Moonleaf Tea Shop New Branch in Las Piňas

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Moonleaf, a fast- emerging brand has been a favorite spot among students and young urban professionals. Moonleaf's tea drinks and mixes are made from freshly brewed, top-quality tea leaves that are freshly-brewed, steeped and served in authentic Taiwanese tradition. Today, Moonleaf has over 30 branches nationwide.

Moonleaf Tea Shop is finally opening its newest branch in Las Piňas! Since launching its first shop in Maginhawa Street, Teacher’s Village in 2010, this new hang out place has grown exponentially to 38 thriving branches all over the country.

Characteristic of every Moonleaf Tea Shop are the laid-back interiors, colourful community boards teeming with scribbles and ideas from customers, the crowds of hip students and young professionals who are either busy with their laptops or engaged in light conversations inside the shop, and of course, the distinct and delicious taste of freshly-brewed teas – with a modern, refreshing twist!

Moonleaf takes pride in being one of the first Filipino-owned brands to introduce and boost the modern lifestyle of drinking tea in the country. It boasts of a wide-range of freshly- brewed tea offerings that include traditional variants like Black Tea, Jasmine Green Tea, Oolong Tea, and Earl Grey Tea. Moonleaf also serves refreshing and milk-infused Wintermelon, Vanilla, and Caramel teas. For a refreshing burst of fruit flavors, Lychee Jasmine, Passionfruit and Lychee Aloe Vera teas are pleasantly available too!

Conceptualized and managed by its Chief Operating Officer, 27-year old entrepreneur Adrian Adriano, Moonleaf reflects the enthusiasm and youthful lifestyle of modern Filipinos. After just a few visits, any customer would realize that the Moonleaf experience is all about engaging the Filipino community. It thrives on bringing people together to a place where they feel right at home while doing the things that they are passionate about. Whether its sports, career, music or visual arts, Moonleaf seeks to support that pursuit and infuse relevance into the Filipino’s ever colourful lifestyle.

Check out Moonleaf’s branches in the Metro and grab a cup of these refreshing tea flavors. Visit www.moonleafteashop.com for more info about Moonleaf Tea Shop.

Repertory Philippines presents "The Producers' set to open on November 15

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In celebration of its 46th year, Repertory Philippines proudly closes its 76th theater season with THE PRODUCERS.

Adapted from the 1968 Mel Brooks film of the same name, The Producers was written by Brooks and Thomas Meehan, with songs arranged by Glen Kelly and Doug Besterman. As in the film, the story concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich by overselling interests in a Broadway flop. The humor of the show draws on ridiculous accents, homosexual stereotypes, and Nazis, along with many show business in-jokes.

The original Broadway production, starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, opened at the St. James Theatre on April 19, 2001 and ran for 2,502 performances, winning a record-breaking 12 Tony Awards. It spawned a successful London production running for just over two years, US national tours, many productions worldwide, and a 2005 film version. 

Directed by Jaime del Mundo, the cast of THE PRODUCERS features CARLO OROSA and ROBIE ZIALCITA (alternating as Max Bialystock), TOPPER FABREGAS (as Leo Bloom), and GISELLE TONGI (as Ulla).

Carlo Orosa

CARLO OROSA is an accomplished recording artist and stage actor who has garnered recognition in both music and acting. He has been nominated in three separate categories at the prestigious Awit Awards, the 2004 and 2008 ceremonies of which he was later invited to judge. Though known primarily as a pop singer, Carlo has done lead and supporting roles in musicals such as Joseph the Dreamer, The Great White Way (Beauty and the Beast), The Happy Prince, First Name, Honk!, Florante at Laura, Once On This Island, The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe, The Little Mermaid, and, most recently, N.O.A.H. (No Ordinary Aquatic Habitat). He has also worked alongside international superstar Lea Salonga (with whom he shared a record label, Octo Arts EMI, from 1989 to 1991) as a guest in her Broadway Concert at the PICC Plenary Hall in 2002. He first worked with Lea as the Teen Angel and Johnny Casino in the Philippine run of the Broadway musical Grease for Maxi Media Productions at the Meralco Theater in 1994, and, more recently, he was featured alongside her during a visit of UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to the Philippines in 2009. His life testimony was aired in The 700 Club, a distinguished TV program (hosted by evangelist Pat Robertson) that regularly features prominent figures. He has also been the Philippine National Director for the World Championships of the Performing Arts since 2007, and has produced Junior World Champion Performers for three straight years (Aria Clemente in 2007, Catherine Loria in 2008, and Rhap Salazar in 2009). Currently, Carlo is the Business Unit Head for Stages Production Specialists Inc, a talent management company for various artists, including Christian Bautista, Karylle, Sam Concepcion, Enrique Gil, Jay-R, Krista Kleiner, Nanette Inventor, and Hayden Kho.

Robie Zialcita

ROBIE ZIALCITA has appeared on stage in quite a number of notable original musicals, namely Alikabok (1996), The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe (1997, 1998, 2002) and Rivalry (2012, 2013). He is currently starring in Bluebird, marking his fourth original musical in a career spanning 19 years since his first musical for Repertory Philippines, Camelot, staged in 1994. His other theater credits include Carousel, You Can’t Take It With You, The Sound of Music, Moose Murders, and Sweeney Todd (as Adolfo Pirelli). He has also appeared in Rep’s Children’s Theater; playing the Emperor in The Emperor’s New Clothes (1994), Gepetto in Pinocchio (1996), Fred (a dwarf) in Snow White and Cat-in–the-Hat & Mr. Mayor in Seussical. 

Outside Repertory Philippines, Robie has been a part of productions like Baby: The Musical (for which he was nominated for an Aliw Award), Chess, Disney’s Beauty & The Beast, and Xanadu.

Topper Fabregas

TOPPER FABREGAS recently starred as Claire in the critically acclaimed run of Jean Genet's The Maids (directed by Anton Juan) for MusicArtes. He was last seen on the Repertory Philippines stage in the hilarious Boeing Boeing (as Robert Castin) and served as Assistant Director for Disney's Camp Rock. His other Rep credits include: Jekyll & Hyde (Ensemble), Leading Ladies (Jake Gable/Stephanie), Shakespeare In Hollywood (Daryl), The Secret Garden (Dickon), The Sound Of Music (Rolf), The Taming Of The Shrew (Bianca/Grumio), Much Ado About Nothing (Dogberry), God’s Favorite (Ben Benjamin), Fame (Nick Piazza), A Christmas Carol (Young Ebenezer/Harry), Cliffhanger (Melvin McMullan), Gay Birds (Emil) and Aladdin Jr. (Aladdin). For Trumpets, Topper’s other acting credits include Castrato (Peter Maclean), The Lion, The Witch, & The Wardrobe (Peter Pevensie: Manila Premiere Cast), and Honk! (Ensemble). For Atlantis Productions, he has appeared in Urinetown (Tiny Tom), Disney’s Beauty & The Beast (Ensemble), Baby: The Musical (Ensemble). He also portrayed roles in Aspects Of Love Manila and Singapore (Hugo/Alex cover) for New Voice Company and Lysander in A Midsummer Night’s Dream for Metropolitan Theater Guild. Most recently, he played the role of Joleon in Digital Divide, one of the entries in last year's Virgin Labfest at CCP. Topper also served as Assistant Director of the original musical Breakups & Breakdowns for Upstart Productions. In 2007, Topper left Manila to complete his studies at the Circle in the Square Theatre School in Manhattan. His New York theatre credits include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Lysander/Flute), Urinetown (Hot Blades Harry), And The World Goes Round (Male 1), Much Ado About Nothing (Claudio), As You Like It (Adam/Jacques), and If You Give A Pig A Pancake for Theaterworks USA. A regular workshop instructor, Topper also teaches Grade 9 and 10 Drama at Beacon Academy, and has appeared in a number of commercials for Globe, Bioflu, SkyCable, Jollibee, etc. Topper is one of the founding members of the recently launched Red Turnip Theater (along with fellow actors Jenny Jamora, Ana Abad Santos, Cris Villonco and Rem Zamora), Their maiden production, Patrick Marber's Closer, opens this October. He is slated to take on the role of John for their production of the off-Broadway hit Cock, set to open next February.

Giselle Tongi-Walters

GISELLE TÖNGI- WALTERS, better known as "G,” has been acting in countless Philippine film and television projects for the past 20 years. Also known as VJ G, she became an on-air host for MTV Asia in the nineties. As an actress, singer (for Sony Music Philippines) and dancer, this multi-faceted artist has won a raft of awards, including a Davey, a Telly, an Aurora, and a Metro Manila Best Supporting Actress award. Theatrically trained at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute and Broadway Dance Center (concentration in jazz) in New York City, she also holds a Bachelor of Arts Communications degree with emphasis in New Media and a double minor in Film, Television & Digital Media Arts and Theatre from the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). Giselle has appeared in multiple presentations of The Vagina Monologues in Los Angeles and Manila, and has played Jean in Stage Door and Conchita in Nilo Cruz’s Pulitzer prize winning play Anna in the Tropics. Most recently, she appeared as Marlene Dietrich in Piaf for Atlantis Productions. Earlier this year, G completed ABS-CBN’s highly rating fantaserye Aryana, where she portrayed the antagonist, Stella. She was also the host of One MEGA’s “Mega Young Designers Competition All Stars” that recently aired on ETC. A writer as well as an actor, Giselle occasionally contributes to the Philippine Star (via her "Oh My G" column) and to the online news network, Rappler for the entertainment/ life & style section. She has taught for the International Academy of Film and Television in LA, where she mentors actors. She is also involved in SIPA (Search to Involve Pilipino Americans), teaching children Filipino culture through creative dramatics. A proud member of the Screen Actors Guild of America, Giselle’s true passion is to help the plight of Philippine women’s reproductive health and works closely with Likhaan, a Manila based NGO with a similar advocacy. Her proudest accomplishment, however, is being a hands-on mother to her two children, Sakura and Kenobi. She juggled family life as a full-time student all through her college adventures at Pierce Community College and the University of California in Los Angeles and continues to do so in Manila as a working mom.

THE PRODUCERS is set to open on November 15 and will run until December 15, 2013. All performances are at Onstage, 2/F, Greenbelt 1, Paseo de Roxas corner Legaspi St., Makati City. 

To accommodate all inquiries, Repertory Philippines is now accepting reservations for schools, civic groups and corporate sponsorships. 

For more informationa and details of the show, you may call at 571-6926 and 571-4941

Contact via e-mail: shows@repertoryphilippines.com and http://www.repertoryphilippines.com

Tickets are available through Ticketworld at 891-9999, or via http://www.ticketworld.com.ph/

Connect to Repertory Philippines online through the following social media networks: 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/repertoryphilippines

Twitter: www.twitter.com/repphils

Instagram: www.instagram.com/repphils

YouTube: www.youtube.com/repphils

Vista Residences: Condo Living is the Way to Go

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No wonder that more and more people are embracing condo living. 

A cursory trip to Metro Manila will reveal a curious phenomenon: the frenetic, unstoppable construction of high-rise residences. From mid-rise to towering structures, helmed by novice developers or established real estate players, they are transforming not only the urban fabric and the skyline but also the way people live, how they interact with each other, and their relationship with the city and its myriad opportunities.

“Metro Manila is a prime mega-city that is ripe and ready for high-rise developments,” says Emma Amores, Corporate Communications Head “With over 15 million people calling the metropolis home, it’s inevitable that there will be scarcity of land on which to build. The fact that that it has the country’s most expensive real estate in square meters makes building and buying a home more challenging.”

The 21st century will be marked with condominium projects, just like how subdivisions and villages defined the late 20th century. Though there will still be a segment of the home-buying market that will prefer horizontal developments, signs are pointing toward more and more people preferring to live vertically. Here are some of their compelling reasons:

Condos are relatively affordable. In comparison with building a house from scratch (and buying the lot prior), investing on a condo comes out cheaper and more sensible. You also don’t have to deal with a contractor, an architect and interior designer (not to mention an electrician and a plumber) as the developer takes care of all of them for you. This is why a large segment of condo dwellers are young professionals and startup families since they can readily accommodate the cost within their budget. With bank loans and in-house financing, buying a condo is a lot easier than before.

Their value appreciates fast. A condo’s value could double in six years, especially if the unit owner has bought the property during the pre-selling stage. “The condo’s value is also commensurate to the track record of the developer,” adds Amores. “The projects by reputable developers, such as Vista Residences, are more attractive to investors and end users because they know that the condominium will be built on time, adhere to the most stringent construction standards and feature the promised amenities.”

They are chockfull of amenities. It’s a given that a decent high-rise project should have a grand lobby, high-speed elevators and a swimming pool. In the developments of Vista Residences, amenities are tailor-fitted to suit the residents. Aside from the amenities mentioned above, Mosaic and KL Mosaic Towers in Makati City have a coffee shop to take on the full view of the nearby parks, Wil Tower Mall has a day care center, while Vista Residences Taft and Katipunan have study rooms. “We are aware of the specific needs of our residents and address them in every way we can,” says Amores.

They provide round-the-clock security. Security in every Vista Residence development is a priority. As such, state-of-the-art CCTV cameras are installed in crucial areas to monitor movement and traffic. A security force also deals with the entry and exit of guests. These features, among other things, translate to the peace of mind of the residents.

They are easy to maintain. Compact and well laid-out, a condo is easier to maintain than a house with its rooms, nooks and corners. It also limits the kind of furniture and things you let into your unit. Hence, potential clutter is minimized. Time saved from cleaning and running a household can be devoted on more worthwhile pursuits such as family bonding.

They are close to leisure opportunities and places of employment. Location is a top priority for Vista Residences that’s why most its projects are sited in some of the most active, vibrant parts of the city.

It has developments at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig (Avant at the Fort), Makati City (Mosaic and KL Mosaic Towers, Salcedo Square, Trevi Towers) and Ortigas Center (The Currency). Government and private offices, multinational headquarters, leisure and dining centers congregate on these places, offering myriad opportunities for employment and the good life.

They offer the view of the city. Nothing can beat the exhilaration one feels in looking at the city set against a blue sky from a high-rise residence. If you’re lucky, you might even have a view of mountain ranges, a lake or a piece of the sea. The city takes on a more mesmerizing view at night when the glittering lights reveal their beautiful patterns. Indeed, condo living has its perks that a modern man or woman can identify with.

Lily’s Peanut Butter: From savory dishes to desserts

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Lily’s Peanut Butter as the Filipinos’ spread of choice for a wide variety of breads has been established for decades now. Aside from its popularity as a staple of breakfast and merienda, Lily’s Peanut Butter is also a preferred ingredient by moms and chefs alike in their creations of fantastic recipes—from soups to appetizers to savory dishes to desserts.

One of the main reasons why they have made Lily's Peanut Butter part of their kitchen arsenal is that the iconic Filipino brand, which is made by Newborn Food Products, has maintained its classic, highly-guarded recipe and use of premium ingredients to ensure quality of product and taste that generations of Filipinos have loved.

“By staying true to the original recipe and raw materials,” says Ramon Pua, president and CEO of Newborn Food Products, “we have never felt the need to add extenders, preservatives, emulsifiers and other chemical agents in our product. We only use two main ingredients: high quality peanuts and cane sugar.”

The medley of peanuts and cane sugar produces a rich, even consistency that blends well with other ingredients. Lily’s Peanut Butter is the top-of-mind choice for sumptuous desserts that include Peanut Butter Cookies, Peanut Butter Cupcakes, Peanut Butter Cheesecake and yes, even Peanut Butter Ice Cream. Fruits—such as bananas, strawberries, melons—can be dipped in Lily’s Peanut Butter for an instant perk-me-up.

Lily’s Peanut Butter is also used as the main component of savory dishes. The most evident example is, of course, the Filipino favorite kare-kare that is improved by Lily’s Peanut Butter full-bodied, nutty flavor. Same with peanut sauce, which is the usual dip for skewered meats popular with Asian cuisines. Other dishes that are fully expressed with a helping of Lily’s Peanut Butter include Roast Peanut Butter Chicken, Peanut Butter Sweer Potato Soup and Chilled Sesame Peanut Noodles, among others.

Aside from its taste and consistency, another hallmark of Lily’s Peanut Butter is that it is produced with only the highest international standards. Newborn Food Products only uses machines in the preparation, cooking and packaging of Lily’s Peanut Butter, eliminating human contact. Safety and sanitation are the foremost considerations. “There’s no history of any of our products being recalled due to charges of contamination,” Pua says. “We are really proud of that.”

On his 15th year as CEO and president of the company, Pua is ready to spread the health-nourishing goodness of Lily’s Peanut Butter to the world: a global brand with a distinct Filipino flavor and identity. Though the product is already present abroad, mainly in Filipino communities in United States, Canada, Middle East and Hong Kong, Pua envisions of greatly expanding the product’s reach to other countries and hopefully capturing the palate of the international market.

“We are truly excited about the future,” says Pua. “Lily’s Peanut Butter is reaching new markets and touching base with a wide spectrum of consumers while keeping its Filipino identity. As people make healthier lifestyle choices in what they eat and use our product not just a spread but an ingredient in a variety of recipes, Lily’s will continue to dominate the market with a flavor that has remained consistent through the years.”

For more details on the healthy goodness of Lily’s Peanut Butter,

you can visit their website at www.mylilys.com,

send an email at newbornfoodp@yahoo.com and 

follow them in Facebook (lilyspeanutbutter), 

Instagram (@lilyspeanutbutter) 

Twitter (@lilysPBofficial).

 For inquiries on Food Service, you may also call 027412555 loc. 13.

Gabriela Silang biopic with PBB housemate Tin Patrimonio takes the role

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Pinoy Big Brother ex-housemate Tin Patrimonio is going to be launched in a film as one of the first Filipino woman to lead a revolt against Spanish colonizers, Maria Josefa Gabriela Silang or well known as  ‘Gabriela Silang.'

The biopic of Philippines’ figure of woman empowerment as evident in the name of the leftist party Gabriela directed by former actor Carlo Maceda and written by Frank Rivera.

"Gabriela" centers on the historical figure and her husband, Diego Silang, in leading the Ilocanos against Spanish rule in 1763.

A film on the historical revolt led by Gabriela Silang will premiere on Thursday in time for the 250th anniversary of the Philippine heroine.

After her husband's death, Gabriela takes over his role in rallying their community to recapture their home from the Spaniards.

Portraying the heroine in the OnCAM Productions offering is former "Pinoy Big Brother" housemate Tin Patrimonio, with Carlo Aquino as Diego Silang.

Joining them in the cast are Ricky Davao, child actors BJ Forbes and Justin Pinon, Rob Sy, Jeffrey Santos, Iris Lapid, Arthur Solinap, Lars Svanberg, Nene Tamayo, Yen Abuid Paderanga, Rex Roco, Archie Adamos, Bon Vibar, Johnron Tanada, Cris Michelena and Eric Perez.

"Gabriela" will hold its premiere at the AFP headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City on September 19 -- a day before the actual death anniversary of the heroine.

The production company led by Sonia Roco said no commercial release is planned for "Gabriela."

Noting the film is nonetheless available for special screenings, Maceda said, "We hope that through films like these, we can better impart the message of heroism and inspire the youth to be better and good leaders in the future."