National Search for Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Schools

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PLDT wireless subsidiary Smart Communications is supporting anew the search for the most eco-friendly and sustainable schools in the Philippines. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is accepting nominations for the “2017 National Search for Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Schools” until April 28. Entries can come from public and private schools and universities, elementary to college levels.

“The competition seeks to encourage schools to become more actively involved in environmental issues at a practical and local level,” said Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Assistant Director Jacqueline Caancan in a statement. “It recognizes academic institutions with the best eco-friendly programs and activities.”

“Smart supports the efforts of the government to raise environmental awareness among the youth,” said Ramon R. Isberto, Smart public affairs head. “Through this search, we hope not only to educate them about taking care of the environment but also help them realize the importance of being sustainable and resilient.”

Winners will be announced in November as part of the activities for the National Environmental Awareness Month and Clean Air Month.

This is the fifth leg of the bi-annual search, which began in 2009 and aims to increase environmental awareness among the youth, according to Caancan.

The competition is organized by DENR-EMB in cooperation with the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Smart Communications, One Meralco Foundation and other partners.

Winners will receive cash prizes and plaques of recognition. For the national level, which consists of college, high school and elementary categories, the first prize is P50,000 for each category; second prize is P40,000 and third prize is P10,000. For the regional level, a certificate of recognition and P15,000 will be given to winners in each category.

Interested schools can register at sustainableschools.ph and submit their entries to their respective DepEd division or EMB regional offices. For more information, contact EMB-DENR at (02) 9284674 and (02) 3765610; email ecofriendlyschools@gmail.com, or visit emb.gov.ph, sustainableschools.ph, and facebook.com/EcoFriendlySchoolsPhilippines.

Smart has been working with the government and other partners to address the needs of the country in the areas of education and environment, as well as disaster preparedness, health and livelihood. One of its programs is a youth learning activity called the TNT Tropang Ready Disaster Preparedness Caravan which tours state universities and colleges nationwide.

UP Playwrights' Theater Proudly Presents Angry Christ

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Your Pambansang Blog ng Pilipinas is a proud media partner of UP Playwrights' Theater's Angry Christ.

It's the newest play has already started its initial run and features Nelsito Gomez in the leading role as Alfonso Ossorio in a 1950s setting in Negros province. The play is about a Fil-Am artist whose contemporary work, life, love, sexual identity and other chapters of his life were brought to fore by prolific playwright Floy Quintos.

Noted actor Kalil Almonte will play Nel as Anselmo and is also debuting his acting prowess for UP Playwrights' Theater together with Nel. Dexter Martinez Santos, director of ANGRY CHRIST noted that. "The play is not to be missed because it carries valuable messages of relationships, inner conflict, love, what really is important in life."

The Angry Christ is set to run from until May 14 2017 (Wednesdays to Fridays at 7:00 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays at 10:00 a.m and 3:00 p.m.) at the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, 2nd Floor Palma Hall, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.

For ticket inquiries, you may contact Arkel Mendoza at 0917-9673616 or arkelmendoza@gmail.com.

SM Youth Go-See Season 2

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14 finalists. 7 weeks. 2 winners.

The much-awaited return of the #SMYouthGoSee is here.

Last year, we produced the biggest digital youth model search and reality show in the country with more than 3,000 hopefuls that we called the SM Youth Go-See. Over the span of 5 episodes, we tested the final thirteen contestants on different challenges that depict the qualities of being SM Youth brand ambassadors. After 5 tough weeks, we proclaimed Kaila Estrada and Kyle Perry as the winners of our first season.

Fast forward to today, they introduced and lead the second season auditions which once again gathered 3,000 hopefuls online. We opened the floor again to search for the next male and female ambassadors of SM Youth that will join our current roster of talents that include last year's Kaila and Kyle together with Tommy Esguerra, Richard Juan and Janna Tee. From the thousands who auditioned online, we picked the final fourteen contestants who came from different parts of the world, representing today’s Filipino youth. Diversity is one of the most important aspects for this season as seen in our selection of finalists. Since the first season, we’ve never imposed on a certain look, height, body type or age in the auditions. This season’s finalists include not just models but a thespian, a poet, a television and film actor, a singer, a student leader and more to represent today’s multifaceted generation.

The competition has gotten bigger and tougher more than ever. In seven weeks, we will determine SM Youth’s next two ambassadors who we will cultivate to become the next big names in the entertainment and lifestyle industry following the success and footsteps of Kaila and Kyle. We invite you to witness the journey of our finalists in the digital realm as the SM Youth Go-See premieres on May 01, 2017 at 9PM via Facebook LIVE and on our YouTube channel.

For more details, visit www.facebook.com/SMYouthLifestyle, www.youtube.com/user/SMYouthLifestyle, and follow @SM_Youth on Twitter and Instagram and the hashtag #SMYouthGoSee.

Technology Alone Can’t Protect Your Business Against Cyber Threats – ePLDT

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Due to the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), information is being collected at an unprecedented rate, with much of it being highly personal and confidential. It is because of this that cybersecurity is of much greater importance today.

ePLDT, an industry-leading provider of digital business solutions to enterprises in the Philippines, is warning local companies that employing data security software and hardware  is not enough to combat cyber-threats. This is according to its newly appointed head of cybersecurity.

“Companies that focus on data security technology alone unfortunately do not understand cybersecurity,” said Angel Redoble, Chief Information Security Officer of ePLDT. “Because a single attack can affect every department of a company, cybersecurity therefore should be approached holistically by integrating it in every aspect, not just in technology. To do this, a company must first focus on having a strict protocol or process and must have the right people who are skilled to combat different kinds of threats. Once these are integrated with the appropriate technology, a company can achieve business resiliency.”

This crucial insight follows on the heels of Ernst & Young’s Global Information Security Survey of 2016 and 2017 which reveals that 64% of 1,735 firms surveyed, which includes Philippine companies, admitted that they have zero or mere informal threat intelligence programs. Moreover, 42% do not have an agreed communications strategy or plan in place in the event of a significant attack.

Jollibee and CityMall join STI in Nation-Building

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Industry stalwarts Tony Tan Caktiong, chairman and founder of Jollibee Foods Corporation (JFC), Edgar “Injap” Sia II, chairman and CEO of DoubleDragon Properties Corporation and CityMall Commercial Centers, Inc., and Eusebio H. Tanco, executive committee chairman of the STI Education Services Group, Inc. (STI ESG), broke ground on April 21, 2017 to officially mark construction of the first phase of the STI Academic Center and CityMall in Tanauan, Batangas.

The groundbreaking also marked the signing of a joint venture agreement among STI, and the families of Mr. Tan Caktiong, and “Injap” Sia II for the establishment of the agricultural school/commercial complex. Designed to accommodate 5,400 senior high school and college students next school year, the academic center will stand on a 35,114 square-meter property at Soledad Park Subdivision, Barangay Darasa, Tanauan, Batangas. Meanwhile, the CityMall will house affiliated brands such as Jollibee, Mang Inasal, Chowking, Red Ribbon, Highlands Coffee, SM Savemore, Watsons Pharmacy, Ace Hardware, SM Simply Shoes, BDO, ChinaBank Savings, and SM Appliance. The property is located in the main commercial area of Tanauan, Batangas.

Three months ago, STI and Tony Tan Caktiong signed a Memorandum of Understandingin an effort to boost agricultural education in the country through a farm-to-table school that will offer agricultural courses including managing quick-service and gourmet restaurants.

"My experience in JFC has given me unique perspectives on the challenges and importance of having a consistent and reliable supply of high-quality agricultural products. I am excited with this collaboration as it will help to uplift the agricultural and related sectors through education, another potential means for us to contribute to nation-building," Tan Caktiong said.

FamilyMart Brings You an Epic Summer Season, Win Everything from Gadgets to a Dream Vacation

Wazzup Pilipinas!
 

Summer is coming, and convenience store giant FamilyMart is taking the season to epic heights with a lot of exciting happenings in store for all its customers. Here’s your chance at winning amazing prizes that’s sure to make this the best summer ever.

Gear up for all your coming adventures because FamilyMart is giving away everything you need to have a fun-filled vacation with the grand Gadgets and Getaways Raffle Promo.

Set up a summer playlist and blast it wherever you go with the portable and waterproof Polkboom Swimmer Speakers. Capture and share all those cool aerial and action shots you’ve always wanted with Syma X8C drone and Go Pro Hero 5 cameras. Also up for grabs, hundreds of discount vouchers from leading online one-stop-shop Lazada to stock up on your other travel must-haves.

To top it all off, FamilyMart is making one lucky winner’s summer dreams come true, with a grand prize of an all-expense paid trip for two to the breathtaking island of Coron, Palawan.

 

Joining the raffle is easy. From now until May 15, every P50 purchase of any item in a single receipt automatically earns you one raffle coupon. You can up your chances of winning by earning as much as six bonus coupons whenever you buy sponsored products.

Apart from the raffle promo, you can also get a chance to win a Gro Pro Hero 5 camera for you and your squad via the Summer Snaps Contest.

Snap a selfie of you and your friends enjoying FamilyMart’s Chicken Bucket. Turn your photo into a meme and make sure to include the words chicken and/or bucket in the caption. Post it on your personal Facebook or Instagram account, tag FamilyMart Philippines plus three of your friends, and use the hashtags #SummerAtFamilyMart #familymartph and #fmcravings. Entries will also be accepted until May 15.

What are you waiting for? It’s going to be a fun #SummerAtFamilyMart with all these fantastic treats at stake. Visit FamilyMart now and give yourself a chance to make this summer season the best one yet.

For updates, exciting products, and awesome deals, like and follow FamilyMart Philippines on Facebook, @familymartph on Instagram, and @FamilyMartPH on Twitter. 

For store locations or more information on FamilyMart Philippines, log on to www.familymart.com.ph.

FamilyMart is the 2^nd largest convenience store chain in the world with over 18,000 stores across Asia. In the Philippines, FamilyMart has branches in Makati, Ortigas, Quezon City, San Juan, Manila, Mandaluyong, Marikina, and Fort Bonifacio Global City.

YouTube FanFest is Here Again on May 2017!

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It's that time of the year! Meet the hottest YouTubers of the season! It's the time we see yet another YouTube FanFest on May 12, 2017!

Meet some of the most popular YouTube creators: 

Lilly Singh aka IISuperwomanII
Alex Wassabi
LaurDIY
Jayden Rodrigues
JuNCurryAhn
Megan Nicole
Matt Steffanina
Janina Vela
Kristel Fulgar
Lloyd Cadena
Mikey Bustos
Ranz Kyle and Niana Guerrero
Wil Dasovich
Alienette Coldfire

Do we have your attention? Yes?! 

Cusi Pushes Integrated Energy-Water-Food Programs

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Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Alfonso Cusi said integrated energy-water-food projects like hydro-electric dams is among the key strategy of the Duterte Administration in achieving its sustainable development goals.

"The Department of Energy is encouraging the integration of programs to develop renewable energy, water and food production," Cusi said in a speech at the 10th anniversary celebration of the privatization of the 360 megawatt (MW) Magat Hydroelectric Power Plant (Magat HEPP) here.

“I want this hydropower plant to serve as an example of this energy, water and food undertaking. This plant serves as a peaking power plant that is capable of providing ancillary services for the stability of the Luzon grid, and also irrigates 80,000 hectares of land to feed millions of Filipinos,” Cusi said.

The Energy Chief conducted an aerial and technical inspection of the Magat HEPP and the ongoing construction of the National Irrigation Administration’s 6 MW Magat River Integrated Irrigation System (MARIIS), which is targeted to be complete by December this year.

"I am certain that it will benefit not only the 10 municipalities across three provinces: Isabela, Ifugao and Nueva Vizcaya, but the entire country," Cusi said of the two power plants.

He also said a strong partnership with the private sector is needed to produce 17,300 MW of additional power to support the country's development by 2030 under Dutertenomics or President Duterte's 10-point economic agenda

During the event, the DOE Secretary invited Norway, through its ambassador, Erik Forner, to invest more in the Philippines.

"More investments are needed. DOE will provide that environment conducive to business by ensuring reliable and sufficient power and more importantly, we need to protect the interest of the public. That is the cornerstone of the Presidency of Mayor Duterte," Cusi concluded.

Cover Photo: 

AERIAL INSPECTION:  Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi makes an aerial inspection of the 360 MW Magat Hydroelectric Power Plant. The visit is part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the privatization of the facility now owned by SN-Aboitiz Power. Cusi proceeded to inspect the ongoing construction of the National Irrigation Administration’s 6MW Magat River Integrated Irrigation System.

They've Got Your Extra Space at Loc&Stor 24/7 Self Storage

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I'm an obsessive-compulsive hoarder!

It's because I can't find myself throwing away stuff even though I have more of the same in my possession. I just believe that I will soon find something useful for everything so I keep them, either boxed or on display, until I would suddenly realize I'm sacrificing a more pleasing appearance with all the clutter, and no more room to move freely around. My room is all cluttered up with boxes and all sorts of knick knacks like tokens that came from the lootbags or complimentary gifts given away, or as prizes raffled off at events. It also includes my other stuff that I collected throughout my childhood days like comic books and pop culture magazines, old gadgets like smartphones and watches, my audio and movie CD and DVD collection plus a lot more weird but wonderful items that I found along the beaches, countryside and everywhere else I traveled to. For me, everything could be someday useful, so I store it in my room for future use. Also, I find everything to have a sentimental value too, especially the ones I collected from childhood. I don't have the will enough to say goodbye to my personal stuff.

Now, you could imagine my room almost half-filled with these stuff that I could hardly breathe and don't have enough space to make the room a lot more useful for me. My children have been teasing me as a box collector since I carefully organize all my stuff in boxes so they would be neatly categorized properly and stored safely away from dust or pests. Once you step inside my room, you'll get a glimpse of these towering boxes all stacked up and almost touching the ceiling.

The worst thing is that my storage space has already reached the other parts of the house. It's definitely becoming a disastrous sight to behold. I may wake up one day with mountains of boxes filling up our home and extending all the way outside. Whew!

This is why I wanted so much to win a storage space at a recent event that I attended where every attendee got to see the huge area filled up with storage space of different sizes. I'm sure there would be a space fitting enough to put all my stuff, and I could always upgrade or get additional space if ever my "collection" grows. The best thing about Loc&Stor 24/7 Self Storage is that it's 24/7 under security watch via CCTV, and maintained regularly to assure their clients that their cherished items will be well taken care of.

One Championship Television Ratings Show Incredible Growth in Last Three Years

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Over the past three years, ONE Championship, the largest sports media property in Asian history, has seen incredible growth rates in both television viewership and social media engagement -- a testament to the rapid rise of the promotion in worldwide households and the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) as a whole.

In data released by Nielsen, Facebook and Repucom, ONE Championship has shown exponential growth from 2014 to 2017.

The data shows that ONE has come from 352 million social media impressions to 4-billion, marking an increase of over 11 times the previous tally. With the rise of digital and online video, ONE has also catapulted their numbers from 312 thousand to a whopping 314 million. That’s more than a 1,000 times increase.

Established in 2011, ONE’s tireless efforts to bring Asian mixed martial arts to prominence has brought them from viewership in 60 countries to more than 118 countries globally. That’s double the number since 2014.

Furthermore, the annual TV broadcast per country and the peak TV ratings share numbers have increased dramatically based on the data. From an average of just 12-18 hours of TV broadcast in 2014, ONE has increased that number to 100-1800 hours. It has also seen its peak TV ratings share spike to 11-20% from 1-2% just three years ago.

The company has one of the largest engagements on both Facebook and Twitter and in a region where the platforms are still being adopted in some countries, that’s impactful. It has engaged fans online with a steady stream of digital content for the past six years, even partnering with Facebook itself to livestream the preliminary portion of its Pay-Per-View events on the platform.

By partnering with the largest television networks in the region and across the world, ONE Championship has also made sure that its content is readily available. Massive deals with networks like FOX Sports, and the like, has brought ONE Championship’s unique brand of MMA action to a wide audience.

For more updates on ONE Championship, please visit www.onefc.com, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ONEChampionship, and like us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ONEChampionship.TV