Viber Makes Messaging Even More Powerful and Personal with New Chat Extensions

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Viber, one of the world’s leading messaging apps, announced new and innovative Chat Extensions, giving its one billion registered users exciting new ways to express themselves and easily manage their conversations.

Viber’s Chat Extensions enrich users’ conversations, without the need to leave the chat—from instantly finding and sharing GIFs and YouTube videos to sending songs from Spotify, places to eat from Yelp and more.

The new Chat Extensions :

Viber Shouts is a new fun way for Viber users to share messages with colorful backgrounds in chat for important updates they want to make stand out from the rest. With more than 20 message bubble background options at launch, Viber will introduce additional backgrounds globally and locally in the future.

Favorites is a new useful Chat Extension that keeps all of the user’s favorite and important GIFs, links and YouTube videos in one handy place. Users can long-tap any GIF, link or YouTube video they’ve received inside Viber and save them into their Favorites. Later on, they can easily access them using the Chat Extension inside different chats on Viber and instantly share them with a single tap.

Location is a new rich location-sharing experience with more relevant information on nearby places to instantly share in chat. The new location message includes an “Open” button of the specific location, that allows the users to choose their navigation app of choice. In terms of privacy, this feature is enabled only for users who grant Viber access to their location and the location is requested only when users actively tap on the Location Chat Extension to share it with their friends.

Since launch, Viber has partnered with over 20 content and service partners globally and locally on various Chat Extensions, such as GIPHY and Tenor for GIFs, YouTube for online video, Spotify for music streaming and others for news, entertainment, sports, and food. In the past year, Viber users accessed the various chat extensions over 4.5 billion times, making it one of the fastest growing ways of communication inside the app.

Viber Shouts, Favorites and Location chat extensions will roll out gradually around the world and will be available on the Viber mobile app on iPhone and Android.

“Viber is constantly striving to enrich the communication experience for the people who use it so passionately around the world. Introducing our three new and innovative Chat Extensions is consistent with our strategy to keep Viber as the powerful and expressive tool it is, offering exciting ways to chat in different styles and fashions. We are thrilled and confident these chat extensions, along with our ongoing commitment for simplicity and privacy, will continue to make the experience on Viber unique and exceptional for everyone.”  says Djamel Agaoua, CEO of Viber.

DOE Empowers New Batch of Girl Scouts

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HAPPY ENERKIDS: Grade 5 Girl Scouts together with their mentors participated in the 3rd Enerkids Program conducted by DOE-CWPO staff led by Division Chief Helen B. Arias, and DOE resource speaker, Electric Power Industry Management Science Research Specialist Eduardo B. Fernandez. Aside from attending lectures on energy efficiency, the 43 Girl Scouts also role-played as geologists and identified different types of rocks as part of energy sector career exposure activities.

The Enerkids Program intends to raise a smarter generation of Filipinos by teaching them to value the importance of energy in their lives, and by committing to become Energy Cost Busters.

The Department of Energy (DOE) conducted the 3rd Enerkids Program for this year at the Energy Center in Bonifacio Global City on 13 June 2018.

This is in line with Energy Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi’s objective to provide energy education programs to members of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines and empower the country's young women. The program was facilitated by the DOE-Consumer Welfare and Promotion Office (CWPO).

Mandaluyong Elementary School, Andres Bonifacio Integrated School, and Eulogio Rodriguez Integrated School sent their second batch of Grade 5 Girl Scouts to undergo the Enerkids Program.

Artinformal Greenhills Presents NIL, an Exhibition Curated by Erwin Romulo and Neil Daza

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Curators Erwin Romulo and Neil Daza proudly presents a disturbing graphical collection of photos entitled NIL. They are on display at the Artinformal gallery’s Greenhills location. The exhibitioned opened on June 9, 2018, and will run until July 14, 2018.

I was present at the opening night and though I've been warned that I'll be seeing crime-related images, it never occured to me that they consider suicide as a crime. But why not, taking our own lives is indeed a crime against ourselves because I do not believe that life could be all hopeless and frustrating enough to take our own lives.

There's no coming back if you kill yourself. Maybe those who end their lives think there will be reincarnation where they will be given an opportunity to run their lives all over again. But sadly, we can not fully control the outcomes of our lives no matter how hard we work on it. There would always be an obstacle, small or big, and if we want to win, it takes a lot of self-realization that nothing in this world should put us down forever. We should always lift ourselves up and try again every time we fall.

By the way, check out my interviews with Neil Daza, one of the curators. There's also one with Tina Fernandez, the Artinformal gallery proprietor. And I was also introduced to the one who did the interviews with the photojournalists of People's Journal.

I posted all interviews on our Facebook fan page so it could reach more people as possible. What we need right now is a continuous eye-opener especially for the younger generation before they read or believe all the rewitten history that has been proliferating all over. Everyone needs to be aware about the truths of the past so we could correct them in the NOW and the FUTURE.

Unfortunately, those in power and influence would always gain an upperhand. But do not let that reality stop us from doing the right thing. Life is just too short to hesitate in making a difference.

I believe resorting to violence, whether toward ourselves or to others, is never the right move. I know karma would balance everything out soon in one way or another. We just don't have to lose hope. Life is supposed to be fair at some aspects. We just need to keep ourselves open and aware of how we can find and connect to our ultimate purpose.

Taking their cue from Daza’s Blacksoup exhibition in 2006, Romulo and Daza are mounting their new show of crime scene photographs taken between the years 1987 to 2002. Also included in the exhibition are video works by Cinema Regla. These are interviews with the crime photographers or photojournalists shown in black and white. I was expecting some gruesome images in the video but was relieved there were none. The photos all over the gallery were already enough to shock you, that is if you are still in the dark about what has been happening all around us. It is not surprising that violent crimes have been existing for years back, and until now. If you've not seen the dates written at the back of the photos, you will think they are recent. But no, crimes as horrible as these have been happening even before social media and smartphones with cameras made it more possible for anybody to capture and post incidents online for the whole world to see. Now that we are capable of being media ourselves, the news have been very noisy that traditional media have been evolving and reinventing themselves without admitting they have been killed by the power of the Internet.

Raw and at times graphic, the show asks: “Is there really such a thing as ‘the good old days’?”

Editor, writer, producer, and composer Erwin Romulo curated Everyday Impunity: Ang Mga Walang Pangalan, an exhibition based on the work of photographer Carlo Gabuco at Art Fair Philippines 2018 as well as an exhibition of sound art and multi-media art during the fair’s 2017 and 2015 edition, respectively. He was also one of the curators of Wasak! Filipino Art Today, shown in Berlin in 2015.

Filmmaker and photographer Neil Daza is known for his work in films like Bwaya, Emir, and Dekada ‘70, among others. In 2017, he marked his 25 years in the film industry with an exhibition at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, 25 Times: Images From Behind The Camera. He has curated several shows of photography for arts space Blacksoup in Cubao, including KAMBYO, an exhibition of cellphone images, and Detritus, featuring photographs from which this current exhibition is based.

Filmmaker collective and guerrilla media outfit Cinema Regla is an online magazine and channel run by documentary filmmakers Rico Ibarra, Blair Camilo and Jun Sabayton. Founded by visual artist, animator and director Roxlee, it is dedicated to covering Filipino culture, with a focus on (in no particular order) art, photography, music, literature, science, politics, history, environment, crime, violence, truth, sex, drugs, and budotz.

Here's what is written on the wall:

NIL.

Wala. Pero meron talaga.

NILalaman ng pagtatanghal na ito ang ilang mga eksena ng kawalan―ng malay, ng katinuan, ng bait, ng karapatan, ng buhay. Nakagugulantang ang mga imahe pero hindi nakagugulat sa karamihan ang ipinapakita. Naging laman ng mga balita, isinuka para sa maralita, habang nagpaparaya ang mga may-kapangyarihang dapat talagang makakita.

Sa KamayNILaan nakunan o saan man, ang mga litrato rito ay sumasalamin sa realidad na may nagtutunggaling mga panig sa anumang usapin. Sa isang banda, ihahalintulad ng ilan ang mga larawang ito sa basura, na dapat idispatya at huwag nang ilantad kaninuman. Sa kabilang banda, hindi kaunti ang maghahalintulad ng mga ito sa mga bagay na pampagising ng diwa, dala ng pagpupukaw na maaaring maranasan kung pagmasdan at pag-isipan ang makikita rito.

Iba’t ibang buhay man ang panandaliang iNILalahad rito, nagkakaisa ang mga litratong ito sa pagpapakita ng katiwalian. Ngunit sino ang tunay na tiwali? Ang mga nasa larawan? O ang lipunan o sangkatauhan na kaNILang NILalarawan?

Ang mga tao na makikita―karamihan ay mga DaNILo (hindi tunay na pangalan), may ilang mga BeNILda (hindi tunay na pangalan)―ay NILason ng gutom, hirap, poot, pighati o kaya, oo, maling asal at hindi wastong diwa. NILabas ang anumang armas o nagtangkang tumakas. NILamon ng kabaliwan, kamunduhan, kasakiman, kahirapan. NILusob, ng sarili man o ibang pwersa, ang sana’y mapayapa NILang mga tahanan, barangay o kinatatayuan. NILamas, hindi NILinis, ang pagkatao. NILunok ang dangal, NILamangan ng mga mapang-api, NILapastangan ng mapanghusga, NILoko ng matatakaw na kapwa tao na halimaw ang kalooban. Binalot ng trahedya, sinaksak ng pulitika, NILaglag ng sistema.

Ang masuwerte sa kanila ay NILalamok, NILalanggam sa selda. Hindi man makapag-NILagang paborito o relyenong gusto, maaari pang magbago, maaari pang lumaya. Ang iba rito ay NILagutan ng hininga, ninakawan ng pag-asa kapalit ng paglaya mula sa pang-habangbuhay na rehas nitong malupit na mundo.

Ang malungkot pa rito, bagama’t ilang taon na ang nakalilipas nang makuha ang mga larawang ito―noon kapanahunang hindi pa NILalabas ang pinagsanib na kamera at telepono―hindi pa rin nawala sa ating bansa ang ganitong mga eksena. Kung hindi natin papansinin ang mga detalye sa ilalim o paligid ng bawat litrato, iisipin natin na kahapon lang o nung makalawa nakunan ang mga nakalarawan dito.

Sa pagsulyap sa mga litratong ito, marahil ay mapapatanong tayo: May pag-asa pa ba ang mga Pilipino, lalo na ang kagaya NILa na karamiha’y dukha? May pag-asa pa ba para sa lipunang marahas? May pag-asa pa ba para sa ating iisang bayan na, sa kabila ng lahat, ating sinisinta?

Marahil ang sagot ay oo kung tatanggapin natin, pagniNILay-NILayan at gagawan ng paraan ang katotohanang ito: Sila ay tayo. Tayo ay sila.

Menhir Salento Wine Pairing Features Special Dinner Prepared by Chef Jessie Sincioco and Chef Musaro Rocco Roberto

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Wines are said to be better in taste when paired with food, and likewise enhances the flavor of food as well making them more delectable and their taste more distinctive. We highly appreciate the wine pairing dinner and hopefully they do a repeat because there has to be more wines on their list that should be highlighted. We are just very curious which wine will almost perfectly match certain dishes, or vice versa. Pairing these wines with food is obviously also an art that should be studied i order to be able to give the consuming public the best options they deserve.

Chef Jessie Rockwell Club, iPhor Trading Inc. & Menhir Salento recently featured a very special dinner prepared by their guest chef from Origano Osteria in Puglia, Italy, namely Chef Musaro Rocco Roberto, and the Philippines' very own Chef Jessie Sincioco of Rockwell Club. We are fortunate enough to have been included among their select list of guests to experience fine dining dinner especially prepared for just one night.

Both chefs collaborated to come up with these dishes that doesn't disappoint. Honestly, I never had a dinner yet that is as glamorous as this. The wine choices presented that night are worth the praise that I am glad we were given a bottle of one of the wines to bring home so we could share it to others.

Tanduay Is Now World's Number 1 Rum

Wazzup Pilipinas!
Surpassing Bacardi in sales of Rum, Tanduay proudly announces this proud achievement for the Filipino brand landing the number one spot. Though the bulk of the sales are still coming from the Visayas and Mindanao areas where rum is more popular, while gin and brandy are far better performing in the Luzon area, the achievement amidst the shrinking liquor drinking nation of the Philippines is still noteworthy. It isn't everyday that a Filipino brand would get to exceed expectations when compared to the previously leading foreign brands.

This awesome news sourced from global spirits think tank Drinks International is truly monumental since who wouldn't be proud of knowing a Filipino brand excelled even among foreign brands who originally dominated the scene.

No less than Lucio "Bong" K. Tan Jr, President & Chief Operating Officer of Tanduay Distillers, was present at the event together with Mr. Gerry Tee, Over-all Head of Distillery Operations LTGC & Chief Operating Officer, Absolut Distillers, Inc., and Mr. Nestor Mendones, Chief Financial Officer, and also Mr. Paul Lim, Chief Marketing Officer.

All four were seated on stage to share Tanduay's Executive Report to the members of the media, including bloggers and social media influencers. A Question and Answer followed later, plus some photo ops with  the main man himself.

Visionary businessman Dr. Lucio Tan Sr. acquired Tanduay from the Elizaldes way back 1988 even when business acquisition and investment was deemed volatile because he believed that Tanduay would someday be a widely known brand worldwide. But it was also the brand's plant modernization and expansion, plus when the younger Tan took over the helm as CEO and made disruptive changes within the company, including the historic expansion in the world arena and the strategic alliance with companies in the United States to expand its distribution capacity. 

Tanduay has an unmatched aging capability harvesting only the world's finest from its aged rum reserve. All facilities are operating based on ISO standards ensuring quality, efficiency, and food safety. 

The brand also reached out to the younger market by incorporating a nationwide music marketing campaign, tapping sports enthusiasts by sponsoring NBA team Golden State Warriors, connecting with health-conscious and athleisure-loving individuals through Tanduay Athletics, and a sponsorship of the Century Tuna Superbods.

Congratulations Tanduay Distillers, but now you now have a more challenging task ahead, and that is to keep being at the top. Like they said, there are no other directions to go but remain on top but continue moving upward by continuous increase in their sales, or the dreaded downward path which should be avoided at all cost by remaining a worthy product to be patronized especially by the Filipinos eventhough the foreign market is another avenue to explore.

The event was held at Century Park Hotel on June 13, 2018.

Special Italian Buffet During Weekends at Buona Vita Ristorante Italiano

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Businessmen and entrepreneurs like restaurateurs know that Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday, or otherwise known as the weekend or the busiest days of the week when most people spend longer hours outside because the usual work at the offices are done, and school is of course on a break. It's an opportunity for both young and old to extend their time outside to eat, meet and be merry.

With emphasis on eat because everyone do need to replenish their energy by consumption of food, and if ever, we would always want the best out there to satisfy our cravings at the most worthy price fair for our money.

This is why weekends are often filled with promos and special discounts to attract the attention of the consuming public. Each one of us wants value for our hard-earned money and so we look for the best food offer out there that would truly fill us up with no regrets.

Buona Vita Ristorante Italiano recognizes the need to serve satisfying meals, and in order to please its customers, it has offered a special weekend buffet for only less than P200.

With quite a number of dishes included in the buffet menu, we get to eat authentic Italian favorites led by pizza and pasta choices.

From the freshly mixed salad with Italian dressing called Insalata Mista all Italiana or the awesome breads of many kinds, to the homemade Pumpkin soup called Zuppa di Zucca all Aceto di Balsemico,

Have some pasta  such as the Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Peperoncino, or pizza with the Pizza all Trancio (Five Cheese, Capprisiosa, Salome, Romano).

The Aranchini di Riso or the Deep-fried Risotto balls with meat, cheese and Pomodoro fillings, is also best paired with the Penne Bolognese al Forno that is with ground beef with red wine tomato sauce and parmesan cheese.

Fill up with Porchetta served with mashed potatoes or Pollo Arrosto with roasted potatoes, or choose the plain white rice Riso Bianco.

These servings are more than enough for its price. If you're a big eater, you'll definitely get your money's worth. But it is also important to take note that these are authentically prepared under the supervision of a real Italian Chef and not just anybody who learned Italian cooking from a culinary school. Chef Davide is purely Italian and understands how to cook real Italian delicacies as it was originally prepared.

So if you want to experience how it is like to be in Italy, start with eating their cuisine, and the taste may let you immerse yourself in an authentic Italian food trip.

Thank you to Thomas of Buona Vita Ristorante Italiano for a buffet weekend coupled with game night (If I joined in I could have won) where some of us won additional GCs to let us return to the restaurant and try again the food. But next time is an opportunity to bring along some friends or families so we could share the Italian experience with them as well.

Quiz night tested our knowledge of the restaurant based from the talks of Thomas. But the others at the farther end of the table were contesting they couldn't hear the talk...hehehe... Excuses, they should have just stood up and listened attentively coz the quiz was announced from the start of the event! Seriously, they have another chance to seat nearer Thomas during the next event for bloggers - Pizza night!

Let us also not forget the bonus Pinocchio pizza that they let us try. These treats are ideal for kids who identify the shape similar to that of an ice cream cone, but instead they have pizza filling instead. Maybe they could really put some ice cream on the cone. In reality, it was named as Pinocchio because the original hat shape of the wooden boy toy of Geppetto that came to life was really cone-shaped.

Hhhmmm...nice! But I knew that already so it was not so much a surprise for me. I am insatiably curious and my quest for learning never stops so I keep in mind as well all these trivia especially if it concerns my well-loved animation or cartoon characters from the cutesy Disney to the cool hi-tech anime robots.

So I also remembered a fact they also stated during the buffet weekend - that their tables are uniquely designed. Those tiles that decorate the tables are specially handmade or painted that makes it all different from each other. But this information is just one of the reasons why you should take note of how the owners value the importance of creativity and appeal aside from the comfort they assure their customers that when they dine at Buona Vita, they are to expect quality service matched with an ambiance conducive to a satisfying dining experience.

Buona Vita Ristorante Italiano is located at the Molito Lifestyle Center in Alabang, Muntinlupa.

Janah Zaplan to Hold Kaya Ko To Concert at Music Museum on June 30

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Millennial Pop Princess Janah Zaplan held a press conference to announce her upcoming "Kaya Ko To" concert to be held on June 30, 2018 at the Music Museum in Greenhills, San Juan.

Among her special guests at the concert are Showtime Hashtag Bugoy Carino, 90s boyband Jeremiah, and promising teen boyband Upgrade.

Janah was Eat Bulaga's sweet young lady quaterfinalist in Music Hero gifted with a husky, cool voice, and now she has transformed into a fierce performer at her upcoming concert. Among her admired performers are Moira Dela Torre, Dua Lipa and Yeng Constantino (for local peformers) and Beyonce for foreign acts.

Janah sings well, and this is perfectly matched with dancing prowess too. She's also interested in acting, and why not, she has the looks to impress and stand out among an already
crowded showbiz scene where only the really talented, influential or passionate would survive.

Her growing fan base seems to give us an idea of her potential, and since she is still so below 18 years old, the possibility of a love team partner would have to wait before fans would feel "kilig" over infatuations, crushes and love affairs.

But who needs a love team to become popular when you have all that are needed to a promising showbiz career.

Present during the press conference were the members of the Upgrade boyband who are among Janah's special guests at her Kaya Ko To concert.

Janah performed a song number to please the media attendees, while Upgrade sang a few lines from some songs to showcase their cool voices.

Also there to support her during the event were her loving parents.

Gravity Interactive Launches Dragon Saga in the Philippines

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game or MMORPG still continues as a favorite past time among the teens as a group or team effort activity that is still highly favored as an opportunity to gather together amidst like-minded friends or peers while exchanging banters or cheers for every loss or win in a game.

It's also our way to reach in to our inner desires and aspirations as we travel a different world and converse with avatars of online players exploring within the game. Hack, slash, kill monsters, earn loots as rewards, accept and complete challenges, buy stuff to enhance your wardrobe, improve your fighting skills with high-end weapons, or simply chat among fellow players.

Both online and offline of the online gaming world could become an exciting adventure for everyone, and sometimes could also lead to a career inspired by the game, but sometimes the games could also be frustrating especially if we constantly get owned by the enemy or other team.

Elite announces the Philippine launch of Gravity Interactive's Dragon Saga PH, an action-packed 3D side-scrolling online realm where dragons roam the heavens and earth. Explore the depths of Aether - the exiled dragon's homeland, and save the world from impending war.

The game has a cutesy "chibi" art style reminiscent of cartoons and anime that is sure to catch the gamers (regardless of his or her age) attention.

The game combines an open world and dungeon run mode scheme - offering various PVP modes like Ranking/Ladder and Guild VS Guild that can keep casual and competitive gamers highly immersed into the game experience.

You may select one of the 4 base classes as your character: Warrior, Magician, Archer, and Thief for Humans.

There are also two additional special characters for the Dragonkin class: the Shaman or Twin Fighter. The game has a lot more feature such as the Pet system, Home system, Couple system, Guild and Market.

The launch involved an opportunity to play the game in a friendly competition among some of the attendees where one group won some gadgets as prizes from the organizers. Coreon Gate Internet Cafe was the event venue where attendees were able to witness the game upclose and personal.