PAL taps Swiss company for inflight mobile, Wi-Fi services

MANILA - Philippine Airlines (PAL) has partnered with a Geneva-headquartered service provider of inflight connectivity solutions for the flag carrier's mobile and Wi-Fi Internet services on its Asia Pacific, Australasia and North American flights.

In a statement, PAL said Mobile OnAir and Internet OnAir will be retrofitted on the flag carrier's Airbus A330-343s and Boeing B777-300ERs starting next month.

The global GSM and Wi-Fi services will be launched by mid-year.

“As the country's leading airline, we must enable our passengers to stay in touch during flights. Connectivity is an absolute requirement for today’s travellers,” Ramon S. Ang, PAL president and chief operating officer said.

“It’s important for us and our customers to have a service that is global, of high quality and flexible enough to suit the needs of all passengers,” he added.

PAL is confident it can provide consistent connectivity on all flights using the A330 and B777 because of OnAir’s unique coverage.

OnAir has regulatory approvals from over 90 countries, as well as roaming agreements with more than 350 mobile network operators. Also, OnAir uses Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband network, the only one designed specifically to provide worldwide satellite coverage.

“Passenger use of the inflight GSM and Wi-Fi networks mirrors behavior on the ground, which is why having both is so important,” Ian Dawkins, OnAir chief executive said.

“When both GSM and Wi-Fi are available, over 90 percent of passengers use GSM. Simply turn on your phone or tablet and use it for calls, text messages, emails, updating Facebook and Twitter, as well as the Internet. No need to enter your credit card details because the costs are included in your mobile phone bill, as with international roaming. People typically use the Wi-Fi for business. It is more suitable for heavier email and Internet usage. We give passengers the choice,” Dawkins said.

Last year, Cebu Pacific also partnered with OnAir to provide Wi-Fi service to passengers in the budget airline's Airbus A330 fleet. Under the next phase, the airline also has the option to install Wi-Fi on its fleet of Airbus A320 aircraft, for short haul flights.

Cebu Pacific had said that its A330 fleet is scheduled to have Wi-Fi installed middle of this year, in time for the airline’s initial deployment of long haul services.

The airline's A330 fleet, planned for introduction in the third quarter, will allow Cebu Pacific to provide direct, non-stop flights to regions within the aircraft’s 11-hour flying range, including the Middle East, Australia, parts of Europe and the US.

source: interaksyon.com

Landco opens Aquaria leisure tourism resort in Batangas

MANILA, Philippines - Upscale leisure resort developer Landco has launched Aquaria, a 1.2-hectare leisure and entertainment destination within its 12-hectare Playa Calatagan Leisure Tourism Estate.

The Playa Calatagan Leisure Tourism Estate is Landco’s playground for innovative resort living experiences and concepts — all meant to cater to local and foreign tourists, families, and corporate guests.

With Aquaria, Landco moves closer to its goal of making Playa Calatagan and the rest of the province (where Landco has four other premier residential and agri-tourism projects) one of the country’s most preferred tourism, leisure, and recreational destinations. Landco also plans to put up a world-class seaside condominium near Aquaria, just a few steps away from the beach.

Landco recently treated a select group of guests for them to experience what Aquaria leisure resort has to offer. These lucky guests did some all-day partying in the world-class beach resort, enjoying various beachside activities like soccer, volleyball and frisbee. They also participated in water sports like kayaking, jet ski, wind surfing, stand-up paddle (SUP) boards, and boating.

All these activities naturally made everyone very hungry, so by lunchtime they were served grilled dishes, including lobsters, prawns, squid, chicken legs, beef kebab, and pork belly — these were perfectly matched with refreshing lemon grass tea, freshly squeezed fruit juices, and liquor from the bar right beside the Sands restaurant by the beachfront.

The guests enjoyed the fresh sea breeze, retired to strategically located hammocks where they either read a book or simply daydreamed amid the peaceful, serene atmosphere.



Those who could not wait to enjoy the swimming pools and the beach proceeded to the air-conditioned locker rooms (there are separate areas for ladies and men). Beside the locker rooms are individual showers with adjoining dressing areas and toilets.

Upon leaving the shower rooms, the guests passed through a series of coved pools. One is a kiddie pool with overhead sprinklers; another is a sunken pool bar; the highlight is the main pool with a three-story giant pool slide. There are also wooden cabanas and cove pool cabanas all around. The pools are equipped with a lot of floaters to assist swimmers. Even those who don’t swim can very well enjoy the pools with these floaters helping them stay above the water.

Aquaria charges P400 per head for adults and P200 per head for children. These fees let visitors stay at the resort for the whole day. The smaller cabanas cost P1,000 for whole-day use while bigger ones that are good for 10 people cost P1,500 per day.

For now, Landco allows families to bring in foodstuff and their own barbecue equipment, provided that they keep the beach and the facilities clean. Meals can also be bought from the Sands dining pavilion since the company has a restaurant concessionaire. Liquor and non-alcoholic beverages can also be bought from the square-shaped open bar beside the restaurant.

Chairs and tables are available for rent by families and groups of guests, so they can eat right along the spacious beachfront. Sunbathers can have a lovely time at the sun loungers’ area, which has jumbo umbrellas; when things get too hot, they can easily refresh themselves at the pool bar. 

For reservations or more information on Aquaria, call Landco Pacific Corp. at 835-5083. Other leisure resort developments by Landco include Peninsula de Punta Fuego, Leisure Farms, Hacienda Escudero and the Playa Series-Playa Calatagan, Playa Laiya in Batangas, and Playa Azalea in Samal Island, Davao.

Landco Pacific Corp. develops high-end leisure communities, resort-inspired condominiums and luxury home communities. For more than 20 years, the company has made its mark in Philippine real estate, and is widely acknowledged as one of the leading leisure developers.

source: philstar.com

Georgina is stylish endorser of Park Inn by Radisson Davao

MANILA, Philippines - Park Inn by Radisson Davao was launched recently. A fun and energetic mid-market brand under the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, one of the world’s largest and most dynamic hotel groups, Park Inn by Radisson Davao is located adjacent to SM City Lanang Premier and SMX Davao Convention Center. The hotel is just 15 minutes away from the Davao International Airport and the city center, and a short drive away from major tourist attractions, beaches and museums. Perfect for business and leisure travelers, the brand offers a great hotel experience through its comfortable rooms, superb modern essentials, great conference venue facilities and signature “Adding Colors to Life” service concept.

Park Inn by Radisson Davao taps Georgina Wilson (second from left) as endorser.  With her during the contract signing are (from left) talent manager Shirley Kuan, Rey Villar, EVP of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. and Lourdes Macalindong-Juco, VP for sales and marketing of SM Hotels and Conventions Corp.

source: philstar.com

Philippine Fashion Ball honors fashion industry stalwarts

MANILA, Philippines - The words on the invitation  said it all: “Come in extraordinary black, white, or black-and-white.”

The Philippine Fashion Ball has become a well-anticipated annual red carpet affair celebrating Philippine fashion and the people who have made it thrive through the years.

This year’s awardees were Apples Aberin for Fashion Modeling, Robby Carmona for Fashion Direction, Tina Maristela-Ocampo for Global Design, and Tessa Prieto-Valdes and Kaye Tinga for Fashion Advocacy. Capping the fashion citations, the Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to Ben Chan for providing creative venues to widen the market of Filipino talent here and abroad with his countless fashion collaborations.

Lending hair and design expertise was the able team of Toni & Guy, to match the newest designs of Albert Andrada, Jerome Ang, Ivar Aseron, Michael Cinco, Chris Jasler, Sassa Jimenez, Rajo Laurel, Jerome Lorico, Dennis Lustico, Randy Ortiz, Gian Romano, Joey Samson, and Ezra Santos.

And since its entry to Philippine shores last year, O+, the US-born revolutionary maker of smartphone and Android technology, has relentlessly worked hand in hand with the PFB with its vision.

source: philstar.com

1 hurt as blast hits Aga Muhlach’s speedboat in CamSur; actor and family safe

MANILA, Philippines — An explosion on a speedboat owned by actor-TV host Aga Muhlach in Caramoan, Camarines Sur on Black Saturday injured the pilot and damaged its engine and gas tank.

Michelle Juan, the actor’s chief-of-staff, issued the following statement to InterAksyon:

“Here’s what we know.

“At around 6AM this morning, an explosion occurred on Aga’s speedboat while in Caramoan, Camsur. Aga and his family were not on board at the time.

“The pilot (Jerome Pervera) sustained injuries on his leg, arm, back, and face, but is expected to be released tomorrow from the Caramoan emergency hospital.

“Initial reports are that the engine and gas tank ignited and then exploded. (The cause is) still being investigated.

“Aga and Charlene have been secured in an undisclosed location in the province but are closely monitoring the situation. They are relieved that no one was seriously injured, and are grateful for the outpouring of concern for their safety and security.”

The actor, who is currently the host of TV5’s “Pinoy Explorer”, is running for a congressional seat under the Liberal Party for the 4th district of Camarines Sur. He is going up against Wimpy Fuentebella, son of incumbent Rep. Arnulfo Fuentebella.

Aga was almost disqualified from running when the Commission on Elections nullified his voter registration in San Jose, Camarines Sur last December due to lack of residency, a decision that was later reversed by the Court of Appeals this January, paving the way for the filing of his candidacy.

source: interaksyon.com

Google tests same-day delivery service in challenge to Amazon

SAN FRANCISCO — Google on Thursday began testing a service for same-day delivery of toys, clothing, groceries or other items ordered online in what could be a challenge to online retail titan Amazon.

People living in San Francisco or a swath of Silicon Valley from the cities of San Jose to San Mateo were invited to take part in “a new experiment” that the Internet colossus dubbed Google Shopping Express.

“It’s a local delivery service that we hope will make it possible for you to get the items you order online the same day, and at a low cost,” product management director Tom Fallows said in a blog post.

“The pilot will expand as we work out the kinks.”

The service is part of an effort by the Mountain View, California-based firm to “bring the speed of the Web to the real world,” according to Fallows.

People enrolled in the test program will be able to shop at a single online venue for products from retailers such as Target, Walgreens, American Eagle, Toys R Us, and San Francisco’s coveted Blue Bottle Coffee.

“So hopefully, no more trips across town for simple errands,” Fallows said.

Pricing for Google Shopping Express had yet to be determined so people testing the service were being offered six months of free, unlimited orders for same-day deliveries.

Amazon entices shoppers with a Prime service that offers free two-day shipping on orders along with online streaming of films and television shows for an annual subscription fee of $79.A

source: interaksyon.com

Elderly at higher risk of lung infections, say experts

PARIS - Lung infections that are easily treated in the young are a cause for great concern in elderly people such as South Africa's 94-year-old anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela, experts say.

With age, muscle function declines and the nervous system that sends the impulse to breathe becomes less responsive, meaning that less oxygen enters the lungs on breathing in, and more carbon dioxide stays behind on breathing out.

It becomes harder to clear mucus that collects in the lungs, especially when people lie in bed or sit for long periods -- a high risk factor for lung infections like bronchitis or pneumonia because of the accumulation of mucus.

At the same time, a weakening immune system means the body is less able to fight infection, according to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

"When we are young and fit, we cough up (mucus) vigorously. When we are old, we cough less easily and if we already have weakened lungs the mucus stays behind and there is a high risk of congestion," said French pulmonologist Bertrand Dautzenberg.

"This is why old people are prone to respiratory infections, which are a key cause of death among the elderly."

Also, he said, most people on reaching the age of 90 use about 50 percent of their lung capacity, compared to 20 percent in youth.

"If, in addition, a part of one's lung has previously been damaged by tuberculosis... one is left with very little spare capacity."

Mandela has a long history of lung problems, and was most recently treated for an infection in December last year, when he spent nearly three weeks in hospital.

He was previously briefly hospitalized for an acute respiratory infection in January 2011.

In 1988, while serving a 27-year prison term, Mandela was diagnosed with early stage TB after complaining of dampness in his cell.

Two liters (1.1 pints) of fluid were drained from his chest at the time and he spent six weeks recuperating in hospital.

According to Dautzenberg, respiratory infections are often a contributing factor to death in the elderly.

The symptoms can be dire and resemble the eating disorder anorexia, he said: patients stop eating and become exhausted over time.

If they suffer a shortage of oxygen, this could affect other organs like the brain or kidneys.

In hospital, though doctors can provide oxygen and physiotherapy to loosen and expel any mucus.

source: interaksyon.com

‘Harlem Shake’ tumbles off top of Billboard chart after 5 weeks

LOS ANGELES – “The Harlem Shake” is moving on.

After five weeks in the number one slot, New York DJ Baauer’s single that triggered a global YouTube sensation has slipped to number two on Billboard’s latest Hot 100 chart, the music industry trade journal said Wednesday.

Taking its place is “Thrift Shop” from Seattle rappers Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, which has been in the Hot 100 since October and previously hit number one on five non-consecutive weeks before the Harlem Shake fad intervened.

“The Harlem Shake” reached number one thanks to good timing — it went viral on YouTube at the same time Billboard changed its methodology to include online streaming as well as record sales and radio air play.

On its website (www.billboard.com), Billboard said YouTube streams of “The Harlem Shake” have fallen from 103 million five weeks ago to just 20 million in the past week.

As an Internet meme, “The Harlem Shake” took off in early February when five Australian teenagers uploaded a video of themselves boogeying wildly to the electronic ditty that takes its name from a 1980s New York street dance.

source: interaksyon.com

Philippines, Australia to hold 'air talks' next month

MANILA - Philippine and Australian aviation authorities will resume talks next month on a proposal to increase the volume of passenger traffic between the two countries.

The Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) said “air talks” between the two countries will start on April 18-19 in Australia. The scheduled negotiations are expected to build upon Australia's earlier commitment to grant an additional 3,000 seat entitlements per week to Philippine airlines.

Carmelo Arcilla, CAB executive director, had said Cebu Pacific and Zest Airways requested for the additional 3,000 seats. At present, only Philippine Airlines flies to Australia.

The negotiations also aim to bridge a disagreement between the two countries on the mechanics of fifth freedom rights in talks held in August last year. Fifth freedom refers to the right to fly passengers to third countries from a country with which an airline's home-country has an outstanding air services agreement.

Besides Australia, the Philippine air panel is looking at major markets such as Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Europe, Canada and China to meet the Aquino administration’s 5.5 million tourist arrivals target this year. The 2013 goal is roughly a quarter higher than last year's 4.3 million.

source: interaksyon.com

Rapper Psy wants fans to dress in white for April 13 concert

SEOUL – South Korean rapper Psy wants his fans to turn up in white at his April concert where he will launch a new song that he hopes will cement the success of his “Gangnam Style” Youtube hit.

“See this pic and let’s be white on 0413″, Psy tweeted on his @psy_oppa Twitter feed on Wednesday, referring to the April 13 concert to be held in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

The chubby rapper, who shot to fame with over a billion Youtube hits in 2012, subsequently poses in a variety of white clothing, ranging from a spacesuit to tennis whites and even a bridal gown and skimpy figure-skating dress.

His stylist says the 35-year old is more likely to reprise a concert style based on the suit used in “Gangnam Style” than anything more racy.

Psy has not yet revealed what song he will release.

source: interaksyon.com

Largest-ever cyber attack slowing global Internet services

LONDON — One of the largest ever cyber attacks is slowing global internet services and the disruption could get worse, experts said on Wednesday, after an organization blocking “spam” content became a target.

Spamhaus, a London and Geneva-based non-profit group which helps weed out unsolicited “spam” messages for email providers, said it had been subjected to “distributed denial of service” (DDoS) attacks on an unprecedented scale for more than a week.

“Based on the reported scale of the attack, which was evaluated at 300 Gigabits per second, we can confirm that this is one of the largest DDoS operations to date,” online security firm Kaspersky Lab said in a statement.

“There may be further disruptions on a larger scale as the attack escalates.”

Spamhaus publishes blacklists used by internet service providers (ISPs) to weed out spam in email traffic.

The group is directly or indirectly responsible for filtering as much as 80 percent of daily spam messages, according to Cloudflare, a company that said it was helping Spamhaus mitigate the attack.

“We’ve been under this cyber-attack for well over a week,” Steve Linford, chief executive of Spamhaus, told the BBC. “They are targeting every part of the internet infrastructure that they feel can be brought down.”

Perpetrators of DDoS attacks typically target websites by flooding servers with messages from multiple systems so they cannot identify and respond to legitimate traffic.

Paul Vlissidis, group technical director at internet security firm NCC, said the volumes of traffic involved in the attack were having a knock-on effect on the rest of the internet.

Because many computers were involved in the attack, it was difficult to defend against.

“If you have a few computers sending large amounts of traffic you can filter them out easily. When literally thousands and thousands are involved it makes it much, much harder,” he told Reuters.

However, according to thinkbroadband, an independent British information website which allows users to test their broadband speed, there appeared to be little evidence of a slowdown.

“Of course it is possible that people may be finding some services or sites they access over the Internet are performing slower than usual … but there appears to be no evidence to say that UK broadband users have been slowed down across the board,” it said on its blog.

source: interaksyon.com

Flipboard launches new edition, lets readers create magazines

Social magazine app Flipboard launched on Tuesday one of its biggest overhauls to date allowing readers to create and share their own magazines in a bid to keep growing in popularity.

The app is letting readers customize their own content around topics, events, and personal interests that can be shared with others.

It also partnered with Etsy, the online bazaar for handmade goods, allowing users to shop from Flipboard.

“It’s the largest thing we have ever done,” said Flipboard co-founder and CEO Mike McCue about the new edition.

“We want to allow people to curate the content they love.”

Flipboard is the latest social media company trying to entice people with the lure of creating and sharing interests along the same lines as fast-growing online scrapbook Pinterest, which lets people “pin” items on a virtual bulletin board.

Even Facebook changed its popular newsfeed in March giving more prominence to photos and videos in an effort to make the social network more of a personalized newspaper.

With more than 50 million downloads, Flipboard is a popular app among people who use it as a one-stop place for reading a variety of articles from different sources. It makes money by sharing revenue with its partners who sell ads on Flipboard.

But publishers are also keeping a close eye on the start up. Conde Nast, for instance, which is a partner of Flipboard pulled back the reins with some of its titles – The New Yorker and Wired – in order to keep guard over its content. Flipboard users will see an excerpted summary sending readers to the New Yorker and Wired websites.

Flipboard launched in July 2010 with much fan fair because of the clean and refined way it presented articles. Users choose from publishing sources ranging from The New York Times to Vanity Fair mixing stories with feeds from social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. The content is then formatted into one easy-to-read publication with ads that are similar to those found in the pages of glossy titles.

The Palo Alto, California-based company raised $60.5 million from Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byer, Index Ventures, and Insight Venture Partners and investors like Ashton Kutcher.

source: interaksyon.com

VIDEO: NBC's Jenna Wolfe and Stephanie Gosk Come Out, Expecting Baby Together

It's a great day for Jenna Wolfe. The Today weekend anchor not only came out publicly with her partner of three years, NBC News correspondent Stephanie Gosk, but the couple is expecting their first child!

"This is the most exciting thing that has ever happened to us," Wolfe told People. "But I don't want to bring my daughter into a world where I'm not comfortable telling everyone who I am and who her mother is."

"The beauty is that we live in a time where there's no need for secrecy," Gosk added. "This is a spectacular moment for us."



Wolfe, who is carrying the child after undergoing artificial insemination, plans on blogging about her experience as a first-time mother.

Watch Wolfe share her good news on the Today show below.

source: tvguide.com

Australian Catholic University offers scholarship programs for graduating high school students

 

The Australian Catholic University (ACU) Manila has announced that it is offering full and partial scholarships this coming school year.

 

Based on academic merit and talent, the “Esteban Scholarship Awards” will provide one full scholarship, two 50% scholarships and ten 20% scholarships. A full scholarship is valued at AUD 5,200 or PHP 246,000 per year. All scholarships are offered for the entire three-year program in Manila.

 

ACU Manila offers the opportunity to gain a world-recognized Australian Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) degree and equips students to practice the profession in both Australia and the Philippines.

 

To apply, graduating high school students must have a minimum academic average of 85%; demonstrate level of analytical skills by writing a paper on how Australian business education can empower him or her as a global citizen; like and visit ACU Manila’s Facebook page 

 

(www.facebook.com/acumanila); complete application and referral forms; and attend an Information Session with a parent or guardian.

 

Scholarship slots are available to graduating high school students, as well as to first to third year undergraduate degree students. Application deadline is on April 03, 2013.

 

The ACU Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) degree offers units specific to Australian accounting requirements in addition to Philippines-specific units. It prepares students for entry-level employment as well as future managerial positions.

 

ACU students develop an understanding of how commercial, industrial and service organizations operate. They also acquire skills to practice in a wide range of finance and accounting occupations such as accountant, auditor, investment manager, financial analyst, stockbroker, tax specialist or treasurer.

 

The ACU Manila campus is located at the Ground Floor of the Makati Stock Exchange Building, 6767 Ayala Ave., Makati City. For further inquiries, call  (+632)5019347 ,  (+632)4748345 , visit www.acu.edu.au/manila, or e-mail acumanila@estebanschool.org.

 

source: interaksyon.com

Construction industry forecasts 8 pct growth this year

MANILA - The construction industry this year expects to grow eight percent or faster than the economy, with public and private sector projects seen giving the sector a boost, the Philippine Constructors Association Inc (PCA) said on Tuesday.

With “prospects both at home and abroad looking a bit better” this year, PCA said the construction industry is poised to grow faster than the 6-7 percent economic target set by the government for 2013.

“The staggering increase in public construction investments in 2012—reinforced by conducive macroeconomic conditions, government’s ability to further boost infrastructure expenditures, the growing electricity demand, and the 2013 midterm elections-related spending—will provide a blistering momentum to the construction sector in 2013,” PCA said.

“The increased growth of the private sector in real estate development supported by low interest rates will likewise contribute to the sector’s expansion,” it added.

The sustained growth of the tourism and business process outsourcing (BPO) sectors, the strong inflows of remittances from Filipinos abroad, as well as the rollout of the Aquino administration's public-private partnership (PPP) initiative are also expected to result in a construction boom.

“Increasing activities in these growth drivers would result in more civil construction works such as office buildings, roads and bridges, facilities for utilities, and the like,” PCA said.

Citing National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB) data, PCA said the construction sector last year grew 14.4 percent or more than double the 6.6-percent growth in the country's gross domestic product (GDP) that year.

 The industry contributed P345 billion to the economy, higher than the P302 billion in 2011 and beating the P325 billion in 2010. The sector increased its share to GDP to 5.5 percent last year from 5.1 percent in 2011.

“[Last year’s] phenomenal growth was mainly caused by the upsurge in government spending on infrastructure, and sustained growth in private construction,” PCA said in its 2012 report.

Construction in 2011 declined mainly because of government under-spending amid delays in the Aquino administration's PPP program.

Last year, “[o]ne of the biggest contributors to the increased government spending is the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH),” PCA said.

“Since 2011, the department is committed to increase its expenditures to provide quality infrastructure facilities such as national roads, bridges, and major flood control projects. For 2013, more big-ticket infrastructure projects, including strategic tourism road projects, will be funded by the DPWH, allocating a total of P140 billion for the year—a staggering 40-percent climb from last year," the industry lobby said.

"Moreover, it is expected that public construction will continue to boost the sector in the next three years as the DPWH’s rally will be sustained to garner more than P600-billion capital outlays by the end of 2016,” PCA said.

source: interaksyon.com

BB cream is a girl’s BFF

There was a time when the beauty innovation that is the BB cream was but a trend suited only for porcelain-skinned girls of the younger generation. Foundation for kids, as I once heard someone put it. But with every BB cream that has been launched, the formula has proven itself resilient, with staying power both on the skin and the cosmetic counter.

What I just learned, though, was that the BB cream was actually invented by a German dermatologist in the 1950s –– it’s not a Korean formulation, but a Korean actress popularized it when she used it to cover laser surgery scars after she had gotten into an accident. As Korean girl groups and dramas grew in popularity, so did the BB cream, its fan-base increasing particularly in Asia.

I have tried quite a number of BB cream brands to test if the product works on all skin types –– not just the already perfect ones of Korean pop stars. I have also given away many half-full tubes for the following reasons: 1) Too white, 2) Too sticky 3) Too orange. Yes, there was this one that I thought was going to be the right shade for me because it was a little darker, but it turned me a bright shade of Snooki. Or Mariah on American Idol.

For a time, I was using this drugstore brand because of its higher-than-usual SPF content of 20. I am a sunblock freak and also, lazy, so anything that offers the benefits of two products in one tube is good in my book. Just my luck, this BB cream formula was discontinued and replaced with a formula that is targeted more to teens (I know this because the packaging is now Barbie pink). Also, it has become too thick to my liking. So I am now back to foundation, but in this heat, it just melts and sometimes even streaks (Thank you, sweat!). BB creams are just the ideal makeup product for the summer because it provides coverage and SPF.

Pond’s recently launched their first BB cream formula, Pond’s BB+ Cream, in two variants, Flawless White for the lit-from-within skin and Age Miracle for those concerned with concealing fine lines and age spots. Pond’s Flawless White Whitening BB+ Cream has GenActiv cover formula which is said to lighten dark spots by inhibiting melanin production, while Pond’s Age Miracle Anti-Aging Expert BB+ Cream has Intelligent Pro-Cell Complex which stimulates cell regeneration to reduce wrinkles, fine lines and age spots. Both with SPF 30, Pond’s BB+ Creams provide better sun protection than most BB creams. It also goes on sheer.

At the launch held recently, Pond’s announced that they will be launching more shades to their BB cream lines to better cover the wide range of skin tones of the Filipina. Here, Pond’s BB+ Cream’s new ambassadors and members of the Pond’s Beauty Council share what they love about BB creams and why they choose to use Pond’s Flawless White Whitening BB+ Cream and Pond’s Age Miracle Anti-Aging Expert BB+ Cream.

source: philstar.com

Skin so soft with Laura Mercier’s Face Polish

MANILA, Philippines - Customers now have a limited opportunity to save on Laura Mercier’s top-selling Face Polish, a creamy scrub with purifying micro beads that cleanses and exfoliates, removing dead skin cells to leave skin smooth and even toned. It’s now offered at P1,750 (30 percent off P2,550).

Laura Mercier’s Flawless Skin Face Polish has an emollient-rich formula that leaves skin soft and comforted. It acts as a gentle clarifier and is perfect for all skin types.

Simply put a small amount onto your fingertips and gently massage product into dampened skin. Rinse with warm water and pat the skin dry.


Laura Mercier is available at Rustan’s.

 source: philstar.com

The 8th Manila Surfers Cup: ‘Baywatch’ with a tide of philanthropy

On the first day of the 8th Manila Surfers Cup held last February 23 to 24 in San Juan, La Union, a commotion on the edge of the beach diverted the spectators’ attention from the rivalry at sea.

A surfer’s leash had caught in the rocks, and she was struggling to get it off her ankle or risk getting towed by the waves. Another surfer immediately came to her rescue, bringing her back to the shore and pulling her wayward surfboard along.

It was a Baywatch moment if there ever was one. And when one hangs out with the Manila Surfers Association, the organizers and participants of the event, such incidents can become everyday concerns. Or in the case of these city-bred swell-seekers who head straight for the beach as soon as work ends on Fridays, every weekend.






There is another story of a novice surfer who had paddled out too far, getting caught in the river-mouth where the currents can be brutal. He tries to make his way back to safety, but the water is too powerful. He waves his arms in the air, hoping his companions at the beach spot him. They wave back, thinking he is just saying hello.

He tries again, his arms knifing through the water, though they feel like jelly by now. He prays that he can make it. And as he struggles, another surfer arrives. He tries to warn him to stop in his tracks. Except the newcomer doesn’t understand what he’s saying and swims forward anyway.

The beginner is rescued by this stranger, who paddles against the strong current for both of them.

It’s not all about the drama with the Manila Surfers Association, though. Just like any other community, they make fun of each other, whether it be about their form in the water, a botched attempt at riding a wave, or the latest girl or guy they have their eye on. They tease the competitors for their ripped abs, cheer them on for conquering the whitewater, and despair at an otherwise spectacular ride suddenly spoiled by the elements.

And because surfing competitions are filled with endless commentary from the emcees holding court at the sand, microphone in hand, these jibes are for all on the stretch of beach to hear.



Aside from having fun, though, these surfers also give back to the community regularly. During the 8^th Manila Surfers Cup, they presented school materials and previously used computers to the pupils and teachers of Quirino Elementary School, Urbiztondo Elementary School, and Lingsat Elementary School.

Anyone who wants to make an impact in these beachside communities can feel free to send their donations to the Manila Surfers Association during their next competition. They can join or help out the MSA by logging on to www.facebook.com/manilasurf.


Meanwhile, here are the results of the 8th Manila Surfers Cup.

Men’s Longboard Novice Competition:
Champion: Vinni Sanchez
1st Runner Up: Jay Sueno
2nd Runner Up: Mike Eijansantos

Wahine Longboard Novice Competition:
Champion: Coco Brite
1st Runner Up: Toni Jazmin
2nd Runner Up: Ana Abad Santos

Men’s Longboard Open Competition:
Champion: Philip Santiago
1st Runner Up: Jeremy Ramilo
2nd Runner Up: Kiddo Cosio
3rd Runner Up: Ely Cresencio

Wahine Longboard Open Competition:
Champion: Mia Sebastian
1st Runner Up: Bea Vega
2nd Runner Up: Tin Terible
3rd Runner Up: Jam Choa

Men’s Shortboard Open Competition:
Champion: Seth Tan
1st Runner Up: Rafu Nepumuceno
2nd Runner Up: Vic Gamboa
3rd Runner Up: Pete Domingo

Invitational Division Champions:
Men’s Longboard: Buji Libarnes
Wahine Longboard: Lorraine Lapus
Men’s Shortboard: Lui Tortuya
Wahine Shortboard: Nikki dela Paz

source: interaksyon.com

Huawei brings ‘premium’ to entry-level market with new Ascend Y300 phone

MANILA, Philippines — Chinese phone brand Huawei on Tuesday unveiled their latest high-caliber offering for users looking for a high-quality entry-level phone in the form of the Ascend Y300, an affordable device that already runs the latest Android OS.

Promising quality specifications that are at par with most high-end phones, the Huawei Ascend Y300 offers a trio of top-notch technical features: a capable 1 GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor, a clear 4-inch IPS display, and the latest Android Jelly Bean operating system.

The Ascend Y300 also comes with Huawei-exclusive features, such as the unique Battery Boost that extends the life of its 1730 mAh battery, as well as the latest Huawei Emotion user interface, the brand’s own UI Android layer.



All these features can be had at an affordable price of P5,490, which puts the Ascend Y300 at the same level as some of the latest locally branded phones with the same specs today.

Targeted at young consumers looking to ride on the smartphone bandwagon, Huawei said their latest offering will cater to users that have been put off by “entry-level smartphones and [their] limited features.”

“By making everything smooth, latest, and powerpacked, the Ascend Y300 increases the level of satisfaction felt to an entry-level smartphones. Anyone would be surprised and happy by Huawei Ascend Y300’s solid and premium feel,” asserted Johnson Ma, country manager at Huawei Device Philippines.

Meant to succeed the hugely popular Ascend Y200 last year, the Ascend Y300 is now available at all Huawei dealers and retailers nationwide.

Below is the complete specification list of the Huawei Ascend Y300:

    Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
    4.0-inch touch screen supporting auto rotation
    5 MP auto focus camera/0.3MP FF camera
    Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
    Bluetooth 2.1 A2DP
    GPS/AGPS
    1.0 GHz Dual core
    1730mAh battery
    G-sensor
    Proximity sensor for auto turn-off
    Ambient light sensor for auto light adjusting

source: interaksyon.com

Wall Street worries about PayPal’s real-world expansion

SAN FRANCISCO — Wall Street is having second thoughts about following PayPal from its online roots into the physical world.

PayPal, a leader online, launched a push in 2011 to become a payment option in brick-and-mortar stores. The move increases PayPal’s potential market by a factor of at least 10, and has been a big driver of the shares of owner eBay Inc, which surged 68 percent in 2012.

But ahead of an investor day meeting at eBay’s Silicon Valley headquarters on Thursday, some investors and analysts are beginning to worry that the initiative will sacrifice profit margins for growth.

“Profitability of on-site payment will be dramatically lower than it is online,” said Bill Smead of Smead Capital Management, an eBay shareholder who has been bullish on the company for several years. Smead’s Seattle-based firm has trimmed its eBay position twice in the past year.

“If it’s going to be a lot less profitable, PayPal may not expand there as much as previously thought,” he added. “I would look for eBay to address this at the investor day.”

An eBay spokesman declined to comment.

For the year, eBay’s stock is up 0.6 percent, lagging behind the Nasdaq Composite Index’s gain of 7.2 percent this year. Concern about lower profitability at PayPal has weighed on eBay’s stock.

“Margin expansion may take a back seat to growth,” Colin Sebastian, an analyst at R.W. Baird, wrote in a note previewing eBay’s investor day.

Beware of the digital wallet fee

This year, eBay has been trying to control Wall Street’s expectations for PayPal profitability. On January 16, the company said PayPal’s 2013 margin would be 24 percent, down from a previous forecast of 25 percent to 26 percent.

In a February 1 regulatory filing, eBay mentioned a new fee that MasterCard Inc plans to impose on “digital wallet” operators like PayPal, starting in June, and warned that such changes could increase PayPal’s costs and reduce profit margins.

“Any time you take a successful business and move it to other arenas, there’s great opportunity and risk,” said Richard Sichel, chief investment officer of Philadelphia Trust Co. “There’s lots of competition out there, and it’s too early to know what PayPal margins will settle down to be.”

If other payment networks follow MasterCard and impose a digital wallet fee on PayPal, that could shave 2 cents a share off eBay’s earnings each year, Sanjay Sakhrani, an analyst at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, estimated recently.

Even without pressure from MasterCard and Visa, PayPal’s Point-of-Sale, or POS, business as it is known, will be less profitable than its online business, according to analysts.

PayPal has signed up several large retailers, including Home Depot, Toys ‘R’ Us and JC Penney, to accept PayPal in their stores. However, PayPal is taking a smaller cut of sales to persuade these retailers to test the service.

PayPal’s POS business is only 30 percent as profitable as its online business, Brian Nowak, an analyst at Nomura, estimated in a note previewing eBay’s investor day.

The bigger and potentially more expensive challenge will be to persuade consumers to drop their credit and debit cards in favor of PayPal when they shop in stores, Sebastian, Nowak and others say.

Nowak expects PayPal to develop a rewards program to give users some incentives, similar to the ones offered by big credit card companies like Capital One Financial, American Express and Discover Financial Services.

However, if PayPal offered something like that, its profit margin on offline transactions would go negative, Nowak estimated.

On Thursday, during eBay’s investor day, Nowak said he will be looking for the company to explain how PayPal can fund a rewards program and still turn a profit processing in-store payments.

Merchants could share in the cost of a PayPal rewards program, but this has its limits, Nowak said.

One of the reasons merchants are trying PayPal in the first place is that it is cheaper than what is currently offered by existing payment networks like Visa Inc and MasterCard, the analyst noted.

PayPal has not disclosed what it is charging brick-and-mortar retailers, but Nowak estimates that the company takes a cut of about 1.5 percent, compared with about 2 percent to 2.2 percent charged by Visa and MasterCard.

source: interaksyon.com

British teenage whiz strikes deal with Yahoo

LONDON (AP) — One of Britain's youngest Internet entrepreneurs has hit the jackpot after selling his top-selling mobile application Summly to search giant Yahoo.

Seventeen-year-old Nick d'Aloisio, who dreamed up the idea for the content-shortening program when he was studying for his exams, said he was surprised by the deal. As with its other recent acquisitions, Yahoo didn't disclose how much it is paying for Summly, although British newspapers suggested the deal's value at several million dollars.

"I would have never imagined being in this position so suddenly," he wrote on his website, before thanking his family, his school — and his venture capitalist backer Li Ka-Shing — for supporting him.

Summly works by condensing content so readers can scroll through more information more quickly — useful for the small screens of smartphones.

The deal announced Monday is Yahoo's fifth small acquisition in the past five months. All of them have been part of CEO Marissa Mayer's effort to attract more engineers with expertise in building services for smartphones and tablet computers, an increasingly important area of technology that she believes the Internet company had been neglecting.

Although the Yahoo acquisition won't close until later this spring, D'Aloisio said the Summly will no longer be available. Summly's technology will return in other Yahoo products, he said.


D'Aloisio will work for Yahoo in its London office — in part so that he can complete his high school exams. Two other Summly workers will join Yahoo at its Sunnyvale, California, headquarters.

D'Aloisio is younger than Yahoo, which was incorporated in March 1995.

source: philstar.com

Stress is bad for your career and health

MANILA, Philippines - Stress at work can greatly affect your performance, your career, but most especially, your health. Premier health institution Makati Medical Center lists down the factors that may cause workplace stress and how to deal with such situations early on.

“Stress brings about many health disorders,” begins Saturnino P. Javier, MD, a cardiologist at MakatiMed and president of the Philippine Heart Association. “It can worsen already existing illnesses such as asthma and diabetes, trigger headaches and gastrointestinal problems, can make you prone to depression and anxiety, and cause you to age faster than usual.”

“One of the most serious illnesses associated with stress concerns the heart,” he further warns. Stress may have a direct effect on the heart and blood vessels, and at the same time, it increases one’s likelihood of smoking or eating unhealthily — habits that may also increase heart risks. Sudden emotional stress can trigger serious cardiac problems, such as heart attacks.

“That’s why before heart problems even start, know what makes you stressed and how you can prevent it,” says Dr. Javier.  “The workplace is one of the most common places that put pressure on individuals, and being in the office during most days of the week, take time to assess and see if your work situation is causing you stress.”

“While stress is managed differently by different individuals, there are common situations at work that may cause it. Generally, an employee may feel stressed if he is under pressure from the demands of his job — be it the hours, the responsibilities, or the work load. If these are too much for him to take or greater than he can comfortably manage, it can pose risks to his health,” he says.

Tight deadlines, long hours, and heavy workload, changes within the organization or in the duties of the employee, job insecurity and few promotional opportunities, harassment and discrimination, and poor relationships with colleagues and bosses may be some of the causes of workplace stress.




“When your attitude towards your job and your behavior at work changes, you’re most likely stressed,” warns Dr. Javier. This could mean an increase in sick days, aggression, diminished creativity and initiative, mood swings, low tolerance of frustration and impatience, disinterest, and isolation.

Other common signs of stress are fatigue, muscle tension, sleeping difficulties such as insomnia, and dermatological disorders. Psychological symptoms include irritability, pessimism, feelings of discouragement and being overwhelmed, and cognitive difficulties such as the reduced ability to concentrate or make decisions. “Such signs tell you that your work is taking over your life and it’s about time you did something about it,” he says.

“Change your lifestyle — not only to battle stress, but also to aim to live healthier overall. Stop overeating, drinking, and smoking. While these seem to calm you and reduce stress, you’re only adding to it,” he says. “Stick to a good diet, exercise regularly, and spend time to relax both your mind and body so you can fight stress effectively.”

Non-competitive exercises, such as aerobics, have been shown to release endorphins, which are natural substances that help maintain a good disposition. “Of course, it helps a lot to set realistic goals for yourself, learn the art of saying no to tasks you know you can’t handle, and maintain a positive outlook in life,” Dr. Javier advises.

source: philstar.com

Heart Evangelista tells parents to leave her and Chiz alone

In an emotional live TV interview on Sunday, actress Heart Evangelista appealed to her parents to stop issuing hurtful statements about her relationship with Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

“Why? Why are you doing this?” she asked, addressing her mother Cecilia who, together with her husband Rey, attacked the senator’s character and accused him of maltreating their daughter in a press conference last week.

“Mahal na mahal naman kita, hindi naman kita iiwanan… Anak mo ako, pamilya tayo, tama na! Tama na ho. Walang mananalo dito. Lahat tayo nasasaktan, lahat tayo talo dahil nawala tayo sa isa’t isa,” she told the GMA talk show “Hot TV”.

The 28-year-old said she only saw one reason why her parents spoke out: “Because gusto nila kaming paghiwalayin. Lahat naman siguro ng ginagawa nila ngayon dahil para maghiwalay na kami.”

Her parents need to let her make decisions for herself, she declared.

“Sana, hayaan na lang nila akong maging masaya, ‘yung walang kokontra at walang pipigil kung anong nagpapatawa sa akin,” she said.

Heart said she could not remember any particular incident that triggered her parents’ sudden disapproval of her relationship with the 43-year-old senator.

“Wala. Nung umpisa walang problema, ‘yung una silang nagkita… In fact, walang problema ‘yung daddy ko, naging maayos kami. Pumunta pa nga kami sa beach house niya.

“Naging maayos talaga kami. Ito lang talagang nakaraang araw biglang naiba,” she said.

Heart also refuted her parents’ allegation that Chiz is an alcoholic. “That is a lie!” she declared.

She also denied his supposed arrogance towards them. “Hindi talaga totoo. Senator siya. Kung ibang tao nga ginagalang niya. ‘Yung mas mababang tao nga nandiyan siya para sa kanila. Ano pa kaya ‘yung magulang ng taong mahal niya?”

Heart admitted that it was a painful decision for her to move out of the condominium building where she lived one floor above her parents’ unit. But she maintained that she was happy with Chiz.

“Ang saya-saya namin, e… ang saya-saya ko ngayon. Hindi ko maintindihan,” she said, breaking into tears once again.

She reiterated her message to her parents: “Kung gusto n’yong magkahiwalay kami, hayaan n’yo na lang akong makapagdesisyon nun, please!”

source: interaksyon.com

Katy Perry Wins Big at Kids' Choice Awards Post-Breakup

Just a few days after news broke of her split from John Mayer, Katy Perry had plenty of reasons to smile Saturday night.

Perry, 28, took home honors at the Kids' Choice Awards and the title of favorite female singer, besting Taylor Swift, Pink and Oscar-winner Adele.

Making no mention of her former romance (and rocking some seriously sunny attire), she proclaimed, "I love the kids," as she accepted her prize. "I think it's the coolest award."

She wasn't the only recently single lady winning big at the Galen Center. Earlier in the night, Wizards of Waverly Place star (and Justin Bieber ex) Selena Gomez took the stage to accept the award for favorite television actress.

source: people.com

Japanese researchers reach breakthrough in breast cancer regenerative medicine

TOKYO -- Japanese researchers have achieved a major breakthrough in regenerative medicine for breast cancer patients, Japanese news agency Jiji Press reported.

The researchers succeeded in having breast cancer patients recover what was lost after breast-conserving surgery, an operation to remove breast cancer and not breast itself by transplanting fat mixed with their own stem cells.

The achievement was made by a team of researchers led by Bin Nakayama, associate professor at Tottori University during clinical testing conducted between September and January on five women aged between 30 and 60 who underwent breast-conserving surgery.

Durng the tests, fat taken out of the patients' abdomen or hips and mixed with their stem cells was transplanted into where tumours and surrounding tissues were removed.

The researchers said that if only fat is transplanted, most of it is absorbed into the body and about 30 per cent of it remains as it does not have blood vessels.

Between 70 to 90 per cent of transplanted fat remained after blood vessels were newly formed in the fat.

Stem cells are apparently capable of helping bring blood vessels into fat from surrounding tissues, the researchers added.

According to the Japanese Breast Cancer Society, some 60,000 Japanese develop breast cancer a year with 60 per cent undergoing breast-conserving surgery.

source: interaksyon.com

Candy Crush players warned vs ‘dubious’ Android apps

MANILA, Philippines — It was only a matter of time, but security experts have already issued warning against “dubious” applications trying to latch on to the success of Candy Crush, an Android game with Facebook integration that has already surpassed the likes of Farmville in terms of popularity in the social network.

In a security alert, Trend Micro Technical Communications Specialist Gelo Abendan warned that “dubious developers” have already started creating suspicious app that ride on the Candy Crush fame, which could become launchpads for malware attacks in the future.

Candy Crush Saga, a free mobile game developed by King.com, has amassed widespread popularity among users worldwide. It is a puzzle strategy game that requires players to connect matching “candies” to score points, and comes with a social component that makes the game a lot more addictive.

According to Abendan, Trend Micro was able to detect “adware” apps that contain code for the Leadbolt and Airpush ad networks, which were among the most prevalent form of adwares found in 2012.

“While not inherently malicious, adware can be abused by cybercriminals for their own gains. Adware not only uses aggressive advertising tactics such as persistent notifications, but also collects information about the user. This could be construed as a violation of the user’s privacy,” Abendan explained.

Some of the dubious apps detected by the security software company includes an app that offers tips and tricks for getting through the game, as well as another that recommends playing another game through persistent notifications. Trend Micro said the same kinds of apps have been detected for popular mobile applications such as Instagram, Bad Piggies, and Temple Run.

So as their device will not be hit with by one of the more than 1 million malicious Android apps predicted to hit devices this year, Trend Micro suggests taking extra security precautions when installing apps on their devices, such as reading thoroughly through the app’s description page.

“Comments can be a goldmine of information, since you’ll know what other users are saying about their experience with the app. Once you install any apps, make sure that you check out the permissions that they are asking for,” Abendan added.

Touted as the most insecure mobile platform today thanks to its “openness,” Android has become a breeding ground for malware in the past several years, especially with the ease of distributing apps through the Google Play Store.

In 2012, 293,091 apps on the Android platform were found to be malicious and of these, 68,740 were found on the official Google Play store. Around 22% of these malicious apps were found to leak information about the user.

Such developments are crucial in a market like the Philippines, where one out of every four mobile phones are powered by the Android platform, and where games such as Candy Crush Saga enjoy a huge following.

source: interaksyon.com

Divorce just as much a hurdle as marriage for US gays

WASHINGTON - It's hard enough for same-sex couples to marry in the United States, but divorce is a headache as well, and one that supporters of gay marriage hope the US Supreme Court can resolve.

"Divorce is the new frontier for gay couples," said Susan Sommer of Lambda Legal, a legal advice service for homosexuals. "They had to fight to be together, and they have to fight to get a divorce."

Like marriage, divorce laws are determined by each of the 50 states, only nine of which -- in addition to the federal capital Washington -- so far allow couples of the same sex to wed.

"If a couple is living in New York City... they can get a divorce in New York City," said Sommer, who is Lambda Legal's director of constitutional litigation and senior counsel.

But complications arise when couples relocate to a state where their marriage is not legally recognized, said Stuart Gaffney, media director of the lobbying group Marriage Equality USA.

Thus, a couple living in Utah, where gay marriage is not recognized, can marry in Massachusetts, where it is legal and where newlyweds are not obliged to live in the state.

If the couple returns to Utah and their marriage falls apart, however, they would have to go to another state to petition for a divorce -- which requires a period of residence of six months to two years, depending on the state.

There are also local particularities. In Wyoming, for instance, same-sex couples cannot marry but they can seek a divorce.

"It's a mess," Sommer told AFP.

A Marriage Equality USA activist who requested anonymity to speak freely said such a situation left her in a state of stress and uncertainty as to how to legally and financial separate from her partner, whom she married in Canada.

"It made for a very difficult, untenable situation," she said.

"Within less than a year, after several years of uncertainty, we made the decision to end the relationship and begin the process of a divorce. I was very fortunate to be able to get divorced.

"Unfortunately, other US citizens who get married in Canada, or in other locations where same-sex marriage is legalized, rarely have this right," she said. "They are left in perpetual legal limbo.

According to the Williams Institute, which conducts research on the gay community, one percent of same-sex marriages -- of which there were about 50,000 in 2011 -- end in divorce every year, half the proportion for heterosexuals.

But even happily married couples who live in a state that recognizes gay marriage have to face "nightmare" complications, with divorce being the ultimate problem, Gaffney said.

That's because, under the Defense of Marriage Act, the federal government recognizes only straight marriages -- with hundreds of repercussions involving such areas as income tax and retirement benefits.

LGBT activists are thus eagerly awaiting how the US Supreme Court will rule on DOMA after its justices hear both sides of the legal argument on March 26-27.

"Non-gay couples are treated as what they are -- married -- no matter where they are living, traveling, or divorcing," said Evan Wolfson of Freedom to Marry, another group that campaigns for marriage equality.

"But gay couples experience a patchwork of respect, uncertainty and discrimination, depending on where they are," he said.

"That's why all couples should have -- the freedom to marry and divorce no matter where they live or find themselves."

source: interaksyon.com

YouTube says has one billion monthly active users

Google Inc’s YouTube said on Thursday the number of unique users visiting the video-sharing website every month has reached 1 billion, about six months after social media company Facebook Inc also said it had the same amount of users.

“Nearly one out of every two people on the Internet visits YouTube,” the video website said in a blog post.

Facebook said it had passed the one billion user mark in September, a level of global penetration that has made its quest for sustained growth more challenging.

source: interaksyon.com

Waterfront begins P500-million renovation of Manila Pavilion

MANILA - Waterfront Philippines Inc launched the P500-million renovation of the Manila Pavilion Hotel amid rising competition from new and international hotel brands set to open in the Philippines.

In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, Waterfront said Manila Pavilion recently completed the second phase of its renovation covering 223 upper floor rooms and suites. Aside from its two-category Deluxe Rooms, Executive Rooms and Premier Suites, the hotel introduced a new set of Ambassador Club rooms and two new Presidential Suites to enhance the hotel's position in the corporate market.

“As one of the pioneering hotels in the country, we see ourselves as pioneers for steadfast innovations to meet and beat competition. In this promising part of Manila, we just can’t wait to create a signature that will amalgamate our hallmark design concepts, high-tech features and exceptional service to complete that grandeur experience for our guests.” said Christopher Park, general manager of Manila Pavilion.

The redevelopment will continue for 250 Superior Rooms and Suites at the lower floors, as well as for the upgrade of function rooms and food and beverage facilities.

The P500-million renovation, financed through internally-generated cash and external sources, will increase the hotel’s room revenues by 50 percent because of more bookings from premium corporate and travel clients, Waterfront said.

The room themes were developed to maximize guest satisfaction to generate repeat bookings and keep room maintenance costs to minimum levels, the company said.

A landmark in Manila, the Manila Pavillon is situated close to a mix of historic sites, major ports and various entertainment hubs. It also houses the Casino Filipino Pavilion on the first three floors of the hotel.

The completion of the second phase of the hotel’s renovation comes on the heels of the opening of Solaire Resort & Casino, the first hotel and casino among the four licensees to open at the Entertainment City of state-run Philippine Gaming and Amusement Corp (Pagcor). Three more hotels will open at the Entertainment City through 2016.

In the second quarter, Travellers International Hotel Group Inc -- a joint venture between Alliance Global Group Inc and the Genting group of Hong Kong -- is set to commence development on the third phase of Resorts World Manila. This comprises two new hotels under the Sheraton and Hilton brands as well as the expansion of the existing Maxims and Marriott Hotels.

Lastly, the SM group is set to build a Conrad hotel at the Mall of Asia complex near the Entertainment City.

Apart from Manila Pavillon, Waterfront operates the G Hotel in Manila, Waterfront Cebu City Hotel & Casino, the Waterfront Airport Hotel & Casino Mactan in Cebu and the Waterfront Insular Hotel Davao in Davao.

The company operates close to 1,500 rooms, employs 1,500 employees and has over 41,000 square meters of convention and gaming space.

source: interaksyon.com

Despite quitting all her shows, Kris Aquino gains little sympathy from Twitterverse

After a tearful James Yap called a press conference and refuted Kris Aquino’s allegations of “overt sexual advances”, it was the Queen of all Media’s turn to go on national television to belie her ex-husband’s statements.

Insisting that their son Bimby saw what really happened, Kris announced Wednesday night that she was quitting all her TV shows (“KrisTV”, “Kailangan Ko’y Ikaw” and “Pilipinas Got Talent”) on ABS-CBN to devote all of her time for her son who has been traumatized by the incident.

“It’s not between James and me and who is telling the truth. It’s about how much I love my son. Tama naman ang sinabi ng mga tao na kawawa na si Bimby so kailangan gawin ko ito para sa kanya,” she told broadcast journalist Ted Failon in a live interview for “TV Patrol”.

Despite the presence of her sisters, Ballsy, Pinky and Viel who all vowed their unqualified support for Kris, netizens on Twitter have remained unsympathetic to the controversial actress-host. Many are particularly annoyed by the fact that just like in many instances in the past, she is once again hogging headlines while significant national issues like Sabah and the coming elections have taken the back seat.

On the contrary, James Yap’s statements on his own press conference immediately made him a trending topic on Twitter last Thursday. While there are a few tweets that are favorable to Kris, most of the posts found the beleaguered basketball superstar to be more believable by comparison.

As the Kris Aquino vs. James Yap issue continues to be a much talked about topic both online and offline, one thing that seems to remain largely unchanged is the way many people continue to view Kris’ actions in a negative light.

source: interaksyon.com

3 U.S. vessels to arrive in the Philippines for routine port calls

MANILA, Philippines - Three United States Navy vessels will arrive in the Philippines on Friday for "routine port calls," the U.S. Embassy in Manila announced.

Docking in Subic is the submarine USS Ohio, in Manila, the destroyer USS Decatur and in Cebu, the submarine tender USS Frank Cable. The three will undergo "routine maintenance, replenishment of supplies, rest and recreation and community assistance and outreach activities," the U.S. embassy said.

USS Decatur (DDG 73) is a 505-foot long destroyer named after Commodore Stephen Decatur, a U.S. naval hero during the U.S.-Britain war of 1812. The Arleigh-Burke class destroyer was commissioned in 1998 with over 300 crew and soldiers, several of whom were Filipinos.

Meanwhile, the USS Frank Cable (AS 40) has a crew of about 1,500 and serves as the 7th Fleet's mobile repair and support platform. USS Frank already visited Subic last year and will dock in Cebu this time.

The USS Ohio (SSGN 726) is the lead ship of the Ohio-class submarines of the U.S. This 560-foot long submarine will dock in Subic and has a crew of about 150 officers and sailors. It is the fourth vessel to bear the name of the U.S. state.

The visit of the three ships will "highlight the strong historic, community and military relations" between the U.S. and the Philippines, according to the embassy. 

The visit comes amid the continuing efforts to salvage U.S. Navy minesweeper USS Guardian, which ran aground on Tubbataha Reef in Sulu Sea on January 17.

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas said investigation on the cause of the grounding remains ongoing. He, however, declined to disclose any updates at this time. He reiterated U.S. apology over the incident.

source: interaksyon.com

Ongpaucos call Chiz an ‘opportunist’, Heart ‘unstable’, to sue senator for libel

It’s another episode in the real-life telenovela entitled “You and Me Against The World”, starring Love Marie Ongpauco (known to the public as Heart Evangelista) and Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

This time, Heart’s parents Reynaldo and Cecilia Ongpauco gave an official statement via a press conference late Thursday in response to statements made by Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday, in which he claimed he was simply caught in the middle of a family feud.

All this, of course, started when the Ongpaucos earlier voiced out their disapproval of their daughter’s relationship with Sen. Escudero.

The so-called “forbidden romance” is, at 28 years of age, Heart’s third attempt to have a fulfilling love life—yet her parents still want to call the shots. Remember the Jericho Rosales and Daniel Matsunaga episodes?

This family drama, as viewed by many as ridiculous, overblown and sad, is now said to be supported by none other than Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

It was Sen. Santiago who played matchmaker to Chiz and Heart. Now she is said to be on the side of the Ongpaucos, although she said on Thursday that it was time for Heart’ parents to “let her go”.

Following is the Ongpauco couple’s official statement in full:

“Our entire family is mortified over statements to the media made by our daughter Heart, defending her lover, Francis Escudero, during our feud with the latter.

“We believe that we have a right to defend ourselves against unfair accusations made by Heart, under the dictation of Chiz, who clearly wrote the letter signed by Heart and published by a mo­vie columnist.

“Chiz, who is a lawyer, is 44 and previously married. Heart, who has not finished high school, is 28 years old, the youngest child, and previously the baby of her parents.

“Chiz is unacceptable to our family, for the following reasons:

“#1 Religious Reason. Chiz obviously has a personality defect. His wife, with whom he has two children, left him for reasons that have been the talk of Metro Manila.

“Chiz and his wife obtained a civil annulment. Thus, under the rules of the Catholic church to which my family belongs, Chiz is disqualified to remarry, unless he obtains a Church annulment.

“#2 Personality Problem. Chiz is surrounded by unsavory gossip which has already reached social media.

“The cause of his annulment and his peculiar habits are swirling over his head, and he has ne­ver bothered to explain himself.

“He projects himself as a wholesome candidate, but we know better.

“We challenge Chiz to stop dictating to our daughter. Stop hiding behind the skirts of Heart and stop using her as an armor to shield yourself from very serious questions about your character and personality.

“#3 Alcoholic. The first time Chiz visited our home, we saw that he was drunk and he smelled of alcohol.

“The second time he went to our fa­mily home, he was again drunk, carrying a bottle of red wine.

“During both visits, he hardly spoke a respectful word. He sat slumped in a chair with his legs spread outward.

“He has never formally asked for our daughter’s hand, or explained how he will support her and his wife at the same time.

“#4 Illusions. According to Heart, Chiz has promised her that he will become President by 2016, and then she will be addressed as ‘First Lady.’

“The staff of Chiz sometimes addresses him as Mr. President.

“This is pure seduction, because we believe Chiz does not stand any chance to become President or Vice-President, owing to his secret character.

“Furthermore, he once boasted to Heart that he runs a lucrative law office, and that a multinational is poised to pay his law firm over P200 million a year for lawyering for the multinational.

“One more boast of Chiz is that he has already the guaranteed financial contribution of a businessman who has been listed among the ten billionaires of the Philippines, but who is under investigation by the Senate.

“Heart believes all these claims made by her boyfriend, without any evidence.

“#5 Opportunism. Chiz has virtually moved into the condo unit owned by Heart.

“He uses her Mercedes Benz at will, particularly during night time, indicative of her own disturbed personality.

“Heart encourages this behavior from Chiz, as she did with the rest of her prior boyfriends. She has been diagnosed as a needy personality, but she refuses psychiatric treatment.

“#6 Case vs. Chiz. Because of Heart’s naiveté, I have been compelled to act as her talent ma­nager. We recently signed Heart’s contract with a certain TV channel.

“Now, Chiz is urging her to have my name removed as talent manager. All the acts of Chiz indicate that his public persona is far different from his real character.

“My husband and I are in the process of gathering evidence to prove that he is a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality, as suggested by a print columnist.

“Since our backs are pushed to the wall, we intend to file cases against Chiz: a criminal case for libel, for claiming that he is caught in the middle of a family feud; when the truth is, Chiz is the very source of our family feud.

“We might also file an additional criminal complaint for incriminating an innocent person.

“Furthermore we are going to file a civil complaint for damages under the Civil Code, which provides that a cause of action for damages is available against people like Chiz, for ‘meddling with, or disturbing the private life of another.’

“Conclusion: People in show business know that although Heart is 28, she does not have the mature mind of someone of that age.
“She still thinks like a young girl. She is easily swayed by people who prey on her insecurities and lack of confidence.

“Heart has personality problems, and Chiz, who is also suffering from his own personality problem, is doing his best to confuse her, to the extent of alienating her affections against us.

“As soon as we have evidence that will stand in court, our family will disclose what kind of a man Chiz really is.

“Since he has inveigled Heart to take his side (which she has always done with all of her prior boyfriends, indicating how unstable she is) our family has decided to disown her scandalous behavior.”

source: interaksyon.com

Netizens seem indifferent to Chiz-Heart ‘forbidden romance’

While Kris Aquino is seeking a temporary protection order to make sure ex-husband James Yap does not come near her and their son Bimby, the parents of Heart Evangelista have gone public in expressing their disapproval of her relationship with Sen. Chiz Escudero.

Calling the reelectionist senator an “alcoholic and an opportunist” in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Heart’s mother Cecilia Ongpauco also noted that Escudero also could not give her daughter a church wedding despite the recent annulment of his marriage.

Escudero responded by initially taking a hands-off approach but later granted an interview with rappler.com where he categorically denied Mrs. Ongpauco’s allegations and insisted that he loves Heart and that she can think for herself. At the same time, the senator also hoped that the issue would not be used against him in politics.

For her part, Heart, who was reported to have moved out of her condominium unit in the same building where her parents reside, has taken to Twitter to post her sadness about the sudden turn of events that she calls “a bad dream” and in her last post wondered why her “happiness” is being taken away from her.

Unlike the Kris-James brouhaha where James Yap got most of the sympathies, most netizens seem to be indifferent in reacting to this issue, with the senator getting the brunt of the more unkind tweets.

source: interaksyon.com