Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Monday, December 7, 2015

National Energy Consciousness Month: Promoting Energy Resiliency

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With the Philippines being one of the most vulnerable countries to disasters, the Department of Energy (DOE) is pushing “Energy Resiliency for Sustainable Growth” for the National Energy Consciousness Month (NECM).

On the average, about 19 typhoons hit the Philippines every year, which also consequently bring about flash floods, storm surges, and landslides. The country, which lies within the Pacific Ring of Fire, is also prone to earthquakes.

It is in this light that for 2015, the government, through the DOE, is aggressivelypursuing the thrust to ensure resiliency of energy systems not only in the Philippines but alsoamong neighboring and trading nations around the world, in international conventions,such as the ASEAN Ministers Energy Meeting in Malaysia, Singapore Energy Week, and the 21st Conference of the Parties in Paris. The DOE also led the hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 12th Energy Ministers’ Meeting (EMM12) held last October 12-14 in Cebu in which member economies committed to build energy resilient communities to sustain growth.

“Calamities do not only impede continuous flow of energy, but have a larger impact to economic growth and stability,” Energy Secretary Zenaida Y. Monsada said.

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It goes without saying that 2015 is looking to be quite a good year for Philippine real estate. Although condo sales were not on par with what was recorded in 2012 (considered a banner year for Metro Manila’s condo market), other segments of the industry are posting stellar growth, particularly houses and office real estate. Lamudi Philippines (www.lamudi.com.ph) looked into its 2015 data and compiled a list of key observations that, hopefully, will guide the industry through years to come.

1. If you want a cheap condo, look at Las Piñas

At a Php 49,849 per square meter, buying a condo in Las Piñas is likely to be cheaper than anywhere else in the metro. At the opposite end of the scale, Makati is the most expensive, with condos in the area costing an average of Php139,012 per sqm. This means that a 60-sqm condo in Las Piñas will set a buyer back Php2.99 million, while the same in Makati will cost Php8.34 million.

2. 59% of houses for sale in Makati are worth more than Php100 million

It goes without saying that Makati is the Philippines’ priciest city to buy any type of real estate. In fact, Lamudi data shows that 59 percent of all listed properties in the city in the first quarter of 2015—most of them in swanky neighborhoods and exclusive communities—have asking prices of more than Php100 million.

3. Outside Metro Manila, Cebu City tops the pricy list

In the Queen City of the South, half of all listed houses for sale are priced Php8.5 million and up, making is the most expensive housing market outside Metro Manila. In fact, some homes here are fetching as high as Php150 million, rivaling opulent houses in Ayala Alabang and San Juan’s Greenhills Village.

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I’m bursting with excitement! Ever since I learned of this I was freaking out already! I have been pretty stoked for this app to come out. I have loved Pokemon Japanese anime and video games since I was small. I have always watched anime since I was small. I have watched and played every Pokemon game and show. I have been a Pokemon fan my whole life since it came out on 1996.

I have played 1st generation Pokemon games to now and have found it amazing how far it has gone. It started out small and grew into a popular game that has so far, stood the test of time. Good job Nintendo on how far it has gone.

From the Sino region to the Kalos region. I have played Pokemon black, black 2,white, white 2, x, y, heartgold, silver, and platinum. From Pokemon Yellow to Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire. This is how much I will always love Pokemon. Pokemon Go is a dream come true, I’m sure everyone has wanted to go on their own Pokemon journey.

Pokémon Go will be available in 2016 for iOS and Android — 20 years after the original Pokémon games. The game will be free to play, with various in-app purchases available. A price for the Pokémon Go Plus watch hasn't been set.

Pokémon Go is an upcoming augmented reality game for mobile phones developed by Niantic, Inc., scheduled to be released in 2016 for iOS and Android devices.The game will be released alongside the Pokémon Go Plus, a small wearable device developed by Nintendo, which uses a Bluetooth connection to notify users when a Pokémon is nearby with an LED and a light rumble.The game allows players to capture, battle, train and trade virtual Pokémon who appear throughout the real world.The game is free to play although it supports in app purchases.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Imeldifique Cooking Wine Launched by Destileria Limtuaco

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Destileria Limtuaco Co., Inc. (DLCI), a leader in the Philippine liquor industry with 163 years of blending and distilling expertise, launches the “Imeldifique" a cooking wine made with all-Ilocano ingredients and produced in collaboration with the provincial government of Ilocos Norte. The launch was held on December 1, 2015 at Victorino’s located in in Quezon City.

Present at the event were Destileria Limtuaco & Co., Inc.’s President, Olivia Limpe-Aw, Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos, Ilocos Sur Vice Governor Deogracias Victor “DV” Savellano, Ilocos Norte 2nd District Congresswoman Imelda R. Marcos and former Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson.

The cooking wine originated when Gov. Imee Marcos approached DLCI‘s Olivia Limpe-Aw during the International Food Exhibition (IFEX) 2015 after spotting the company’s product, Vigan Basi, and asked if Olivia could also come up with a product for Ilocos Norte.

Olivia considered it and formulated a cooking wine idea using sorghum spirit as a base. Sorghum is endemic to the region and is also distilled into what is known in China as Baijiu (Kaoliang Jiu in Taiwan). She then infused the spirit with native Ilocano garlic, onions and salt to get our Philippine ginisa or sauté flavor that we love. Imeldifique will be the first cooking wine from the north incorporating distinct Ilocano flavors.

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This December, Grand Leisure Corporation is bringing back one of Philippines' most beloved foreign acts of all time, Air Supply! The Australian soft-rock duo guitarist Graham Russel and lead vocalist Russel Hitchcock, are coming back for a special two-night performance in Manila and in Davao City!

Don't miss Air Supply 40th Anniversary Tour: Live in Manila on December 7, 2015 at The Theatre of Solaire Resort and Casino and on December 9, 2015 at the SMX Convention Center in Lanang, Davao!

Expect a massive sing-along atmosphere on these nights as they sing all of their chart-topping hits like "I'm All Out of Love", "Every Woman in the World", "I Can Wait Forever", "Even The Nights are Better", "Now and Forever", and the all-age hit - thanks to the TV series "The Wedding Band" and "Making Love Out of Nothing At All".

Our very own premier vocal group, The Company, will also be performing with Air Supply. The original members of The Company were all alumni of the Ateneo Glee Club. Their present members are Moy Ortiz and Annie Quintos (the only remaining original members), Cecille Bautista, Sweet Plantado, and OJ Mariano. The group is also celebrating their 30th anniversary this year.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/airsupply40thanniversaryph

Off With Their Heads: Chasing Pageviews and Rolling Heads

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So what really happened to the "metro guide" which blatantly boasts of millions of impressions? Are they no longer after quality content but are really only "chasing pageviews?" Maybe they believe posting rehashed trending and viral articles is what people perceive as the primary factor to be called the number one online site in the country. Are they really sacrificing content just to remain on the top of the numbers game?

Just like other sites which boasts of millions of page views or a lot of so-called impressions, the only reason is because they publish sensationalized and intriguing stories that only aims to attract curiosity and attention but are in no way beneficial to anybody except the rumor-mongerers or chismis-savvy nothing-better -to-do readers who have too much time access to online networks like blogs and social media.

I hate to say it but, what good are the sites for advertisers or brand/company owners/marketing peeps if the readers are visiting because they were lured by the tabloid-like stories that originated from the many corners of the Internet. The readers visit because they were tricked into reading the gossips so they are not really paying attention to the other articles which aim to promote their respective products and services.

Online publications do these similar stuff to increase their hits so they can publicly announce their rising page views but we should know for a fact that people were just enticed by the click-bait stories.

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Some people have made blogging into a business, well at least - an extension or source of income, so please do not judge if they value some form of compensation like perks, tokens or freebies. Not all are blessed with enough money in their pockets, or other forms of generating funds, to sustain their means of living.

Every little reward or complimentary gift in any form, is appreciated because we have to accept the fact that everything in this world now comes with a price. If we want to drink clean water, we have to buy the distilled kind. If we want to be more comfortable in our homes, we have to install an airconditioning unit. Needless to say, if we want to continue posting articles in our blogs, we have to pay our electricity and Internet bills, others would have to rent from computer shops.

To expect to receive something for our effort should be recognized as something normal because our "life as a good man" would seem senseless if we will not be rewarded for our good deeds. Just as how a song says Santa only gives gifts to the "nice" and "sorry na lang po" to the "naughty" ones, you are lying if you say you do not appreciate the "gifts" handed over to you.

You must be living a lonely and miserable life if you believe bloggers who appreciate perks and freebies are the lowest of the low. You probably have not experienced how it feels being recognized or pampered for a job well done, or being motivated to do a good job. Even as kids, we were offered to receive rewards if we get good grades or do our chores and errands well. Not entirely as a bribe, but as a means to also show affection for the accomplishment.

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A day in Cavite is not enough for a determined and curious traveler so the AAP-Petron Cavite Drive-Tour Caravan made it into a two-day event so that we could explore more sights, and taste, of Cavite. After all, it's actually themed as a culinary and farm expedition which meant experiencing the healthier choices of food.

Still armed with my trusted mobile-photography-empowered smartphone that comes with its own color-coordinated selfie stick thanks to myPhone, we continue with day two of our selfie-centric drive-tour around Cavite.

Though half of the last part of the day was devoted to buying "pasalubong" at some of the popular stores, it was still part of immersing the participants to what Cavite offers. Bringing something home from a trip has always been a well-loved Filipino custom that many appreciates.

The day began with a hearty buffet breakfast at Days Hotel - our temporary home for the night dedicated for sleeping, or some would have spent it chatting overnight with new-found friends while drinking beer, and had to sleep on the wee hours of the morning, before waking up again for the 7:30 breakfast schedule and departure of 9:30 am.

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He was just one of the attendees of a recent book launch that I covered for my blog. A few minutes before the actual event, I was surprised when he approached the author and handed over something like a bunch of colorful wires which we later realized creatively depicted the name of the said author.

The author was grateful of the "gift" and thanked the guy. He then noticed the lettering or design on the shirt I was wearing and boasted that he can also imitate the design. I suggested he just make one illustrating my name instead, but then quickly changed my mind and requested for my blog's name of Wazzup Pilipinas.

I sort of suggested I could blog about him because he was really a bit interesting for being aggressive in sharing his creations amidst the book launch crowd of which he even created a "Welcome" sign incorporated with a pen holder plus a pen as well as another gift for the registration table. He immediately agreed to my proposal and created a Wazzup Pilipinas version for me.

According to this generous 65 year-old man, he already patented the creation he called something like "sintas." I maybe wrong with the name but he had several rolls of it available in different color hues inside his bag. He can easily twist the colorful fuzzy wires to form letters evolving into words. He did say he was already featured in some TV shows, and maybe some publications. Thus, I am honored to be the very first blogger to feature him after this accidental meet.

11th Philippine Blogging Summit: iBlog Therefore I Am

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I still consider myself a noob in blogging since I am not really aware of the technicalities like SEO and stuff, and even the accepted etiquette that is expected of a blogger. Though there have been so many issues surrounding bloggers due to these similar situations, where most are unaware of the proper actions to take as a blogger, I believe there are redeeming qualities that make up for the lack of formal training similar to what journalist undergo.

The big difference bloggers have with journalists is that we are supposed to be biased and emotional. Since we all know that blogs were supposed to be our online journals - where we can share all our special experiences, thoughts and opinions - there are some people that would discourage being too open and would want us to abide by rules they believe should be followed by everyone in the blogging community.

However, even the guests speakers from the iBlog events themselves have conflicting opinions and share different methods and strategies which further strengthens and confirms my belief that man-made guidelines are just there to serve as suggestions and not really to anchor us down and limit our creativity.

Now on its 11th year, iBlog, more popularly known as the Philippine Blogging Summit, is organized by Janette Toral, known to many as the Mother of E-Commerce, and one of the influences in my blogging life, was held at the Penthouse Lecture Room of Bocobo Hall, UP Law Center, UP Diliman, Quezon City. It's a two-day event held this time on December 4 and 5, 2015 to accommodate more people who may not be available on a single date.

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NBA2K Online is an action-sports online game that combines the best of what the award-winning NBA2K basketball video game series has to offer with immersive gameplay, rich player customization, and a massive online community.

I'm quite familiar with online games and the NBA2K franchise since I was previously an Internet Cafe and Gaming Shop owner for several years before I got into the world of blogging. I still remember how updated my online games were, and how diligent I was in keeping it patched and ready with the latest program updates so that my customers will nit have to wait for the game loading for a long time. Keeping the online games updated with the latest patches was a regular task I would usually do on a weekly basis, or sometimes daily, because there were several online games that needed to be updated as well.

NBA2k was a very popular game as well, but it was only played via network gaming. Though there were already a few online basketball games back then, this will be my first time to encounter NBA2K as an online game.

X-Play Online Games upped the tempo when NBA2K Online entered its open beta test (OBT) phase on November 24, 2015. A media launch was held on December 3, 2015 at the NBA Store located in Glorietta 3, Makati city.

The Intellectual Property (IP) is owned by 2K, a publishing label of Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc., and is co-developed by Visual Concepts China and Tencent.

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Jonathan Yabut, the lucky and very deserving Filipino winner of hit reality TV show The Apprentice Asia, recently launched his book in the Philippines on December 3 at Fully Booked Bonifacio Global City (BGC) High Street.

What started out as a series of posts on his popular Facebook fanpage(Facebook.com/AAJonathanYabut) became a collection of stories on how Jonathan won the show through leadership and grit. It is now an autobiography and motivational book, entitled "From Grit to Great." The book shares his life journey from humble beginnings to winning the “world’s toughest job interview.

For every book that you purchase, a portion of the book’s proceeds will be donated to educational NGOs in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Vietnam. The beneficiaries of “From Grit To Great are Yayasan Bright Foundation Indonesia, Teach for Malaysia, Student Development Fund of Vietnam, and our very own UP School of Economics Alumni Foundation.

The book is a delightful treat for aspiring students, rockstar yuppies, and budding entrepreneurs looking for inspiration and motivation to succeed. It’s the book where business meets wit. Though, upon interview with Jonathan himself, he said it's not limited to the youth or those below 35 years old, since anybody can still find inspiration from the book no matter what age they are.

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Don Papa Rum, a premium aged small batch rum from the Philippine island of Negros Occidental (known locally as Sugarlandia), is the flagship spirit of the Bleeding Heart Rum Company, the trading arm of Chat Noir Co.Inc, based in Manila.

Don Papa puts other rums to shame and sets a new standard in Philippine luxury with its magnificently bottle packaging with eye-catching design and a real cork stopper. Distilled from the finest sugar cane, Don Papa actually has two products, its flagship spirit, the 7 year old, which is aged in American oak barrels thus giving it a light amber color. It is light and fruity on the nose, smooth and delicate in the mouth with a long textured finish, offering flavors of vanilla, honey, and candied fruits.

Meanwhile, the second product, the limited-edition super premium 10 year old, showcases the Blender’s art to perfection. A careful, artisanal process by dedicated master craftsmen steeped in the Filipino rum-making tradition. The rum is aged for ten, long years in re-charred American oak barrels, giving it a dark amber color with hints of oak and vanilla. Its higher cask strength gives Don Papa 10 year old a slightly higher ABV of 43%.

At the Philippine launch of Don Papa 10 were Matthias Cadeac D’Arbaud, Don Papa Rum’s International Brand Ambassador, Davide Boncimino, the overall champion of Don Papa’s first-ever cocktail competition, a nationwide search for the ultimate Don of Cocktails, Celina Le Neindre, another Don Papa Brand Ambassador, and Kathryn Eckstein-Cornista, Don Papa Brand Ambassador and Mixologist. Also at the event were Christel Molina, Don Papa Brand Manager, Andrew Garcia, Managing Director for Asia-Pacific, and Monica Llamas, Head of Brand Communications.

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With the fast evolving landscape and developments in energy policies, the Department of Energy (DOE), through the Investment Promotion Office, has been conducting regular investment fora in Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao to promote investments in the Philippine Energy Sector by facilitating the process of doing business and availment of incentives in the country.

In observance of the National Energy Consciousness Month, the DOE held its last Energy Investment Forum for 2015, now on its 11th year, on December 04 (today) from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon at the InterContinental Hotel in Makati City.

Energy Undersecretary Donato D. Marcos said that the DOE urges the private sector to invest more and for timely installation of committed projects, adding that “We hope to see the infusion of investments in the coming years to be able to provide for reliable supply of electricity in the country.”

The Energy Investment Forum presents the current energy climate including the demand-supply outlook, potentials in the power sector, and developments of conventional, renewable and alternative energy resources.

Exciting Biscoff Biscoveries for Christmas

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It is once again the sweetest time of the year and making the holidays even sweeter is Europe’s favorite cookie with coffee[1], Biscoff. An original from Belgium, Biscoff is spreading its sweetness in Manila. Long known as the perfect partner for any coffee break, Biscoff is now also being introduced as the perfect culinary partner.

Just in time for the holidays, Biscoff gives away easy to make, do-it-yourself recipes that are perfect for the holiday season. Whether to use as gifts or as holiday party treats, Biscoff offers delightful bites that everyone will enjoy making at home.

Rice Crispy Treats with Biscoff Spread[2]

With only 15 minutes preparation time, Rice Crispy Treats with Biscoff Spread is easy to make and has minimal ingredients.

Ingredients:

· 3 tablespoons butter
· 1/3 cup of Biscoff spread
· 1 10 oz. package of about 40 regular marshmallows or 4 cups of miniature marshmallows
· 6 cups rice crispy cereal