Tugade Orders Transport Sectors to Intensify Security As Christmas Season Draws Near

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade today directed all transport sectors – railways, road, maritime and aviation – to further intensify their respective safety and security measures in preparation for the Christmas Season when thousands flock to transport terminals to travel and spend the Holidays in the provinces.

DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade also reminded transportation officials and personnel to assure the riding public not only safety and security, but also comfort while in the various bus terminals, sea and airports, and train stations.

“May I once again reiterate the great importance of maintaining and assuring the safety, security and comfort of the riding passengers and the public. Accordingly, please continue implementing and improving our security and safety measures to protect people, facility, structures, equipment, and the like,” Secretary Tugade said.

The transportation chief also pointed out that both the government and commuting public “must be proactive, alert and vigilant”, share information and maintain close coordination among stakeholders that would further improve the security safety nets in the transport sectors.

During the All Saints’/All Souls Day commemoration last November, the different transport sectors activated their Oplan Biyaheng Ayos to ensure the security and safety of the thousands of commuters flocking to the transport hubs for the traditional exodus to the provinces.

Top 25 Teams Advance to Philippine Startup Challenge 4 Semis

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Twenty-five teams composed of students from different colleges and universities are moving to the Semi-final Round of the Philippine Startup Challenge (PSC) 4, the national competition for college students aspiring to be the next big startup geniuses.

Trimmed down from a pool of 202 entries, the 25 selected teams will now undergo coaching for further development of the teams’ ideas, which attempt to give technological solutions to various societal concerns on transportation, health, environment, agriculture, security, and even food shortage.

After the coaching sessions and evaluation of the teams’ Business Model Canvass and Minimum Viable Product, further judging and assessment will determine the ten (10) teams who will advance into the National Finals on April 2018.

The Philippine Startup Challenge is organized by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) and the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA) together with industry partners Ideaspace Philippines, Huawei Technologies Philippines, Microsoft and Philippine Society of IT Educators (PSITE).



Below are the Top 25 Entries advancing to PSC 4 Semi-Finals:



ARKILA by Team Arki Devs from Lorma Colleges: Arkila is a ride-hailing and logistics services transport solution app that offers wide range of vehicle selection.



BLOODPLUS by Team BloodPlus from the University of San Jose – Recoletos: BloodPlus is a web and mobile application where people can request for blood if they are urgently in need for blood and notifies eligible blood donors.



BUHAY++ by Team Buhay from the University of Cebu, Main: Buhay++ is an Online Platform for Ethical and Legal Organ Donations



BUILD by Team Build from Bulacan State University: BUILD is a web and mobile application wherein buyers (clients) and suppliers (bidders) from different areas can connect through one centralized electronic procurement system.



CONVASS by Team Cord from the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines: Convass is a website for online canvassing and purchasing of construction materials for government agencies whose budget is Php50, 000 below.



E-PURSE by e-Pursuers from the University of Southeastern Philippines: e-Purse is mobile wallet application that digitally pays the items and also store changes up until the last cent.



FACE TRACK 2.0 by Team Trackers from Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology: Face Track 2.0 was inspired by the slow inspection system in Iligan City that would take an hour for verification of each citizen and that disturbs the activities and appointments of each citizens and sometimes, unmonitored or lack of enforcement.



GIMME SPOT by Team Gimme Spot from the University of Southeastern Philippines: Gimme Spot is a toilet finder for both public and private toilet. it will also let you host your own private toilet to be rented.



IN-SHOE TRACKER by Team Wayfarer from Bulacan State University: Wayfarer is a tracking device designed to track travelers by incorporating the device in the traveler’s shoes using piezoelectric transducer.



JAC IN THE BOX by Team Eventrix from Bulacan State University: Jac in the box is an application intended to provide convenience in organizing celebrations and surprises based on the customer's time and budget, delivering all services directly to them.



LABADO by Team Rushmore from Saint Louis University: Labado is a pickup, wash, and deliver service that provides transient students a convenient way to have their laundry done.



LAUX by Team AQ from Ateneo de Davao University: Laux is a service app primarily handling laundry services that focuses on cleaning, washing, and dry cleaning clothes.



LINKMED by Team Nexus from Bulacan State University: LinkMed aims to make the Philippines’ doctor services to become more flexible by reaching the distant patient and extending the hospital services by using technology.



LINQUE by Team Linquers from the University of Southeastern Philippines: Linque is for all sari-sari store owners and company's sales workers who are experienced hassle delivery, inefficient and improper distribution of goods.



LUGAN by Team The Boys from the University of the Cordilleras: Lugan is a shared ride service that picks up multiple passengers heading in the same direction and keeping rides affordable and easy.



MOMENTS by Team Eksena from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines: Moments is a web-based platform as a service to be used by event organizers in finding event resources provided by legit businessmen.



MYMDLAB by Team The Elaborators from Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation: myMDLab is a mobile and digital application that lets the patient request for laboratory services at the comfort of his home.



PARKinLOT by Team Accelerate from Saint Louis University: ParkInLot, is a mobile-web application that will help lessen road obstruction by utilizing unused parking.



PETPAL CO. by Team Bangan from Ateneo de Davao University: Petpal Co. is an application that can help you find trusted pet sitters.



SENTINEL by Team #Proud IIT from Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology: Sentinel is a Smart Watch with GPS locator with a feature that, when activated, will locate the person in any place.



S.M.S by Team Fibonacci from Gordon College: S.M.S or Send me to school is a scholarship-matching application designed to ease the scholarship searching and application process.



SWIFT by Team The Night’s Watch from Colegio de la Purisima Concepcion: Swift lets you hire bike and motorcycle riders to deliver your documents from point A to point B securely, easily, and swiftly.



TAP TRACK by Team TechnoGeeks from University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines: Tap Track is a Portable RFID Based Attendance Management System with SMS Transmission for Field Workers.



TRAVEL WATCH by Team Metanoia from Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology: Travel watch is an IoT technology that helps the drivers to stay alert, secure and safe throughout the travel.



VENTURE PAL by by Team Rocket from University of Cebu – Main: Venture Pal is an online investment pooling platform for Philippine Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.

Benilde Dance Major Wins in Malaysia

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Olivia Bugayong, a third year dance student from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, recently won the bronze medal in the senior category of the second Malaysian International Ballet Grand Prix.

The competition, which ran from November 26 to 30, was divided into three stages — preliminary, eliminations and final. Participants were judged based on both classical repertoire (80%) and contemporary pieces (20%).

After the total score was accumulated, Bugayong was among the ten finalists who got into the final round of her category. She eventually became the first Filipino who made it to the top three of the said competition.

The DLS-CSB scholar is grateful to dance faculty Nina Anonas, her coach for ballet who joined her in Malaysia; dance chair Christine Crame, her mentor for contemporary; and associate dean Dr. Sunita Mukhi for her support to the Benilde’s Arts and Culture Cluster.





The MIBGP organizers, witnessing the growth of ballet and the performing arts scene, worked with the HELP College of Art and Technology to launch the competition in 2016.

The event aims to provide opportunities for all dance enthusiasts globally, boost the status of dancing, build integrity and friendship among dance enthusiasts, and share the knowledge of ballet.

Bugayong started her classical ballet training when she was just three years old at the Vella C. Damian School of Ballet, Inc. where she learned the Australian Conservatoire of Ballet Syllabus under the tutelage of Damian herself.

The dance major previously won the gold medal at the 2016 Hong Kong Challenge Cup Dance Competition. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts named her one of its Ani ng Dangal awardees the following year for her achievement.

She performed the role of Black Swan in Crame’s contemporary choreography of Swan Lake with the Saint Benilde Romançon Dance Company and also played the part of Ina in Brillante Mendoza‘s Ang Pagtatapos which aired on TV5 last April 22.

Tilda Appleseed Animation Wins Asian Television Award for Best Preschool Program

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Hamburg-based WunderWerk GmbH along with Manila’s ASI Studios Inc. & Singapore’s August Media Holdings have announced that their animated pre-school production Tilda Appleseed has won the Asian Television Awards 2017 in the BEST PRE-SCHOOL SHOW category. Speaking about the win, Gisela Schaefer, Managing Director at WunderWerk said, “We are delighted to have received the award. This recognizes the true beauty of the characters and the simple but key values that this show will deliver to it pre-school audiences.”

For her part, Jackeline Chua, Managing Partner at ASI Studios Inc. said, “The show presented for the studio, a particularly unique challenge in its art style. Once again our team demonstrated its versatility by not only taking on that challenge but also creating award winning works.”

The recently completed Tilda Appleseed is based on Andreas Schmachtl’s book series of the same name. The series follows the adventures of a spirited mouse with a big heart and an even bigger imagination – Tilda. The series is filled with many wonderful characters who model friendship in marvelous ways. This show about friendship and problem solving is designed for pre-schoolers and features an art style that completely resembles water colored books. The first season of the show was delivered in 2017 and a second season of 52 episodes is currently in the works.





WunderWerk had developed the book series into a TV series under license from German broadcaster, MDR/SWR for KiKA and is also the lead producer of the series. The series is animated at ASI Studios and co-produced by Synergy88 and August Media Holdings.

For August Media Holdings, this is the 6th nomination in the last 3 years, 4 of which have been for shows produced in partnership with ASI Studios Inc. Founder of August Media Holdings (who is also a partner at ASI Studios), Jyotirmoy Saha said, “It’s wonderful to hit a home run year after year. I am proud of my teams at ASI and August Media and the association between the two companies.”

Tilda Appleseed is currently on air on MDR/SWR in Germany, Good TV in Taiwan and is available on the recently launched Over-the-top platform Tapow™ media streaming and download service. The show is soon to air on multiple other networks in various parts of the world starting the early half of 2018.

City of Dreams Manila Grants a Father's Wish in a Touching Video

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Following a touching father-daughter short video titled “Perfect Moments Made Real” that went viral in October with almost seven million views in Facebook, the luxury integrated resort City of Dreams Manila released another video granting the wish of a father to bond with his family this holiday season, captioned “This was our response to a father who had a simple dream for his family”.

The story of Don Pilapil, an app-based driver and bottling company agent and father of four, was discovered through his comment on City of Dreams’ first viral short video. He expressed a wish to have the time to bring his children to DreamPlay and have the same memorable experiences that his passengers seemed to enjoy when he would drive them to and from the resort. Because Don held two jobs, he got anxious about losing touch with his growing kids because of the little time he spent with them.

City of Dreams Manila’s team reached out to Don to give him the opportunity to enjoy a unique experience and quality time with his family, which included lunch in an elaborate set-up at the Grand Ballroom, play hours at DreamPlay and a staycation at Nobu Hotel Manila.

“Don’s moving story was something we wanted to share with our audience on Facebook because it resonates with a lot of Filipinos striving for a brighter future for their families. In this season of giving, we take pleasure in making a father’s dream come true to have memorable moments with his family,” stated City of Dreams Manila Property President Geoff Andres.



Barely a week since its posting on November 30, Don’s story on City of Dreams Manila’s official Facebook page has reached over 1.4 million views, garnered more than 40,500 likes and reactions, over 7,600 shares and more than 1,600 comments. Don’s heart-tugging words certainly merit a thumbs-up: “I’ve learned that being a good parent isn’t measured by how much you’ve given. It is felt by caring, by spending time with them. So before they totally leave my side, if there’s something they could bring as they grow, I hope they remember that I have been a good father.”

City of Dreams Manila’s viral video ends with the caption “Make more perfect moments together”, which inspires its viewers to give the gift of time and love for their family this holiday season.

To view the video, click on the following link: https://www.facebook.com/cityofdreamsmanila/videos/740108586180253/.

Power Mac Center Opens Biggest Store in Festival Alabang

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Opening day discounts await early shoppers​

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Head south this weekend as premier Apple partner Power Mac Center is opening its biggest branch in the country yet. The brand new store and service center, located at the Expansion Wing of Festival Supermall in Filinvest City, Alabang, is opening its doors at exactly 11AM on Friday, December 15.

It’s the perfect excuse to go shopping as Power Mac Center is giving out special treats* on opening day especially for loyal Apple fans. Premium Apple products, including MacBook Air, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPad (5th gen), urBeats, and many more, will be at 20% off! Offer is valid from 11 to 11:20 AM only and subject to stock availability.

Meanwhile, select non-Apple products will be at 50% off from 11 AM to 12 NN while Service Center offerings such as Diagnostic Test, Software Repair, and Non-repair Services will be at 20% off the whole day. Do note that only cash, debit, and straight credit card payments will be accepted.

Can’t make it to the opening day? Don’t fret as premium accessories are at 20% off all weekend from December 15-17 so save the date and fill your shopping bags with stocking stuffers everyone on your gift list will surely love!



“The new store and service center in Festival Supermall ─ our biggest one yet ─ is a testament to the growing patronage of Filipinos to the brand. We are pleased to be able to serve them by being readily available to support all their Apple needs,” said Power Mac Center Marketing Director Joey Alvarez.

For more information, visit Power Mac Center on Facebook.

State of Qatar Celebrates Its National Day

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Photo Caption: Oman Ambassador Munther Mahfoodh Al-Mantheri, Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Atty. Sal Panelo, Secretary of Defense Delfin Lorenzana, Kuwait Ambassador Musaed Saleh Al-Thuwaikh, Morocco Ambassador Mohammed Rida El Fassi, Qatar Ambassador Ali Ibrahim Al Malki, Office of the Middle East & African Affairs Assistant Secretary Joy Quintana, Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano, Archbishop Gabriele Griordano Caccia, the new papal nuncio to the Philippines and Charge D'Affaires Mr. Ahmed Eddeb of Libya.



The State of Qatar celebrated its National Day a week in advance last December 11, 2017, at Makati Shangri-La Hotel, to commemorate its First Ruler, Sheikh Jassim Bin Mohamend Bin Thani, with the theme of ‘Promise of Prosperity and Glory’.

The reception was attended by foreign dignitaries and government officials such as Sec. Delfin Lorenzana, Chief Legal Counsel Sal Panelo, Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano, among others.

Qatar Ambassador Ali Ibrahim Al Malki says, “The ties between the Philippines and Qatar are going very well. This year in April, President Duterte visited Qatar and both sides signed new agreements, we are also currently working on other agreements right now. We are expecting this relationship to go ahead with more enhancements in the field of investment, as well as political cooperation.”

The Ambassador continues, “Qatar now has more than 240,000 Filipino workers and they are enjoying the privilege of the Qatari government. They are also our partners in development, and we are looking forward to an even stronger relationship. And because of the FIFA World Cup 2022, we now require additional supply of manpower from the Philippines. We also see Filipino workers as one of the best in the world, very professional, educated and talented.

The FIFA World Cup 2022, which is the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, is said to be working ahead of schedule.

Qatar’s Foreign Minister HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in his address to the United Nations General Assembly in New York last September, said that the “2022 FIFA World Cup is a first and foremost opportunity for the Arab world and the Middle East to highlight the true and peaceful nature of the rest of the world. It also gives the State of Qatar a great opportunity to stimulate innovation, positive change and sustainable development.”

His Excellency continues, “The State of Qatar is currently building 8 stadiums, 64 training grounds, 5 fan areas and accommodation, as well as major infrastructure developments including roads, railways and airports. The World Cup is an occasion to bring people together, overcoming geographical, religious, cultural and linguistic differences.”

Qatar National Day celebrations started 9th of December, and will last for 10 days. Exact date of Qatar National Day is 18th of December.

The 4 Tips to Making Your Mobile App Succeed

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Having a great idea for a mobile app is not the same thing as successfully executing your idea. Because consumer behaviors and preferences are constantly evolving, it’s important to strategize carefully as you develop your product. After all, most apps fail. Even seemingly popular apps can struggle to find a loyal user base.

You’ll substantially boost your odds of success if you prepare thoroughly before undergoing native Android app development or other mobile designs and releasing your app. Specifically, you should keep the following essential tips in mind.


Do One Thing Well

Many of the most successful apps only offer one or two main features to users. While it’s tempting to try and do everything, it’s hard to actually create a reliable product that offers a wide range of features. Decide exactly what problem you’re going to solve for your customers, and work on developing an app that serves its purpose well.

During this planning stage, you should also work to define your ideal customers as clearly as possible. It’s easier to serve them well when you know exactly who they are and what they want.


Test as Soon as Possible

Don’t waste time developing the “perfect” version of your app, only to discover that users have problems with it you didn’t anticipate. Let users test your prototype as soon as you have one. Whenever you develop a new iteration of the product, test it again. You’re more likely to develop a successful app if you’re constantly refining it throughout the development process.

Anecdotal reports from early users are valuable, but you also need to focus on data. The more data you collect, the easier it will be for you to identify what kinds of enhancements your customers want.


Be Prepared to Change

It’s not uncommon to learn that a successful app originally began as an entirely different type of product. Regular testing allows developers to find out if there truly is any demand for the app they’re working on. It also allows them to identify other types of services their customers may prefer.

Make sure your developers are nimble and efficient enough to shift gears if need be. Working hard on a bad idea is a recipe for failure. Working hard, while being ready to change your approach, is key to your success.


Prioritize Tasks Based on ROI

Each department of your overall team will have their own set of responsibilities. By identifying your highest ROI tasks from the start, you can be sure each team member is focusing on the most important priorities. Every tasks needs to get done eventually, but some should get done earlier than others.

In addition to the above, you also need to study general app development best practices. They’re always shifting, as new technologies provide users with new options and features. That said, these tips will ensure that your overall strategy lays a foundation for success. You’re far more likely to achieve your goals when you have a detailed plan.

Top Eight Reasons Why Bloggers Bash Other Bloggers

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Ever wondered why there are bloggers with unending complaints or rants towards others. Those self-righteous pricks that thinks highly of themselves like they're faultless. They keep telling others that some bloggers are damaging the blogging community. But we all that it is actually their blabbering that has ruined the outsiders impression towards bloggers.

But there are several reasons why bloggers bash their fellow bloggers. Instead of getting their attention privately, they would rather resort to social media or bad-mouthing to announce the alledged wrong-doings of their fellow bloggers. There seems to be an ulterior motive for if they truly seek to correct mistakes, they should give bloggers the chance to change rather than putting them to shame.

Here are the top eight reasons why bloggers bash their fellow bloggers:

1. These bashers are not busy enough to mind their own business. Idle hands lead to idle minds, or the other way around. When they can't find anything to do, they look for something to destroy to keep themselves occupied. Sadly, they look to bash those who seem too good to be true, so they exaggerate the llittle trivial issues, or even fabricate lies in an effort to bring others down.

2. These bashers see others as too successful or actively engaged in blogging activities that envy starts to creep into their malicious minds. Those who seek the shirtcomings of others are just to overwhelmed with how popular their peers are, so they go into a mission of portraying others as not picture-perfect.

3. Other ways to stand out among a multitude of bloggers is to defame others. These bashings could be a way to discredit other bloggers so these bashers would remain on top of the choices for events where only a few gets invited. The bloggers population has drastically gone so high that the cunning would tend to play unfairly by badmouthing others to PRs, event organizers or the brands themselves.

4. Similar to how companies get the services of bloggers to promote ttheirproducts,o ssservices or personalities, they could also do the same to tarnish the reputation of their competitors. Thus, there is also nothing stopping bloggers to do the same to their fellow bloggers. Make their friends look good, while making others not belonging tobtheir group look bad. When you notice others ganging up to bash others, it's more of mudslinging rather than an effort to improve the community.

5. In general, people are more inclined to join in on the bashing even if they have very little idea of what's going on. Being clueless does not prevent them from posting derogatory remarks. Many do not even know the victims personally and have not even interacted with them in any way. Online bullies are normally those who have their own personal hatred to battle and thus take their frustrations out against anybody they know could not retaliate easily. Try facing them on and let's see who squirms uncontrollably.

6. Those who gang up on others were probably bullied as well. But the real reason is because they felt inferior during their younger days thus are out for revenge on whoever is out there. This is true especially for those who are confused with their real identities, and still searching for their fortress of solitude or batcave.

7. Greed to keep the opportunities to themselves, or within their circle of friends, could be another reason. At events, there are only a significant number of invitees, thus not every blogger out there could be tapped for campaigns or promotions. Getting lots of invites to events does not necessarily mean you're the most credible or influential among others.

8. Alliances with other bloggers who had or in a quarrel with another could motivate you to avoid inviting the latter. Regardless of how much they would deny it, we would always have the tendency to side with those we've had a working relationship already. It could also motivate you to speak out against the latter to show your support to your blogger friend(s). These are called blind followers who blindly look up to somebody or only a select few, and curse others who are not on their friends list. Their motto "Your enemies are my enemies."


Perhaps there are more reasons, but these are what pops up on the top of our minds. If you have other thoughts that you believe should be added on the list, then write it on the comments below so we could check if it warrants an inclusion on our list.

At Wazzup Pilipinas, we believe that there are several opportunities for bloggers out there that we do not need to seemingly fight it out for supremacy or even survival. What we experience right now are actually just the tip of the iceberg. The future holds many more doors opening for online influencers that openly and freely express their opinions and naturally gets involved to share pieces of their mind. We are now aporoaching the days when media would never hesitate to report with a heart and soul, which means no holding back. Now that we could even report in real time, it would be proper to report as is and without any sugar-coating. Covering up for others, especially when they are sponsors, advertisers or valuable clients plague mainstream media. Let us not make blogging another means to cover-up or spread fake news - intentionally modified, fabricated, realigned, incomplete, baseless, and biased just to wrongly promote, protect or persecute others.

Be Santa to Kids in Need this Christmas with FamilyMart

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The holidays are all about spreading the spirit of giving, so this Christmas season, grab your Santa hats and visit FamilyMart to help someone in need.

Until December 31, you can drop some love and raise funds for Lahat Santa, a campaign spearheaded by Save the Children, the world’s leading independent organization that has been dedicated to protecting and supporting children for over three decades.

All FamilyMart stores will have Lahat Santa Coin banks by the counter, where you can donate any amount to help kids in need. In the Philippines, it’s estimated that 1.5 million children go to sleep hungry every night, and your support for Save the Children will not only provide high-energy emergency food to treat malnourished children but will also hopefully help prevent these cases from occurring at all.

You can also be part of Lahat Santa’s efforts to spread holiday cheer on December 15, as they invite everyone to Be a Hero, Wear a Santa Sombrero! Grab a Santa hat, round up your friends and family, and put the fun back in fundraiser in your own special way, whether it’s holding a bake sale or going Christmas caroling around your neighborhood.



There’s no limit to the ways that you can do to bring more joy to the world this Christmas. Visit a FamilyMart near you today to donate and make the season more meaningful for everyone.

For updates, exciting products, and awesome deals, like and follow FamilyMart Philippines on Facebook, @familymartph on Instagram, and @FamilyMartPH on Twitter. For store locations or more information on FamilyMart Philippines, log on to www.familymart.com.ph.

FamilyMart is the 2nd largest convenience store chain in the world with over 18,000 stores across Asia. In the Philippines, FamilyMart has branches in Makati, Fort Bonifacio, Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Pasay, Alabang and Laguna.