Get rich the clean way!

 Web Announcement:

Yup it’s true! There’s a real clean way to be a millionaire and you don’t have to grab farm lands or get in the way of government projects to make it happen. =)

You can be a millionaire the clean way with Safeguard, Ariel and Tide’s Yaman Promo!

Buy specially marked Safeguard “Yaman sa Kalusugan” promo packs, Ariel “Yaman sa Kalinisan” promo packs and Tide “Yaman sa Kaputian” promo packs, for the chance to win up to 1 million in cash prizes! Just check the text inside the pack to know if you’re the winner.

If you have a winning Safeguard pack, text the following info to 2910: SFG, name, age, address, unique promo code. A confirmation message will be sent to you to let you know where you can claim your cash prize or if your e-load winnings have already been transferred to your cellphone.

Teaching Disaster Preparedness through Mobile Theater

 Action & Event-ure:

We already know that our country is a disaster prone country but when tropical storms Ondoy and Pepeng hit our nation last year, we were caught by surprise and ironically, we were unprepared. And then, Mayon Volcano erupted and killer quakes hit Haiti and Chile. It is as if films “Deep Impact”, “2012” and “The Day after Tomorrow” turned from reel to real.

That’s why there is no better time to address the concerns of disaster response and emergencies but today where there are no natural calamities yet.

Video shows how an entertaining theatrical performance can teach an important message like breastfeeding.

Last week, a UNICEF funded mobile theater group performed at San Vicente Elementary School in Quezon City to promote breastfeeding and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in evacuation centers and affected communities to equip children, families and communities in times of emergencies.

Learning Culture through a Cool Tour... our Manila Chinatown trip

 Bayanihan Republic :

Manila Chinatown is really not a new place to me. In my college days, we always passed that route going to some of our classmates’ houses. When I worked in First Metro, where its Binondo branch is just beside the San Lorenzo Ruiz basilica, I also managed to frequent the place when I need to fix our company’s web content or attend meetings. And ironically, though I had many opportunities in the past, I never took the chance of knowing the famous place by heart. And I even got to explore offshore Chinese spots first (HK, Shenzhen, Sanya City and Shanghai) before knowing our very own Chinese heritage right at the heart of Manila.  Well, nothing’s too late in exploring. Thanks to the Manila Chinatown trip organized by our Confucius class, I had the chance to know the place, and the Chinese characters, better. =)

 Our first stop is lunch at Golden Fortune Seafood Restaurant.  We felt so bloated after eating steamed lapu-lapu, shrimp, Mandarin chicken, spinach, dimsum, hot and sour soup and yang chow fried rice!

Omar Laoshi was our official tour guide and Lin Na, being the class valedictorian, was able to read Chinese characters easily.  Right photo shows Lin Na reading the name of a Kung Fu school.

Then, we found out Mang Inasal has Chinese version! =)

A newspaper stand which we normally see in HK / China.  Meron din pala nito sa Binondo!  =)

After the long walk, we stopped at DVD and book shops.

 We just can't stop Romel Yisheng from buying Mandarin books at the Xinhua Bookstore! Go go Yisheng!

Yisheng and Ni Ca enjoying a Mandarin book for first graders. =)

Don't run away from your duty but run to save the planet! Run in the Nat Geo Earth Day Run 2010!

 Web Announcement :

Alongside Knight Rider, The V and Thudercats, the National Geographic Specials or Nat Geo is one of the TV programs that nurtured my young mind. And thanks to Nat Geo [and Indiana Jones! =)], it once influenced me to dream of becoming an archaeologist (the childhood fantasy) and pursue a college course that could help me become a video documentary writer and producer of stories about nature and culture (the dream job). That’s why I exerted all efforts to have a stint in broadcast communications and eventually I was able to work with news and magazine TV programs at the early part of my career.

Well, my career path is another story to tell but all I could say is that I already found my spot in the world and from where I am right now I think I could marry all my interests and enjoy its fusion! =)

So here it is, I’m blogging now about my favorite National Geographic Channel! =)

From the information I got, the National Geographic Channel is mounting the Earth Day Run 2010 on April 18, 2010, 5:00 a.m., at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City in an effort to inspire people to care about the planet and help save the environment. Earth Day Run 2010 will feature 3-kilometer (K), 5K, and 10K races. Entry fees are PhP500 (3K), PhP600 (5K), and PhP700 (10K), inclusive of a limited edition Earth Day Run technical shirt.

Online registration is available at www.natgeorun.com until April 4, 2010. Walk-in registration is also accepted at Nike outlet in Bonifacio High Street and Timex outlets in SM Mall of Asia and North EDSA until April 11, 2010.

Finally, Al Gore Live in Manila on June 8!

 Web Announcement:

It’s for real!  And I think many people, like me, are excited as former US Vice President and environment advocate Al Gore will finally have a visit in Manila very soon.

SM Prime Holdings announced today that the third staging of the Leadership Conference Series featuring Al Gore will now be held on June 8, 2010 to serve as a fitting culmination to the company’s activities in celebration of World Environment Day.

For sure, this meet will be equally informative, exciting and valuable as the first two stagings of the Leadership Conference Series. Al Gore is the third global political figure to be brought to Manila by the series. The Leadership Conference Series first brought former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani in 2008 and then former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair in 2009.

To be held at the SMX Convention Center at Mall of Asia, Part 3 of the Leadership Conference Series will have Gore present an Asian version of An Inconvenient Truth, the provocative multi-media presentation on the threat of climate change and solutions to global warming and the subject of the movie of the same title, which has won critical and box-office acclaim. The Academy Award-winning film is already considered one of the top documentary films of all time.

Eat your Heart out! [Meeting Heart at the Olay Natural White launch] =)

 Action & Event-ure :

Long before the invasion of Chinese and Korean series in Philippine TV, Heart Evangelista has been the household charming chinita that made it in every boy’s, and even girl’s, crush list. And when I posted in Facebook last Thursday that my meet with Heart made my gloomy day lighter, I received a lot of SMS and comments saying how lucky I am (eat your heart out! hehehe). Well, thanks to Olay Natural White for letting me be part of Olay’s press launch for Heart Evangelista as the newest brand ambassador of Olay Natural White and for giving me the opportunity to see Heart's beauty, outer and inner alike! =)

2009 may be Heart’s year after she pulled up the ratings for the Pinoy adaptation of Full House; brought home acting awards for her roles in Mano Po 6 and Ay Ayeng, and was nominated for Best Lifestyle Show Host at the PMPC Star Awards for Television. She also graced the cover of numerous fashion magazines and billboards, and made it in Most Beautiful Lists year after year. ‘But 2010 looks even brighter for Heart as Olay chose her to become the face of Olay’s new whitening line, Olay Natural White.

Why Heart?  Heart, according to Olay people, was an instant choice for she is a natural beauty. While she may owe her beautiful skin and fair figure to Mother Nature, her secret to blooming beauty is simple – her healthy lifestyle, as she makes sure that she balances her career with enough rest, good eating habits and regular exercise. Heart makes sure to incorporate exercise in her day-to-day activities. “I don’t like going to the gym so what I do is that I try to make normal activities a workout. Like while I’m walking I’ll suck in my tummy and flex it. Or I’ll combine exercises with activities that I enjoy, like walking my dog or going on the treadmill while watching my favorite shows, things like that,” shared Heart. She’s equally sensible when it comes to eating. “I don’t starve myself but I try not to eat after 7 p.m. And I love pasta, but I eat whole wheat noodle pasta with Spanish sardines. I also try to limit eating chips and cookies to a few times a week, the rest of the time, I’ll have healthy snacks, like tomatoes with cheese or celery.”

Tatak Digitista

If you’ve noticed the change, Tatak Digitista (www.digitista.blogspot.com) now takes the place of Halo-Halo Treat… enjoying life’s mixes (www.halohalo-treat.blogspot.com). Tatak Digitista is the same blog except that it now uses a more apt name.

Halo-Halo Treat’s URL was always mistaken as a purely food blog before (unless the whole blog content is read) so this name change will somehow solve the confusion and strengthen the blog’s identity as Tatak Digitista, a blog that showcases the digital footprints of life’s mixes categorized in segments Action & Event-ure (events and activities), Vista Digitista (views and reviews), Surfer’s Digest (features), Quick Pick (quick posts on attention catching things, happenings and human beings) and Memory Card (flashbacks). Thanks for the continued support and enjoy reading! =)

Human Billboards

Scene Stealers:

I first saw them months ago when I pass by the busy streets of Ayala-Buendia intersection in Makai CBD on my way to work.  I was amused with these four to five people carrying at their backs a series of framed poster ads of Medicol (now of Tekki Shomen noodles).  They walk in line (like a platoon from a Martian invasion), and sometimes in synchrony, to attract attention and send their message across to their target audience.  They will really catch your attention because as you endure the traffic congestion in Makati you will see these people and wonder what the heck are they wearing at their back and why are they walking in routine?  Well, seeing them somehow lightens the mood of people trapped in the gloomy traffic situation and since vehicles move like snails, people will have ALL THE TIME to read the ad copy! =D That's what you call opportunities in times of crisis! Hehe.

 

UNICEF appoints Daphne Oseña-Paez as Special Advocate for Children

 Web Announcement :

Late last year, we scanned the movie, music and TV industries and made recommendations on who among our celebrities could join UNICEF's pool of high profile advocates and supporters. And after months of evaluation, we are happy to learn that TV personality and urban planning expert Daphne Oseña-Paez made it to the list! =)

Newly appointed UNICEF Special Advocate for Children, Daphne Oseña-Paez meets a mother and her 2 day old baby assuring her exclusive breastfeeding (with no water or other milk) is the best way to feed her infant. Location: Victoria Temporary Relocation Shelter, Biñan, Laguna. Credit: R Santos/UNICEF 2010

There are a few more names who will be announced within the year and I'll keep you posted on that. Gary V for sure will be happy to know that there will be more hands to help him and UNICEF champion the rights of Filipino children.

Daphne now is the newly appointed UNICEF Special Advocate for Children. I haven't dealt with her up close (well I always see her in Olay events as she is one of its most celebrated endorsers) but I'm sure I'll have the opportunity to also work with her soon.

Recently, UNICEF and Daphne Oseña-Paez celebrated Women's Month with breastfeeding moms in a temporary shelter in Laguna. Daphne champions breastfeeding this Women’s Month as she visits mothers and their babies devastated by tropical storms at the Victoria Temporary Relocation Shelter in Biñan, Laguna.

Proud to be cheesy!

 Scene Stealers :

Cheez Whiz has been a part of my childhood years and in fact, up to now, it’s still part of our household's regular grocery list!  Well, the reason perhaps is that it's one of my favorite and default bread partners when the tummy asks for its regular supply.  And aside from that, I also have these weird but creative ways on how I enjoy my Cheez Whiz. =).

First, at breakfast, when what I have are hotdog and rice, I dip it into the cheese alternately with ketchup!  If I want to bring Wendy’s at home, I steam or bake potatoes and spread the cheese on top of it! Nyam nyam! =P And for dessert, I sometimes put a little whip of it on top of vanilla ice cream! Cheesy vanilla flavah! Wheh, well, what can I do, I cannot resist the temptation 'coz I'm certified "cheesy" [but only for being a cheese lover, not for anything else =)], exactly opposite of one of my colleagues who have never eaten cheese or cheese flavored dish in her entire lifetime (I think). Oh, what an agony! =/

The Evolution of Penshoppe

 Scene Stealers :

A few weeks ago, I saw FB video posts by RJ Ledesma showing old Penshoppe commercials and it featured his wife Vanessa Pastor Ledesma (BTW, thanks to her participation in the Pampers Yoga Stretchycise launch), Paolo Bediones, Cogie Domingo and Ryan Agoncillo, to name a few. Gee, all I could say is that I was once hooked at these commercials (and the brand) and its tag line “Express Yourself” was very much popular then!  And I could imagine how these guys would react to see their old, or should I say, young selves once more in Facebook! =)

Well, it was nostalgic to see these old TVCs (teen power of the 90s! hehe) but lately, I am made to have second looks at billboards, ads and print features showing the all new Penshoppe so as its new endorsers!  It has really transformed from being a "teeny bopper" line to being an "edgy" brand yet keep its cool and young appeal.  Penshoppe people told me that what I saw is Penshoppe's newest Spring-Summer collection and some of its newest models Solenn Heussaf, Melissa Ricks, Akihiro Sato, Annette Osmena and Victor Basa.  They also shared with me this newest collection from the Penshoppe line.

Beatnik meets Street – Penshoppe launches its Spring-Summer Collection

Outdoorsy, free-spirited with an edge - Penshoppe channels the urban wanderer with its Spring-Summer Collection.

Think gypsy and peasant inspired looks infused with street-scruffy, low-key grunge. Pieces include shirts and tops in plaid, checks and floral prints, graphic tees in monotone prints, and stylish jackets, vests and scarves.

Ensaymadang Malolos, inipit, pastillas face new competition

Scene Stealers:

When you talk about food, Malolos has been known for inipit, ensaymadang Malolos, pastillas and other kakanin (delicacies made out of sticky, gelatinous rice).  Now, they are facing tough competition as the historical city is now flooded with popular and modern fast food chains and restaurants.

It only used to have Jollibee, Chowking, Greenwich, Max's and Fortune but now, just right in front of Bulacan State University, a complex houses Kentucky Fried Chicken, Mang Inasal, Figaro and Gerry's Grill.  To be honest, I welcome this development as I don't have to bring my family and relatives all  the way to Metro Manila just to bring them to these establishments.  And, late night movie watching with folks would be much more fun as there will be more choices available for food delivery.

Are high school kids ready to talk about HIV in the classroom?

 Action & Event-ure :

Talks on HIV have been very controversial lately and I was concerned how the situation will affect our preps for the launch of the Power of You, the anti-HIV campaign for high school students of DepEd (the Department of Education) and UNICEF. Fortunately, the launch last March 10 at Bagong Silangan High School in Quezon City turned out very well.

And now, the only big question is, are our high school kids ready for this information?

Recently, DepEd and UNICEF have raised the alarm on the rising cases of STI and HIV infections among young people. Recent findings reveal that the Philippines is currently witnessing an increase of new HIV infection as never before. Reported infections among 15-24 year old Filipinos increased five-fold from 41 in 2007 to 218 in 2009, according to the Department of Health National AIDS Registry.

Responding to the need for immediate action, DepEd and UNICEF launched last March 10 a creative approach to help young people learn about risky behaviors, STI (sexually transmitted infection, not the school), HIV and AIDS. The Power of You, an innovative educational campaign aimed toward high school students follows the story of Francis and Sara, typical teens who face big challenges everyday. The interactive video allows users to choose the path that their characters will take, through decision points depicting drama and humor of a normal teenager’s life.

An encounter with mermaids!

 Shoe Potato:

Last week, I was asked to help out in the Thanksgiving Dinner thrown by Maynilad Water Services for our friends in the industry. Well, how could I say no? I was known to be the nicest guy in the team. Haha, of course that’s a joke =D. Aside from the fact that it’s something that our fearless boss asked us to do, I was very much willing to help because I got excited to go back to Manila Ocean Park or MOP (it’s where the dinner was held!) for the fourth time. I was once part of the group that launched the park back in 2008.

The facility is much different now, although I think there is still a little structural development going on, MOP shows a lot of promise already.  So in between and right after the formal program, I managed to say hi again to the water creatures I saw about two years ago.  Well, there were new members of the MOP family such as the Red Pacu and some of them grew bigger like the South American and African cichlids. 

That night, the newest and most exciting treat for me came from another breed of sea creatures – the mermaids! Well, I hope they are the real ones but they are just divers / swimmers who acted, swam and “danced” like the mermaids we see in film and TV. Hmmm, the MOP mermaids’ tails may not be as realistic as what are shown in the media (with silky scales etc.) but you can tolerate that aspect as you see the performers do their best to swim gracefully and dive like sea nymphs to provide a spectacular underwater performance for the guests.

Manila Ocean Park may not be as ext ravagant as the Ocean Park in HK but I still take pride that we have a marine theme park that our Filipino kids can see and enjoy. And, MOP is just about 2 years in existence, and for sure they will continue to grow. And I will keep on coming back. =)

Sailors of the Seas meet Sailors of the Streets

 Action & Event-ure :

At this age when we already have air buses, luxury cruise ships and even hi-tech submarines, would you still believe that there are still people who would rather tour the world using a sailboat?

Yup, you heard it right. Five Norwegian sailors are currently sailing around the world on a trip that will last for three years. They started in August 2008 and will end the trip in August 2011. Recently, I just met Otto Hildeng, Kyrre Lind-Isaksen, Slavisa Gacic, Marius Boe Viken and Marte Hoeiby who are about to complete the second half of the navigation using the To Fluer sailboat.

To Fluer literally means “two flies” but semantically corresponds to an idiomatic expression “to kill two birds with one stone”. ‘Because for them, To Fluer fulfills both their lifelong dream and a heartfelt desire – a lifelong dream to see the world and a heartfelt desire to contribute... a dream to open doors and gain perspective, and a desire to make a difference. They not only explore the seas and discover Earth wonders but they also raise funds for UNICEF and child friendly schools in Africa during their trip and visit UNICEF projects along the way.

Cowboy Way at the Salcedo Weekend Market

 Scene Stealers :

I’ve heard and seen from afar the Salcedo Weekend Market (at the Salcedo Park in Makati CBD) in the past but I’ve never really checked out the place until our group at Kongzi Xueyuan Manila started to hang-out there once in a while after our class. A haven for dogs at weekdays and for joggers at week nights, the Salcedo Park, on weekends, becomes a shopping mecca for customers and tourists who are looking for good food and native delicacies from whatever region in the country (well, mostly, since there are also some foreign dishes offered as well). Whoever thought of this concept and organized this market should receive a pat on the back from the Department of Tourism. It feels good to walk at the park-turned-market as the people, local and foreign tourists alike, appreciate what our culture, and market, has to offer, in a clean, convenient and people friendly place.