The ENTREPRENEUR AND FRANCHISE EXPO 2014 #YourStep2Success! was launched at SM Megatrade

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Local and international entrepreneurs and business executives from various industry sectors attended the opening and ribbon-cutting ceremonies of ENTREPRENEUR & FRANCHISE EXPO 2014 at SM Megamall Megatrade Hall, June 27, 2014.

The ENTREPRENEUR AND FRANCHISE EXPO 2014 with the tagline, “Your Step to Success!”, Philippines dedicated event for innovative entrepreneurs and franchise businesses, was officially launched at the Megatrade Hall 1 located at SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City, June 27, 2014.

Mandaluyong City Councilor and Vice Chair for MSME Development Council, honorable CHARISSE ABALOS

Gracing the event was Mandaluyong City Councilor and Vice Chair for MSME Development Council, honorable CHARISSE ABALOS, Young Entrepreneur Society Philippines President, HENRY ONG, Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce of Mandaluyong President, ANDREW ONG, together with 2Go Express AVP for Retail Sales and Marketing JOANNE RAMOS; Globe MyBusiness Business Trade Marketing Manager for Emerging Channels KRISTINE TRAVINO; 

KIAN KAZEMI, President of Persia Grill

celebrity food entrepreneur KIAN KAZEMI, president of Persia Grill; e-Commerce advocate JANETTE TORAL, founder of DigitalFilipino.com; technology entrepreneur JORGE AZURIN, regional director of Freelancer.com; email marketing innovator CHUCK SCHIPPER, director & business development EMEAA @ Benchmark Internet Group, LLC (USA), international networking entrepreneur NILS WALLE, founder of the Freight Summit (Hong Kong); branding and design entrepreneur GILMAR PADUA, founder of Infinity Hub; CHRISTIAN RAEUBER of MediaCom Solutions Inc.; design strategist and brand expert BRIAN TENORIO, founder of KKK Coffee and celebrity entrepreneur and Mercato Centrale co-founder RJ LEDESMA, and many more.

Australian Actress singer lead in 'The Boston' Kitchen Musical, NATALIA MOON.

Organized by the MEDIACOM SOLUTIONS INC., a leading business community building and exhibition and convention organizing company and supported by the Young Entrepreneurs Society and the Filipino International Franchise Association (FIFA), the ENTREPRENEUR & FRANCHISE EXPO 2014, is dedicated to empower over 100 Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) from various business sectors.

The 3-day event features innovative and fast growing businesses, from food, education, retailing, real estate, travel, automobiles, logistics, agriculture, manufacturing, technology and financing those visitors can explore from. The expo also provided seminars on how to build a successful business, from funding, hiring, to finding the perfect business for you, making it the perfect market place for aspiring entrepreneurs and future franchises.

“Over 99% percent of registered businesses in the Philippines are MSMEs according to the DTI, but they combined only contribute to 30% of the National GDP. With the ASEAN integration happening in 2015 with new competition coming in, our vision as the expo organizer is to strengthen local businesses and provide a platform for them to showcase their innovative products and services. We also provide assistance to business owners and executives to network amongst other professionals and stakeholders in order to open opportunities to start new businesses and for local businesses to grow" says MEDIACOM SOLUTIONS INC. President and Entrepreneur and Franchise Expo Founder and Managing Director, David Abrenilla.

Highlight of the opening ceremony was the EFE Awards 2014, recognition of distinguished brands who continue to manifest excellence in the entrepreneurship and franchising industry. Included in the roster of awardees are MALAYAN BANK (Best Bank), ESQUIRE FINANCINGINC. (Best Financing Company), FOREVER RICH (Best Health Company), ELITE NAIL SPA (Best Wellness Company), YSA SKIN CARE (Best Beauty Company), PAMPANGA’S BEST (Best Food Company), GLORIA JEANS COFFEE (Best Beverage Company), BENCHMARK EMAIL (Best Business Solutions), WE SERVE GENERICS PHARMACY (Best Pharmaceutical Company & Medical Company), JETTI PETROLEUM (Best Petroleum Company). SISTERSECRETS.COM (Best New E-commerce Lifestyle Website), UNIOIL, TAPA KING and NACHO KING were awarded as Outstanding Franchising Company of the year for its continuous contribution to the growth and success of franchising in the Philippines. Special recognitions were given to INJOY, GLOBE MYBUSINESS, 2GO EXPRESS for its continuous support and outstanding contributions in the business community. Moreover, PRIVATO HOTEL was recognized as one of the most promising hotels in the Metro for upholding a high standard of excellence in the luxury hotel industry, as well as EC GAS (by EASTERN PETROLEUM) for its excellence in innovating quality and safe business products with its first and only explosion proof LPG Composite Fiberglass Cylinders.

The expo run from June 27-29, 2014 at the Megatrade Hall 1, SM Megamall. Daily seminars  are: “VISION SETTING ON THE ROAD TO ENTREPRENEURSHIP” by celebrity entrepreneur RJ Ledesma; “THE SEE SAW PRINCIPLE IN SELLING” by the sales champ Jonathan Petalver; “DIGITAL MARKETING TIPS” by Gilmar Padua of Infinity Hub; “GOT A QUEZTION ABOUT THE TAXES? ASK THE TAX WHIZ” by Raymond Abrea; and “10 COMMANDMENTS OF A SUCCESSFUL FRANCHISE by multi-awarded franchise developer Rudolf Kotik last Sunday, June 29 from 3pm-5pm.

Coinciding with the expo is the ENTREPRENEUR SUCCESS SUMMIT (ESS) 2014, last Saturday, June 28, 2014 at the Megatrade Function Room, 5th floor, Building B, from 1pm-7pm, ESS is a comprehensive series of talks by 20 entrepreneurs and business innovators who will share their time and secrets to success to empower business owners professionals and aspiring entrepreneurs in starting and growing their businesses and their ideas. The summit feature 5 talking topics: Building a successful Start Up Business, Money Mind 101, Passion4Fashion Entrepreneurship, Building a Food Empire and New Media Marketing.

Exhibiting companies include Injoy by Doxo, Globe MyBusiness, 2Go Express, Benchmark Email Marketing, Gleent Innovations, Uber Technologies, Infinity Hub, Persia Grill, SisterSecrets, Ever Bilena, Yan-Yan International, YSA Skin Care, BN Whitenning Shoppe, Gloria Jeans Coffee, UniOil, Esquire Financing and many more. 

For more information, visit www.efe.ph or call +63.2.509.4792.

More photos click Here.

Looking forward to more Media Solutions Events for 2014.

The award-winning Fil-Am play “Flipzoids” comes home

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The award-winning Fil-Am play “Flipzoids” with outstanding performers Becca Godinez, Ellen D. Williams and Maxwel Corpuz and directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera will be held on July 17, 18 and 19, 2014 at the Music Museum, Greenhills San Juan City.

“Flipzoids” tells the tale of three Filipino Americans who search for connections and a shared reality in Orange County, a place where “better” is always up for debate.

Set on a beach in Southern California, “Flipzoids” is a funny and highly moving story about three Filipino immigrants in America navigating through the shifting landscape of home, desire, loneliness and belonging. The play examines what it means to be an outsider, to be Filipino and/or American, to be a hybrid.

Redford (Maxwel S. Corpuz) a young man who arrived from the Philippines as a child with his parents but now lives very much alone and spends his time in public restrooms in search of relationships to fill a void in his identity. Instead, he finds connection through a chance meeting with Aying, an older Filipina on a beach. It is through Aying that Redford discovers his culture. 

Aying’s daughter, Vangi/Evangelina (Ellen D. Williams) , is a nurse who holds all of American culture in a tight embrace and who diligently memorizes the dictionary to sound smarter - more American. She is in awe of the glamour of upscale shopping malls and wants so badly to blend in…to “melt into the soup,” in an attempt to forget about her past in the Philippines. 

Then there’s her mother, Aying (Becca Godinez), struggles with understanding a daughter to whom she has become an embarrassment. Aying, fresh off the boat and not buying any of it. Aying refuses to relinquish any of the culture and tradition of their homeland. Instead, she becomes a story teller.  She tells stories of her homeland and clings to traditions and rituals that make her feel like she belongs someplace, laughs heartily and cares deeply while imparting bits of wisdom through her folk tales. 

Aying is the link between Vangie and Redford and their shared cultural memory. Together, they search to understand their identity in their new American world.

FLIPZOIDS received its world premiere on October 4, 1996 by Ma-Yi Theater Company, Ralph B. Peña, Artistic Director, Jorge Z. Ortoll, Executive Director. 

Directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, Artistic Director for Playwrights’ Arena in Hollywood, CA. This this lyrical, highly theatrical work is brought to life by a trio of outstanding performers : 

Becca Godinez, Ellen D. Williams and Maxwel Corpuz.

Becca Godinez is a seasoned singer, songwriter, director and actress. Her career has taken her through numerous musical avenues, from country to musical theatre and everything else in between.

Becca has produced several concerts tackling a gamut of responsibilities from director, set and lighting designer, and artist. Her efforts won for her a “Performer of the Year” award bestowed upon her by a committee of Asian/American media, business and entertainment members.

After numerous appearances across countries, Becca ached for rest, anonymity and introspection, and turned away from public life. Once in a while she lent her talent to meaningful projects, but mostly, she remained quiet. Ever the artist though, she was unable to stay away from her need to create and returned to songwriting.

2012 was a comeback year. Becca sang at Dodger Stadium, performed at the Hollywood Bowl and the “Jazzmopolitan” concert held at the Ford Amphitheatre. After a 31 year hiatus, Becca’s portrayal of Aying in “Flipzoids”.

Becca Godinez during the media conference held at the Amici Restaurant, Greenhills San Juan, June 27, 2014 (Photo:myrns@roman))

Becca was cast as the lead in “Flipzoids” a dramedy in Los Angeles for which she gained rave reviews. She auditioned for the role not knowing how she would do since it had been 30 years since her last with Repertory Philippines. Five months after that audition, she received a call to say that she landed the lead and went on to perform the role of Aying, a 72-year old woman of amazing substance. She was onstage at the Los Angeles Theatre Center during the entire month of October in 2012. The bug bit and it bit hard. “I didn’t think that I would ever return to the theatre”, she said. Today, as a result of that 2012 experience onstage, Becca is wearing a new hat – that of theatrical producer. 

On July 17, 18 and 19th, Becca will be producing in Manila, the play, “Flipzoids” at the Music Museum in Greenhills. She is bringing to the stage the original actors and the director from the Los Angeles production. Asked why she chose this as her first project, she said that the award-winning play, written by a FilAm, Ralph B. Pena – is a great story that needs to be seen and experienced by all Filipinos. This is a laugh out loud, cry in pain, know our culture kind of experience and she is honored to produce it. It is her hope that many will come to delight in the experience and enjoy the production.

Becca recognizes that God is the source of all blessings – and she finds true peace in giving back to God what He so bountifully gives to her. Wherever the journey takes her, she is grateful for everything that she has been able to give and to receive. Onward the journey goes.

ELLEN D. WILLIAMS

Originally from Los Angeles, Ellen D. Williams has been seen on both the stage and screen in the US. She is best known for her role as Patrice on the hit TV show HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. 

She was first seen professionally in Boston, Massachusetts with Massachusetts Rep’s MOBY DICK: A WHALE OF A TALE where she worked with world renowned producer, Cameron Mackintosh. Her favorite stage role has been playing Fil-Am character “Ruby” in RUBY, TRAGICALLY ROTUND written by Fil-Am playwright Boni B. Alvarez. For that role she received a Los Angeles Weekly nomination for Best Actress. She also has played Fil-Am character Farrah Legazpi in two other Alvarez plays, DUSTY DE LOS SANTOS and BLOODLETTING. 

Ellen has loved the opportunities to play strong Filipino characters. Other favorite regional roles include IXNAY at East West Players, THE BOOK OF LIZ at The Garage Theatre, THE ENLIGHTENMENT at The Carpenter Center and THROWING RUBIES at the Stella Adler Theatre. She has also toured throughout the Northwest and West Coast regions of the US doing educational theatre with such companies as the GAP Theatre Company and South Coast Rep. 

She is a proud member of the American talent unions – Actors Equity and SAG/AFTRA. 

MAXWEL CORPUZ

Maxwel S. Corpuz plays Redford in the Flipzoids.

Born and raised in agrestic Santa Maria, California, Maxwel Corpuz began performing in the theatre in high school. He later graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Musical Theatre. 

Soon Maxwel found himself performing in large-scale arena industrials such as opening for The Steve Miller Band then opening for EARTH, WIND, and FIRE, both at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. He has also performed in plays and musicals in intimate professional theaters. Roles include Barfee in The 25th Annual…Spelling Bee (NTAC), Thuy in Miss Saigon (Little Theatre), Mrs. Taylor in Batboy (Young Theatre), Man 1/2 in Songs for a New World (GCAC). 

In affiliation with Ensemble Studio Theatre, he spent a summer training with preeminent theatre educators in New York City as a participant in the New York Theatre Intensives. There he learned how to direct and write for the stage while continuing to train in acting. When he left the New York experience, he carried with him his first NYC acting credits and soon after became a published writer. 

Of late, Maxwel has embarked on a new path – one that has taken him towards directing and dance. He led a workshop that he later directed. This new play by Emirick Haro, entitled, “I Am Different” was produced and presented in the Citizen’s Bank Arena in Ontario, CA. His latest project was in affiliation with Broadway Barkada, an organization of Fil-Am theatre professionals in New York City, Maxwel was featured in a dance concert that was performed at the prestigious, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. 

Returning to his role as Redford in FLIPZOIDS, and to be able to perform it in Manila is a dream come true. This will be Maxwel’s first trip to the motherland! Being able to tell this American story with Filipino roots will really hit home.

JON LAWRENCE RIVERA

Jon Lawrence River is the artistic director and co-founder of Playwrights’ Arena in Hollywood, CA.

The Arena is dedicated to discovering, nurturing and producing bold new works for the stage written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights. 

Local playwrights are encouraged to create original, adventurous, daring materials with the intent of challenging the mind, touching the heart and provoking the spirit. New material is developed through several series of readings, workshops and round table discussions.

AWARDED:

“LA NEW PLAY IMPRESARIO OF THE YEAR”

La Stage Times, Dec 2010

“HELEN”

“Rivera’s production swerves…between consequences-of-war pathos and high comedy, usually defaulting to the latter.” - BACK STAGE

“This is the most interesting Getty Villa production since…Aristophanes’ Peace in 2009. Both Peace and Helen had their roots in LA artists, which perhaps helped tailor the material more precisely to LA audiences. Also both of these plays have been seldom seen in other versions. – LA STAGE TIMES.

LINE celebrates Third Anniversary

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LINE and Family Apps Top One Billion Total Downloads Worldwide

LINE, has been a worldwide phenomenon in the last three years, the world’s leading mobile platform, marks its third anniversary, June 23 2014.

It has even more reasons to celebrate as the total number of worldwide downloads for LINE and LINE family apps topped one billion on June 21, 2014.

LINE's growing user base in the Philippines has helped foster this growth. With this momentum, Filipinos can expect more quirky and colorful features to be released by LINE.

“The development of new and exciting stickers and apps is our way of extending our gratitude to the Filipino LINE community,” said Greg Kim, head of LINE Philippines. “The Philippines continues to present great prospects in terms of growth, as it has an increasing number of smartphone users. And considering LINE’s cross compatibility across multiple platforms such as iOS, Android, BlackBerry, Windows, as well as PC, its market in the country is expected to be even bigger.”

Since its beginning as a free mobile messenger app, launched on June 23, 2011, LINE has been continuously evolving its features by adding free calls and stickers in October of the same year. With further addition of video calls and “LINE Premium Call”, a feature that allows users to make domestic and international phone calls to landlines and mobile phones at affordable rates, LINE demonstrates its ceaseless commitment to providing the best communication experience for all users. As LINE celebrates its third anniversary today, the service has grown to hold over 470 million users worldwide.

LINE continues to develop new channels to strengthen relationships among Filipinos and their families.

“There are over 10 million Filipinos residing abroad,” remarked Kim. “And most of them want to stay connected to their families here in the Philippines, and LINE gives them a reliable platform for communication.”

LINE recently added the “LINE Premium Call” app, a helpful service that allows domestic and international calls to landline and mobile phones at reasonable rates.

Kim asserted, “This feature is definitely a breakthrough for us.”

He continued, “The new LINE Premium Call app is ideal for families with loved ones abroad. With our commitment to deliver improved communication experiences to all our users, we aim to introduce more features that make Filipinos feel like their friends and families right next to them.”

With 470 million users worldwide, LINE has asserted itself as a leading mobile ecosystem that provides a wide array of content for users.

The online messaging platform currently offers wide range of add-on services, including LINE Camera, LINE Play, and LINE Game. In addition to LINE app, 14 family apps have achieved over 10 million downloads, with LINE camera boasting the highest number with 90 million downloads. The apps offered through the gaming service LINE GAME are also very popular among users around the world, with LINE POP recording over 43 million downloads, and a total of nine titles breaking the 10 million milestone.

“We will continue to provide fresh and vibrant features for our valued app users,” Kim concluded.

Piolo Pascual's “On The Job” happening this June 29 on Cinema One's Blockbuster Sundays

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The Philippines’ number one movie channel and top cable channel, Cinema One, will be the first to premiere the award-winning crime thriller “On The Job,” happening this Sunday (June 29) during the channel’s Blockbuster Sundays movie block at 8:00pm.

“On The Job,” which was directed by Erik Matti, stars Piolo Pascual, Gerald Anderson, Joel Torre, Joey Marquez, Angel Aquino, Shaina Magdayao, Empress, Leo Martinez, Michael de Mesa, Vivian Velez, and Rayver Cruz in some of their grittiest roles to date.

This stellar cast plays out the story of four men struggling to survive and to make a living for themselves and their loved ones. Two of these four are former prison inmates who are hired as contract killers. One of which is Mario (Joel Torre), otherwise known as “Tatang”. He intends to finally go straight when he is granted his parole. The other is Daniel (Gerald Anderson), a younger inmate and Mario’s apprentice, who is set to replace him as the top hired killer. Their story finds itself interlaced with that of two law enforcers and investigators, Joaquin (Joey Marquez) and Francis (Piolo Pascual), who are tangled in a moral conflict. As the story plays out, the stakes climb—and these two groups, trapped somewhere close to the fine line between good and evil, inevitably collide.

“On The Job” was one of twenty-one selected feature films screened at the Directors’ Fortnight at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France. There, it received a two-minute standing ovation.

The film also became critically acclaimed by both foreign and local film critics.

Senior film critic of Variety, Justin Chang, described “On The Job” as “a steadily engrossing crime thriller” that is well-acted with local flavor. In a review by Film Business Asia, on the other hand, the film was called “a well-packaged, tenebrous crime thriller with a clever idea”.

Catch “On The Job” as it premieres this Sunday (June 29) on the country’s number one movie channel and top cable channel, Cinema One (SkyCable channel 56) during the Blockbuster Sundays movie block at 8:00pm. 

For updates, visit and like Cinema One’s official Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Cinema1Channel).

JDI’s state-of-the art products, solutions exhibited at CONEX

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Solignum total termite protection from Jardine ensures that a house remains free of termites and terrible damage. Scale model was used to illustrate this at the United Architects of the PHilippines(CONEX) event.

Jardine Distribution, Inc.’s (JDI) very effective, safe, and conveniently applied products and solutions were showcased at the United Architects of the Philippines Convention (CONEX) held at the SMX Convention Center last April 10 to 12, 2014.

Peachy Tiu, Marketing Manager of JDI said that “this exhibition features only the most state-of-the-art products and technologies related to home construction, protection, and maintenance. That Jardine products were included speaks well of how advanced our products and solutions are, and how effective they are in delivering their benefits to homeowners.”

Solignum provides total protection against termites through an array of products that protect the interior and exterior wood portions of one's home, as well as wooden furniture. Solignum also has soil termiticides that, when mixed with the soil around the house, creates a barrier against underground termites. This total system was featured in the United Architects of the PHilippines(CONEX) event.

Tiu also revealed that homeowners can now get useful advice about termites, waterproofing, and home pest control through a convenient hotline number.

All that a homeowner has to do is contact the Engr. Lunas Hotline at (0920) 910-ANAY (2629). The hotline also provides information on the nearest hardware store or DIY shop where Jardine products and solutions are available

Sureseal waterproofing products were featured at the recently held United Architects of the PHilippines(CONEX)event. Sureseal products offer protection against leaks in GI roofing, pvc pipes, gutters, and downspouts. It has strong adhesion and bonding properties to seal cracks and has an elastic formulation to prevent cracking.

“We are providing this hotline to give homeowners a ready answer to urgent needs in their household. A termite infestation endangers a family’s safety and the investment made in one’s home. Home pests like mice and mosquitoes, as well as roaches and rats, endanger a family’s health. 

“Waterproofing also protects both one’s house and the health of loved ones—this is because leaks may potentially damage parts of one’s home and let in moisture that encourage the growth of germs and mosquitoes,” explained Nancy DG Pereyras, JDI Product Manager.

Super Thoroughseal was exhibited at the United Architects of the PHilippines(CONEX)event to showcase its quality and reliability when it comes to waterproofing firewalls, basements, toilets and bath, concrete water tanks, and even  fish ponds, swimming pools, and roofdecks. It is safe and not-toxic.

Sureseal Elastomeric Sealant by Jardine is best used to seal up cracks in GI roofing, pvc pipes, gutters and downspouts now during  the summer season. Doing so by the time the rains come is impractical and inconvenient. Superseal was among the Jardine products featured at the United Architects of the PHilippines(CONEX)event.

Engineer Lunas mascott of Jardine Distribution at the United Architects of the PHilippines(CONEX)event. Jardine Distribution launched its dedicated hotline for homeowners to call to seek advice about problems related to termites, home pests (ants, mice, rats, and roches) as well as waterproofing needs.

The Jardine Distribution booth at the United Architects of the PHilippines(CONEX) event showcased the high-tech, world-class quality products for total termite protection, waterproofing, and home pest control (for ants, mice, rats, and roaches.) CONEX only features products that have proven quality, reliability, and effectiveness.
For more information, you may visit the website: www.jardinedistribution.com.