Laugh Of The Century

When was the last time you had that teary-eyed-while-rolling-on-the-floor chuckle? Consider yourself blessed if you just had one!

From waking up at 4am to be drenched in sweat in a 5-hour traffic to a monsta-boss who’s speaking Martian, who would have time for a jaw-locking comedic chance?  Tame your stress level down and have the Laugh of the Century!

Experience Manila’s finest stand-up comedians and witness them tackle issues with their funny angles. Have a look at Winer Aguilar, Victor Anastacio, James Caraan and Alex Calleja crack the audience up.

Take advantage of the Early Bird Rates at 50% off from April 1 – 20 at Php300 for Regular Admission or Php 450.00 which includes UNLIMITED Drinks (yep, you read it right!)

Gather the crew and give them that Laugh of the Century on April 21 at 5F Event Center Century City Mall, Salamanca St., Corner Kalayaan Ave., Makati City at 6pm – 9pm.  To reserve tickets, call 0937-8247013.

Laugh your lungs out this Friday and gear up fine for the upcoming work week!

The Wild Juan: Bed and Breakfast Tagaytay of Chef Thomas Murillo

April is a busy month for a good number of people in the food service industry as Madrid Fusion 2017 takes place.  From April 6 – 8, 2017 at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City, people from near and far places come together to share their passion for food.  Part of the delegation representing Calabarzon is the chef behind the placed tagged as “definitely not your ordinary food find among the rising places at Tagaytay Ridge”; this is Chef Thomas Murillo of The Wild Juan.

His love for food started young and he took his first step towards it during his sophomore year as a Consular and Diplomatic Affairs student at the College of Saint Benilde.  He decided to take commercial cooking and culinary arts at First Gourmet Academy and had his apprenticeship at 2nds after.  This lead him further by becoming one of the pioneering member behind Paprika PH and years later his own restaurant at a family-owned place at Tagaytay Ridge. The Wild Juan is born.

Wild Juan bears the concept of East meets West and is delivered with the hospitality of Filipinos in the Southern part of Luzon.   His food creations are something that we are all familiar with but are delivered with a twist and flair.  Perfect sample are the Sisig Paksiw, Krispy Kasoy Kare-Kare (KKK) and Gumbulalo.  Three common dishes but comes with a new level of flavor and goodness due to techniques and passion.

Learning never ends for Chef Thomas as he earns his NCII Commercial Cooking and ServSafe: Food Safety & Sanitation certificates.  He pushes himself to be the best and at par to the world, thus making his quality for food high and passion much higher.  He doesn’t stop there as he then shares his knowledge and passion this coming Madrid Fusion Manila 2017 to foreign delegates and proudly represent Calabarzon.

Chef Thomas Murillo, stays humble yet proud of his craft thus from love of food it now is a burning passion.  Come at the biggest food event this season at the SMX in Pasay or visit Wild Juan located at KM 68 Tagaytay-Nasugbu Highway and experience the comfort and passion that he shares at every plate served.

The Wild Juan is located at KM 68 Pinesville, Tagaytay- Nasugbu (National) Highway, Tagaytay City, 4120, Philippines

For Inquiries/reservation: +63 9154324196    +63 9178404211

To learn more about this Bed and Breakfast in Tagaytay and what food and drinks Chef Thomas Murillo offers, visit The Wild Juan Facebook page. 

All image credits: The Wild Juan Facebook page

SUMAN SA CLARIN: FEATURED FOOD ITEM AT MADRID FUSION 2017

April 6-8, 2017 was a busy day for all foodies and food entrepreneur as Madrid Fusion Manila 2017 took place at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay City.  The whole place was like a hive, buzzing with activities and people.

Part of the Region 10 contingent was the product from Clarin, Misamis Occidental – the various sticky rice cakes or Suman sa Clarin.  Nearly all 17 flavors were displayed for tasting and sold in the 3-day event.  ASEC Fredrick Alegre, along with some visitors, was wowed with the number of flavors that Clarin was able to showcase during Madrid Fusion, knowing that this is the first time that the said municipality has joined in this kind of event.

Blogger Alice Mate

Image credits: CheckpointCindy

The flavors of Clarin’s suman are as follows:

Mango – sticky rice with ripe mango slices, cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Pinya – sticky rice with ripe pineapple slices, cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Durian – sticky rice with durian slivers, cooked in coconut milk and sugar.  The durian’s strong scent is not present, making this a delightful way of enjoying the fruit.
Tsokalate – sticky rice with tablea made into a spread, cooked with coconut milk and sugar; making this rich in local flavors.
Tsokolate with Mani – similar to tsokolate with added with peanut flavor coming from processed peanut spread.  Also cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Moron – a classic suman in the Visayan region.
Balintawak – created in honor of a place where it was made, this sticky rice goodness is with coconut meat made sweet by cooked coconut milk/oil (latik).
Classic – this is your standard sticky rice, wrapped in leaves and cooked using coconut milk and sugar.
Carrot – with shredded carrots made into a slightly sweet paste, this is mixed into the sticky rice and then wrapped in leaves before being cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Ube – another root crop common in the area, the purple yam is made into a semi-sweet paste that is mixed with the sticky rice before being wrapped in leaves.  Cooked with coconut milk and sugar.
Keso/Queso – slices of cheese are added into the sticky rice mix and then cooked with coconut milk and sugar.  The cheese melts into the sticky rice making it more creamier in each bite.
Choco Moron – the classic suman of the Visayas region with chocolate jame added into it.  Cooked in coconut milk and sugar mixture.
Buko –  sticky rice with strings of young coconut meat added into the mixture.  It is also cooked with coconut milk and sugar, making it slightly sweet and delicate.
Peanut – this is your locally processed peanuts, finely grounded and made into a near paste in texture then added into the sticky rice mixture before being wrapped in fresh banana leaves.  Cooked with coconut milk and sugar, this suman creation is both delicate and with a crunch.
Latik -  the sweetened form of the coconut milk, cooked till dark in color and then added into the sticky rice mixture before being cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Adlai – two types of rice mixture was used in this suman.  One is your standard sticky rice and another is one that is high in fiber.  This suman creation can be considered  healthy because of the high fiber content that helps in the digestion of food.
Langka/Nangka – slivers of ripe langka (visayan: nangka), is place into the sticky rice and then wrapped in fresh banana leaves before being cook in their standard coconut milk-sugar mixture.

People can’t have enough of this sticky rice mixture that some even came back to buy more of it. They can’t believe that you can have that many variations of sticky rice creations and still be delicious and true to the nature of suman.   Such were the feedback given especially during the 3rd-day Regional Lunch, which was attended by all the delegates present in the event.

As of the moment, this sticky rice cake creation can be bought in the House of Suman in Clarin, Misamis Occidental.  For further inquiries regarding the product, you can reach the PR/Social Media team of TBDC thru 09778400606 (Kezia Noblia – Account Director).

Young Photographers: Photography Workshop for Teens

Young Photographers: Photography Workshop for Teens

On May 6, 2017 from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm, a photography workshop for teens is baing held at the LAUNCHGARAGE, Industria Mall Circulo Verde.

For teens aged 13-20 that would like to take great photos and enhance their talent.  

Manila Workshops and Paper Blush has teamed up to bring to you their first ever Photography Workshop for Teens!

What this Photography Workshop will teach:

1. The Camera and How It Works
• Bodies and lenses.
• Capabilities and limitations

2. Why Are We Getting Blurred Photos?
• Exposure triangle lecture and hands-on
• Aperture and depth of field
• Shutter speed and motion
• ISO

3. Camera Handling and Care

4. Why you need to shoot in the best lighting conditions and finding what works.
• Light and exposure (further demo on the exposure triangle)
• Understanding light and how to use it to your advantage.
• Artificial lighting and Natural light
• Hard and soft lighting.
• Modifying light

5. Quick formulas to ensure good photos.
• Elements of composition.
• Subject, foreground, and background relationship.
• Emphasis.
• Rule of thirds.

6. Visual exercises and the IG game.
• Photo challenge
• Portraits
• Still life
• Abstract/IG game


LEARNING RATES:

Early Bird Rate: (till April 10 ONLY)
1 Ticket: Php1,500.00
2 Tickets: Php2,500.00
Regular Rate: (April 11-May 6)
1 Ticket: Php2,500.00
2 Tickets: Php3,500.00

Note:

**Workshop Fee is inclusive of handouts, certificates, giveaways and snacks!**

For more details contact:
VENI – veni.anabo@manilaworkshops.com | 09272816651
____________________________________________________________________________________
POLICY ON REFUNDS:
Refund payments for those who give an advise on or before two weeks (14 days) prior to the date of the workshop.

In case of any back-outs, the advise should be sent to this email: payments@manilaworkshops.com

If you are using Bank Deposit there are 2 accounts you can use:

1. BPI (Peso Savings Account)
Account Name: GPA Events Management Services
Account Number: BPI Peso Checking Account 1920-0279-77

2. Unionbank (Peso Savings Account)
Account Name: Geraldine Anne Therese P. Arboleda
Account Number: 1094-510441-86

After paying via bank deposit, email a scanned copy of the validated transaction/deposit slip to payments@manilaworkshops.com. Please indicate the training signed up for and the name you used during registration.

Bounty Fresh Food Inc. Officially Sponsors the Manila Masters

Because developing markets demand developing support systems

With the Manila Masters, the hottest Dota tournament to hit Southeast Asia this year less than 50 days away, we would like to welcome Bounty Fresh as official gold sponsor to the event.

Marlon Marcelo, Mineski Corporation - VP for Marketing and Events:

Just like Mineski, Bounty Fresh is committed to shaping their industry through technological innovation to ensure premium quality products and services. It is through these similarities in vision that we at Mineski are confident in working with Bounty Fresh for our biggest project up to date.

With one of the biggest and most reliable brand of chicken and egg products in the Philippines entering the Manila Masters, esports continues to make leaps and bounds towards breaking into the mainstream.

I’m looking forward to working with Bounty Fresh and seeing just what kind of impact we can make together in bringing competitive gaming to a more general audience and showcasing just what the esports dream is all about.

Twinkle Magbag, Bounty Fresh Food Inc. - First VP for Marketing Intelligence and Campaign Planner

In this digital, tech-savvy world, we need to stay relevant. Bounty Fresh, being the 1st ever Philippine brand to win the 2009 Asian Livestock Industry Award, strongly values innovation and change. The brand cuts across age and socio-economic class and we would like to remain strongly relatable especially among the young generation through various consumer brands under Bounty. It's our company's mission to "make food exciting... everyday... everywhere!"

We are privileged to partner with Mineski Corporation because it has proven its expertise in engaging the youth. It's been known in successfully conducting premier e-sports

tournaments, making every event a sure hit among teens and young professionals.

With this new partnership, we expect to further expand our consumer base by encouraging more youngsters to try and continue patronizing Bounty Fresh because of the wide-array of products available for this segment of the market. True to our company's vision where "we do more to bring happiness to families through life's bounty," indeed, this collaboration with Mineski Corporation will surely bring happiness and joy to the young generation.

The Manila Masters Pinoy Tour continues this weekend, with our PH team going to six more cities, while the Southeast Asia Open Qualifier begins tomorrow!

Be sure to check out Bounty Fresh through their official website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

For more of the hottest Manila Masters updates, make sure to follow us closely on Facebook and Twitter!

Image credits: Bounty Fresh Chicken Facebook page and The Manila Masters Event page

Liquido Maestro Kalel Demetrio of Barik Supremo Lambanog

Kalel Demetrio makes lambanog, and more. What he does with well-loved Filipino drinks to create superb cocktails that zing and pulse to the beat of the party make him a cut above the rest.

Chef and Mixologist

Kalel's passion to create infusions and dishes that are unique, bringing out the best of the loved tastes of the Filipino heritage, has spurred him to create his own niche.  A rising industry leader, he was a resto staff worker, then became a bartender, and is now a chef. He has established his own business, and is the man behind Barik Supremo Lambanog, and is known as the Liquido Maesto because of his expertise at creating new mixed drinks.

Kalel Demetrio at Madrid Fusion Manila

I had the pleasure of meeting Kalel at Madrid Fusion Manila, an international gastronomy event that was recently held at SMX Convention Center.

His unique booth offered free flowing samples of Barik Supremo Lambanog and Barik Supremo Ginger Sour, and a few of his other drink concoctions.

Lambanog is from coconut flowers that have been pruned for the sap to drip, and undergoes a fermentation process. Potent, lambanog can be up to 90% proof.

Barik lambanog is labelled as moonshine.

Lambanog has been called a wine, a liquior, tequila, and vodka and it is a very strong drink, indeed. Typically drank straight, as a shot, it can be added to ice and used as a base for mixed drinks.

The first Barik I tried was the lambanog with ginger. It had a slightly sweet taste and the hint of calamansi, a local, small, sour citrus fruit. The shot went down smoothly. I also tried the pure lambanog, and that too was smooth. The sensation of drinking pure nectar from the coconut was that of that of feeling warmly refreshed, and the kick was elevating.

Kalel and I spoke for a while as he showed me his products. The variety was outstanding, and the bottling is superb, making it worthwhile to place on display at any bar. Handy, the Barik bottle is one that makes it so very interesting to look at and makes an excellent gift.

During our short conversation, we discovered that we had a common friend who was reggae artist, Artstrong Clarion. And as I spent time taking pictures, the booth was buzzing with people, all intent on looking closer at the display, enjoying a sample, and buying.

I was glad to meet such a fine young man, with his cool undercut and thick, long braided hair. He was focused and accommodating - and one who I firmly believe will be able to achieve a lot more upgrading traditional Filipino drinks in the near future.

Learn more about this lambanog by liking the Barik Supremo Lambanog Facebook page.

Project T Launches First BGC Facility

Project T officially launched its first facility in Bonifacio Global City last March 16. Its forward thinking focus on design and detail makes it suitable for SMEs planning to set-up businesses in the Philippines.

The serviced office boasts of 29 private offices, 400 internet-enabled workstations, two conference rooms which can accommodate respectively 25 and 10 people, 70 seater training room, 2 interview rooms, work pods, sleeping quarters, a clinic and lactation area, business center and lounge, and two pantries.

Project T offers end to end business solutions. Their services include:

A. Serviced Office: private office spaces (BGC) with furniture and internet-enabled workstations for 4 to 400

B. Virtual Office: premium office address (BGC or Makati), landline number, mail and call handling services

C. Co-working space: 400 flexible plug and play seats (BGC), available with no minimum number requirement

D. Business Continuity Plan: disaster recovery office spaces, multiple redundant internet connection

E. Staff Leasing: recruitment, onboarding, and management of virtual, part-time and full-time employees

F. HR & Payroll: redundancy control, process payroll and mandatory benefits - SSS, Philhealth and Pag-ibig

G. Commercial Space: locate suitable office spaces (bare shell and furnished) in BGC, Makati, Ortigas, and Cebu

H. Residential Space: locate suitable housing (apartments, townhouses, condos ) for individuals and companies

and

I. Business Registration: process documents with SEC, PEZA, FDA, BIR, LTO, BI and other PHL government agencies

Website: http://www.projecttsolutions.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/projecttsolutions/

Email Address: inquiry@projecttsolutions.com

Address: 23 rd Floor, Bonifacio Stopover Corporate Center, 31 st St. Corner 2 nd Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, 1634

Phone Number: 02-236- 5999

FUN-tabulous Cool Kids 2017 Back-to-School New Product Release

The Earth-loving-planet-saving twins are in hot pursuit of their mission to help save Planet Earth! This 2017, Coco and his twin sister Kimmy are working hard in helping kids realize the value of saving Planet Earth. NOW, more than ever is the time for kids to realize that our planet needs help. The recent changes in our weather like typhoons are proof enough that we all need to move NOW!


Funtastic International Inc., established in the country almost 17 years ago, is behind the Cool Kids, Baby Bliss, Creadough, Zigo, Latitude, and Fluffy Friends brands. Colorful and lovely characters make up the Cool Kids Brand. These amazing characters have different roles to play in teaching kids how to care for the environment.

Cool Kids has also launched its new line of “FUN-tabulous” School bags and accessories. The new line of affordable, good quality school bags features the different characters of the Cool Kids friends; Royal Princesses, Glam Girlz, Forest Fairies, Viron Transformer, Earth (Geobot), Air (Aerobot) and Water (Aquabot) robots, and Space rangers to name a few.

Cool Kids has also launched its newest line of baby toys and furniture under the brand Baby Bliss. This exciting line of very safe and cool baby toys is like no other. Its wood look mixed with full color has brought a fresh look to the baby toy industry. Baby Bliss toys are competitively priced and they also offer wonderful learning experiences to our little ones. Baby Bliss by Cool Kids aims to teach moms to help in environmental care.

My daughter with her Funtastic backpack

Owner of Funtastic Toy Company

Cool Kids has also launched a brand new line of amazing dough toys through Creadough by Cool Kids. This creative line of dough toys brings out the imagination and creativity in children and allows them to use their hands to explore, imagine and create amazing shapes and images.

Another new range of toys to look forward to is Zigo by Cool Kids. The Zigo line of blocks not only brings out the creative juices of our little ones, they actually help prepare children to be future engineers and architects. Every kid at one time or the other has played with blocks to bring out the best of their imagination and creativity. With Zigo competitively priced, parents do not need to spend a lot to provide their children with this wholesome deal of fun and creative building.

For Back to School 2017, Cool Kids has launched a brand new line of fashion bags for our little “fashionistas” and fashion forward buddies who want to follow the footsteps of their older siblings. Made of amazing quality materials, Cool Kids bags is the perfect companion of our children in school.

Funtastic International has also launched for Back to School 2017 its newest line of bags for High School and College kids as well as for adults through Latitude. Latitude is a brand that removes all limits and allows you to express yourself. Made of excellent quality materials, this fashion forward line of bags takes the user to a whole new level of experience given the amazing features of these bags both inside and out.

Funtastic International Inc., in its commitment to preserve the environment, donates part of the proceeds of the sale of its products towards environmental care. For every purchase of any item from the Cool Kids product line, you not only get great product, you also get to help save our planet Earth!

The public will see new Cool Kids collection starting March in the shelves of major department stores nationwide. In the meantime they can already choose from other existing Funtastic products, equally attractive, fun and affordable, that are available nationwide.

Visit the Cool Kids website, www.coolkids.com.ph, as this website will give kids and the kids at heart a chance to learn about Cool Kids and their planet saving advocacy. It will also give the visitor a chance to see first hand the new products of Cool Kids.

For more information they can also log on to www.funtasticstuff.com and www.coolkids.com.ph to learn more about the company and its products.

Madrid Fusion Manila Back to Introduce Sustainability in the Culinary Industry

Exploring the cultural influences of the country, Madrid Fusion Manila is back in the Philippines for the third time bringing in award-winning and Michelin-starred chefs from across the world. With this year’s theme, “Towards a Sustainable Gastronomic Planet”, 19 multi-talented chefs showcase culinary innovations and cutting-edge techniques in creating exquisite cuisines whilst introducing sustainability in the culinary industry. On April 6-8, 2017 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City, witness world-renowned chefs present and explore the future of food and sustainable cuisines in the 21st century.



People with the love for food, the passion for cooking and extremely talented individuals gather in one value to celebrate another year of gastronomic experience. The past two years has truly been an incredible journey for the food industry with chefs from different parts of the world come together as they share their knowledge about food. The congress and expo will feature  culinary tourism, farm and agri-tourism models as well as exhibitors involved in sustainable farming and fishing in keeping up with this year’s theme. Madrid Fusion Manila 2017 will mainly focus on exploring the transformation of sustainable gastronomy while enhancing the cultural traditions and environmental limits.

Food Tunnel Event

Food Tasting

Welcome Dinner SM MOA by the Bay

Madrid Fusion Manila 2017 is composed of these three components: the International Gastronomy Congress, where award-wining chefs will share their views and techniques in cooking; the International Gastronomy Expo, which will feature the finest food products and gourmet food, ingredients and technologies from Asia and Spain; and the launch of Flavors of the Philippines, a month-long food festival across the country featuring the finest delicacies from every region.



“Today, food forecasts for 2017 have predicted the Philippines as the place where the next big food trend will start, and many articles have been written worldwide about how the food scene in the Philippines is heating up,” said Tourism director Verna Covar-Buensuceso at Madrid Fusion 2017 at Palacio Municipal de Congresos, Madrid. With Madrid Fusion Manila on its 3rd edition, the Philippines’ culinary industry is beginning to expand and grow as it serves to challenge the country’s aspiring chefs to bring out the best in their crafts and to make Manila the center of culinary excellence.




Be part of another gastronomical year. Visit us at www.madridfusionmanila.com to learn more about Madrid Fusion Manila 2017 and see the full list of chef presenters.

International Bestselling Filipino Author Reveals Keys to Early Retirement

Robert C. San Luis top international bestselling author of the book Wealth Without Wall Street -- Seven Keys To an Early Retirementheld a seminar on financial freedom during the launch of his book at the Fully Booked in Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City.

With the success of his book in the United States (US), thefinance guru, successful investor, and sought after investment consultant in America has arrived in the country on a mission to educate Filipinos on investment trends and achieving their dreams of financial freedom.

Born to Filipino parents, who were both doctors that migrated in the US in the 1950s, San Luis decided to take a road less travelled for a family of doctors. He decided to become a financial advisor and a business coach. “I have started an investment revolution and I have brought it here in the Philippines to mark a global campaign that will teach investors how to replace their income and enjoy an early retirement,” he said.

A successful financial planner to high-net worth individuals abroad and an expert in real estate investments and a manufacturer of housing communities in the US, San Luis observed that many individuals have a hard time enjoying a gratified life after retirement. “We build our finances and investments while we are young. We work to prepare for a comfortable retirement, but based on facts only two percent will enjoy financial freedom after they retire from work. And this is what led me to writing this book,” he explained.

With his expertise and experience in the world of finance and investment, San Luis came up with optimal ways that any one who wants financial freedom can apply. In his book, San Luis stated that if we see ourselves stuck at one point, we need to change strategy to change our lives, and it is paramount that we act on it swiftly.

“Filipinos are talented, smart and creative, but they are still in the dark looking for means to build a stable income. These people also spend long hours in front of the computers doing Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. With this opportunity at hand, make use of the Internet to create your personal brand,” he divulged.

He said that these Internet platforms have created a vast market of opportunities for everyone. However, he still points out that we need to standout, and become an authority in our field.

San Luis’ another rule for success is to keep moving. According to him, we also need to build our own business even if we have to start with a small capital.  

The book Wealth Without Wall Street will also help you plan to prosper. San Luis shares some of the most sought-after investments that can help you retire sooner. He highlights in his book that people should learn how to replace their working income with passive income by adopting a well-planned approach in investment opportunities.

He further related in his book to “ Focus on investing in a portfolio of assets that can generate the cash flow to replace your working income, once you have passive income equal or greater than your expenses, you are free.”

The Wealth Without Wall Street will teach you how to reduce risk, increase cash flow and enjoy greater financial security. It will also show you how not to work until death but will teach you how to make smarter financial decisions for a retirement lifestyle you desire.

The book Wealth Without Wall Street -- Seven Keys To an Early Retirement will be available in all Fully Bookedbranches by the end of the month. So make sure to make a reservation and contact https://www.fullybookedonline.com/contact-us.

You can also check www.robertsanluis.com for more information.

The Search for the Safari Sapphire at Century City Mall

The annual search is on! Explore and get to know different exotic animals as you find the hidden gem into the depths of the African jungle at Century City Mall on April 16, 2017!

To Join:

1. Spend a minimum of P2,000 (single or accumulated receipt) from any Century City Mall establishment from April 3 - 16, 2017.
2. Present your receipts at the Concierge located at the Ground Floor starting April 3, 2017.
3. Shoppers will be given a booking voucher code for The Search for the Safari Sapphire, which they can use to book online via www.mysterymanila.com.
4. Kids eight (8) years old and below should be accompanied by an adult and/or guardian to participate.
5. Each The Search for the Safari Sapphire booking voucher code admits a group of two(2) to four (4) people.

For more details, you may call 705-6200 loc. 111.

#CenturySafariSapphire

Please like the Century City Mall Facebook Page