Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Second Batch of MRT-3 Escalators Up for Rehab

zzup Pilipinas!

The second batch of conveyance facilities of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) is set for restoration, as the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has awarded the contract to rehabilitate the remaining escalators of the metropolis’ main light rail line.

The P65.48-million project, which covers all 34 Mitsubishi-brand escalators, was awarded to International Elevator & Equipment, Inc. (IEEI) through the Department of Budget and Management’s Procurement Service.

IEEI holds proprietary rights to rehabilitate this second batch of escalators, being the brand’s exclusive distributor. It will undertake such works within 223 calendar days from the issuance of the Notice to Proceed.

This project aims to provide relief to commuters — especially senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and pregnant women — by causing the refurbishment of escalators located inside the following stations:

Araneta Center-Cubao (8 units)
Shaw Boulevard (8 units)
Boni (2 units)
Buendia (4 units)
Ayala (10 units)
Taft (2 units)

The remaining batch of conveyance facilities that is under procurement consists of the total replacement of 32 escalators, which became obsolete in 2013. Earlier this year, the DOTC announced the completion of the first batch of escalator refurbishment.

These efforts to rehabilitate the line’s conveyance facilities are among the various projects of the DOTC to modernize and improve the MRT-3.

Upland Tingguian Lowland Iloko: Shared Convention of Tingguian and Ilokano Weaving Traditions

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Abra, a former Ilocos town, now among the provinces of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), has a rich texture of social, political and cultural history. Abreños are largely Tingguians and Ilocanos.

The centuries-old impaod (backstrap) weaving and its many forms, developed through rituals and dreams, are so much a piece of history of the people (Itnegs) of the Tineg River. Pinaing is the goddess of the women weavers who were taught to weave at the age of ten.

The Tingguian colors are predominantly muted. Natural dyes such as malatayum plant (for indigo) were prominent in the designs of the olden days.

The ethnic handwoven fabric comes in the forms of traditional garments, blankets, scarves, table covers and many more.

"Upland Tingguian Lowland Iloko"
Shared Convention of Tingguian and Ilokano Weaving Traditions
May 28 - June 26, 2016
PRINT GALLERY, BENCAB MUSEUM
Km. 6 Asin Road, Tadiangan,
Tuba, Benguet, Philippines
Tel /Fax: (+63 74) 442 7165
Email: bencabartfoundation@gmail.com

Crusader: Painting by Orly Ypon

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Orley Ypon hails from Toledo, Cebu, Philippines. He discovered a love for art at a very early age, doing portraits of himself and of family and friends throughout his growing years.

Orley left Cebu Province at 17 after a few semesters at the Cebu Institute of Technology taking up Architecture to make his mark in Manila. A series of jobs as an export handicraft artist led him all over the country from Pampanga, Paete, Laguna and Davao. He eventually returned to Cebu to study at the UP College of Fine Arts before leaving school to become a full-time artist.

The 39-year old artist has achieved much since his young years. A constant finalist in painting exhibitions in the Visayas and Metro Manila, Orley gained attention when he won the First Prize in the Art Association of the Philippines' National On-The-Spot Painting Competition in 2001. In the same year, Orley made his mark at the Art Petron National Painting Competition, bagging the Grand Prize in 2001 for "Ober-Ober". He won the Grand Prize in the same competition for the second time in 2004 for "Pamaling", earning him the honor of being the first Hall-of-Famer in the history of the Art Petron Painting Competitions. In 2008, Orley won the 2nd Prize in the GSIS Painting Competition for his piece, "Ahon", considered by peers and critics to be a breakthrough creation for its adherence to traditional technique but showing depth and variety in the artists' choice of subject and composition. It showed an evocative nature previously unseen in his earlier work. His current creations manifest the artist developing his objectives into themes that convey social issues, the human condition, and further expanding into new dimensions of his art. His latest achievements are winning the Grand Prize in International Artist Magazine's International Painting Competition in the People and Figures Division for 2009, Honorable Mention in the latest Members Only Competition of the Portrait Society of America and the Grand Prize in the Amorsolo National Painting Competition. He was also recently given the Ani Ng Dangal award in 2011, an honor given by the National Commission of Culture and Arts of the Philippines.

Orley continues to paint his favorite scenes of life and culture while continuously evolving his traditional technique through study and awareness of contemporary art forms. He holds occasional exhibits in Metro Manila and is based in Pasig City, Philippines.

May 28 - June 26, 2016
BENCAB Museum
Km. 6 Asin Road, Tadiangan,
Tuba, Benguet, Philippines
Tel /Fax: (+63 74) 442 7165
Email: bencabartfoundation@gmail.com

Rak of Aegis Returns for the Nth Time

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After a simple lunch with our sister here at home, the rains suddenly poured ! And then, we were quickly reminded that yes, indeed the all-time Pinoy rock musical Rak of Aegis is coming back to town in the next two weeks. Come rain or shine !!!!!

This is the 5th return of the musical and with 82 shows that the cast will deliver, you must not forget to include this treat of a lifetime. If the rumors are true that this is going to be the last, then all the more that you must not miss this !!!!! A new song will be added and some surprises are up in the air, as well.

Since it opened in 2014, we have seen this show for more than 10x already with different casts featured and we just couldn't forget this ouvre with the fabulous musical direction by Myke Salomon, written by Liza Magtoto and directed by Maribel Legarda.

We were hoping that a cast recording be produced to immortalize this neo-classic but due to licensing rights, we just have to contend watching many more shows for this fifth and final run. A commemorative book can or maybe produced but let's wait and see. That's the theater fan in me !!!!!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

After three years of hiatus, UP Playwrights’ Theatre (UPPT) proudly returns onstage with Linda Faigao - Hall’s THE FEMALE HEART running from July 1 – 10, 2016 at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, University of the Philippines Diliman.

Set in the late 1980's, the play follows Adelfa and her elder brother Anghel’s struggles as resident of the infamous mountain of garbage popularly known as smokey mountain. Confronted by extreme poverty and her brother's ailing health, Adelfa agrees to become a mail-order bride in the United States.

Chase Salazar and Al Gatmaitan play the role of Adelfa and Anghel respectively. Salazar was last seen in Ateneo Entablado’s Ang Birheng Matimtiman and in Severino Montano’s Ladies and the Senator for the celebration of UP Diliman Arts Month. Gatmaitan, an Aliw Award winner for Best Classical Male Performer in 2015, is a current regular at the ABS-CBN soap opera, “The Story of Us.”

Joining Salazar and Gatmaitan are Philstage Gawad Buhay 2008 Awardee Peewee O’Hara; diligent and promising actress Sheryll Ceasico; multimedia producer, writer, and director, Mark McKeown; and UP Diliman Theatre Arts graduate student and Siliman University alumna, Ina Azarcon–Bolivar.

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52 contestants compete in the preliminary competition namely for swimwear and evening wear at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 1, 2016 at 10 pm (June 2, 2016 at around 10 am Philippine time), to earn their spot in the Miss USA Top 15!

The event was hosted by Nick Teplitz and Miss USA 2015, Olivia Jordan. I loved the way they introduced each candidate while strutting in their swimsuit. That rhyming play of words as introduction to these beauties was quite amusing and most of the time humorous.

"You have to applaud how she helps kids abroad, Georgia!"

"She's all the rave once she hits the stage, Indiana!"

"It's sure is grand to lend a hand like Iowa!"
"We're proud to report, you'll see her in court, Kentucky!"

"We'll swoon if we hear a tune from Maryland!"

" If you need advice on how to look nice, ask Massachusetts!"

"Making sure your spine is feeling fine, it's Michigan!
"With a knack for giving back is Minnesota!"

"If you think she's funny, you're right on the money, Nebraska!"

"Patients will flock to this future doc, Nevada!"

There's only 51 states in USA but they've added a 52nd candidate they are calling Miss 52 USA (Alexandra Miller)

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"I expected that from a Mayor Duterte. I know his reputation well enough not to be shocked by it, but that does not make it right. For someone who espouses leadership by example, catcalling anyone in a press conference with all cameras trained on him defies logic. Then again, that's Mayor Duterte.

What appalled me even more was how some people in the room reacted. Most laughed, others made teasing noise and basically urged the mayor to dish some more! And he did. I do hope none of them were journalists because if they were, shame on them.
When you see or hear anyone say something wrong you do not encourage it, you do the opposite. Or in that particular instance at least, they should have kept quite and in their silence gave the message that what the mayor did was wrong.

Some jokes are funny and should be laughed at... but disrespecting women is definitely not one of them." - Raffy Tima

I empathize with Raffy Tima for the reactions of the rabid followers of these president but what is most disgusting is his embarrassing behavior which isn't befitting a president. I hope somebody from his team can or teach him manners.

Here's a husband simply protecting his wife from catcalling and now he's called biased and a "yellow supporter" and being told that it's just a joke?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Congratulations to the winners of the Miss Philippines Earth 2016 Cultural Costume Competition held on June 1, 2016 at Versailles Palace in Alabang, Muntinlupa.

WINNERS:

Gold - Pagadian City
Silver - Palo, Leyte
Bronze - General Santos City

Dressed to impress, these lovely candidates of Miss Philippines Earth 2016 are nothing short of the regal attributes of princesses and queens hailing from the different areas of the country, our beloved Philippines.

The Filipino race is proud to have originated from different races spread throughout the many regions but we have transcended and went beyond the islands of the country crossing paths with other nationalities and making our race a multi-cultural diversity.

Thus, our influences varies and evolves changing the way we appreciate beauty and creativity. Our culture is so multi-faceted making it uniquely one of a kind. The creation of our cultural costume takes shape with how we view our heritage and traditional customs, but I am glad that our talented designers incorporate modern techniques in their masterpieces.

We send our heartfelt thanks to the organizers of beauty pageants for highlighting the innate beauty of our women. We would always say that behind every community is a woman that can stand out proud and confidently beautiful with a heart.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Congratulations to the winners of the Miss Philippines Earth 2016 Swimsuit Competition held on June 1, 2016 at Versailles Palace in Alabang.
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Winners:

Gold - London, Kiaragiel Gregorio
Silver - Puerto Princesa City, Imelda Schweighart
Bronze - Vienna-Austria, Melanie Mader

Special awards:
Ms. New Placenta -London
Ms. Viking -City of Alaminos
Ms. Boardwalk -City of Zamboanga
Ms. RedFox -City of Zamboanga
Ms. Ysa Kojic -Puerto Princesa
Ms. Ysa Body -Rosales, Pangasinan
Ms. Gloww -Puerto Princesa

The winners truly have impressive physiques that you'll undoubtedly swoon in delight upon seeing them walk the runway. You'll gawk in appreciation from start to finish since all of the candidates are rightful to be among the beauties vying for the grand title of Miss Philippines Earth 2016 top winner to represent the country at the Miss Earth competition.

The ladies were wearing differently colored bikinis or swimsuits that further highlights their amazing assets. Definitely body beautiful candidates are a plenty during this swimsuit competition that you'll wish you have one as your girlfriend or future wife.

We've seen them impress the media with their almost flawless complexions and so much facial appeal that will confirm Filipinas are truly among the most beautiful in the world.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Adobo Challenge Press Preview's winning dish for Media/Bloggers Choice is a combination of adobo and laing - two Filipino favorites in one but still the adobo flavor lingers while you eat, and it ends with a laing after-taste. All the elements of what I like in a dish are here... the optional spice, the "kakang gata" or the first squeeze of fresh coconut milk, and the combo of vinegar, soy sauce and patis. Get to taste this dish and more on June 11, 2016 at Mercato Centrale when they launch the Adobo Movement.

Congratulations to Dayrit's for winning as the Media/Bloggers Choice during the Adobo Challenge. He won 6 nights free rent at Mercato Centrale. Thank you also to NutriAsia, makers of Datu Puti for sponsoring this Adobo Movement. We all know that the main ingredients aside from the common pork or chicken is always the combination of soy sauce and vinegar, and the Datu Puti brand has these products for our adobo cooking.

The chosen Top 14 stall owners from Mercato Centrale have participated in the Adobo Challenge during the press preview held at A Space in Makati city on June 1, 2016, but still there will the People Choice award where the customers themselves at the actual Mercato Centrale place in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig city on June 11, 2016 will ultimately decide who has come up with the best adobo dish.

Student Housing Guide in College Cities in the Philippines

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Lamudi Philippines identifies how much rent students should expect in key areas in Metro Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Dumaguete, and Davao

Apart from tuition, college education is considered a significant investment because of other expenses involved. These include the purchase of learning materials, daily meals, and commute or travel fees, to name a few. If the student happens to study away from home, then this also includes the cost of living space.

While areas having schools always have places to live for students, particular locales stand out, as they not only are the home of the country’s foremost universities, they also feature areas that are ideal for student housing, condos, and accommodations, and thus offers real estate investors potentially good sources of recurring income.

Baguio City
Considered by many as the educational center of Northern Luzon, Baguio City is home to many colleges and universities. These include the University of the Philippines Baguio, Saint Louis University, the University of the Cordilleras, the Philippine Military Academy, and the University of Baguio, to name a few.

The city’s relatively compact urban core and cool climate make it an ideal place for students to live, as inconveniences like extremely hot weather, long commutes, and heavy traffic are minimal here compared to other cities. While real estate is a little pricy in Baguio, rental rates are quite reasonable, with several offering total areas adequate enough to share with roommates.

At present, one-bedroom homes for rent in Baguio currently go for as low as Php6,000 per month and are ideally located in areas like the Burnham and Legarda areas, which are just a jeepney ride away from the business district and the most of the schools situated around it.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Davao is the Philippines’ largest city in terms of land area, and quite expectedly, its real estate market is as varied as the city is wide.

The center of one of the three largest metropolitan areas in the Philippines, the city of Davao is also one of the Philippines’ most urbanized. Similar to its counterparts Cebu City and Manila, it functions as the key commercial, industrial, and educational district of the Davao Region and indeed the entire island of Mindanao, and is also one of the most highly desired in terms of investing real estate and residing overall.

Global real estate website Lamudi Philippines takes a looks Davao City’s buoyant real estate market.

Plenty More to the “Durian Capital of the Philippines”

Having officially garnered cityhood in 1936, Davao City is the main component of Metro Davao, the third most populous metropolitan area in the country. As its center, Davao City serves as the main hub for the region’s commercial, industrial, and educational activity.

What separates Davao City from other major urban locales, however, is that it also has a wealth of outdoor tourist destinations. One of its most recognizable landmarks happens to be Mount Apo, the highest mountain in the county.

From both a tourist and residential standpoint, one of the major draws to Davao City has been its safety. Arguably the safest city in the country already, crowdsourced rating website Numbeo has had Davao City ranked within the top ten of safest cities in the world since June 2015.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Congratulations to the winners of Miss Philippines Earth 2016 Trash to Class Competition.

Gold - Vienna, Austria (Melanie Mader)
Silver - Isabela City (Aicha Francisco)
Bronze - Laoang, Northern Samar (Ellyz Santos)

The Miss Philippines Earth 2016 Trash to Class Competition was held on May 30 at Versailles Palace in Las Pinas.

Melanie Mader wore an outfit made from plastic straws, Aicha's evening gown was made from rice sacks and Ellyz costume is made from plastic spoons, forks and plastic bags. The competition is actually a challenge which is part of the advocacy of the Miss Earth pageant to practice the Rs: Reuse, Reduce, Recycle, Rethink and Respect.

Trash to Class Competition is when the candidates turns recyclable trash into classy costumes that can be worn to flaunt to the judges.

Judges in the competition were Filipino fashion designer Ito Curata, who designed some of the Filipiniana gowns of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in her State-of-the-Nation Address and Hollywood stars like Sharon Stone, Mixy Dy, magna cum laude from Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, who also worked for Kate Spade New York; Allen Roxas, president of State Properties Corp., owner and developer of Versailles; former beauty queen Peachy Veneracion, Vice President for External Affairs of Carousel Productions, organizer of the Miss Earth beauty pageant; and Tracey Suarkeo, Los Angeles-based senior fashion designer for Anthropologie, Free People, Urban Outfitters, Forever 21 and BCBG Maxazria.

The Miss Philippines Earth 2016 beauty pageant grand coronation night will be held in Kawit, Cavite on June 11, 2016.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Philippine’s top rock star icons to perform the top hit Broadway musical

Globe Telecom is set to open its world-class Iconic Store at the Bonifacio High Street Amphitheater in Bonifacio Global City on June 24, 2016. Opening the store’s entertainment facility will be the Philippine version of Green Day’s American Idiot with front row acts from rock icons such as Basti Artadi of Wolfgang, Miggy Chavez of Chicosci, former Rivermaya vocalists Jason Fernandez and Norby David, and veteran thespian Nel Gomez.

The launch of the Globe Iconic Store will be in 2 phases: the first phase will unveil the pioneering glass bridge which will connect two separate Globe stores in opposite buildings. This bridge, flanked by two massive LED screens on each side, can be converted into a performance space. This structure is dynamic and innovative, and when merged with the creative minds of the Philippine entertainment industry, it becomes an open-air stage with limitless possibilities. On the other hand, the second phase will feature the full construction of the Globe Iconic Store by the third quarter of 2016, including the set-up of a Chroma studio for live production on-site.

To debut on-stage at the Globe Iconic Store is the time-relevant and hit-musical Green Day’s American Idiot. The musical is about a journey of three young men as they face the harsh realities of the world around them – a symbolic post-9/11 America – where they must face the challenges of love, teen pregnancy, war, drugs, and loss. The musical is inspired by the incredibly biting and riveting music of Green Day that features a surprisingly profound understanding of the pains and frustrations of today’s youth.

“Green Day’s American Idiot is the perfect entertainment act to launch the Globe Iconic Store. With the world-class entertainment venue we can offer with its unique location, American Idiot’s dynamic story can fully utilize the facility and deliver an immersive theatrical experience like no other. More importantly, we are doing this to drive awareness among the youth and bring a valuable lesson of what today’s generation should avoid – drugs, peer pressure, teen pregnancy, among others,” says Globe Retail Transformation and Stores Management Head Joe Caliro.

The cast features today’s premiere rock and theater acts to offer a powerhouse performance that represents the current generation. Joining the cast are Yanah Laurel (Spring Awakening, Rizal X), Alex Godinez (Grease, High School Musical), Miss Saigon alumna Ela Lisondra (Disney Paris and Hong Kong), Kai Atienza (GMA 7 artist), Ariel Reonal (seasoned thespian, Hong Kong Disney and Miss Saigon alumnus), Gian Gloria (Euro Pop Berliner Perle finalist, Marco Polo musical), Mako Alonso (La Cage aux Folles, Rivalry), Sarah Facuri (Grease, No Filter), Chesko Rodriguez (La Cage aux Folles, Universal Studios Singapore), Shalee Vicencio (Disney’s Camp Rock, Alice in Wonderland), Mark Tayag (Rent, The Wedding Singer, Grease) and Kendrick Ibasco (Pinocchio, Rivalry).

Green Day’s American Idiot will run for 9 nights from June 24 to July 9, 2016. Check out more details at www.globe.com.ph/american-idiot. Tickets are now also available for purchase via TicketWorld at 8919999 or visit https://www.ticketworld.com.ph.

Animax Brings Mystery and Transformation to Light as It Shows Three New Series this June

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A mix of mystery and transformation is in the air as Animax brings to its loyal viewers Young Black Jack, Yatterman Night, and In Search of the Lost Future first and exclusive this festive month of June.

YOUNG BLACK JACK
Premieres June 6 at 10pm, Monday and Tuesday,2 Episodes back-to-back

Young Black Jack is a Japanese anime television series based on the manga ‘Black Jack’ by Ozamu Tezuka and is set in the 1960’s during the Vietnam War. The story revolves around Kuroo Hazama and his life as a surgeon even without a license. As a young boy, he was saved by a skilled surgeon named Dr. Joutarou Honma from injuries incurred from an unexploded bomb. The episodes feature Hazama as he expertly deals with different types of people who require medical assistance. Follow the story as it reveals how Hazama came to be known as Black Jack.

Kuroo Hazama is voiced by Yūichirō Umehara. The anime series is directed by Mitsuko Kase, written by Ryōsuke Takahashi, and is produced by Tezuka Productions.

YATTERMAN NIGHT
Premieres June 14 at 8pm, Monday and Tuesday, 2 Episodes back-to-back

Yatterman Night springs from the 1970s anime series ‘Yatterman’. The Yattermen were considered the good guys as they battled the Doronbow Gang; but that was long before their successors became the tyrannous members of the Yatter Kingdom. After years of being the heroes, the Yattermen have now become corrupt and have led their people to become poor and desperate. Meanwhile, a young girl named Leopard finds out that she is a descendant of the Doronbow Gang’s leader. She resolves to alter the present Doronbow Gang in order to put an end to the Yattermen’s tyranny.

Yatterman Night is produced by Tatsunoko Production and is directed by Tatsuya Yoshihara.

IN SEARCH OF THE LOST FUTURE
Premieres June 27 at 10pm, Monday and Tuesday, 2 Episodes back-to-back
In Search of the Lost Future, or Ushinawareta Mirai wo Motomete in Japanese, features the story of the students at Uchihama Academy. Strange things have been happening in the school campus including ghost apparitions, tragic accidents, and unexplained disorders. The school’s Astronomy Club, of which Sou Akiyama is a member, was commissioned to investigate these incidents. Things become even more mysterious as a new transfer student arrives at the Academy. Is this transfer student the cause of all these weird events?

The anime series is written by Rie Kawamata and is directed by Naoto Hosoda. The series is comprised of 12 episodes.

Animax is seen on SKYCable Channel 46, Cignal Digital TV Channel 34 and Dream Channel 07.