ECSEA Chamber Hosts First Business Briefing and Networking Night in Southeast Asia for the Benefit of Hurricane Victims in the Caribbean Region

Wazzup Pilipinas!

With 5 hurricanes previously ravaging the Caribbean region, there is no surprise that there would be organizations that would be calling out for help to aid the afflicted areas. This includes a call for business ventures from other countries as the Caribbean could also be a prime target for opportunities in many possible fields.

At a networking night held on November 29, 2017 at One Café of One Corporate Center located in Ortigas Center, Pasig city, we’ve learned that the event was organized to get together like-minded individuals sharing the same hope and passion towards believing that the Caribbean could also be a preferred destination not only for tours, but for business opportunities as well. They are inviting potential investors to take a second look at the Caribbean as a potential investment.

Since the Caribbean had its share of devastation brought about by the destructive nature, it would also mean that the rise and development from the rubbles could also require several demands on many areas like infrastructure, medicine, agriculture, etc.,

Traveling to the Caribbean via cruise ship, or traversing the roads of its islands and mingling with the residents, could then be more than just a great experience, and surely not as feared as what we see in movies like the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise starred by Johnny Depp where dirty pirates loomed in the seas seeking victims to loot, rape and kill. The real life offers a lot more beauty and hope for a more rewarding adventure.

Davao Aguilas FC Holds Successful Youth Football Day With LA Galaxy

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Mindanao-based Davao Aguilas Football Club (DAFC), along with LA Galaxy coaches Wes Meadows, Job Quevedo and Chris Howe, had their first Youth Football Day at McKinley Stadium, at Bonifacio Global City (BGC), last weekend.

Over 100 kids, with ages ranging from 8-16, got to participate in the free event hosted by Davao Aguilas FC. The kids represented various schools in Metro Manila such as Don Bosco Tech Institute Makati, Letran Manila, Paco Catholic School, PAREF Woodrose School, Saint Pedro Poveda College, San Beda College Alabang, East Rembo Elementary School, Global Leaders International School, St. Anthony School Manila and La Salle Greenhills.

The LA Galaxy coaches, along with Davao Aguilas FC coaches and players Marko Trkulja, Matthew Hartmann, Jordan Jarvis, Gerald Layumas, Princeton Josue, Stephen Burda, Kim Versales, Brad McDonald, Richard Talaroc and Andy Esswein, ran the said event.

Head Coach Marlon Maro, who is currently in Taiwan for the CTFA International Tournament, says, “It is a good start for Davao Aguilas FC to develop international cooperation with a big club like LA Galaxy. At the same time, helping Philippine football in the development of young footballers.”

Maro continues, “Events such as this one also showcases the technical capability of the club in finding future footballers in the country.”

LA Galaxy Coach Wes Meadows on the other hand says, “It has been great to partner up with Davao Aguilas, their staff, and players as well. Obviously for us, with 100 kids being here, we needed additional staff, and they have been very accommodating. It is great to work out and have this activity with a club here locally.”

As for the participants, Coach Meadows had this to say, “The kids have been great. And for us, LA Galaxy, we are fortunate to travel all over the world, and domestically, be able to see a lot of players. I think here in the Philippines, there’s a lot of potential here. Overall, we are certainly pleased with the level.”

Before arriving in Manila, the LA Galaxy coaches came from Korea, where they had tryouts for their second team for 10 days, before stopping in Guam for another youth football event there.

With the success of its first Youth Football Day, Davao Aguilas FC thus intends to hold similar events in other parts of the country in the near future.


For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/DAFCofficial.

Parenting From Overseas

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We all know a mother will do anything for her children – even enduring extended periods of separation to work in another country to provide for their needs.

One of MoneyGram Idol Awardees is Johmary Martinez, whose mother embodies the sacrifices of every OFW who has left their children behind in their motherland in order to prepare a better future for them.

(L-R) Event host Roxanne Barcelo, Head of Asia Pacific for MoneyGram International Yogesh Sangle, Marketing Lead China, Northeast Asia, Russia and CIS for MoneyGram International Sabrina Chan, MoneyGram Idol Award winner Johmary Martinez, Ambassador for MoneyGram International Robin Padilla, and Philippine Country Manager for MoneyGram International Alex Lim

A mother’s love

In the Philippines, there are many families whose parents live apart from their children. These parents go abroad to seek their fortune so they can send enough money home to meet their family’s daily needs and put children through school. In the case of Johmary Martinez’ family, it is her mother, Mary Jane, who found work as a housekeeper in Malaysia.

Although Mary Jane would say that her employers were kind and she could come home at least once a year, she missed her family fiercely. Mary Jane would send her remittances without fail, always calling and reminding Johmary to take care of her siblings. Through her support, Johmary was able to finish her schooling and graduate with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management.

In a home shared by her father and her siblings, Johmary devotedly raises their two children, Shazrick John and Sharine Janeah, and takes care of her younger brothers and sisters, as her mother requests. With such a large household, resources can be a little stretched. Her youngest sister is only nine and goes to school in the village. Her husband is employed as a construction worker in Manila, while her father works in the fields around their home town in Cagayan Valley.


Love on your cellphone

For years, Mary Jane’s remittances were sent through the regular ways, and until the family discovered MoneyGram, they have never been completely satisfied. “Moneygram has helped our family a lot because it is fast and has no extra charges,” says Johmary. That’s important – when every peso counts, you want to cut out as many unnecessary expenses as possible.

It has been a while, and the family has used the service consistently, valuing the benefits that only the online app can give. “Simula nang nagamit namin ang MoneyGram, yun na po ang pinagkatiwalaan namin for six years. (Since we began using MoneyGram, we’ve trusted it for six years)”

Consistency, love, and loyalty, all in one place.