Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Thursday, March 24, 2016

Wazzup Pilipinas Now Has a Coffee Table Book and it's Absolutely Awesome!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Your Pambansang Blog ng Pilipinas aka the National Blog of the Philippines now has its very own coffee table book containing our recent adventures from our Pampanga Hot Air Balloon and Restaurant Tour.

Thanks to Picturebooks, we now have our first book. Yup! We are confident to say that this will not be the only one as we plan to do the same thing for all our grander adventures as they truly deserve to be immortalized into a form that we can flaunt everywhere we go.

Not to boast but it's better to also have something in physical form that we can display during our participation in exhibits, expos, trade fairs, etc., where we are part as a media partner. Since there's just too many stuff online, people would still appreciate to see the actual pictures in something like an album or portfolio.

The interesting fact about the Wazzup Pilipinas coffee table book is that everything inside was taken using the Microsoft Lumia 950 XL smartphone which was lent to us for a few weeks by Microsoft and was used in the coverage of the 20th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta held on February 11 to 14 at Clark airfield in Pamapang, along with our restaurant tour at Yu-Fu-In Yakiniku and Japanese Restaurant, Koko Buri, 1956 Downtown Cafe by Bale Dutung and Mequeni Holiday Inn Clark.

Below are just some of the pages contained in the coffee table book!

Visita Iglesia: Visiting The Most Outstanding Churches in Manila

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Aside from Palm Sunday and Easter, the Visita Iglesia is another festive occasion often practiced by faithful Catholics who consider it as a sacrifice similar to how the pilgrims visited the seven basilicas of Rome as penance on a Maundy Thursday.

More than just a religious practice, the Visita Iglesia is also a chance for us to imbibe culture and history, as many of these churches are redolent of our colonial past.

Many have even made the practice socially fun by organizing group tours to the many churches of the country. It also becomes an ideal photo session for photographers who adore street photography, taking photos of mainly the churches, but also including everything else that strikes their fancy, while they visit the churches.

The Visita Iglesia evolved into another well-appreciated art form and tourism event where both photography newbies and oldies can travel together and even teach each other the art. Most would shoot as many images as possible while others would prefer to be selective and take their time identifying the best angle, and lighting.

The Visita Iglesia tradition usually calls for a visit to seven churches on Holy Thursday where the faithful will pray seven repetitions each of Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be, However, others visit 14 churches to correspond with the 14 Stations of the Cross, and prays at one Station in each church.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

“Do what you love and the money will follow.”

We have heard this proverbial piece of advice far too many times, and yet many of us still go through the motion of hopping from one job to another, looking for the next one with higher pay. Let’s be honest. How many jobs have you had that enabled you to play out your passion?

If you have attended my seminars, talks, workshops, or even just have caught snippets of it online, you would know that I give all-out support to this do-what-you-love thing. And who wouldn’t? If you have the option to spend each day of your life using your skills and talents doing something you absolutely enjoy, would you stay in a job you don’t even like to begin with?

Turning your passion into something profitable has now become more possible than ever, thanks to FREELANCING.

Freelancing gives you the opportunity to earn from your talents, skills and interests that you may otherwise not be able to use in your job. Freelancing also gives you more control over how you spend your time at “work”. First, you have the option to do it full-time or part-time. You choose what type of work you do, where you want and when you want. You also get to choose where and how and to whom you will market your services. What’s more, you get to network with fellow freelancers and potential clients, both online and offline. In other words, freelancing can very well be your first step to becoming a full-blown entrepreneur.

Now you may wonder, how do I begin doing freelance work?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

To further improve the experience of modern-day property hunters, online property portal Lamudi Philippines has released a modified version of its mobile innovation for homebuyers. The updates includes additional in-app components such as enhanced filter searches and a wish list for logged out users.

Users can now fully modify their searches according to their exact specifications. Property features such as balcony, swimming pool, penthouse, or even ocean view can be added to the search, thereby shortlisting properties that our nearest to the users’ preference.

Adding properties to your list of favorites without logging into an account is now also enabled in the App. This feature allows users to easily save, view and study the properties even while in offline mode.

The Lamudi team continues to improve the functionality of its Android App to ensure that users can maximize the app capabilities in their investment hunt.

Lamudi Philippines Managing Director Jacqueline Van Den Ende, said: “We acknowledge the growing demand of products and services that are mobile efficient. As the consumers continues to evolve, we will always be ready to fit our services to the modern needs of our clients. This latest version of the Android App is a great improvement but we will not stop here. We will always strive to top our own achievements.”

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Crime + Investigation Network (CI) presents “60 Days In,” an unprecedented new, original docu-series following seven innocent participants who enter the dangerous world of incarceration at the Clark County Jail in Jeffersonville, Indiana, in an effort to expose internal issues and what really happens behind bars.

As a result of the facility’s recent corrupt history, Sheriff Jamey Noel has devised a program where seven participants will live among the facility’s general population for 60 days without officers, fellow inmates, or staff knowing their secret. Around-the-clock cameras captured this unparalleled access in an effort to bring problems to light and give viewers a first-hand look as the participants adapt to unfamiliar and terrifying surroundings. “60 Days In” is a warts-and-all view of what life is like behind bars, through the eyes of people who have never been charged with a crime or done time.

This twelve-episode series premieres Saturday, April 9 at 9pm (PH) on CI. CI is available on Skycable Ch 98 , Dream Satellite Ch 35, Cablelink Ch 41 and Destiny Cable Ch 98.

“WearegratefultoSheriffJameyNoelandtheClarkCountyJailforallowingourcamerastocapture this unprecedented and trailblazing program. This provocative series will be an incredible addition the to rich non-fiction portfolio as the network continues to bring audiences cutting-edge immersive content,”says Elaine Frontain Bryant, EVP and Head of Programming for A&E Network.

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In response to the bombing incidents in Belgium yesterday, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) and all concerned agencies are working together to ensure continued safety of travel, as instructed by President Benigno Aquino III.

“We assure the public that the government is taking all the necessary measures to secure our airports, other transport facilities, and most especially our people, as they travel during this peak season and beyond. All concerned entities — from government and private sector alike — are ready to address any possible situation,” said DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya.

The DOTC has directed transport agencies and their security groups to be extra vigilant and further intensify security measures in additions to preparations made for the annual observance of Holy Week. Terminals and stations have been placed on heighted alert status. Other courses of action in order to bolster the security and safety of the public include implementation of checkpoint monitoring outside these transport facilities and increasing visibility of uniformed personnel.

“For the time being, we have no reason to fear similar events taking place in the country. We are merely taking precautionary steps and activating quick-response protocols in case any emergencies arise,” added Abaya.

Croque Cafe + Bakery: Committed to Freshness and Comfort

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"Croque pronounced as “Krohk” came from “croquer” which means crunch in French. It describes us well, as crunch pertains to freshness and comfort which basically who we are and what we serve." - Croque Cafe +Bakery

Croque Cafe + Bakery, a business venture of chef couple Alexa Abala and Paco Lao offers European-Filipino inspired dishes aside from their freshly-baked breads and pastries, and coffee classics. They also have other offerings that you would soon find out as you read this story of my dining experience at their restaurant.

Just like the other famous chef couple that I know (the Laudicos - Chef Roland and Chef Jackie), the lady chef specializes on the pastries, while her boyfriend would always be in the kitchen in charge of the hot dishes. I believe Alexa was the one who conceptualized the homey look of the resto which is now a trending look for other restos who want to project a cozy ambiance that's conducive to hanging out while reading a book, or for today's Millennials, browsing online through an iPad, smartphone or tablet, or simply passing the time chatting with friends.

It is not my first time to visit the cafe as I attended an event that was held there a few months ago but I never got back to visiting them on my own. However, I met Alexa in a certain gathering of people managing hotels, resorts and restaurants where they raffled off a gift certificate for the restaurant which I won. So that basically how I found my way back to the cafe to try again their dishes.

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There's a popular saying that goes something like "The family that eats out a lot together, grows fat and chubby forever," or something similarly like that. I just added a twist to make it a little bit personalized and appropriate for our family.

Needless to say, we are a happy bunch who loves every opportunity of going out to eat. Thank goodness there's always an endless array of blessings which keeps us going out to share festive meals together.

We are the family that's always "busog" every time we decide to go out on a weekend or during special occasions where we celebrate a birthday, anniversary, an accomplishment or a long holiday when there's a longer vacation from school.

Thus you would guess that summer would be a time when we would mostly be out enjoying a family vacation, a hotel staycation, a restaurant visit - that's done usually after mass from our church morning visits - or simply going shopping at the nearest malls.

Among our weekend escapade is our visit to Skippy's Bar and Grill, an Australian restaurant that's not only open at night time for their beer-loving customers, it also welcomes families who want great Aussie-inspired dishes conceptualized by it's Australian owner together with his lovely Filipina wife.

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The Department of Science and Technology–Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICT Office) and the National Library of the Philippines (NLP) forged a partnership to implement the Tech4ED project in over 1,000 public libraries towards community empowerment.

Led by the DOST-ICT Office, the Technology for Economic Development (Tech4ED) project establishes centers in rural and underserved areas to expand access to ICT services, learning resources, and opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment.

The photo above shows the Department of Science and Technology–Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICT Office) and the National Library of the Philippines signing of the Memorandum of Agreement led by Blesila Velasco, Chief of the Public Libraries Division, NLP and Bettina Quimson, Deputy Executive Director for eSociety, DOST-ICT Office. Joining them were (standing from left): Jilven Amar, Librarian III, NLP; Clarissa Navarro, Tech4ED Project Manager; Irma Saligumba, Molave Development Foundation, Inc., and Program Manager, Beyond Access Phillipines; and Michael Pinto and Roilingel Calilung, Vice President and President of the Association of Librarians in Public Sector (ALPS), respectively.

The establishment of Tech4ED Centers in over 1,000 public libraries affiliated with the NLP will be a breakthrough in addressing digital inclusion. “We aim to make our public libraries more relevant to the community and further increase their utilization. With Tech4ED in our libraries, we can bring the benefits of ICT to more Filipinos,” said Jilven Amar, Librarian III of the NLP.

“Tech4ED is about creating equal opportunities for everybody,” said Bettina Quimson, Deputy Executive Director for eSociety, DOST-ICT Office. “Librarians are very essential in enabling a person to be trained on special skill sets toward employment and entrepreneurship,” Quimson said. “If the public library has at least three computers and Internet connectivity, we will work with them immediately to set up the Tech4ED platform.”

SikatPinoy National Food Fair 2016: A Taste of Every Kitchen Corner in the Philippines

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As many as our islands, there are so many flavors, textures, and ingredients that make up our Filipino dishes that were reinvented in so many variations. It is not totally surprising as these same islands have paved the way for our ancestors to be more creative in concocting unique recipes depending on the availability of ingredients within their areas.

When the roads, bridges and modern forms of transportation were developed and built, it expanded the recipes with so many twists and turns making our dishes a lot more interesting. When Pinoys began traveling around the Philippines and even outside the country, they also brought back home new methods and discoveries that further enhanced the flavors and appearance of Filipino delicacies brought to a new level.

The accessibility of different flavorings, seasonings and spices, the availability of quality food processing equipment, and the elevation of the culinary basics into a higher art form brought about the interest of so many to become chefs of varied specialties. Chefs are now also considered as celebrities that can easily flaunt their mouth-watering and gastronomically delightful masterpieces through any form of media may it be print, online or on television.

The Department of Trade and Industry - Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion (DTI-BDTP) recently held the SikatPinoy National Food Fair 2016, a part of a series of national trade fairs to help promising small and medium enterprises (SMEs), with a theme of Piliping-Piling Pagkaing Pilipino and aimed at helping our modest entrepreneurs to gain a better foothold as an emerging market among the numerous and highly competitive businesses in existence. It also prepares them towards the global export market so they could tap even foreign buyers that would be interested to purchase or even invest on their product ventures.

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Sophos, a global leader in network and endpoint security, today announced that its Sophos Email Appliance now includes Sophos Sandstorm, an advanced, next-generation sandboxing technology that quickly and accurately detects, blocks and responds to sophisticated, constantly-changing cyber threats.

Sophos Sandstorm is an advanced persistent threat (APT) and zero day malware security technology. To combat elusive threats that target email accounts on multiple platforms and mobile devices, companies need signatureless protection in addition to traditional malware protection. Threats are now engineered to be “low and slow” to stay under the radar, using polymorphic and stealth techniques to avoid and delay detection.

Today’s cybercriminals are also proactively taking steps to target, research and crack an organisation’s specific security measures by sending bespoke malware attached to seemingly-benign email messages. Sophos Sandstorm uses powerful cloud-based technology to isolate and address these types of threats before they enter a business network. Information technology managers are provided with detailed reports of threat behavior and analysis for further investigation and action, if required.

“Sophos Sandstorm combines prevention, detection and investigation in one solution to protect against cybercriminals who now use social-engineering tactics with new, not-previously-known malware to invade company networks,” said Bryan Barney, senior vice president and general manager, Sophos Network Security Group. “Keeping threats away from the network is a critical first line of defense. Sophos Sandstorm automatically isolates files to determine if they’re safe, providing an instant additional layer of detection and protection. Advanced technologies are often too expensive and require additional security expertise to implement and monitor them. Sophos is changing this by providing all businesses access to advanced protection that’s affordable and simple to deploy.”

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The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Philippines held their very first Kapihan session for the Science, Technology, Research, and Innovation for Development (STRIDE) Program.

It was held at the Makati Diamond Residences in Makati City on March 9, 2016 led by USAID/Philippines Mission Director Dr. Susan Brems, USAID/Philippines Senior Education Adviser Mr. Mir Tillah, STRIDE Chief of Party Dr. Dave Hall and STRIDE Deputy Chief of Party Dr. Larry Ilag. Dr. Richard Abendan, STRIDE Research and Industry Partnerships Manager, facilitated the event.

STRIDE is USAID/Philippines’ flagship science, technology and innovation program that aims to strengthen local capacity for innovation-led economic growth by building the capacity of universities for industry-relevant applied research. This will make science and technology research a driving force of economic growth in the Philippines.

It is a five-year, PhP1.5 billion project under the Partnership for Growth (PFG) agreement between the U.S. and the Philippine governments. The Philippines is one of only four countries selected for the PFG, with the ultimate goal of accelerating broad-based, inclusive growth.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Amidst all the minimalist fashion trending, one woman dares to stand out like a wildflower.

Unleash also your inner wildflower with WildFlower: A Fashion Retrospective exhibit featuring inspiring wardrobe pieces made by Manila's Top Designer for style icon Tessa Prieto-Valdes on March 8 to 18, 2016 at SM Megamall Fashion Hall.

WildFlower by Tessa Prieto-Valdes features her best gowns and ensembles of her favorite and most loved designers! These iconic designs were on display at the Mega Fashion hall in SM Megamall until the 18th of March highlighting top Filipino designers like Francis Libiran, Rajo Laurel, Cherry Veric, Lesley Mobo, Michael Cinco, Monique Lhuiller, Cary Santiago, Inno Sotto and so much more.

The Sea Princess’ whimsical wardrobe collection is a diverse set of colorful and flamboyant pieces from couture gowns to headdresses that exuding a magical aura of sophistication and lavishness. I have not seen any other lady that can pull off this kind of fashion statement.

From beads, to feathers and even head dresses, you can see the creative and passionate work of our very talented Filipino designers!

Congratulations to Tessa Prieto-Valdes for remaining a one of a kind style icon who always stands out at every event she graciously honors with her presence.

Wazup Pilipinas!

At first I thought that the most popular and highly bought product would be the one that exhibits all the best qualities and usefulness. However, I was proved wrong several times as we would really get what we paid for if we settle for a brand that has mass appeal only because it is available at a lower price.

Usually, the ones that get the most sales are the ones that would not last long making the purchase actually costing you more because you would need to buy a new one to replace the quickly turned defective or dead product.

We should prefer a brand that would make us feel more relaxed and secure and give us less of the stress that we experience every time a product conks out and needs to be brought to the service center for repair.

As compared to a product bought with a higher value, it is much better and less of a hassle if it will continuously run well for years, and with less maintenance requirements.

I see those qualities from Panasonic products especially when I've learned that their projectors consume less electricity as compared to other brands in the market.

The very first Panasonic Rental Summit held on March 17 at the grand ballroom of the City of Dreams was a showcase of Panasonic products used for Staging, Events Rental and Digital Advertisements like Projection Mapping.

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DOST-ICT Office’s flagship project, the Juan Konek Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places Project, is set to begin the initial phases of implementation with the issuance of the Notice to Proceed (NTP) of the Project’s commissioned Service Providers last March 16, 2016.

Undersecretary Louis Napoleon C. Casambre stated the importance of the collective efforts of the private and public sectors as catalysts in the completion of Juan Konek, “The road to connectivity, however, is one that should not be treaded alone. Our Office recognizes that the public and private sectors each possess particular strengths, and when both parties channel their efforts towards a shared goal, the sky’s the limit to what they can accomplish.”

The commissioned Service Providers are; Innove Communications, Inc. & Yondu Inc (Joint Venture), We are IT Philippines, Inc., Converge ICT Solutions, Inc., AZ Communications Network, Inc., and Omniprime Marketing, Inc., PLDT Alpha and Abratique and Associates Philippines Inc.

Engr. Efren R. Abratique of Abratique & Associates Philippines, Inc. expressed their eagerness for the Free Wi-Fi Project,

“We are happy to support the government’s efforts for digital inclusion and providing Internet for all”. “The Juan Konek, Free Wi-Fi Internet Access in Public Places will go a long way in providing access to information, educational materials, e-commerce and communications for Filipinos, particularly in Rural Areas. “ Engr. Abratique said.