Fr. Harold Rentoria and Augustinian Fathers Announce Kaplag in Celebration of the 450th Founding of Sto. Nino in PH

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We just came from a press conference led by Father Harold Rentoria and the Augustinian Fathers. It was held at the San Agustin Church in Manila earlier this morning, August 10, 2015.

In celebration of the 450th Anniversary of the finding of the sacred image of the Sto Nino by soldiers under Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, friars of the Order of St Augustine, who administer the Basilica Minore del Sto Nino de Cebu, will be bringing the pilgrim image of the historic relic to Manila and Laguna from August 14 to 18 under the aegis of Kaplag, a year-long commemorative programme that takes its name from the Visayan term for "discovery" or "finding."

Upon arrival on the 14th, there will be a motorcade to Quirino Grandstand followed by a foot procession for the image to teh San Agustin Church, and His Eminence Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle will preside over the Mia De Pueblo at 12 noon.

On the 15th, there will be a mass in the morning at Manila Cathedral, a trip to the Baseco compound for the veneration of the faithful, and Sinulog rites in the afternoon, before bringing back the image to the Manila Cathedral. Simultaneously, there will also be the 450 Kaplag Heritage Conference at the auditorium of the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts beginning at 1:30 pm with Father Czar Emmanuel Alvarez OSA, Professor Regalado Jose Jr., and Attorney Lucille Karen Malilong-Isberto as resource speakers.

Sugarleaf Makati Celebrates 4th Anniversary with #RawFoodIsTheNewHot

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Sugarleaf Makati continues its 4th anniversary celebrations with #RawFoodIsTheNewHot: a five-part workshop series with UP-cum laude graduate and Bali-certified raw chef Sonia Astudillo. “We are thrilled to be doing what we do best – organise a series of raw classes which our customers, loyal and new appreciate will surely learn a lot from.” Sugarleafer Angelo Narciso Songco shares.

#RawFoodIsTheNewHot will guide students to raw food whether they are in it for the long haul or a quickie adventure," said Chef Sonia, who's been teaching raw food classes in Manila since June 2013. Attendees learn a lot from each class and builds up one’s knowledge about raw food, benefits of ingredients, going organic, superfoods and more.

At the end of the day, we decide what is best for us and how committed we are to a certain lifestyle. In my classes, students are introduced to the perks of a healthy raw vegan lifestyle and an array of dishes–most of which are considered the healthier alternatives to the real but not so healthy thing. Classes are held in a very relaxed, home visit like style that welcomes people from all walks of life. Home is the place where you are accepted as you are - whether you're vegan, vegetarian, raw foodist, meat eater, or an optionarian. In my classes, it's all about how you feel and how your body reacts to raw food," said Chef Sonia.

#RawFoodIsTheNewHot will discuss the benefits of raw vegan lifestyle and why it is gaining popularity among the healthy community. "Years ago, we wanted fancy, elaborate dishes. Now we're moving back to basic, unprocessed food," observed Chef Sonia.

Direct Grocery Remittances Made Possible By BeamAndGo and I-Remit

Wazzup Pilipinas!
BeamAndGo Pte Ltd, an alternative remittance service that guards against misspent funds through digital gift certificates, has forged a partnership with I-Remit to offer over-the-counter payment services for OFWs to provide for their families’ grocery shopping in the Philippines.

BeamAndGo CEO, Jonathan E. Chua said, "We understand that many of I-Remit’s customers have apportioned a specific budget from their remittances to their families’ monthly grocery spending. Instead of sending cash, OFWs can now purchase our convenient digital gift certificates which can be redeemed by their loved ones at our participating supermarkets.”

The insight on the behavior of I-Remit customers is further supported by a Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) study on OFWs which revealed that 82% of overseas remittances are allocated for their families’ basic needs such as food, supplies, medicine, healthcare, and utilities.

The partnership with I-Remit, which owns 12% of OFW remittance market, will expand BeamAndGo’s distribution network to over 1,400 payment centers. At present, BeamAndGo actively promotes its digital gift certificates in 9 markets: Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, UK, UAE, Japan, Australia, Taiwan and the Philippines.