Explore the World of Food Franchising at MAFBEX 2018

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Back to serve up another exciting round of gastronomic excitement this June is the highly-anticipated 12th edition of the Manila Food and Beverage Expo (MAFBEX). Organized by MAFBEX Events Management, a subsidiary of Worldbex Services International, and presented in cooperation with the Young Hoteliers Exposition (YHE) and the Organization of Bar Professionals (OBP), this year’s MAFBEX aims to take show attendees on the “Ultimate Foodventure” by bringing together the finest food and beverage innovations from here and around the world.

Guaranteed to unleash the foodie out of every Filipino are over 500 booths by close to 300 exhibitors who will collectively showcase the widest array of F&B items across the massive 15,000sqm venue of the show. With representatives from countries such as Malaysia, Taiwan, Korea, and Vietnam, this year’s MAFBEX is expected to offer a wealth of tastes and flavors that are bold and distinct as they are familiar and comforting.

But more than just a haven for those with an insatiable appetite for good food, MAFBEX 2018 is an advantageous event for investors and trade players alike who are in search of the latest ventures in the F&B trade. In particular, one highlight that has consistently drawn business minded foodies is the Franchising Zone, a designated area which hosts various food cart/stall businesses that are open for franchising.

Get to know more some of the franchise businesses that will be participating at MAFBEX 2018!

Iyah’s Ice Cream Milkshake
In a tropical county such as the Philippines, it comes as no surprise that people can’t get enough of Iyah’s Ice Cream Milkshake. Add to that the fact that its milkshake menu comes in a wide variety of flavors that were carefully developed and refined to suit the various tastes of customers.

Franchising rate: P345,000


Master Siomai
Over the years, this humble siomai food cart has garnered a loyal following for its tasty dimsum selections that perfectly cater to the Filipino taste bud. Apart from selling ready-to-eat dimsum fare, Master Siomai also specializes in the production and distribution of processed meat such as ham, siomai, and etc.

Franchising rate: Master Siomai (P280,000), Master Tempura (P150,000). Rates include all equipment and staff uniform.


     
Crazy Tako Food Cart
With takoyaki carts sprouting everywhere across the country, there’s no doubt that Filipinos simply can’t get enough of this savory Japanese street grub. However, not all takoyakis are created equal. Seeking to provide Filipinos with an authentic takoyaki experience without having to go to Japan, Crazy Tako Food Cart was born. In fact, the first batch of ingredients used by Crazy Tako were flown directly from Osaka! Today, Crazy Tako is proving that good food need not be expensive. All it takes is a genuine dedication to perfect and refine the food that you are serving your customers.

Franchising rate: P250,000


RNL Food Concepts (Snack-A-Ttack)
The reason why a lot of people love street food is because it satiates hunger conveniently, innovatively, and above all, without burning a hole in your pocket. But with all the street food trends that are on offer these days, this simple concept somehow gets lost along the way. Aiming to bring back the essence of what street food is really all about and turning it into something absolutely unique is Snack-A-Ttack. For only P29 pesos, you can already enjoy a snack and a drink that are conveniently combined in one handy snack pack – perfect for when you’re on-the-go!

Franchising rate: P399,000 (food cart), P999,000 (café type).


Lugaw ni Bossing
You can never go wrong with lugaw! But what makes Lugaw ni Bossing unique is that not only it serves its variants hot, clean, and fresh but also with various options for toppings such as Adobong Tito or Matres ng Baboy, Adobong Paa ng Manok as well as other lugaw varieties like Lugaw with tuyo and Gotuyo.

Franchising rate: P200,000-230,000


JC Worldwide Franchise Inc.
You might not have heard of JC Worldwide but you’d be surprised to know that it is the company behind some of the most popular food stalls/carts in the country such as Burger Factory, Siomai King, Sgt. Sisig, Siopao da King, and Noodle House – all of which owes its premium quality to the company’s commitment to use quality ingredients every day.

Franchising rate: P158,888


Bringing people more than just food finds, MAFBEX 2018 is the most ideal place to explore various food business opportunities. The 12th MAFBEX is happening on June 13 to 17 from 10:00am to 7:00pm at the World Trade Center Manila.

MAFBEX is for the benefit of ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation Inc. For more information, follow @mafbex.ph on instagram and the Manila Food and Beverage Expo fan page on facebook or call (02) 6569239 or email info.worldbex@gmail.com.

Music and Heroes at the Skydome

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Making way for lives to be easier, SALI Production a group of young men and women presents benefit concerts for everyone to enjoy.

SALi already won the hearts of many at the Himig At Tugma Para sa Buhay last April 21. Under the smoldering afternoon heat of SM Cabanatuan Garden, fans have gathered to listen to the irresistible vibe of IV of Spades. Together with local artists who performed their original songs and compositions the event successfully connected with the concert goers.

As time ticks during the event and fans’ excitement fills the air, the harsh heat swiped away as IV of Spades took the stage to sing their songs. Fans, as if on a slow-motion danced and sang to the music, mesmerized by the bright colors that is Zlid, Badjao, and Blaster.

The night goes on as fans scream for their idols, with some raising orange flags in support of the band.

With the triumph of the Cabanatuan event, Sali Production heads for their second event bringing music and hugot lines to the city.

The second Himig at Tugma Para Sa Buhay will be happening at SM North Edsa Skydome bringing with them local singers and spoken poetry artists. SALi delightfully shared two band who will perform in the second event.

For the concert’s Tugma, Carlo Hornilla, Crystel Bars, and Antonio Bathan will share their beloved original compositions. For the Himig, brother and sister Virtus and Olive Lenon the whose voices will surely mesmerize you will share their original songs. Completing the Himig line, Ben & Ben and Silent Sanctuary will headline the concert.

Everyone who has brought the tickets has saved the lives of Briley Jane Flores for her medictations, Maryrose Bermejo for Chemo therapy, Gibram Gam for liver operation and Liza Guevarra for medicine and maintenance. SALi Production hopes for the events success as it will further help their beneficiaries into the next stage of their medications, after all SALi is an acronym that means SAVE A LIFE.  Join us in our cause and enjoy our benefit concert.

Be our hero and let’s save a life!

For more information, visit our Facebook page Sali Porduction and our Twitter account @SALiProduction.


Written by Danielle Macadangdang

UP Fighting Maroons and 3M Philippines Seal Partnership Deal

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The University of the Philippines (UP) got a new major boost for their basketball program after UP inked a partnership deal with 3M Philippines, Inc.. 3M Philippines president and managing director Ariel Lacsamana, UP president Danilo Concepcion, and officials of the Nowhere To Go But UP Foundation (NTGBUP), a volunteer group of UP alumni that help the university’s varsity programs, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Tuesday, May 29, at Quezon Hall of the University of the Philippines Diliman. Also present at the MOU signing are UP head coach Bo Perasol, his coaching staff and the UP Fighting Maroons. 

UP’s partnership with 3M is one of the huge offseason moves that the Fighting Maroons has made in preparation for the upcoming UAAP season and the seasons to come.

Companies in Philippines Urged to Strengthen Cyber Security Readiness Ahead of European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

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Fortinet identifies key industries impacted by the EU’s GDPR compliance requirements, and recommends steps to prevent, detect, and remediate data breaches on Personally Identifiable Information

Fortinet, a global leader in broad, integrated and automated cybersecurity solutions today advised organizations in the Philippines to make final preparations to abide by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), effective 25 May 2018.

This law protects the personal information of all citizens of the European Union (EU) and will be enforced through fines, sanctions, and injured-party compensation. It is quite similar to an existing law in the Philippines, the Data Privacy Act of 2012, which subjects any business located in the country to stringent data protection laws that could cost offending organizations fines and jail time of up to six years.

As such, industries impacted by GDPR will need to review all business processes involving personally identifiable information (PII) and assess their organisational readiness to meet the 72-hour data breach reporting mandate.

The GDPR finely balances the rights of EU citizens to control their personal data against the responsibilities of organizations to protect that data both in the course of normal operations as well as in the case of data breaches. Significant new EU personal information protections include the right to explicitly approve personal data usage and a “right to be forgotten,” enabling people to demand that an organization purge any personal data about them. While businesses and governments with a physical presence in the EU will need to abide by GDPR, it may also apply to firms with significant EU customer or client bases.

Despite the impending deadline, most Asia Pacific businesses, which serve the EU market or have significant transactions that capture PII are still not fully prepared. According to the third biennial EY Global Forensic Data Analytics Survey by Ernst & Young (EY), only 12 per cent of firms in APAC have a GDPR compliance plan in place.

“While GDPR affects private and public sector organizations handling PII, certain key industries will have heightened exposure as a result of the volumes of PII data they handle as well as the nature of their business,” said Peerapong Jongvibool, Regional Director for Southeast Asia and Hong Kong, Fortinet. “These include e-commerce-based organizations operating internationally, as well as companies that serve significant numbers of tourists, visitors, or expatriates from the EU.”

Fortinet lists the top three industries impacted by GDPR:

• Retail − Retail businesses most likely to curate GDPR-relevant PII data include cross-border e-commerce operations, multi-venue retail chains, hospitality, travel, and F&B businesses. Brick-and-mortar businesses serving EU customers can also find themselves liable to GDPR PII protections. Paying with a credit or debit card, providing shipping address information and participating in a customer loyalty program all fall under the protection of GDPR.
  
• Healthcare − GDPR extends its coverage to non-EU organizations storing or processing the medical information of EU persons. GDPR enacts particularly stringent protection and processes for handling particular types of PII medical information. In general, an organization may collect and process personal medical information only if it is necessary for patient treatment and diagnosis, and with the explicit consent of the patient. GDPR also mentions genetic data as an area of particular concern.
  
• Financial Services - Financial organizations often maintain huge stockpiles of PII data on account holders. They also consume and generate vast quantities of highly personal marketing data to support selling financial services and assessing credit worthiness of commercial and individual customers.

Organizations preparing for GDPR must focus on reconfiguring their business processes and IT architectures, as well as reducing exposure of PII data.

Fortinet advises enterprises in the Philippines to take the following steps to accelerate GDPR compliance:

1. Engage a third-party firm to assess data protection practices and exposure to GDPR rules.
2. Conduct a comprehensive data audit to understand data source, collection and processing. It should include documenting where GDPR-impacted data is stored, how it is communicated between systems within the domain, and any external clouds or third-party data custodians.
3. Determine how long it takes for data-breach detection and mitigation and what is required to improve these processes to meet GDPR requirements. This element of the action plan should also include a detailed security assessment.

“At the end of the day, complying with GDPR may well turn out to be the right thing to do to protect the privacy and interests of all stakeholder communities linked to an organization,” concluded Jongvibool. “As onerous as GDPR might seem, it could mark a big step towards restoring public confidence in the ability of businesses to deliver social benefits while simultaneously curbing social risks.”

Honda Philippines Celebrates HSDC’s 10th Anniversary and Thanksgiving Day

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Leading motorcycle brand strengthens its take on road safety programs

Honda Safety Driving Center (HSDC), the first motorcycle riding school in the country that provides comprehensive training for both 2-Wheel and 4-Wheel vehicles and even truck certification, celebrates its10th anniversary and thanksgiving day along with the Honda group of companies namely Honda Philippines, Inc. (HPI,) Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI,) and Honda Manufacturing Parts Corporation (HPMC.)

HSDC offers programs in road safety training which aims to help safeguard the well-being of motorcycle riders and automobile drivers.

The institution also conducts training courses for Beginners and Refreshers, as well as Seminars that provide the rules of the road and demonstrate proper and legal safety maneuvers for motorcycle riding. These programs are ideal for those who want to learn safety techniques, relearn driving, and awareness as a Safe Road User.

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, HSDC updates the public about the projects they have done so far after the launch of the One Honda Road Safety (1HRS) for our Family Campaign, a joint advocacy of the Honda group of companies. This was awarded as one of the best road safety programs by the Society of Philippine Motoring Journalists. This is HSDC’s milestone and long-term commitment to building a community of safe and responsible road users.

HSDC also launches its newest services, such as the Basic Group Riding Course, the Big Bike Safety Riding Course, the Executive Driving Course, and Kids on Safety Program.

The celebration also coincides with the thanksgiving and awarding of the Certificate of Appreciation to all of its road safety program partners. Since it is important to HSDC that its riders make it home safely, it awards its partners to recognize their efforts in helping make this goal into a reality.

HSDC sets to strengthen its programs on road safety, accident prevention, and risk reduction through its new training innovations and Dealer Road Safety Program, which features training courses and audiovisuals to provide customers with road safety tips. These tips also aim to eliminate bad habits on the road, which alarmingly cause accidents that kill over 10,300 Filipinos a year according to the World Health Organization. This is why it is important for HSDC to provide these courses to promote intelligent, safe and responsible motorcycle riding.

This is aligned with Honda’s commitment not only to provide quality products and services with technological expertise, but also safe riding practices for every Filipino family to further experience the joy of riding Honda motorcycles and driving Honda cars.

For more information about Honda Philippines and its upcoming events, go towww.hondaph.com or follow the official Facebook page atfacebook.com/hondaph/.

foodpanda Goes Green with the Launch of the ‘No Cutlery’ Option for Over Fifty Restaurants"

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As the world observes the theme of ‘Beat Plastic Pollution’ for World Environment Day this June, the on-demand food delivery service in the Philippines, foodpanda, is recognizing the huge opportunity and responsibility it has in shaping the country’s food industry and its consequential impact on food and plastic wastage in the world.

foodpanda is striving to limit its impact on the environment by waging a war on plastic and launching an opt-in and opt-out function for plastic cutlery. Starting June, customers of the food delivery service will have the option to say “no” to disposable cutlery. With many orders being delivered to either offices or homes, where cutlery is readily available, foodpanda is hoping this initiative will significantly reduce the use of plastic cutlery.

“We hope that this campaign would encourage customers to opt-out of disposable cutlery since many of them are ordering food from their homes or offices. And with this, we estimate that this option can help reduce foodpanda's usage of plastic utensils by 30% in 2018,” says Iacopo Rovere, CEO of foodpanda Philippines.

foodpanda is launching the ‘no cutlery’ option with more than 50 participating restaurant partners such as S&R New York Style Pizza, Yabu, Tim Ho Wan, and Frankie’s across its three key cities in Metro Manila, Metro Cebu and Davao.

The opt-in cutlery function marks the first step in the food delivery company’s efforts to reduce its impact on the environment. Other initiatives in the pipeline for the upcoming months include replacing plastic bags with brown paper bags and increasing the number of cyclists and walkers in the delivery fleet, with hopes that less motorized vehicles will be used.

With these combined initiatives, foodpanda hopes to make a difference to the way plastic waste is viewed and reduce the overall environmental impact from food packaging waste. If you already have easy access to cutlery or if you do not need it for your meal, foodpanda appeals to you to please consider opting-out to help reduce plastic usage.

Akbayan to CA: Reject Castriciones

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Farmer leaders of Akbayan Party-List trooped to the Senate gates on Tuesday to urge members of the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA) to reject John Castriciones as the Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).

Members of Akbayan brought giant thumbs-down signs to the Senate to show their disapproval over the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to appoint Castriciones.

Akbayan demanded the CA to reject Castriciones for his anti-farmer stances, some of which came out during the hearings of the Commission.

In previous speeches, Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin pointed out Castriciones' flaws including continuing the cancellation of Certificate of Land Ownership Awards, his inaction in installing agrarian reform beneficaries to their land, and his approval of land conversion which is a deadly scheme against farmers.

"Naniniwala kami na ang dapat maupo bilang kalihim ng DAR ay mga lider na may malasakit para sa mga magsasaka at hindi matatakot na tumindig para sa hustisya na tatlong dekada na nating ipinaglalaban," Sumilao farmer leader and Akbayan nominee Yoyong Merida said.

"Malinaw ang panawagan namin sa mga miyembro ng CA: huwag maging traydor sa mga magsasaka. Piliin lamang ang isang kalihim na papanig sa interes ng mga magsasaka na siyang mandato ng DAR," Merida added.

A Comprehensive Guide to Travelling with a Drone

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Traveling with a drone is a tricky task. There are certain things which you need to know before actually experiencing the situation. If you are fully prepared for every sort of situation you might experience then it would cause you less inconvenience. You need to do some homework and also know about technicalities involved once you fly your drone to an exotic area. Below mentioned are some tip that will definitely help you.

Make a list:

The first thing you must do before traveling is to make a checklist. It is important to have it because once you are traveling there are a lot of things on your mind. You might forget as small a thing as an SD card and it would create inconvenience. So make sure you have the drone, the batteries, the charger, the SD cards etc. you can either write them down or make a soft copy on your cell phones and double check before you leave the house.

Know about the aviation rules and laws of your destination:

Once you decide the place to which you are going you have to do some homework i.e. you need to know about the aviation laws of the area. There are some basic shared laws of every country like avoid crowded places, do not fly in the commercial zones or in the cities or avoid certain buildings etc. You need to know about them to avoid any inconvenience in future.

Set up location:

Always research the location before actually going there. You need to know about the landmarks or scenery. You can use Google maps or search on the internet about the area which you are going to visit and capture.


Specified Drone bag:
As drones are getting smaller and smaller in size you might not want to put it in your main luggage as not to harm or destroy it. So it is advisable to have a separate bag for the drone. It would prevent it getting mishandled and damaged.

Always carry your drone in hand carry:

While passing through security checks it is advisable to carry your drone with you. In that case, you can reopen your bag and have it checked as many times as they want it to be without any unnecessary delays.

Choose several perspectives:
While capturing through your drone at an exotic place, always remember to capture from at least 3 different perspectives. To enhance the footage you can get a sharper image drone and capture from wider perspectives.


Keep drone in front of your eyes:

This is also important. Direct video streaming is good as long as it works properly. Once you lose sight of your drone and the signal gets disrupted you might lose the drone. If it is in front of your sight you can prevent it from getting lost. 

Conclusion:

These were a few things which are must-dos if you are traveling with your drone for the first time. In addition to that make the best out of your time. Fly your drone for the extra time. Get used to with the surroundings. Capture on selected times like early morning or sunset to get the best images as possible.

Renaissance Gallery Celebrates its 15th Anniversary

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In celebration of its 15th Anniversary, Renaissance Gallery, a leading purveyor of non-representational art in the country, presents “XV” which opens on June 10 till June 22 at the SM Art Center, with cocktail reception on June 13 at 6 pm.

Featured are the works of Hermes Alegre, Bien Benitez, Remy Boquiren, Arley Carig, Macoy Coching, Addie Cukingnan, Melvin Culaba, August Espino, Egai Fernandez, Allain Hablo, Sam Penaso, Jay Ragma, Jucar Raquepo, Cid Reyes, Genesis Rovero, Ronaldo Ruiz, Aner Sebastian, Resty Tica, Valen Valero, Mellisa Villasenor , and Janice Young.

Succeeding this show is “Ambidextrous,” a group exhibition of artists working in both representational art and abstraction, which opens on June 24, with cocktail reception on June 25 at 6 pm. The show runs until July 4.

XV is curated by noted art critic, writer and visual artist Cid Reyes.

The Art Center is on the 4/F, Bldg. A, SM Megamall, EDSA cor. Julia Vargas Ave., Mandaluyong City. For inquiries, call Margaux Romero-Oracion at mobile: 0925-555-7790.



“XV”

THE FIFTEEN YEARS’ JOURNEY OF RENAISSANCE ART GALLERY

By CID REYES

Years and years after leaving college as students taking units in European history, we may have forgotten pretty much about the rise and fall of empires and the religious wars that divided Christendom, but it is a safe bet to say that none of us has ever forgotten the one word that summarizes the whole history of mankind since the Medieval Age: Renaissance! From the Latin root word meaning “rebirth,” Renaissance stands for the intellectual flowering of human knowledge that spanned philosophy, literature, science, and – in the field for which it is best known for: the arts. Think Leonardo da Vinci! Think Michelangelo, whose genius inspired the phrase “Renaissance Man!”

Against this brief background, we come to appreciate the inspiring idea that gave birth to an art showcase named Renaissance Art Gallery. Not surprisingly, it was a “brainchild” conceived in 2003 by the couple Manuel “Noli” and Agnes Romero. Already steeped in the appreciation of all things beautiful, such as jewellery and painting, Noli and Agnes recognized the genuine talent and skill of Filipino artists, many of whom have become personal friends, and whose works have comprised their own private collection. The Romero couple felt that a genuine way of expressing their appreciation is to help promote Filipino artists of various generations and artistic persuasions, both representational and non-representational. The criteria that are uncompromisingly observed are quality and excellence. And proof of the Romeros’ commitment to this conviction is the sustained “staying power” of fifteen years’ existence in the very competitive field of the art market.

And if further proof were needed, Renaissance Art Gallery continually lives up to its very name. The past many years have all been a compelling experience of re-freshening the vision of Philippine art as an essential expression of the Filipino soul, a “re-birthing” of the ideals that created the Filipino artist. While only the artist himself can find his own direction, or yes! a re-direction, Renaissance Art Gallery can be his precious avenue that allows for experimentation and revalidation, always receptive and sensitive to the personal journey of artists in their highly individual styles and techniques.


Impressive indeed is the list of solo exhibitions racked up in the past fifteen years since Renaissance Art Gallery opened its doors at the SM Megamall’s “ArtWalk,” where it has remained to this day. Indeed, many of these presentations were “debut” shows, the first held and granted especially for the younger generation of artists, who at that stage of their artistic development and maturity, needed and deserved encouragement and appreciation. In fact, these shows were so successfully launched and promoted that the artists were said to have been “discovered” by the art community and the public at large. In turn, these artists express their gratitude by continually exhibiting with Renaissance Art Gallery and participating in significant events such as “XV” – Fifteen Years of Renaissance Art Gallery!

No doubt: even Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo will be raising a toast! So: Here’s to the next fifteen years of Renaissance Art Gallery!

DOE Eyes Non-OPEC Oil, Stockpiling as Cushion vs Rising Prices

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Energy (DOE) plans to source petroleum products from Russia and other non-OPEC countries to establish a strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) to cushion the impact of the rising price of oil in the international market.

“The government is aware of the country’s vulnerabilities to abrupt changes in the international oil situation and impending threats on the same, hence we are formulating various strategies to address those vulnerabilities to cushion the impact for our consumers,” DOE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi said on Monday as he revealed the two-pronged strategies.

Cusi has tasked the Philippine National Oil Company-Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC) to prepare for oil trading and retail to provide competition to existing oil industry players and pacify domestic oil prices. Cusi is ex-officio Chairman of the PNOC-EC.

Through Board Resolution No.5-5, S’ 2018, the PNOC-EC has been directed and authorized to engage in the retail or selling of petroleum products sourced from Russia and non-OPEC members to independent petroleum dealers and to individual public consumers.

Currently, the DOE only requires oil companies to maintain a Minimum lnventory Requirement (MlR) of in-country stocks equivalent to 30 days of crude and products for refiners, 15 days of products for importers/bulk suppliers, and seven days of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stocks for LPG players.

The creation of the SPR is founded on a number of joint international studies, according to the DOE-Oil Industry Management Bureau.

In 2003, the Philippines and Thailand had signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly study, investigate and assess the possibilities of cooperation, including the identification of strategic locations for oil stockpiling and distribution points.

Another study was conducted in 2004 by the US Department of Energy to assist the country in assessing the options and potentials for strategic oil stockpiles as well as give recommendations to enact legislation pertaining to the oil stockpiling program.

Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry assistance also came in 2004 to conduct a feasibility study on the development of a master plan and comprehensive scheme for oil stockpiling.

On top of the two mentioned solutions, the DOE continues to advocate exercising “efficient and smart diskarte” on oil consumers’ use of petroleum products, such as managing vehicle trips and its operations.