New Beginnings for 2016 Hack your way to Takatack.com, create DIY-projects for New Year

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Among the most common New Year’s resolutions are getting healthier, traveling more, organizing better, and spending more time with family. Yet in pursuit of goals like these, people often forget how much secondary factors, such as their environment or even their wardrobe, can play into their relative success or failure.

As part of New Beginnings 2016, online shopping discovery platform Takatack.com wants Filipinos to improve their lives by “hacking” their New Year’s resolutions by turning products bought from their website into DIY-projects that can help them achieve their resolutions and increase their sense of well-being.

The five categories for New Beginnings 2016 appropriately correspond to some of people’s most common New Year’s resolutions. They are: A new version of me, Getting organized, For my family, Healthy living, and More adventures. 

DIY projects are popular in the United States, where an entire culture has sprung up dedicated to empowering the everyman to create and recreate, even with something as seemingly uncreative as Ikea furniture.

Rebecca Ricalde, Assistant Vice President for Digital Commerce at Voyager Innovations, the digital innovations arm of PLDT and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), which fuels Takatack, believes that creating DIY projects through their platform can truly help people achieve their New Year’s resolutions. 

“The old joke is that a resolution made on January first will be broken before the sun sets on the second. To prevent this, we should look at what we can most easily change around us to increase our odds of succeeding. Luckily, with all the products available on Takatack.com, we can customize our living spaces and how we present ourselves to help us accomplish our most ambitious goals,” said Ricalde, who added as way of an example the aspiring fitness buff who creates a mini-home gym in her bedroom to make it easier to exercise on a daily basis. 

Ricalde is herself an avid DIYer, and she gave her own story as an example of the Takatack.com’s potential in helping us take control of our living spaces, and in extension, our lives. According to Ricalde, she repurposed a bookshelf bought from Takatack.com into a permanent display of healthy snacks such as dried fruits at her office, which encouraged her workmates to eat healthier. She also mixed and matched clothes purchased on Takatack.com to create a stable of comfortable office outfits that made it easier to walk around and take the stairs. 

“The DIY culture is not just about building things - it’s about taking control of your lives, beginning with what matters most. By enabling Filipinos to explore changes that they can make for their living spaces as well as themselves, we hope to help them bring out their best in 2016,” said Ricalde. 

Ricalde noted that with over 500,000 products available on Takatack, there are millions of possibilities for DIY-projects - a person’s only real limitation is their imagination. 

New Beginnings 2016 began on December 28 and ends on January 15, 2016, and includes close to 50 participating merchants, such as Next Technologies, Kitsound, Superlux, Procare, Sound Magic, Ehome, Shoppiyo-Audio Technica, Airborne Technologies, Philips, Motorola, Chigo, Yoomi, Angeline Shoes, Earthly Senses Spa, Fledge Clothing, It Figures Skin Care & Body Shaping, Paris Bijoux, Tangle Teezer, Hickok Leather, Watchaholics PH, SJ Premier Enterprises, SEC Moto, and Jong Duyan. A full list of participating retailers is included below. 

Shoppers can avail of P400 discount on a P1000 minimum purchase using the promo code NEWYOU.

ABOUT TAKATACK.COM

Fueled by Voyager Innovations, Takatack.com aggregates many trusted online stores, including some that are among the largest, like the Rocket Internet-backed Zalora, together with the thousands of merchants who established their own online shops through theTackThis! platform.

Takatack.com also offers some of the top brands, including CLN-Celine, VMV Hypoallergenics, Zen Nutrients, ShopTV by the Home Shopping Network, Philips, Digits Trading, Hickok Leather Brand, Candy Corner, Happy Socks, Jaybird, Li-Ning, Marshall, and Sassa. The Takatack platform also offers emerging brands like Straightforward, Fledge Clothing, Ziya, and La Mer Collections.

ABOUT NEW BEGINNINGS 2016

Participating retailers include Angeline Shoes, Earthly Senses Spa, Fledge Clothing, Paris Bijoux, Tangle Teezer, The Shoe Cycle, Wear Vintage, Babyliss, Cogito, Hickok Leather, Shoppiyo-Brownroots, Shoppiyo-Targus, ShopTV, Evita Peroni, SJ Premier Enterprises, Artbox, OBI Baby, St. Patrick Baby, Deep Dips by Chef Arnold, Yoomi, Philips, Motorola, Chigo, Next Technologies, One Stop Shop Gadgets, Xtouch, Procare, Ehome, Shoppiyo-Electronics, Shoppiyo-Philips Earphones, Shoppiyo-Audio Technica, Airborne Technologies, Watchaholics PH, Shoppiyo-Nitecore, It Figures Skin Care & Body Shaping, Jong Duyan, Ogawa, FiiO, Kitsound, Superlux, Sound Magic, Shoppiyo-Microtex, SEC Moto, Ondit Clothing, X-Mini, MyKronoz, Casemate, PQI, and Style Compass.

2016 - Year of the Monkey! What Type of "Monkey" Are You: Wood, Fire, Earth, Gold, or Water?

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2016 is a year of the Monkey.

This 2016 doesn't start on January 1 for Monkeys (and traditional Chinese)! 

It starts at Chinese New Year (February 8, 2016), which changes year-to-year according to the Chinese lunar calendar.

From researches and readings about people born on this Year of the Monkey, occupying the 9th position on the Chinese Zodiac, the Monkey possesses such character traits as curiosity, mischievousness, and cleverness. Forever playful, Monkeys are the masters of practical jokes. Even though their intentions are always good, this desire to be a prankster has a tendency to create ill will and hurt feelings.

Although they are inherently intellectual and creative, Monkeys at times have trouble exhibiting these qualities. When that happens, they appear to others to be confused. But nothing could be further from the truth as Monkeys thrive on being challenged. Monkeys prefer urban life to rural, and their favorite pastime is people-watching.

What Type of "Monkey" Are You: Wood, Fire, Earth, Gold, or Water?

As well as having a Chinese zodiac sign, according to Chinese element theory, each year is associated with one of five elements: Gold (Metal), Wood, Water, Fire, or Earth, which means that e.g. a Wood Monkey comes once in a 60-year cycle. So there are five types of Monkeys, each with different characteristics.

People born in January or February should take particular note of when Chinese New Year falls to confirm their birth sign.

The Monkey is ninth of the 12 animals in the Chinese zodiac. Each year is related to an animal sign according to a 12-year-cycle.

If you're born in a year of the Monkey, you're a Monkey! 

Find out what that means below : ( According to http://www.chinahighlights.com/ ) 

Monkey years: ...1920, 1932, 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004, 2016, 2028...

The Lucky and Unlucky Things for "Monkeys"

Lucky numbers: 4 and 9

Lucky days: the 14th and 28th of any Chinese lunar calendar month

Lucky colors: white, blue, gold

Lucky flowers: chrysanthemum, crape-myrtle

Lucky directions: north, northwest, west

Lucky months: Chinese lunar months 8 and 12

The Unlucky Things That "Monkeys" Should Avoid

Unlucky colors: red, pink

Unlucky numbers: 2 and 7

Unlucky directions: south, southeast

Unlucky months: Chinese lunar months 7 and 11

Occupying the 9th position on the Chinese Zodiac, the Monkey possesses such character traits as curiosity, mischievousness, and cleverness. Forever playful, Monkeys are the masters of practical jokes. Even though their intentions are always good, this desire to be a prankster has a tendency to create ill will and hurt feelings.

Although they are inherently intellectual and creative, Monkeys at times have trouble exhibiting these qualities. 

When that happens, they appear to others to be confused. But nothing could be further from the truth as Monkeys thrive on being challenged. Monkeys prefer urban life to rural, and their favorite pastime is people-watching.

Enjoy your wonderful world of the Year of the Monkey! Happy New Year ! 

Happy New Year 2016!

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Thank You God for giving me another lease of life, for all the blessings and guidance.

Thank you everyone for enriching my life this year again.

Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.

Having the gift of faith, the blessing of hope and the peace of His love and keeping it all the years.

May God grant you the 9 Fruits of Holy Spirit : 

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22)

Wishing you all a year of peace, happiness, prosperity, good health, joy and love!

May God grant us all a blessed New Year !

Happy New Year !!!  Cheers!!!

What Edward Benosa is looking forward to in 2016

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Year 2015 is promising balladeer Edward Benosa’s best year, and what he is looking forward to in 2016?

In 2015, Edward—most known for his hit song “Di Man Lang Nagpaalam” which made it to the country’s top music charts and won for him a loyal following—won two awards, one a Best New Artist trophy from the Star Awards for Music and another, from the MOR Awards of radio station 101.9FM. He sees these awards as an affirmation that he is in the right place, and that he should continue pushing forward with his career in 2016. “Sa isang nagsisimula na tulad ko, o kahit sinong nagsisimula, mabigyan ka ng Best New Artist of the year, parang enough reason na ‘yon na ipagpatuloy mo itong ginagawa mo. Susundan na kailangan, ipagpatuloy ang sinimulan,” he says.

Edward’s goal is to sustain the momentum of his achievements in 2016. He wants to get into new things, maybe do a concert, record another album and even try more theater.

He is making the phrase “moving forward” his goal for next year. He is happy that groups like the Philippine Movie Press Club (which is behind the annual Star Awards for Music) and MOR 101.9 have seen his potential and by giving him awards and recognition, are encouraging him to do more with what he has.

“Siguro nakikita ‘yung potential ko to be this person na malaki pa yung pwede ko ma-achieve as a singer, sa craft ko, na-a-appreciate nila na ako ‘yung bago ngayon, as a pop rock balladeer.”

His manager, stage and screen actor Arnold Cruz Reyes, believes that Edward will go pretty far in 2016. When Edward won the awards in 2015, he was surprised but says things aren’t going to stop there. There is much more for Edward to achieve in 2016.

Arnold says it is obvious that Edward, while a newbie singer and occasional actor, is meant to go places and encourages him only to work harder and pay attention to the advice of people who want to see him succeed even more next year. “Consistent naman kasi, na-nominate siya na Best New Artist of the Year. Nu’ng nangyari nga, sabi ko, ‘Uy nakakatuwa, napapansin tayo,” says Arnold, who’s hoping Edward will be able to build on his past achievements to have an even greater year in 2016.

Edward says that one way of ensuring a better year in 2016 is also to stay positive and not to mind the bashers and critics. Like when he won those two awards, there were people who didn’t think he deserved to win and asked: “Sino siya? Hindi namin siya kilala.”

He just wants to be positive going into 2016. Regardless of what people say, he will keep pressing forward. Even if there are critics, he says, he intends to see things constructively and make positivity his motto for next year.

Edward has high hopes for 2016. He is excited about all the new things coming his way, and is eager to get things started.

“Ang daming bonus ni God para sa akin,” he says with a big smile. Edward is grateful for all the things that happened in 2015, and is looking to make an even bigger splash in 2016.

At the cob of the matter: Corn in the Philippines

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When you hear the word corn, the vision of eating hot, buttered corn-on-the-cob may come to mind, or fields and fields of corn plants growing along highways. Indeed for Filipinos, corn is the second most important crop after rice. But do you know that only 21% of the total corn in the country is used for consumption, while majority or 64% of corn supply is used to feed livestock to produce meat and poultry?

Unsheathing corn

The corn you typically see roasted and eaten on the cob is the white corn. With smaller but sweeter kernels, white corn is the most important and healthy rice substitute in the country. On the other hand, yellow corn, while edible, is mostly intended for livestock and poultry feeds with its larger and fuller-flavored kernels. Perhaps most importantly, local pork, beef, and poultry for our lechon, burgers, and fried chicken get their richness and tastiness from the animal feeds usually made from corn. Corn makes up 70% of feeds used to produce treats for our carnivorous countrymen.

And in case you didn’t yet know, corn can also be found in thousands of everyday items around us. From the corn starch that holds cakes and pastries together to corn oil, people have found different uses for corn. There are currently more than 4,000 ways to use this popular crop, and people are discovering even more ways to use corn every day.

Planning for tomorrow’s food from the ground up

Corn is thought to have been first grown 7,000 years ago. The traditional way of growing corn is slow and painstaking, but technology is now dramatically changing the way we cultivate and harvest our food. Today, there is a modern approach to help growers raise healthy, high-quality corn crops. Through modern plant breeding, a way to bring together two specific parent plants to produce a new desirable plant, local farmers now have a better way to grow and bring food to our tables.

As corn takes an important place in Filipino farming and cuisine, Monsanto took a similar approach in helping farmers have better harvests by introducing the first biotech corn in 2003. It developed the biotech corn to be more tolerant to nature’s different challenges, like plant diseases, pests and changing temperatures. Over the past 30 years, 1,000 plus studies including the World Health Organization, European Food Safety Authority, and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have been conducted to prove that there are no health and environmental impact in the use and consumption of biotech crops, including corn. According to the studies, using or consuming biotech corn have no effects on human health, while planting biotech corn maintains ecological balance, posing no threat to other plants and to animals. 

Corn plays an important role in making sure we have enough food to eat and have access to fresh produce. So the next time you see unending rows of corn fields along the highway, think about how such a humble crop can make a positive impact to our everyday lives.