2015-12-13 ~ Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Saturday, December 19, 2015

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.

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That well-known writing rule has taken on a different meaning for these established and budding Filipino authors and artists, as they proactively take on the fast-growing HIV epidemic with their words and images.

This year, the Philippines reported the highest number of HIV cases on a daily basis: 22 people testing positive–a huge jump from the 17 people in 2014. Since 1984 when the first HIV case was documented in the Philippines, the country has leapfrogged to 29,079 cases as of October 2015.

As a collaborative platform raising HIV and AIDS awareness via pop culture, pioneering HIV organization The Red Whistle has spearheaded various creative and productive collaborations to stop the rise of HIV here in the Philippines.

With its soon-to-be-launched folio, Red Letter Days, the organization brings together respected and up-and-coming voices in the art and literary scene to again bring discussions of HIV and AIDS, sex, and sexuality closer to young Filipinos.

“Through this folio, we were able to gather opinions and interpretations by respected voices from the art and literary community on HIV and AIDS, gender identity, sexual expression, and sexual health,” says Ronald Ramos, Red Letter Days folio editor, former president of the University of the Philippines’ Ugnayan ng Manunulat (UP Ugat), and fellow of the 1st Palihang Rogelio Sikat. “By bringing their thoughts together, we aspire to make discussions on HIV, sexual health and empowerment, as well as gender and equality, less taboo and more mainstream.”

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Recognizing the significance of promoting gender equality, the Department of Energy (DOE) presented in a Soft Launch the “Gender Toolkit for the Energy Sector” last December 10 in H20 Hotel in Manila.

Working together with the energy Gender and Development-Focal Point System (GAD-FPS) led by outgoing Energy Undersecretary Loreta G. Ayson, CESO I, the Philippine Commission on Women, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the DOE aims to provide a set of guides and reference materials to its internal units, attached agencies, and other offices and organizations in the sector on how to make their operations and programs more aware of, and responsive to the gender concerns of their clients.

Energy Secretary Zenaida Y. Monsada said in a message delivered by OIC-Asst. Secretary Patrick T. Aquino that “Balancing the gender fulcrum requires complementing initiatives from both genders,” emphasizing that the toolkit will bring both genders together and bridge the gap caused by gender disparity and difference in the energy sector.

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Recognizing the impact of technology in the education system, Globe Telecom through its information and communications technology (ICT) arm Globe Business, realizes that the integration of technology and innovative education solutions could answer issues confronting the Philippine education system. Working with the education sector, Globe Business targets the ubiquity of mobile access and its growing connected base, improving the service and answering the difficulties with innovative solutions.

Globe partnered with top companies such as Brightspace of D2L, Educube of Globals and Flipside to find innovative solutions to offer Philippine schools and students access to a global learning experience. Brightspace provides more than a simple course of management capabilities on a Learning Management System (LMS). It is the only accessible, intuitive and Integrated Learning Platform that provides an engaging learning experience and predictive data-driven analytics while empowering teachers to teach the way they prefer to and inspiring students to learn the way they want them to learn.

Educube, a school management system recognized worldwide, is a cloud-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) for schools that help streamline and automate the school’s business processes.

Davao Entrepreneurs Learn the Ropes of Digitizing Their Business Through Biggest Digital Solutions Caravan

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In keeping with its mission to provide SMEs with effective business solutions to improve and enhance their business, Globe myBusiness rolled out its one-stop SME exhibit, Globe myBusiness Day. To cap off the year, the caravan made its final stop for 2015 at one of the fastest growing cities and the largest economy Southern Philippines, Davao.

The Globe myBusiness Day caravan was held at SMX Convention Center at Lanang and was open to all who are interested to learn about new opportunities to grow and improve their business through new technologies.

The exhibit highlighted three main zones names the Cost Cutting Zone, Revenue Generating Zone and the Operations Improvement Zone. Cost Cutting Zone allowed customers to learn how to maximize expenses and save on unnecessary cost by introducing digital solutions. The Revenue Generating Zone on the other hand features products and solutions that can help a business owner earn more; while the Operations Improvement Zone lets guests explore new solutions that can boost operational performance. Apart from the various zones, convenient services for businesses were present for easy, onsite fulfillment like the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) for assistance is business names and permits.

"I’m happy that Globe is supporting MSMEs in Davao. The myBusiness Day in Davao is very timely as it allows MSMEs to be equipped with ICT tools that will enable them to compete more aggressively in the marketplace, both locally and globally. Today, Region XI has the 7th highest concentration of MSMEs, comprising about 5% of total MSMEs in the country. Adopting to a digitally-enabled business opens up new opportunities for expansion, higher employment, and better economic value for the province, to this city and the people of Davao," shares Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

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Golden Ticket Events has just awoken the force within every Star Wars fan with the exclusive screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, held one day ahead of its December 17 release in the Philippines. The screening was held at SM Megamall Cinema 3 to a sold-out crowd.

Despite the popularity of the movie, the reception was still unexpected. “The screening was held in the middle of pre-holiday festivities,” said Kendrick Go, Marketing Director of Golden Ticket Events. “In spite of their busy schedules, inclement weather, and holiday traffic, our patrons were still able to make time for the screening. It gives me great pleasure that Golden Ticket Events is able to continuously provide a memorable movie theatre experience in the Philippines.”

In celebration of the movie’s exclusive Philippine premiere, Golden Ticket Events amped the ante and treated patrons to free popcorn, bottled water, and 1,000 PHP worth of goodies and gift certificates. Even the movie ticket itself, The Golden Ticket, can be used to claim free skin care services from Forever Beautiful, a facial and slimming spa located in SM Megamall.

Released more than ten years after the film series’ last instalment (Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith), Star Wars: The Force Awakens is slated to be the much awaited movie of the decade. With J. J. Abrams--the man who helped reinvigorate the Star Trek franchise--at the helm alongside fan favorites Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill and Carrie Fisher, the movie is expected to break box office records and earn $1 billion in profits.

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Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards (APEA) 2015, the region’s most prestigious awards for entrepreneurs, has chosen Globe Telecom executive Glenn Estrella as winner in the Most Promising Category for his efforts and perseverance.

Estrella’s selection was based primarily on his performance as Vice President for Globe Digital Media and his accomplishments as member of the board of directors of Yondu, Inc., a Philippine provider of IT and mobile services. Yondu started as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Globe before its majority stake was sold to Xurpas last September.

"The award is a recognition of the culture we have in Yondu and Globe. We have a culture that promotes an environment of true camaraderie (mutual trust and friendship). We know the value of having fun in what we do, we correct each other when needed, we depend on each when faced with challenges, and when the day is done or the task is done we say thank you and congratulate one another. I know how to do my job, but I love it because of the people I work with," Estrella said.

The research and analysis carried out by the team of APEA 2015 analysts noted that Estrella’s excellent business foresight and managerial style, particularly in turning around Yondu Inc., was one of the key factors for him being considered a winner.

Ready To Look And Feel Our Best This Holiday Season

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The yuletide season is just around the corner and for us Filipinos that only means one thing – endless parties and gatherings with families and friends you haven’t seen all year.

It’s that one time of the year when people take their minds off deadlines and just spend quality time catching up with loved ones over great food. With Christmas time and all the reunions that come with it fast approaching, it is mandatory for everyone to put their best face forward. I'm betting there would be numerous selfies with everyone all throughout the days and nights to immortalize the photos into unforgettable memories.

Selfies would be great if we have flawless, acne-free skin so we do not need to use a filter to enhance our photos. In real life, no one is spared from acne, or the pimples that result with it. Breakouts can put a blow on your confidence and hold you back from being your social and fun self.

Good thing Proactiv Solution got you covered so you can look good and feel good this holiday season.

Proactiv is your ultimate skincare tool for prepping for the holiday season. I haven't experienced a better product yet that can promise to give the same benefits.

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More dirt, grime and hugely challenging cleans are coming your way! Follow a group of admittedly obsessive cleaners as they hop from house to house, all of which are in dire need of a major cleanup. Together, these people with such contrasting compulsions will explore how their different behaviours affect their lives. Catch the new season of Obsessive Compulsive Cleaners this December 18, Fridays at 8:10 pm.

Meanwhile, Theresa Caputo gathers the whole family for a charity event at her dad’s firehouse, where she and Larry dress up as Mr. & Mrs. Clause. With all of her capability, Theresa gives people the ultimate of gifts - reuniting people with their deceased loved ones. She reconnects a grieving couple with their son and reunites a single mom with the husband she lost to cancer. Be sure not to miss out on heartfelt reunions and merry celebrations in the holiday special of Long Island Medium, premiering this December 24, Thursday at 9:00 pm.

This December, young designers and fashion victims takeover TLC as Project Runway: Threads features kiddie designers wannabes.

The fashion industry is in need of fresh ideas. Now it’s time for the kids to step up and show what they’ve got. Hosted by Vanessa Simmons and featuring judges Christian Siriano, Gina Kelly, Jasmine Snow, and Ingrid Nilsen, watch as 7-14 year old designers battle it out in style with Project Runway: Threads, a spin-off airing Thursdays at 10pm.

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Singapore Airlines, together with the Singapore Tourism Board, offers its passengers a free Golden Jubilee Limited Edition MasterCard® Prepaid Card worth SGD50 when they book round trip tickets to Singapore from now until 29 December 2015 for outbound travel up to 31 December 2015.

For a minimum purchase of two round trip tickets with travel originating from Manila, Cebu or Davao with the same outbound travel dates, each passenger is entitled to a free Golden Jubilee Limited Edition MasterCard® Prepaid Card loaded with SGD50. To avail of this offer, customers must book tickets through Singapore Airlines Manila reservations and ticket office, SilkAir Cebu, Davao and Kalibo reservations and ticket offices, or through accredited travel agents.

Singapore Airlines flies to Singapore from Manila four times daily while passengers traveling from Cebu and Davao can fly to Singapore via SilkAir, which flies 12 times weekly from Cebu and nine times weekly from Davao.

For bookings, customers can call SIA reservations office at 756-8888 or visit the ticket office at 33F LKG Tower, Ayala Avenue, Makati City, Mondays to Fridays, from 8.30am to 5.00pm.

foodpanda Philippines Launches foodpanda Cares, Partners with Stop Hunger Now

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foodpanda Philippines has launched foodpanda Cares, with the aim of delivering health and happiness to children in need through a partnership with Stop Hunger Now, an international hunger relief agency which provides and distributes meal packs to children and families around the country.

With its global meal packaging program, Stop Hunger Now has provided millions of nutritious meals and other life-saving aid to children and families all over the world.

In line with its partnership, foodpanda will donate P1.00 to Stop Hunger Now Philippines for every order placed on the foodpanda website or mobile app.

Already active in other foodpanda countries such as Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong and India, foodpanda Cares is the leading global food ordering marketplace’s primary arm for raising awareness for social problems and contributing to causes that matter to the local community.

Stop Hunger Now was founded in 1998 in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is active in 65 countries.

For more information on Stop Hunger Now Philippines, visit http://intl.stophungernow.org/ph/. To find out how you can support foodpanda Cares, visit https://www.foodpanda.ph/contents/foodpandacares.

DOT Invites Tourists to Visit the Philippines Again

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Taking off from the success of the Visit the Philippines Year (VPY) 2015 campaign, the Department of Tourism (DOT) launchesVisit the Philippines Again (VPA) 2016 as part of its intensive marketing efforts to establish the Philippines both as a tourist and business destination.

“Visit the Philippines Again 2016 is going to be the most massive retail-focused effort the Philippines has ever made. We are negotiating with tour operators and travel agents to give incentives to returning visitors to the Philippines,” DOT Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. said.

Aside from the special packages for visitors, the DOT, together with its Tourism Promotions Board (TPB), has partnered with the private sector and local government units in promising a bigger, greater, and more exciting line up of events and tourism product offerings that showcase the country’s competitive advantage as a destination. Among these major events include the ASEAN Tourism Forum 2016, Routes Asia 2016, Madrid Fusion Manila 2016, 2016 Ironman 70.3 Asia Pacific Championship, MTV Music Evolution 2016, and the Travel Blog EXchange (TBEX).

“2016 will be a year of again. Our VPA campaign will again highlight the Philippines as a multi-level experience destination with our warm Filipino people, exciting activities, and endless new discoveries in our award-winning destinations that are worth a repeat visit. We are also putting together packages and rewards, so that when a tourist returns to the Philippines for a second or fifth time, he will get discounts in several establishments,” the tourism chief added.

Philippines AirAsia Launches Restaurant In The Sky

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Craving for sisig from 35,000 feet above? AirAsia guests flying to, from, and within the Philippines are in for a wonderful treat as Philippines AirAsia today officially started serving hot meals from its newest in-flight menu concept themed “Santan” which replaces AirAsia Café as part of the airline’s latest offerings to enhance customer experience while flying.

Fresh new items include Bangus Sisig, a Filipino dish made of chunks of boneless milkfish sautéed in onions seasoned with salt, pepper and spices. Buffalo Chicken Strips and Barbeque Cola Beef are tasty versions of grilled meat with smoky sauce paired with tomato rice or roasted potatoes. Those who are watching their calories, meanwhile, must try the new Vegetarian Chickpea Curry or the classic Maan’s Pasta Arabiata. New dishes are available for on-board and pre-book purchase in all Philippines AirAsia flights to/from Manila, Kalibo/Boracay, Palawan, Bohol, Cebu, Davao, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Macau and South Korea.

Other delectable dishes also pay tribute to ASEAN flavours such as Nasi Lemak, Chicken Rice, Beef Caldereta and Adobo hence the menu is titled: Santan, an essential ingredient in Malay cooking which refers to the liquid obtained from pressing shredded coconut meat. Santan is thick, creamy and often use as a substitute for butter, cream or soup stock in Asean cooking.

Apart from the new hot meals, guests will be able to choose from variety of sweets with choices such as Lemon Torte, Banoffee Cake, Sinful chocolate cake and chocolate chip cookies from as low as P80 for on-board purchase and at discounted price for pre-booked.

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Christmas came alive at Greenhills Promenade and Theater Mall with the official Christmas Lighting ceremony on November 26 when hot young stars Ken Chan of GMA’s Destiny Rose, Jake Vargas, Prince Villanueva and Sanya Lopez joined Music Museum Group president Precy M. Florentino and other MMGI officials in switching on hundreds of glittery parols.

They were joined by Kuya Germs, German Moreno, Walang Tulugan co-hosts Jon Knight and Sharmaine Santiago, Music Museum Group Vice Presidents Paolo F. Mendoza and Rosalina F. Mendoza.

The Christmas lighting ceremony is an annual tradition in this part of Greenhills that is enlivened by the presence of stars and entertainment personalities. The dining, shopping and entertainment enclave is best known among leisure lovers for its favorite performance venues, the Music Museum and Teatrino, its glam Greenhills Cinemas, the first movie theaters in the country to show movies in state of the art sound technology, Dolby Atmos and its lively mix of shops and restaurants.

The lighting ceremony also touched off a series of engaging Christmas activities at the Promenade and Theater Mall. The Teatrino Film Series, a Philippine independent movie festival put together by Heneral Luna director Jerrold Tarog in September 2014, continues to regale moviegoers with weekend movie treats at the Teatrino up to December 19.

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Local cloud services and data center firm IPC (IP Converge Data Services, Inc.) has recently announced the top trends in the Philippine ICT industry for the year 2016. The leading shifts include increased use of hybrid cloud services, more innovative IT enterprises, and better government support for the IT sector.

Hybrid Cloud is on the Rise

IPC President Rene Huergas first shared that enterprises across Asia are fast adopting cloud services, with a preference for hybrid cloud models. The trend is rooted on the perception that the public cloud does not suit needs specific to Asian companies, steering the demand towards private cloud services. The current hybrid model involves storing all mission critical data in the private cloud, while non-mission critical data are stored into the public counterpart.

According to Frost & Sullivan more than half of Asian Enterprises intend to adopt hybrid cloud solutions in 2016, thus, stirring its growth rate by 20% from 2014 to 2019. This translates to a market value of $25.7bn up to $65.2bn in 2019.

“The Philippines ranks as the 33rd most attacked country in the world. A hybrid cloud, one that also includes a DDoS mitigation system, will best respond to the ICT demands of an Asian enterprise,” Huergas recommended.

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Globe Telecom remained the dominant player in the country’s mobile data business as its mobile browsing and other data revenues reached P15.1 billion for the first nine months of 2015, up by a solid 48% from P10.2 billion a year ago. Mobile data users grew by 126% year-on-year, while mobile data traffic increased by 89% from previous year’s level.

On a sequential basis, mobile browsing and other data revenues grew by 9% from the P5.1 billion posted the prior quarter to P5.6 billion. Mobile browsing and other data revenues accounted for 24% of total mobile service revenues.

“Our mobile data revenues have once again exceeded our expectations, maintaining its robust double-digit growth in revenues and traffic, as well as triple-digit growth in user base. We are confident that we can sustain this growth momentum towards the end of the year as the demand for data connectivity during the holidays is expected to soar. This shift to the digital lifestyle is part of our commitment to drive the country’s position as the world’s next social media capital,” Globe Senior Advisor for Consumer Business Dan Horan said.

To sustain leadership in the mobile data space, Globe continued on with partnering with internet and device providers to give customers a differentiated experience. Globe worked closely with internet giant Google to bring Chromecast to the country, giving users a new way to stream their favorite entertainment content at home. The thumb-sized media streaming device will allow customers to get instant access to quality entertainment experience at home as they get to see their favorite content and apps from the small screen to the big screen.

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The above photo shows Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu, Senior Advisor for Consumer Business Dan Horan and The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia’s General Manager for Studio Entertainment and International Distribution, Amit Maholtra riding the bus with the Stormtroopers of the 501^st Legion on the way to the Star Wars Park.

Fans enjoyed a complete galactic experience at the Bonifacio High Street Central amphitheater complete with game booths and merchandise displays on December 12-13, 2015

Globe Telecom brought surprises in galactic proportions when it set up the country’s biggest Star Wars play hub at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, taking the Star Wars experience beyond the cinema as Filipinos gear up for the much-awaited international release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens on December 17, 2015.

With its comprehensive and multiyear collaboration with The Walt Disney Company Southeast Asia whose brands include Star Wars, the leader in digital services and the purveyor of the Filipino digital lifestyle has launched the Globe-Star Wars Galactic Celebration, which transforms the Bonifacio High Street Central amphitheater into a big Star Wars playground on December 12-13, 2015.

Open to the public for free, the Globe-Star Wars Galactic Celebration allowed Star Wars fans and onlookers alike to spend the weekend playing at the game booths, taking photos of famous Star Wars icons and characters, purchasing retail collectibles from participating fashion brands, and enjoying the different treats and offers of Globe brands.

The Only Ribbon That Ties Families Closer During Christmas

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The holiday season is the time to hang your Christmas ornaments and play your favorite holiday tunes when family and friends get together. But while you’re making your home more festive and exciting for the holiday season, receiving a box of treats is still perhaps one of the most anticipated activities.

What marks Christmas is the series of feasts that are meant to bring family and friends closer. And no meal is ever complete without a Red Ribbon product.

“Christmas may seem very merry with presents under the tree. However, this season is all about sharing, and nothing is more memorable than sharing special moments with people closest to you,” said Zinnia Rivera, general manager of Red Ribbon.

She added, “This is where Red Ribbon comes in—while people may serve different types of food during family reunions, Red Ribbon never misses the dining table especially during the holidays as it brings the family closer.”

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The Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Office of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) paid homage to its partners from the public and private sector who made possible the “TV White Space (TVWS) Supported Fisher folk Registration in the Danajon Reef”, which won the P3 (public-private partnership) Impact Award at the 2015 Concordia Summit, the DOST-ICT Office held a Philippine P3 Awarding Ceremony on December 11, 2015 at their office. Internet connectivity provided by the project not only boosted fisher folk registration but also provided Internet access to schools and public areas in Bohol and delivered essential communications support for the relief efforts after the Bohol earthquake and Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

The P3 Impact Award is considered a top honor in the arena of public-private partnership development. It was bestowed by the United States Department of State Secretary’s Office of Global Partnerships, the University of Virginia Darden School for Business Institute in Society, and Concordia, and presented via satellite by US Secretary of State, John Kerry. In Kerry’s speech, he stated the importance of giving recognition to model public-private partnerships in order to inspire future public-private partnerships to come.

The P3 Impact Award was received by DOST Undersecretary Louis Napoleon Casambre last October 2, 2015 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City, The TVWS Supported Fisherfolk Registration project, which aimed to increase fisherfolk registration in six pilot municipalities in Bohol using the technology of TV White Space or unutilized broadcast frequencies, is a joint initiative of DOST-ICTO, the USAID-supported Ecosystems Improved for Sustainable Fisheries (ECOFISH) Project of the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) the provincial government of Bohol, Microsoft-Philippines, Nityo Infotech and IXS4All . The project bested more than 50 other applicants, including finalists from Coca-Cola, the Global Development Lab, Dow Chemical, and General Mills, which highlights the exceptional impact that this partnership has made.

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GQWEST Inc. the company behind the Aquabest and Laundrybest franchise brands recently held a seminar on how to enhance the productivity and profitability of its laundry business concept.

The seminar was conducted in cooperation with its official detergent Ariel. The seminar was facilitated by the company's Customer Care Manager Susan Ho and Leslie Grace Lee and Eric Sto Thomas from P&G. The seminar shared business practices with its franchisees. It also covered how using Ariel products would improve the franchisees cost efficiency and product quality.

The partnership is part of the company's efforts to give added value to their franchisees and customers. "Through this partnership we can assure our customers that their laundry will be processed with the utmost care 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.

Real Estate Investment Opportunities In 2016

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With 2015 drawing to an end, many would-be real estate investors and homebuyers must be wondering what 2016 would bring. Will the condo market finally experience a downturn? Should investors diversify their portfolios and turn to offices? Or should we look outside Metro Manila?

Global property website Lamudi Philippines (www.lamudi.com.ph) takes a look on what are potentially good real estate investment deals in 2016.

1. Strata-titled Offices

Unlike the BPO office towers built and owned by real estate developers and rented to BPO companies, strata-titled offices can be bought by individual investors and buyers and have them rented out to companies. For property buyers looking to diversify their investment portfolios, this property type makes sense as there is currently a shortage of office space in Metro Manila, especially in the major CBDs, placing an upward pressure on rental rates. In addition, Colliers International said in its third quarter 2015 report that decreasing land-bank options in the Makati CBD, Bonifacio Global City (BGC), and Ortigas Center is also pushing capital values of office buildings upward.

Among strata-titled developments currently on the market include Alveo Financial Center along Ayala Avenue, which has 363 units and sells on average Php223,000 per sqm. Others include The Stiles in Circuit Makati (Alveo Land; 283 units; Php198,000/sqm); Century Spire in Century City (Century Properties; 283 units; Php203,000/sqm); Capital House in BGC (Avida Land; 222 units; Php142,000/sqm); One World Place in BGC (Daiichi Properties; 283 units; Php136,000/sqm); and Parkway Corporate Center in Alabang (Filinvest Land; 390 units; Php168,000/sqm).

Finalists for the National Digital Arts Awards 2015 Named

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Globaltronics announced the finalists for the digital print and motion graphics categories of the National Digital Arts Awards 2015 #DIGITALPINOYAKO.

Out of 300 entries, 25 were screened and judged by top creative directors and designers in the Philippines. All the finalists will move up to the NDAA2015 Awarding Concert on January 15, 2016 at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila, Pasay City. Special performers Up Dharma Down, Kean and Eunice, Parokya ni Edgar, and Alden Richards will be entertaining the crowd during the awarding concert.

For this year, the awards are open only for Filipino students. Globaltronics sought to cultivate the young Filipino digital artist, especially the multimedia arts and design students and enthusiasts’ creativity and national awareness.

Both categories will have its respective grand winners, 2nd and 3rd placers, and people’s choice awardees. The grand winner for print category will receive a cash prize of Php175,000, 2nd place winner will receive Php150,000, and Php100,000 for the 3rd place winner. For the motion graphics category, grand winner will receive a cash prize of Php200,000, 2nd place winner will win Php150,000, and 3rd place winner will receive Php125,000. A total of One million of cash prize will be given away to all the winners. Aside from that, they will receive the iconic NDAA trophy and certificate. Winners’ schools will also receive cash incentives.