2015-10-25 ~ Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Say I Do to Bridestory

Wazzup Pilipinas!

A Southeast Asian company is taking the wedding industry by storm. Using technology to their advantage, Bridestory connects wedding professionals to couples across the globe in the most convenient way possible. It is the leading wedding marketplace in the region.

“Wedding vendors are very good at what they do, however, not all of them can market their brands in an appropriate way, which is an important factor for success. Bridestory is here to solve that problem,” said Kevin Mintaraga, Chief Executive Officer of Bridestory.

The platform works both as an inspiration site and a directory of wedding professionals. Through Bridestory, couples can get inspirations from a catalogue of works accomplished by professionals. Bridestory also enables wedding professionals to expand their reach by providing an avenue for couples around the world to contact them easily.

After launching in January 2014, Bridestory has garnered the trust of couples and vendors in its home country, Indonesia, as well as from neighbours such as Singapore and Australia.

Over 15,000 vendors from 39 countries, including 12,000 hailing from the Southeast Asian region, are doing business with the help of Bridestory. Vendors are categorized based on their expertise, be it dress and attire or photography, among others.

Bridestory already has 200 local vendors shortly after launching their Philippine website (www.bridestory.com.ph) last August.

Acer and WD Bring BYOC to WD’s My Cloud NAS Series

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Acer, the world’s fourth largest personal computer company and a private cloud solution provider, and WD, a world leader in storage solutions, today announced that WD’s My Cloud NAS is now part of Acer’s BYOC™ (Build Your Own Cloud) ecosystem. Available immediately, Acer BYOC™ users can seamlessly access files on their My Cloud NAS from their PC or mobile device anywhere – using Acer’s abFiles app.

"We are excited to welcome WD to the BYOC ecosystem," said Maverick Shih, President, BYOC Business Group, Acer. "The availability of abFiles for the My Cloud platform allows our joint customers to enjoy seamless file management across their personal devices, with all of their files always at their fingertips, regardless of whether the file is on their PC or their NAS drive.”

“We are delighted to be partnering with Acer to the benefit of our mutual customers,” said Sven Rathjen, VP and GM of Network Content Solutions for WD. “Now our customers can find abFiles on the My Cloud app center to download for free, and incorporate their My Cloud into Acer’s BYOC ecosystem.”

Wazzup Pilipinas!

WD, a Western Digital company, today introduced the My Book Pro storage device, providing professionals and enthusiasts who must efficiently manage large amounts of digital content with up to 435 MB/s transfer rates on WD’s fastest external storage solution yet.

With capacity options including 6 TB, 8 TB, 10 TB and 12 TB[1], the power of two 7200 RPM WD drives with Intel’s Thunderbolt™ 2 technology and a hot-swappable hardware RAID controller, the My Book Pro device enables creative professionals and enthusiasts alike to focus on what they love doing by significantly cutting the time to transfer large videos, photos and audio files.

“The My Book Pro device has been designed from the ground up for the creative professional workflow. We’ve been able to take the newest, highest capacity 6 TB 7200 RPM drives on the market and marry them with leading technologies to deliver a product you can leverage from the moment you connect it.” said Sven Rathjen, vice president of marketing for WD’s Content Solutions business. “It really is designed to perform under the most demanding environments.”

Designed for professional content creators who need performance and capacity, My Book Pro storage combines the power of dual 20 Gb/s Thunderbolt 2 ports, USB 3.0 compatibility, the peace-of-mind of hardware RAID and the speed of two 7200 RPM WD drives to accelerate creative workflows. With the convenience of two front-access USB ports and the ability to daisy chain up to six Thunderbolt devices, users are able to charge and sync smartphones, tablets or cameras while simultaneously connecting 4K monitors or additional storage devices.

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GMA Eleksyon 2016 is on Viber. Viber, the leading messaging app in the country, signs up as a partner of GMA 7’s extensive election coverage of GMA Eleksyon 2016 news as the national elections unfold, serving as its mobile-friendly communications portal.

Partners recently gathered at GMA Network in Kamuning to sign a Memorandum of Understanding. GMA Chairman and CEO Felipe L. Gozon and COMELEC Chairman Atty. Andres D. Bautista were both present, as well as a number of partner organization representatives.

Joining forces with GMA Network for Eleksyon 2016 are partners from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC); PLDT-Smart Communications; Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI); Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ); Inquirer.net; Catholic Media Network (CMN); Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV); and National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL).

Completing the Eleksyon 2016 partners are University of the Philippines (UP); Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP); Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU); De La Salle University (DLSU); University of Santo Tomas (UST); AMA Education System; Waze; Viber; Youth Vote Philippines; Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP); Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands (CCPI); and the Philippine Bar Association (PBA).

With the said partnership, Eleksyon 2016 seeks to deliver a more efficient, in-depth, and credible coverage of the upcoming presidential elections—no less than what the public deserves. To keep up to date about the latest news on Eleksyon 2016, follow the GMA News team as they share their stories on the GMA News Public Chat at viber.com/gmanews.

Wilder Wildlife on Animal Planet

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See wildlife like never before in these exciting new series from Animal Planet!

Penguins on a Plane: Great Animal Moves

Every day, thousands of different animals are being moved around the globe on our roads, ferries, and planes. But flying a flock of Gentoo penguins all the way from New Zealand to Birmingham’s National Sea Life Centre requires a high-tech, custom-built transport crate costing £40,000. With refrigeration, air filtering and even seatbelts, the ‘penguin hotel’ must keep the birds in peak physical condition during their 12,500 mile journey.

Watch Penguins On A Plane: Great Animal Moves. The show premiered last October 26 and will air Mondays at 9pm. Follow the expert handlers entrusted with transporting some of the world’s most precious and challenging cargo safely to their destinations.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With an increased number of travelers expected in the coming days due to the yearly observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has activated Oplan Ligtas Biyahe: Undas 2015 to ensure the safety and reliability of various modes of transport.

The Oplan anticipates peak period to run from October 30 (Friday) until November 2 (Monday). The DOTC has mandated all its attached agencies to implement 24/7 operations of their action centers in order to attend to passenger concerns. Additional security personnel and K9 units will be deployed at bus terminals, airports, and ports. First aid and help desks will also be put up, as well as charging stations and additional seats.

Inspections of Bus Terminals, Random Testing of Drivers

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) will issue special permits for buses in order to meet the expected boost in passenger demand. Along with the Land Transportation Office (LTO), it has begun conducting inspections at transport terminals to ensure all operating public utility buses (PUBs) meet roadworthiness requirements. At the same time, random drug and alcohol testing will be done to ensure that drivers are not under the influence while conveying passengers from one point to another.

The Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) reminds expressway operators to strictly implement traffic rules and regulations, especially the speed limit, in order to avoid any untoward incidents. Toll operators will deploy roving teams for fast response to any needs of motorists.

TLC Festival Comes to the Philippines!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 21, as TLC – Asia Pacific’s leading travel and lifestyle channel – brings its TLC Festival to the Philippines for the first time! From 11:00 a.m., grab your picnic mats and head on down to Bonifacio High Street, for an enjoyable day out with family and friends. There’s lots of fun to be had, with appearances and activities led by TLC’s slate of personalities.

Fans of the bubbly Janet Hsieh will be able to meet the Taiwanese beauty at the festival. Janet, who is the host of TLC’s Fun Taiwan franchise, tied the knot recently. Follow her wedding journey on three episodes of Fun Taiwan All-Stars: Wedding Special, which captures some of the magical moments of her big day – in Antarctica, no less! Premieres every Tuesday at 10:00 p.m on TLC, beginning November 24.

Catch the affable Tom and Henry Herbert from TLC’s The Fabulous Baker Brothers, in their stage segment – you might pick up a few tips from these two blokes! Episodes of The Fabulous Baker Brothers encore daily at 6:00 p.m. from November 16-20 on TLC.

Erwan Heussaff is the latest face on TLC. The restauranteur and popular food blogger has amassed a legion of fans, who will undoubtedly be thrilled to meet him in the flesh and watch him demonstrate some easy-to-do recipes. As TLC Southeast Asia’s brand ambassador, Erwan is featured in a series of four vignettes called Food Fix with Erwan Heussaff. The vignettes show Erwan whipping up some of his delicious yet guilt-free dishes such as ‘Crab Fat Pasta with Scallops, Peas and Spaghetti’ and ‘Thai Style Marinated Lollipop Chicken with Peanut Sambal Sauce’.

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The Children’s Museum and Library, Incorporated is a youth leadership organization that promotes the welfare, development, and empowerment of the Filipino youth through its conventions, competitions, seminars, and tournaments. As it celebrates its 58th year, CMLI aims to help realize the opportunities that the ASEAN integration will bring to the country and the vital role of the country’s youth as it happens.

With the theme, “CMLI and the Filipino Youth: Trailblazing a Filipino Identity in the Global Society”, the 57TH Annual National Convention of Junior Members and Teacher-Advisers will be held at Teachers’ Camp, Baguio City from November 4, 2015 – November 8, 2015. Considered the organization’s flagship project, the convention will gather over 1000 high school delegates and teachers nationwide (from both public and private schools) to empower them through leadership training, talent development, social awareness, and national friendship.

The commission discussions, handled by trained youth facilitators from CMLI’s Junior Council-National Executive Board and Junior Council Alumni Association, will be the avenue for the delegates to tackle the convention’s theme in a more interactive manner. Delegates are randomly assigned to commissions to maximize their interaction with their co-delegates from all over the country.

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Noong Biyernes, Oktubre 23, lumabas ang message na ito sa social media site na Twitter:

‏@LTFRB_Chairman- Breaking News: LTFRB denies U-HOP's application as Transportation Network Company (TNC).

Kakabit ng tweet ang dokumentong nakikita dito.

Makalipas ang ilang minuto, naglabas naman ng clarification o paglilinaw si Atty. Ariel Inton, LTFRB Board Member at isa sa pumirma sa naturang memorandum. Narito ang pahayag ni Atty. Inton:

STATEMENT FROM ATTY. ARIEL INTON BOARD MEMBER, LTFRB

"I dont know of any decision denyhng uhops application to be accredted as tnc. What the board en banc did was to write a memo to sec abaya saying that under the existing dept order and memo circular uhop cannot qualify asa tnc. And there is a need to come out w a new denomination as a shuttle app base transpo service. A memo to the dotc sec is not a board decisiön. hence there is no decision yet on uhop aplcation"

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We kept our blog name as WazzupPilipinas.com since its birth on March 2013 and has never changed it because we believe that "a name, whether it has similarities with existing individuals, groups or any other entities, will not be a real burden. Because if you are truly and greatly significant, people will surely notice the difference."

However, for our group name, we decided to change it to avoid the confusion with the blog site. They should be two different entities that are co-existing with each other but of different composition.

Using "Bloggers ng Pilipinas" is a lot better because it directly states that we are bloggers of the Philippines.

Again, our group name may have a similarity with another group, but just like what we did to our blog site when we realized after a while that is has an almost identical name, the group will again rise above the traditional groups of bloggers.

There is another anonymous individual hiding behind the name of "Bloggers Pulis" who is reacting to the group name of "Bloggers ng Pilipinas" and "Wazzup Pilipinas" saying we could not think of a better name and would always come up with names that are somewhat similar to existing ones.

Apparently, the person behind the name of Bloggers Pulis revealed that a member of our group was the one who told her about the name similarities, and he or she warned us that there is evil within our very own group.

It was not surprising since most of us are also members of other groups so there really is no loyalty among members. What should be prominently known is that the Bloggers ng Pilipinas group is not like the other groups in many ways.

Battle of the Blogs: Breaking the Booboo Barriers or Becoming Boastful Blunders

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"This is why we left them... though they keep saying they kicked us out...hehehe...Well, everyone should know that they are just after the views and are not really concerned about the welfare of their readers. They are wasting their influence by dumbing the masses and feeding us with ludicrous content. It's all about the views, hits, impressions, etc. for them." - Ross Del Rosario (reacting to status post on Facebook)

Yes, some of the editorial team of Wazzup Pilipinas were once connected with When In Manila as correspondents/writers/contributors/etc. Through the leadership of our founder, Ross Del Rosario, we decided to eventually leave the so called "metro guide" because it is not functioning in the role that it blatantly advertises.

As online influencers, we have the responsibility to make sure we are sharing substantial content regardless if it's a trending or viral topic. We don't publish articles that aim to "chase pageviews" and only push stories we deem are within the boundaries of self-respect and appropriateness.

Though there's a lot that we have to thank When In Manila for. They took us in when we were still newbies in the blogging community, and were only sharing personal thoughts with our personal blogs. It is through them that we got known by other PRs, event organizers, brands and companies. We are grateful that through them we consequently met people who eventually became our partners and supporters who encouraged us to setup our own community blog.

It was three years ago that we were called When In Manila's finest story tellers. The photo below was for a special photo shoot where only a few selected writers of When In Manila were invited.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The best bonus of the night after a sumptuous buffet dinner at Seasons restaurant of the Waterfront Pavilion Hotel was the overnight staycation where we were given two rooms: one for my wife and me, and another one for the kids.

The Waterfront Pavilion Hotel is quite familiar to me since I used to work at the Philamlife building just opposite it along the United Nations avenue. Formerly a Training Officer for Philamlife, I often pass by the hotel every time I report for work but I've never been inside it.

Now, I get to see the insides of the hotel for the very first time. They say a lot of changes has probably happened already after all those years since it was way back several years ago.

After an invitation to try out the new Italian buffet dinner they dubbed as "Friday Night, a Taste of Tuscany Dinner Buffet" held on October 23, 2015, we get to spend the night at the hotel itself. This was an amazing treat as this was the first time there was an overnight stay after a buffet review.

After checking in, the hotel staff escorted us on our way up to the 21st floor. It was called the Ambassadors Club floor where they had a lounge where they took us for the processing of our room registration. Now that is a lot more convenient instead of having us do it down at the reception area.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We might as well begin a "pampering" series on our site since many have been generously inviting us to participate in what we may call opportunities to indulge on the best things that life has to offer.

An invitation came a few days after we've arranged a makeover day for me and my wife at one of the most popular salons in the country. It was so amazing that the make-over day was followed by an exciting Italian dinner buffet coupled with an overnight stay at one of Manila's finest hotels located in Manila somewhere at the United Nation street just fronting the Philamlife building where I used to report for work.

Waterfront Pavilion Hotel’s lifestyle restaurant, Seasons, welcomes the start of the holiday season with its first themed dinner buffet every Friday night they dubbed as Friday Night, A Taste of Tuscany Dinner Buffet starting October 23 from 6 to 10 pm. A festive selection of Italian dishes exclusively prepared by a naturally born Italian himself, executive chef Giovanni Sias and his award-winning culinary team.

Since the event was scheduled on a Friday night, we were all coming in from either work or school, thus leaving our Pasig residence at around 6 pm meant we were about to endure a long travel time going to Manila. It took us two hours to reach Manila because of the terrible traffic situation. But since the buffet was until 10 pm, we still made it before it closed down for the night.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We need to reward ourselves every now and then for a job well done. We are happy to announce that your Pambansang Blog ng Pilipinas, WazzupPilipinas.com, has been well accepted as the preferred media partner and brand ambassador of many events and brands. They trust us to get real attention from potential customers who are readers of the Wazzup Pilipinas site. They know that the followers of our site are the right people to reach for their products and services promotional campaigns. There may be other sites that boast of a bigger audience, but most of their readers are mainly there for something else rather than eventually becoming customers of their brand.

Thus, we were fortunate enough to get the chance to collaborate with David's Salon, the biggest chain of salons in the Philippines, for a chance to try out their services so we can write about our pampering experience at their salon. We met David himself at one event where we were also invited as media partner so it was a meeting that led to the opportunity for a makeover session for me and my wife. We considered it as a reward for our efforts in managing the WazzupPilipinas.com site and social media accounts. It has been up for only less than three years yet it has achieved phenomenal success with so many partnerships and awards that we now introduce ourselves as the fast-rising and multi-awarded blog site of the Philippines.

My wife was so eager to visit the salon when we finally arranged our confirmed schedule with David's Salon Marketing Manager Lotte Villarosa. Since my wife and I were both busy with other obligations, finding a schedule during weekdays was quite hard. The salon could only accommodate us during weekdays since weekends are usually busy as well for them. Thus, we end up choosing a Thursday for the much-awaited make-over at David's Salon, one of the most popular salons in the Philippines frequented by many equally popular personalities of the Philippines.

Our preferred branch was the one at SM Megamall located in Ortigas Center, Pasig. They actually have two branches there located at the 2nd and 5th floors of the mall. We were assigned at the 2nd floor where we were welcomed as VIPs.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Boracay island of Aklan is a well known tourist destination in the Philippines. Everyone has heard of its amazing beaches stretching from Station 1 to 3 populated by several bars and restaurants situated at its shores and highlighted by the iconic Willy's Rock at Station 2. It is so popular that a car brand also named the colors of one of its latest car models as Boracay Blue referring to the astounding blue waters of Boracay island.

We got invited to cover a four-day event at Boracay namely the "Geeks on a Beach" confab where startups and investors gathered together for the annual event which is now on its third run, The event is returning in Boracay where they first held the event. It seems the island is really a very attractive destination that many are using it as a prime motivator to attract participants and sponsors.

Of course, we need to keep connected while we are away on assignment, and need to have a trusted gadget with us to help us cover the event. Something reliable and efficient enough to use for our online browsing and checking of emails and social media accounts. Thus we brought with us the Ekotek Ekotab 3G tablet, and to match it with a power source just in case our batteries are drained due to a whole day events, was the Ekotek Ekopack Slim 6000mAh power bank.

Both gadgets were entirely useful so we can just leave our laptop back at the hotel and just use the Ekotab 3G tablet while we attended the many talks and presentations of the Geeks on a Beach speakers. The Ekopack Slim came in handy later in the afternoon after the tablet lost its juice. Instead of looking for a power outlet and using the recharging cables, we simply plugged in the Ekotab 3G on the Ekopack Slim when we got the low batt notice, and we continued to work without worries. They are the perfect matching gadgets for our everyday needs.

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#AldubEBTamangPanahon breaks Twitter record with 39 M tweets. They claim that it's purely organic tweets and not manipulated, fabricated or bought tweets, even surpassing the World Cup (35M) and Superbowl (28M), while #AldubEBForLove followed at fourth with 25 Million tweets.

The Philippine Arena was filled to the rim as the Eat Bulaga Kalyeserye accidental loveteam of Alden and Yaya Dub, otherwise known as Maine Mendoza, originating from from the Juan for All, All for Juan segment of the noontime show breaks the record for the 24 hour tweet due to its phenomenal "kilig" factor that Filipinos find quite entertaining and an effective past time especially for the lonely hearts who find "love that conquers time and distance" as the most viral and trending topic.

Tickets were reported sold out a few says before the event scheduled on October 24, 2015. We were all laughing at the radio booth of Radyo Inquirer while we hold our Vigattin Radio show thinking that the reason why some of our invited guests couldn't make it was because they were either at the Philippine Arena or at home watching the Tamang Panahon concert of Eat Bulaga.

Shocking it may seem but the couple really had that magnetic and charming personalities that drawn in the masses. The Philippine public can't get over the excitement of yesterday's event as the timeline of our social media accounts continues to be a prominent news feed.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

An erroneous tweet from LTFRB Chairman's Twitter account (LTFRB_Chairman) is causing confusion about the status of Filipino transport service provider U-Hop's accreditation.

The tweet was posted on October 23, at a time when we were enjoying our family staycation at one of the finest hotels in Manila. It directly says " Breaking News: LTFRB denies U-HOP's application as Transportation Network Company (TNC)." Though it meant to say the denial was only for the category of Transportation Network Company, people will misinterpret it as a denial for the company's accreditation. Clearly it is causing a lot of confusion for those who could not clearly discern the real meaning.

There was a tweet posted by the LTFRB Chairman Twitter account indicating that new Filipino-owned transport service provider U-Hop's accreditation was denied. However, if you read carefully the attached document on the tweet, it was not a decision but only aims to propose creating a new transport service category where U-Hop can fit. There is really no decision yet saying U-Hop was denied accreditation.

The suspicious fact about this tweet is why would the LTFRB Chairman, Atty. Winston Ginez, announce this on Twitter. To think that he highlighted it as a "BREAKING NEWS" with an obvious intent to get as many attention as possible. It is an urgent notification that he clearly wanted people to know the negative news about U-Hop. He should have the decency to inform U-Hop first to give them an opportunity to appeal for a reconsideration.

Is there something fishy about all of this? Could there be more meaning about the delay in approving U-Hop's application?