched last June 2014 in the country, foodpanda has grown its restaurant database impressively, satisfying the craving of the Pinoy hungry pangs, whichever cuisine it may be.

“Ultimately, it all boils down to who offer variety, who provides choices. For a hungry customer, a craving for a specific cuisine will lead him to looking for what restaurant will be able to satisfy that. It’s not every day that a customer will have a Balkan dish craving, or a sudden urge to finish a plateful of ribs and fries. And on days like that, foodpanda comes into play—to solve that typical foodie problem”, Mauro Cocchieri, foodpanda CEO, said.

To those who’s up for a savory and saucy trip to Asia, you don’t need to pack your bags and fly miles away from home! All you need is your smart phone, internet connection, and the foodpanda app, or you can also opt to visit the website, foodpanda.ph! Want some pad thai? Then choose Som’s Noodle House.

Or if you want curry and biryani combo, Queens Taj Mahal perfectly fits the bill! Sushi, maki, and ramen’s your craving of the day? Kitaro Sushi, TAT Japanese Restaurant and Manila Maki are just some of the restaurants you can take your pick from.

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FoodPanda and WeChat are inviting you to join the Christmas Charity Challenge!

Just add FoodPanda's official account on WeChat, send them a hold-to-talk message saying "ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS (INSERT YOUR FAVORITE FOOD HERE)"!

Once they receive 1,000 messages, they will feed 100 families supported by Habitat for Humanity! Now that's sharing made more social! :)

This challenge was announced during the night party held at Prive luxury clubin Bonifacio Global City (BGC) where everyone got to spend the night on sushi and cocktail drinks. Every blogger invited can bring along a +3 to party with them. Thus the club was jampacked with people.

We were allowed to get in at around past 10 pm, had some drinks and sushi, mingled with friends and new acquaintances, and waited for the program which started at around 11:30 pm.

Two individuals started dancing to the tune of "We Chat Pa More" in front with the FoodPanda mascot signifying the start of the program. I already saw the panda mascot at the restroom when I took a pee and requested a photo ops before I went back to my seat.

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Aide Australasia (AA), an assistance immigration diversity employment organization that aims to help Filipino and other professionals within the Southeast Asian region achieve their dream to work and live in Australia, recently launched a new website at www.aideaustralasia.com.

Information on the organization’s services which include professional development and education, registration assistance, relocation services and migration assistance, among others can be found on the new website. AA is in partnership with Registered Training Organization (RTO) to help Filipino professionals meet the qualifications required by the industry or educational institution that they aim to be part of.

Filipino-Australian Ms. Joie Lacson, a registered nurse with 26 years of experience in the Australian workforce, leads Aide Australasia which is the first organization to offer a full-service delivery program and the support of knowledgeable and experienced experts in helping other professionals achieve their Australian dream. With core values that include integrity and accountability, the people behind Aide Australasia are committed to work with Filipino professionals every step of the way to ensure that their paperwork is completed accurately and efficiently.

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The best thing about T.G.I.Friday’s Philippines’ 20th anniversary is that it’s so big, everybody is invited. Starting as your favorite go-to restaurant for after-office hangout and reunions, it has now evolved as your family-friendly, craving-solver restaurant.

As a big thanks to all the love and support for the last 20 years, T.G.I.Friday’s is giving away your favorite Jack Daniel’s burger - Expertly seasoned and fire-grilled to order, our juicy burger is glazed with Jack Daniel’s sauce and stacked with two strips of crispy bacon and American cheese on a toasted bun. Served with a side of Jack Daniel’s sauce, the classic fixings and crispy seasoned fries.

In turn, they just ask you to tell them the 20 things you love about T.G.I.Friday’s and the first nine people gets to win!

In my case, the top 20 things I like about T.G.I.Friday’s are:

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Cybercriminals could be raking in profits 20 times greater than the cost of their attacks, according to figures compiled by Kaspersky Lab experts.

The research compared the cost of the most frequently used hacker tools with the money stolen in a successful malicious operation.

"Buying malware is currently not a problem, it’s easy to find them on various hacker forums, and they are relatively cheap, making them attractive. A cybercriminal following this illegal path doesn’t even need any skills – for a fixed price they can get an off-the-peg package to launch their attacks at will,” said Alexander Gostev, Chief Security Expert at Kaspersky Lab.

“As a result, users need to be especially careful to ensure they don’t lose their money or data. They should also protect their devices and all online operations performed on them, using a specialized solution such as Kaspersky Internet Security - multi-device,” Gostev added.

For example, creating a phishing page to mimic a popular social network and setting up a spam mass mailing linking to the fake site currently costs an average of $150 (P6,685.50).

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IT disruptions are a common and costly business experience. Even Cloud computing, big data and mobile devices are putting additional pressure on IT’s ability to protect data. Organizations need to develop a trusted data protection strategy that creates a bridge between today’s and tomorrow’s workloads.

EMC investigates the data protection strategies and capabilities of enterprises in 24 countries. The research surveyed 3,300 IT decision-makers from companies that employ over 250 employees.

Mr. Ronnie Latinazo, EMC Country Manager, revealed the results of their survey last December 4, 2014 at Society Lounge located at the Atrium in Makati during the EMC Data Protection Landscape Media Briefing. A Thanksgiving Party followed immediately afterwards to thank the members of the media for their year-long support.

The Global Data Protection Index: Key Results and Finding for the Philippines was shared to us that day. The survey says 62% of the respondents said that at least one of the mega trends (big data, hybrid Cloud, mobility) is difficult to protect and one important thing we need to know is that there is a trend happening in the market. Companies are moving from a physical into a more agile world swamped with high digital growth largely due to these trends.

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There's really no stopping the popularity of mobile phones as everyone seems to have more than one already. Add the other gadgets like tablets and phablets, the usual laptop has been overthrown as the most popular working gadget next to the desktop computer.

More and more of these mobile devices have become powerful processors of data or information that even wearable tech gadgets, that are both functional and fashionable, are starting to surface in the IT and lifestyle market.
In my case, I have two mobile phones, two tablets, one laptop and a desktop. All of these I use at my work and find them still not sufficient to provide me with enough resources when I test on new apps, or need to engage on social media, check on my emails, blog, and all sorts of other work-related stuff.

Your friendly neighborhood pambansang blogger of the Philippines, a gadget lover too, was invited to attend the Torque Royale press launch held last December 3, 2014 at the One Esplanade located at SM Central Business Park, Seaside Corner Bay Boulevard in Pasay City.

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The Christmas season becomes even better as lots of companies will be offering holiday season promos and discounts for many of their products and services including travel and leisure activities related tourism. We are definite that many have already planned in advance which destination they would want to go this December - the right time discover so many celebrations worldwide may it be locally within the country or outside at some foreign lands.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) of the Philippines is aiming to achieve 10 Million tourists every year until the end of 2016. This target is aided by the major improvements in International Airports in Manila and secondary airports in Cebu, Clark, Iloilo to mention a few.

The rise of budget fares led to significant growth in foreign tourists and domestic travels. This increased led to major hotel players investing in the country. Fairmont, Raffles and Tune Hotels are some of the brands that increased their presence in the country.

In the coming year, the Department of Tourism launched the “Visit the Philippines” Campaign. Already some of the notable international events that will take place in the country for the year 2015 are the Papal Visit, APEC Summit, Madrid Fusion, Asia Pacific Retailers Convention and Exhibition, 40th Kiwanis Asia Pacific Convention to name a few.

Amidst these positive developments in the tourism industry, the 2nd International Travel Festival (ITF) slated this December 18-20, 2014 at SMX Convention Center aims to support the momentum the tourism industry is experiencing.

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The ASEAN integration augurs well to prepared Filipino Companies. As collaboration between ASEAN companies become a commonplace, Filipino small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is poised to benefit from this set-up.

However, the belief that “build and they will come” set-up that many Philippine SME companies hold may not jive with the opportunities that the ASEAN Integration offers.

Marketing and Promotion of these companies at the same time working hard to find the right partners are the keys to realize the benefit of this economic set-up.

The 11^th Megabalikbayan OFW Expo (MBOX) set this December 18-20, 2014 at SMX Convention Center is a longest running business expo targeting the OFWs and Balikbayans and encouraging them to go into business.

SME companies that want to find their portfolio attractive to ASEAN SME neighbors must tap this big market.

At a press launch held last December 2, 2014 at The Blackboard by Chef Michel located at The Podium in Ortigas Center in Pasig, many of the sponsors, exhibitors, stakeholders, including the awardees all gathered together to provide some background about the event and to answer the inquiries of the guests and members of the media.

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Own a piece of Tagaytay. Crown Asia has a new leisure residential condominium development in Tagay tay called Crown Asia Pine Suites. "Discreetly located away from the main road along Bonifacio Drive, close to the vibrant restaurant area in the city. Here the duality of nature and activity emanates just steps away from your door."

Next to Baguio, Tagaytay is a favorite tourist attraction primarily because of the famous view of the Taal Volcano, and a vacation sanctuary especially for those who wants to escape the hot and humid weather in Metro Manila.

Soon there will be three modern Danish architecture-inspired mid-rise, five-storey buildings amidst a lush resort-like community built in more than one-hectare of land within a serene mountain setting where nature dominantly sets the mood. You'll feel being more out of the country in a mountain side resort where the natural flow of air and the sound of nature permeates inside the atrium of the condominiums bringing in the cool, pine-scented Tagaytay air all throughout the day.

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Christmas is happening in just a few days. Everyone has the holiday season spirit running in their veins and are all ready for the upcoming long Christmas vacation.

But before the season ends, you may want to take your friends or family out to visit the Magical Winter Tale Christmas-themed display at Crown Asia Valenza located in Sta. Rosa Laguna.

There's a magnificent structure that resembles the ice castle that can be seen on the Disney movie Frozen. Though the management of Crown Asia would not like to advertise it specifically as the actual ice castle, seeing images of familiar characters, such as Olaf the comic-relief snowman that can also be seen in the movie, are there to remind us where they got the inspiration to setup this multi-colored light display.

The Frozen movie, with its famous characters like Elsa and Anna, has been a worldwide sensation that it seems all with access to the Internet, radio or television has one way or another is either singing or humming the two soundtracks from the movie - "Let It Go" and "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman."

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We are sharing with you a blog entry by Sasa Marinkovic, Head of Software Marketing for AMD. His postings are his own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.

The blog entry discusses about the recently launched AMD Catalyst Omega driver which was engineered to take full advantage of the advanced technologies built into AMD’s products that feature GCN Architecture, and help make them more powerful and capable.

The entry is posted at AMD Blogs. Here's the link for your reference.