Coca-Cola marks fourth season of Football Festival in bid to promote physical activity, healthy living

Post-event release. I first covered the event last year.

 

Manila, Philippines (3 May 2014) – In its ongoing commitment to promote active, healthy living, Coca-Cola Philippines recently kicked-off the fourth season of the Coca-Cola Football Festival at the Alabang Country Club last May 3-4.

The league gathered 240 teams or over 3,600 players from all over the country to vie for championships in 11 different age categories. Coca-Cola Football Festival was played on 22 football fields simultaneously and followed a 7A Side Football Format wherein each team is limited to 7 players. Only one team per club or school per division is allowed to join the cup.

“We are very happy with the response that the Coca-Cola Football Festival received in the previous seasons. Last year, we had about 2,700 players joining us on these fields and now we’re at the 3,600 mark. This proves the growing interest of Filipinos in football and it is something Coca-Cola Philippines would like to invest on so that in the long run, we could enjoin more people to take on more active, healthy lifestyles through sports,” said Guillermo Aponte, President and General Manager of Coca-Cola Philippines.

In 2013, teams such as the Green Barons, Miriam College, Xavier Football Club, Roxas Wildcats Football Club, Masbate Football Club, Makati Football Club, De La Salle University, FC Sikat, De La Salle Zobel, Makati FC Elite, and Makati Football School took home the championship trophies in various categories.

The teams who emerged as champions for 2014 were DBosco Garelli (Men’s Open), De La Salle Zobel (Ladies Open), Makati FC/Elite (Boys 10), La Salle GH (Boys 8), Makati FS (Players 6), ABC Stars Naga (Girls 14), Claret FC (Boys 16), Makati FC (Girls 16), Filipinas Dragons (Boys 14), Claret FC (Boys 12), and ABC Stars Naga City (Girls 12).

“Coca-Cola believes that physical activity is requisite to being healthy. Understanding what energy balance is—that is calories in, calories out—means knowing that the calories we take in, whether from a slice of cake or a bottle of Coca-Cola, we should also be able to expend. That is the core of our overall program on wellbeing,” added Aponte.

The commitment of Coca-Cola Philippines towards the promotion of wellbeing is hinged on a global sustainability framework, which also involves women’s economic empowerment and environmental protection.

Globally, the Company supports over 280 active healthy living programs in 115 countries, helping individuals make informed choices on food consumption, proper hydration, and the benefits of engaging in different forms of physical activity. Among those done locally are the Coca-Cola Football Festival, the Red Cross Million Volunteer Run, and ongoing Coca-Cola PBA Youngstars.

“Through our different programs and initiatives, we try to contribute in providing workable solutions to the current issues of today. That is our commitment as a Company.  At the same time, we also help educate and promote that regular exercise, paired with a sensible, balanced diet is a step closer to having an active, healthy lifestyle,” Aponte added.

The Coca-Cola Football Festival is a collaborative effort between Coca-Cola Philippines, Powerade, Makati Football Club, Alabang Football School, Alabang Country Club, and the NCR Football Association.

Internationally, the Coca-Cola Company also has a long-standing relationship with FIFA since 1974, and has been an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup since 1978. Through the Company’s ‘World’s Cup Campaign’, it invites the world to celebrate football as a force for social good.

 

The Coca-Cola Football Festival gathered over 240 teams, or over 3,600 players, to play on 22 football fields simultaneously to go for the gold. This year's champions included  DBosco Garelli, De La Salle Zobel, Makati FC/Elite, La Salle GH, Makati FS, ABC Stars Naga, Claret FC, Makati FC, and Filipinas Dragons.

Joel Lambert vs. The Phil. Scout Rangers episode on May 12

I got to see it the episode during the launch and now it will be shown on May 12 exactly 2000hrs(Philippine time) at Discovery.

Here's added material about the episode.

The search is on. The Philippine Army Scout Rangers prove to be among one of the world’s best at jungle tracking as their skills are tested to the brink by escape and evasion expert and former U.S. Navy Seal Joel Lambert. Catch the Philippine Army Scout Rangers as they attempt to track down Joel in the sixth episode of Manhunt with Joel Lambert on Monday, May 12 at 8:00 p.m. on Discovery Channel.

They’ve taken hide-and-seek to a different level. Escape and evasion expert Joel Lambert and one of the world’s best tracking forces, the Philippine Army Scout Rangers, meet again in Manila. Will Joel be defeated or will the Philippine Army Scout Rangers successfully track him? Find out on the Philippine episode of Manhunt with Joel Lambert premiering Monday, May 12at 8:00 p.m. (2000 hrs) on Discovery Channel.

The Philippine Army Scout Rangers loading their battle weapons to get ready to hunt Joel. Is 48 hours enough for ex U.S Navy Seal Joel Lambert to escape the dense Subic jungle and evade the Philippine’s most elite tracking team? Tune in to Discovery Channel on Monday, May 12 at 8:00 p.m. (2000 hrs) for the Philippines episode of Manhunt with Joel Lambert.

Joel Lambert on escape and evasion: Watch out, be careful. Former U.S. Navy seal bumps into local villagers on his quest to hide from one of the world’s best tracking units – the Philippine Army Scout Rangers. Take hide-and-seek into a whole new level in the Philippines with Manhunt with Joel Lambert, premiering Monday, May 12, at 8:00p.m. (2000 hrs) on Discovery Channel.

Joel Lambert and the Philippine Army Scout Rangers reliving the hunt that tested their survival skills and strategies in a mission like no other. Can the former U.S. Navy Seal’s escape and evasion expertise compete with one of the best tracking units in their own grounds? Don’t miss the sixth episode of Manhunt with Joel Lambert on Monday, May 12, 8:00 p.m. on Discovery Channel.

A Call For Petition Against Age Discrimination In The Workplace

It is a reality that it is hard to get a job especially here in the Philippines. But it is a depressing reality that most don't get jobs either they are too old or too young. Most of the time it is about being too old. I admit that I can be one of those who are old enough not because I like being a freelance.

 

But experience has more worth than age. Most of the time, the companies prefer age because they don't need quality work force because they can train the newly blinded graduate because he/she may not have work experience. The problem here is the company is not getting what it invested on by hiring a potential incompetent employee.

 

The newly graduates still needs job experience but there are good jobs for them and experienced people should get what the jobs they deserve not because of how they aged. It is only in this country so far I know that has this age restrictions but we can change that. There is an ongoing petition online about this so if you feel it is necessary, feel free to sign up.

 

For more personal views, like L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook.

 

TUNE HOTEL klia2 OPENS 9 MAY

Latest airport hotel set to be Group’s largest, flagship property

SEPANG, 1 May 2014 – After five years providing high quality yet affordable accommodation to guests at KLIA’s Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) here, the Tune Hotel KLIA-LCCT will close down effective 9 May 2014, giving way to the brand new, 400-room Tune Hotel klia2 that will open on the same day.

 

Tune Hotel klia2 is directly connected to the new klia2 terminal via a covered walkway and link bridge. A short 10 minute walk is all that it takes to get to the terminal, allowing easy and convenient access to check-in counters as well as the Gateway@klia2 shopping mall.

 

With an annual capacity of 45 million passengers, the klia2 is the world's largest purpose-built terminal dedicated for LCCs that replaces the current LCCT. The new airport commences commercial operations on 2 May 2014, while the AirAsia Group will move its entire operations at LCCT to the klia2 on 9 May 2014.

 

Group CEO of Tune Hotels, Mark Lankester said: “We are extremely excited with this new hotel. To us and all our guests, the new Tune Hotel klia2 is as highly anticipated as the klia2 airport itself. It is set to be the largest in the Tune Hotels platform and will be our flagship property.”

 

He said guests with a booking at the Tune Hotel KLIA-LCCT will automatically be transferred to the Tune Hotel klia2 on 9 May 2014.

 

“Tune Hotel KLIA-LCCT will operate until 8 May and for all bookings with dates of stay made up to 8 May, guests will remain at the current Tune Hotel KLIA-LCCT. To facilitate guest relocation, all in-house guests will be provided complimentary transfer to the klia2 terminal building and Tune Hotel klia2 on 9 May. For guests with bookings for 9 May and after, check-in will be at the Tune Hotel klia2,” Mark explained.

 

All affected guests will be notified by email. They can also get in touch with the Customer Care Team by emailing to enquiry@tunehotels.com or by calling 1300 88 8863 (within Malaysia) or +603 7962 5888 (from overseas).

 

To celebrate the opening of Tune Hotel klia2, guests will be enjoying an all-in rate from only RM98 nett per room per night. Booking can be made from 2 May up to 4 May 2014 for stays at Tune Hotel klia2 from 9 May 2014 up to 31 January 2015. The offer is exclusively for online booking at www.tunehotels.com and is on a first come, first served basis.

 

“We’ve really listened to our guests over the last few years and have taken into account collaborative comments made to us in terms of how we can improve what we do. As a result, we have innovatively transformed the guestroom experience into a modern-style accommodation featuring the all-new room design with a sleek writing table, luggage platform and a 32-inch flat screen LED TV, bringing about an improved, sophisticated but cool ambience throughout the property. Business and leisure guests as well as airline passengers on extended waits will enjoy a totally improved experience and most importantly a very comfortable and refreshing stay,” said Mark.

 

Meanwhile, guests on short transits can opt for short stay ‘Refresher Package’ that is available between 9.00 am to 6.00 pm daily, subject to availability of rooms. This option is however only available for walk-in guests.

 

To add to the guest experience and comfort, he said, the hotel’s spacious lobby is designed to feature a cool casual seating lounge with free wifi, and an expansive open-air courtyard lounge, overlooked on the ground floor by a 24-hour restaurant and beverage centre. For guests with further transportation needs, the hotel includes a transport counter for overland transport needs and for flights, two AirAsia self check-in kiosks within the lobby for added convenience to hotel guests. For airline passengers the lobby area features flight information displays  for up-to-date information on arrivals and departures.

 

In terms of transport connectivity, the klia2 terminal boasts not only bus and taxi services but also the Express Rail Link KLIA Express train service that connects to and from Kuala Lumpur Sentral. For guests arriving at or departing from the KLIA Main Terminal, they can make use of the scheduled shuttle service via the Express Rail link that charges just RM2 one way and stroll over to the hotel via its covered link bridge and walkway.

 

For those who drive in, Tune Hotel klia2 has 167 parking bays which are conveniently located just a few steps away from the airport terminal.

 

Tune Hotels is part of Tune Group, a lifestyle business conglomerate co-founded by Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, who are the Group CEO and Executive Chairman respectively of Asia’s largest low cost carrier AirAsia.

 

There are currently 44 Tune Hotels available for booking across Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, England, Scotland, Australia, India and Japan.

 

For real-time updates and promotion alerts, guests can stay connected with Tune Hotels via Facebook at www.facebook.com/tunehotels and on Twitter via www.twitter.com/tunehotels. 

 

For booking and further information, visit www.tunehotels.com.

Mazda3 SKYACTIV Launch and Test Drive

I got an invite from Mazda Philippines about their launch of their newest addition of car models, the Mazda 3 SKYACTIV. The invite is actually a public event for potential buyers. Here are the details below:

 

We would like to invite your readers to the public launch of the highly-anticipated all-new Mazda3 SKYACTIV. Behold the fully evolved Mazda3 inspired by the KODO Soul of Motion design philosophy and experience the game-changing SKYACTIV Technology through a test drive.

Together with the Mazda3, we shall feature an all-KODO line-up highlighting the Mazda6, CX-5 and CX-9.

 

Mazda3 SKYACTIV Public Launch & Test Drive @ BGC

Date: April 25 – 27, 2014 (Friday to Sunday)

Time: Mazda Booth: 9am – 10pm

Test Drive Schedule: 9am – 6pm

Venue: 9th Avenue, High Street, Bonifacio Global City (Big Bear Area, between Nike and Krispy Kreme)

 

For more motoring updates, like the L.E.N.S. blogs on Facebook and follow Mark_Templar on Twitter.

WORLD’S MOST REVERED MONSTER “GODZILLA” RISES IN EPIC FILM

Movie release material

This May 2014, the world’s most revered monster is reborn as Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures unleash the epic action adventure “Godzilla.” From visionary new director Gareth Edwards (“Monsters”) comes a powerful story of human courage and reconciliation in the face of titanic forces of nature, when the awe-inspiring Godzilla rises to restore balance as humanity stands defenseless.

Photo courtesy of Legendary Pictures

Gareth Edwards directs “Godzilla,” which stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson (“Kick-Ass”), Oscar® nominee Ken Watanabe (“Inception”), Elizabeth Olsen (“Martha Marcy May Marlene”), Oscar® winner Juliette Binoche (“The English Patient”), and Oscar-nominee Sally Hawkins (“Blue Jasmine”), with Oscar® nominee David Strathairn (“The Bourne Legacy”) and Emmy® and Golden Globe Award winner Bryan Cranston (“Argo,” TV’s “Breaking Bad”).

Edwards directs from a screenplay by Max Borenstein, story by David Callaham, based on the character “Godzilla” owned and created by TOHO CO., LTD. Thomas Tull and Jon Jashni are producing with Mary Parent and Brian Rogers. Patricia Whitcher and Alex Garcia are serving as executive producers, alongside Yoshimitsu Banno and Kenji Okuhira.

In his words, Edwards reveals how he approached shaping the character of Godzilla with all the latter’s personality and presence.

“At the start of the process I felt that in some way we could decide and control who Godzilla was. And a strange thing that came from it was that, as we went along, you start to realize that Godzilla was going to tell us who he was, just like actors who have their own take on their characters. Strangely, we couldn’t totally dictate what it was going to be. It was more about just trying different ideas and permutations, and, of all the options, there was always one that was strongest. And slowly he revealed himself to us.

“One of the conversations you get into with the animators quite often is they would say, 'If this was a real human, a real character, who would he be? And after thinking about it for a while, the thing we came up with was that he was sort of like the last Samurai. It was that idea of a lone, ancient warrior that would prefer to just not be part of the world if he could and be left alone, but events in the world force him to resurface.

“It was very interesting with all these ideas, even designing his look. We have a set of instinctive reactions to animals that have evolved over millions of years, and you basically try different things until you feel the right emotion when you see Godzilla.

“I wanted to get something that was very noble. And we tried the obvious things, like bear faces and dogs. But something that felt the most noble was a bird of prey, like an eagle. Eagles have their eyebrows very, very close to their nose, so we made his snout very high up, just near his brow line, and it gives him this look of nobility.

“So, it was just trial and error. You try something and the strongest choice becomes clear, and before you know it, you’ve gone down this path and found Godzilla. But it wasn’t easy. I thought it was going to be an easy journey because, obviously, Godzilla has been in so many Japanese films. But, actually, it took us about a year to get the design right and to figure out his behavior as well. Is he an animal? Does he fight just like an animal or has he got more of a human-like nobility to him? There was always a fine line between making him too animalistic and making him too human.”

“Godzilla” is expected to be presented in 3D, 2D and IMAX® in select theatres and distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, except in Japan, where it will be distributed by Toho Co., Ltd. Legendary Pictures is a division of Legendary Entertainment.