Spice Up Your Ride with a limited edition Old Spice Ducati SuperSport

Old Spice is known as a man’s product because of its masculine scent.  Compared to the other similar products, it is called a grandpa’s product but unlike the similar products, Old Spice is only exclusive to men only. Do you know any woman who uses Old Spice? No. These similar products may still be inclusive meaning the product can be used by women.

Old Spice embraces the manly lifestyle that they are giving away a limited edition Old Spice Ducati SuperSport motorcycle to “Spice Up Your Ride”. Even among motorcycle enthusiasts, a big bike like the Ducati SportSport can only be ridden by men.

It’s limited because it’s the only one that shows the Old Spice logo in the company red color furnishing. If you haven’t seen this bike in public tours, it is a real beauty.  Here’s how to join and get a chance to win an Old Spice Ducati Supersport:

·         Purchase any Old Spice product. Regardless of the price and size of the product, it entitles you for one entry. But keep the receipt for reference.

·         Register online at oldspice.net

It’s just that simple. The promo is open nationwide and is now ongoing since July 15. If you have purchased any Old Spice product since July 15^th, you are eligible for joining. Submission of entries ends on October 30, 2018.

The raffle will be drawn on November 5, 2018 and will notify the Lucky Old Spice guy or girl via his/her contact details and will be awarded on November 17 with the biggest Old Spice party that is open to public.

Spice Up Your Ride and get a chance to win this limited edition Old Spice Ducati SuperSport. For more updates, follow this blog and like L.E.N.S. Blogs on Facebook.

adidas Running launches brand-new PureBOOST GO, created specifically for thrilling city running

Press release

Adapt to the city streets and experience the thrill of urban running with the new adidas PureBOOST GO

After introducing a limited release black and white colourway in early July, adidas Running now presents PureBOOST GO – a silhouette created especially for the street runner. Designed for changing directions, the highly adaptive shoe offers a running experience that’s both thrilling and accessible for all.

The PureBOOST GO features a brand-new Expanded Landing Zone - a wider forefoot platform for increased forefoot stability during multi-directional movements. A deconstructed circular knit upper, crafted from a breathable fabric, improves flexibility and freedom of movement with each step. The full-length BOOST midsole, adidas’ industry-defining technology, offers runners endless energy return.

Captain of adidas Runners New York City Kwasi Kessie said: “For me, there’s nothing more thrilling than running the streets through my city. It’s exciting because it’s raw and unpredictable and discovering the city in this way is totally unique. adidas’ PureBOOST Go is the right shoe for city running, it means I can change direction and adapt to anything the city throws at me.”

The hero colourway of adidas PureBOOST Go (P6.000) in charcoal will be available to purchase globally on adidas.com on August 22 and in stores on August 29.

To find out more, please visit: adidas.com/PureBOOST. Follow the conversation on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and using #adidasRunning and #PureBOOST.

Why Robin Padilla's Rebuke on Korean Jiwan Kim's PGT Audition Is Logical

In the telecast of talent search/ reality show Pilpinas Got Talent Season 6, one of the judges, Robin Padilla, reproached a Korean magician/illusionist Jiwan for not speaking Tagalog in the franchised reality show. There were mixed reactions among the netizens and mostly commented on how rude Padilla was to the Korean.

During the audition, Padilla told the Korean that he will not participate in the magic act unless Kim speaks in Tagalog because the show is called Pilipinas Got Talent. Later on, the reproaching judge relayed to Kim his apology and his reasons why he reproached him. Padilla even gave him a “yes” approval for the audition.

In spite of Robin’s rudeness in this situation, he does have a point. As he said, the show is called Pilipinas Got Talent. It showcases the talents Filipino can show to the whole world. The show is done  n Tagalog because most of the masses can understand Tagalog than English. I remember having a classmate from the provinces who’s taking a Master’s degree but still cannot pronounce and spell my name right.

Mr. Kim does not look like he should be there. Not only he is a foreigner, the show is not Korea’s Got Talent. So the show is not limited to Filipinos only. From what Kim said, he was already here for ten years and he even had a Pinay girlfriend which is ironic. By now, he should know how to speak Filipino phrases. A couple of foreign celebrities based here like Sam Oh and Ryan Bang are good examples of Koreans who already know how to speak Tagalog.

Robin also cites an example that whenever a Filipino goes abroad, he or she must learn the language of the country because not all can speak English even if it’s one of the global languages. This is true. I know a former OFW during the Gulf crisis who knows how to speak Arabic. Most of the
missionaries also learn the language of the country they are going to. A good example is the Mormon missionaries. You will be surprised that they can converse in Tagalog just as well as we do.

Part of the training of the missionaries going to another country or another region is to understand their culture and language. Our OFWs and even tourist should make the same adjustments because being an OFW or tourist is not an excuse for not learning the basic words of another country.

Despite the manner of reproaching, Robin Padilla is known for his tough image. That is why many guys idolize him. But he did deliver a good point to Jiwan Kim. Kim should be glad he was still allowed to join Pilipinas Got Talent despite being a foreigner. But the important thing is we all learn a valuable insight from Robin Padilla.

Pasig City Named Philippine Winner of WWF’s One Planet City Challenge 2018

Press release

Leading experts within the field of urban sustainability around the world have proclaimed Pasig City as the Philippine National Capital of the 2017-2017 edition of World Wide Fund for Nature’s (WWF) One Planet City Challenge (OPCC), a biennial global challenge that recognizes cities for developing infrastructure, housing, transport and mobility solutions to power the global transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future. This edition saw 133 cities representing 23 countries accepting the Challenge.

Pasig’s concrete and comprehensive actions to reduce its carbon emissions, particularly its plan to reduce traffic emissions and congestions as well as its targeted actions around renewable energy and energy efficiency, truly reflected the “sustainable transport and mobility” theme of this run of the OPCC and have made the city eligible for the Global OPCC Prize, which will be awarded in September.  The jury also particularly appreciated the city’s strong community engagement and its adaptation actions, such as the cleaning of the Pasig River and its strong alignment of actions to emissions reduction and execution of said actions.

Seven other Philippine cities, namely Batangas, Catbalogan, Makati, Parañaque, San Carlos, Tagum, and Zamboanga have successfully qualified to join the 2017-2018 OPCC based on the criteria announced early in 2017. The cities of Makati, Pasig, and San Carlos went on to become national finalists and participated in the “We Love Cities” global campaign from May 7 until the end of June 2018.

The City of Jakarta bagged the top plum in the campaign, which is a social media contest that is aimed at inspiring and engaging the respective citizens of the national finalists across the globe for support, votes, and ideas for improvement while Pasig came in second.

Launched in 2011 as the Earth Hour City Challenge, the OPCC highlights the crucial role that cities play in the transition toward a low-carbon and sustainable future. Since then, over 400 countries from 5 continents have heeded the call to sustainably address fast and large transformations in population, consumption patterns, resource use, and waste management. The Philippines joined the Challenge in its 2015-2016 run.

The awarding ceremony for the OPCC national winner, finalists, and qualifiers of the Philippines was held at Marco Polo Ortigas as part of WWF-Philippines’ two-day workshop entitled One Planet Cities: Raising Climate Ambitions and Sustainability Actions for 1.5°C.

Said workshop brought together cities from all over the country to further discuss ways in which they can work together towards the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to meet the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping global warming to 1.5°C. Updates on the progress of the Philippine government on its commitment to the Paris Agreement, as well as other framework plans addressing climate change and sustainable urban development.

Insights from panelists coming from various sectors steered the tackling of the status of the Local Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP) compliance of local government units, especially in the urban setting. Challenges being faced by both the national government and the cities in the implementation of their respective LCCAPs were also mapped out with the help of workshop facilitators from WWF-Philippines.

Visit www.panda.org/opcc and http://www.welovecities.org/ for further details on the One Planet City Challenge and We Love Cities.

SIGNS OF LIFE ART EXHIBIT

PRESS RELEASE

August 16, 2018

SIGNS OF LIFE BY FROILAN CALAYAG AT CCP

FROILAN Calayag’s Signs of Life exhibition is ongoing until September 9, 2018 at the Pasilyo Guillermo Tolentino (3F Hallway Gallery) of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. The exhibition is presented by CCP with support from West Gallery.

Signs of Life is an exhibition that offers a threefold manifest.

The first is the fictional account of a boy who finds a large rock. Upon closer inspection, it becomes a head, and forms a figure. Moving even closer, it transforms into a planet carrying life. The rocks become the frames of the story of these life-forms that contain heroes, villains and adventures.

The second is the narrative of the man who pursued the field of art, but has been decidedly missing from the center of it. He persists, same as before, and yet does not often come out to the surface. Froilan Calayag is but one of many painters that first made a mark in the student art competition circuit, and then in commercial galleries in the first two decades of the millennium. Signs of Life is his twelfth solo exhibition in eleven years.

Exhibit photo by Sheryl Cumpio

The third is the idea of painting within the confusing and multifaceted context of Philippine contemporary art.

In the end, the manifest, whatever can be read from it, is merely an accounting of the adventures taken on the ship. History will tell us which of these stories will find importance to those in the future.

Exhibit viewing hours are from Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm (and until 10pm on days with evening performances at the CCP Main Theater). For more information, contact the CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division at (632) 832-1125 local 1504/1505 and 832-3702, mobile 0917-6033809, email (ccp.exhibits@gmail.com), or visit   www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.

Taiwan Excellence on Tech Innovations

Taiwan is located at the north of the Philippine archipelago. The Philippines share the same time zone with Taiwan. This is why it’s not difficult for us Filipinos to adjust when travelling.

 But this is not about travelling to Taiwan but what can Taiwan contribute technologically in the Philippines. In the ongoing exhibit of Taiwan Excellence that opened August 16 at SMX Convention Center in Mall Of Asia, I didn’t expect I will be awed by their products on display.

While touring their booth area, the one that caught my attention was the DIY Digital Camera by CROZ.  It comes with a camera processor that is really thin. There are three different camera covers: One is made from paper, one is transparent and one is made from wood. It covers the front and back of the processor. It may not have an LCD monitor but it has a view finder. To view the photos, it has a universal adaptor socket or you can use the SD card to view at your computer. This is ideal for doing school projects so the students will know how a camera works.

For the household display, I happen to see a water meter. An exhibitor told me it’s digital and it records how much water consumed by the household unit. For me, this may lessen the problems encountered between the water service provider and the consumer in regards to misread water readings. The digital meters and brass faucets are from JUSTME.

For interior designing, the LED lights can save energy and provides more light than ordinary lighting. The LED lights displayed can be installed easily. There was a wall equipped with LED lights that creates an illusion that the wall is thick because of the lighting and mirror effect used. These DIY LED lights are from LEI YUEH.

When it comes to gaming, Taiwan is not left behind. They not only showcased gaming motherboards from AORUS powered by GIGABYTE but also offer compact gaming motherboards that can function just as well as a regular sized gaming motherboard. These compact motherboards can give more space to computer terminals in internet cafés.

For personal security, leading PC brand Acer develops a camera equipped with artificial intelligence that can do facial recognition. For practical application, it can be used to stores and track down people if the A.I. saw a person who’s already have a police record. This reminds me of the movie Minority Report. It can also be used to monitor baby/toddler movements.

The part of the exhibit I enjoyed the most may change the classroom setting. Boxlight projectors are also a computer itself that is able to detect movements and can used the magnetic screen as a substitute to black boards because it can see when a moving finger is writing something on the screen without getting messy with board markers or chalk. It can also be installed with educational apps plus 3D imagery available. When we were given demo, they showed a book about dinosaurs and that can be scanned and project a 3D image of a moving dinosaur in the screen.

What I like about the exhibit is that it’s not just about making new technological advances but to make a difference in the world we live in. There are more products to see at Taiwan Excellence like Energy Saving Solutions, Video Conferencing Equipment, Mobile Devices, Li-Fi, SleepBank and more. These products mostly are not yet available in the Phillippine market. Be one of the first to see these products Visit Taiwan Excellence at SMX Convention Center at Mall Of Asia on their last day tomorrow.

Go Around Metro Manila Via LRT-1 ikotMNL

All of us have dream travel whether it’s in another country or out of town. Planning a travel like these costs not only money but time and resources as well. Travelling is not limited for places out of town and other countries where we need to book a flight. There are many places we still need to discover that most Filipinos are not aware of.

 

Magdagdag ng caption

In the vicinity of my residential area, stood an artistic landmark of College of St. Benilde’s College of Arts and Design. At night time, you can see the structure lights up the metropolitan area and you can even see it while riding the LRT train near Vito Cruz station.

If you are up for food and history, there is an old establishment in the Sta. Cruz, Manila where our national hero Jose Rizal used to go when he was still studying at Intramuros. Formerly called Toho Antigua Panciteria, the original establishment was burned down in 1984 and was renamed Toho Food Center. It was still operated by the grandchildren of Tai Tang, one of the original five owners and they still serve generations with authentic Cantonese dishes as it was more than a century ago.

If you are looking for entertainment, the Cultural Center of the Philippines is not limiting performing arts to the elite. CCP hold regular festivals some are for free and some are at lower costs. Their Pasinaya Festival is open to public as CCP performing groups and resident groups showcase their craft. Cinemalaya is also the most flocked independent movie festival every year. My mother knows someone who frequently goes back from U.S. just to watch all week during Cinemalaya.

There are more places to discover around Metro Manila and you can do that by foot and commuting. These places can be access by riding the original LRT -1 trains from Baclaran to Roosevelt stations and you can say that you passed five cities in LRT-1 stations.

LRT-1 offers travelers a convenient way to tour Manila by just loading  the Beepcards with Unli-rides for P100 pesos for the whole day.  We should not be strangers in our nation’s capital.  We should get out more and explore. Another tip, the National Museum reopened and it’s just walk away from LRT. LRMC partners with the Department of Tourism, The Old Manila Walks, Tralulu, Walk This Way, Kapitbahayan Sa Kalye Bautista for more tourist destinations along LRT-1 stations.

Smart emergency communications boost MMDA quake drill

Press release

[1 August 2018, Makati City] While the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has announced that the exact date of its latest earthquake drill will not be publicized in advance, it is no surprise that Smart Communications has again provided support to the agency’s annual disaster preparedness and response activity.

MMDA employees and other participants duck, cover,

 and hold during the #MMShakeDrill 

held at the MMDA headquarters.

Just like in previous years, the PLDT wireless unit deployed emergency communications support for the MMDA Shake Drill, which simulated the “Big One,” or a magnitude 7.2 earthquake situation in the event of a movement from the West Valley Fault.

“We are doing this to prepare everyone to minimize damage that earthquake may cause. When the Big One happens, we must be prepared,” MMDA General Manager Jose Arturo “Jojo” Garcia Jr. said in a statement released by the agency.

“Our participation in the drill is part of our commitment to use technology to enhance disaster preparedness and response,” said PLDT and Smart public affairs head Ramon R. Isberto. “Our various communication tools, including the cellular and data services themselves, are part of our #SafePH advocacy, which aims to help build more resilient communities and reduce disaster risk,” he said.

Representatives of MMDA and PLDT-Smart participate

 in the #MMShakeDrill, 

led by MMDA Chair Danilo Lim and 

General Manager Jojo Garcia

(fourth and fifth from left), and PLDT-Smart public affairs head

Ramon R. Isberto (third from left).

Smart positioned multi-equipment on wheels (MEOW) portable cell sites, satellite communications services, and libreng tawag (free calls) stations; and provided Wi-Fi support for incident commanders at the MMDA quadrants. The MMDA has divided Metro Manila into quadrants to better manage response and rescue operations when the Big One strikes.

The quadrants, with their respective evacuation areas, are as follows: the northern quadrant (Quezon City, Caloocan, Valenzuela, San Juan), Veterans Memorial Medical Center Golf Course and Quezon Memorial Circle; eastern quadrant, (Marikina and Pasig), LRT 2 Santolan depot; western quadrant (Navotas, Malabon, Manila), Intramuros Golf Course; and southern quadrant (Pasay, Makati, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa, Pateros, and Taguig), Villamor Golf Course.

The #MMShakeDrill began with Smart issuing alerts using the Emergency Cell Broadcast System. Accompanied by a loud siren sound, ECBS sends urgent messages, such as evacuation notices and earthquake and tsunami warnings, to activated mobile devices within the affected area.

Cell broadcast is effective in disseminating quick hazard alerts because it operates on a radio channel separate from that used by voice calls and text messages or SMS (short messaging service), which may get congested in times of calamities.

In 2016, Smart invested over P500 million on ECBS to fully comply with Republic Act No. 10639, or the Free Mobile Disaster Alerts Act. The act mandates telecommunications service providers to send free mobile alerts in the event of natural and man-made disasters and calamities.

At the start of the program, the participants converged at an open area and were urged to assume the “duck, cover, and hold” position. Residents, workers, students, and government personnel joined the activities, which included evacuation drills, while responders were on standby for mock rescue operations.

The annual #MMShakeDrill drill aims to strengthen the capacity of individuals, households, and local authorities to prepare for and respond to the Big One. According to the Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study (MMEIRS), this scenario may leave more than 30,000 dead and over 100,000 injured.

In times of calamities, Smart provides communications support such as free SMS, calls, charging, connectivity, and satellite solutions to residents and responders. These services have been deployed, for instance, during the onslaught of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in 2013, the series of earthquakes in Batangas last year, and Mayon Volcano eruption early this year, among other emergency situations.

These initiatives are part of Smart’s #SafePH advocacy, which also includes programs such as TNT Tropang Ready, which tours schools nationwide to educate the youth on preparedness and empower them to mobilize their communities in times of calamities; and the Batingaw disaster management app, which allows users to report incidents and features tools such as a flashlight, a siren, a radio, and a directory of emergency contact numbers.

Smart is also providing high-speed connectivity to the Nokia Saving Lives drone system to help boost the disaster response efforts of the Philippine Red Cross. The drone project has been selected as a grantee of the Disaster Response Innovation Fund by GSMA, the organization representing mobile operators globally.

Earlier this month, Smart joined other telecommunications providers and humanitarian organizations from all over Asia at the GSMA Humanitarian Connectivity Charter Regional Workshop for Asia-Pacific held in Angeles City, Pampanga. Smart is one of the three founding signatories of the GSMA HCC, which aims to provide increased access to communication and information for those affected by calamities, helping reduce loss of lives and contribute to humanitarian response.