2013-03-17 ~ Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Agico Vegetarian Cafe : Healthier Dishes Without Sacrifing the Taste

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I think its about time we try vegetarian food for a change. Something inside my guts tell me I'm getting too fat from all the food reviews I've been into. That is why I would normally prefer to dine with a bevy of my friends so I would have an excuse not to finish all of the food, and there's plenty of them to eat up all the last pieces of the dish.

But with vegetarian food, its less the guilt because you are eating healthy food sourced from organic ingredients straight from Mother Nature's backyard.

So dig in and enjoy great food with no hesitation!

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Don't be confused when you try to look for this restaurant that serves authentic European dishes right at Kalayaan Avenue in Makati. Savoy Bistro is also housed inside the East Asian Art Gallery. Its a restaurant and art gallery in one.

Like the art gallery cum restaurants that are plenty in Rizal, the place serves great food (a feast to the stomach) and has a collection of artistic items (a feast to both the eyes and soul).

Chef Robert Lilja., known as “A Humble Cook“, served us Continental Classic Cooking “Haute Cuisine” specials originating from recipes dating back to as early as 1837. He was the one who looked after restaurants like La Tasca, Pacific Club, Danish Connection, The Gustavian, Brasserie Boheme and now Savoy Bistro.

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We went to Subic to attend a press conference of an event being called as Subic Pascha, which was more like a Food Bazaar that will happen on a later date. However, since the presscon ended earlier, our organizer decided to treat us with a tour of Subic. One of the destinations was at Zoobic Safari, where we had a great time feeding the lions....or watching the caretaker risk his fingers while trying to feed chicken to the hungry beasts.

We were grateful that she allowed us to explore more of Subic. We even had a tour guide named Philip who was showing us the way and sharing the background, history and controversies behind the establishments. He even inject a few humor to lighten up the trip and bring out some laughter from us while under a scorching hot afternoon sun.

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Are you ready to have a colorful run this summer? You can have the most colorful fun while running on COLOR DASH its the one and only run event that gives art and most of all fun while racing in The Fort BGC.

If watching Zoolander did not work, this run will surely bring out the pearls ;)

Color dash support's Coca-Cola's Open Happiness "Sinong napasaya mo today?" #NapasayaKoToday.

We will be dashing out colors of red (coke), green (sprite), orange (RTO), blue (sarsi), black (coke zero) on a silver/white shirt (coke light).

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Everyone would agree when I say that the hair is our crowning glory.

Yes! Even men can consider their hair as their crowning glory because the form, color and condition of the hair even for men would reflect their personality and their outlook from other individuals. If you have great hair, then people see you positively.

Vaniderm, the same company that produces Lucida DS, also introduces the Gugo & Aloe Vera Shampoo with VCO, an all-natural shampoo formulated to help thicken hair, prevent premature hair loss and make the scalp healthy.

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SCG, Cotto , Mariwasa team up at Worldbex as it expands its product portfolio with innovative building materials to better respond to the changing demands of Filipino consumers. These will enhance the comfort of living of Filipinos towards high quality, unique and innovative designs with fast and convenient installations.

The Philippine cityscape continues to evolve with the property boom in the country, with new silhouettes being added to the metropolitan skyline . Once dotted with tree-lined boulevards and majestic civic structures, present day Metro Manila now features vertical communities with state of the art techniques and designs that will endure throughout the property’s lifecycle.

This real estate wave is also evident in products and materials used for the home, as services from the construction sector have become more responsive to the shifting demands, trends and lifestyles of homeowners and developers. There has been a change in designs, tastes, and attitudes instead of more cost-value, demand for products and services have evolved to superior performance with unique, trendy design that will endure throughout the property’s lifecycle.

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The second consecutive search for The Outstanding Filipino Farmers (TOFARM) was launched a few days ago by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Philippines and Universal Harvester, Inc. (UHI). It was held in a prestigious recognition program for the most noteworthy achievers in various categories of the farming sector.

Revived last year to acknowledge the increasingly important role that the farming sector has played in boosting the economy, and to inspire more young people to turn to agriculture as a livelihood, TOFARM 2013 wants to identify more unsung heroes in the fields, seas and urban areas from North Luzon to Southern Mindanao.

The nationwide awards program will cite best practices of public and private entities engaged in traditional or modern farming that includes fisherfolk, animal raisers, cooperatives, farm communities, organizations, scientists, the academe, LGUs and public employees, as well as business entities in rural and urban areas.

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"It is sad when politicians, media, and the church meddle on mining issues in a way that is not fair, consistent, and just. Further sad is when environmentalist groups become inconsistent as well on which mining issue they will speak up and criticize."

The statement above from this article related to Mining controversies was the most striking as we seem to really have plenty of "politics" involved in all the issues surrounding well-known companies or personalities.

In this day and age, you wouldn't really know who to trust and who to believe. Everyone has their own "dirty little secrets" like the dirt that we often hide under the carpet.

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I got invited to taste a lechon brand a few days ago and I can't believe we've been missing out on this particular brand for a long time now. Like what the owner said, the taste was "heavenly" and anyone will be willing to indulge on a lechon feast even for just today once they taste it for themselves. It was truly the tastiest lechon I've tasted so far, and believe me when I say, I've tasted a lot already.

For every special celebration, it will not be complete without the grandest meal you can think of. The lechon has been a custom already in the Philippine culture as the most festive way to make an occasion so uber special and memorable.

Serve the best dishes and appreciate the sparkle in everyone's eyes as they dig in to a feast meant for the gods. Heck, even the popular lechons from Cebu were no match to the delightful taste of General's Lechon.

Inquirer Teams Up with Bloggers

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The Inquirer newspaper has always been my favorite newspaper since childhood. I still remember reading my favorite articles from their columnists every time I get the chance to grab a copy of this newspaper with the "fearless views". I guess their writers are among the best there is, having a no holds barred identity that i really loved. ...and I had such a fascination with word play back then where I even use a Thesaurus just to be able to use highfalutin words.

That was why I was so excited when I found out I will be working with Inquirer soon.

Inquirer Classified Ads head Mr.Jesse Rebustillo, together with his team, proposed to create a bloggers team to start and have a dry run on their new On-line Classified Ads and their Pinoy Best Deals On-line which will cater on the Buying and Selling Marketers who will need to promote, advertise and sell their products at very reasonable charges online without doing any legwork and much talking.

Department of Tourism Assistant Secretary Benito C. Bengzon, Jr., head of the Philippine delegation, receives the award from David Stroud, Executive Vice President Airports of Routes.

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The Philippine Department of Tourism (DOT) was honored as highly commended in the Destination Marketing category during the recent 11th Routes Asia Conference and Exhibition held from 17 – 19 March 2013 at the Renaissance Mumbai Hotel, Mumbai, India.

The DOT was among the five (5) shortlisted finalists for the Best Destination Marketing Award, which included Tourism Australia, Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau, Singapore Tourism Board, and Tourism New Zealand. Tourism Australia was declared the winner of the first Routes Asia Destination Marketing Award.

Globe Opens First Telco Concept Store in Boracay

Globe Telecom marks another milestone with the opening of the first telco concept store in Boracay after intensifying its network coverage in the said area, which is touted as the best island destination in the world.

The Globe Store located at D’Mall in Station 2 in Boracay is a one-stop telecommunications shop showcasing the unique store concept of Globe. The Globe Store opened in time for the island’s peak season where both local and foreign tourists flock to Boracay, considered as one of the world's top beach destinations attracting nearly 1.2 million visitors a year.

The Globe store offers top-of-the-line gadgets and accessories, as well as superior customer service and after-sales support. It offers live demo units of the latest smartphones that customers can try and test and enable customers to do various transactions such as account opening, account management, payments, top ups, and GCASH transactions.

The Store also has a self-help area for customers who want immediate answers or who need a copy of their bill. In addition, friendly and courteous store specialists are on hand to provide consultations and solutions to customers.

The Globe Store’s trendy design layout that complements the tropical island vibe of Boracay was done by J. Antonio Mendoza Design Consultants. The distinctive tropical appeal is further enhanced with beautiful accent chairs made by Kenneth Cobonpue.

The Boracay store personnel on the other hand, will soon don uniform designed by Charina Sarte, one of the country’s famous designers.

Globe currently has 172 stores providing superior customer experience nationwide. Globe is poised to open more concept stores in strategic locations all over the country.

MoneyGram Boosts its Money Transfer Services with Globe GCASH

MoneyGram, one of the biggest money transfer companies in the world, has announced an agreement with Globe Telecom’s mobile commerce subsidiary G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI) that would further expand its reach in the Philippines through Globe GCASH.

With the partnership, Filipinos overseas can send money in MoneyGram’s locations all over the globe and have their loved ones pick up the cash at GCASH REMIT outlets in the Philippines - starting out with the Globe Stores and eventually expanding to include other GCASH REMIT outlets like pawnshops, rural banks, and community stores.

“This will add an element of convenience to the thousands of Filipino MoneyGram users worldwide as they can now send money to the Philippines using MoneyGram’s 310,000 retail agent locations in more than 197 countries”, said Alex Lim, MoneyGram country manager. “Through this strategic alliance, we are able to increase our reach in the Philippines thus helping us expand our money transfer services around the world.”

“The partnership with MoneyGram reinforces how global money transfer companies have seen and acknowledged the value offered by Globe GCASH,”, said Paolo Baltao, President of GXI. “We are truly honored. But most important to us, we just want to make sure that Filipinos who rely on remittances from their loved ones overseas will get their money fast and securely without any hassle. Filipinos overseas already worked so hard to earn the money they send. Why make it hard for the loved ones here to get the money?”

For more info on Globe GCASH and GCASH REMIT, visit www.globe.com.ph/gcash.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Nestea Beach : The Coolest Summer Fest Is Here Again

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The inevitable is here once more. Everyone is getting ready for their summer plans as early as now. Beaches and resorts are already hard at work on their summer outing campaigns, and the ads are a plenty already. The summer beach craze is here!

Sun, sand and sports define the typical summer but Nestlé Philippines makes the country’s hottest season everything but ordinary with the launch of the coolest beach festival in the country, NESTEA Beach. This year’s event promises to be even more fun with new innovations thrown in.

Once again, NESTEA Beach invited volleyball teams to show off their skills and vie for the NESTEA Beach Championship title. This year’s festival promises to be much bigger, more colorful, and more exciting with a host of lifestyle events such as concerts, fashion shows, beach parties featuring the hottest bands and most sought after DJs and clean-up drives of beaches across the country.

Google Maps has recently unveiled Street View images for Mt. Everest and other notable mountains. This takes armchair explorers like us to great heights even without the extreme cold, avalanche and what not.

Most of us have a bucket list of the places we want to visit in our lifetime and usually, the list is pretty long. Google Maps has a bucket list too, and it’s checking off a couple of its favorites and share them with you. If tall mountains are your thing, you’re in luck.

Now you can explore some of the most famous mountains on Earth, including Aconcagua (South America), Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mount Elbrus (Europe) and Everest Base Camp (Asia) on Google Maps. These mountains belong to the group of peaks known as the Seven Summits—the highest mountain on each of the seven continents. While there’s nothing quite like standing on the mountain, with Google Maps you can instantly transport yourself to the top of these peaks and enjoy the sights without all of the avalanches, rock slides, crevasses, and dangers from altitude and weather that mountaineers face.

Start your adventure on Tanzania’s Mount Kilimanjaro, the dormant volcano known as the Roof of Africa. See amazing views of the highest freestanding mountain in the world covered in snow just three degrees south of the equator.

At 19,341 ft, Uhuru is the highest point on Mount Kilimanjaro

Next, travel to the tallest mountain in Europe, Russia’s Mount Elbrus, and see huts made from Soviet-era fuel barrels. Climbers have to take refuge in the huts built on the mountain when the weather turns wretched.

Get imagery of Mt. Elbrus and all of the other mountains, on Google Maps on your iPhone and Android device

Explore Argentina’s mighty Aconcagua, the highest peak in both the Western and Southern Hemispheres. See how a base camp is set up amongst the exposed rock in Plaza Argentina and how expeditions eat, camp and prepare for their ascent.

A permanent park ranger camp, as well as a helipad and medical center are available during climbing seasons at Plaza Argentina

Finally, make your way to Everest Base Camp, where expeditions stage their attempts to reach the top of the world. Along the ascent, steal glimpses of the snow-capped Himalayan mountain peaks and the awesome Khumbu glacier.

The route to Everest Base Camp is one of the most popular trekking routes in the Himalayas and is visited by thousands of trekkers each year.

This imagery was collected with a simple lightweight tripod and digital camera with a fisheye lens—equipment typically used for Google Maps’ Business Photos program.

Whether you’re scoping out the mountain for your next big adventure or exploring it from the comfort and warmth of your home, you’ll surely enjoy these views from the top of the world. And if you want to see more, check out more on the Street View Gallery.