2015-07-26 ~ Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Saturday, August 1, 2015

TOPS and LRA Push for the Complete Implementation of e-Titling Program in PH

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The Land Registration Authority (LRA), and The Organization of Property Stakeholders, Inc. (TOPS), are strongly pushing for the complete conversion of all paper land titles to e-titles.

The digitization of land titles will foster much-improved ease of doing business in the property sector of the Philippines, one of the common and pressing concerns that the TOPS-LRA collaboration aims to absolve with the summit.

Property owners and top executives from various companies present in the recent TOPS-LRA Summit 2015 held at Fairmont Hotel on July 28 discussed the various threats and challenges the property sector may encounter in the next few years if titles have no digital copies.

According to TOPS President Michael Jansen Abella, investors should primarily do the basic but thorough checking before buying land. As for big land developers, one must diligently verify the history of the land titles from the beginning up to the present before purchasing the property. There are already thousands of cases of fake land titles and land grabbing that have been reported because of the ease with which unscrupulous persons can fake land titles and other documents related to property ownership.

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Environment and human rights organizations gathered in South Africa to identify links between sound chemicals management and human rights in a workshop conducted last July 21-23, 2015 in Pretoria, South Africa.

A workshop spearheaded by Philippine-based environmental justice group BAN Toxics (BT), Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and South African group groundwork highlighted the need to integrate human rights laws when implementing chemicals management policies and practices.

“To attain global sustainable development, it is essential to acknowledge the impact of pollution from industrial and agricultural chemicals to human health and the environment. It is important to understand the connection of these two issues and make it work for communities which are most affected by toxic pollution,” says Baskut Tuncak, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Hazardous Substances and Wastes.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) states that unintentional poisonings from inappropriate and excessive exposure to toxic chemicals kill an estimated 355,000 people globally each year, where two thirds of these deaths occur in developing countries.

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The average price to buy a Manhattan apartment hit a record US$1.87 million in the second quarter of this year - an 11 percent increase on the same period in 2014, according to a report from Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

As the price to buy real estate in New York City skyrockets, global property portal Lamudi looks at what the average Manhattan apartment is worth elsewhere in the world.

An island lot in the Philippines

Cost: 80,000,000 Philippine pesos (~$1.84 million)

Of course you could buy an apartment in Manhattan with that spare $1.87 million. Or, for roughly the same price, you could get 215,000 square feet of beach frontage in one of the Philippines’ best island destinations. Located in El Nido on the scenic island province of Palawan, the lot has two hectares of land and hotel villas right on the beach.

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Local cloud computing and data center services firm IPC (IP Converge Data Services, Inc.) has linked hands with non-profit Make-A-Wish Foundation Philippines to help uplift the lives of children with life-threatening illnesses.

IPC recently participated in Walk for Wishes, a one-day event which allowed individual and group sponsors to meet their beneficiaries. Held at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, IPC’s contingent of 20 volunteers joined Wish Kids in a 500-meter health walk. The event was capped with the granting of specific wishes.

“IPC’s participation allowed our employees to engage in an activity that benefits society. We are able to extend assistance to the children of Make-A-Wish, and at the same time we have set a culture of community involvement within our company,” said Jefrri-ann Santiago, IPC Human Resources Manager.

Walk for Wishes is one of the activities spearheaded by Make-A-Wish Foundation Philippines. The charitable organization benefits children three to 17 years old battling life-threatening diseases. Make-a-Wish’s primary focus is to grant wishes to enrich the human experience with hope, strength, and joy.

The photo above is Team IPC with Wish Kid Amie (fifth from left) at the finish line.

Casa Noble Tequilas and Contreau Orange Liqueurs Come Together to Create Your Perfect Margarita

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Many will be calling it the amalgamation of two great brands - Casa Noble organic tequila and Cointreau orange liqueur - to make ‪#‎YourPerfectMargarita‬.

Edwin Ong of Casa Noble and Joey Pineda of Cointreau represents the two brands as they come together to give us the perfect Margarita.

At a launch held at The Balcony of Todd English Hall on July 30, 2015, the formal announcement was made by Joey Pineda, Commercial Manager of the Cointreau brand. He is confident that the partnership brings forth the really perfect Margarita to satisfy everyone's preference.

Hosted by the charming Issa Litton, she gives everyone the assurance that the night will be filled with the best tasting Margarita especially that mixologist ...err... barman Lee Watson was there to show us how to make the perfect Margarita with a special concoction he demonstrated to everyone which contains 10 ingredients. He calls it "The Perfect 10."

Truly perfect to be able to learn from an expert as he also guided three of the attendees to find out who can create the best tasting Margarita. Congratulations to my fellow blogger for winning as per choice of Lee Watson.

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Southeast Asia’s leading online shopping and selling destination Lazada has launched its Seller Centre Android app to make selling on its marketplace platform even more effortless for brands and merchants across the region.

Since its launch in 2013, Lazada’s marketplace platform has reached almost 20,000 sellers which accounts for approximately 75% of Lazada’s overall sales in Southeast Asia.

The Seller Center is an online platform for marketplace sellers to manage inventory, pricing, promotions and orders. As an app, it packs all the important features designed for sellers to manage their business on-the-go.

“Lazada has become the one-stop retail gateway of choice for local and international sellers to enter and grow their business in Southeast Asia. With this Seller Centre Android app, our partners are equipped with an effortless selling tool that they can access anytime to maximize their sales,” said Maximilian Bittner, CEO, Lazada Group.

TOPS-LRA Summit 2015: Measuring Our Gains and Meeting the Challenges Ahead

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The 2nd TOPS-LRA Summit was held at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati City on July 28, 2015. The summit is a collaborative project of The Organization of Property Stakeholders Inc. (TOPS) and the Land Registration Authority (LRA).

With a theme of "Measuring Our Gains and Meeting the Challenges Ahead," the summit aspires to provide new solutions and strategies to future challenges that might slow down the development of the property sector in the country. Experts and leaders talked about climate change, geological hazards, E-titling, computerized land registration, BIR initiatives, the Uniform Loan And Mortgage Agreement (ULAMA) and the real estate industry’s contributions to the national economy.

Giving the welcome address was Michael Jansen Abella, President of TOPS while Atty Rodolfo "Rudy" Fernandez, Vice Presidnet of BPI Family Savings Bank, gave the summit overview. Atty. Carla Uykim, Senior Assistant Vice President of Megaworld Corporation introduced the Keynote Speaker in the morning who was Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), while Hon. Nestor A. Espenilla Jr., Deputy Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) was the keynote speaker in the afternoon.

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The YouthHack Manila Startup Challenge was held on July 25 & 26, 2015 at Xavier School in Greenhills, San Juan, with lots of big activities like workshops and keynote speeches from some of the big names in the startup industry, a youth-run startup fair, and a big competition for high school and university students.

YouthHack Founder David Ongchoco opens the Startup Challenge with his origin story. “It felt surreal for the 18 year-old who just graduated high school,” he says. Moved by hackathons, Ongchoco realized the potential of the youth to contribute to (and revolutionize) the intersecting worlds of technology and entrepreneurship. We made our own interview with the very young founder, as well as his core team mates, so go watch the video below and be inspired from their stories. Due to time limitations we will be posting first the interview with David, and we will soon post the second part where we also interviewed his core team.

We heard talks from Paul Rivera, CEO of Kalibrr; Donald Lim, Chief Digital Officer of ABS-CBN, Dennis Mendiola of Chikka; Pinky Natividad, venture capitalist and catalyst from Katalyst.ph; Mark Colentava, founder of Balanga Makerspace and Project Manager of CoinSaver, Roxi Lim of Kalibrr, design mastermind Brian Tenorio, and Uber’s Raymond Castillo.

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GQ WEST Inc. has entered into a partnership with Mazy's Marketing Corporation that allows the brand to utilize the Ariel detergent brand for its Laundrybest laundromat brand.

Under the agreement, the Laundrybest stores will use Ariel detergent while its franchisees will enjoy certain privileges like free delivery to their stores. The partnership with Mazy's Marketing Corporation, the exclusive distributor for institutionals is part of the company's efforts to give added value to their franchisees and to make every experience count to all its customers.

"Through this partnership we can assure our customers that their laundry will be processed with the utmost care, while our franchisees can reassure their customers thanks to our partnership with a credible brand like Ariel" says the company's President Carson Tan.

Laundrybest is the laundromat concept attached to the company's Aquabest water refilling franchise. At present there are 50 Laundrybest stores in Metro Manila with more set to open as the company seeks to capitalize on the booming property sector.

Vista Land Reaps Multiple Recognitions at Philippines Property Awards and Benefits from MCX Opening

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We would like to congratulate Vista Land, the country’s largest homebuilder, for winning numerous awards for its prestige brands – Brittany, Vista Malls, Vista Residences and Camella at the recently concluded Philippines Property Awards held last July 9, 2015 at the Fairmont Hotel, Makati.

Well deserving of the recognition, Vista Land takes pride in providing us with several choices to choose from when purchasing our new homes or investment opportunities.

As they build a place where life and beauty flourish side by side, Vista Land invites everyone to live with them at their future masterpiece of city development and the most expansive CBD in the south, the Vista City - a 1500 hectare located where Muntinlupa, Cavite, Las Pinas and Laguna meet. This is where business opportunities, culture, livabiloity, and innovation will merge in harmony.

We were recently invited last July 25 at the Evia Lifestyle Center, an impressive 5 hectare comercial and retail area along Daang Hari in Las Pinas, to witness a celebration for the recent awards. Brittany, the high-end luxury arm of Vista Land, garnered two major awards from the said event for its Amore at Portofino, an Italian-themed luxury residential property in Vista City. Amore was awarded Best Housing Development in Metro Manila and Best Housing Development in the Philippines for 2015 while Brittany’s Portofino was recognized with the same title last year.

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From the press conference held a few days ago, there are already certain places in Quezon City and Manila, namely Quezon City Memorial Circle, Quezon City Hall, PHILCOA, Social Security Sysyem, LTO in Quezon City, and Rizal Park) that has the free Internet sharing called Free Wi-Fi Internet in Public Places project (and dubbed as Juan Konek) of the government spearheaded by the Department of Science and Technology- Information and Communications Technology Office (DOST-ICTO). This was done to help the ICTO in assessing the system and make the necessary adjustment before they roll out the project on a larger scale.

The project was formally launched last July 24 during the 2015 National Science and Technology Week (NSTW)held at the SMX Convention Center Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay city from July 24 to 28 along with other project announcements and updates from mostly the government sector and their partners.

Senator Ralph Recto was the guest of honor in the launching of the free Wi-Fi project and was joined by DOST Secretary Mario Montejo, OST Usec Napoleon Casambre, and other personalities.

The increase in Internet connnectivity will jumpstart economic development by giving the people access to e-Commerce, e-Learning, and e-Government tools found online. The beneficiaries can engage in online jobs or selling to help them get decent income while allowing them to stay with their families. Even Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) will highly benefit from this project.

Asian Hospital and Medical Center Launches the Asian Cancer Institute

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Nobody likes to hear that they are infected with cancer. For many people, it means an eventual death. Not too many survive especially when the discovery was too late. Even if there was early diagnosis, no one can hide the suffering it brings to everyone including their family and loved ones for the possibility of dying from the disease is imminent. The depression brought about by financial difficulties and other sensitivities also further adds burden and pain to everyone aside from the victim.

It is thus best appreciated to step into a hospital that can offer its patients and families all the help they need to deal with the difficulties of the big C.

We are very fortunate that the Asian Hospital and Medical Center (AHMC) has finally opened a facility that will focus on cancer diagnosis and treatment. At a launch held last July 23, members of the media and other special guests witnessed the formal opening of the Asian Cancer Institute (ACI). The morning was dedicated to press conference where we got to meet and listen to the lead doctors that are part of the ACI team. Andres Licaros Jr,, President and CEO of AHMC, gave the welcome remarks while Dr. Corazon Ngelangel gave the keynote address. A question and answer took place immediately afterwards.

The afternoon was when the ribbon cutting ceremonies plus the unveiling of the ACI logo of which they explained the meaning. Department of Health (DOH) Usec. Vicente Belizario was the guest of honor who gave the keynote address. The facility was then blessed by a priests and cocktails was served after.

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33 Variations by Red Turnip Theater opened on July 24 and will run on weekends until August 23 at Whitespace, Makati. But as member of the media, we got the special privilege of watching it ahead of everyone else.

As always, I arrived ahead of everyone else too on the press preview night. I'm always the punctual blogger who would normally arrive an hour or more before the call time. Why? Because I hate coming in late and missing what happened at the start of every event. It's better to be early to avoid sudden traffic congestion or whatever unavoidable circumstances. There's also always something to look forward to when you come on time or earlier. Just as there are other rare opportunities when you leave last. May it be an opportunity to get an exclusive interview or to see how the stage is set before the start of the show.

I felt it was highly essential for me to watch this press preview because this will be the first time I will be watching a play from Red Turnip Theater. I always miss out on the opportunity due to so many obligations that I would just often assign correspondents to take my place. I would patronize theater shows more than mainstream movies because I believe it is at the theater where you would meet the real actors. The discipline involved in theater is so very different from the other. This makes it really a privilege to be invited to witness the performers as they do their thing live on stage. No take twos, ad-lib to keep the flow, work on each others' strengths, impress the audience with the passionate words and expressions, and the only special effects you'll get are from the lights and sounds, everything else is pure power of emotions from the theater actors and how they use the set to their advantage.

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Despite the condo boom happening in Metro Manila and other major cities across the Philippines, it seems that many Filipinos based in the United States still prefer to purchase houses.

This is according to latest data from global property portal Lamudi Philippines, which looked into the search behavior of online house-hunters from January to June 2015. According to the company, almost 8 million searches were conducted in the website during the time period, and 5.28 percent of that traffic comes from USA, a country with a significant Filipino population.

More than half (57.83 percent) of all these searches from U.S.-based property-hunters in Lamudi.com.ph were for houses, according to the company’s data. Condos are the second most searched property type, comprising 16.58 percent of all searches, followed by land/residential lots (13.64 percent), apartments (8.54 percent), and foreclosures (2.35 percent).

The city most Filipino-Americans are searching for is Quezon City, at 20.35 percent of all searches for the first half of 2015. Makati comes in second at 8.49 percent, then Manila at 5.33 percent. Interestingly, Tagaytay and Baguio are the fourth and fifth most searched cities by U.S.-based online property-hunters (5.10 and 4.91 percent, respectively), outranking other popular Metro Manila LGUs like Taguig, Pasig, and Mandaluyong.

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Riding on the success of 2014’s first high school hackathon, YouthHack Manila upped its game this year with Code Weekend, thirty-six hours of pure coding. The overnight event, held at Microsoft Philippines last July 11 and 12, drew close to one hundred students from various high schools and universities in the metro for workshops on coding, entrepreneurship, and the future of the technology industry in the country.

Unique among hackathons of its calibre, Code Weekend did not require its participants to already be familiar with coding languages. Seasoned coding veterans and aspiring programmers alike ended weekend run with an application of their own.

The first day kicked off with a session on the basics of web development by Mr. Mark Tarcelo, a computer science teacher at Philippine Science High School. Tarcelo introduced concepts and real-world examples in using HTML, CSS, and Bootstrap.

“If you want to understand how these new technologies are going to impact or maximize your life, you need to understand how these work, and how you can make your own contribution,” Tarcelo adds.

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Every great idea deserves a breakthrough.

What started out as a vision to empower and inspire the Filipino youth through leadership trainings, public speaking workshops, and motivational talks for Aspire Philippines’ Founders V Manalo and Raymond Rodis is now a reality.

Don’t miss out as Aspire Philippines officially breaks through the Metro with its grand launch party, Breakthrough, at The Lounge in Tomas Morato, Quezon City on July 31, 2015 from 9:00pm – 1:00am!

From free flowing drinks to freebies, finger food and other fun games and surprises, this much-awaited party is definitely worth the wait. Party with the cool kids and bright minds, and you’re definitely in for a treat!

In ASPIRE PH, we don’t just WORK HARD. We PARTY HARDER!

Register now at tinyurl.com/ASPIREBreakthrough

For inquiries, contact Vinz Bana at 09269007332

This event is also brought to by BREAKTHROUGH’s media sponsors: When in Manila, Adobo Magazine, WazzupPilipinas.com and Astig.

Gantimpala Theater Foundation Presents Kanser@35 the Musical

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Gantimpala Theater Foundation's 38th Season is mounting KANSER@35 THE MUSICAL

by Dr. Jose Rizal based from the novel Noli Me Tangere. Over the past seasons, KANSER has always been staged as a straight play and it is considered as the " longest running play in Philippine theater. For this year, it will be presented for the first time as a musical theater production.

At the press launch last July 14, 2015 at Dong Juan restaurant located at 72 Mother Ignacia Avenue, Quezon City, most of the cast and crew were present to give members of the media a glimpse of what to expect on the musical to be held on August 28 and 29 (9 am, 12 pm and 3 pm) at the AFP Theater of Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City. It will then be held at the Star Theater of Star City on September 4 (9 am, 12 pm and 3 pm), then Cinema 3 of SM Southmall on September 11 and 12 (11 am and 2 pm)

No less than Gantimpala Theater Foundation president Jun Pablo was there, along with its creative creative director Joel Lamangan. Of course, the director of Kanser@35 the Musical, Franniel Zamora was there to introduce all cast and production members who were able to be there. Publicist Toots Tolentino officiated the program.

The main and some supporting casts also rendered a few beautiful song numbers for the appreciation of the audience who were present at the media launch.

Preparing for the Big One: UP Mountaineers and Primer Group Join to Ready the Public for Disasters

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Primer Group, the country’s leading retailer and distributor of premium travel, outdoor, footwear, wellness and urban lifestyle consumer brands, and the UP Mountaineers Search and Rescue, together mounted a series of disaster preparedness talks held at the Recreational Outdoor Exchange (R.O.X) at the Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City. The series is part of Primer Group’s effort to help in disaster awareness.

The partnership came in the heels of a recent study done by the Phivolcs and the Japanese government about the probability of a major movement of the West Valley Fault. This fault line runs from San Del Monte in Bulacan to Calamba in Laguna. Any movement will immediately impact cities like Quezon City, Paranaque, Alabang, Marikina, Pasig, among others, and is expected to cause massive damage to the surrounding cities.

What’s more, Metro Manila will be hit hard because of the large concentration of people and property.

“When the UP Mountaineers Search and Rescue started, we were mostly focused on search and rescue operations in non-urban areas. It was only after the Ondoy incident that we realized the need to educate and prepare people in cities for disaster situations because we realized how vulnerable urbanites really are.” said Jom Daclan, executive member of the UP Mountaineers Search and Rescue. “Many city residents are not aware of what to do and how to prepare for a disaster.”

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Are you in dire need of a relaxing vacation yet you don’t know where to go? This August, find out stunning destinations, de-stressing activities, rich cultures and great food on the all-new series JOJO’S DIARY OF ASIA, premiering on August 3, airing Mondays at 10 p.m.

JOJO’S DIARY OF ASIA follows the unforgettable journey of TV host and travel enthusiast Jojo Struys as she uncovers the unique ways people can disconnect from stress in their daily lives while soaking up different cultures and learning how to make a diverse array of traditional Asian dishes. Follow Jojo as she immerses in the deeply cultural customs and delights in Japan, the breathtaking natural beauty of Nepal and the bustling metropolis of Hong Kong.

Unearth the multitude of ways you can de-stress - bathing elephants in the Himalayas, learning breathing techniques from a Zen Buddhist monk and wielding a samurai sword in Tokyo. Join her as she discovers the pampering secrets of these three wondrous countries in JOJO’S DIARY OF ASIA, airing this August on TLC.

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WD, a Western Digital company, and world leader in storage solutions, today introduced the new, redesigned My Passport Ultra portable hard drives and My Passport for Mac drives. With the My Passport line now in its 7th generation, the My Passport Ultra and My Passport for Mac portable hard drives are now available in capacities up to 3 TB and in four stylish colors - Classic Black, Brilliant White, Wild Berry and Noble Blue.

“With more photos being taken than ever before, it’s critical to have a high capacity, reliable external storage solution that you can carry everywhere,” said Tony Tate, general manager and vice president of Content Storage Solutions at WD. “The latest generation My Passport drives deliver an easier automatic back-up experience, hardware-based encryption for security and higher capacities than ever before.”

My Passport Ultra portable drives come in 3 TB, 2 TB, 1 TB and 500 GB capacities and feature 256-bit AES hardware encryption – delivering a high level of security with no impact to write-speed or CPU activity. If your My Passport Ultra falls into the wrong hands, the 256-bit AES hardware encryption protects users’ files, folders, photos, videos and music with a password known only to them. USB 3.0 compatibility provides fast data transfer rates of up to 5 gigabits per second, while being backwardly compatible with USB 2.0. My Passport for Mac portable drives are available in capacities of 3 TB, 2 TB, 1 TB and also feature 256-bit AES hardware encryption with USB 3.0 connectivity.

Galileo is 10 Years Old! Let’s Celebrate at the Galileo Fun Fair on October 27 and 28

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For 10 awesome years, the Galileo Enrichment Learning Program has been enriching 3-12 year olds, discovering and unleashing their amazing powers in Math, English and Singapore Math, nurturing them into academic achievers and overall wonderful kids. To celebrate 10 years of fun learning, we have lined up a series of special events. One of which was the recently concluded Singapore Math Learning Festival held at the AIM Conference Center in Makati City last July 4, 2015. It was attended by more than 300 teachers, educators, homeschool moms, and math enthusiasts. The event was a huge success.

On October 27 and 28, 2015, they will hold the Galileo Fun Fair at the Glorietta Activity Center, Ayala Commercial Center, Makati City. These 2-day festivities is not only open to the whole family but once again educators, math enthusiasts and school children will converge to celebrate with them. This 2-day event is a perfect fit for many business and marketing objectives, more importantly pursue a larger common aspiration to help uplift the standards of Philippine education.

One of the highlights is the launching of the “Math-alino ang Batang Pinoy Movement”, an advocacy that seeks to build a community of co-advocate partners from all sectors for the future of children’s education in the Philippines, most critically in the pre-school and primary levels. It aims to help raise public awareness and build support for the activities of Galileo and the Movement in promoting Math education, especially Singapore Math. There will also be lots of fun educational team games for the whole family, a forum on Child Development, and many more interactive sessions.

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The baseline prevalence of soil-transmitted helminthiasis is 66% among 1-5 years old (2004) and 65% among 6-14 years old (2003). In response, the Department of Health (DOH) implemented mass deworming beginning in 2006 as one of the strategies to control STH infections.

Deworming has been found to have significant impact on the improvement of children’s education and health. However, there is a continuous challenge in achieving the desired MDA coverage among eligible school-aged children nationwide. Yearly, reports fall below 85%.

To deworm approximately 16 million school-aged children enrolled in 38,659 public elementary schools in one (1) day through the National School Deworming Day (NSDD) initiative this coming 29 July 2015.

–The NSDD is a nationwide effort targeting all 5 to 12 years old (Kindergarten to Grade VI) children enrolled in public elementary schools.

–School-aged children enrolled in private schools and children who are not enrolled are encouraged to participate. They can inform the DepEd Regional Office regarding their willingness to participate and in turn, the DepEd Regional Office can refer them to the DOH Regional Office.

The drug (Albendazole) is safe, effective and teacher-assisted given as a single dose in chewable form.

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The Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Triple Threat Concert Series in cooperation with Talent Factory Inc. and Artist Playground proudly presents “ FULL RANGE ” –featuring noted composer JESSE LUCAS on August 20 8 p.m. at the CCP Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino.

Jesse Lucas is a multi-awarded composer of music for film, television, theater and dance. He studied composition at the University of the Philippines’ College of Music. Fine examples of his work have been adapted by some of the premiere theater and ballet groups of the country, namely: Tanghalang Pilipino of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Dulaang UP, Dramatis Personae, Gantimpala Theater Foundation, Ballet Philippines and the Philippine Ballet Theater. His awards include GAWAD URIAN, YOUNG CRITICS CIRCLE, STAR, FAMAS (Filipino Academy of Movie Arts and Science), GAWAD TANGLAW and ALIW. He won Best Music at the 2005 Screamfest International Film Festival in Los Angeles, California. In 2010, he was elevated to the FAMAS Hall of Fame for Best Music.

Directed by Floy Quintos, FULL RANGE will feature some of the music Jesse has written for theater, film, television and ballet. These are his collaborations with well respected artists like Gener A. Caringal, Paul Dumol, Ricky Gallardo, Chris Millado, Jose Jeffrey B Camanag, Dennis N. Marasigan, Jose Javier Reyes, Nonon Padilla, and Floy Quintos.

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In line with relations between the Philippines and Spain, the National Commission on Culture And Arts (NCCA) and Independent Philippine Art Ventures Inc. (IPAV) in cooperation with Alliance Francaise and Fairmont Hotel, proudly presents " SPANISH GUITAR NIGHT featuring FRANCISCO BERNIER, one of the world"s top classical guitarists in a one-night only concert at the Ayala Museum Lobby on Aug. 18 at 7:30 pm.

Special guest for the Manila concert is Adrik Cristobal, noted Filipino classic guitarist who is a Certificate of Music Graduate from the University of the Philippines College of Music under Lester Demetillo. He was a member of the UP Guitar Orchestra from 2010-2014 and performed with them around the Philippines and Bangkok. He also attended master classes with world renowned guitarists such as Shin-ichi Fukuda, Marco Tamayo, Aniello Desiderio, Judicaël Perroy, and many Others.

He is currently starting his studies at the Conservatorio Manuel Castillo de Sevilla with Prof. Francisco Bernier. And it is with great excitement that Adrik will be performing with his mentor for this concert.

A native of Seville, Spain, Francisco Bernier has forged a successful and prize-winning career throughout the years. His achievements led him to perform in over 37 countries around the globe, in prestigious venues such as the Salle Cortot and the Mogador Theatre in Paris, the Salle Corum in Montpellier, the Grand Theatre in Bordeaux, Oji Hall in Tokyo, the Kyoto Concert Hall, the Hermitage Museum of Saint Petersburg, Teatro Maestranza in Seville, Teatro Comunale in Alessandria, Merkin Hall in New York, Hall of the O.E.A (Organization of American States) in Washington D.C., and the Zellerbach Hall in San Francisco, to name a few.

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As a season offering to all schools, parents and children, Kids Acts Philippines proudly presents “ BEAUTY AND THE BEAST ” with script and lyrics by LUIGI NACARIO and music by EUGENE BELBIS which is adapted from the original book by Jeanne-Marie LePrince De Beaumont.

Beauty and the Beast is a tale of friendship and true love of a beautiful girl and a horrible beast. Their love story started when Beauty’s father gathered a rose in the beast’s garden who dearly treasured and value it beyond anything in the universe.

The Beast furiously attempted to kill Beauty’s father. He begged for his life, and he told Beast that he gathered it for one of his daughters who desired him to bring him one. The Beast decided to let him go in a condition that, he will let her daughter come to the palace willingly and stay with him as he desired. But if she refused to the idea, the merchant will go back to the palace to pay for his ungratefulness.

Beauty willingly, went to Beast’s palace to save her father’s life until one time Beast asked her to be his wife but she offered friendship instead of marrying him. Beast’s persistence softened her heart and discovered that the monster had a pure heart. He gave a magical looking glass to Beauty as a gift of gratitude which was her only way to see the outside world.

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Only four countries in Asia will qualify for the World Cup Finals in 2018 in Russia and Azkals manager Dan Palami called the Philippine national football team’s chances as “promising.”

Palami is hoping that “everything would fall in place” for the Philippine national football team to make it to the world’s largest international team sport competition.

“It’s a tall order for us to make the third round, especially with our group that includes some very strong teams. But the team (Azkals) got off to a good start with two wins and the performance was also very satisfying, so it’s really promising,” Palami said.

The Philippine Team, recently described by a FIFA.com article as "fast-progressing," beat Bahrain for the first time, 2-1, at the Philippine Sports Stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan, last June 11 then trounced Yemen, 2-0, on the road last June 16. It will face tough Uzbekistan on Sept. 8 at the Philippine Sports Stadium.

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FlipTrip.ph, an online travel platform that enables itinerary customization and booking for off the beaten path destinations in the Philippines. is giving you the most soulful and inspiring weekend of the year!

This is because FlipTrip.ph believes in curated and meaningful trips that make a traveller really experience a place. Find your tours, accommodations, and transportation, pick what you want and need, then book it all in one go! They are currently serving Zambales, Manila, Tarlac, Aurora, Bulacan, Pangasinan, Cagayan, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, and Albay.

In partnership with Smart Communications, Nescafe Ready to Drink, and Play FM 99.5, proudly present Sun & Soul 2015 which will be held on August 8 to 9, 2015 in Liwliwa, San Felipe, Zambales. This event is co-presented with The Circle Hostel; in cooperation with the local community of Liwliwa, Zambales. WazzupPilipinas.com is a media partner.

Interview with Dr. Niobe Thompson of The Great Human Odyssey

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This is an interview with Dr. Niobe Thompson of The Great Human Odyssey which will air on the 2nd of August, 8:00 p.m. on Discovery Channel.

Media: My question is about the Homo Sapiens, right, what was it about them that make them outlast (inaudible) before them, I mean, such the Neanderthals and all that, who were quite strong and you know, and very intelligent? So what was it about the Homo Sapiens that helped them evolved especially during that particular era in earth’s history which was very volatile?

Niobe Thompson: That’s a great question and we’ve been asking this for a long time already, and I wish I had a definitive answer.

I think that the mystery of our survival and the extinction of all of the human cousins is one of the things that keeps me coming back to, you know, the story of human evolution. I have a personal opinion, and that is that really it was our ability to work together.

Neanderthals and other human cousins closely related humans you could say were very intelligent, very resourceful. The Neanderthals survived for 10 times longer in Europe than humans have so far. So you know, these were formidable human-like creatures. But what none of them had was the ability to work together in a group. I don’t think that any human intel, modern humans, Homo Sapiens has had the ability to speak. I don’t think that Neanderthals or Denisovans or other forms of Homo Erectus had language.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

This August, MANILA SHAKESPEARE COMPANY revisits Verona as 21st century Manila in their inaugural production of ROMEO AND JULIET. At the helm once again is actor-cum-director, Nicanor Campos.

The production had a brief initial run in February and March of this year, playing to sold out houses every evening. Audiences were surprised and moved by the production's unique staging, subtle localization, and passionate ensemble performances.

Teatrino at the Promenade in Greenhills will house the rerun with most of the original cast intact. Bright Shakespearean newcomers Nelsito Gomez and Rachel Coates shall resume the center of the play, strongly supported by the likes of Meynard Peñalosa, Issa Litton, Katski Flores, Micko Yabut, and Jonas Gruet - among others.

Come, see this dynamic cast in action on August, 7, 8, 14, and 15 at 8:00 p.m.!

Tickets are available at all TicketWorld outlets. For more information, TEXT 0939-5969250 or EMAIL mnlshakesco@gmail.com.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Climate change, geological hazards, E-titling, computerized land registration, the Uniform Loan And Mortgage Agreement (ULAMA) and the real estate industry’s contributions to the national economy topbill the agenda for the 2nd TOPS-LRA Summit on Tuesday, July 28, 2015 at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati City.

The one-day event collaborative project of The Organization of Property Stakeholders Inc. (TOPS) and the Land Registration Authority (LRA), aspires to provide new solutions and strategies to future challenges that might slow down the development of the property sector in the country.

With the theme “Measuring Our Gains and Meeting the Challenges Ahead,” the summit will have experts and leaders such as Mr. Oscar Victor Lizardo of Project NOAH, Dr. Renato Solidum Jr. of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Atty. Darlene Berberabe of PAG-IBIG, Atty. Chito Cruz of the National Housing Authority and Atty. Tony Bernardo of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) as featured speakers and panel discussants. Keynote speaker in the morning will be Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority while Hon. Nestor A. Espenilla Jr., Deputy Governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas will be the keynote speaker in the afternoon.