Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Saturday, December 10, 2016

National Digital Arts Awards 2017 Call for Entries with Brand Ambassador CyreneQ

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I've heard about Snapchat from a young OPM band when they were using it one night while we were waiting for other media friends for the intimate media gathering they organized. They were having fun doing selfies while manipulating them with several graphically animated enhancements that are somewhat humorous and laughable.

The only reason why I never continued using it was because none of my colleagues were using it, or I believe I was more into the other social media networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram - my top three which is the same for almost everyone in the Philippines.

One probable reason was because posts had an expiration. This means they would not exist forever online. Your post will soon be gone unless you repost it. But I wanted the opposite, the more content that I publish, the better for exposure and media mileage.

I may be wrong when I later found out that there's an online influencer by the name of CyreneQ (Cyrene Quiamco) who's been very successful using Snapchat. I was amazed when she personally mentioned the amount that she earns through the use of Snapchat.

Learning she was a graphics artist before, I now know why she got into using Snapchat because of the numerous creativity made possible by the social app.

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The celebration started out with a series of flash mobs all over the SM Megamall. Models and Dancers (from Teens to Kids) were all suddenly coming at certain areas of the mall and showcasing their outfits, specifically their shoes, to attract customers who seem surprised and couldn't figure out what it was all for.

But the flash mobs were intentionally orchestrated to point to the large stage at the ground floor of the SM Fashion Fashion Hall where Bata Philippines has setup the area for a grand launch of the global shoe store brand. Finally we have in the Philippines the footwear provider that has been very popular in so many countries around the world.

These flash mobs were repeatedly done at different areas including the stage at the Fashion Hall ground were the models and dancers performed their routine moves to continuously excite the shoppers of what is about to happen at the grand launch which happens that day at around 4 pm on December 2, 2016.

Thank you to the SM Retail of SM Supermalls for finally bringing Bata here in the Philippines.

Aside from the models and teen dancers, the most prominent scene stealers were the Kiddowockeez, a group of young kids, who were all great in dancing. Named after the award-winning but older group Jabbawockeez, these kids are impressive in their dance moves.

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Official Statement of Department of Energy (DOE) Undersecretary Benito Ranque to Mindanao Power Sector

Will the Duterte Administration Succeed in Lighting Up Lanao Where Four Presidents Ailed?

It has been the long battle for Lanao to get its rightful share of electricity even as it hosts the highly coveted Agus hydroelectric power plants. Will there be light provided by a new leadership of the most contested LASURECO or Lanao del Sur Electric Cooperative?

Task Force Lasureco (TFL) was organized under Executive Order issued in August 2014 that mandated the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to implement the rehabilitation measures of the electric cooperative, enhance management and operations to improve revenues.

The Task Force is responsible for installing kwh meters in households of all member-consumers within the franchise area, developing and cleansing the membership data base, and normalizing reading and billing operations apart from conducting the General Assembly and Election of the Board of Directors.

The Task Force is now chaired by Department Energy Undersecretary Benito Ranque.

During a Lanao local governments special meeting held last December 8 called by Vice Governor Mamintal Bombit Adiong Jr. a week after the ARMM LGU Summit was attended by President Rodrigo Duterte, DOE Usec Ben Ranque expressed that he will focus on getting the national government to support the electrification of Lanao del Sur,

"When there is no light, there is no water as well," said Ranque who hails from Medina, Misamis Oriental, was appointed as General Manager

Former National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Commissioner Solaiman Mutia will be his Assistant General Manager. Ranque is a Public Management graduate of Bukidnon State University.

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To help finance network investments to expand coverage and enhance capacities

Globe President & CEO Ernest Cu (2nd from left) and Metrobank President Fabian Dee, (2nd from right) shake hands following the signing of 12-year and 15-year P20 billion term loan facility. The loan is intended to finance partial acquisition of San Miguel’s telecommunication assets. The transaction, which is expected to provide benefits to mobile internet customers, exemplifies the company’s continuous commitment and investments in improving the network and quality of service. These investments will help support the data needs of existing and new customers and allow them to enjoy their digital lifestyle. Globe Chief Finance Officer Rizza Maniego-Eala (left) and FMIC president Rabboni Francis Arjonillo (right) witnessed the signing.

DOE Intensifies Gasoline Station Inspection for Consumer Protection

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Responding to concerns over methanol blends, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi directed DOE Undersecretary Donato D. Marcos to conduct inspections and sampling of liquid petroleum products in various gasoline stations/retail outlets nationwide for compliance with existing Philippine National Standards for fuels, especially focusing on the presence of methanol in their liquid petroleum products.

Usec. Marcos and DOE-OIMB OIC-Director Melita V. Obillo personally led the inspection of fuel quantity and quality using the DOE-Mobile Monitoring and Testing Lab (MMTL) van together with Senior Research Specialists from OIMB.

Earlier, the DOE shared the information that contrary to the Philippine National Standard (PNS) for petroleum products, methanol is being used instead of ethanol. The presence of methanol in the gasoline can harm and cause corrosion in the engine.

In performing the inspection, the DOE-OIMB applied the standard operating procedures in sampling and testing to determine the compliance of petroleum products.

Further confirmation is being done in the geoscientific research and testing laboratories under the DOE-Energy Research and Testing Laboratories in its headquarters in Taguig.

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Globe signs MoA with Hineleban Foundation, Inc. on five-year Rainforestation Program in Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur

Leading telecommunications company Globe Telecom, together with its thousands of iPhone 7 customers, collaborates with Hineleban Foundation, Inc. on the Rainforestation of Six Mountain Ranges of Mindanao as part of the company’s commitment to sustainable development and good corporate citizenship.

At the same time, Globe signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with Hineleban for a five-year Rainforestation Program composed of three key components, namely: reforestation, food security, and sustainable livelihood development. The foundation is a non-profit organization which advocates environmental conservation and livelihood development by preserving and restoring mountain rainforests and watersheds, as well as providing livelihood opportunities for indigenous people in Bukidnon and Lanao del Sur.

Customers who received the new iPhone 7 under the Globe MyLifestylePlan were able to participate in various cause-oriented programs including environment protection and conservation through the Globe of Good bundle which allowed the company to make a donation on their behalf to partner groups, one of which is Hineleban.

“We believe everyone should lead a sustainable lifestyle, one which protects and preserves our natural resources so future generations can enjoy our country’s rich heritage,” said Yoly Crisanto, Globe Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications. “Globe has already established a name for its innovations in mobile and connectivity but it is equally important for the company to give back. We have to make our practices sustainable to keep providing top-notch products and services to the customers who trust us. At the same time, we’re inviting them to be part of our efforts.”

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"The Yule Ball is of course a chance for us all to — er — let our hair down."- Minerva McGonagall on the Yule Ball

The Yule Ball scene from "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" is one of the most magical moment in the Harry Potter movies since it showed many of the movie characters at their best and most glamorous look.

According to a website about the wizarding world of Harry Potter, The Yule Ball is a tradition of the Triwizard Tournament. It is a formal dance held on Christmas night of a tournament year and is opened by the tournament champions and their partners in the Champions Waltz.

At Hogwarts, where the Yule Ball was held in 1994, only students of fourth year and above were permitted to attend, though younger students could also go if an older student invited them to accompany them. It is normally led off by the three Champions and their partners; in Harry's fourth year, of course, there are four champions, and thus four couples leading off the Ball.

Portkey Events has arranged to hold something similar for their beloved Harry Potter fans who are mostly teens who adore the wizarding world. For the real Harry Potter fans, they would know that a Portkey is an object enchanted to instantly bring anyone touching it to a specific location. True enough, the organizers have been transporting its attendees to worlds beyond the Muggles.

Both organizers and attendees may be called geeks for knowing most of the facts and trivia about the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and everything about their most prominent students studying there to be full-pledged wizards and witches someday, including the many professors with distinctive personalities, but these are obviously the classy geeks who know how to dress up at their finest as seen during PortKey Events' Yule Ball that was held on December 4, 2016 at the Blue Leaf Events Place in McKinley, Taguig.

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Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi announced that some 180 establishments and energy stakeholders will be recipients of the prestigious Don Emilio Abello Energy Efficiency Awards (DEAEEA) on 12 December 2016 at the Passion Restaurant, Maxims Hotel in Pasay City.

On its 34th year now, the DEAEEA is an annual event that recognizes the private sectors’ efforts to promote and implement energy conservation programs, which is one of the many activities of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) celebration of its National Energy Consciousness Month this December.

Secretary Cusi said “The awards will be given to outstanding establishments and energy managers who have undertaken or who are responsible for conducting energy efficiency and conservation programs that redounded to considerable savings in their energy consumption.”

Various establishments from the industrial, transport and commercial building sectors will be awarded during the annual event.

For aspiring candidates for the DEAEEA, Sec. Cusi clarified that "Companies are required to submit their energy consumption reports which will be subsequently deliberated by the DEAEEA Technical Evaluation Committee."

The DEAEEA Technical Evaluation Committee with representations from the DOE, Philippine National Oil Company, National Power Corporation, Manila Electric Company (MERALCO), Petron Corporation, Chevron Philippines Incorporated, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation, Energy Efficiency Practitioners Association of the Philippines, Philippine Energy Conservation Center Incorporated and Energy Development and Utilization Foundation Incorporated rigorously evaluates the energy consumption reports of the recipients of the DEAEEA following a set of guidelines and criteria.

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Even if you are not a fan of Pinoy Love Teams, you probably have noticed that there seems to be an influx of brands all wanting this particular love teams as their brand ambassadors or endorsers. The impact that they could give a brand could become phenomenal as die-hard fanatics would be the very first ones eager to share every information or happening about their favorite love teams, and would also emulate what their idols would do, eat, use and even talk, just to be called "in" with them.

True enough, I see fan clubs making tremendous efforts in retweeting my Tweets, Liking and Sharing all my other social media posts about their idols, and writing comments to share their own thoughts. Some of them would even bash criticisms from other people like they are the bodyguards of their idols who would defend them no matter what.

But all of these viral or trending news about their idols would have not been possible if not for the existence of smartphones connected to social media through the use of the Internet. Everything is already beyond the radio, television, newspaper and magazine as we all now fully embrace online content as the "in" thing when it comes to sharing news and information.

Thus smartphones have become one of the most in demand product in the market. An individual may even have two or three smartphones eventhough there are dual-sim models. People just can't get enough of wanting more than just one as there are so many brands, and models, out there with excellent features we all want to own for ourselves.

Among these brands is Lenovo which has recently come out with the world's first Tango-enabled smartphone with their latest model called the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro. Theis model provides users with an elevated Augmented Reality (AR) experience with Google's Tango technology which enables the user to map physical spaces and overlay it with virtual effects, track objects, and map indoor spaces.These abilities allow for more types of apps, experiments, and designs to offer a lot more possibilities with our AR experience aside from the existing 25 Tango-enabled apps on Google Play like the Solar Simulator app that automatically scales the entire solar system to fit inside your room, the Raise app which gives you a virtual 3D pet, and Lowe's Home Improvement app which allows for a sort of Interior Design creativity.

At a launch held on November 26, 2016 at the Music Hall of SM Mall of Asia, the launch was even made more special with the introduction of JaDine as the newest brand ambassadors of Lenovo brand. Not only of a single product model but of the entire product line of Lenovo.

#ManokNgBayan: Chooks-to-Go Honors MVP, Smart in new Gilas Pilipinas Partnership

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It looks like the Gilas Pilipinas basketball team has a new favorite roasted chicken brand and that's Chooks-to-Go, the brand that advertises their roasted chickens do not need any sauce to taste good because they are already great as they are.

If you could still remember, the Gilas Pilipinas team used to have a partnership with another chicken brand but with a different way of cooking. Actually, both chicken brands do have their own special qualities which makes them both a favorite among Filipinos. The heart of the team could not offer their heart or "puso" to two chicken brands as they are now under the sponsorship of Chooks-to-Go. Chooks-to-Go now joins Smart to reinforce Gilas’ campaign in its quest to qualify for the 2020 Olympics

The new partnership was launched on December 5, 2016 during the “#ManokNgBayan” event held at the Makati Shangri-La hotel, which Chooks-to-Go hosted for MVP, Smart and Gilas Pilipinas. But the new partnership between Chooks-to-Go and Gilas Pilipinas was just a part of the celebration for the event also was menat to honor MVP himself. It is the night when they honor Manuel V. Pangilinan who supported the Gilas Pilipinas team via the Smart Communications telecommunications company brand.

The man of the night, MVP, was there to also answer questions aside from the numerous and lengthy photo ops on stage. Coach Chot Reyes was there together with the Gilas Pilipinas team. A Q&A was also held with MVP himself a part of the panel together with Coach Chot and two of the Gilas Pilipinas players.

The night was capped off with raffle prizes and a song number from the Sandwich OPM band.

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Honda Philippines once again made a spectacular event for the public and especially to its beloved Honda riders as they held a launch of their latest scooters and motorcycles Gen-S and All-New Honda BeAT on December 3, 2016 at the SM by the Bay area of the Mall of Asia Complex.

We were invited to attend the night program which started with some games or challenges to warm up the audience and set the mood for the nearing program was facilitated by a wacky DJ host and participated by motorcycle riders from different groups and locations. The winners from the games, as well as from the raffle, got to bring home motorcycle accessories like shirts, jackets and helmets.

The official start of the program was hosted by PBA courtside reporter and TV personality Apple David. This was followed by the top management of Honda Philippines, Daiki Mihara, President, coming up om stage to share his opening message. Surprisingly, Mr. Elie Salamangkit was not the one who shared the technical specs of the motorcycles. We later saw him with a bad throat which made him lose his voice. Get well soon to the long-haired Product Planning Manager of Honda Philippines.

The All-New Honda BeAT is a reflection of HPI’s dedication in developing trendsetting and groundbreaking scooters for the young, fun, sporty, and stylish millennials. It comes with a slim but sharp form. It also looks sportier with its new design wheels and tubeless tires while exuding that tech-savvy feel with its semi-digital meter panel with ECO indicator.

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The motorcycle is still the most convenient ride available that is also easy to purchase and maintain. Parking is also less of a problem as it requires very little space to park. You could literally park it anywhere. Thus it has continued to be the most popular choice for many.

But since there are several choices of brands out there that compete with both features and price thus consumers need to also do their homework in choosing their preferred brand.

We should also take note that the youth or those within the Millennials age category are also becoming among the many patrons of motorcycles especially the scooters which they find as a cool thing to get around as well especially within city driving. From home to school or office, or anywhere else, scooters are very useful for faster transportation requirements. It beats riding a taxi that would usually be stuck in traffic among other bigger vehicles.

Thus Honda also has scooters available that they are now dedicating to the demands of the Millennials with some features that will surely attract the attention of these younger individuals. The two variants are also a great way to provide several choices so we can match it with our personality and lifestyle.

The All-New Honda BeAT was recently launched on November 26, 2016 at the Blue Leaf Filipinas Events Place near City of Dreams in Pasay city. The event was attended by the top management of Honda who shared their respective messages.

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Hewlett Packard Enterprise announced new innovations that help organizations rapidly, securely and cost-effectively deploy Internet of Things (IoT) devices in wide area, enterprise and industrial deployments. These solutions include:

· HPE Mobile Virtual Network Enabler

· HPE Universal IoT Platform

· Aruba ClearPass Universal Profiler

· Aruba 2540 Series Switches

· Edgeline Systems expand partnerships in edge computing and integrated control

“Cost-prohibitive economics and the lack of a holistic solution are key barriers for mass adoption of IoT,” said Keerti Melkote, senior vice president and general manager, Hewlett Packard Enterprise. “By approaching IoT with innovations to expand our comprehensive framework built on edge infrastructure solutions, software platforms and technology ecosystem partners, HPE is addressing the cost, complexity and security concerns of organizations looking to enable a new class of services that will transform workplace and operational experiences.”

As organizations integrate IoT into mainstream operations, the onboarding and management of IoT devices remains costly and inefficient particularly at large scale. Concurrently, the diverse variations of IoT connectivity, protocols and security, prevent organizations from easily aggregating data across a heterogeneous fabric of connected things.

To deliver on IoT’s promise of deriving valuable insights from billions of connected things, HPE is helping organizations optimize the lifecycle of IoT devices. By reducing IoT connectivity costs and translating device communications to a common language, HPE is arming organizations with tools to dramatically change the economics and viability of large scale IoT deployments.

Improved IoT Economics in Wide Area IoT Deployments

To improve the economies of scale for massive IoT deployments over wide area networks, HPE is announcing the new HPE Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE) and enhancements to the HPE Universal IoT (UIoT) Platform.

HPE Mobile Virtual Network Enabler – The new HPE Mobile Virtual Network Enabler gives customers greater control over IoT devices that need cellular connectivity and services. It will foster the emergence of new, specialized IoT Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) that resell IoT connectivity directly to customers at price points optimized for large scale machine-to-machine (M2M) and IoT deployments. HPE MVNE provisioning, configuration, administration and billing services – paired with wide area mobile network operator coverage – change the economics of large-scale deployments by reducing IoT provisioning costs by up to 80 percent.

HPE Universal IoT Platform Designed for massive scale, multi-vendor and multi-network support using the oneM2M interoperability standard, the HPE Universal IoT Platform manages the HPE MVNE devices and provides multivendor IoT monitoring, reporting, and analytics services with carrier-grade reliability and scale. The platform supports long-range, low-power connectivity deployments such as LoRa and SIGFOX, as well as devices that use cellular, radio, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

New enhancements include:

Lightweight M2M standards support – Delivers plug-and-play interoperability between IoT devices and UIoT services.

Expanded device management – Allows management of both SIM and non-SIM based devices across different systems, devices, and applications.
Increased LoRa gateway support – Enables the use of multiple LoRa gateways with a common set of applications to simplify device provisioning and control in heterogeneous LoRa environments

Featured Article: https://www.hpe.com/us/en/newsroom/news-archive/featured-article/2016/11/New-release-of-HPE-Universal-IoT-Platform-increases-opportunities-for-insights-and-innovation.html

“For the full benefit of IoT to be realized by commercial interests and consumers alike, IoT sensor networks need to be deployable anywhere, reaching the most remote places on Earth,” said Paul Gudonis, President of Inmarsat’s Enterprise business. “The combination of Inmarsat’s industry-leading, global satellite network and HPE’s cloud-based Universal IoT Platform, allows enterprises to do exactly that. Our first project together in Precision Farming promises not only to create a new model for best practices in agriculture but is also an ideal go-to-market model of what our companies will be able to do across many other industries. We are extremely excited about this prospect.”

IoT Device Security in Local Area Networks

To deliver visibility and secure connectivity for large scale IoT deployments at the enterprise network edge, Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, announced the Aruba ClearPass Universal Profiler and the Aruba 2540 Series Switches. These new solutions identify and inventory all IoT devices as they connect to the network, and drive down the per-port cost of wired IoT connectivity.

The new ClearPass Universal Profiler automatically identifies the attributes of IoT devices as they attempt to connect to the network. This enables IT managers to catalog what IoT devices are on wired and wireless networks and assign the appropriate policies to each one. The Universal Profiler provides visibility and context regarding risk and performance issues derived via IoT devices.

The Aruba 2540 Series Switches further protect IoT devices with unified role-based access. This feature identifies and assigns roles to IoT devices as they connect, prioritizing business-critical applications and controlling which network resources the devices can access. The 2540 Series Switches are optimized for small-to-medium density IoT enterprise edge deployments.

HPE Aruba Media Advisory: http://news.arubanetworks.com/press-release/hpe-aruba-drives-iot-adoption-innovations-connectivity-and-device-visibility

Delivering Edge Focused Innovation for Industrial IoT Deployments

Technology ecosystem partners are critical ingredients driving innovation for IoT. New application technology partners fuel the HPE Edgeline Converged Edge Systems to solve a variety of customer pain points and deliver new capabilities. Today, HPE is announcing multiple solutions and uses cases with an ecosystem of partners that will enable new IoT opportunities, including:

· Factory Asset Anomaly Detection and Remediation – In collaboration with PTC and National Instruments, this Edgeline Systems offering enables early warning of potential failures, allowing maintenance techs to correct an issue before it becomes a major problem.

· Data Management at the Edge – Developed with OSIsoft, this Edgeline Systems solution is designed for storing, managing and accessing time series data that is readily present in the operational technology and IoT world.

Featured Article: https://www.hpe.com/us/en/newsroom/news-archive/featured-article/2016/11/Living-on-the-Edge-With-Edgeline-Converged-Edge-Systems.html

Supporting Quotes

“We have selected HPE as a key partner in realizing the Government of India’s Smart Cities’ mission,” said Dr. Anand Agarwal, CEO, Sterlite Technologies. “As a strategic partner for IoT, HPE will co-develop smart city use cases on smart metering, water and waste management, and smart parking and lighting, among other technologies. These will be our showcase for Indian urban and rural bodies. Our partnership with HPE demonstrates that collaboration and joint innovation can drive increasing value for all stakeholders of Smart Cities, enabling a transformative change in the everyday living experiences of its citizens. By combining our technology and services’ strength, we will offer a world-leading solution to the Smart Cities of India.”

“The oneM2M standards are focused on bringing the vision of a truly connected society to life through the development of technical specifications that address the need for a common M2M service layer that drives interoperability,” said Fran O’Brien, Steering Committee Chair, oneM2M. “oneM2M recognizes the work of companies like Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) for its achievement in launching a oneM2M compliant IoT platform that solves a myriad of industry use cases such as Smart City, Smart Transportation and Connected Car.”

“It is challenging to cobble together solutions from multiple vendors to interconnect and manage different IoT devices and systems,” said Zeus Kerravala, Principal Analyst, ZK Research. “This force fitting of solutions results in huge infrastructure and operations expenses and dramatically delays organizations’ introduction of IoT solutions. The new solutions HPE is delivering to address the barriers to IoT adoption can significantly shorten deployment times and simplify the network architecture which will also improve security.”

Discovery Channel December Highlights

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The Island With Bear Grylls (New Series of the US Version)

Survival expert Bear Grylls strands 14 ordinary men on a deserted Pacific island. The stakes could not be more real as heat exhaustion and severe dehydration puts the life of one man in jeopardy. The show premieres on 20 December, 9 PM.

For updates, follow Discover Channel Southeast Asia on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DiscoverySEAsia

#StevestonPizzaPh: The Fastest Disappearing Pizzas Alive

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I may be exaggerating quite a lot when I said it's the fastest disappearing pizza alive, but that's how I really felt when these pizzas quickly disappeared from sight the moment it was laid down on our table. It was like the pizzas had a life of its own beckoning others to "Come and eat us!" without very little hesitation.

One by one they were served, yet in a matter of seconds, they were immediately gone even before I could get a good number of photo or video shots of the pizza. Everyone just grabbed a slice after a few clicks from their cameras or smartphones and then devoured the pizzas like it was alive and would ran out of the restaurant if your don't eat them as soon as possible. Lol!

Honestly, I am used to a great number of minutes taking several angles for my photos and videos, but our recent gathering with our special group has broken that long photo shoot and waiting for others before we could finally sit down and chow on the food.

These pizzas must be really so darn good that everyone couldn't stop themselves from devouring a slice or two. I had to rush myself in taking the shots so I could still somehow get to show you how they looked like before all the hands started coming in and grabbing a slice from every corner. There was no more effort to flat lay just like what most foodies will do. Every pizza just disappeared even faster than the Flash, the fastest man alive.