Millennials Join #BawatBato Campaign Against Marcos Burial at LNMB

Wazzup Pilipinas!

On July 6, 2016, millennials answered the call and joined the campaign against the burial of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

“Just as the young people during the 70s and 80s answered the call to fight against the Marcos dictatorship, the generation of today must answer the call to fight against the Marcoses' efforts to twist history in their favor. History witnessed how his regime killed not only the country's best and brightest young people, but also the country's best chance to have a bright future. Rewarding his sins with a hero's burial is unacceptable,” said Bea Reyno of the Student Council Alliance of the Philippines.

Youth leaders laid stones with the names of their fellow youth and student leaders who became heroes and martyrs at the foot of the UP Oblation --- the monument which served witness to the Diliman Commune where stundents from the University of the Philippines barricaded the University Avenue in protest of the oil price hike in the 1970s.

“The young people who gave up their lives to fight against Martial law are the real heroes. Young people like Leo Alto who died at 23, Emmanuel Alvarez who died at 27, Jan Quimpo who died at 23. We must not let them down. We honor them by telling their stories. We honor them by continuing their fight. We honor them by not letting Marcos be buried as a hero,” said Magnolia Del Rosario of UP Alyansa, also a student councilor from UP Diliman.

The youth also called on their fellow millennials to read more about the stories of heroism during the Martial law and be critical with the information that they receive on the internet.

“We are the generation that grew up in a world fueled by information. We while our time by using up our free data. As young leaders, it is our task to sift through the cloud of articles online and distinguish good and truthful content. Our most potent weapon against historical revisionism is our insatiable curiosity, our determined quest for the truth,” concluded Reyno.

The activity was joined by former CHR Chairperson Loretta “Etta” Rosales, along with other ML activists and prominent human rights defenders. Participating groups include Martial Law Chronicles Project, Alyansa UP Diliman, Akbayan Youth, Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, Bukluran UP System, Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking, and Filipinos against Historical Revisionism, Claimants 1081, Task Force Detainess, PAHRA, SAMASA Alumni, students from FEU, PUP, UP Cebu, UP Diliman, UP Manila, and Bantayog ng mga Bayani. Similar activities were also held yesterday at UP Baguio and Silliman University.

This solemn action follows the #BawatBato activity done last 26th of July at the proposed gravesite of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

MOA Signing on Airport Upkeep

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Today, 07 July 2016, marks the start of cooperation between the current administration and the private sector – a cooperation that is aimed at the common goal of delivering improved services to the riding public. The Department of Transportation, led by Secretary Arthur P. Tugade forged a pioneering cooperative agreement with leading Philippine carriers for the upkeep of Manila Airport Terminals.

Apart from the Secretary, in attendance during the signing ceremony were Undersecretary for Aviation and Airports Roberto C.O. Lim, MIAA’s General Manager Mr. Ed Monreal, Philippine Airlines’ President and COO Mr. Jaime J. Bautista, Cebu Pacific’s President and CEO Mr. Lance Y. Gokongwei, Philippines AirAsia’s COO Capt. Dexter M. Comendador, PAL express’ President Mr. Bonifacio U. Sam, Cebgo’s President and CEO Michael Ivan S. Shau, and Philippine Airport Ground Support Solutions’ AVP for Finance and Administration Leah de Guzman Jover.

Under the agreement, the Philippine carriers committed to undertake at no cost to the government the maintenance and upkeep of public restrooms at the four terminals under the management of the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA). The Secretary is confident that the complaints of the general riding public regarding the condition of public restrooms at the main gateway of the Philippines will be addressed by improving the facilities to the level of international standards.

The Secretary emphasized that this move is in line with the working principles of the Duterte administration, that is, consultation, cooperation and mutual trust between government and the private sector. The Secretary added that these guidelines bore fruit today with the signing of the agreement. The Secretary hopes that the government and the private sector could explore other areas of cooperation for the betterment of the country.

Pokemon Go Download

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Download Pokemon Go now!

Pokemon Go is starting to roll out now. The AR Pokemon game can be played right now on Android and iOS in some regions.

"Travel between the real world and the virtual world of Pokémon with Pokémon GO for iPhone and Android devices. With Pokémon GO, you’ll discover Pokémon in a whole new world—your own! Pokémon GO is built on Niantic’s Real World Gaming Platform and will use real locations to encourage players to search far and wide in the real world to discover Pokémon. Pokémon GO will allow players to find and catch more than a hundred different Pokémon as they explore their surroundings.

The Pokémon video game series has used real-world locations such as the Hokkaido and Kanto regions of Japan, New York, and Paris as inspiration for the fantasy settings in which its games take place. Now the real world will be the setting!

Get on your feet and step outside to find and catch wild Pokémon. Explore cities and towns around where you live and even around the globe to capture as many Pokémon as you can. As you move around, your smartphone will vibrate to let you know you're near a Pokémon. Once you've encountered a Pokémon, take aim on your smartphone's touch screen and throw a Poké Ball to catch it. Be careful when you try to catch it, or it might run away! Also look for PokéStops located at interesting places, such as public art installations, historical markers, and monuments, where you can collect more Poké Balls and other items." - Pokemon.com

Aimee Song Inspires Fashionistas as the Newest Style Icon of SM Makati Style Up

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When international style blogger and interior designer Aimee Song drops by the Philippines, one can expect only two things: fun times, and amazing style. One of the first fashion bloggers, she began blogging in 2008. Since then, her blog Song of Style has risen to become a gamechanger, thanks to her knack for creating bold but laid back outfits.

Last July 01, Aimee greeted fellow bloggers and members of the press with much joy and enthusiasm at SM Makati. She was in town to talk about her partnership with SM Makati as its newest style icon for its Style Up campaign which encourages women and Filipinos in general to level up their personal styles. This wasn’t the first time Aimee was in the Philippines, but it is the first time that she became the face of a local brand. “When I first came here today, and as I was getting ready, we looked around the mall and I could just see my face all over the place. It felt super surreal!” she shares.

Born to parents of Korean descent, the LA-based social media darling has an Instagram following of 3.6 million and counting. What makes Aimee stand out from today’s crop of influencers is her accessible but aspirational sense of style. “We’re real people, not supermodels or celebrities,” she once said. She is part of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list for 2016, has been featured in publications such as The New YorkTimes, Women’s Wear Daily, Vogue Spain, among many others, has guest-edited Korean Vogue, and has always been seen—always seated in front-row—at the most exclusive fashion events. Aimee began blogging while studying Interior architecture in the Academy of Art University, with the original intent of focusing on interior design. But when her outfit posts received an overwhelmingly positive response, she quickly switched to doing a style blog.

The exclusive event was hosted by Joey Mead, and attended by a handful of top Filipino fashion bloggers including Tricia Gosingtian, Patricia Prieto, Laureen Uy, and Camille Co. Spotted in the crowd as well were SM Youth Ambassador Janna Tee, and model Brent Javier. Bloggers and members of the press had the chance to ask Aimee some questions about blogging, travelling, and even about her upcoming book entitled “Capture Your Style.” Typically thought of to be a style trailblazer, Aimee also shared that she finds inspiration everywhere, including the people she’s just met. “I’ve seen so many stylish men and women here, so I’m the one taking tips,” says Aimee. “My makeup artist Omar, the whole time we’ve been here, has been wearing – instead of a leather band – different scarves with his watch. I’m definitely stealing that idea!”

Aside from answering questions, she also gave her two cent on some of the latest fashion trends, approving almost every trend including wearing denim-on-denim, owning off-shoulder pieces, having a messy bun, and mixing metals, telling the audience to have fun and experiment with fashion. Aimee did not only give tips but also inspired her fellow bloggers and blogger hopefuls of what really matters when starting your own style blog. “You have to try and be yourself, find your own voice instead of trying to be somebody else,” she says, which she together with SM Makati Style Up has already done.

Nissan GT Academy 2016 Rolls Out in the Philippines

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We recently attended the official launch of the 2016 Nissan GT Academy held at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Atrium on June 30, 2016.

Noticeable at the launch venue were several race pods containing the latest Gran Turismo game version called GT Sport, which has not been officially launched yet to the public. Nissan, in partnership with Polyphony Digital, introduce the upgraded racing video game to the Philippines, and other participating countries, ahead of its official release to the rest of the world who would all get to see it only in November.

We were fortunate to be among the very first ones to try out the driving simulation game setup on a cool custom-designed racing machine that would have been awesome it would actually roll out into the street like the real deal.

Special personality at the event was Lucas Ordonez, the inaugural winner of the 2008 Nissan Playstation GT Academy in Europe. Ordonez remains to be an inspiration for all aspiring gamers who also want to get their big break into real-life racing.

Criminal Minds Spinoff Takes Viewers to New Horizons in Crime-Investigation on AXN

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Action packed and full of suspense, AXN’s Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior takes viewers to the scene of the crime and how a group of investigators solve each one of them.

This series of crime-busting and investigations is set to capture the audience as Forest Whitaker plays team leader Samuel Cooper alongside Janeane Garofalo as supervisory special agent Beth Griffith. They take on cases of abductions, murders, and kidnappings with the help of other agents in their unit.

Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior is a spinoff of the series Criminal Minds and was developed by CBS Corporation and The Disney Company.

Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior premieres July 20 and can be seen every Wednesday at 9:45pm on AXN.

AXN is available on Cable Link Channel 38, Cignal Digital TV Channel 61, Global Destiny Cable Channel 61, Dream Channel 20, Gsat Channel 12, SKYCable Channel 49.

Sisigaw ka sa Sulit Sarap Sisig Silog Meals at Rufo's Famous Tapa

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There's more than just tapa at Rufo's Famous Tapa restaurant!

You can now find additional Sisig meals other than pork  or chicken with the addition of bangus and beef varieties. Each meal is now available in a combo package that they call their "Sisigaw ka sa Sulit Sarap Sisig Silog" comes with garlic rice, fried egg and prawn flakes, for only P89 each. You may also add P10 only to get an additional iced tea for your drink.

My blogger friends and I were invited to try out the four Sisig Silog varieties at their Paseo Center, Paseo De Roxas branch, and were even served their iconic famous tapa with the sauce, and other viands like the Chopsuey and Tokwa't Baboy, , plus their three desserts namely Leche Plan, Creamy Fruit Fiesta and the Black Sambo.

No less than the owner himself, Paul izon Reyes, met with us to share the inspirational story of Rufo's which now has more than 20 branches nationwide plus a lot more scheduled to open soon. The restaurant is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and accepts franchising for interested entrepreneurs who are interested to join the food industry.

Rocco Nacino, one of the popular actors in the Philippines, has ventured into the business by owning a branch located in Timog Avenue in Quezon City. The branch is said to be the biggest in floor space among all Rufo's Famous Tapa restaurants.

DOE Buckles Down To Work

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To jumpstart efforts to further improve electricity services in Manila and its nearby provinces, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi discussed today with Manila Electric Company officials at the DOE compound in this city the July rate changes and how to address the problem of “flying connections” within the power company’s franchise area. 

This is in line with the mandate of the Duterte administration to ease the plight of electricity consumers, especially those belonging to the marginalized sectors. 

Present during the meeting with DOE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi were (L-R): Meralco Senior Corp. Communications Associate Michael D. Garcia, NASECORE President Pete Ilagan, DOE Energy Chief of Staff Jesus P. Posadas, Meralco Public Information Office Head Joe R. Zaldarriaga and Meralco Utility Economics Head Lawrence S. Fernandez.

Announcing the 5th Annual WebGeek DevCup 2016

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For the fifth consecutive year, WebGeek will host its annual hackathon, DevCup, on August 20-21, 2016 at the Meralco Multi-purpose Hall in Ortigas.

DevCup aims to bring together amazing developers, designers, and technology professionals to create innovative apps and showcase the Philippine developer talent. Participants are provided with a theme in which they must develop their app and they are given two days to complete their app to be presented to the judges.

Last 2015, 70 teams battled it out for the DevCup championship title. Out of the 70 registered teams, 60 apps were presented at the end of the event for the judges to select. The winning team of Jose Marco Padillo, Giovanni Angelo Balaguer and Micah Andrew Bule of Cynder, presented their app First Response which provides crowdsourced notifications for information dissemination during a disaster or calamity . On second place are Jezer Crespo, Marc Levinson B. Suarez, Reynaldo Del Rosario Jr of Xudoer with Xonar and CodeBuddy was third place with Connectify, with members Patrick Ofilada and Rommel David.

Jujeath Nagaowa Ready to be the Face of Filipina MMA Fighters

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Benguet-native Jujeath Nagaowa who has a 2-0 record for MMA, having fought for another international MMA organization is back in action with Las Vegas-based World Series of Fighting Global (WSOF Global). Her much anticipated comeback is slated on July 30 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum for WSOF GC 3’s Philippines vs. The World Fight.

Her MMA fans would remember her exciting bouts in her previous fights, wherein she would compete for the undercard. Most fans recall that they had to make sure that they arrive at the stadium on time to catch her fight, which was usually the first one in a card of ten matches. Fans from up North would also trek down to Manila just to watch her fight.

The Philippines has yet to see its best Filipina MMA fighter. Jujeath Nagaowa is its best bet. A trained boxer and a former titleholder for the Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) light flyweight division, she was also a former WBC Asian Boxing Council Female Atomweight titleholder. She was once interviewed in Wall Street Journal, which had a headline that read, ‘Female Boxer Fights to Open Mixed Martial Arts Doors for Filipino Women’.

Nagaowa says, “I’m more than ready, I’ve been waiting to stage a comeback. Buong puso ko at buong isip ko ibibigay ko sa laban na ito. Gusto ko ipakita sa kababayan natin na kaya ng Pilipina lumban sa mag taga ibang bansa.” Jujeath is set to go against Japanese MMA fighter Yuko Kiryu, in WSOF GC3’s fight card, which highlights Philippines vs. the World.