2016-04-10 ~ Wazzup Pilipinas News and Events

Saturday, April 16, 2016

Risa Hontiveros Sweeps Senatorial Debate, Pushes for Mental Healthcare

Wazzup Pilipinas!

"Compassionate, competent, compelling" - this was just some of the descriptions used by netizens to describe senatorial aspirant Risa Hontiveros during the second senatorial debate hosted by Rappler yesterday afternoon.

Adjudged best debater in all three rounds of the debate, Hontiveros was hailed as the over-all winner by netizens who watched the event through Rappler live stream and PTV 4.

Hontiveros spoke on issues ranging from the Catholic Church's position on reproductive health to benefits for barangay health workers to traffic and tax reform.

She spoke most passionately though about her advocacy for universal health.

"Seven out of ten Filipinos die without seeing a doctor. This is why I work. This is why we should work together”, she said.

Hontiveros also pushed for mental health care package for Filipinos.

“If I get to work in the Senate, simula na ako doon sa mga nasimulan na, so susuportahan ko 'yung pagdevelop ng PhilHealth ng benefit packages para sa mental health, both post-trauma o kaya yung addressing depression”, she urged.

Hontiveros also spoke candidly about her first two failed attempts to run and why she decided to run again.

"Tinatanong ng mga classmates ng anak ko, bakit ba ako takbo ng takbo".

She said that universal health is a goal that can be achieved through vision and hard work. “Healthy Pinoy, Healthy ‘Pinasis not just a pipe dream. Universal healthcare can be achieved in our lifetime”, she said, referring to her campaign slogan.

“Sadyang may mga bagay na hindi dapat bitawan”, she concluded.

Ben Askren Overcomes Tremendous Challenge from Nikolay Aleksakhin

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The largest sports media property in Asian history, ONE Championship (ONE), put on a spectacular show at the 20,000-capacity Mall of Asia Arena, featuring the absolute best in local and international mixed martial arts talent. Geje Eustaquio turned in a masterful performance against young Malaysian prospect Gianni Subba to win by unanimous decision in the co-main event. In the main event, ONE Welterweight World Champion Ben “Funky” Askren overcame a spirited performance from Russian contender Nikolay Aleksakhin to win by unanimous decision in a five-round Super Fight.

Visit the official ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS photo gallery by clicking: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ivh34n9pza3q94o/AADwuMwRg-gnDecd5AIBoQyTa?dl=0

In the main event of the evening, the United States’ Ben “Funky” Askren overcame a tremendous effort from Nikolay Aleksakhin of Seltso, Russia to win by unanimous decision in a five-round Super Fight. Askren put on an amazing display of high-level wrestling to score on multiple takedowns, maintaining control of Aleksakhin on the ground while doing damage from the mounted crucifix position. Aleksakhin connected on a few solid strikes, but it wasn’t enough to trump Askren’s overall solid performance.

In a much-awaited bantamweight contest, Team Lakay’s Geje “Gravity” Eustaquio completely outclassed top Malaysian prospect Gianni Subba in an exciting three-round bout in front of Eustaquio’s home crowd in Manila. Eustaquio kept Subba at bay all night at the end of his lightning fast kicks and sharp counterpunching. Subba could not get his offense going as Eustaquio dominated from end-to-end to earn the unanimous decision.

Lightweight standout Lowen Tynanes of Ewa Beach, Hawaii defeated highly-regarded Japanese veteran Koji “The Commander” Ando by unanimous decision in a gruelling contest. Tynanes used his superior wrestling skills to control the action in the cage, while also getting the better of Ando in the stand-up with his powerful leg kicks and straight right hand. After three rounds, Ando couldn’t amount to much as Tynanes ran away with the judges’ nod.

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Sony Channel steals the scene as it hosts this year's Summer Escape in Boracay.

Fun-filled summer activities await the participants in this event happening on April 22 at The Sand Bar Station 1 in Boracay starting at 1PM, to be hosted by Jaz Reyes. In the evening, the mood is set with special performances by Clara Benin, RJ Jimenez, and Up Dharma Down.

To participate in this event, guests need to register by liking Sony Channel's Facebook page. After which, they’ll be given an ‘event passport’ which they could use to participate in different activity booths, and enjoy the evening performances as well.

Guests can also make memorable beach moments with henna tattoos, hair braids, massages, nail art, bead buffet, printstagram, giant beerpong, and more! Plus, Sony Channel will be giving away exciting freebies for its summer loving guests.

Sony Channel’s Summer Escape 2016 is brought to you by Western Union in partnership with 2go Express, 2go Travel, Tanduay Select, Deborrah Lippman, Palmers, OPI, Style Aromatheraphy, Havaianas, Piknik, Boracay Crossfit, Megstreetwear.ph and Meg.

Sony Channel is seen on SKYCable Channel 35, Cignal Digital TV Channel 60, Destiny Cable Channel 62, Cable Link Channel 39.

SAP Appoints New President and Managing Director of SAP Southeast Asia

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SAP today announced the appointment of Scott Russell as President and Managing Director for SAP Southeast Asia, further strengthening the senior management team of SAP Asia Pacific Japan. Effective immediately, Scott Russell will be responsible for driving SAP Southeast Asia’s sustainable growth strategy and operations. Based in Singapore, Scott Russell reports directly to Adaire Fox-Martin, President of SAP Asia Pacific Japan.

“As one of the world’s fastest-growing and competitive regions, Southeast Asia is a strategic market for SAP Asia Pacific Japan,” said Adaire Fox-Martin, President of SAP Asia Pacific Japan. “With Scott’s wealth of business and management expertise in the technology industry, we are confident that he will build on our strong growth trajectory and lead SAP Southeast Asia to continued success. Scott’s appointment further cements SAP’s commitment to help our customers accelerate digital transformation, overcome complexity and thrive in the digital economy.”

Scott Russell is a seasoned executive with more than two decades in the IT industry spanning across software, cloud and services. Scott was most recently the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for SAP Asia Pacific Japan where he provides leadership and direction to SAP’s multi-functional sales and operations organizations in APJ, driving continuous productivity improvements and significantly contributing to the achievement of revenue and profitability objectives. Scott was also the interim President and Managing Director for SAP Southeast Asia for the last quarter, where he helped to ensure business continuity.

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Three decades have passed since the longest running musical comedy variety show in the country started. As a new decade unfolds, you are bound to witness the rebirth of the show everyone has come to love.

On the 31st installment of Live Ang Istoryang Dinebelop ng Samaskom, more popularly known as Live A.I.D.S., the show’s brand of comedy has adjusted to the constantly evolving interests of the new generation― the millennials.

“The show wants to give the audience sort of an idea of how Live AIDS is going to be in the next years so now it is very timely especially this year that the subject of millenials are gaining interest and popularity,” Live A.I.D.S. 31 director VJ Santos said.

Officially dubbed as “Live A.I.D.S. HA-LOL-AN”, the show will take on the 2016 presidential elections as its main thrust, employing the satirical humor it is best known for. But this year, it has taken on a fresher and hipper angle that is fitting for the millennial generation. The audience can expect hot items from 2015 and 2016.

“Now, as a millennial as well, I want to show to the audience what kind of comedy the younger generation now appreciates and would want to see because now, at the dawn of social media, everything is going digital, so comedy should also follow that track of progress,” director Santos said.

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The Glorietta Activity Center will be having its Tourism Lifestyle and Business Expo this April. Discover products, ideas and offers from different brands in one of Makati’s busiest hubs, Ayala Center.

The TLB Expo will bring you a wide array of products, services and offers from the following industries:

· Health and Beauty
· Finance and Investments
· Hotels and Accommodations
· Travel and Tours and
· Food products

The three-day event includes a Summer Fashion show featuring the candidates of the 5th Miss Tourism Philippines. Root for your favorite candidate as they show their best talent on stage.

It is fun-filled event for the whole family, friends and travel enthusiasts during the summer shopping season, so come to the Glorietta Activity Center this April 26 to 28, Tuesday to Thursday from 10am onwards. Check out the TLB Expo on Facebook for updates.

Wazzup Pilipinas!
We are looking forward to attending the 2nd Philippine Healthcare & Social Media Summit at the PICC plenary room 2-3 on April 21, 2016.

Also known as the #HealthXPh, the first summit held on February 2015 was #HealthXPH’s way of bringing the virtual discussions in a weekly tweet chat to the real world. This second summit takes a step further by forging partnerships that can bring the event “from click to brick.” The organizers would like to translate retweets, shares and likes to concrete action that can transform healthcare.

Each session will be a mini-workshop where participants are expected to come up with an output, be it a social media policy, a social media research proposal, a list of best practices in using social media for advocacy, using social media tools for education or a patients' manifesto for social media.

Presentations are geared towards helping the participants come up with output. Because of time limits, #HealthXPh hopes to foster collaboration among participants to enable them to continue working together beyond the summit.

Registration starts at 7:30 am and ends at 5 pm for a group photo.

See you all there!

Get More Value from Your Budget with Sun Postpaid’s No Lock-In Plan 499

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Getting your very own postpaid plan has just become much easier as Sun rolls out its new and flexible value-rich offer with the Sun Postpaid No Lock-In Plan 499! With this new offer, you’re assured to get the most of your hard-earned cash with the inclusions that you wouldn’t get from the competition.

Through the new Sun Postpaid No Lock-In Plan, practical Pinoys can now enjoy unlimited All-Net texts, unlimited calls to Sun, Smart and TNT, Non-Stop Facebook, and a whopping 1GB worth of data for mobile surfing. This trumps the competition’s offer, which includes 500MB of mobile surfing with music streaming and unlimited calls to the same network — and this offer costs 100 pesos more than what Sun provides!

Truly, you get more than what you pay for from Sun. From the massive amount of inclusions that will help you become more entertained and productive, you can never go wrong with Sun’s No Lock-In Plan 499.

So why settle on a plan that gives you less than what Sun provides? Look no further and enjoy a lock-in free plan that gives you more than what you pay for via Sun Postpaid No Lock-In Plan 499.

For more information on this and Sun’s other practical offerings for those who yearn to get more than what they pay for, visit http://suncellular.com.ph/.

Developers are Invited to an Election 'Hackathon'

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As part of the #BilangPilipino campaign for the upcoming 2016 presidential elections, TV5 announced that it would be staging a data-driven "hackathon" where developers, mobile app makers, and designers can collaborate and create relevant mobile apps and websites that will help voters make an informed decision come election day.

Dubbed "Hacksyon: The #BilangPilipino Hackathon", organized in cooperation with mobile leader Smart Communications, Smart Developer Network (Smart DevNet), Voyager Innovations, PayMaya Philippines, and DevCon Philippines, the hackathon is set to happen from April 16 to 17 at the National College of Public Administration and Governance in the University of the Philippines Diliman campus.

Developers who want to join the hackathon may pre-register for free by visiting http://www.eventbrite.com/e/hacksyon-bilangpilipino-hackathon-registration-24388696247.

"The 2016 elections is a pivotal time in our collective history as a country, made even more interesting by the rise of emerging digital and mobile technologies. And with majority of voters falling under the 18 to 34 age bracket --the so-called 'millennial' generation-- who are immersed in these digital platforms, mounting 'Hacksyon' is but a natural step in getting them engaged in nation-building, and through an activity that appeals greatly to their digital pursuits," explained Roby Alampay, InterAksyon.com and BusinessWorld Editor in Chief.

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“Feels like we’re kids all over again!,” exclaimed Chris Castillo after being a “kuya” to his adopted sibling during the For The Kids Festival: La Viva Nino- A Carnival of Wonders held one Sunday at the De La Salle University. It was not Chris’ usual kuya role as together with 30 other Globe employees and 1,000 DLSU students and staff, they provided a fun experience for 580 special children through play, arts, crafts, and dance.

Above we see Patrick Omar Erestain of Globe Corporate Social Responsibility joining the kids in a simple modern dance exercise.

For the Kids (FTK) is a mini Olympics for children from different schools, institutions, and centers around Metro Manila who have physical, emotional, and mental difficulties and challenges. It is an annual activity being conducted by DLSU Center for Social Concern and Action (DLSU-COSCA) for the past 27 years and is a big part of the La Sallian tradition of serving kids with special needs.

“I realized that time is something I can give. A couple of hours can make a big difference. These children only need acceptance, patience, understanding, love and open-mindedness. I enjoyed the event so much since I felt like I was a part of them. They allowed me to enter their world. I volunteered because I believe we are designed to help one another. It just feels good inside to give unconditionally,” said Chris, a Finance Specialist.

Comedy Cartel and Scarlet present Scarlet Nights

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Looking for a good place to laugh & unwind on a payday Saturday evening?

Watch the Comedy Cartel's live comedy series entitled "Scarlet Nights" at Scarlet Wine Lounge at the Fort Strip BGC on April 16, Saturday, 8pm! Featuring one of GMA 7's Bubble Gang's writer Rene Cruz Jr.,

Laugh & Stack Season 1 First Runner Up Sherwin Cunanan & ABS CBN's Pilipinas Got Talent Season One Finalist - Mr. Ruther Urquia!

Laugh 'til your face turns red w/ laughter and get your much needed comic relief!

Reserve your tickets now!

Call or text 09178860706 for reservations!

AFFI Reveals Roadmap for Next 5 Years

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With the Philippine economy expected to expand even more this 2016, the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc. (AFFI) has laid out plans to further empower entrepreneurs and the role of entrepreneurship in nation-building.

In its first general membership meeting for the year, AFFI shared its “Thrive Towards 2020” strategy to CEOs and leaders of member-corporations and partners, while commemorating the milestones it set in previous years.

In his keynote address, AFFI President Jerry Ilao of Ink-All-You-Can discussed how the association introduced in 2015 a number of innovative programs geared towards its vow of empowering entrepreneurs in the country.

He pointed out AFFI’s most successful activities last year including the first ENTREPRUN; the Business Unusual where experts shared their knowledge on intellectual property and labor law; and the AFFI Open House which provided a glimpse of how some of AFFI’s biggest member-corporations started, how they operate, and how they continue innovation inside their companies.

AFFI is also known for its unique mentoring programs from seasoned entrepreneurs who have made it their advocacy to help new businesses grow. At the 14th Franchise & Business Expo last October 2015, the association introduced the Business Journey where participants were taught and guided every step of the way in looking for and securing a business or franchise. The program included one-on-one mentoring sessions with owners and CEOs of successful AFFI enterprises.

Mr. Ilao describes being part of the Business Journey as “one of those moments that you feel blessed to be an entrepreneur, knowing that somehow, you were able to give inspiration to another person and make a difference in their lives.”

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The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in partnership with GCash mobile money service, is set to re-launch the first electronic filing and payment system in the country on Apr 12, 2016. Together with the USAID Facilitating Public Investment Project and the USAID E-PESO Activity, these computerization and digitization reform measures aim to improve tax collection and administration, curb corruption, and strengthen business climate in the country.

“Sa patuloy na pagbayad ng tamang buwis, patuloy ang pag angat ng Pilipinas” [the continuous payment of right taxes will continue and sustain the growth of the Philippines], said BIR Commissioner, Kim Henares. The bureau aims to increase funding contribution for the country’s growing needs for basic infrastructure and social programs necessary to reduce poverty, thus, the government continues to push for the growth of the country’s fiscal space.

Globe Telecom complements government tax collection efforts by creating financial technology highways through its new wholly-owned subsidiary, Mynt. It designs revolutionary ways on how products and services are provided as it leverages on its telecommunications infrastructure, mobile money platform, and micro financing expertise.

Mynt is the holding company of G-Xchange, Inc. which operates GCash. “We are thankful for the confidence given to us by the BIR. Through GCash we aim to provide easy access to government services using financial technology solutions over mobile phones and simple person-to-person transfers that are reliable, more convenient and affordable,” said John Rubio, CEO of Mynt.

Marquez Takes His First Michelin Victory After A Dramatic Race-Day In Argentina

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Michelin’s MotoGP debut at the demanding Termas de Rio Hondo circuit was marked with an impressive win by Honda’s Marc Marquez after an eventful day at the Argentinian track.

Following yesterday’s incident with Scott Redding’s rear tyre and the subsequent decision to withdraw both rear tyres from this weekend’s proceedings, heavy overnight rain meant the riders couldn’t test the extra tyre so a further decision between Michelin, Dorna and IRTA was taken to make the race a two stage event on safety grounds. The riders were allowed to use the tyres that they had tested all weekend, but a mandatory rule was made that they had to pit after nine, ten or eleven laps and change to another bike with the same spec tyres. The distance was also reduced to 20-laps to accommodate the extra safety measures.

The race started under heavy cloud, but the track had dried out sufficiently to allow for some competitive and exciting racing. Pole-setter Marquez got a good start, before Jorge Lorenzo hit the front on his Yamaha. He was then passed on the first-lap by Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso, a position he held until lap-three when Marquez took over at the front. As the first part of the race progressed Marquez and the Yamaha-mounted Valentino Rossi got involved in an interesting battle that saw the pair regularly change places. At the end of lap-10 Marquez and Rossi came into the pits to change their bikes, with the Spaniard taking the upper-hand with a quick change, enabling him to get out in front of Rossi and create a gap.

As the race continued Marquez stretched his lead, while Rossi got involved in a four rider battle with Dovizioso and his Ducati team-mate Andrea Iannone, along with Suzuki’s Maverick Viñales. With all four vying for positions it looked to be going right to the last lap, before Viñales crashed out on a damp-patch on lap-18, leaving three Italians to battle for the remaining podium places. This looked like being the case, right up until the final corner when Iannone tried a last-minute manoeuvre on his team-mate and the pair crashed, leaving Rossi to come home in second, with Honda’s Dani Pedrosa profiting from the crash to take third. Eugene Laverty on a satellite Ducati took fourth and the honour of First Independent Team Rider, with another Ducati, this time belonging to Hector Barbera in fifth. Pol Espargaro on a Yamaha was sixth, Stefan Bradl seventh on an Aprilia and Bradley Smith riding a Yamaha in eighth. Tito Rabat on a Honda took ninth, whilst the second Aprilia, ridden this time by Alvaro Bautista rounded out the top-ten. The result leaves Marquez at the top of the World Championship Classification, with Rossi in second and Pedrosa third.

Michelin now heads immediately to North America where round three of the MotoGP World Championship will take place at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on Sunday 10th April.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Are you among those with the nasty nacho problems? Is it also too difficult for you to eat nachos? Well, say goodbye to your nacho problems because Taco Bell has creatively concocted a clever solution to your #NachoProblems with their Grilled Stuft Nacho.

At their Gateway Mall branch in Cubao, Quezon City, your self-declared Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas, was treated to their new heavenly unique food product that will surely get everyone's interest, especially for the nacho lovers who can't get enough of their favorite nachos.

Get to try their "flavorful layers of seasoned beef, cool sour cream, creamy jalapeno sauce, crispy nacho strips, and warm nacho cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla, and shaped like one big delicious nacho, grilled to perfection."

The Taco Bell Grilled Stuft Nacho is available for take-out or dine-in and comes at a very affordable price of only P159 with your favorite soda and more nachos to go. Now, that's worth every peso of our hard-earned money.

The Taco Bell Grilled Stuft Nacho is available at their Gateway, TriNoma, and Alabang Town Center branches for a limited time only. So what are you waiting for? Drop by at any of the three branches to experience nachos like never before.

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I recently attended the launch of Elephone that will soon be available on April 18 exclusively at Lazada.

I will soon write a separate article containing unboxing videos of all three models namely the P900, P8000 and S1, plus full videos of the talks, from both Lazada and Elephone, during the launch. So please watch out for them at our YouTube videos at http://www.YouTube.com/user/wazzuppilipinas

For the meantime, below is their official press release.

Innovative and user-friendly, superior in quality and performance, elegance in design, and great value for money– these are the pillars that best define the latest smartphones from the fast-growing Chinese smartphone manufacturer Elephone (HK Elephone Communication Tech Co., Limited).

Elephone has been committed to developing high-end smartphones and making it affordable to global customers. With years of development and innovation, Elephone now has gained a very strong market traction in Europe and Southeast Asia.

Elephone’s exclusive partnership with Lazada Philippines will provide both superior product quality in tandem with best-in-class shopping experience to many Filipinos.

Emergence: Revitalizing Pinoy Artistry

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A new party brand is emerging and this time it emphasizes on Filipino Musical Ingenuity. That’s right! It is headlined by an all Pinoy Line-up.

Support Filipino Artistry as Emergence: A Pinoy Electronic Music Festival launches its Nationwide Tour this Saturday, April 16, 2016, at The Palace Pool Club. Emergence promises to cover not just the big room formula but a variety of other sub-genres of Electronic Dance Music. It will offer other elements such as live vocals and classical instruments fused with DJ Technology.

Emergence aims to promote Filipino Artistry and Musicality, that true to the RAVE culture of PLUR (Peace, Love, Unity and Respect), it can be celebrated and stand hand in hand with other EDM Powerhouses brought about by globalization.

Emergence: A Pinoy Music Festival

When: Saturday, April 16, 2016, 8PM until morning

Where: The Palace Pool Club, Uptown, Bonifacio Global City

Emergence: A Pinoy Music Festival will be on a year-long nationwide tour this 2016. The party will be launched at The Palace Pool Club, and will continue in 14 other destinations.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

A group of independent musicians from different productions recently gathered for a music fest to entertain the many visitors of People's Park in the Sky on Easter Sunday (March 27, 2016). Not only did they aim to make the place feel livelier that day but they also worked for the goal of reviving interest of the public especially youth in our local homegrown music (and bands) as well as old OPM classics that some performers/bands performed that day to remind all of us of our good old music.

The group has been performing as street performers in Manila areas and organizing open mics for new artists since August 2015 and they succeeded in helping some to get to radio or be managed and showcased with now known mainstream bands. They have organized successful busking/street performance events in Dangwa Flower Market (October 22 and February 12), Intramuros (November 12), Mendiola (November 26) and Malate-Remedios Circle (January 19).

Their performance in Dangwa last October 22, 2015 has been covered by a TV network, whereas news team of other TV networks saw their busking performances last February 12, 2015 during the Valentine shopping spree. Their moving busking group has been very well received by watchers from Intramuros and even foreigners who saw the videos and one of their busker videos in Mendiola has gone viral with more than 400,000 views already on Facebook.

One of their colleagues, Martin Riggs Nunez, has also succeeded in getting the attention of Carlos Celdran when he did his solo busk in Plaza Lawton which eventually got him to be featured on a few TV shows and opening more awareness about their music revival goal.

They continue to do random street performances especially in Alabang Town Center, Divisoria, outside Intramuros areas, just to name a few, and even get more students/locals who watch and jam with them on events.

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As the “modern teacher”, you are always expected to assist your students understand and master various technological tools that they can use in universities and college and workplaces. Custom writers website (for example customessayorder.com) can also help you in understanding issues concerning low tech classrooms. However in most parts of the country, the one-computer classroom is still in existence. Thus the question arises on how we are expected to achieve a lot with a little. How can we use limited resources in supporting learning and also familiarizing our students with the ever-developing technology?

There are some tips that you need to consider:

1) You might need more creative with the structure of the lessons so that the students have enough time to have productive interactions with the new tools.

2) As a teacher, you need to take advantage of any time yourstudents have ample access to a computer laboratory since there are multiple computers. Consider exploiting such opportunities so as to guide the students in understanding several tools. This investment will pay later if it is consistent.

3) It is important to relieve yourself of the pressure of understanding all the sides of every tool. Instead, employ strategies that will empower students such as challenging them of becoming experts who can teach one another on various ways of using the new programs.

The following are some of the methods to organize limited technology resources that can support students.

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Hillarie is the New Jergens Girl! The favorite moisturizer of generations of women chose the 25-year old beauty -- a commercial, print and runway model -- for her signature glowing skin and vibrant personality.

Kacey Pamintuan, Jergens Brand Officer said Hillarie’s personality fits the brand perfectly. “She is elegant and aspirational. She embodies what a real Jergens lady is.” Hillarie will represent the brand in its 2016 Moist Glowing Skin Campaign, grace its print ads and videos, and star in Jergens events.

As the New Jergens Girl, Hillarie will create awareness about skin health and beauty as well as stress the importance of moisturizing to achieve glowing, beautiful skin.

Superbly moisturized skin is made possible by an illuminating Hydralucence™ blend, a breakthrough technology unique to Jergens that forms a continuous double layer of moisture on skin when applied. The result is an awesomely smooth surface that lets light reflect off the skin. Skin looks luminous on the outside, while inside, a continuous protective barrier of moisture is formed, making sure skin is constantly nourished from its deeper layers.

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Senator Ed Angara urges next President “to unify the nation”, push political & economic reforms.

“I hope the next President of the Philippines shall prioritize unifying the nation, then pursue comprehensive political and economic reforms for our national development,“ former Senate President and former University of the Philippines (U.P.) President Edgardo Angarasaid during the April 5 book launching of his biography entitled “Edgardo J. Angara: In the Grand Manner” and authored by 16-time Palanca literary awardee Prof. Jose “Butch” Y. Dalisay, Jr. The launching and book-signing was held at at the Pandesal Forum of 77-year-old Kamuning Bakery Cafe in No. 43 Judge Jimenez St. corner K-1st Street, Kamuning, Quezon City.

After the tertulia-inspired Pandesal Forum was attended by media, intellectuals and various leaders, including SGV Group’s 95-year-old founder Washington SyCip, National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario (penname “Rio Alma”), ANC host Atty. Teddyboy Locsin, “Philippine Star” columnist Federico Pascual, “Philippine Daily Inquirer” columnist Amando Doronilla and others.

An old customer and neighbor of Kamuning Bakery Cafe was Senator Angara’s late cousin, the famous theater artist Zenaida Angara Amador. Many of the original settlers in Quezon City’s first community---Barangay Kamuning---were from the Baler hometown of the late Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon; Baler is also hometown of the Angara family. The biography’s author Prof, Butch Dalisay and his art restorer wife Beng Dalisay are also customers of Kamuning Bakery Cafe.

Senator Edgardo J. Angara – an educator, lawyer, banker, farmer, patron of the arts – is the longest serving senator in the post-EDSA Senate. He has been elected to four consecutive terms of six years each. Angara authored landmark laws on agriculture, education, health, arts and culture, science and technology, good governance, financial reforms and social welfare.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Cats are very adorable pets, but as much as their meows can bring a smile to our faces, they can make us go me-oouuuuccch too.

Animal Planet’s My Cat from Hell is back for its seventh season with the continuing adventures of Jackson Galaxy, who travels from Los Angeles to New York helping cat families in need. Jackson deals with some of the worst cases of cat-on-cat and cat-on-human aggression he has ever seen. From humans that just don't understand their animals to cats that are in need, Jackson has one goal: to help change people's lives, one cat at a time.

The new season of My Cat from Hell premieres April 20, Wednesdays, 9 PM.

Thirty years after the worst nuclear catastrophe in history, which sent a plume of highly radioactive fallout exploding into the atmosphere, biologist Rob Nelson and Anthropologist Mary-Ann Ochota are the first scientists to be permitted unlimited access to the areas surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant to investigate how the environment and wildlife have been affected after 30 years in the most contaminated area on earth.

While they are able to stay for as long as needed to conduct their research, both experts need to make sure the radiation exposure in their bodies does not reach unacceptably high levels. And ultimately, what they discover about the effects of high radiation doses on animal and plant life in the region astonishes and surprises them.

The new one-off, Life After: Chernobyl, premieres April 26, Tuesdays, 9 PM.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

This summer, AXN brings to the crowd an energy-packed set of activities that would bring pure excitement to the crowd.

AXN Ultimate Thrill 2016 will be held in Camp N Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, on April 16, starting at 6 AM. 150 qualified teams of 2 members, 18years old and up, will have to register one to two hours before the event. Registration can be done onsite or online at http://nuvali.ph/events/AXN-UltimateThrill-2016 and also at Chris Sports branches.

This event presents the thrill-seekers with a variety of obstacles including log hurdles, wall climbing, rollercoaster zipline, and more! After the morning activities, only 20 teams with the shortest time to accomplish the challenges would move on to the final round. Finally, at the end of the event, only 5 brave and tough teams will go on to the next leg of the thrills in Boracay on the following week.

AXN Ultimate Thrill 2016 is co-presented by Smart and is sponsored by C2 Cool&Clean, Fisherman’s Friend, and Smirnoff Mule.

OLX Celebrates Success with Cebuanos

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OLX Philippines celebrates another milestone year in Cebu as they reported significant growth in its Cebu-based users of online buyers and sellers after two years of expansion in the region.

“Our number of users has been steadily growing since we started operations in Cebu. It is currently three times larger compared to our figures from the previous year,” said OLX Sr. Marketing Manager for Cebu Regina Aguilar during its anniversary celebration held recently at the Cebu Quest Hotel and Conference Center.

Mobile phones and tablets top the list of items that Cebuanos mostly buy and sell in the platform.

“As Cebuanos aspire to upgrade or keep up with the latest trend, OLX becomes a preferred avenue for them to achieve their goal. Some sell their pre-owned smartphones to fund the purchase of the newest model while some are able to purchase the latest smartphones at a cost that they can afford,” explains Aguilar.

Pre-owned cars, clothing, and computers are also in the top 5 lists of items being sold and bought in OLX. Their Real Estate category also gains popularity as it becomes the go-to platform of people wanting to buy or rent properties in Cebu.

In fact, paid ads from real estate sellers helped double the revenue of the company in Cebu that has been heavily promoting the usage of free ads in its platform.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The University of the Philippines Manila University Student Council in cooperation with the Office of the Chancellor, Office of Student Affairs, College of Arts and Sciences Student Council, Medicine Student Council, Nursing Student Council, College of Allied Medical Professions Student Council, UP Pharmaceutical Association Student Council, College of Public Health Student Council, and Dentistry Student Council bring you UP Manila Fiesta 2016.

Following the success of last year’s UP Manila Fiesta, this year’s celebration will be centered on the Indigenous People's way of life intertwined with the youth’s crucial role in the upcoming National Elections. One of the main thrusts of this week-long event is to advocate for the Lumad communities who are currently affected by the conflict in Mindanao. In this end, they will be the beneficiaries of half of the proceeds of the celebration which will be garnered from ticket sales, financial donations and other income generating programs. Not only will this event be for the UP Manila Community, but will also be for the benefit of our fellow Indigenous brothers and sisters.

This is co-presented by Hygienix and Zalora

Also brought to you by Hawk Bags

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Exciting times are ahead for the Philippine mobile industry as Globe launches its most revolutionary postpaid plan yet.

A groundbreaking offer in mobile, the new Globe myLifestyle No Lock-Up plan lets one surf and stream with almost double the data allocation along with unlimited texts to all networks. Unlike regular postpaid plans, it no longer has a 24-month lock-up, and its bigger data allocation and free content lets one stay connected for a richer digital experience.

With more affordable smartphones making a debut in the market, the Globe myLifestyle No Lock-up plan also lets customers use the device of their choice, without being limited to any device offer. The application process is also made easier, by just presenting one valid ID.

“For us, it’s always been about being at the forefront of all significant innovations. With the new Globe myLifestyle No Lock-Up Plan, we are changing the way customers apply for and enjoy our postpaid services. It’s a plan that puts a premium on your lifestyle with the addition of free texts to all networks and a bigger mobile data allocation, making our customer’s digital experience richer. Truly, Globe myLifestyle Plans—whether with device or line-only—is built for the way you live,” says Globe Senior Vice President for Consumer Mobile Marketing, Issa Cabreira.

Plan 1499 under a regular myLifestyle postpaid plan comes with 5GB of data. However, under the myLifestyle No Lock-Up plans, Plan 1499 has an upgraded 10GB of data. Starting at Plan 599, these new plans also come with unlimited calls and texts to Globe/TM, unlimited texts to all networks and free access to Facebook for 24 months. Customers also get 3 months of free Spotify or HOOQ depending on the plan that they get. One may also add classic packs for extra consumables, or calls and texts abroad. Nano, micro, or standard SIM variants are available, suitable for any type of device.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

To promote volunteerism and spread awareness among employees, Philippine call center Open Access BPO partnered with the Philippine Red Cross to conduct its fifth annual blood drive.

Last year, Open Access BPO partnered with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to organize its 4th annual blood donation drive. This year, fourteen out of the 37 employees who expressed their interest were able to donate blood. The whole-day activity was held in the Philippine call center’s Makati office on April 7.

"This partnership (between Open Access BPO and PRC) emphasizes volunteerism. Blood donation is a good form of community service or corporate social responsibility," Dr. Edmundo Marra from the PRC team said. Dr. Marra spearheaded the blood donation activity.

Furthermore, according to Dr. Marra, blood donation is beneficial not only to the recipient but also to the donor. Blood loss stimulates the replenishment of red blood cells, which improves circulation and energizes the body.

"I’ve been donating blood regularly, but last year, I wasn’t able to participate in Open Access BPO’s blood drive since I was then a new employee. I definitely would join volunteer activities like this in the future, because I want to help those who need medical assistance," Edmond Enoy, one of the donors, said.

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Sixteen boys and eight girls stood out over the rest in the Manila Regional Selection Camp of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines 2016 presented by Alaska at Don Bosco Technical Institute on April 9-10. They will represent the National Capital Region in the National Training Camp on April 22-24.

Fourteen of the 16 Jr. NBA finalists are from Metro Manila while the remaining two players came from Batangas City and Bacolod City respectively. Mark Glenn Gabon, 14, of National University; Luis Gabriel Aguila, 13, of Nazareth School of NU; Johndhel Austria, 13, of Escuela de Sophia; Jearico Nunez, 13, of University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta; Kai Zachary Sotto, 13, Jericho Ross Paglinawan, 14 and Mark Nicole Lucban, 13 of St. Francis of Assisi School; Reich Randell Villegas, 13, of Ateneo de Manila; Prince Junnell de Belen, 13, of San Isidro Catholic School; Pauloh Villarin, 13, of De La Salle Zobel; Patrick Lance Inting, 14, of Our Lady of Pillar Catholic School; Miguel Rey Luis, 13, of Xavier School; Anjelo Raphael Argente, 14, of De La Salle Lipa and Andrei Philip Lechoncito, 13, of St. John’s Institute of Bacolod are headed to the next phase of the program.

Eight girls were selected as Jr. WNBA representatives of Metro Manila composed of the following individuals: Dianne Camille Nolasco, 11, of Miriam College; Lalaine Gonzales, 13, of Escuela de Sophia; Carly Monreal, 13, and Princess Marie Villarin, 10, of De La Salle Zobel; Jonalyn Bongalos of University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta; Lindsey Nacional, 12 of Baptist Bible Seminary Institute, Taytay; Magda Lioui Flores, 13, of Christian Grace School of Cavite and Ma. Cecilia Quilenderino of Dalig National High School of Antipolo.

The fourth and final Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines 2016 Regional Selection Camp drew a record number of 1,114 participants—the highest Regional Selection Camp attendance to date since the grassroots program was established in 2007. The camp also attracted young players from the Southern Tagalog and Visayas regions like Jem Joaquin, 14, and Mark Salibio, 12, who are indigenous people of the Ati tribe in Boracay.

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ONE Championship, Asia’s largest sports media property with a global broadcast to over 1 billion homes across 75 countries, holds its first event in Manila for 2016 on Friday, April 15 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

ONE: GLOBAL RIVALS, which will be headlined by the world championship fight between American ONE Welterweight Champion Ben Askren and Nikolay Aleksakhin, Pro FC Welterweight Grand Prix champ, starts at 7 p.m. and features ten fights, seven of which feature Filipino fighters in various weight categories.

Up first is April Osenio vs. Batalie Gonzales Hills in a purely Pinay encounter, in the Atomweight category, followed by Burn Soriano versus Sunoto of Indonesia in the Bantamweight category.

Team Lakay’s Danny Kingad goes up against Muhamad Haidar of Malaysia in the Flyweight Division. Former ONE Featherweight World Champion Honorio “the Rock” Banario tackles Pan Asian Champ Vaughn Donayre in the following Lightweight fight.

Featherweight Champion Martin Nguyen of Vietnam disputes the Featherweight title against Li Kai Wen of Beijing. Another All-Filipino showdown happens next –North versus South -- when Joshua Pacio, Grand Prix champ from Baguio’s Team Lakay meets Robin Catalan, National Wushu Champion from Mindanao in the Straweight category.

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Salarium, a cloud based payroll platform from the Philippines, announced a major update and overhaul to their application particularly in their attendance and approval modules. The new attendance module provide employers new features to better manage their workforce. Some of the highlights include weekly timesheet views, inclusion of hour types, shift visibility, multiple projects/tags, time disputes via messaging, and a significantly improved user interface.

The approvals module has been overhauled resulting in a mobile friendly version which gives employers the ability to pre-approve requests or override a subordinate’s requests when the user is higher up in the approval workflow.

“Salarium aims to constantly delight our users, we have always been heavily focused on R&D and this is highlighted by our nearly weekly feature release. The new attendance however is a major overhaul and replaces a significant chunk of the core application” Daniel Bahna, VP of Product.

The attendance page will now feature a full breakdown of the daily employee attendance. Time records of clock ins and outs are now grouped by day. A new Hours Worked page where you can add Regular, OT, Night or OT during Night hours. These new features are aimed to better serve our clients by addressing their needs for better management and visibility of their workforce.

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ePLDT, the digital enterprise enabler of the PLDT Group, was recently granted the much-coveted Gold Level status for providing Microsoft Office 365 to enterprises. Microsoft Gold Partners get exclusive support and resources direct from Microsoft, thereby ensuring that ePLDT’s clients are provided with best-in-class services.

“Achieving Gold Level in cloud productivity reflects our commitment to providing the best industry knowledge and technical skills to our customers. Working towards the upgrade involved producing more certified professionals through rigorous training and passing Gold level standards, which means that our Microsoft Office 365 clients can expect global-quality technical support,” said Nico Alcoseba, Head of PLDT Group’s Disruptive Business Group (DBG).

“In ensuring the best experience for our customers, we work closely with partners like ePLDT. We leverage on their knowledge and capability to provide customers with world-class technology solutions and industry expertise and service,” said Karrie Ilagan, Microsoft Philippines Managing Director. “We congratulate ePLDT on joining the ranks of some of the best partners that Microsoft has around the world, as one of only 30 Gold Competency partners in Asia.”

ePLDT began its Cloud Productivity partnership with Microsoft in 2014 as a Silver Partner. This allowed ePLDT to offer enterprise-level Office 365 plans and subscriptions.

“Microsoft solutions for businesses enable organizations to work collaboratively,” said Ilagan. “With Office 365, organizations can benefit from a breadth of tools for the modern workplace that are constantly updated and scalable with latest productivity features for employees to get things done."

Wazzup Pilipinas!
The Department of Energy (DOE) earnestly calls on the cooperation of the public to undertake energy efficiency and conservation initiatives despite normalization of power supply following the prolonged forced outages of some plants coinciding with other plants’ maintenance shutdown.

Energy Secretary Zenaida Y. Monsada said “In facing this critical phase concerning our power supply, we are counting on the collective effort of everybody to practice energy efficiency and/or by adjusting the usage period of any electric appliances away from the peak hours (i.e., 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.), such as, ironing of clothes, unnecessary use of computers, and even laundering of clothes using washing machine and drier, as any contribution really does matter.” She added that energy consumers are urged to set the thermostat of air-conditioning units installed in their offices and households at 25˚Celsius.

This appeal came as today’s peak demand has reached 9,255 MW breaching the highest recorded peak demand for the third time for this month alone, which can attributed to the hottest El Niño to date.

Meanwhile, the DOE received a latest report from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the system operator, that the power supply status is already back to “normal” as Sual Unit 2 accounting for about 647 MW was already back online at 7:24 p.m. last night. Additionally, the Tiwi Geothermal Plant Unit 6 with a dependable capacity of 43 MW is also back in operation since early yesterday.

Telco Company Leads Digital Transformation in PH Enterprises With Strong Growth in Data, Broadband Segment

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Globe Business, the enterprise information and communications technology (ICT) arm of Globe Telecom, has led the digital transformation of the country’s top enterprises in 2015 following the strong performance of its enterprise data and broadband segments.

Full-year enterprise revenues in 2015 have grown by 12% versus previous year, while EBITDA increased by 15.7%, primarily driven by the growth in data business at 18%. Various IT-enabled enterprise services have also seen strong take-up such as Enterprise Infrastructure-as-a-service (IAAS) with revenues growing by 190%, Managed Security Services with revenue growth of 2233%, and Business Applications growing by 428%.

“Understanding that speed is integral in establishing a real competitive advantage, Globe Business is accelerating the adoption of data and digital services across Philippine enterprises. We are proud of our technological arsenal, which boasts of a complete portfolio of connectivity solutions that enable our enterprise clientele to get ahead with the fast-changing market landscape,” affirms Mike Frausing, Senior Advisor for Enterprise and IT-Enabled Services Group.

The connectivity solutions of Globe Business cover data, Internet and managed connectivity capabilities, delivering high-speed data spanning across the world, assuring enterprises of reliability and traffic fluidity through its cable diversity. This enables cost-effective and resilient connectivity to other countries and other international submarine cable systems.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Tune into Sony Channel on 17 April to fracture your funny bone when “Dr. Ken” takes its place alongside “Baby Daddy”, “Younger”, “Bad Judge” and “Odd Mom Out” as part of the ROFLing* line-up on Sony Channel each week night. Dr. Ken prescribes more ROFLing on Sony Channel.

Ken Jeong is a funny guy known for his scene stealing abilities in “The Hangover” and “Knocked Up” but did you know he is a qualified M.D too? This latest sitcom is a perfect pairing of host and subject. Created, written, and co-executive produced by its lead actor, Ken Jeong; “Dr. Ken” is just what the doctor ordered.

Based on Ken Jeong’s own experiences in his career and family life, “Dr. Ken” pokes fun his everyday life. A perfect prescription of what not to do when dealing with complaining patients to working alongside colleagues or facing the daily trials of fatherhood; Dr. Ken creates drama with his impatient and way-too honest bed-side manner and over-zealous parenting style.

“Dr. Ken” stars Ken Jeong as Dr. Ken Park, Tisha Campbell-Martin as the no-nonsense receptionist Damona, Jonathan Slavin as his faithful nurse Clark, Kate Simses as Julie, the sweet, naïve resident, and Dave Foley as Pat the hospital administrator.

Wazzup Pilipinas!

What a festive April 9 afternoon for the Binibining Pilipinas 2016 Grand Parade of Beauties!
Binibining Pilipinas 2016 candidates recently did their yearly Parade of Beauties. They are seen with their gorgeous smiles and waving hands to spectators all around Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City riding on remarkable sporty looking vehicles.

The rides used are Mazda, specifically the Miata models, vehicles in cooperation with Miata Club Philippines.

The beauties are all wearing stunning Pegarro Swim outfits by Julius Jaguio & Domz Ramos. They are a Tribute to all LGBT Handlers of our Queens .
"Much to the delight of pageant aficionados and the media, the 40 lovely candidates of ‪#‎BbPilipinas2016‬ paraded the streets of The Araneta Center riding trendy Miata cars on Saturday, April 9.

All eyes were on this year’s Top 40 as they toured the Center in stylish rainbow-colored swimsuits designed by Domz Ramos. Bringing more cheer to summer, the ladies wore headdresses of multi-colored summer blooms.

The parade started at Novotel Manila Araneta Center and ended at the green gate of the Smart Araneta Coliseum where a throng of supporters gathered to get a closer look at the gorgeous ladies."

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Philippines celebrates the Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor on April 9. Every year, we honor and pay tribute to the Filipino and American soldiers who laid their lives for our country during World War II. We salute the thousands who have suffered and died defending our country in the historic “Bataan Death March.”

I am proud to have been born and raised in Bataan, in our humble home in Mariveles. Perhaps this is where I developed my love and appreciation for history. Perhaps this is where my passion for heroism grew.

Whenever we hear of the word HERO, we immediately think of bravery and courage, mainly because of the idea that a hero died for the sake of his/her country. Or, perhaps in the modern age, we imagine heroes to have capes, an x-ray vision or a Batmobile in order for them to save the day.

Who is a hero?

Today, being a hero does not only mean having to give up one’s life for the sake of another (although that is still heroism).