Miss Philippines Earth 2017 Darling of the Press Winners

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Congratulations to the Miss Philippines Earth 2017 Darling(s) of the Press that were voted by members of the media, including Wazzup Pilipinas, on July 5, 2017 at the poolside of Diamond Hotel Manila, during the press presentation.

Amidst the scorching heat because of the event scheduled to start at around 10:00 am, the press presentation featured the 40 stunning candidates who all further heat up the poolside of the hotel wearing their green two-piece swimsuits. The press presentation ended at around 1:00 pm after the announcement of winners for Darling(s) of the press. Further interviews were also done after the event. 

Acting as hosts for the day were the reigning queens of Miss Philippines Earth for 2016 led by Miss Philippines Earth 2016 Loren Mar Artajos (former Miss Philippines Water from Laoag City), who was crowned with the highest title after the resignation of Imelda Schweighart due to some controversial issues.

The other Miss Philippines Earth 2016 beauty title holders were all present namely Miss Philippines Fire Maria Fatima Al-sowyed, Miss Philippines Air Shannon Rebecca Bridgman of Rosales, Pangasinan, Miss Philippines Water Melanie Mader of Vienna and .Charinna Barro, Miss Philippines Earth Eco-tourism.

Now using the power of social media, the pageant audience can witness processes never before seen from the past search, using the power of livestream running on the Miss Philippines Earth Facebook page.

The grand coronation night on July 15 at the Mall of Asia Arena would surely be a highly anticipated event not only for the new Miss Philippines Earth eco-warriors, but also for the audience whom are all delighted to see who among the 40 candidates would stand out and become the new Miss Philippines Earth 2016.

Allergic Reactions? It may not be in the Air After All

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With the changing of seasons, it is not surprising that there will also be an increase in the cases of allergies especially among children. As such, one of the ways to safeguard your child’s health is by identifying the root cause of the allergy. However, what many may not know is that allergies need not be caused by airborne particles. In fact, many allergic reactions are stimulated through skin contact.

According to Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (PSAAI), most people experience allergic reactions from dust and pollen. But some may also get allergies from mold spores, pet’s hair or dander, as well as from common irritants such as perfumes or hair sprays, laundry detergents, among others, that can be found sticking to your clothes.

These allergens may be present in clothes that have not been thoroughly rinsed or may be present in clean and newly washed clothes due to the molds that have accumulated in the basin of traditional washing machines.

Beko Philippines, one of the largest home appliance brands in Europe, noted that these hidden dangers often cause allergic reactions in both kids and adults alike.

Dyeun Zapanta, Sales and Marketing Head of Beko Philippines, underlined that even if your newly-washed clothes look neat and clean, it does not mean that they are free from allergens. Standard wash and dry cycles used in the traditional washing machines usually do not remove the allergens that we are exposed to in our everyday lives.

“Bacteria and allergens can survive and stay in the washing machine even though your clothes appear fresh and clean. With this, the brand innovated a technology that will guarantee you and your family’s protection against these allergens,” added Zapanta.

Beko integrated the Cool Hygiene 20°C Program in all of its washing machines. This technology is also designed, especially, for garments that require special care, such as baby clothing or garments for people who have allergies or are sensitive allergens. It allows you to maximum hygienic cleaning results even at a low temperature of 20°C. Thus, it keeps clothes looking as good as new while assuring your family’s health and protection.

Using additional drum movements and sensitive temperature control, this specially-revolutionized program provides an anti-allergic wash by maintaining the temperature at a certain level. This provides sensitive control throughout the wash cycle. Zapanta said further, “Health has always been one of Beko’s top considerations. As we continue to aspire as the ‘Official Partner of the Everyday,’ all of our products are innovated to give the best home solutions for your everyday challenges.”

Strengthening its local presence as it approaches its second year in the Philippines, leading European home appliance brand Beko further penetrates the Filipino market. Since 2015, Beko Philippines already doubled its distribution in the country. The company has also tripled its sales through enhanced and domineering product line that continuously meets the need of the Filipino market.

To know more about Beko and Beko Philippines, like the Beko Philippines fan page (@BekoPH) or visit their website at www.beko.ph

SAP Names Scott Russell President of SAP Asia Pacific Japan

Wazzup Pilipinas!

SAP SE announced that Scott Russell has been appointed president of SAP Asia Pacific Japan (APJ). In his new role, Scott will be responsible for growing SAP’s business and presence in the APJ region, including Australia/New Zealand, Japan, Korea, the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia. He brings more than 20 years of experience in management, technology and consulting to this role.

“Our customers are looking to SAP for a vision of their digital future and for flexibility and choice in the way they consume technology,” said Jennifer Morgan, SAP Executive Board Member and president, Americas and Asia Pacific Japan. “In a region as diverse as APJ, the opportunity has never been bigger for SAP to continue to transform our customers’ businesses and help them grow and thrive in the 21st century economy. Scott’s vision and commitment to the customer, together with his impressive technology background and leadership experience, make him the right leader to help write the next chapter of SAP APJ’s growth and innovation story.”

Scott was previously president and managing director for SAP Southeast Asia (SEA). He was instrumental in driving strategy, operations and sustainable growth for SAP across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam and other emerging markets in SEA. Between 2014 and 2016, he was the chief operating officer (COO) for SAP in APJ. In this role, he was responsible for providing leadership and direction to SAP’s multifunctional sales and operations organizations, driving productivity improvements and significantly contributing to the achievement of revenue and profitability targets. Prior to the APJ COO role, he was senior vice president of SAP APJ Services. Before joining SAP, Scott was a managing consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers and led the Systems Integration and Application Maintenance business for IBM Australia New Zealand.

“SAP is an innovation-driven company that has helped enterprises and small and midsize businesses digitalize and simplify, and our innovation is inspired by our vision to help the world run better and improve people’s lives,” said Russell. “The fourth industrial revolution has created unprecedented opportunity to fundamentally improve the state of Asia — across society, the economy and the environment. By infusing our innovation into our purpose, SAP’s innovative solutions, built on SAP HANA® and in the cloud, empower private and public organizations in Asia Pacific to become sustainable digital businesses.”

He continued, “I am honored to lead the APJ business and to help create long-term value by addressing customers’ current and future needs with our end-to-end industry solutions.”

Scott succeeds Adaire Fox-Martin, who held the position of president of SAP APJ from February 2014 to April 2017. Adaire was recently promoted to the SAP Executive Board and together with Jennifer Morgan leads Global Customer Operations. Adaire oversees the SAP business in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Greater China.

For more information, visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP on Twitter at @sapnews.

#DenimUnbound: Genderless. Universal. Limitless.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Genderless. Universal. Limitless. This is #DenimUnbound . Denim is celebrated in SM Men and SM Youth’s hot runway show held at SM Makati last July 1. It was attended by fashionistas and screaming fans. This fashion show is in preparation of SM Men and SM Youth’s freshest denim releases, to be in all The SM Store branches next week.

SM Men and SM Youth throws the ultimate denim fashion show that will highlight the universality of denim with Denim Unbound, a genderless, universal, limitless, display of the best in denim from SM Men and SM Youth’s most recent denim collection.

An interesting walk in the runway was witnessed as SM Youth ambassadors led byTommy Esguerra, Richard Juan, Janna Tee, Kaila Estrada, Kyle Perry, Macauly Lofgren and Erika Kristen, as well as #SMYouthGoSee Season 2 ex-contestants Chelsea Manalo, Ethan Salvador, Mariah Jovett, Justin Llarena, and Klaudio Gutierrez takes place.

On the said fashion show, Nico Bolzico unveils the newest face of #SMMenDenim. He is Argentinian businessman, polo player and popularly known as husband of TV host /actress, Solenn Heusaff.

Kaila Estrada

Janna Tee

Richard Juan

Tommy Esguerra

About the SM Ambassadors:

Tommy Esguerra, PBB ex-housemate and part of Coverboys who have a much-awaited sizzling number in ASAP every Sunday.

Richan Juan, PBB ex-housemate and has a hosting career in TV.

Janna Tee, aside from modeling she’s a writer.

Kyle Perry and Kaila Estrada are both winners in SM GO-see Season 1. Kaila is the daughter of Celebrities, John Estrada and Janice de Belen.

Macauly Lofgren and Erika Kristen are the new face of SM Youth.



You can catch them again on their next fashion show this coming July 22 - 4pm at SM Mall of Asia.



For more information, follow:

Twitter & Instagram: @SM_Men and @SM_Youth

Facebook: facebook.com/SMyouthlifestyle

The World’s Smallest Homes

Wazzup Pilipinas!
As we grapple with the housing-backlog issue, perhaps these tiny yet sustainable homes may provide an answer

According to McKinsey Global Institute, addressing the worldwide shortage of affordable housing could cost $16 trillion by 2025. On the top 50 cities facing an affordability gap, New York tops the list, with Mexico City being the 15th hardest place to find a reasonably priced home. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh and Manila also make the list.

Home-builders and owners are starting to think laterally in reaction to the shortage of available space. Tiny homes or “micro homes” are growing in popularity. But it is not just the global housing crisis that is driving the small house movement. Some people are moving for economic reasons, green living, simpler living, and the shared economy is making ownership of equipment less of a necessity. Lamudi has taken a look around the world and discovered some of the most inspiring micro homes across the planet.


Colorado Couple Go Small and Make a Film

Christopher Smith and his partner decided they had had enough of city living and decided they would live in a 124-square-foot (11.52 square meters) mobile in the middle of nowhere. It has a small galley kitchen, a sleeping loft, and for storage, they use built-in bookshelves. Their documentary is called “A Story About Living Small.”



German Efficiency

Renzo Piano, famed for London’s Shard, has recently turned his attentions to micro homes. “Diogene” is a prototype for a tiny house built for Vitra—a German furniture company. Amazingly, it collects, cleans, and reuses water, and supplies its power through solar modules. The house is just 79 square feet (7.340 square meters).

Tofarm Film Festival 2017: Planting the Seeds of Change

Wazzup Pilipinas!
 

Universal Harvester, Inc. (UHI) lights up the silver screen with six new and original films to mark the second edition of the TOFARM Film Festival.

“We are very pleased to announce that the TOFARM Film Festival 2017 bears new fruits that affirm Filipino film making genius,” says award-winner Maryo J. De Los Reyes, TOFARM Film Festival director.

“These exciting new films aim to capture a greater audience with their commercial and mass appeal, not to mention the inclusion of young and veteran actors among the cast members,” he adds.

The six official entries were chosen from more than a hundred scripts submitted to the screening committee. Shortlisting the entries alone was no easy task as the numbers of entrants rose to 113 from 76 submitted last year.

“The figures alone are a sure sign that we achieved one of our goals during the previous TOFARM Film Festival, and that is to elicit awareness and excitement among filmmakers to craft films that reflect the life of Filipino farmers,” De Los Reyes observes.

3 Transpo GOCCs Transmit P6-B Dividends to Government

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Three state-owned agencies under the Department of Transportation were among the top corporations to transmit the highest dividends to government coffers in May.

The Manila International Airport Authority remitted PHP2.26 billion, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines remitted PHP1.98 billion, and the Philippine Ports Authority remitted PHP1.95 billion worth of dividends.

The three Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs) are among the top 5 state-owned companies to remit the highest dividends to the National Treasury, making up the bulk of the total PHP14.02-billion turned over to the government for 2016. The figure is around seven times higher than 2015 remitted dividends.

Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade instructed CAAP to remit under his term, after not turning over PHP6.31 billion worth of dividends to the National Treasury from 2011 - 2015.

Other transportation agencies among the top GOCCs to remit dividends are the Cebu Port Authority (PHP295-million) and the Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (PHP170-million).

In a bid to enhance transparency and increase revenue, the Department of Finance earlier revised the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 7656 or the Dividend Law. Under the new IRR, corporate income tax returns filed with the Bureau of Internal Revenue will be used for the dividend computation.

The transparency measure is consistent with Secretary Tugade's anti-corruption efforts. He also directed revenue-generating agencies under the DOTr to improve collection in order to contribute to government funds.

“We are not just a policy-making agency. We are also generating revenue contributing to the National Treasury in order to help fund projects and programs of the administration. Kaya ang bilin ko sa GOCCs, sundin niyo ang batas at ibigay ang tama at nararapat sa gobyerno,” Tugade said.

Transportation Heads of Philippines and Germany Sign Accord on Cooperation in Maritime Transport

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade and the German Federal Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (BMVI) State Secretary Michael Odenwald signed today the Letter of Intent (LOI) on Cooperation in Maritime Transport between the Philippines and Germany.

The LOI aims to further strengthen the existing friendly ties between the Philippines and Germany in the field of maritime transport, through the expansion of activities to promote cooperation such as: conducting regular talks to discuss proposals; the development and implementation of certain projects of mutual interest; the organization of training courses in the field of business and maritime transport; exchange of information concerning the investigation of marine accidents; cooperation in marine pollution prevention; cooperation in the field of ports and maritime equipment, research, training, and staff development in the field of maritime transport.

“[This Letter of Intent] will firm the maritime relationship between the Republic of Germany and the Philippines. This document has been pending for a number of years and after that, lo and behold after barely three months we will sign the letter of intent,” DOTr Secretary Tugade said.

Earlier this year, the two leaders met in Germany where they had initial discussions on prospects and possibilities “to develop and implement projects of mutual interests, specifically in the fields of maritime, aviation, road transport, among others”.

Cusi: Let's Get Energy Projects Moving

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Energy (DOE) today emphasized the need to streamline regulatory processes for energy projects to speed up the provision of stable and affordable energy throughout the country.

Upon his assumption as Energy Chief, Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi has been strongly pushing for a sound policy that will ensure energy projects are carried out on time.

Supporting this call, President Rodrigo Duterte issued on 30 June 2017 Executive Order (EO) No. 30, creating an Energy Investment Coordinating Council (EICC) led by the DOE that will spearhead and coordinate national government efforts to harmonize, integrate and streamline regulatory processes, requirements and forms relevant to the development of energy investments in the country.

The Council will maintain a database of information and a web-based monitoring system for information exchange and updates to uphold transparency and accountability.

“The Council will guide the various agencies in speeding up their regulatory processes for the fast realization of energy projects to be tagged as "Projects of National Significance’ under the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP)," Cusi explained.

“The PEP sets the vision for our energy affairs in order to deliver the objectives of Dutertenomics, particularly in identifying energy projects that need to be built and constructed on schedule,” Cusi pointed out.

Cusi further emphasized, “The longer the processing of energy projects gets, the more expensive it becomes, which could also impact on the delivery of energy services and their affordability.”

The EO provides that government agencies concerned with energy projects should presume other agencies were able to act upon and issue their respective permits within a 30-day period.

“Given that energy investors have complete requirements, cutting down the period of issuance of permits will certainly speed up the realization of energy projects,” Cusi assessed.

The EICC will be chaired by the DOE and shall be composed of representatives from various national government agencies and relevant energy institutions (e.g., Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Finance, Department of Justice, Department of Transportation, National Electrification Administration, National Grid Corp. of the Philippines, National Power Corp., National Transmission Corp., Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, Palawan Council for Sustainable Development and other relevant government agencies).

Aleron Wins Top Prize in All-Male Category in International Choir Competition in Germany

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Aleron, the alumni ensemble of the Ateneo de Manila High School Glee Club under the musical direction of Christopher Ong Arceo arrived recently after participating in the 10. Förderkreis Internationale Chortage Mainhausen from June 9-11, 2017 bringing with them the good news !!!!!.

Aleron garnered a Gold Certificate, and placed first in the ALL-MALE CATEGORY, besting choirs from Europe and South America.

According to the judges, what set Aleron apart from its competitors was its stability in sound while presenting something unique with each competition piece, showcasing the group’s versatility. These were most evident in their praises for the interpretation and performance of the compulsory piece “Die Linien des Lebens sind Versheiden” by Heinrich Poos and Philippine National Artist Francisco Feliciano’s “Pamugun.”

The Förderkreis Internationale Chortage Mainhausen is an international event celebrated in Germany, in the villages of the Mainz and Zellhausen regions. Since 1988, the choral community has been meeting in Germany to present and enjoy music of a high caliber. The competitors and the visiting audience enjoy the hospitality of the villages and communities in this region. The competition requires a high degree of musical literature and artistic expression.

Aleron, translated from Latin as "the winged one," is geared towards exploring the male choral soundscape. Through innovative programming and the performance of repertoires across musical styles and genres, the group aims to deliver to its audiences a diverse and unique choral experience.

Aleron first came into existence in 2006 as the alumni ensemble of the Ateneo de Manila High School Glee Club under the musical direction of Christopher Ong Arceo. Today, the group is composed of male choristers from different backgrounds: most of which are from the Ateneo de Manila University and University of the Philippines musical networks.

For further information, please check info@aleronchoir.com.