PHLPost celebrates 2024 Chinese New Year with Wooden Dragon Stamps

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To welcome the Chinese New Year, the Philippine Philatelic Federation, Inc. in partnership with the Philippine Postal Corporation (PHLPost) and Lucky Chinatown Mall unveiled the colorful commemorative “ 2024 Year of the Wood Dragon” stamps.

PHLPost Post-shop, Philately and Museum Division Head Arlene Labao, Philippine Philatelic Federation, Inc. President Rey Ong, Lucky Chinatown Mall General Manager Ms. Norico Mizoguchi and Philatelic Expert Dr. Tiong Tak Ngo led the launching ceremony and the opening of Zodiac Stamp and Painting Exhibit at the ground floor of Lucky Chinatown Mall. 

The Zodiac Stamp and Painting Exhibit is now available for public viewing until the 29th of February. “This event will also give us an opportunity to both Chinese-Filipinos and Filipinos in the country to witness and appreciate the colorful Chinese Zodiac Stamps released by PHLPost and kept by well-known collectors through the years”, Postmaster General Luis Carlos said.

The Exhibit will showcase collections of Zodiac Stamps by collectors’ Alfredo Roxas, Reynaldo Ong De Jesus and Dr. Ngo Tiong Tak.

The public can also check out the awesome and inspiring Chinese paintings and calligraphy by Prof. Chua Hu Hua.

PHLPost will also sell limited copies of the two colorful designs of the “ Year of the Dragon” stamps with denominations of P16 and P45 respectively. It releases 2,500 pieces of the limited collector’s item souvenir sheets at P200 each and 800 copies of first day cover envelopes.

PHLPost has been releasing the Chinese Zodiac-themed Lunar New Year stamps yearly to celebrate Filipino-Chinese culture and traditions.

The Chinese Zodiac is about symbolically doing away with the old of the previous year and ushering in health, good fortune, prosperity, and happiness for the coming lunar year. The 2024 Year of the Dragon symbolizes strength, courage and creativity. 

When Love Blooms Between Two Cultures

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Japanese brand Almond Koka collaborates with Auro Chocolate for a Valentine's pop-up café in  Love transcends borders especially when two share the same passion. The same is true for Japan’s most-loved almond milk brand, Glico’s Almond Koka and award-winning Filipino tree-to-bar chocolate brand Auro Chocolate – who both share the same passion for championing culinary diversity. That’s when love blooms. 

This Valentine’s season, the two teamed up to create ORINASU CAFÉ, a special pop-up cafe that marries together Japanese and Filipino cultures through lovingly handcrafted drinks and treats. Located at MITSUKOSHI BGC, ORINASU CAFÉ will add more sweetness to the season from February 1 to February 19, 2024.

Japan’s No. 1 and the Philippines’ Finest

From the makers of the globally loved brand, Pocky, Glico’s Almond Koka is Japan’s best-selling almond milk brand, known for its superior quality taste–all thanks to the company’s relentless pursuit of quality and Japanese technology. Yet another signature work of Glico’s finesse at blending great taste with nutrition, Almond Koka offers a richer and stronger nutty flavor because of the emulsifying method of adding honey and almond oil to ground almond paste. 

Collaborating with Japan’s Almond Koka is the Philippines’ premier chocolate brand, Auro Chocolate. The chocolate company carved its path to the global chocolate scene by earning prestigious awards at esteemed international chocolate competitions. For this new concept, 

Auro Chocolate prides itself in working with MITSUKOSHI FRESH in selecting only the finest Japanese ingredients – such as Matcha, Hojicha and Miso – to be used in crafting the menu. 

And in line with Auro’s meticulous, innovative, and time-tested know-how, this collaboration with Almond Koka brings out the best in Filipino & Japanese epicurean cultures. 

Organise CAFÉ

Japanese for 'weave’, ORINASU is exactly what the pop-up cafe symbolizes: the weaving of two cultures through the harmonious fusion of Almond Koka’s and Auro’s product versatility–as seen with the cafe’s limited-edition line of “Choc Au Lait” vegan-friendly drinks and snacks. 

Gracing the menu is the fascinating drink that is the Miso Salted Caramel! This luscious vegan-friendly white chocolate drink combined with Maruhide’s top-quality Miso, Auro’s Salted Caramel and Almond Koka - our take on Salted Caramel with a Japanese Twist. Served with a generous heap of White Chocolate shavings.

Hojicha is just pure bliss in a cup. Enjoy the comforting flavors of Auro’s creamy white chocolate, infused with Ikeda Senchado’s top-quality Hojicha, complemented by the richness of Almond Koka.

If you haven’t found “the one” yet, maybe the next drink could be your perfect matcha. 

ORINASU’s vegan-friendly white chocolate matcha hits the spot with its perfect balance of sweet and earthy. The Ikeda Senchado matcha creation provides that familiar grassy notes, blended with a sweet, velvety finish from Almond Koka.

If you’re looking for something bold, then you’ll surely love the luscious Dark Choc. This drink is incredibly rich yet smooth because of the combined decadence of Auro Dark Chocolate and Almond Koka. 

Completing the menu is the Dark Chocolate Stuffed with Strawberries French Toast. Each bite is a delightful burst of Auro dark chocolate filling, tarty strawberry jam with the goodness of Almond Koka. Every treat from ORINASU CAFÉ is brought to you by Almond Koka and Auro Chocolate. For more information, FOLLOW @glico_ph and @aurochocolate on INSTAGRAM.

About Glico

On February 11, 2022, the Glico Group celebrated the 100th year of its founding. In 1922, Glico’s nutritious Glico caramel in its distinctive red box first hit the shelves of a department store. 

Headquartered in Japan, Glico has since expanded into Asia Pacific, European, and North American markets with the aspiration to stay true to its founding spirit of enhancing people’s health through food.

Led by its well-loved confectionary brands such as Pocky, Pretz, and Pejoy, Glico has now expanded its portfolio to include ice cream products, baby formula, milk products, desserts, food ingredients, and raw materials for cosmetic and health products. Its health and wellness offerings such as the SUNAO range of zero sucrose, low carbohydrate food products and Almond Koka almond milk are gaining popularity outside of Japan after becoming a hit in its domestic market. 

About Almond Koka

Japan’s #1 almond milk brand is now in the Philippines! Almond Koka is produced from high-quality almonds sourced from the United States and Australia. It is rich in Vitamin E, a good source of Fiber, and is 0% cholesterol. Discover Goodness with every delicious sip of Almond Koka- available in 1L Original, Unsweetened, and Chocolate.

For inquiries regarding distributors, please contact the Glico Philippines Consumer Hotline.

TEL: (+632) 8464-1105 / Email: consumer.hotline@glico.com.ph

Office Address: 917 Banawe St., Barangay Manresa, Quezon City

About AURO Chocolate 

- Proudly Filipino Tree-to-Bar Chocolate

Auro Chocolate is an internationally awarded tree-to-bar chocolate brand that promotes sustainability by working directly with local farmers to create fine Filipino cacao beans, ingredients, and retail products with unique and bold tropical flavors.

 

Official Facebook　https://www.facebook.com/aurochocolate

Official Instagram　https://www.instagram.com/aurochocolate/

Website https://aurochocolate.com/

UP Physicists Present Network Science Research at the House of Representatives

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Dr. Reinabelle Reyes and Dr. May Lim at the House of Representatives. (Photo credit: House Committee on Visayas Development)

Dr. Reinabelle Reyes and Dr. May Lim of the UP Diliman National Institute of Physics (UPD-CS NIP) presented their research on transport network efficiency at the recent House Committee on Visayas Development meeting on February 6, 2024.

Together with independent researcher JC Albert Peralta, Dr. Reyes and Dr. Lim used a 300-year-old math discipline called network science to model transport network systems during relief operations. They applied their model to the Visayas transport network, where they discovered that Northern Samar is the most vulnerable to relief operation delays.

Read more about their research in the press release here: https://science.upd.edu.ph/up-physicists-improve-phls-disaster-response-with-network-science/

Their research opens novel ways for improving relief operations and aids policymakers in decision-making and strategic planning. Attendees of the meeting at the House of Representatives included committee leaders and members of the Visayas Region, including Hon. Karen Lolita Javier, Committee Chair and 2nd District of Leyte Representative; Hon. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez, 3rd District of Negros Occidental Representative; Hon. Anna Victoria Veloso-Tuazon, 3rd District of Leyte Representative; Francisco “Sonny” Romuar III, Committee Secretary; and Atty. Cherry Pastor-Dalauiadao, Committee Staff.

Leaders of the Visayas Region, together with Dr. Reyes and Dr. Lim. (Photo credit: House Committee on Visayas Development)

At the meeting, they discussed the need to decentralize and distribute resources such as food and key equipment to all congressional districts to mitigate delays in relief operations. They also emphasized the necessity of building transportation infrastructure in areas with no existing road networks.

“It was our first time at the House of Representatives and, though it was a bit intimidating at first, I believe in the end, we made the most of the opportunity given to us to share our work and learn from the perspectives of the House committee members, who are representatives and influential leaders for Visayas,” Dr. Reyes said on their experience.

“Doing scientific research is a very focused activity and involves discussion mostly among our small group of collaborators (and peer reviewers),” Dr. Reyes continued. “So having this opportunity to take the fruits of this work to the highest levels of leadership in the country is quite fulfilling at a different level.”

The research team aims to continue working on their research, developing an open-source, user-friendly web app that lets the public simulate different transport network systems. Dr. Reyes and Mr. Peralta will present their work at the upcoming PyCon PH 2024 conference on February 25 and 26, 2024.