DepEd establishes command center in Cebu for post-Yolanda efforts

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Lahug, Cebu - The Department of Education (DepEd) has established a command center at its Ecotech facility in Cebu Tuesday to secure information on the whereabouts of its personnel. Interim offices have been set up for each of the Eastern Visayas divisions that are still not operational: Leyte, Tacloban, E. Samar, Catbalogan, Biliran, Borongan and Baybay.

Each interim office is manned by staff from the Cebu office and tasked to establish contact with all personnel – from the superintendent to school heads – and get updates.

Education Secretary Br. Armin Luistro FSC reminded everyone of the urgency to account for people saying “Before anything else, we look for people. List all regions. Regions, contact divisions; divisions, contact schools; schools, establish contact with teachers and staff. First things first, tao muna (people first).”

Luistro then instructed officials to plan for the resumption of classes when everyone has been accounted for. “The best way for kids to recover is to bring them back to their routine as soon as possible – and that is to bring them to school. There is no need to conduct classes right away. Let them play. Do activities.”

An operations center has also been set up at Leyte National High School in Tacloban where teachers and other personnel can report. Luistro is asking Eastern Visayas personnel to report as soon as they can. “We need to know if you’re ok.” 

The Ecotech Command Center in Lahug, Cebu can be contacted through: (032)254-6747, (032)414-7320, and (0917)309-0583.

Celebrating Life at Stuffed: A Thanksgiving Food Festival at The Grove

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This is one exciting and memorable for all.  Stuffed: A Thanksgiving Food Festival, curated by Our Awesome Planet will line The Grove by Rockwell Community Center on November 15-17.

It may not be common for Filipinos to bring out the turkey and pumpkin pie when November rolls around, but that doesn’t stop The Grove by Rockwell and Our Awesome Planet from throwing a one-of-a-kind Thanksgiving get-together. Celebrating the best of family, food, and community at Stuffed: A Thanksgiving Food Festival, over 20 concessionaries curated by Our Awesome Planet will line The Grove by Rockwell Community Center.

You don’t have to wait until Christmas to take your friends and family to a feast of gustatory delights and a celebration of life’s greatest treasures. Presented by San Miguel Lifestyle Brews, Stuffed! will feature sweet treats from Baked by Anita, Risa Chocolates, The Fruit Garden, Symphony of Flavors Bakeshop; mouthwatering temptations from General’s Lechon, Chef Anton, Crunchy Belly, Gigabite, Esses, The Plaza, Goldenduck’s Premium Duck Products, Franchino, Tamayaki, and Barley Gastropub; and refreshing thirst-quenchers from Juice Barista. Adding to the weekend’s delightful fare, The Souq Organics will be offering premium bath and body products perfect for each member of the family. 

At an Instagram photo booth provided by Printsocial, families and friends can document these unforgettable moments at The Grove. Lucky diners will also get a chance to bring home gift certificates for authentic Japanese burger steaks from Umami Hambaagu House, and an iPad Mini from Beyond the Box!

In light of the recent tragedy that has ravaged the Visayas region, diners also have the choice to help out, with The Grove serving as a receiving station for donations for victims of Typhoon Yolanda. The community and guests are invited to bring items such as rice, canned goods, noodles, coffee, water, toiletries, and medicine, which will benefit those affected by the storm, through the ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya Foundation and the Lopez Group Foundation. 

For a memorable weekend of delectable flavors and other activities, dine amidst refreshing greens or find a sweet surprise to take home at The Grove by Rockwell.

Visit Stuffed: A Thanksgiving Food Festival on November 15-17, 2013, 11AM-10PM at The Grove by Rockwell Community Center along C5, near Ortigas Avenue.

Baguio-based band Even wins at #ConverseGetLoud band competition

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Baguio-based band Even gets the crown as the first-ever Converse Get Loud winner among the five semi-pro bands representing the best in the independent rock scene. #ConverseGetLoud song-writing band and musical competition ends last November 9 held at Excess Superclub Quezon City.

For "Get Loud", Even performed their winning piece entitled “Luminary.” Composed of Dyanne Licudine (vocals), Jam Bumanlag (guitars), Coco Saupan (bass) and Dan Allan Acosta (drums), Even from North Luzon is a Baguio-based band that describes their music as “dark and melancholic.” They take pride for their songs for their “well thought-out lyrics woven into heavy chugs and bass, unisoned into drumlines.”

Aside from the honor of being the country’s first “Get Loud” champ, Even take home P150,000 of cash and Converse products. Even also bagged The People’s Choice award.

“After selecting these bands through an exhaustive nationwide search, rallying their supporters through various online initiatives and organizing bar tours to get them revved up for the big day, we are down to the wire and eager to know who will be the chosen one,” says Eli Bonsol, Converse Philippines’ advertising and marketing manager.

“It’s just really a matter of giving an explosive performance on stage and establishing that unique connection with the audience.”

The first and second runner-ups and the two finalists were awarded with P100,000, P60,000 and P40,000 of cash and Converse products respectively.

“Even, Brisom, Kissbone, Bethany and Jad Montenegro are on the verge of making music history,” says Bonsol. “While we see the culmination of this year’s edition of ‘Get Loud,’ the winning band will start on an exciting journey that will offer them a multitude of possibilities.”

Converse Philippines officially launched #ConverseGetLoud band competition last October, with five local bands vying to be hailed as the first “Get Loud” over-all champion.The five bands for the “Get Loud” competition are Even from North Luzon, Brisom from the National Capital Region, Kissbone from South Luzon, Bethany from Visayas and Jad Montenegro from Mindanao.

Brisom, from NCR, is composed of Brian Sombero (vocals and guitar), Jeffrey Castro (drums and beats), Jason Rondero (bass), Tim Abbott (synthesizer and keys) and Terence Teves (guitar). Most of Brisom’s songs are based on Brian’s “soul-changing travels and life-changing realizations,” capturing the sound of soulful indie rock with “straightforward clarity” and “lyrics from the heart.” Their song is entitled “Waking Lives.”

Brisom

Representing South Luzon, Kissbone is composed of Armin Joseph Pepito (guitar and vocals), Justine Sioson (guitar and vocals), Renz Jerome Villanueva (drums), Parker Cataquian (bass) and Allan Paulo Luching (rhythm guitar). Beginning with punk rock to emo-screamo genre during their days at Sienna College Taytay, Kissbone now regularly unleashes hardcore and rock metal music. The band performed their song titled “Distance and Motion.”

Kissbone 

From the Visayas, particularly Cebu, Bethany is composed of Luis Quibranza III (lead vocals and guitar), Angelo Quibranza (lead guitar and vocals), Paolo Miguel Quibranza (drums and vocals) and Kevin Borromeo (bass). The Quibranza siblings immersed themselves into songwriting in 2008 and began performing soon after Kevin’s addition. The band takes pride in their delivery of alternative rock music that has “a lot of curve balls, intense guitar work, smart lyrics and infectious melodies.” Bethany performed the song “Keep Moving On.”

Bethany

Jad Montenegro, from Mindanao, takes its name from its lead vocalist. Completing the band are Dave Ibao (guitar and backing vocals), Eric Luzada (lead guitar), Pjoe Sabanpan (bass) and Carlo Garcia (drums, backing vocals). After performing as a solo acoustic act in Davao, Jad felt the need to expand her musical horizons by forming a band with friends. For “Get Loud,” Jad Montenegro did “The Escapist.”

Jad Montenegro

The Converse Get Loud Philippines was hosted by Carl McFly of K-Lite 103.5FM. Judges for the finals were Francis Reyes, Ebe Dancel, Mark Lacay, John Hendrix, and Dan Mindanao.

For more info , visit www.facebook.com/ConversePhilippines.

Smart, Sun and Globe offer 25 free local and int’l SMS to Eastern Visayas and northern Cebu subscribers

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To help the communities severely affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda, the country’s three mobile phone operators -- Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, and Sun Cellular -- have agreed to provide 25 free SMS per day for five days that may be used for local and international text messages.

The joint offer will be available to subscribers in Tacloban City and the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Leyte, northern Cebu and the Samar.

"This is a time for Filipinos to come together and help our countrymen in their hour of great need. This joint effort will help Smart, Sun Cellular and Talk 'N Text subscribers in the typhoon-struck areas to communicate with their loved ones at home and abroad," said Charles A. Lim, executive vice president of Smart and chief operating officer of Digital Mobile Philippines.

“This free service is open to all Globe Postpaid, Globe Prepaid, and TM subs in these Eastern Visayas provinces. This is the company’s way of giving assistance to our customers who are suffering from the typhoon’s onslaught and who need to reach out to their family and friends in the country and abroad,” said Peter Bithos, Chief Operating Advisor for Globe Consumer Business Group.

The free 25 daily SMS bundles are available from November 13 to 17 and can be used to send text messages across all networks. There is also an allocation for international SMS. It will be pushed automatically to subscribers at the start of each day. Subscribers will receive SMS notifications once the bundles are sent. No registration is required.

The three operators came to this unprecedented agreement in response to the extreme devastation caused by the super typhoon. They are also working to restore their respective services and assist emergency relief activities of the government and humanitarian agencies.

For Globe and TM subscribers, the free service can be availed by texting BangonPinoy to 8888.

Free local and int’l SMS for Smart, Sun and TnT subscribers in Yolanda-stricken areas

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To augment the existing Libreng Tawag services in several typhoon-hit areas in the Visayas, Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is providing free all-network and International SMS bundle to Smart, Sun and Talk ‘N Text subscribers to help them connect with families and loved ones.

The free SMS bundle, comprised of 25 all-net text and three international text messages will automatically be available daily for five days beginning midnight of November 13, 2013 for both postpaid and prepaid subscribers. The service does not require any registration.

The offer is initially available in hard hit areas Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Leyte, Northern Cebu, Palawan and Samar, where an estimated five million subscriber base stand to benefit.

Restoration of network facilities in these areas commenced immediately in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda in order to provide vital communication services to the various institutional partners and local government units involved in coordinating post-disaster response efforts. As of November 12, 82% of the network has been restored.

Libreng Tawag stations continue to operate in the following areas:

·        PNP Headquarters, Tacloban City, Leyte

·        PLDT Office, Jones St., Tacloban City, Leyte

·        DSWD booth, Tacloban City Hall

·        Smart cellsite near VNG Subdivision, Tacloban City, Leyte

·        Municipal Hall, Palo, Leyte

·        Smart Store, Ormoc City, Leyte (with free mobile phone charging)

·        Ormoc City Plaza, Ormoc City, Leyte

·        Ormoc airport, Ormoc City, Leyte

·        Municipal Hall, San Francisco, Camotes Island, Cebu

·        Cebu Cultural Center, Bantayan Island

·        Smart cellsite in Sta.Fe, Bantayan Island (with free mobile phone charging)

·        Madridejos Municipal Hall, Bantayan Island (with free mobile phone charging)

Charging of mobile handset batteries are also being offered for free in the Smart cell site facility in Roxas City, Capiz and in Old Buswang, Kalibo, Aklan.