2015 ~ Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Thursday, December 31, 2015

Find the Panda: Our Fascination with these Puzzles

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Remember Where's Waldo, well illustrator Gergely Dudás, who goes by the pen name Dudolf, posted this drawing to his Facebook page, challenging readers to spot a panda in an army of snowmen.

People went nuts trying to look for the black and white mammal in a mostly black and white illustration. Many thought it would be easier but I guess the difficulty was varying to many people.

People even took the great Panda search to Twitter when they were frustrated they couldn't find it. While some who were able to find the Panda wanted to brag about their accomplishment. After all, it was fun to boast how many seconds or minutes it took them to find the elusive Panda.

Then a new challenge arise and the search this time was to look for a cat among a sea of owls.

But I think people wanted more of the panda so soon there was a Find the Panda among a sea of heavy metal artists. Then, due to the popularity of the new Star Wars movie, it was inevitable that a Find the Panda Star Wars version would come out with an objective to Find the Panda among a sea of storm troopers. Lol!

Inspired by the Find the Panda puzzles, Tracy Lynn Heightchew decided to up the game and posted this old photo of a Junior Achievers Conference in Bloomington, 1978, which she promises to have a panda somewhere.

Have you also seen the parking lot full of a bunch of ‘80s-era hatchbacks (and some Volvo 240s) with one Fiat Panda hidden in the mix.

Have you also seen the Find the Panda among Find the Poop Emoji in a sea of cupcakes?

The above photo shows a person hidden among the panda stuff toys. Can you find him?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

“My advice to the criminals, the drug lords, and the corrupt is to include turning over a new leaf in their New Year’s resolutions. The moment we have Duterte as president, this will be the last happy Christmas you will celebrate,” - Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano

My emotions was divided when I saw his advertisement on TV where he greets criminals a Merry Christmas and then say it might be the last time they will enjoy the season if they will continue with their ways. I wanted to laugh out loud but was equally afraid that he might just get away with it. With how the Filipinos think, the reality of him being voted as President might just come true.

Crime is the no. 1 problem a common Filipino is facing now. Economy already started to grow and will further grow once crime is seriously addressed.

Duterte has spent almost 40 years in government service. He was first elected as mayor at age 43. We all know what he is known for.

If elected, presidential aspirant Rodrigo Duterte and vice presidential aspirant Allan Peter Cayetano said they will increase government security forces while implementing inclusive economic growth programs in Mindanao. They said they would implement an aggressive national anti-crime campaign, starting in identified hot spots. They said they will stamp out criminality, illegal drug trafficking and corruption in their first year in office.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Kung may paputok na ‪"‎Goodbye Philippines‬, "Goodbye Colombia" at kung ano-ano pang "Goodbye," may ‪"Goodbye Feelings‬" na din.

Sobrang lakas itong pumutok sa una pero pag natapos parang wala lang nangyari! Ito na ang pinakamabentang paputok ngayong Bagong Taon para sa mga hindi maka-move on.

Para ito sa mga lovers na nagbreak na at nagmamahal ng pasekreto. ‪#‎GoodByeFeelings‬ paputok, Pero bago ito paputukin kailangan isabay mo ang sakit at hinanakit mo para sa taong ito, Para kasabay ng pagsabog nito ang pagtatapos ng feelings mo sa kanya.

"Paalam sa lahat ng sakit na nararamdaman ko. Sa mga umaga na hiniling kong sana matapos na agad ang araw na ito. Sa mga gabing hindi ako pinatulog ng libong karayom na sabay sabay tumutusok sa puso ko.

Paalam na sa mga luhang iniyak ko. Mga luha na nag-uunahan sa pagpatak mula sa mata ko. Sa mga basang unan at panyo. Sa mga panahong tanging hikbi lang ang maririnig mula sa kwarto ko.

Paalam na sa mga bagay na gumugulo sa utak ko. Sa mga bagay na nagpapabigat sa damdamin ko. Sa mga tanong na walang kasagutan at sa mga sagot na kahit kailan dimo malalaman.

Paalam na sa mga oras na nasayang ko sa maraming bagay, pati narin sa maling tao. Sa panahon na nagtiwala ako sa mga panahong naging mahina ako sa mga pagkakataong puso ko lang ang pinaiiral ko. Nadismaya lang ako.

Paalam na sa dating ako. Dating ako na laging inuuna ang iba sa dating ako na bigay lang bigay hangga't wala ng matira para sa sarili ko. Sa dating ako na patuloy na nagmamahal kahit walang pagmamahal ang nilalaan sa kanya,

PAALAM NA SA DATING AKO NA HINDI NA MULING BABALIK PA!" - Trina Mae Cuevas Edesa

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"At pag hindi ho nangyari ito, nandyan ho si Secretary Abaya na nangangasiwa ng proyektong ito, dalawa na kaming MAGPAPASAGASA SA TREN KAPAG DI PA NATAPOS ITO BY 2015" - PNoy

President Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino III better live up to his promise. Stand up on his "Daang Matuwid" with the "MRT" ready to run him and the DOTC Secretary Emilo Aguinaldo "Jun" Abaya over.

Kahit na matuloy ang pagpapasagasa ni PNoy at Abaya sa tren dahil hindi nakumpleto ang proyektong LRT-1 extension mula Baclara-Bacoor ngayong 2015, magpapatupad pa rin ng dagdag 5% fare increase ang LRT-1 oras na matapos ang Cavite extension project.

OK lang sana ipatupad iayn kung they will also honor their word of getting run over by a train. Spokesperson says we should not take literally the President's vow and that it was only a joke. Were all his previous words a joke?

Huwag kang magbibiro PNoy sa mga Pilipinong sawang-sawa na sa pangako! Matuloy man o hindi ang pagpapasagasa nyo ni Abaya, dapat kang managot sa mga pagkukulang, kapabayaan at kawalang malasakit mo sa sambayanan!

Below are just some of the many posters created by netizens mocking the event that should happen today.

"Aw, Mr. President. It isn't about getting run over by a train. It's about failing in your promise to have the LRT 1 Cavite line done by 2015. Or was that the joke?

You know my kid takes that train. And you haven't even addressed its maintenance problems yet. Or if you have, you've not succeeded in getting it done. So I try not to think about how long it takes for my son to stand in line waiting for his ride. Or I shudder when he takes the bus because otherwise he will be late for class. A bus, quite possibly driven by someone who hasn't had enough sleep to take the wheel.

I wish you know what it's like to have to do this, but I feel you have little sympathy for the likes of us working stiffs, much less for my kids. Otherwise you wouldn't be so cavalier about how you have failed us and how you refuse to prosecute the people who have led us to this. How you continue to fail to hold anyone accountable for this terrible burden you've imposed on us. And yes you have imposed this on us.

So instead of apologizing for your abject FAILURE, you focus on the part where you say you were kidding about being run over. Geez, sir, we know it's a joke. Because damn it, we don't have enough trains to spare for running you and Abaya over." - Trixie Cruz-Angeles

Pautakan 2016: The 23rd Province-wide Interscholastic Academic Competition in Palawan

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Get ready to cohere and conquer as UP Palaweños brings you Pautakan 2016: The 23rd Province-wide Interscholastic Academic Competition in Palawan.

To be held on January 9, 2016 at the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum, the competition involves four different contests, namely, the Online Essay Writing Contest, On-the-Spot Poster Making, Online Photography Contest, and the main event, the Quiz Bee. Only participants coming from Palawan-based schools may join the abovementioned activities. Cash prizes, trophies, medals, and different freebies await the winners of each event.

One of the biggest and most established of its kind in Palawan, the UP Palaweños Pautakan is an annual event which aims to bring the best out of the Palaweño youth in a wide range of fields, including science, general information, visual and literary arts, and others. The theme for this year’s Pautakan is “coalesce”, which means to merge. In the context of a competition, this means to work as a team. This year’s Pautakan highlights the idea that success is best achieved, not when one is divorced from others, but when individuals join together for a common goal.

Just Some of Life's Unsolved Mysteries

Wazzup Pilipinas!

1. Why tobaccos and cigarettes are still being sold when they are obviously harmful to our health.
2. Why softdrink companies continue to exist when there are healthier alternatives out there.
3. Why people still buy firecrackers when they offer nothing but a few minutes of eye candy and more possibly a lifetime of missing fingers.
4. Why fastfood restaurants continue to flourish while home-cooked meals are in the verge of disappearing.
5. Why we continue to throw away our trash carelessly in the streets when we all know they will just contribute to flooding, pollution, sanitation and health problems, etc.
6. Why we keep on voting for the wrong people (those who are involved in political dynasties, prevention of Freedom of Information bill, etc.)
7. Why there are still gasoline-powered cars when electric and solar-powered vehicles are better.
8. Why basic services like electricity, telecommunication and water utility companies are monopolized by a few companies.
9. Why plastic bags (considered non-biodegradable thus harming the environment) are being banned and replaced by paper bags and boxes that are made from trees which are part of the environment.
10. Why we believe in celebrity endorsements that are obviously fake (skin-whiteners for ladies that are already white-skinned, chefs promoting instant food or seasonings, basketball players promoting products that are supposed to enhance height, etc.)
11. Why food supplements are popular when their natural equivalents can be found at many supermarkets.

12. Why we keep asking why when we already know the answer to our questions.

Are We Ready to Throw Away Our Hoverboards?

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The hottest trend this holiday season comes with a major health warning after several reported injuries. They are literally hot nowadays!

Amazon has recalled hoverboards over fire safety fears due to several news of units exploding or catching fire. There was also an advisory to their buyers to throw away certain hoverboards, and they also rolled out some safety standards.

Many have also been taking hard falls resulting to injuries like fractured bones. Mike Tyson was among those that fell off their hoverboards. To stay safe on hoverboards, it is not enough to just wear a helmet, elbow pads, and knee pads. You might as well wear a butt pad.

Some countries have also banned the use and selling of the gadget. They are banned from use in many public roads and pavements. Russell Crowe wasn't happy with an Australian airline that wouldn't let his children take their hoverboards on a flight. The actor was apparently unaware of the safety concerns linked to the devices when his sons wanted to take them on a holiday. Crowe took to Twitter to air his grievances with Virgin Australia Airlines.

China's makeshift hoverboard industry is also imploding after Amazon's safety crackdown. There are several places that have stop selling these new fad because some parts are obviously cheap and faulty and could really cause spontaneous combustion (bursting into flames).

Globe Telecom Collaborates with Asiasoft on Gaming Services

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Globe Telecom and its fully-owned subsidiary G-Xchange, Inc. (GXI) has entered into a strategic partnership with leading regional online entertainment provider Asiasoft Corporation Public Company Limited on gaming services provisioning.

The collaboration is part of the Memorandum of Understanding with Asiasoft which Globe and GXI signed together with other members of the Singtel Group such as Singapore Telecommunications Limited (Singtel – Singapore), Advanced Info Service Public Company Limited (AIS – Thailand), and PT Telekomunikasi Selular (Telkomsel – Indonesia).

“GCash aims to further establish its position as the preferred payment option in the mobile and digital space. Thus, we are excited to explore marketing collaborations with Asiasoft to grow gaming-related transactions and bring GCash at the forefront of eCommerce. At the same time, we want to enhance existing Globe customer payment services and provide them with a full digital lifestyle experience,” said Xavier Marzan, President and CEO of GXI.

The partnership allows GCash, the mobile wallet of GXI, to be used as a payment method at PLAYPARK game portal and mobile app checkouts via PlayMall, Asiasoft’s single wallet platform, thereby, giving GCash customers an option to buy “Cash items”, “lives”, “coins”, or “gems” without the need for a credit card.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The all-in-one promo pack gives customers access to select chat apps without data subscription or WiFi connection together with up to 60 minutes of IDD calls to the US and Canada*

This holiday season, Globe Telecom is making local and international communication easier and more affordable as it offers ChatPlus, an all-in-one promo pack that allows customers to enjoy access to top messaging apps and IDD calls, effectively bridging the gap between Globe customers in the Philippines and their loved ones overseas.

Without the need for a data subscription or a WiFi connection, Globe prepaid and postpaid customers will be able to use popular chat apps Facebook Messenger, Viber, WhatsApp, Google Messenger, Kakao Talk, WeChat, and LINE, as well as IDD call minutes to enable international calls from the Philippines to US Mainland and Canada. ChatPlus comes in two variants: ChatPlus 25 which is valid for 1 day with access to the chat apps and 15 IDD minutes and ChatPlus 299 which is valid for 30 days with access to the chat apps and 60 IDD minutes.

“The Holidays is definitely a perfect time to reconnect, and this is most especially true for Filipinos whose loved ones are based abroad. With ChatPlus, Globe customers get access to an affordable all-in-one package that will allow them to use their favorite chat apps without the need for Wi-Fi or a data promo as well as international call minutes to reach out to friends and family members in the US or Canada. Globe is happy to enable affordable, seamless, and worry-free connectivity for those much-cherished Christmas greetings and messages this time of the year,” says Coco Domingo, Globe Vice President for the Roaming and International Business.

To subscribe, just dial *143#, choose Roaming & International, and select IDD with Chat.

Know more about Globe and the rest of its international offers by visiting http://www.globe.com.ph/international. To learn more about ChatPlus and subscribe in time for Christmas, visit www.globe.com.ph/help/international/idd-with-chat-chatplus.

*Usage of the IDD minutes does not include the following territories in the USA: Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Thanos and the Infinity Stones

Wazzup Pilipinas!

So, for a while now Ive been going over in my head this thing about the infinity stones being found in certain items and those items starting letters spelling THANOS. T-Tesseract, H-?, A-Aether, N-?, O-Orb, S-Sceptre.

I've been really interested in this concept/theory because its a nice little teaser easter egg. But, it got me thinking. What could H & N be? So I assumed it would be mystical or magical.

My mind shot to Thor, then to Mjolnir, but of course that doesnt start with H or N. Where as, Hammer does. I thought encased within Mjolnir was the Soul gem. This makes sense because for the user to lift the hammer they must be worthy, the hammer may do so by checking your soul. A power the soul gem would probably have. It also occurrd to me that when Thor created Vision there was no real difference between Ultron and Vision (except the rest of Jarvis, but I didnt believe that could cause the two AI beings to be so different). So I say Thor creating Vision with Mjolnir gave Vision a soul, this also means Vision's soul is the purest since he was created from the Soul gem and thus granting hik the ability to lift Mjolnir because he has that pureness, worthiness and connection to the gem within Mjolnir. Another possible power the soul gem has. It also makes sense for Odin to have hidden it within the hammer because it can only be lifted by those who are worthy, it isnt really an obvious Infinity Stone hiding spot and its gotta be difficult to crack.

Then I read that the soul gem is associated with Dr Strange, but I reconciled because Marvel have been differing a fair bit from the comics when it comes to their movies.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Sing to the tune of "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?" from the Disney movie "Frozen"

Do you want to build a Death Star?
And go after some rebels?
I know they blew the Death Star up
For two movies
Third time is the charm
Well now I feel so lonely
here with Snoke
And Phasma hasn't spoke

Do you want to build a Death Star?
It doesn't have to be a Death Star.

Do you wanna build a death star,
And kill the whole Senate,
We've got this planet here,
We can build something,
And blow them all awayyyyy

You used to be Ben Solo,
But now you're not.
Just who are the Knights of Ren?

Do you wanna build a death star?
or a fleet of star destroyers?
I think some war prep is well overdue
Snoke is begging to
kill the senate once and for all
(just wait for now sir!)
he's getting really anxious
if I can't deliver
I think I am going to dieeee
(choke choke choke choke)

(orchestral)

Do you wanna build a death staaaaar?
Cmon lets be real baaad
I know your feelings are unsure, about the world, and your scruffy nerf herding daaaaad
We gotta be best buddied, cause snoke said so, lets do it before he gets maaaaaaad....

Do you wanna build a death staaaar?
(Its doesnt have to be a death staaaar)

-Sith tantrum noises-

Okay byeeeeee.....

Do you wanna build a Death Star?
Starkiller base will be okay.
I know that you just killed your dad, and you got really mad, when you got beat by Rey!
I know we're not best buddies,
We'll kill the lot,
Republicans can all die!-
Do you wanna build a deathstar?
Well it's not technically a deathstar...

"Go away hux!"

Ok byeeee....

Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange

Wazzup Pilipinas!

First look at..... Erm.... Benedict Cumberbatch in an up market fancy dress outfit as Doctor Strange? This totally validates every male cosplayer growing a goatee for a Doctor Strange costume!

People are making assumptions about a film that is yet to be made on one photo? I'm not saying it doesn't looks amazing, but that still doesn't mean that end result will be just as dazzling. There is a lot more to this film than Ben striking a pose.

Loving the mix of science and spirit here...much needed in society today. He's using Sacred geometry too. He's doing an Impact Palm in this picture.

That's gotta be the green Infinity Stone right there! And at a guess I'd say Soul Stone. I wonder if that will be considered the Eye of Agamoto or will he get the real one that pretty much is a real eye ball. It would make sense if it was the soul gem (actually the one he gets in the Illuminati comics), but then where's the Eye of Agamotto? I'd bet that's the Eye.

Maybe the Eye of Agamotto and the Soul Stone are the same thing in the MCU. The same way that the Tesseract was the Space Stone even though it was just a cosmic cube in the comics. The eye is a artifact of much importance for him to be taken away as a gem, but that would actually explain Stephen's presence in Infinity, as he would be willing to defeat Thanos in order to recover the Eye.

Zoomanity Group Gives Back Through Gift-Giving

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Christmas is for children" quotes Robert L. Yupangco, CEO of Zoomanity Group, one of the leading them companies in the theme park industry. With this in mind, the company took the opportunity to give back the happiness and blessings to less fortunate children this season of sharing and thanksgiving.

Aside from promoting their advocacy which is called the 4 E's (Education, Environmental Conservation, Exhibit and Entertainment), the company believes that it is part of their corporate social responsibility to those kids who need happiness the most. Through one charitable activity called "Christmas Gift Giving". Zoomanity group chose sets of orphan kids from different foundations, annually to experience a whole day of fun, love and care in their parks.

On the said event, over 600 kids gets the chance to have free entrance to all Zoomanity parks like Zoocobia and Zoobic Safari and enjoy one exciting day to interact with their favorite animals. Different gifts were given away plus there were exciting shows held for them. The Zoomanity team along with the media partners helped distributing gifts and food for these children.

Help them spread and continue this wonderful activity in Zoomanity Parks where the happiness begins. For more infomrtaion, please call 899-9595 loc. 344/899-9824; 847-0413, email zoomanityg@gmail.com orinfo@zoomanity.com.ph. Come visit our website at www.zoomanity.com.ph

Contributed by Cheryl Lynne Azarraga

MMFF 2015:Official Statement of MMFF Executive Committee About DQ and Ticket Swapping Issues

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Below are the official statements of the Metro Manila Film Festival Executive Committee regarding the Honor Thy Father disqualification from the Best Picture category, and the ticket swapping issue between My Bebe Love and Beauty and the Bestie.

Honor Thy Father disqualification

"This is to clarify the misconceptions relating to the disqualification of Honor Thy Father (HTF) of Reality Entertainment Productions from the MMFF Best Picture Category of the MMFF 2015.

Following the pullout of the 8th entry Ang Hapis at Himagsik ni Hermano Puli from the Festival, MMFF wrote to the producers of HTF dated October 21, 2015 informing them that they were the next-in-rank film for the Festival and requesting for a Producer’s Certification.

On October 22, 2015, the producer of the Film wrote the Executive Committee of MMFF that it has complied with all existing MMFF rules and regulations without mentioning its participation in another film festival. Having certified its compliance to all MMFF rules, it was officially included as an entry in the Film Festival on October 23, 2015.

Unknown to MMFF, HTF was slated to have an exhibition and was actually shown at the Cinema One Film Festival held on November 8, 2015. This was only officially revealed to the MMFF through their letter dated November 5, 2015, received on November 6, 2015, only two days before the showing, not giving the MMFF enough time to deliberate on the matter.

After a thorough, lengthy, and careful deliberation, the MMFF decided to impose the lightest sanction of disqualifying HTF from the selection as festival awardee for only the Best Picture category. MMFF could have imposed stiffer sanctions to the film, such as disqualification from all the awards or total disqualification from the Festival altogether.

Lest it be forgotten, being included in the MMFF also comes with responsibilities. An official entry is expected to uphold and observe the Rules of the Festival."

Ticket swapping issue between My Bebe Love and Beauty and the Bestie

"The Metro Manila Film Festival, after looking into the ticket swapping issue, strongly denies the existence of such and is enjoining all the stakeholders of the Festival to be responsible in expressing their sentiments especially on Social Media. The objective of the MMFF is to promote the local film industry and this baseless issue will only sideline the true intent and purpose of the Festival. Let’s continue supporting all the entries of the MMFF 2015."

MMFF 2015 Awards Night Winners

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Here are the winners of the recently concluded Metro Manila Film Festival 2015 Awards Night

Best Actress: Jennylyn Mercado (Walang Forever)
Best Actor: Jericho Rosales (Walang Forever)
Best Picture: Walang Forever
2nd Best Picture: Buy Now, Die Later
3rd Best Picture: My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore
2015 Gat Puno J. Villegas Cultural Award: My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore
Best Supporting Actress: Maine Mendoza (My Bebe Love)
Best Supporting Actor: Tirso Cruz III (Honor Thy Father)
Best Director: Erik Matti (Honor Thy Father)
Best Screenplay: Paul Sta. Ana (Walang Forever)
Best Story: Dan Villegas and Antoinette Jadaone (Walang Forever)

The 1st Day Top Grosser is My Bebe Love: #KiligPaMore

No comment necessary. As what most people would say: If you can't say anything nice, then keep your mouth shut.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

MMFF 2015: Honor Thy Father Best Picture DQ Scandal

Wazzup Pilipinas!

There was disturbing news lately that went viral on social media. And we're not talking about the tiket swapping issue between the Aldub movie "My Bebe Love" and Vice Ganda's "Beauty and the Bestie," this was about the disqualification issue about the only sane movie from the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) 2015.

Apparently, it was disqualified from the Best Picture category due to its participation in an earlier showing of the film, specifically at the Cinema One Originals Film Festival.

The MMFF Executive Committee says that it violated an ordinance in the MMFF 2015.

The letter of Atty Emerson Carlos, Chairman of the MMFF, says there was a non-disclosure of their participation as the opening film of the Cinema One Originals Film Festival and thus the MMFF Executive Committee has disqualified Honor Thy Father from the Best Picture category.

However, Stacy Bascon, the Associate Producer of Honor Thy Father (Conman) from Reality entertainment, and Ronald Arguelles, Festival Director of the Cinema One Originals Festival, both sent a letter indicating that their film's participation as the opening movie had no ticket sales and was strictly by invitation only.

Below is a repost of the letter of Dondon Monteverde demanding an answer and an investigation. Plus other scans of the letters and emails sent to the MMFF organizers which will clearly shed a ight to this disappointing issue.

Top BPO Firms, Executives To Be Honored At The 10th International ICT Awards

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Philippines has emerged as one of the world’s fastest growing IT-Business Process Management (IT-BPM) destinations in the world. In order to showcase these achievements, the ICT Awards was launched in 2007 by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CANCHAM) in close cooperation with IBPAP.

In the picture above are (L-R) Cora Dela Cruz CanCham Executive Director, Julian Payne CanCham President, Jomari Mercado IBPAP President and Dion Asencio Vice President for Sales Globe Business.

The ICT Awards is one of the most renowned awarding ceremonies in the industry and its 2016 installment is geared to be the largest event yet.

In its upcoming 10th year, a new category which determines the winner via online voting has been introduced: Most Popular Team Leader of the Year in the ICT Industry.

“The new category allows us to celebrate the best of the best.” Julian Payne, President of CANCHAM shared, “We are very excited about the Team Leader category where we plan to implement a new voting system for the day itself. It will give us an opportunity to see what type of Team Leaders the companies will put forward.”

Wazzup Pilipinas Featured on Adobo Magazine

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Check out the Adobo Magazine feature of WazzupPilipinas.com.

http://www.adobomagazine.com/philippine-news/2016-beginning-another-great-year-wazzuppilipinascom

Below is the article posted on the Adobo Magazine website. Another article will be published on the January-February issue of the physical magazine.

According to their website, Adobo Magazine is the Philippine advertising industry’s definitive, go-to sources for information, reaching everyone from agency chiefs and professionals, to clients, suppliers, media and the academe.

Fresh off a record-breaking third Philippine Quill Top Award win in 2013, adobo magazine remains the industry bible for the Philippines and the region, consistently leveraging unparalleled access and professional reportage to bring readers the latest from here and around the world.

Likewise, adobo’s digital platforms reach thousands of subscribers daily via website (www.adobomagazine.com), mobile and social media, as well as a thrice-weekly newsblast of the latest from inside the industry, as well as live reportage from AdFest, Cannes Spikes and other major international advertising festivals.

Whether you’re looking for in-depth coverage of up-to-date trade news and emerging trends or extensive, exclusive profiles, interviews and showcases, everything you need is here.

To Be a Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas

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"To be a blogger is an honor and a responsibility. Since I am the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas, I will use my blog to influence my followers and I would raise awareness to certain issues like "crab-mentality among the blogging community" that is timely and relevant to my country, which is the Philippines. I want to show the world, the online community rather, that I am confidently famous with a heart."

Merry Christmas to all my fellow bloggers out there! But it looks like not all bloggers are merry since there are still some who pokes fun of others probably because they are sore losers. Those who couldn't stand the truth that they are no longer the only "in" people in the blogging community. As what some PR friends would say "Inggit lang ang mga yun!"

I wish I could say

"I pity the fools! They obviously have no appreciation of their own accomplishments that they try to look down on others. Sadly, they are bringing themselves further down where they truly belong - in a state of misery.

No wonder. Who would love these kind of people who have nothing but hatred in their hearts. Who would dare be associated with these faggots who are better off with the maggots.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Passengers of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) will soon experience significantly improved service levels, as the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has awarded the long-term maintenance contract to the Joint Venture of Busan Transportation Corporation, Edison Development & Construction, Tramat Mercantile, Inc., TMICorp Inc., and Castan Corporation.

Beginning January 5 next year, the winning concessionaire will fulfill the general maintenance requirements for three (3) years. The long contract period will allow the new service provider to procure the necessary spare parts needed to increase the number of operating trains, especially during peak hours.

The P3.81-billion contract also covers the general overhaul of the trains and the total replacement of the signaling system.

Previous attempts to bid out the long-term maintenance contract – once in September 2014 and again in January 2015 – resulted in failure due to the non-participation of bidders. Recognizing the urgent need to address the railway’s maintenance requirements and the core problems of obsolescence and complete wear-and-tear, the Government Procurement Policy Board (GPPB) unanimously approved the transport agency’s decision to proceed with an alternative mode of procurement pursuant to the Republic Act No. 9184.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Asia’s largest sports media property, ONE Championship (ONE), has announced that the organization will lead the global MMA industry by banning weight-cutting by dehydration and instituting a new set of regulations and policies governing the weigh-in procedures and contracted weight limits. The new program, which is the first of its kind for combat sports, is focused on athlete safety by introducing "walking-weight" competition via multiple weigh-ins and tests before and during fight week, including 3 hours before an event begins.

Athletes will now compete at their "walking-weight", which will be determined by a robust system that will track his/her weight on a regular basis throughout the period that the athlete is contracted to ONE. Full details of the new weigh-in program can be found on www.ONEFC.com.

The revolutionary weigh-in program was established after thorough discussions and recommendations by ONE Championship's medical and competition team, consisting of Chief Doctor Dr. Warren Wang, Chief Medical Advisor Dr. James Okamoto, Vice President Mr. Rich Franklin, Vice President of Operations & Competition Mr. Matt Hume, Global Athlete Services & Competition Director Mr. Richard Auty and China Athlete Services & Competition Director Mr. Vaughn Anderson.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Singapore Airlines spreads the yuletide cheer to its passengers with a surprise performance rendered by SIA's ground personnel and staff while ice cream in popular Filipino flavors were served. Pasko sa SQ is the airline’s way of sharing the spirit of Christmas with its customers.

Singapore Airlines adorns the airport with a belen and colorful lanterns that were creatively designed by Singapore Airlines ground staff using only local and recycled materials. Passengers were also invited to vote for their favorite lantern.

Singapore Airlines staff in Filipiniana attires for the airline's Christmas surprise to its loyal passengers. This special treat has been a tradition of Singapore Airlines over the years to celebrate the spirit of this well-loved season in the Philippines.

LTO Holds Plate Replacement Fees

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Due to the notice of disallowance issued by the Commission on Audit (COA), the Land Transportation Office (LTO) will temporarily stop collecting fees for replacement of old license plates.

This means, vehicle owners who have not yet paid for the new license plates will not have to shell out P 450 upon their renewal of registration.

“We are currently in the process of resolving the issue with the COA regarding the Plate Standardization Program. We hope issues will be resolved and COA lifts the disallowance so we can provide the public with plates for improved road safety.” said Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Jun Abaya.

The LTO assures that the new standardized plates will be issued to motorists who have settled the payment as soon as the issue with COA is resolved.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Oppo, a global electronics company that is present in over 20 countries, and Home Credit, a multinational consumer finance company, bring a timely offer to those who are looking for a memorable but affordable gift this Christmas. Starting this month until January 31, 2016, customers may purchase an OPPO Neo 7 on installment even without a credit card and at 0% interest rate through installments provided by Home Credit.

The Neo 7, which retails at P7,990, is the newest camera phone under Oppo’s Neo lineup. It carries forward the unique design feature that set the Neo 5 apart: a sleek and reflective rear surface that uses optical coating and fiberglass for increased strength and elasticity. This while adding a wide range of performance upgrades and an attractive streamlined arc edge.

Garrick Hung, operations manager at Oppo Philippines, said, “The Neo 7’s generously proportioned 5-inch screen, improved front camera, and 16GB ROM, along with its powerful battery, make it a heavy hitter in the sub-P10,000 price range.”

Home Credit makes shopping for the Oppo Neo 7 affordable and convenient for customers. All one needs to apply for a loan are at least two IDs – one of which should indicate a current address – and an initial cash payment. The loan is approved in less than 30 minutes, and the customer may leave the shop with the purchased good in less than an hour. The payment term is 6 months, with a monthly payment of as low as ₱866 (based on 35% initial cash payment).

Seven Metro Manila Neighborhoods To Watch In 2016

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The Philippine economy’s continued rise is apparent in the real estate front, notably as evidenced by the condo projects, commercial centers, and office buildings that are being built one after the other in the Metro Manila area. While the business center of Makati and the always investment-worthy Bonifacio Global City will constantly remain hot commodities for both investors and end-users, there are a few areas within the metro that are looking just as promising in terms of offering real estate opportunities in the coming year. MyProperty.ph names the seven neighborhoods in Metro Manila that are sure to be on the list of those who are planning to move to a new home or considering buying a property as an investment in 2016.

Alabang, Muntinlupa

It’s hard to believe that Alabang was once just a farming district as it has one of the most thriving commercial centers in the metro, with the construction of Filinvest City and Alabang Commercial Center. An ideal place for young professionals, Alabang is close to the offices located at Madrigal Business Park and Filinvest City, while up-and-coming townships such as Alabang West and South Park District will establish the area as a legitimate real estate hotspot.

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In anticipation of the 2016 national elections, real estate website Lamudi Philippines (www.lamudi.com.ph) enumerates the accomplishments of the five candidates for president—Mar Roxas III, Grace Poe-Llamanzares, Rodrigo Duterte, Jejomar Binay Jr., and Miriam Defensor Santiago—that have somehow affected the real estate industry.

Mar A. Roxas III

Former congressman and senator and 2010 vice-presidential candidate Mar A. Roxas may not have pushed pieces of legislation directly related to real estate, but he did author two that in way benefited the industry.

One is Republic Act 8748, which is an amendment to the Special Economic Zone Act. In this amendment, although establishments operating within these eco-zones are exempted from paying taxes, they are required to remit 5 percent of their gross income earned: 3 percent to the national government and 2 percent directly to the treasurer’s office of the city or municipality where the eco-zone is located.

In addition, this piece of legislation also called for providing for disturbance compensation for residents who were displaced or evicted to give way for the construction of these eco-zones.

Another important piece of legislation Roxas authored is Republic Act 8756, which calls for giving incentives to multinational companies who establish regional headquarters in the country. Among the incentives include issuance of multiple-entry visas to the foreign employees and immediate family members of said companies, a fixed withholding tax on compensation of 15 percent, and exemption on value-added tax, among others.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"The Miss Universe crown has been very elusive for the past 42 years and finally we really have it now in represent of Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach. Presenting to you the third Filipina to ever won Miss Universe. Indeed, We are Confidently beautiful with the heart." - Mark Joseph Abang Llido

"All I can say about the Steve Harvey fiasco in the Miss Universe event is... Wow! (In a positive way). The guy is totally a pro. As a speaker myself, the way he handled the situation was applaudable. He Kept his cool, manned up, owned the mistake, showed empathy, told the audience to blame him and not the two remaining contestants, and moved away from the spotlight. Everyone makes mistakes, but It's what you do with those mistakes that matter.: - Jayson Lo

"Miss Philippines could have laughed hysterically or stretched out her hands and shouted "Yes! Yes! Yes!!" or she could have grabbed the crown and said, "Akin yan!" But she waited patiently as the organizers tried to clear the confusion, and kept a respectful distance from Miss Colombia, and put her personal jubilation under control. Her grace and magnanimity in victory allowed her to feel complete sympathy for a humiliated colleague. Love it! Filipino virtue on full display for all the universe to see!" -Robby Tantingco

Online Registration for JR. NBA/JR. WNBA Philippines 2016 Starts December 21

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WHAT: Online registration for the Coaches Clinics, Open Clinics, and School Clinics of Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines 2016 presented by Alaska

WHO: The basketball program is open to all male and female basketball players aged 10 to 14 (born from January 1, 2002 to December 31, 2006).

The Coaches Clinic is open to all school coaches and those who are coaching junior players in the elementary and high school levels.

WHEN: December 21, 2015

HOW: Interested players must log on to www.jrnba.asia/philippines and click on Open Clinic Registration to sign up.

Coaches who want to join the Coaches Clinic should click on

Coach Clinic Registration.

Coaches and participants must fill up all requested information in the form and upon completion, print out a copy and save the file. The printed copy of the accomplished form must be brought to the registration area at the Coaches Clinics, Open Clinics, or School Clinics.

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Does it seem like a chore to shop for gifts especially during the Christmas Season? Looking for something new and fresh especially for those people who seem to have everything. Give them these superb and delicious Gumbo Muffins! Made only from the highest and quality ingredients, they’re perfect for gifts, potluck or even family gatherings for Noche Buena and Medya Noche.

Available at all Gumbo branches at SM Mall of Asia (5560238), The Block 442-0106, Mega Atrium (6353015), Robinsons Manila Midtown (5671820), Gateway Mall (440-4632) and Robinsons Magnolia (7209632) for take out or pick up only, these muffins comes in a box of 6 for P150.00 and box of 12 for only P275.00. Please order 2-3 days in advance to ensure quality and freshness of your muffins.

Also, try these these sumptuous and mouth-watering dishes at Gumbo such as Seafood Jambalaya, Bayou’s Stuffed Crabs, Shrimp Etouffe, Bourbon-Style Baby Back Ribs, Southern-Grilled Chicken Caesar, Cajun-Style Fried Chicken, Seafood Boil, Family Feast, among others for dine in or take out, perfect treat these holiday season!

Have A Cheesy Christmas At Burgoo!

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Imagine this luscious, heavenly, creamy cheesecake to be the centerpiece of your Noche Buena and Medya Noche table! Yes Burgoo American Bar and Restaurant is now selling your favorite Cheesecake in time for this Christmas season so the whole family can enjoy it at the comfort of their homes and also to giveaway to friends and loved ones.

Save as much as 20% discount for the whole cheesecake! It comes in two sizes: 8” Raspberry and Oreo Cheesecake priced at P1,800 while get 6” of these flavors for only P1,350. Other cheesecake varieties available are Black & White and Fudge Brownie Cheesecakes for P1,950 (8”) and P1,470 (6”). These impeccable and superior cheesecakes are made upon order only to ensure quality and freshness. Please order at least 3 days in advance at Burgoo Rockwell (8981815) to get these cheesecakes for take out or pick up only. However you can still coordinate at Burgoo Rockwell if you’ll like your cheesecake to be picked up at other branches located at Tomas Morato, The Podium, Gateway Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Robinsons Galleria, The Block, SM Marikina, Fairview Terraces by Ayala, SM Southmall, The District Imus, and Starmall Prima in Taguig.

Also don’t miss Burgoo’s sumptuous variety of appetizers to share, sandwich and burgers, soups and salads, stone-baked pizzas, delicious pasta, mouth-watering chicken and chops, seafood sensations, premium steaks and ribs, and other luscious desserts this Christmas celebrations. At Burgoo it’s always a family treat!

Miss Universe 2015: Congratulations to Miss Philippines

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Hosted by Steve Harvey and Roselyn Perez, the 64th Miss Universe beauty pageant held at Planet Hollywood Resorts and Casino located in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 20 (December 21 in the Philippines) features 80 candidates from all over the world including Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach.

Miss Colombia Paulina Vega, Miss Universe 2014, passed the crown to one lucky girl today, and we want to ask all of you if you are in full agreement with the winning choice.

Miss Philippines is one of the most popular candidates, and always on the lead, based on online voting and as heard from the audience cheers. She may have asked for help from the Aldub fans so they can add numbers on the online voting, of which it seems Aldubnation is willing to participate, but needless to say she doesn't need too much convincing from the Filipino people as a whole. Why not, since we should all root for the Philippines, and she is a worthy and rightfully deserving candidate.

She looked truly charming in her swimsuit attire portion where every candidate was allowed to personally pick their choices to highlight their oozing looks, charm and voluptuousness.

The swimsuit attire definitely won Pia place at the Top 10. We were already convinced she will be among the Top 15, and is confident to see her at Top 5. Obviously, we wanted her so much as the grand winner.

Host Roselyn even commented that it seems the entire Philippines was there as the applause and cheers for Miss Philippines was always the loudest. She was consistently the highest at the online voting.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The demand for “Star Wars” porn flicks or parodies - such as “Sex Wars,” “Star Whores,” "Star Wars XXX" and “Star Babe,” have skyrocketed up to 500% ever since the Star Wars: The Force Awakens started releasing movie trailers.

It is not surprising since the geeks who grew up with the very first Star Wars movie are over 40. It is so easy to eroticise something they loved so much.

Just as how fans of comics, anime, action figures, and similar genres related to sci-fi, adventure, fantasy and so on have been fantasizing about scantily-clad and boobed-to-the-max characters and cosplayers, the attraction to all things Star Wars even to the extent of pornography is but natural, or so many of us would like to think. After all, you couldn't consider yourself a real fan if you would not embrace everything about the pop culture.

But is there really pleasure in seeing Princess Leia being fucked mightily on screen by both Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, or Darth Vader getting a blowjob from Princess Leia, and there's even a four-part "Star Wars" gayporn parody.

MMFF 2015: The 41st Metro Manila Film Festival Entries

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The eight entries of the 41st Metro Manila Film Festival: Beauty and the Bestie, All You Need is Pag-ibig, Haunted Mansion, Honor Thy Father, My Bebe Love ‪#‎KiligPaMore‬, Nilalang, ‪#‎WalangForever‬ and Buy Now, Die Later.

What can I say?

I will tell you after the 25th.

It's time we reserve our comments after we watch the movies. Don't even put out a word until you've seen them because movie trailers can be somewhat deceiving and you should not judge a movie based on who are the actors and actresses.

So hang on until we've seen the movies and we'll share what we really think about them.

For real.

Pro-Friends Holds Gift-Giving for Lancaster New City Cavite Homeowners

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Happiness grows exponentially especially when people remember the special days and expresses them through many ways possible. Even small things are appreciated because we firmly believe that it is the thought that counts and we fully cherish moments when we get special treats from friends and families during the holiday season.

This year seems to be a good one for Lancaster New City Cavite as it now holds Christmas Light Shows and Yuletide Bazaars for all the weekends of December. The Simbang Gabi at the Church of the Holy Family is now extra special as they also recently welcomed a new priest namely Rev. Fr. Engelbert Bagcas, the new Chapel Administrator of the said church.

As Property Company of Friends, or more popularly known as Pro-Friends, builds a place where homeowners can live, learn, work, play and pray as a community that is more united socially and spiritually, it never forgets to hold special activities to the delight of its residents.

Lancaster New City is THE FAMILY-FRIENDLY CITY. It is PRO-FRIENDS’ flagship project that spans to more than 1,400 hectares, covering Imus, Kawit, and Gen. Trias.
We recently witnessed a gift-giving activity held on December 19, 2015 at Leighton Hall located at Lancaster New City Cavite where lucky residents were able to receive gifts in the form of toys in partnership with Toy Kingdom from the Pro-Friends management team. This was one of the regular activities held by Pro-Friends for the benefit of their homeowners as added incentives for those who made Lancaster New City Cavite their new homes. There will be another one scheduled on November 22, 2015.

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Congratulations to Pismo Digital Lifestyle for opening another branch at Le Grand 3 Eastwood. A grand launch was held on December 18, 2015 at the branch itself where some of the products they carry were featured such as the flying drones, instant cameras, gadget accessories, hoverboards, etc.

Pismo Digital is a concept store featuring the best and latest range of tech gadgets including mobiles, cameras, audio, bags, and accessories. They are an exclusive and authorized reseller of well-known brands such as Parrot, GoPro, Segway, Bowers and Wilkins, Fujifilm, Belkin, Polaroid, Otter and many more.

It prides itself for being an 'experiential" lifestyle concept store where buyers can actually use most of the products on display as there are demo units that can be used by customers. A great way to experience on first-hand the products before considering purchasing. There are also product professionals that are knowledgeable about the producte so they can answer all your technical inquiries.

The concept store has products from many well-established brands worldwide that appreciate design, virtuosity and technology. People can play, tinker and hold various gadgets here so they would fully appreciate what the products have to offer.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Yeah, I think I guessed it right. Tapella is probably a playful combination of the words "tapa" and "paella" to indicate the specialties in the Spanish restaurant. But I forgot to confirm that with the chef because the food he served was more than enough to convince me that the restaurant was more than just about those two dishes.

When you hear Chef Robert Spakowski's name, you'll immediately deduce that he is a foreigner, or one with a foreigner for a father, but many of us would expect that he would be mostly talking in fluent English with very distinctive accent. Thus many of us were surprised he was more comfortable speaking with us in the vernacular.

Hearing him speak in Tagalog definitely removed the intimidation. We felt more comfortable knowing we would be interviewing someone who could easily speak in our mother language. No more nosebleeds for us.

To be able to capture everything he will share to us, I've decided to make a video recording so I can share every bit of the discussion, and oh boy! how interesting his life story was. Hopping from one job to the next and some times going back to where he started. Sounds like the story of my life!

Environmental Youth Conference 2016

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The UP Society of Human Settlements Planners proudly brings to you the first Environmental Youth Conference 2016 (EYC 2016) with the theme: Empowering and Mobilizing Youth for a Climate Change-Resilient Philippines.

The Environmental Youth Conference 2016 is a 1-day conference where Filipino youth will learn more about Climate Change and the COP 21 agreement. The EYC, indeed, recognizes the importance of a youth-led climate movement and the substantial role of the youth in nation building and in promoting sustainable development.

With this, EYC will serve as an avenue where over 250 delegates from different from the different regions in the country can gather to discuss and share ways and ideas on how to mitigate and adapt to Climate Change. It will be held on January, 23 2016 at SMX Aura Convention Center, Taguig City, Philippines.

Apply now and be part of this national youth gathering! Application period is until December 30, 2015 (Application form: http://goo.gl/forms/BMN60o8fFE).

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Ara Vista Village, Picar Development’s township real estate project in General Trias, Cavite ushers in the Christmas season with a fun and festive holiday display at the village façade. Christmas lanterns and curtain lights adorn the entry way to Ara Vista Village, which glows glows with warm white and yellow lights at nightttime.

The ornamental, star-shaped Christmas adornment, the “parol” is uniquely Filipino. It symbolizes the victory of light over darkness and the Filipinos’ hope and goodwill evident not only during the Christmas season.

The Ara Vista Village holiday display is an annual tradition that residents look forward to during the most wonderful time of the year. Last year, Christmas trees greeted Ara Vista home owners also at the village façade. This year, the Ara Vista community will certainly feel the holiday spirit and the good vibes and bright cheer by appreciating the display of “parols” and curtain lights on their way to their holiday itineraries such as heading to the church within the enclave for the Misa de Gallo or “simbang gabi.”

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Sports and Recreational Training Arena, otherwise known as SPARTA, once again heralds another first in the field of sports-facility management in the country. Come 2016, it is set to open the first and only triathlon concept store named, Maximus Athlete's Shop Café, which caters to Multi-sport athletes such as cyclists, runners, swimmers, as well as coffee connoisseurs.

Owned by well-known triathlon Coach Andy Leuterio, Maximus will be a 280-square meter area, within the hectare-wide SPARTA facility, which will showcase different bikes, garments, equipment and accessories for Multi-sport athletes. Among the brands and products it will carry will be Lynskey titanium bicycles, Specialized bikes & accessories, Newton running shoes, Brooks running shoes, Muc-Off bike detailing supplies, CW-X compression gear, GoPro action cameras, Oakley eyewear, Knight composite racing wheels, Stages power meters, Kuat bike racks, Transition One apparel, TYR swimming gear, Swiftwick compression socks, Body Geometry FIT, among others.

Andy Leuterio says that he got sold with the concept when he toured the SPARTA facility a couple of months ago and envisioned the concept store, which he named after his son, Maximus.

He wanted a venue for Multi-sport athletes where they can buy their equipment, gear, accessories and get their bikes washed at the bike spa. Leuterio says, "While doing this, they can also have a sip of their specialty coffee as well at Maximus. We will be using Coffee Roasters specialty blends and single origin beans. After all, coffee and cycling go hand-in-hand."

Election 2016: Who's Your Bet for the Philippines?

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Are we still going to follow the method of choosing who easily comes into our heads as our choice for the coming 2016 elections?

We may not be aware of it, but the problem lies on this particular method of selection. We are taken over by who we perceive as popular and not really based on intellectual reasoning.

I can't blame you all because we really do not have enough access to credible data and most of the information we get out there are either fabricated or sponsored. If you research by Googling online, the results will be mostly articles or social media posts that could have been rigged to spread all over the Internet.

I hate to admit it, but character profiles ca easily be proliferated by hiring enough writers to fill up the social media or Internet networks. Never trust trending or viral posts because they can also be rigged to perpetuate erroneous information to either assassinate a person's character or otherwise promote aggressively so news about a person will be on page one of search results.

Thus, if we really want to put good men in position, it would take a lot of effort and convincing to people why we should research thoroughly on the better candidate. Choosing among the many presidentiables, vice-presidentiables, senatoriables, etc., and picking the name would sometimes end on who's the first ones on the top of our minds, so if a name is new and lacks the machinery to advertise himself, he tends to be the last choice even though he is well-deserving than the rest. The worst situation is people may not know him at all, so he ends up with very little votes.There are a lot of great men out there only to lose against celebrities or the rich fellow candidates or opponents.

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Smartphones have transitioned from being merely a communication device to an all-in-one mobile technology that complements the lifestyle of different people. While functionality and simplicity are often considered by mobile phone users, a new factor comes in: how the phone feels in the hand of the user.

Back in 2010, consumers believed that a 3.5-inch screen best meets their expectations of having a handy phone that easily slips into their pockets. Five years later, the norm has changed—most mobile phone users opt for smartphones that fall under the five-inch category to get the overall experience of a tablet and a mobile device in one handset.

“Since the trend of owning a five-inch phone boomed in 2015, most mobile phone manufacturers now lean towards developing products that may be classified under that category. However, some of them are missing out on the rather more important considerations in an attempt to ride with the wave,” said Michael Chen, Deputy General Manager & Product Strategy Director of Mobile Internet Group, TCL Communication. “The thing is, consumers are looking for both functionality and sophistication in one mobile device, and that’s just what we’re going to offer.”

Alcatel Flash, one of the leading mobile phone developers in Asia Pacific, launches its Flash 2 phone to offer an ergonomically designed smartphone that fits perfectly in the user’s hand. According to Michael Chen, the new flagship phone offers a perfect feel in the hand due to its remarkable workmanship.

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The Department of Transportation and Communications’ (DOTC) first Public-Private Partnership Project, the Contactless Automated Fare Collection System (AFCS), has reached Full Systems Acceptance (FSA), marking the end of the trial period.

“We have reached another milestone through the rollout of a modern, unified ticketing system. We have been informed that we are the fastest in the world to achieve FSA, which means the system passed the standards and requirements we have set. This is certainly the fruit of the hard work of DOTC, LRTA and MRT-3 personnel, in coordination with AF Payments, Inc. (AFPI).” said DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya.

“Furthermore, we are the only ones with an AFC System wherein the government is paid instead of us paying a subsidy. We are proud of this achievement.” added Abaya.

The tap-and-go ticketing scheme was made available as early as July for LRT-2, August for LRT-1 and October for MRT-3. The limited public trial aimed to address glitches in the system including the contactless beep card, station computers, gates and vending machines.

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Home Credit Philippines, a consumer finance company, announces the results of its Study on Filipino consumer’s Christmas gift-giving behavior and preferences. The survey was held during the last week of November with 336 respondents (168 males and 168 females). More respondents preferred to give and get Gadgets this Christmas.

Twenty-four percent of the total respondents plan to buy gadgets as Christmas gifts for their family. Clothes & Accessories came in at second with a 23% share, followed by Food & Drinks (13%).

If you are expecting a gift from a male family member, it is more likely that you’ll receive a gadget: study showed that 30% of male respondents put the item as their top planned gift; but there’s also a chance that you’ll get Clothes & Accessories (20%) or Food & Drinks (13%). On the other hand, you may expect Clothes & Accessories from female family members: 26% of the female respondents said that they are looking to give out this item; Gadgets only accounted for 18% and Food & Drinks had 15%.

Likewise, more respondents (24%) are looking to get Gadgets for themselves this Christmas. Eight percent of them are wishing for Clothes & Accessories and 6% had a desire for a Car. Interestingly, the survey results showed that consumers are almost twice more likely to get Gadgets for themselves now compared to ten years ago.