2nd Don Papa Art Competition Launched

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Launched last November 11, 2015, the first Don Papa Art Competition yielded four award-winning artworks: the three above-mentioned, plus“Florescence of Endeavor” by Renz Bautista, which won the People’s Choice Award.

The second Don Papa Art Competition was launched on September 14 at the Mathilde Cafe along Kalayaan Avenue, Makati. This year’s competition will be open to both independent artists as well as artists represented by galleries. The top 10 finalists will be featured in a special Don Papa Exhibit at the 2017 Art Fair Philippines. The grand prize winning artwork will become the next featured design in the Don Papa Art Canister Series for 2017, while its artist will receive an Artist Residency Sojourn in Florence, Italy. 

Don Papa Art Canister Series launches the Riel Hilario Edition in four Don Papa Rum markets: the Philippines, France, Germany, and the Netherlands this October. The two remaining Art Canister Editions will simultaneously be available this November in key retail outlets, such as Rustan’s, SM, S&R, and Ralph’s Wines and Spirits, to name a few. By December 2016, all three artworks will be available in the four world markets.

Don Papa Rum, the premium aged rum from the sugar island of Negros Occidental, Philippines, introduces the new set of award-winning designs in its Don Papa Art Canister Series. Composed of the winners in the 2015 Don Papa Art Competition, the Series features the top three artworks being incorporated into the canisters and packaging of Don Papa Rum.

First to be made available this October 2016 is the design by grand prize winner Riel Hilario called “The Spiritual Landscape of Papa Isio.” On its heels are two other award-winning artworks by Barry Cervantes and Anjo Bolarda.

“Don Papa and the Babaylan” is by first runner up winner Barry Cervantes, who also hails from Negros Occidental. The 3ft x 5ft acrylic on canvas painting is his nostalgic tribute to the stories he heard as a child growing up in Valladolid, Negros, about Papa Isio’s revolt against the Spaniards and the myths surrounding Mount Kanlaon. Papa Isio is Dionisio Magbuelas, the leader of the shamanistic babaylanes (priests, philosophers, and healers) who led a revolt in Negros in the 1890s. Mt. Kanlaon is an active volcano towering over the island, and is considered a sacred site by the people of Negros. “The painting depicts the soul of Papa Isio alongside a babaylan crowned with the images of struggle and the braveness of a true revolutionary icon that embodies the strong spirit of Negrosanons and the Babaylanes,” says Cervantes. Other images the artist portrayed in his painting include an erupting Mt. Kanlaon and a “bird that portrays death in a sacrificial way, in exchange for our sweet freedom.”

And the second runner up is a 2ft x 4ft ink on paper illustration by artist Anjo Bolarda. Inspired by the original packaging of Don Papa Rum, Bolarda chose to hand-draw the design of his “Untitled” piece as a nod to the hard work, meticulous craftsmanship, and the necessary time needed to produce excellent rum. His piece is also an appreciation for the exotic wildlife found in the dense rain forests surrounding Mt. Kanlaon, as well as a message of concern about the environment. “In the illustration you can find, peeking out from behind the stalks of the sugarcane, just some of the animals endangered and endemic to Negros Occidental,” says Bolarda. According to the artist, the animals in the design help localise the brand further, and make the packaging more relevant as it highlights the environmental issues of today.

For more inquiries on the second Don Papa Art Competition, please visit the Don Papa Rum Facebook page at www.facebook.com/donpaparum or contact Mr. Dannie Alvarez at join@bleedingheartrum.com (email) or 0915-6888269 (cell).

8 Ways to Wow Anyone

Wazzup Pilipinas!

You’ve got a business but it’s not going as great as you want. Pump things up and transform your business into one that makes your customers go wow

There’s no use of having a business if it’s not earning anything, or if you don’t see it growing. So how do you put some wow into your business and start bringing in the big bucks? Swish knows you need the confidence to pump some life back into your biz, so they stalked motivational speaker and seasoned entrepreneur PJ Lanot to put back the wow factor in your business.

1. Trim off the fat from your life. If you want to have time to make your business boom, you’ve got to cut out the things in your life that won’t matter in the long run. Check your schedule and your commitments, and figure out what you can delete to make more time and energy for what really matters.

2. Bring it back to its infancy. PJ suggests that yes, you should have long-term plans for your business, but you always have to start small. “For example, may gusto kang gawin na bag. May nagawa ka na ba na sample? Kung wala pa, bakit ka na nagpapatayo ng factory? Kung lumalaki na ’yung demand, saka natin palakihin ’yan.”

3. Know the ins and outs of the biz. If you have a coffee shop but you’ve never tried out your own drinks or the coffee concoctions of your competition, that’s where your problem lies. You should know everything there is about your business, and be its number one customer. From knowing how to mix all the coffee drinks to the cleaning schedule of the bathroom, you should know all these details even in your sleep.

4. Focus on your strengths, and let someone else deal with your weaknesses. PJ says, “Kasi kung ’yung weakness mo gagawin mong strength, mapapabayaan mo ’yung oras mo na dapat nakalaan sa strength mo. To compensate, you partner up with someone who is an expert on that field (you are weak in).”

5. Treat your employees well. Filipinos are a hardworking bunch, and they find happiness in their work and working environment. If you think that “Well, they shouldn’t go to work to make friends”, then you might be making your employees unhappy. PJ says, “Ang mga Pilipino, if they’re going to stay for nine hours in a particular job, they think they should be happy. That’s their motivation. They value the working relationship, na naiintindihan sila ni boss. Filipinos are very loyal and full of heart, so you have to maximize that.”

6. Create a better product or service before your competitor does. If you want your customer to go “wow!” about your product or service, then it should be something that they haven’t seen before, or something that they need right now. PJ says, “You have to keep on innovating. If you think, it’s okay, I’m earning anyway, what happens when a stronger player comes along? Kinakain na ’yung sales mo, tapos doon ka palang magpla-plano? No business is safe right now, kailangan worldwide ang tinitignan na competition, and from there, you innovate before it’s too late.”

7. Keep on interacting with your customers. Besides knowing what your competitors are doing, it’s more important to know what your customers are craving for. Their needs always change, so you have to keep on meeting and exceeding their expectations. PJ compares putting up and sustaining a business to being in a relationship. “Kahit sabihin mo hindi naman sila nagrereklamo, kung makakita sila ng iba na can give them a better future, na pwede sila maging happier with, they’ll move there. Pero kung masaya naman sila sa’yo, they won’t even think of leaving.” So take time to constantly interact with the customers you serve and do so professionally, looking and acting the part of a winner. Put your best foot forward (look the pro that matches your brand identity and care enough to look kept, with your hair in place and your breath fresh with SWISH breath spray for a pump of customer confidence), but still remain honest and upfront.

8. Be confident in yourself and in your business, and your customers will feel the change. Confidence comes from knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and being true to you. The same thing can be said about your business—if you continue to tweak your business to show that you know your customers better than anyone, and you want to serve them better than anyone can, then they’ll start flocking to your biz in droves.

Harm Reduction: Most Effective and Compassionate Response to Drug Problem

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Department of Health (DOH) should push for harm reduction strategies as a response to the country's drug problem.

During the government's National Health Summit attended by stakeholders, officials and employees of the health department, Hontiveros said that the 'war on drugs cannot be a war against the people, or worse, a war against the poor'. The senator urged the health department to play a crucial role in providing a public health framework in curbing drug addiction and trafficking in the country.

"In order for our government to succeed in its campaign against illegal drugs and trafficking, we must also respond to the health and social issues that lead to drug dependence", Senator Risa Hontiveros said.


Harm reduction

Hontiveros, who also currently serves as the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, recently visited Thailand to study its health framework on drugs. She cited the country's effectiveness in pursuing a harm reduction strategy.

Hontiveros explained that harm reduction strategies will allow the creation of friendly, community-based drop-in centers and outreach services, encourage the uptake of health services through improved peer education and support, and spend resources on sustainable, evidence-based policies and interventions at the community level.

"Harm reduction is not only a compassionate response, it is also the most effective response", Hontiveros said.

The senator lamented the fact that there are only 44 drug rehabilitation centers in the country. "Clearly, much has to be done in this aspect", she said.



Universal Healthcare

The Senator also urged stakeholders to build the momentum towards universal healthcare' through public spending and localization.

The Senator also lauded the Duterte administration's decision to send the government's health officials to Cuba to the study their public health system. She said the visit is a step towards heavy public spending for health professionals, healthcare providers and health infrastructure to address hospital shortages and facility upgrades.



"Cuba-inspired super barangay health centers"

The Senator also urged the government to seriously study the possibility of building “super barangay health centers” similar to Cuba’s consultorios (clinics) and policlinicos (specialty clinics) to strengthen the role of our local government units, down to the barangay level, and bring healthcare to the farthest and to the fringes.

"Super barangay health centers could strengthen our current barangay health system by modernizing it with adequate facilities, personnel and expertise. Our barangays must become the people’s first line of defense against preventable diseases, especially with the emergence of new and dangerous viruses like the Zika," Hontiveros concluded.