Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

LEGO: Making Future Builders of Society at a Very Young Age

If you don't know what Lego is then you probably were not born on Earth.

Its the most creative and innovative toy ever invented that has been imitated by many already. It's the best toy to give to children to enhance their imagination and make builders, engineers, and the likes, out of them.

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I expected only a foot massage but I got was surprisingly overwhelming! Their FML Signature Massage was spectacular. It was almost a complete relaxing treatment from head... to back... and toe.

What I got was plenty of foot pampering, plus something extra, to the extreme! The Foot Massage Lounge really made my feet very special that day because it was the very first time it felt really loved!!!

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As the lead agency in promoting and implementing the rules and regulations towards a convenient, efficient and safer transportation, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) will take the lead in transferring its Central Office to Clark, Pampanga, a move that is in line with the creation of the country’s National Government Center.

The transfer is seen to help decongest traffic in Metro Manila, reduce travel time and improve the travel of motorists, and boost the development in the peripheries of NCR.

A series of dialogues were conducted with DOTr employees wherein arrangements such as provision of free shuttle services to ferry employees to and from Clark, implementing flexible time and four-day work week schedule, and availability of affordable food, were formulated and agreed upon. Discussions on subsidized accommodations are also ongoing.

DOTr employees were also given the option to transfer or be detailed in any DOTr attached agency. Likewise, employees from DOTr attached agencies who wish to be based in Clark were also given the option to transfer or be detailed to the Department.

The transfer, which will start on 28 July 2017, will be rolled out by batches, in order to ensure a systematized and efficient transition. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2017.

Based on computations, the transfer will increase the savings of the DOTr, owing to less rental and overhead costs as well as gaining potential income from opening its owned units in Columbia Tower for lease. The DOTr is estimated to earn an additional PHP9.3M per year from the transfer.

Further, DOTr Secretary Arthur P. Tugade expresses his support on the creation of the National Government Center to be built in Clark to house central offices of government agencies in one location for more convenient transactions. As envisioned in the BUILD BUILD BUILD Program of the Duterte Administration, the National Government Center to be built in Clark shall serve as a common location that will facilitate the smooth-sailing convergence of government agencies in terms of coordinating and implementing its respective programs and services.

According to a study released by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in September 2014, traffic congestion in Metro Manila is costing the Philippines at least PHP2.4 billion a day, which, if left without intervention, is likely to reach PHP6 billion a day by 2030.

One Championship Announces Additional Bouts for One: Kings & Conquerors

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The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship (ONE), has just announced three additional bouts to ONE: KINGS & CONQUERORS, set for the Cotai Arena at The Venetian Macao on 5 August. The main event features ONE Bantamweight World Champion Bibiano Fernandes of Brazil who will defend his title against top contender Andrew Leone of the United States. In addition to the blockbuster headlining bout, Kairat Akhmetov will face Adriano Moraes to crown the undisputed ONE Flyweight World Champion in the evening’s co-main event. Also added to the card is Toni Tauru and Leandro Issa, who will be competing in a bantamweight contest, as well as middleweights Marcin Prachnio and Gilberto Galvão.

Kairat Akhmetov of Kazakhstan is undefeated inside the mixed martial arts cage. He boasts an unblemished 23-0 record over his six years as a professional. Akhmetov employs a devastating attack with power in both hands, as well as a tenacious wrestling game that overpowers his opponents. In Akhmetov’s last bout, he defeated top flyweight and former champion Adriano Moraes to capture the ONE Flyweight World Championship. Now, the two are set for a much-anticipated rematch in Macao.

Interim ONE Flyweight World Champion Adriano “Mikinho” Moraes had his initial title reign cut short, when he met Kairat Akhmetov in November of 2015, losing via split decision. It was a close bout, but Akhmetov’s wrestling proved difficult to handle, even for an athlete of Moraes’ caliber. As champion, Moraes was skillful and dominant, and was rarely opposed inside the ONE Championship cage. In his most recent bout, Moraes secured the Interim Flyweight World Title with a victory over Tilek Batyrov. The rematch with Akhmetov will determine the rightful owner of ONE Championship gold in a highly-anticipated title unification bout.

32-year-old Toni “Dynamite” Tauru of Utti, Finland, is a professional martial arts athlete competing in ONE Championship’s bantamweight division. He owns a record of 11 wins and five losses, including one draw, with eight of his wins coming impressively by submission. A feared grappling specialist, Tauru is a former European MMA champion and has shown an incredible ability to finish his opponents with high-level techniques. Now, Tauru is tasked to take on Leandro Issa.

Leandro “Brodinho” Issa is a 33-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion black belt from Sao Paulo, Brazil, who trains and competes out of the world-renowned Evolve Fight Team in Singapore. With a record of 13 wins and six losses, including nine wins by submission and one by knockout, Issa has proven to be an exciting competitor with a penchant for spectacular victories. A pioneer of ONE Championship’s bantamweight division, Issa returns to the cage to face Toni Tauru.

Marcin Prachnio is a Polish martial arts athlete with an impressive 12-2 professional record. He’s on a seven bout win-streak, including five wins by devastating technical knockout. He is currently unbeaten in ONE Championship, overcoming three tough challenges in Alexandre Machado, Leandro Ataides, and most recently, Jake Butler. Prachnio is now ready to make his return to the ONE Championship cage to stake his claim as one of the top contenders for the middleweight title. Prachnio’s next assignment is the veteran Gilberto Galvão.

Gilberto “Giba” Galvão is a 35-year-old martial arts veteran from Sao Paulo, Brazil, with extensive experience in the sport of mixed martial arts. A solid top contender at middleweight, Galvao has competed largely in Brazil and has compiled 29 total victories, more than half of which have ended in submissions. In his last bout, Galvao debuted for the promotion with a stunning victory over Japanese veteran Tatsuya Mizuno. The exceptional grappler is back and will take on Marcin Prachnio.

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.

Civil Engineering Society of DLSU Proudly Presents Lure: Year End Celebration

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The Civil Engineering Society (CES), the duly-accredited professional organization for civil engineering students of De La Salle University, is dedicated in providing social, career and academic-oriented activities, which shape its members to become holistic and world-class civil engineers driven by social responsibility.

In culmination of the organization's initiatives for the Academic Year 2016-2017, CES is hosting a Year End Celebration entitled LURE, which will happen on July 29, 2017 from 8 pm onwards at Warehouse Eight in Makati.

The proceeds of this event will go to CES Scholar, a project of the organization that aims to send high school students to the Alternative Learning System (ALS) in partnership with the Center for Social Concern and Action (COSCA) of the University.

Wazzup Pilipinas is a proud media partner.

Monday, July 24, 2017

Remembering Paul Walker's Impact on The Fast and The Furious Franchise

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When you talk about cars, upgrading car parts, and movies, you would always think of the Fast and the Furious first. especially with the latest movie being release recently. Th release of “The Fate of the Furious” has people’s love for car-centric action flicks reignited. But for fans to truly appreciate the latest film, they must know that the entire film was made in memory of their beloved star, Paul Walker.

Furious 7

By now all are well aware of Paul Walker’s unfortunate passing and how his sudden departure left an impact on the story of the 7th movie in “The Fast and the Furious” franchise. Not only were the cast and crew able to make the story work of how his character, Brian O’Conner, retired but they were also able to give a touching tribute to their fallen brother. They were so successful in fact that “Furious 7” had the best box office performance and critical response. It achieved the #11 spot in the over box office ranking worldwide while achieving 80% from Rotten Tomatoes based on 233 reviews.

With the success of the 7th movie meant that a sequel would follow. Even with the franchise moving forward with its story, the cast and crew still have not moved on from the motivation to make Paul Walker’s spirit and his family proud. While creating the 8th movie, director F. Gary Gray said that he and his team always had Walker in mind when they were making the big decisions in “Fate of the Furious”.

Fate of the Furious and Vin Diesel

Vin Diesel himself is so spiritually connected to Walker and considered him a brother when they worked on set. Walker’s sudden passing hit him hard and made him attached to the franchise “in ways that I've never seen an actor/producer connected to a franchise” as mentions by Gray. He also said that he, Diesel, and writer Chris Morgan developed the script while always thinking of Walker and his legacy. They wanted to pay an homage to him and dedicate all their efforts for him.

In CinemaCon just this March, Diesel stated that “Part of Paul’s legacy lives through every frame that we shoot. You are reminded of this angel that was so integral to this concept of brotherhood for our millennium. There’s something beautiful about that. There’s something celebratory about that”. It was also here that Diesel mentioned that “It was Paul Walker who promised eight [movies]. It played over and over again in my brain.”

Without giving away too much, the cast and crew were also able to sneak in an homage to Paul’s character in the latest movie.

Key Takeaway

The bond that Walker had on the cast and crew of “The Fast and The Furious” franchise was so lasting that, even 4 years after his death, they still try to make him proud. It is most evident in the latest movie where every moment was shot with his memory in mind.

About The Author

John Marc Ramirez dares to create an impact wherever he goes. He is all-in when it comes to discovering new things and horizons. He is zealous about meeting and building new relationships. On top of it, he is fired-up in raising the youth as the future leaders of his nation.

Hitachi Named a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Solid-State Arrays

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Hitachi Moves from Challengers Quadrant to Leaders Quadrant; Evaluation Based On Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision

Hitachi Data Systems (HDS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd., announced it has been positioned in the Leaders Quadrant of the July 2017 Magic Quadrant for Solid-State Arrays by Gartner, Inc., a leading global research firm. Hitachi believes its significant growth and enhancements to its all-flash Hitachi Virtual Storage Platform (VSP) F Series product line resulted in the company improving its position, moving it from the Challengers Quadrant to the Leaders Quadrant.

According to Gartner: “Vendors in the Leaders Quadrant have the highest scores for their Ability to Execute and Completeness of Vision. A vendor in the Leaders Quadrant has the market share, credibility, and marketing and sales capabilities needed to drive the acceptance of new technologies. These vendors demonstrate a clear understanding of market needs; they are innovators and thought leaders; and they have well-articulated plans that customers and prospects can use when designing their storage infrastructures and strategies. In addition, they have a presence in all four major geographical regions, consistent financial performance and broad platform support.”

Hitachi’s continued investments in the development of its flash software and hardware technologies have resulted in the delivery of a superior enterprise storage offering for its customers, backed by the most flash-related patents in the industry. Hitachi VSP F1500, which first debuted in October 2016, was purpose-built for businesses with large-scale data management requirements—including mainframe. It provides seamless cloud tiering, integrated analytics software and a unique 100-percent data availability guarantee. All VSP F series models are enhanced with flat service pricing, ongoing media replacement, and quality of service (QoS) controls to provide consistent performance over time. For customers in highly regulated industries or where data security is mission critical, the VSP F series conforms with secure data eradication services and meets the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) data security control standards.

“Hitachi takes pride in bringing continuous breakthroughs to market that help our customers to be as competitive as possible in the digital age,” said Ryuichi Otsuki, CEO of Hitachi Data Systems. “We are pleased to be recognized as a leader in the solid-state array industry and we will continue to challenge industry standards, while positioning our customers to succeed.”

To download a complimentary copy of the 2017 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Solid State Arrays report, visit: https://www.hds.com/ext/magic-quadrant-for-solid-state-arrays.html

World-Class Filipino Talent Takes the Spotlight at Ballet Philippines’ “A Gala Celebration” on August 18-20

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Catch the country’s preeminent ballet and contemporary dance company this August in “A Gala Celebration”. Ballet Philippines revives choreographic gems in a gala featuring Filipino stars from various international dance companies. Among the guest artists are Candice Adea (formerly of BalletMet and Hong Kong Ballet), Marcelino Libao (Hamburg Ballet), Kris-Belle Paclibar (formerly of Cirque du Soleil), Ronelson Yadao (formerly of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre), Paul Ocampo & Chien-Ying Wang (OcampoWang Dance), and Jean Marc Cordero & Rita Angela Winder (Ballett Kiel).

This production marks the return of Alice Reyes, National Artist for Dance, as the company’s Artistic Director. Handpicked to showcase the excellence at the company’s core, the featured works include Agnes Locsin’s “Salome”, Bam Damian’s “Minamahal, Sinasamba”, Edna Vida’s “Vision of Fire”, Norman Walker’s “Summer’s End”, and an excerpt from the classical ballet “Raymonda”.

“This is quite an exciting time for all of us at Ballet Philippines, especially as we move towards our 50th anniversary in two years,” remarks Reyes. “The energy in our studios is electric! It is wonderful to see all of these artists coming together to perform these signature works from the company’s repertoire. Truly a cause for celebration!”

“A Gala Celebration” runs at the CCP Main Theater from August 18 to 20. This is the first production of the 48th Season, entitled “Quintessence”. The season’s lineup also includes “The Exemplars: The Best of Ballet Philippines (1970-1980) on October 20-22, Edna Vida’s “The Nutcracker” on December 1-10, and “Don Quixote” on February 9-18, 2018. Catch us!

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The demand for residential spaces, retail complexes, and other recreational spaces are continuously increasing and attracting foreign and local investors in the country.

AD Asia Conventions & Exhibitions International Corp. (AD Asia) welcomes Real Estate in the list of industries that have been emerging here in the country lately. REAL ESTATE , EXPO MANILA (REEM) 2017 is slated to take place on August 10-11, 2017 (CONFERENCE) and August 11-13, 2017 (EXPOSITION) at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

REEM 2017 is dedicated to Brokers, Practitioners, Investors, Realtors, Developers, and Potential Clients from around the globe to help showcase their latest infrastructures and developments in the 3-day Exposition and to impart their knowledge and experience with invited renowned Speakers in the industry like Bhavna Suresh of Lamudi Philippines, Jet Yu of Prime Philippines, Arch. Romolo Nati of Italpinas Development Corp., Alvier Marqueses of Hoppler and many more during the 2-day Conference.

One of the Speakers for the 2-day Conference and Partners of the REEM 2017, Ms. Bhavna Suresh, Chief Executive Officer of Lamudi Philippines stated, “We are much honored to be here as the Official Property Portal Partner for the Real Estate Expo Manila 2017 and we can’t wait to see you all in August.”

This event is in cooperation with Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines (OSHDP), in association with Real Estate Brokers Association of the Philippines (REBAP) Makati, Golden Phoenix Hotel as the Official Hotel Partner, EastWest Bank as the Official Bank Partner, Renderbee as the Official VR Partner, Swedish Designs as the Official Contractor, and Avolution as Gold Sponsor, DOT Property as Silver Sponsor and Versa.ph, JVC Hengun Advertising Inc., MX3, and Santos Knight Frank as Bronze Sponsors. Lamudi Philippines as the Official Property Portal, Chase Technologies Corp. (CTC) as the Official Registration Partner, and Brand Philosophy as the I.T Solutions Provider for our Event Partners.

The event aims to deliver unparalleled success to business network opportunities where the industry player can come together, interact, and share their view in promoting and strengthening the real estate sector locally and globally. This is also to help out Filipinos in choosing the right property through a variety of selection from different real estate related companies.

For more information about the event, check out the official website at www.realestateexpomanila.com.

The Fiercest Ninja Warriors Are Back in the Hit Competition Series “Team Ninja Warrior” on AXN!

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All new season premieres August 7, Mondays at 8:50pm

The competition gets tougher in the world’s most intense obstacle course in the epic reality show Team Ninja Warrior, as it returns for a second season this August on AXN.

The upcoming season once again features some of the biggest names from the American Ninja Warrior franchise as they battle it out in the dual running course with even more challenging obstacles, incorporating speed, human agility, skill, and a whole new strategy of racing.

Competitors form the toughest 28 teams yet, each with two males and one female, race side-by-side against each other on the world’s most challenging and physically demanding obstacle course to earn the ultimate ninja bragging rights and to be crowned Team Ninja Warrior champions.

Comedian Matt Iseman and former NFL player Akbar Gbajabiamila return as hosts for Season 2, with sportscaster Alex Curry as the sideline reporter.

Team Ninja Warrior Season 2 premieres August 7, every Monday at 8:50pm. First & Exclusive on AXN.

AXN is available on SKYCable Channel 49, Destiny Cable Channel 61, Cignal Channel 121, Dream Satellite TV Channel 20, G Sat Channel 51, and Cablelink Channel 38. AXN HD is available on SKYCable Channel 247.