DepEd Statement on Teacher Hiring

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In response to Senator Ralph Recto’s conclusions on the Department of Education’s (DepEd) teacher hiring as carried by the Manila Bulletin last July 19, 2015, DepEd stresses that we have adjusted and improved the qualifications in hiring teachers in public schools to ensure the quality of education in the country. In the last four years, DepEd was able to fast track its hiring process: with an average of three months (May to July) hiring period now compared to an average of 14 months before. With over 128,000 teachers hired from 2010 to 2014, records show that DepEd has an average of 95% filling up rate in the past five years.

With the improved hiring policy, the Department has faced a number of challenges such as lack of qualified applicants in several divisions. DepEd was able to address this through DO 22, s. 2015 (Hiring Guidelines for the Remaining Teaching Positions effective School Year 2015-2016) which aims to augment the need for qualified applicants in divisions with high teacher needs.

DepEd clarifies that the remaining 1,778 unfilled items for 2014 in DepEd ARMM will be filled with teachers while the said region continues to revamp its hiring process. DepEd assures the public that the hiring of the 39,066 teachers this year is ongoing and is in accordance to the guidelines set by the Department. Of these items, 32,730 teacher items have been approved by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and are ready for filling up. Through the streamlined processes and standards, DepEd guarantees the continued delivery of quality education through the hiring of qualified teachers for public schools nationwide.

Official sewing machine Brother brings out Filipinos’ world-class creativity anew in Project Runway S4

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The sewing room of Project Runway Philippines, the local adaptation of the US reality television series, is once more abuzz with activities as a new batch of up-and-coming designers from all over the country competes to become the next big Filipino fashion designer.

What better way to power up the fashion designing competition than to have Brother’s top-of-the-line sewing machines “run” the show. A trusted Japanese global brand with commitment to quality, Brother has the most extensive sewing machine ranges in the market consisting of innovative, easy-to-use, high-quality, feature-rich products designed to meet the needs of every sewing enthusiast or entrepreneur.

Brother’s NV55P Sewing Machine can be seen in Project Runway Season 4

As Project Runway’s official sewing machine, Brother provides the sewing machines used by the contestants not just in the Philippines but also in other countries where the show has local versions. Brother is also sponsoring the additional Php250,000 cash prize of the winner.

Brother Philippines President Glenn P. Hocson said, “Brother Philippines has supported Project Runway Philippines since Season 1, and we are happy to again be a part of this show which encourages Filipinos to come up with world-class designs. We always believe in Filipino ingenuity and creativity, and it’s been our pride and joy to empower Filipinos to maximize their creative potentials with the Brother sewing machine.”

Added Hocson, “Each sewing machine model is designed with the goal of encouraging users to be more creative and have fun while creating their masterpieces.”

Contestants are using the Brother NV-55P touchpad enabled (computerized) sewing machine, which will enable contestants to sew, quilt and do decoration stitches. The perfect sewing solution, NV-55P is packed with numerous features such as 135 built-in stitches, including 10 buttonholes which you can conveniently access from the touchpad. What’s more, the built-in lettering allows you to personalize different stitch patterns to create labels or monogrammes.

For edging, Brother also provides the show with the Brother M3034D easy-to-use home overlocker with multiple features. It allows users to professionally sew seams, trim excess fabric and over lock raw edges all in one time-saving step. It features three or four thread cut-and-sew overlock sticks, easy to follow threading, and a fast and simple lower looper threading system. It also has a free-arm or flat bed convertible sewing surface to make work a lot easier.

Notably, Brother’s reliable and award-winning products also include printing and imaging solutions, label-makers and their respective consumables.

Supermodel and fashion icon Tweetie De Leon-Gonzalez is host and judge of the fourth season of the show. One of Philippine fashion’s respected designers Rajo Laurel returns to the judges’ seat, alongside top fashion model and lifestyle writer Apples Aberin and runway mentor Jojie Lloren.

Produced by Solar Entertainment Group, Project Runway Philippines Season 4 airs every Sunday at 8 pm on ETC. 

OLX promotes the classifieds lifestyle to more Filipinos

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OLX Philippines, the country’s leading buy and sell platform, announced it is now focusing on leveling the online classified ads landscape to provide users with equal buying and selling opportunities. One year after its rebranding, OLX continuing making it easier for more Filipinos to experience online buying and selling.

RJ David, Managing Director of OLX Philippines

Reaching out to more Filipinos

Shortly after its rebranding, OLX established an office in Cebu to reach out to more users in the Visayas and Mindanao regions. Earlier this year, it also merged with another classified ads platform. Through these adjustments, OLX continues to expand its reach and make online buying and selling accessible to more Filipinos. 

“With the level of reach that OLX is attaining, we want to continue making it easier for more Filipinos to experience online buying and selling -- from the occasional sellers who are selling stuff for the first time to street-smart buyers who maintain a practical lifestyle,” says RJ David, Managing Director of OLX Philippines.

Photo: https://instagram.com/p/5L0jaaMJUo/ (IG:msmyrnz)

Enhanced user experience

OLX has implemented several product changes to make the experience more pleasant for their users. For instance, the platform is now highly optimized as the loading time of pages has sped up by as much as 70%. The sell form has also been simplified, allowing users to accomplish more in less time, such as selecting specific location for targeted queries and choosing item categories faster through the auto-suggest feature.

To keep the online buy and sell community vibrant, each ad comes with an improved report button that users can simply click in case they find suspicious ads. This is then directly sent to the OLX Support Team for investigation.

OLX has also removed its feedback system and reduced the number of free ad slots. “Implementing a limit to the number of free ad slots and removing the feedback system give us more quality ads and an equal selling opportunity to all types of sellers. At this point, our focus is to spread the buyer leads to as many sellers as possible,” explains David. Removing the feedback tool has increased the number of sellers getting buyer inquiries by 17% from 51,000 to 60,000 and the implementation of the paid limits has also resulted to a 38% jump from 43,000 to 60,000.

Amidst the changes, OLX remains to be a FREE online classified ads platform where all OLX sellers can still post items at no charge. Paying for additional ad slots is just an option since you can either delete items that have already been sold or remove inactive ads.

Making smarter choices

Steering towards helping their users become active advocates of the classifieds lifestyle, OLX has also introduced their newest content platform, OLX Yaman. This is where they can get first-hand information and insightful tips about online buying and selling. It will also be featuring user stories and lifestyle articles that cover various topics such as cars, real estate, travel, fashion, and tech. Users can already browse OLX Yaman through www.yaman.olx.ph.

Ultimately, all these changes contribute to the company’s higher purpose of providing an opportunity for users to make smart and practical choices that can lead to an improved life.

Photos: Arts & Travel Magazine

Get ready for the Material Girl! Madonna’s Concert in Manila on February 2016

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Madonna in Manila to hold Rebel Heart concert in Manila on February 2016. Music Management International presents Rebel Heart World Tour MADONNA LIVE IN MANILA on February 24, 2016, 8:00pm at the Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City. 

MMI Live has confirmed the news on Twitter. Madonna will perform February 24, 2016, at the MOA Arena. Months back, Madonna announced her Rebel Heart tour which will start in the US and Canada this September.

Madonna will visit Manila for the first time as part of her Rebel Heart World Tour. Queen of Pop Madonna’s Manila concert has been set for two nights on the last week of February at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.

Madonna is best known for numerous timeless hits such as “Like a Virgin,” “Papa Don’t Preach,” “Like a Prayer,” and “Vogue.” 

Well known for her ever-evolving musical styles and looks, Madonna, during her colorful career spanning over three decades, the seven-time Grammy Award-winner has sold more than 300 million records worldwide. 

Madonna marked a new world record by becoming the only artist to have 45 No. 1 songs on any chart in Billboard history.

Madonna holds the title of being the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she is the best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century and the second best-selling female artist in the United States, with 64.5 million certified albums. Billboard ranked her at number two, behind only The Beatles, on the Billboard Hot 100 All-Time.

The song is part of Madonna's latest album Rebel Heart.

Under her new album last March 2015, Madonna released her 14-track album Rebel Heart that contained hit singles, “Living for Love,” “Ghosttown” and “Bitch, I’m Madonna”,with a new video "Bitch I'm Madonna" which featured stars like Nicki Minaj, Beyonce, Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry.

The 56-year-old pop superstar will kick off The Rebel Heart World Tour in Montreal, Canada this September. 

Tickets to the Rebel Heart concert in the Philippines will be available at SM Tickets starting July 26, 2015.

First time in the Philippines! #‎MADONNAinManila concert at MOA Arena in 2016 and the VIP tickets starts at P50,000.

Tickets will be available starting July 26, 2015 at SM Tickets outlets and online www.smtickets.com. Call 470-2222 for inquiries.

LINKS

http://www.madonna.com/

http://livenation.com/

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Text REBELHEART<space>MNL to 8888 for your Pre-Sale access. First come, first served. Limited slots only: http://www.globe.com.ph/rebelheart

*July 24, 2015 10:00 AM-5:00 PM - Globe Platinum, and Globe Business and Globe myBusiness preferred clients

July 24 2015 12:00 NN-5:00 PM - Globe Postpaid, Globe Prepaid, TM, Globe Business and Globe myBusiness

Chef’s Noodle opens its latest branch at Ayala Terraces

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Craving for Korean Cuisine?  Chef’s Noodle opens its latest branch north of the metro!

Enticing foodies of all ages in Fairview and nearby locations, Korean favorite Chef’s Noodle is happy to open another branch, this time at the Ayala Terraces. 

Known for its delectable yet reasonably priced selection of Korean fare, Chef’s Noodle Philippines is a proud master franchise of the very popular Chef’s Noodle chain of restaurants in Korea.

While the fast casual restaurant is focused on bringing authentic Korean fare to the Philippines, Chef’s Noodle is able to differentiate itself from other Korean restaurants in the country by offering unique dining options that lean towards Korean fusion. 

The restaurant’s more adventurous take on food is something that keeps guests exciting and wanting more as the menu – which offers both Korean fusion and traditional Korean dishes; was developed by award-winning Korean celebrity chef Choi in Sun. 

Some notable menu items include, the restaurant’s specialty, the Starking Fire Sushi (choice of Australian beef, shrimp or tuna), Bulgogi Kimbap, Leek and Shrimp Twigim, Seafood Pajun, Bibimbap, Ddukbokki Carbonara, Curry Dupbap, Kas Basket, Spicy Pork Dupbap, the house special, Chef’s Noodle, as well as special desserts that are unique to Chef’s Noodle Philippines.

Guests included friends from the media as well as VIPs such as MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, Carlo Orosa, Arnold Vegafria, and of course, Chef’s Noodle Philippines endorser Sam Concepcion. 

The interiors of the new branch continue to be fresh and vibrant, carrying K-Pop inspirations, evoking a cozier dining atmosphere. Guests were happy to take their seat as they eagerly await the delectable dishes that were prepared especially for them at the Chef’s Noodle Ayala Terraces opening. 

It was truly an afternoon of merrymaking and bonding over great food as this delicious Korean import is set to make the Ayala Terraces dining scene even more exciting with its wonderful selection of dishes that are perfect for young and old.

Visit its branches at Robinsons Magnolia (656-7033) SM North EDSA The Block (376-5367), Robinsons Place Malolos (0917-548-6187) and Ayala Fairview Terraces (364-8878)

Check out Chef’s Noodle’s website, www.chefsnoodlephils.com and its Facebook account www.facebook.com/chefsnoodlephils for more details. Open for franchising.