Lucky Chinatown celebrates Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day with week-long events

June 8, Saturday, marks the 12th year that the country is celebrating Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day and Lucky Chinatown is marking this wonderful occasion with a grand week-long festival called “Silken Ties: 12 years of Filipino and Chinese Friendship.”

Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo, Manila pays tribute to the rich and uniqueness Filipino-Chinese culture with a line-up of performances, activities and exhibits, in an event called, “Lucky Chinatown’s Silken Ties.”

Leading these series of events is a Fil-Chi Chic Fashion Exhibit that opened on June 3 and will run till June 9 at the ground floor. On display are the exquisite creations of top Filipino-Chinese designers such as Lizanne Cua, Gerswin Qua and Edwin Uy.

The Chinese influence in Philippine cuisine is showcased in The Melting Pot: Filipino Chinese Fusion Cuisine Exhibit. Ongoing till June 7, mall goers can take a look at this gallery of mouth-watering Filipino-Chinese fusion dishes, which gathers well-loved dishes such as the Patatim, Lumpiang Shanghai, Chinese-Style Fried Chicken, Pancit and many more. These dishes are also available at different Lucky Chinatown restaurants and food establishments until June 16.


Shoppers looking to know more and experience different arts of either Filipino or Chinese origin can drop by the Chinoy Cultural Fair on June 8 to 9. Math enthusiasts can stop by the abacus exhibition, while artists will surely enjoy seeing Chinese brush paintings. Mall-goers can also have fun learning more about their personalities at the Handwriting Analysis booth or get a lovely drawing from the Kho Shou Art Club. They can also check out a display on charms from Dragon Phoenix and those who want to brush up or learn Hookien can visit the You Speak Hokkien booth.

The Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day festivities at Lucky Chinatown culminate with a community celebration to be led by Chinese-Filipino Business Club Inc. (CFBCI) and various Chinese schools and community groups. From 10am onwards on June 8, spectators will be treated to a grand cultural affair, which will be highlighted by spectacular dance numbers and musical performances among others.

With educational exhibits, workshops and cultural performances in store, Silken Ties is a can’t miss weeklong celebration for both Filipinos and Filipino-Chinese. Families can have fun and learn more about Filipino-Chinese culture in this Filipino-Chinese Friendship Day Festival only at Lucky Chinatown.


For more information on Silken Ties: 12 years of Filipino and Chinese Friendship, contact the Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Concierge at (+632) 576-8139 or log on to www.megaworldlifestylemalls.com.

source: interaksyon.com

Afrojack soon in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - In less than two years, Afrojack has become one of electronic dance music’s major icons. From humble DJ beginnings in his native country of Holland, he has grown to become a multi-awardwinning, platinum-selling producer. His skills are some of the most sought after in the world, and with two Grammy Awards under his belt, it’s easy to see why. His DJ sets have fast become both iconic and unparalleled, providing an explosive take on the current state of dance music across the board.

On April 27, Afrojack will make his second visit to the Philippines, headlining in the CloseUp Summer Solstice Music Festival at the Mall of Asia Concert Grounds.

Starting off in his hometown of Spijkenisse, Nick van de Wall, aka Afrojack, quickly made a name for himself with a slew of hard-hitting underground releases, before exploding in 2011 with the unveiling of Take Over Control, an instant worldwide club and chart hit going platinum in the USA. This also helped solidify his own imprint Wall Recordings as a pioneering club music brand — a value he holds dear as label boss and insures with every release.

From there, the snowball continued, as well as making club hits and collaborating with the likes of David Guetta (co-writing and producing the worldwide smash Titanium). He also began to team up with and write for pop artists around the world. In 2011 he co-wrote and produced Give Me Everything for Pitbull and Ne-Yo, which to this day has sold over five million copies worldwide. Not to mention his work for Beyonce’s Run the World (Girls) and his Grammy nominated remix for Leona Lewis’ Collide.

He has been awarded with Grammy Awards for Best Remix (Madonna, Revolver) in 2011) and Best Rap/Hip Hop Track for his co-production duties on Chris Brown’s “Look At Me Now” this year. 2012 continued upwards when his latest single with Shermanology Can’t Stop Me went top 10 in Holland and is now all over Top 40 radio in the US, while his newest underground club hit Rock The House topped the Beatport charts after just three days, making it one of the fastest number one records there ever.

Afrojack’s skills stretch much farther than the mixing desk however; his presence as one of the world’s top performers is solidified almost daily in a gruelling tour schedule. In 2012 alone he began his North American “Jacked” tour with multiple sold-out shows featuring his growing posse of Wall artists, before embarking on the same concept throughout Europe with seven shows a week throughout the summer. On top of his own shows he headlined both EDC NY & Las Vegas to over 300.000 people, as well as the UMF in Miami + Tomorrowland and many other major festivals throughout Europe.


His long-anticipated yet-to-be- named artist album is nearing completion, with tracks already being road- tested at clubs. A true testament to his prolific profile as a producer and an artist, the long-player will showcase multiple sides of the Afrojack sound — from aggressive to accessible yet always credible. In the pantheon of EDM greats that have risen over the years, Afrojack has earned his place already, but is far from finished with what he has to share. The adventure continues while the beat goes on.

source: philstar.com

Beauty in PureColor

MANILA, Philippines - Estee Lauder, one of the most renowned global beauty brands, celebrated the beauty of women in the PureColor Play event featuring its latest makeup line in Makati City.

Celebrity guests included Miss Universe ’73 Margie Moran-Floirendo, Brazilian models Fabio Ide, Daniel Matsunaga and Vanessa Matsunaga.

Hosted by Teresa Herrera with music from DJ Badkiss (Christina Baertgas) and DJ Meow (Mia Ayesa), the event was highlighted by a performance of Ballet Philippines and a fashion show featuring Jun Escario’s creations, which brought to life the video animation that unveiled Estee Lauder’s makeup collection.

The dramatic image mapping throughout the venue showcased Estee Lauder creative makeup director Tom Pecheux’s masterpiece in the limelight, giving guests a first look at his creation made for women all over the world.

Guests got to try Estee Lauder’s PureColor Lipstick, PureColor Eyeshadow Palette, PureColor Blush and the Vivid Collection (PureColor Gelee Powder Eye Shadows, PureColor Vivid Shine Lipstick), the PureColor Nail Lacquer with True Vision Technology — at the play and display booths manned by Estee Lauder’s makeup artists and nail technicians.

With its newest makeup collection, Estee Lauder stays true to her promise that “Every woman can be beautiful.”

source: philstar.com

Facebook to showcase new look for newsfeed on March 7

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook Inc will unveil a new look for its popular “newsfeed” next week, the latest move by the Web company to revamp key elements of its 1 billion member social network.

Facebook will showcase the newsfeed makeover at a media event on March 7 at its Menlo Park, California headquarters, the company said in an emailed invitation to reporters on Friday.

The event will be Facebook’s second high-profile product event this year, following the rollout of its social search feature in January.

Facebook’s newsfeed, which displays an ever-changing stream of the photos, videos and comments uploaded from a user’s network of friends, is one of the three “pillars” of the service, along with search and user profiles, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has said.

The last major update to Facebook’s newsfeed was in September 2011. Since then, the company has incorporated ads directly into the feed and the company has shifted its focus to creating “mobile first experiences,” as more people now access the social network every day on mobile devices than on desktop PCs.

The mobile version of Facebook still lacks many of the features available on the PC version, said Brian Blau, an analyst with industry research firm Gartner. “So maybe this is a way to bring some of that together,” he said.

source: interaksyon.com

Breathtaking aerobatics and beautiful air landscapes at 18th Phil Hot Air Balloon Fiesta

Thousands of spectators went to the Clark Freeport Zone as the 18th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta kicked off yesterday, February 21.  They were all set to watch balloonists and aviators ignite and fly their balloons from Russia, Sweden, Thailand, and many more countries.

The Balloon Fiesta’s first day were met with problems as strong winds prevented some of the big and irregularly shaped balloons to take flight.  Only about half of the balloons were able to lift off and touch the skies.

One of the hot-air balloon pilots is Russian Igor Naymilov, flying for the first time at the Philippine Hot Air Balloon fiesta. He has been flying since 2000, and for six years now has been a hot air balloon pilot. His balloon is one of the biggest in the fiesta; unfortunately, the crowd on the first day was not able to see his balloon take flight..

Naymilov and his team found out about the balloon fiesta while browsing online. “We were browsing the Internet, searching for fiestas, and found this and decided to come here and we are lucky because Joy Roa, the event organizer helped us come here,” he tells us through his friend Dennis who speaks English.

The Russian balloonist has joined different competitions and festivals in Russia, Ukraine, and most recently last December in Thailand. Naymilov even placed third in a competition in Italy.






Making up for the colorful balloons were the astounding aerobatics given by the Breitling Jet Team, preforming first time in the Philippines. Europe’s largest civilian aerobatic display team left the crowd in awe with their inverted flying, opposite passes, synchronized maneuvers, and many more. The Breitling Jet Team is set to perform more on this dates, February 22, 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., February 23, 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m., and February 24, 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m.

The French Jet team is here as part of their Asian tour, “we heard about this (the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta), because it is a very famous one, and we expect to have a very big crowd and very organized event and we hope that it would be, from what we have seen it is the case,” shares team leader Jacques Bothelin. “We look forward to seeing the Philippine public, and the flights we will do in the next days.”

Normally, the Breitling Jet team does about 50 displays in about 10 to 12 countries every year, they have reached 32 countries in the world, but it is the first time in Asia, “we mainly fly in Europe, and the Middle East. It is the first time in Asia so we are very excited about that,” Bothelin comments. “I look forward to what I am going to see from the air. “

Bothelin, the team leader for 11 years now, remarks that the shows do not look for danger. “We are all experienced pilots, and it is with this experience that we hope to build and set up a show that people can remember. It is not a one pilot show, it is a team work,” he notes. “It is always a mix of what the pilots can do, and what the aircrafts can do.”

The Breitling Jet Team will give the Philippine public a 25 minute show that is a mix of aerobatics in formation, some splits, coordinated crossovers, various maneuvers.  “I hope you enjoy the precision, and the job we do, it wants to  be an artistical show, (full of) entertainment. The thing is for us to catch the attention of the spectators, and we try to give positive emotions to spectators with the aesthetics of the maneuvers, symmetry, the rhythm, the music, and some surprises in the end,” shares Bothelin

“This year’s Hot Air Fiesta promises to be another feast for the eyes,” shares Joy Roa, PIHABF event director. “We are proud to mark a milestone in the history of Philippine aviation with the participation of the world renowned Breitling Jet Team. That is just the icing on the cake because this year’s balloon fiesta will offer more than aerial entertainment.”

The 18th Hot Air Balloon Fiesta happens from February 21 to 24 at the Clark Freeport Zone.

source: interaksyon.com

Attention, ladies! In time for summer, learn to surf at the Billabong all-girls camp

The waves are calling, but not everyone is brave enough to answer.

This is why Billabong, the world’s go-to brand of boardshorts and bikinis for beach lovers and surf enthusiasts, is hosting its second all-girls surf camp in San Juan, La Union, from March 15 to 17.

Professional surfer and Billabong Asia athlete Luke Landrigan will show the ladies the ropes, just like he did for an intimate group of 20 last year, which included teenagers and mothers alike.

This is the ideal place to be for those who have always wanted to surf, but were too intimidated to do so. At the all-girls camp, everyone is on the same page, and at the same skill level. They won’t have to feel pressured to immediately coast the waves like they had already been doing so for years.

Aside from learning how to make their way through the breaks safely, participants will also get to know the man who emerged the first runner-up in the longboard division of last year’s Quiksilver Open West Java in Indonesia, and 2009 champ at the Aurora Surf Cup Challenge in Baler and the Nike 6.0 and Global Surf Industries Longboard Pro Invitationals in La Union.

But it’s not only riding the waves and doing some hard work during your stay. By sunset, sweet beats will be provided by DJs Joey Santos and Niki Rojas, who are regulars at party scene and music fests such as last year’s Aloha Boardsports Surf and Music Festival in La Union, Manila Music Festival, and Tagaytay Electronica Festival. Last year they obliged a participant who was into spinning and taught her how to DJ.

Ladies can look forward to Franco as well, who will be making music at the camp.

Fifty participants will be accommodated this year at the Billabong All-Girls Camp. Sign up at www.alohaboardsports.com, e-mail billabongsurfcampgirls@gmail.com, or call 0917-928-4583 for more information.

source: interaksyon.com

SM Cebu celebrates Sinulog

MANILA, Philippines - SM City Cebu is celebrating Sinulog festival until Jan. 20 by showcasing the best of Cebu through exhibits, contests, street dancing, and by bringing some of the country’s hottest young talents to Cebu.

Traditionally held on the third Sunday of January in Cebu City, Sinulog is named after the dance ritual in honor of the miraculous image of the Santo Nino.  The dance moves to the sound of the drums, and this resembles the current or sinulog of what then known as Cebu’s Pahina River.

SM City Cebu in partnership with the Sinulog Foundation brings back Cebu! Cebu!, a showcase of its best products and most talented artists and designers.  These include the stunning jewelry collections of Gladys Young; creative lamp designs by Hive; creative furniture display by sisters Paula and Vikki Rodriguez; exquisite clothes by designer Cary Santiago; and photos of the Chapel of San Pedro Calungsod by master photographers Dan Douglas Ong and Dr. Erwin Lim.  The Cebu! Cebu! exhibit runs until Jan. 31 at the Northwing Atrium.

Shopping is also more fun during the festival with the ongoing Sinulog sale of up to 50 percent on selected items until Jan. 20.



Not to be missed is the 5th Sinulog fireworks competition on today, Jan. 19, at 8 p.m. fronting the Northwing.  Six pyrotechnic experts from all over the country will compete to for the grand prize of P100,000.  Participants will be judged according to the beauty, style, timing, and audience impact of their works. Pyrospectacular will also dazzle mall goers, as colorful fireworks are synchronized to music by Pyroworks International at 9 p.m. on Jan. 20.

Some of the country’s top young talents will be visiting the mall to join in the celebrations. The Blackberry Barkada — Enrique Gil, Gerald Andersen, and Rayver Cruz — will have a mall tour today 19 at the Event Center.  Aimee Torres, the singer behind the hit song Pusong Bato, will have a show on Jan. 20 at 2 p.m. at the Event Center.

source: philstar.com

Some 10,000 security personnel to be deployed for Black Nazarene feast

About 10,000 security personnel will be deployed to ensure public safety during the Feast of the Black Nazarene on January 9, an event to be attended by an estimated five million devotees.

The security contingent will consist of 3,000 members from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), about 1,000 personnel from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and 6,000 from "force multipliers" from the local government level, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.

The agency saw no need to jam cellphone signals at the moment, PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo said.

Last year, authorities blocked cellphone signals as part of its security measures during the feast.

Cerbo also said the agency saw no threats from terror groups during the feast. He also reminded devotees to refrain from bringing their children to the procession and also to refrain from wearing expensive jewelry and accessories.

source: interaksyon.com

Cars, homes smarten up at CES 2013

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK — At the world’s largest technology conference that kicks off on Monday, the most intriguing innovations showcased may be gadgets and technology that turn everyday items into connected, smarter machines.

This year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas promises a new generation of “smart” gadgets, some controlled by voice and gestures, and technology advancements in cars, some of which already let you dictate emails or check real-time gas prices.

Pundits have long predicted that home appliances like refrigerators and stoves will be networked, creating an “Internet of things.” With advancements in chips and the ubiquity of smartphones and tablets, it’s now happening.

“We’ve been talking about this convergence of consumer electronics and computers and content for 20 years. It will actually be somewhat of a reality here, in that your phone, your tablet, your PC, your TV, your car, have a capability to all be connected,” said Patrick Moorhead, principal analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy.

Despite the absence of tech heavyweights Apple Inc and Microsoft Corp, CES still draws thousands of exhibitors, from giants like Intel Corp and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to startups hungry for funding.

Wireless chip maker Qualcomm Inc’s CEO, Paul Jacobs, opens the festivities with a keynote speech on Monday, taking a spot traditionally reserved for Microsoft, which decided last year to sever ties with the show.

Jacobs said in a recent interview on PBS that he will show how wireless technology will be pushed way beyond smartphones into homes, cars and healthcare.

SMARTER SMARTPHONES

With venues spanning over 32 football fields across Las Vegas — more than 1.9 million sq. ft. (176,516 sq. meters) — CES is an annual rite for those keen to glimpse the newest gadgets before they hit store shelves. The show, which started in 1967 in New York, was the launch pad for the VCR, camcorder, DVD and HDTV.

While retailers prowl for products to fill their shelves, Wall Street investors look for products that are the next hit.

Intel and Qualcomm are expected to highlight improvements in “perceptual computing,” which involves using cameras, GPS, sensors and microphones to make devices detect and respond to user activity.

“The idea is that if your devices are so smart, they should be able to know you better and anticipate and react to your requirements,” said IDC analyst John Jackson.

This year, snazzier TVs will again dominate show space, with “ultra high-definition” screens that have resolutions some four times sharper than that of current displays. The best smartphones will likely be reserved for launch at Mobile World Congress in February.

There will also be a record number of auto makers showing the latest in-vehicle navigation, entertainment and safety systems, from Toyota’s Audi to Ford, General Motors and Hyundai. The Consumer Electronics Association has forecast the market for factory-installed tech features in cars growing 11 percent this year to $8.7 billion.

BMW, for one, already provides speech recognition that is processed instantly through datacenters, converted into text and emailed without drivers taking their hands off the wheel. The luxury carmaker also offers data about weather, fuel prices and other items.

“Automotive has been this backwater of technology for a long time. Suddenly, we’re seeing a lot of real innovation in automotive technology,” Scott McGregor, CEO of chipmaker Broadcom, told Reuters ahead of the show.

source: interaksyon.com

LGU hosts 5th Cantilan National Surfing Competition

Cantilan, Surigao del Sur—Local and national surfers will converge in the town of Cantilan on November 19-23, 2012, for the 5th Cantilan National Surfing Competition. The surfing contest will be held in two venues: first in Baybay II beach and the second at Ayoke Island, with junior and open categories for the competition.For the first time, the local government unit of Cantilan will spearhead the surfing competition with the goal of sealing the town as one of the country’s top surfing destinations.

Cantilan Mayor Genito Guardo, said they are now partnering with the original organizer of the previous surfing event.

“We came to the decision of taking part in this surfing event to help promote our town as an eco-tourism destination. Our hope is that with this competition, Cantilan would be considered as one of the country’s surfing destinations,” said Mayor Guardo.

In time, the Cantilan mayor adds, he hopes that Cantilan will also be recognized as a surfing destination just like its neighboring towns of Lanuza and Siargao. “We can’t claim it away from our neighbors, the town of Lanuza and especially with that of Siargao, but to be considered as an alternative destination is good enough for us. We are still in the infant stage in tourism promotion compared to other towns but this would be a great start and would show what we’ve got.”

Mayor Guardo also shared that Ayoke Island, for instance, has been a long-kept secret by foreign surfers who discovered its great surfing breaks more than eight years ago. Now, it has become a well-known spot among foreigners and local surfers alike.

Loanne Huelma, a member of the event committee secretariat, said that the event is all about promoting Cantilan and the sport of surfing while showing to everyone the rich eco-system the town has to offer.

“The competition will let everyone know that we also have good surfing spots here in our town and world class waves that will surely challenge skilled surfers. When we first started back in December 5, 2008, it was a competition between local surfers and friends, then it grew into a bigger event as the years went by,” said Huelma who also personally organized all the other four surfing competitions in Cantilan.

Huelma believes that this year more surfers will participate in the competition since the event is just a day after the more popular 2012 Lanuza Surfing Festival in the town of Lanuza, an hour and 45 minutes ride away from Cantilan.






Here are the event’s schedule of activities and venues:

November 19 (Monday), Baybay II
• Arrival of participants
• Registration
• Opening program at 3 p.m.
• Beach clean-up
• Tree planting activity

November 20 (Tuesday), Baybay II
• First day of surfing competition, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Start of photo contest
• Surf and Skim Clinic
• Live Band/ Beach Party/Disco, from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight

November 21 (Wednesday), Ayoke Island
• Second day of surfing competition, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Photo contest
• Surf and skim clinic

November 22 (Thursday), Ayoke Island
• Semi-Finals, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Photo Contest
• Surf and Skim Clinic
• Beach clean-up
• Fire dance show

November 23 (Friday), Baybay II
• Finals, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Beach clean-up
• Awarding ceremony, 8 p.m.
• Photo contest awarding
• Beach Party/Live Band/Disco, from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight

• For inquiries and more details, contact Loanne Huelma through 0919-4733108 or e-mail cantilan_surf_association@yahoo.com.

source: interaksyon.com

New world record set at mobile-phone throwing contest

HELSINKI — A Finnish teenager has smashed the world record — and probably his phone — in this year’s annual mobile-phone throwing contest in Finland.

Eighteen-year-old Ere Karjalainen launched a phone the “amazing” distance of 101.46 metres (332 feet 10 inches), Finnish public television network YLE said after Saturday’s event.

Second place went to South African Jeremy Gallop, who threw a phone 94.67 metres.

According to contest organisers, the competition offers mobile phone users a unique opportunity to “pay back all the frustrations and disappointments caused by these modern equipments.”

Finland is the home of Nokia and is awash in obsolete phones, organizers said.

“There will be no doping tests,” organisers said on their English website.

“However the jury can rule out the contestant if his/her mental or physical preparedness is not adequate for full a performance.”

The event has been held in the southeastern town of Savonlinna since 2000.

article source: interaksyon.com

Boy, 17, crowned America's fastest texter

NEW YORK (AFP) - A 17-year-old boy retained his title as America's fastest texter Wednesday in a duel of the thumbs staged before yelling fans in New York's Times Square.

Austin Weirschke took home US$50,000 (S$62,300) in prize money for the second time in two years when he bested 10 other texting demons in feats of thumb speed, memory and fluency in texting shorthand.

One round was performed with contestants blindfolded and having 45 seconds to type the verse: "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are, up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky."

The event, sponsored by LG Electronics and using the company's cell phones, took place on a traffic island in Times Square.

source: straitstimes.com