2016-02-28 ~ Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Ping Lacson for Senator Exclusive Video Interview

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What I appreciate about Ping Lacson is that when he comments on an issue, he always follows it up with a clear action plan and solution to resolve them at his current capacity.

From my initial impressions, he's the guy who would not over-promise just to get votes. He would tell you who's the appropriate person to handle certain issues. He would not assume the role of Superman as nobody can really solve the problems of the country if he has no access to resources.

Thus, his proposed program on equal distribution of funds at the LGU level is very reasonable. After all, no matter how bright and intellectual the leader of a community is, if he has no access to funds, the projects may just end up as a dream and never materialize within their term.

He would also prefer to evoke emotional responses from his fellow candidates rather than persuade the voters that he is the right candidate for the position. Whoever wins should assume the role of a statesman, thinking about how he can make the country better, and not trying to work on being voted again for the next election during his time of service.

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AirAsia and AirAsia X are offering 3 million promotional seats for its highly anticipated Red Hot Seat Sale* which will connect travellers to over 100 destinations across 22 countries including flights to/from Manila, Kalibo, Palawan, Bohol, Cebu, Davao, Tacloban and international destinations in Korea, Malaysia, China, Macau and Hong Kong.

The promotional seats start from P1.00 base fare, excluding applicable taxes and fees. It is available for booking from 7 to 13 March 2016 on the airline’s website – www.airasia.com for the travel period from 1 October 2016 to 22 May 2017. This promo is also available on AirAsia’s mobile site mobile.airasia.com.

AirAsia’s Group Chief Commercial Officer Siegtraund Teh said, “This time around, we are pleased to offer 3 million promotional seats. Guests may grab this perfect opportunity to make advance travel plans and enjoy extra value for their money. We have introduced many new and undiscovered routes throughout the region and grabbing a promo seat is the best way to discover new destinations!”

“Guests from around the region can take advantage of our Fly-Thru service to connect to many exciting AirAsia X destinations such as Auckland, Sapporo, Tokyo, Gold Coast, Sydney and more. In conjunction with this special promotion, AirAsia X’s Premium Flatbed to all AirAsia X destinations are also on sale,” added Siegtraund Teh.

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I was an enthusiast of Open Source software when I was working as an Information and Communications Technology professional for corporate companies and organizations. I can still remember how I often try out the new versions that keep coming almost every few months. My download queue never ran out of something to try since we all know that open source is free for all.

Though mainstream operating systems from brands like Microsoft was the leading OS for many industries, many were still experimenting on Open Source for the less critical processes that do not require too much support and maintenance.

I even tried setting up an Internet Cafe using open source software, and my difficulty was teaching the kids how to operate within the user interface that they find unfamiliar since many are used to using the Windows OS.

Thus, the Open Source Museum actually brought back memories. I was very familiar with most of its contents and it was sort of a throwback for me when Mitchie Tabirao was touring me around the 8Layer Technologies mini museum and sharing her knowledge about each item on display.

There's so many stories behind every object that the museum can take you back at a historical throwback if you research further online. The Open Source museum may seem small, but I was told they already have expanded this at another location, and I'm pretty sure there will be more added to the collection soon as 8Layer Technologies is very active in organizing events.

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Thank you to Warner Music Philippines for inviting me to an opportunity to interview one of the young bands out there that is surely rocking the music scene with their hit songs.

I was fortunate to be able to chat with EJ Pichay, Eunice Jorge and Jazz Jorge - the three remaining members of Gracenote, and got a copy of their latest album called "Transparent."

It was almost an hour of video interview with these group of young artists that were all eager to answer all my inquiries while laughing every now and then to their teases and jokes especially to Jazz who seems to be in love nowadays as implied by her sister Eunice, the pretty vocalist of the group. Eunice also does most of the writing so that probably makes her the most creative among the three.

Though Eunice said all their success was a collaboration among supportive minds, and the encouragement of their manager, Darwin Hernandez who also manages other popular OPM artists like 6CycleMind, Callalily, Banda Ni Kelly, Chicosci, Imago, Moonstar 88, Pedicab and Sandwich, under the Soupstar Entertainment company.

The album was four years of blood and sweat in the making and had a grand launch at 19 East Paranaque. Star studded guests came to support Gracenote including their sisters and brothers in the industry who came to give an outstanding performance Callalily, Moonstar88, and 6cyclemind. Guest artist such as Yeng constantino, Alexa Ilacad and Tutti Caringal also jammed with Gracenote.

Below is the full video interview wiith Gracenote:

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Basta ‪#‎PinaghaHawaiian‬ ng barkada, sure masarap!

Here's a video blog of the 1st leg of the Greenwich Hawaiian Overload free pizza day held at Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Tagig on March 4, 2016.

Greenwich wants to show everyone that their Hawaiian pizza is full of delicious toppings that would be called "overload." But don't worry because we got a video interview from their Marla Bunecamino, Brand Manager of Greenwich, and she's on the video to share what exactly is going on and why they are giving away free pizza slices to everyone.

There's also some fun games for those who are willing to participate like the Hawaiian dancing and trying out the Hoola Hoops together with your barkada, friends, families or colleagues who were around the vicinity of BGC.

The Hawaiian Overload Combi Van is also on display at the area so take a group photo and get a chance to win tickets to Paradise Music Festival!
Their chef would also be doing a pizza making demonstration so be sure to keep glued on how he makes the Greenwich Hawaiian Overload starting with just a dough.

Their next run will be at the SM Mall of Asia by the Bay so be sure to catch them there next on March 6, 2016. The third stop is at SM Megamall on March 19 and at last stop will be at SM Seaside Cebu on April 2.

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To all art lovers out there, come check out Julian Ongpin Young Artists' (JOYA's) second show titled "At The Heart of It".

"At The Heart Of It" is a group exhibit featuring works by three spirited Filipino mixed media artists namely Brisa Amir, Michael Rahman Declarin, and Arnel Agawin, that are sure to impress! These artists are of different mediums and backgrounds, but with the same emotional depth and insight in applying their Art and narratives.

All works selectively hand-picked and curated to show the life, times and power of the space between war and peace.

This exhibit is a journey through the intricacies of both states in pursuit of an answer. The exhibit is a testament to what is, our nature, and our artistic capacity, to positively and wholly transform the world around us from within; even in the midst of persona and impersonal unrelenting tyranny.

Exhibit runs from March 10 till May 10. See you all there!

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Twitter and COMELEC today officially launch exclusive #PiliPinas2016 and presidential candidate emojis for the Philippines’ upcoming national elections, geared to inspire Filipinos to engage and discuss their opinions via Tweets on important topics to shape their voting decision.

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/COMELEC/status/705592449524084736

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/TwitterPH/status/705617482048909312

By using #Pilipinas2016 or #PiliPinas hashtags when composing a Tweet, a special Twitter emoji will appear in the sent Tweet: a hand dropping a ballot symbolizes the participation of every Filipino in this very important political exercise complimented with a red background that stands for the affirmation of his choice, juxtaposed with a blue thumbmark that underscores the deeply personal nature of every vote. Aside from the election hashtags, emojis of the presidential candidates will also appear in your Tweet by using the following hashtags for each candidate: #PHVoteBinay, #PHVoteDuterte, #PHVotePoe,#PHVoteRoxas, and #PHVoteSantiago.

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Huawei launched its highly anticipated flagship device last Wednesday, March 2, 2016 at the Solaire Resort and Casino: the new Huawei Mate 8. A breakthrough in power and efficiency, the device features the world’s most advanced smartphone technology which sets a new benchmark of amazing performance and long battery life. A productivity-driven mobile phone with significantly enhanced power, efficiency and top-end spec, Huawei Mate 8 is the new choice for the Filipino business achievers and game changers.

South Pacific Region, Huawei Consumer Business Group President Mr. Peter Tong regards the new Mate 8 as a strong follow-up to the brand’s 440% revenue increase in 2015 and track record of delivering high-end devices that reflect global consumer demand and inspire loyalty in their users. Aiming for a 10% market share growth through various premiumization strategies and efforts to stay connected with Filipino consumers, Huawei Mate 8 delivers “the new style of business” concept ideal for today’s on-the-go professionals, adds Mr. Tong.

After the unparalleled success of penetrating the fierce smartphone market in the Philippines, Huawei introduces a new choice to the trailblazers and business elites whose everyday routine requires multitasking and unimpaired connectivity.

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The University of the Philippines Mining Engineering Society and University of the Philippines Geology Majors' Society, co-presented by Nickel Asia Corporation, in cooperation with Global Ferronickel Holdings, Incorporated, bring the FIRST EVER NATIONAL GEOLOGY AND MINING ENGINEERING CONVENTION, a week-long summit from March 8-11, 2016 that centers on the geology and mining industry of the country, with the theme "DIAGENESIS: Lithifying the youth, geology and mining engineering towards environmental protection and development”.

It aims to cater geology and mining engineering students, geologists, mining engineers and other people in the industry through its various events. The series of events of the convention are as follows.

Convention Registration Fee: FREE!

National GEM Convention Kickoff
Date: March 8, 2016
Time: 9:00am to 10:30am
Venue: UP Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering

Description: The National GEM Convention Kickoff aims to formally introduce the objectives, events, the organizations and the people who have made this pioneering convention happen. There will be an official launch of the themed-exhibit with a progressive advocacy for the environment and responsible mining. FREE CUPCAKES WILL BE SERVED!

National GEM Lab Tour
Date: March 8, 2016
Time: 1:30pm to 4:00pm

Venue: UP DMMME Pilot Plant and UP NIGS Academic Laboratories

Description: The National GEM Lab Tour aims to introduce the students from other schools to the sophisticated and advanced laboratory equipment housed in the National Institute of Geological Sciences and the Department of Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering. LUNCH WILL BE SERVED!

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On February 23, 2016 the mobile application AksyonVAW made its debut in Google Playstore. But what is AksyonVAW all about?

Aksyon is the Filipino word for action, and VAW stands for violence against women. The app AksyonVAW is a project of the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA), a non-government organisation based in Quezon City that assists individuals and groups in their strategic and appropriate use of various means of information and communications technology (ICT). FMA partnered with 8 Layer Technologies, a free and open source company, to develop the said app.

This mobile application calls on users, especially women and girls, to take control of technology and strategically use any ICT platform for activism against gender based violence. It demonstrates the need for users to know their rights and to keep safe online.

AksyonVAW features three stories of technology-related violence against women – cyberbullying, identity theft, and online harassment. Each story has a scenario where the app user can help choose an action regarding the case. For example, a victim of cyberbullying in school can choose to report to school authorities about the incident or just keep quiet about it. If the user chooses one option, a resulting scenario appears. It has to be noted though that some of the responses to the cases are based on Philippine law. Tips on what to do in case of online abuse are also featured in the app.

The idea for coming up with such an app was inspired by FMA’s work on technology-related violence against women. Since 2012, it has started mapping cases on technology-related violence against women (see ph.takebackthetech.net).

The online mapping is part of a project that FMA has with the Association for Progressive Communications (APC). Other APC project partners in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Mexico, and Pakistan have also mapped similar cases in their own countries.

The app is now available for downloading but further improvements to it will still be added in the next few days.

Ping Lacson for Senator: My Crash Interview with the Senatorial Re-Electionist

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Look who I bumped into in the elevator on my way to a presscon at a certain building in BGC.

Funny is, I asked him if he was really Ping Lacson and not just someone who looks like him. He smiled and confirmed he is the senator we all know. I shook his hand and said "Hello, sir!" Then I looked away but after a few seconds of silence, he asked me where I was heading. I looked back at him and said I was going to a presscon and told him its on the nth floor of the building. He asked what it was about and I replied that it was about a corporate social responsibility program of a certain company. Then I looked away again facing the elevator door but after a few seconds of silence again, I looked back at him and jokingly said, "Can I also interview you later?" and I was surprised he agreed and told me where his office was and that I can come there after my presscon. That's exactly what I did!

The great thing about this moment is that he did not even know who I was and which media outfit I was representing. That's what I like about my future leaders - approachable and would not discriminate. He will accommodate you no matter who you are. It seemed like a long elevator ride for me, and was amazed I scored an instant interview schedule without setting any advance appointment with him.

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FHM, the Philippines' number 1 men's magazine, underwent a transformation in terms of its themes and aesthetics. FHM swerved a little bit beyond the usual look, content and concept that FHM readers grew to love for over 16 years.

In line with this, We would like to share with you the FHM March 2016 issue with Margo Midwinter, former Filipina-British model/ beauty queen housemate on Pinoy Big Brother: 737, as the cover girl and the reason behind FHM's new design from FHM's acting Editor-in-Chief Allan Hernandez.

Summit Media has offered to send us an actual copy of the magazine so watch out for more of our stories soon.

Criminal Minds Beyond Borders to Launch 17 March First and Exclusively on AXN in Asia

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Criminal Minds: Beyond Borders looks at the specialized International Division of the FBI tasked with solving crimes and coming to the rescue of Americans who find themselves in danger while abroad.

Created by Erica Messar as a spin-off to the highly popular Criminal Minds franchise, this new series examines cases of abductions, hostage taking, extortions, threats and other criminal activities posed by increased cross-border travel, globalization, and technology freedom.

The backdoor pilot was first introduced as an episode on the flagship show where an innocent family of four was abducted while vacationing in Barbados. The new series will continue to travel to Spain, Tokyo, Thailand, Mumbai and Paris investigating crimes that include the religion, culture and politics of the different countries.

Starring Gary Sinise as Unit Chief Jack Garrett a seasoned 20-year veteran of the Bureau, his team includes Clara Seger a smart, well-traveled and multi-lingual cultural anthropologist played by Alana De La Garza. Heart throb Daniel Henney is Matthew Simmons, a former military hero while Tyler James Williams plays the unit’s compassionate, brilliant tech analyst, Russ “Monty” Montgomery. Annie Funke rounds out the group as Mae Jarvis, the team’s fearless and fun medical examiner.

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The Department of Broadcast Communication, University of the Phillipines Diliman invites you to its annual student academic conference-- Mulat: The 6th Sining del Pilar.

Discover your favorite programs in a different light as the UP Maskom students discuss their critical papers in the "The Cecilia Lazaro Kritika Series". Watch and enjoy their daring new and never before seen audio-visual creations in the "Sineng Lito Tiongson: Broadcast and Emerging Productions"

Just drop by the UP College of Mass Communication from March 15 to 18!

This event is free and open to all media scholars, students, and enthusiasts. Mulat: the 6th Sining del Pilar. See you there!

Register for an NBA2K Online, Get a Chance to Win a Signed and Framed Stephen Curry Poster

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Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors are on the verge of re-writing the history books as they're near on breaking the 72-10 win-loss card of the vaunted 1995-96 Chicago Bulls squad, which is regarded as the best regular season record in the annals of the NBA.

For Curry, he continues to build his legend in each game. As proof, the reigning league most valuable player had just topped the season record for the most three-point field goals made, a record that he also established last season. The point guard currently has 288 three-pointers and is looking to add more with a number of games still left in the season.

NBA2K Online and X-Play Online Games are giving fans the chance to own a piece of history through the Register and Win Promo. One (1) lucky winner will be able to take home a signed, framed, and authenticated Stephen Curry "In Focus" poster/

In this simple yet rewarding contest, participants just need to register for an NBA2K Online game account. In doing so, a participant automatically gets five (5) raffle entries.

Further simple tasks are needed to complete the maximum of ten (10) raffle entries. To see these and the full mechanics of NBA2K Online Register and Win Promo, follow this link: https://nba2konline.ph/join-the-nba2k-online-register-and-win-raffle-get-a-signed-curry-memorabilia/

To experience today's most exciting online basketball game, check out the following links:

· Register for an account: https://xpointcredits.com

· Free game download: https://nba2konline.ph/free-game-download/

· Buy XPoints: https://nba2konline.ph/buy-xpoints/

· Website: https://nba2konline.ph/

Microsoft’s Nokia 230 Dual SIM Now Available in the Philippines

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Designed to capture all of life’s special moments day and night, Microsoft’s Nokia 230 Dual SIM are now available in the Philippines for only PHP 2,790. Featuring a 2MP front-facing camera with LED flash, it’s easier than ever to capture and the perfect selfie and share it with friends and family in social media like Facebook and Twitter.[1]

The affordable Nokia 230 Dual SIM are premium quality internet-enabled feature phones that empower more people to do great things with large 2.8” screens and great battery life, making them the perfect first mobile phones and great companion devices for smartphone and tablet users.

· Capture and share the perfect selfie with 2MP front-facing camera with LED flash and internet-enabled features
· See more with a large 2.8” screen that makes viewing pictures, playing videos and gaming even more enjoyable
· Access popular web content with the Opera Mini Browser, Bing Search, and MSN Weather1
· For entertainment and music, choose between a built in FM Radio, or MP3 and video player, and enjoy them wirelessly with Bluetooth audio support for headsets
· Store all your music, photos and videos in one place with up to 32GB in memory card support[2]
· Stay connected with outstanding battery life that keeps you going for longer, with up to up to 23 hours of talk time

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Start your March with Discovery Channel’s fresh lineup that is guaranteed to thrill!

Men, Women, Wild is a 6-part series that features three couples placed in three of the harshest environments in the world – the high desert mountains of Morocco, the frozen snow-covered fjords of Norway, and the thick, unforgiving jungle of southern Mexico. For three weeks they will have to live off of the land, navigate the vast, unknown terrain and find their way back to civilization - but only if they can survive the wild and each other. Throughout each journey, the couples will share their experience and lead viewers through their triumphs and setbacks as they attempt to survive. In the process, they will be faced with the same tough question: Do they truly have each other’s back, and when the going gets tough, are they stronger together or better off apart?

The new series Men, Women, Wild premieres March 8, airing Tuesdays, 9PM.

Killing Fields is a true-crime documentary series following homicide detectives as they reopen the case of a young woman found in the Louisiana swamplands, a body dumpsite, where the forces of nature often erase evidence of a crime. Tormented by an unfulfilled promise to solve the 1997 homicide investigation, Detective Rodie Sanchez comes out of retirement to rework the case that has haunted him for the past 18 years. Armed with cutting- edge investigative technologies, and a new team of driven detectives, the Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office is determined to finally close their department's most infamous cold case.

Find out what clues they’ll uncover on the new series Killing Fields, premieres March 17, airing Thursdays at 10PM.

Friday, March 4, 2016

Telco Data Center Gets ISO 27001:2013 Certification

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Globe Telecom’s Data Center has added another feather to its cap as it has been recently assessed and certified in accordance to new requirements of the latest version of Information Security Management System. This forms part of the telco’s strengthened approach in managing sensitive enterprise information for a fully-digital and fully-secure enterprise community in the country.

Globe received an ISO 27001:2013 for Information Security Management System (ISMS) from AJA Registrars Inc. An ISMS is a systematic approach to managing sensitive company information so that it remains secure. It includes people, processes and IT systems by applying a risk management process.

“We underscore the utmost importance of information security in our operations, fully aware that our service is most crucial during the occurrence of security breaches. It is an honor to receive a re-certification for our ongoing efforts in information security which attests to the maintenance of our current mode of operation, preparedness and readiness toward a risk-based business,” said Globe Senior Advisor for Enterprise and IT Enabled Services Group Mike Frausing.

“Globe Telecom’s consistent and effective implementation of its ISMS and how it has addressed the additional requirements of the 2013 version has allowed them to earn their certification to ISO 27001:2013", attested AJA Registrars Inc., Vice President Paul Bagatsing.

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Two-time United Football League (UFL) Champion GLOBAL FC sent a powerful message to its opponent Ceres FC last Thursday night at Rizal Memorial Stadium, that they are out for glory. Defending Champion Ceres FC was undefeated until their GLOBAL FC match.

GLOBAL FC won 2-1 against Ceres in a match where everyone was on the edge of their seats. GLOBAL FC players Milan Nikolic and Matthew Hartmann scored 1 goal each.

Coach Leigh Manson predicted it right when he said after the Loyola win that, “In a game wherein Azkals play against other Azkals, nobody wants to lose that game.”

Azkals players from GLOBAL FC Misagh Bahadoran, Daisuke Sato, Dennis Villanueva, Amani Aguinaldo and Patrick Deyto went against Ceres’ Stephan Schrock, Martin Steuble, Patrick Reichelt, Manny Ott and Kevin Ingreso.

“We are continuing to have a formula and a plan that works for the team. The players know their jobs when they go out, they also know what we expect from them. You know with these last 2 games it wasn’t just about the technical abilities, it is about heart”, Coach Leigh Manson says.

Manson continues, “Our chances are good as anybody now. There’s nobody that we fear, respect yes, fear no.”

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This March, catch TLC and EVE’s latest shows that will surely keep you inspired!

An incredible lineup of celebrity chefs and the introduction of kids as contestants for the first time ever will spice up the second season of high-stakes culinary game, Food Fighters. It's the perfect recipe for the ultimate food battle when the best amateur cooks in America put their signature dishes to the test against five professional chefs, with the chance to win as much as $100,000. Television personality, author and food enthusiast Adam Richman ("Man Finds Food," "Fandemonium") hosts the series that takes culinary sparring to an exciting new level. The all-new season of Food Fighters premieres on Tuesday, March 22, 8PM and airs every Friday at 11PM on TLC.

Follow international super model Rachel Hunter as she embarks on a global odyssey to meet remarkable individuals from all walks of life who believe they hold the key to superior well-being and age-defying looks. And while the definition of feminine and masculine beauty has changed significantly, the quest for radiant, wrinkle-free skin, luxurious locks, vitality and good health into old age remains unchanged. Rachel Hunter’s Tour Of Beauty premieres on Tuesday, March 8, at 9:50PM on EVE.

DDoS Attacks Growing in Scale, Span, and Reach – IPC

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DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks continue to increase dramatically, threatening websites and businesses globally, according to a study cited by IPC, the country’s pioneer DDoS Mitigation service provider.

The study conducted by IPC’s DDoS Mitigation partner Imperva Incapsula, entitled Global DDoS Threat Landscape Q4 2015, used data from 3,997 network layer and 5,443 application layer DDoS attacks mitigated by Incapsula from October 1 to November 29, 2015.

A DDoS attack is a costly form of cyber crime where a large volume of malicious traffic is flooded into a website, causing it to crash. This is a planned and coordinated attack to disrupt the normal function of a website.

According to the study, the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan are the top 3 targeted countries. Furthermore, UK-based and Japan-based sites saw a 20.7 percent and 7.4 increase in attacks, respectively.

“DDoS is a serious online crime that cannot be ignored. It warrants a definitive course of action from highly-skilled professionals trained in this type of cyber war,” stated IPC President Rene Huergas. He added that the Incapsula report is a clear indication of how DDoS poses a formidable threat to businesses in any industry worldwide, including the Philippines.

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This summer, explore the art of dance with the Ballet Philippines Dance School in its annual 7-week intensive training program, the Summer Dance Workshop. Students from the age of 4 to pre-professional and professional levels, as well as adult beginners can take courses in Classical Ballet, Modern & Contemporary Dance, and Hip Hop.

Workshop participants may choose to focus on their preferred genre, or expand their dance vocabulary further by enrolling in the Full Course package, which places them in both classical ballet and modern dance classes for their age and skill level. Students will have the chance to learn from BP alumni such as Nonoy Froilan, Gina Katigbak-Garcia, Rhea Dumdum-Bautista, as well as current dancers Jean Marc Cordero, Gillianne Gequinto, and Erl Sorilla, just to name a few.

In keeping with the BP Dance School’s hoslistic approach to dance education, the Summer Dance Workshop also includes a weekly Lecture Series. Through these sit-down talks, students have the opportunity to interact with artists of different fields and learn how aspects of their art form can relate to and enhance one’s dancing.

The 47th CCP Summer Dance Workshop starts on April 4, 2016 at BPDS-Aura and on April 5, 2016 at BPDS-CCP. Students attend a minimum of 3 classes a week (for pre-ballet and elementary ballet students) to as much as 5 classes a week, including workshop rehearsals for its culminating performances at the Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo (CCP Main Theater) on May 21 and 22.

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PROFIL HOLIDAYS is one of the country’s leading travel and tours company in the Philippines. They are known to pioneer package tours that has never been offered by its counterparts, making PROFIL HOLIDAYS that top-of-mind choice for tour operators and travel companies when it comes to better itineraries and more exciting destinations for their customers.

The selection of outbound tour packages of PROFIL HOLIDAYS concentrate on top and unique tourist destinations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Mexico, South America, New Zealand, Europe, and South Africa.

Over the years, PROFIL HOLIDAYS was able to create a reputation based on credibility and integrity to become the most noteworthy company that goes the extra mile for its partners.

Now celebrating their 25th year in the travel and leisure business, PROFIL HOLIDAYS aims to re-establish connections and strengthen relationships between Tac Tours and the travel agencies, travel agents, and tour operators, who, in spite of the growing trends and the changing landscape in the business, continue to keep the loyalty and patronage of their partners.

In addition, PROFIL HOLIDAYS shall look forward to a committed journey for excellence with more destinations to offer, and the expansion of industry partners it will serve. And these can only be achieved through the four most important credo that the company has kept since its inception 25 years ago.

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A lot of businesses have eagerly opened but quickly closed down, disappeared or kept changing their business models because they couldn’t gain enough customers to sustain their operations. Those who have the perseverance to survive remained small even though they have been around for years. Some have just continued to run their businesses which were passed down to them as the next generation of the family but never really gained any considerable revenue. However, a great number of businesses have eventually died because their market reach eventually dwindled down to almost zero.

Running a successful business is mostly about generating acceptable revenue through solid marketing and stellar customer service. Though we all know that it sometimes take “being at the right place, at the right time,“ and knowing the right people to get lucky breaks and astounding deals, those instances don't really happen every day if we don’t exert extra effort in achieving our business goals.

Many promising businesses often fail because they lacked the much-needed branding and identity that would set them apart or make them a level higher from the others. It has always been evident that businesses need to make their presence strongly felt and make a significant influence to the market they are trying to reach. These efforts of reaching out to our target market must now include the use of technology, the Internet and social media.
If we really mean business, make sure we reach our full potential by incorporating online presence and digital influence or market reach. We can do all of these by having well-organized, perfectly-timed and strategic methods that could mean more active engagement and collaboration opportunities for our businesses.

Telcos Challenge Government to Help Improve Broadband Service

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The recent Broadband Policy study released by USAID and the Foreign Chambers of Commerce said that tower sharing could be a solution to increase broadband speed and make it more affordable. The telco industry has indicated that even with tower sharing, this will not help address the issue of speed and affordability since the cell site towers of both telcos are similarly located.

“What we need is to increase cell site density by building more cell sites,” said Globe General Counsel Froilan Castelo. Based on the study made by TowerXchange in February 2016, the number of unique physical cell sites in the Philippines is one of the lowest in Asia with a combined 15,000 cell sites. China has the highest number with 1.18 million cell sites, followed by India with 450,000, Indonesia with 76,477 cell sites while Vietnam has 55,000, Thailand with 52,483, Pakistan with 28,000, Bangladesh with 27,000 and Malaysia with 22,000 sites.

The Philippines ranks between Malaysia and Cambodia with 15,000 physical cell sites.

The Philippines with 15,000 cell sites is only higher than Cambodia and Australia, both with 9,000, Myanmar with 7,620 and Sri Lanka with 7,000. By comparison, the United States has a total of 205,000 cell towers in place.

Castelo said that mobile data explosion amid growing access to internet connectivity, requires more bandwidth than traditional voice and text messaging services. Thus, it demands the establishment of more cell sites for telecommunication operators to deliver mobile data services especially indoors.

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Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines 2016 presented by Alaska continues its search for skillful ballers aged 10-14 in Cebu on March 5-6 at Don Bosco Technology Center from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is the third Regional Selection Camp (RSC) of the NBA’s youth development program this year.

The two-day camp will be run by Jr. NBA Coach Craig Brown together with other Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA coaches from presenting partner Alaska.

Boys and girls born from 2002 to 2006 are encouraged to take advantage of the NBA’s international youth development program where they can learn proper basketball skills and the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA S.T.A.R values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude and Respect.

Registration and participation are free. On the first day, participants undergo vitals tests and skills challenges where their scores in vitals tests and individual skills challenges will determine if they will return the following day to undergo more basketball drills and team exercises. On the second day, the remaining participants undergo team drills and get to show off their team and individual skills in the final scrimmages. The top performers in the camp will be selected to represent Visayas in the National Training Camp that will be held in Manila on April 22 to 24. The fourth and last Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Regional Selection Camp will be held in Manila on April 9 and 10.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Western Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: WDC), a world leader in storage solutions, today announced the expansion of its award-winning portfolio of performance storage solutions with 8TB capacity drives for NAS, video surveillance and desktop external applications. Increasingly centralized, rich-content, which continues to grow in popularity among enterprises, small business and consumers alike, is driving demand for greater storage capacities.

Launching throughout the first half of 2016, My Cloud® personal storage devices (My Cloud, My Cloud Mirror, My Cloud EX2 Ultra), My Book® external hard drives (My Book, My Book for Mac, My Book Duo and My Book Pro), WD Red®, WD Red Pro and WD Purple™ hard drives will all be designed with the new high-capacity configuration. Each storage solution offers purpose-driven engineering and HelioSeal™ helium-technology with the new 8TB drives for maximum and efficient performance in the applications for which each model is designed.

“We are committed to integrating high-performance, high-capacity and high-quality drives into all of our solutions,” said Brendan Collins, vice president of product marketing, Western Digital Corporation. “No matter what market or application, we have a solution - whether it’s for small businesses, channel partners, enterprises or end-users. Our goal is to deliver the best and most competitive solutions on the market.”

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The AIDA production of Polytechnic University of the Philippines, will be conducting a seminar workshop entitled “CALL FOR HEALTH: Debunking of the Virals” the event will be held on March 16, 2016 at Benavidez corner Trasierra Streets, Legaspi Village, Makati City, 1pm-6pm.

This event is co-presented by ZALORA, with participation of WhenInManila, WazzupPilipinas.com and Boracay Beach Radio as our Media Sponsors.

Aim: The event aims to inform different employees, with designation of HR Managers, Team Leaders, etc, from different business process outsourcing companies across the metro with regards to health concepts of their employees.

This event will also deliver speeches that will inspire and motivate the audience that will surely improve their knowledge of about the rising health issues in the business process outsourcing companies.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

They say behind every great design is an even bigger story. The design is actually the silent ambassador of our brands. The cooler the design, the more it engages our customers.

Huawei recently launched their latest flagship smartphone alongside two other models at the Huawei Mate 8 on the second day of March 2016 at an event held at the Solaire Grand Ballroom in Pasay city.

With hashtags #TheNewChoice, #NewBusinessStyle #HuaweiMate8 for the day, the brand also introduced 8 ambassadors representing the business elites who challenge status quo, act with passion and persistence, and find new solutions as they define and flaunt the new style of business.

The new breed of business elites are Rajo Laurel, Apples Aberin, Victor Consunji, Sid Maderazo, Jessica Kienle, Gaby dela Merced, Rosebud Benitez and Kelley Mangahas. They were all given a few minutes to share on stage why they switched to the new Huawei smartphones for their kind of lifestyle. I will be releasing a video soon featuring the highlights of the event so watch for it soon here or at our YouTube channel at http://www.YouTube.com/user/wazzuppilipinas.

Charles Wu, Huawei Country Managing Director, welcomed everyone at the event and began with the success of Leonardo di Caprio at the Oscars. He also announced that Huawei now ranked on 3rd place globally next to Samsung and the Apple iPhone. Their brand awareness reached new heights at 78%. Huawei ranks at number 88 as an international brand. More about his talk soon on our video presentation.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"The Shell Eco-marathon Asia 2016 is one innovative event I love sharing experiences with my husband with. Find my husband as he sparks ideas at the tech arena and find me amping energy at the fun zone from March 3-6, 2016 at Rizal Park, Manila for ‪#‎SEM2016‬.

BTW, bring your kids! My son's going to build cars and race them using salt water, dance to generate energy, route for student-teams all over Asia-Pacific racing their eco-mobiles.... there's a whole lot of fun activities for the whole family!." - Jana Estrevillo Tupas

More than just the fun activities, the Shell Eco-Marathon Asia 2016 also offers developments on new technologies gearing towards the production of better mobility and safety on the roads - an ideal that Michelin fully supports as the company is very well inclined to use the safest and most convenient technology that would definitely change the way we look in driving.

The tires are indeed among the most crucial part of our vehicles that we need to significantly consider as highly important for our safety. We should never take it for granted.

Whenever we go out of town, recognizing the long hours of driving, we always make sure that our tires are in good condition and we replace them all whenever we feel it's risky to drive old tires on unforeseen terrains and weather conditions.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

After the stir local online game publisher, X-Play caused with their “Try My Moves” video for NBA 2K Online went viral, the local pioneer in online gaming calls out to all basketball and gaming fanatics to go online and see what all the hype is about.

Celebrities, gamers, and basketball fans alike posted shout outs in major social media channels like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to “Try My Moves”, which reached more than 2.6 million views in less than a month, creating over 5.4 million impressions.

Do you think you have what it takes to steamroll through defense like LeBron James or throw a barrage of three-point jumpers like Stephen Curry? Now you can in the virtual world!

Through the Dynasty patch that was released last January, NBA2K Online players can now play as NBA players through the player card system. For example, players who were able to obtain a Rudy Gobert player card can now exploit the Frenchman's tough interior defense. On the other hand, those who got JR Smith will now be able to utilize the array of offensive moves that Cavaliers' swingman has to offer.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Are you fucking joking? Is the PRC even going to bother trying to justify this blatant appropriation? I hope they choke on it." - Justin Hall

OMG! The Professional Regulations Commission must be totally a Facebook fan as they gave approval to the development of a site that's so very much Facebook inspired.

Notice the huge similarity to the Facebook log-in? Yes it's legit and has a link to the offcial website http://www.prc.gov.ph/

A huge shout out to the peeps from PRC. Could you please enlighten us about this? Are we supposed to "Like" this or are we going to "Share" this outrageous idea until it becomes viral or trending?

I'm pretty sure comment will start flooding on social media once the other netizens get to know about this. Good luck!

Thank you.

Wednesday, March 2, 2016

It’s ‘March Madness’ for Anime Fans as Animax Premieres ‘Brynhildr in the Darkness’ and ‘Rage of Bahamut: Genesis’!

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‘March Madness’ takes on a new meaning for anime fans this month, as Animax premieres two series that viewers will go mad for! Fans in Asia are in for a double dose of fantasy and romance when the first 24-hour anime channel in Asia exclusively launches two sci-fi/ adventure series this month: Brynhildr in the Darkness and Rage of Bahamut: Genesis.

BRYNHILDR IN THE DARKNESS

Premieres March 7 at 10pm, Monday and Tuesday, 2 Episodes back-to-back

Brynhildr in the Darknessis from Arms studio, producers of such popular anime as Wizard Barristers and Maoyu. It follows the story of Ryota Murakami, an intelligent boy who nearly died in an accident that claimed his female childhood friend. To fulfil a promise he made to her of proving the existence of aliens, he devotes himself to observing the starry sky every night. One day, a girl who is the spitting image of his dead friend appears in his 11^th grade class and then later saves his life with the use of magic. Who exactly is this mysterious young lady and what are her true intentions? Brynhildr in the Darknessis based on the manga by Lynn Okamoto and directed by Kenichi Imazumi.

RAGE OF BAHAMUT: GENESIS

Premieres March 29 at 10pm, Monday and Tuesday, 2 Episodes back-to-back

Based on the immensely popular Bahamut card battle game developed by Cygames, Rage of Bahamut: Genesis is a visually extravagant animated fantasy action adventure reminiscent of The Lord of the Rings and Zorro. Rage of Bahamut: Genesis is produced by MAPPA, the studio behind the popular series,Terror in Resonance.

The story begins long ago in Mistarcia, a mystical world where humans, gods and demons co-exist. When the fearsome Bahamut monster threatens to destroy Mistarcia, the three races overcome their differences and join forces to seal the Bahamut’s power. The key to that seal is then split in two and given to the gods and demons for safekeeping. Two thousand years later, however, the gods’ half of the key is stolen by a human woman, plunging the world into chaos. Can the stolen key be found before the Bahamut is unleashed? And what role will humanity play in this world-altering conflict?

Rage of Bahamut: Genesis is directed by Keiichi Sato, with character designs by Naoyuki Onda. It is based on the Rage of Bahamut card game that’s played by more than three million players outside of Japan and was #1 on US Google Play when it was launched in 2012.

Animax is seen on SKYCable Channel 46, Cignal Digital TV Channel 34 and Dream Channel 07.

Wanderland 2016: Music and Arts Festival

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Wanderers to discover digital trends at the Globe interactive hub as prelude to the best music from international and homegrown talents

The annual music and arts festival, Wanderland is gearing up for another musical fete with this year’s anticipated line-up of international and local talents. Together with the leader in digital lifestyle, Globe, on March 5, 2016, Saturday, at the Globe Circuit Events Grounds, festival aficionados are in for tons of special treats as they experience the excitement of the Globe Galaxy.

Enter the Globe Galaxy

Globe Galaxy takes Wanderland 2016 to the next level through its interactive activities, and games that everyone can explore and enjoy. The digital lifestyle is brought to life with this all-in-one interactive hub made up of 7 planets - Zero Gravity, Lifestyle Odyssey, Movie Planetarium, Space Race, Astro Rocks, GCash Vortex, and The Transporter

On Zero Gravity, guests can defy gravity on the trampoline and shoot the coolest videos ready to upload on YouTube and upload their GIF photos on Instagram; Lifestyle Odyssey lets one take OOTDs and discover new content from Globe such as the latest fitness app K-Fit; the Movie Planetarium then challenges one’s movie knowledge with fun quizzes to win premium items; Space Race and Astro Rocks provides a fun way of learning about mobile games and Spotify hacks as well as a chance to take the mic and sing your heart out with the Digital Rockeoke Barkada challenge ; the GCash Vortex allows guests to go cashless with the use of the GCash App; and lastly, The Transporter planet lets you update your Grab app.

“Together with the latest advancements we have achieved on mobile, part of our mission at Globe is to bring these to life through events like Wanderland. Music and arts is such an integral part of the lifestyle of today’s youth. It allows them to express themselves and inspires them to explore. Through our partnership with Karpos Multimedia for the annual Wanderland Festival, we are given the opportunity to bring our customers closer to what they love the most. The winning line-up of artists this year is really something to look forward to,” shares Globe Senior Vice President for Consumer Mobile Marketing, Issa Cabreira.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

My interview with Chef Gen Capati was impromptu just like my visit at the restaurant was unannounced. But I am impressed on how everything went.

The Eight & Co Restaurant was not what I expected when I decided to drop by on a whim but they managed to do well. I had too much waiting time for a next event so instead of waiting at the venue for several hours, I went out of my normal routine and headed to this fairly new restaurant located in Socorro Fernandez street of Addition Hills. I literally made an effort to track down the re-branded restaurant.

The restaurant was themed with a cool black, white and brown combination making it stand out amazingly different from the rest of the neighborhood. Though it's not an original concept, you'll grow fond of its appearance especially with the restaurant's interiors where they've even customized some of the seats for a more comfy dining experience.

Their signage say their are open everyday except Monday from 11 am until 2 pm, and then 6 pm to 10 pm. I think I arrived sometime in between 2 pm to 6 pm so it was nice that they still attended to me.

Since the restaurant is within a residential area, it was understandable that they have some closing time. The owner's son also handles a gym at another part of the huge house that the restaurant was a part of. It's sort of funny but convenient because after a workout at the gym, their customers can transfer to the restaurant to gain back some of the pounds they lost. Lol!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Hosting Sunsets City Escape in Skye lounge. Extremely happy to be here! Reminds me of my San Diego days when I used to enjoy sipping Corona beer watching sunsets on Mission Beach." - Amanda Fernandez

Your Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas get to hang out with the Corona Ambassadresses during the 1st Leg of the Corona Sunset City Escape event at the Skye Lounge located on the rooftop of the W Building in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in partnership with Sony Channel to promote their ROFLing Sundays shows namely Younger Season 2, Baby Daddy, Odd Mom Out and Bad Judge.

They say it's always sunset somewhere. On the 17th February, I joined party people in celebrating the golden hour of sunset in Manila while listening to the beats of DJ Ron Poe, June Marieezy and Techy Romantics.

The theme is to feel the beach in the city and relax responsibly. This is probably why I've seen surfer celebrities like Mara Lopez and Luke Landrigan as among their celebrity guests. Only beach bums would recognize the two, and this is not the first time I've met the two. There's a few more previous events where they were present too.

Below is our special video presentation we made during the 1st leg of Corona Sunsets City Escape. Photos follow.

Wazzup Pilipinas Adventures on Picturebooks

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Do you remember our Pampanga Hot Air Balloon and Restaurant Tour last February? Well, it's time we compile our photos and turn it into a book. Similar to what you see in bookstores, or from the shelves of your bookcase or library, we are turning our memories into a physical book. Not the electronic or e-book, but something made from paper.

Hardbound and with glossy pages, those are the preferred type for our book, and a company called Picturebooks is going to help us bring this effort to reality. Yes, they'll be producing our book for us. It will contain some of the many photos from our tour together with stories from every part of the adventure.

It will mention all the stops we did starting with our visit at the 20th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta at Clark air field where we witnessed stunning balloons of different shapes and designs.

It will also take us to the 50s while dining at Downtown 1956 Cafe by Bale Dutung, to dining on authentic Japanese cuisines at Yu-Fu-In, to Koko Buri and it's Canola oil deep-fried chicken and other international dishes, to our posh rooms and the spacious pool area of Holiday Inn Clark and our buffet lunch at Mequeni restaurant,

More information will come soon as we have our book finally printed. I will create another blog post when the actual book is with us already.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Alodia Gosiengfiao posted online something worth reading and reflecting to. The shout out was an update to accompany her Facebook profile photo. She talks about gaming and casually defends it against issues of addiction and interfering with studies. For me, gaming is not bad as long as you know how to control yourself. Know your limitations to avoid getting negatively hooked.

Some gamers have become arrogant and have big bad manners. It's great that someone like Alodia Gosiengfiao does these kind of shout outs to remind some players to keep chill in the gaming world. In this times, some students are staying at gaming shops rather than attend their classes. Hoping some of those gamers that follow her at social networking sites get this message.

"Most cases of "video game addiction" which has been popularly used to demonize gaming mostly involve people who already have deep personal underlying issues. It just so happened that their escape was video games. If they didn't do video games, they'd be abusing some other form of escape.

Of course, because it's a complicated issue, most people don't even try to educate themselves on it which is a real shame. Sure, video games have the tendency to really hook you and you lose hours into it. But if you're already a responsible person to begin with, you can always manage it and not let it be something detrimental to your personal life."

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Lol. I was laughing out loud after reading this.

"Sheesh!!!...Huwag mong ipagyabang na marami kang backlogs or pending tasks dahil ang ibig sabihin niyan ay mabagal ka o mahina ang utak para makagawa ng mabilisan.

Yung tanggap ng tanggap ng trabaho pero hindi naman pala kayang gawin lahat agad ay buwakaw at sugapa naman ang tawag diyan.

Huwag ring ipagkalat na marami kang na-decline. Gusto mo bang malaman ng iba na hindi sila kasing importante ng mga in-accept mo? Sasama lamang ang loob nila sa iyo at baka masabihan ka pang "Ang hina ko naman sa iyo."

Yung maraming oportunidad, mas mabuti pang ibahagi mo na lang sa iba kung hindi mo magagawa lahat para may makinabang naman at hindi mapunta sa wala.

Pero ingat rin kung kanino mo ipapasa dahil baka pangalan mo naman ang masira. Marami rin kasi diyan na paaasahin ka lang at magkukunwaring mangmang kapag hinanapan mo na ng kanilang obligasyon.

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Danny Javier has spent four decades in the music industry, composing some of the country’s best-loved songs and performing worldwide with two of the industry’s equally loved music icons. The trio composed the popular singing group, The Apolinario Mabini Hiking Society, better known as APO.

With more than two-dozen albums under their belt and numerous songs that inspired the entertainment industry and generations of musicians, the APO gave their final curtain call in May 2010 for their farewell concert. Only a year after, Javier battled numerous life-threatening diseases that could have ended his life.

“I was diabetic, then one thing led to another. I had kidney failure, liver collapse, emphysema, congestive heart failure, and sepsis,” he shared in a recent media event.

He intimated how, in 2012, he fought for his life by making healthy changes in his lifestyle and maintaining an all-natural diet. He said he had to consciously follow a health regimen in order to maintain his wellbeing.

“After about a year and a half, my body has recovered; the next problem was maintaining it. I met this guy, Andy Lugtu, who formulated the Malungai LifeOil. It is pure oil extract from the leaves and seeds of Malunggay,” he said.