Stakeholders unite to boost Philippine tennis

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Randy Villanueva, acting PhilTA President organized the Philippine Tennis Summit and gathers key stakeholders in effort to make a world class tennis association for the Philippines. Organizers, sponsors and regional tennis officials attended the recent Philippine Tennis Summit where they all agreed to reorganize the sport that has been in doldrums for several years.

The Philippine Tennis Summit aims to discuss the present state of the industry and identified action plans towards its improvement and to Promoting reform in Philippine tennis.

Held at Makati Sports Club last September 6, stakeholders, including tennis coaches, players, parents, sponsors, regional representatives and PhilTA officials, among others, along with members of the media issues on Philippine tennis were brought forth.

Villanueva presented the current state of Philippine tennis, citing the need to improve the country’s standing in international competitions, increase the number of tennis players in the country, and attract them to become members of the national tennis association that represents the International Tennis Federation in the Philippines, among others.

Villanueva laid down the plans for Philippine tennis, identifying a strategy that starts with changes within the existing organization, followed by milestones that will create funding and resources, enable extensive training programs, and make way for a consistent supply of high-caliber Filipino tennis players before reaching the ultimate goal of becoming a world-class tennis association.

To consider the vision of becoming a world-class tennis association, Villanueva said that the country should have at least two Olympians, at least two players in the top 100 of the ATP & WTA rankings, four junior players in the Top 100 of the ITF boys’ and girls’ categories, qualify for the Fed Cup World Group, and qualify for the Davis Cup World, all by 2024. 

He stressed that to be able to achieve all of these, there’s a need to augment the current set-up of the current national tennis association to make way for positive changes specifically in making Philippine tennis inclusive to many. This will pave the way for more active memberships from tennis players, increase in pool of talents, and make the association more sustainable in terms of funding.

“There’s really a need to amend the organization if we are to become a world-class association. The association right now is being run by just 12 people who do not represent any Philippine tennis stakeholders, region or clubs. I think it’s very important that we make it more inclusive to everyone and encourage more participation from the whole Philippine tennis community,” said Villanueva.

One of those elated to hear Villanueva’s vision for Philippine tennis is sports patron and PhilTA chairman of the board, Jean Henri Lhuillier.

“It’s refreshing to have this Philippine Tennis Summit and hear the great plans of Villanueva to move forward Philippine tennis. As always, I’ll be here to support in whatever capacity I can to bring to fruition PhilTA’s plans,” said Lhuillier.

During the summit, Villanueva also advised that he initiated the event in an effort to uplift Philippine tennis and clarifies that he does not have any plans to gun for the presidency in the organization’s next election and is just happy to be able to lay down the work for whoever will succeed him.

TOFARM captures lives of Farmers through Music

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After successfully putting the spotlight on the lives of the Filipino Farmers at the ToFarm Film Festival, Universal Harvester continues its advocacy of recognizing the inspirational stories of the agricultural sector with the first ToFarm Songwriting Competition.

“What started out as a program to give recognition to the hardworking farmers has now evolved to different layers that form our main advocacy for agriculture," says Dr. Milagros How, Executive Vice President of Universal Harvester lnc.

“ToFarm was first crafted as a program to help award those in the agricultural sector whose hands and feet, hearts and minds have been dedicated to provide bountiful feast for the whole nation. But then we thought it would be more meaningful if the much needed call to recognition for this industry is extended to the public,” she adds. 

This is an opportunity that Dr. Milagros How, Executive Vice President of Universal Harvester lnc. took advantage of as she continues her quest to creating awareness and recognition for her advocacy in the agricultural sector. To find a voice through song and to use music to gain recognition for our hardworking farmers and other workers in the similar sector this is the mission of the first TOFARM Songwriting Competition.

The TOFARM Film Festival last year where six stories highlighting the tribulations and triumphs of our farmers and similar workers in the sector were made, Universal Harvester Inc. now ventures into another medium to give more hype and meaning to their push for agricultural revolution.

“The TOFARM Film Festival, we harnessed the power of the cinematic arts to present the lives of our dear farmers and kababayans in the agricultural sector. Now, we are utilizing another field of art, which is music. Music is a universal language and we Pinoy are musical people. Filipinos are born with an innate talent in music. Our music are written from the heart in both lyrics and tune as we portray lives and everyday experiences through songs. Our songs contain and express our ambitions, dreams, emotions, frustrations, struggles and successes. With the musical compositions that we will harvest in the first TOFARM Songwriting Competition, we hope to discover musical wonders that would highlight the diligence, hard work, perseverance, resilience, tenacity and optimism of our farmers” - Dr. How explains in front of media at the launch event held at the Edsa Shangrila Hotel.

The opening of the Songwriting Festival was held last September 10, 2016 at the Mactan Function Room of the EDSA Shangri-la Hotel. 

Heading the announcement during the launch are Dr. Milagros How, Executive Vice President of Universal Harvester lnc., Project Director Rommel Cunanan, with Luchie Roque, Trustee and former Program Director, National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA), Jed Balsamo, resident music director of Ballet Philippines, Olivier Ochanine, former music director and conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) and members of media present during the launch.

Guided by its theme, “Planting the seeds of change,” the First TOFARM Songwriting Competition is open to all Filipino amateur and professional songwriters. 

Different song genres are encouraged and suggested, but not limited to:

• Folk/Acoustic
• Rock
• Jazz
• R&B
• Country
• Pop
• Inspirational
• Fusion

The following requirements must be submitted on or before NOVEMBER 18, 2016: 

• Duly accomplished Application Form
• Copy of a valid ID with specimen signature of the applicant (including co-applicants, if collaboration) indicated thereon
• Song Entry in mp3 format labelled with the title and the contestant’s name or pseudonym directly on the CD 
• Lyric sheet (in English/or in any Filipino language Pilipino line-by-line translation, if applicable) two (2) hard copies and one (1) copy in pdf file in the Song Entry CD

Criteria in choosing the song entries are quality of composition, lyrics and its originality.

Nine (9) Finalists will be chosen by the TOFARM Listening Committee. Results shall be announced on DECEMBER 5, 2016 through print media and website announcements. Each of the nine (9) finalists will receive a certificate and P40,000.

From the finalists, a grand prize winner, 1st runner up, second runner up and the People’s Choice will be chosen during a special live concert happening on February, 2017.

Aside from the trophies, the grand winner will receive P300,000 cash; the first runner up, P200,000 cash and the second runner up P100,000. The People’s Choice award will also receive P75,000.

Entries may be sent via courier or postal mail to: TOFARM SONGWRiTlNG COMPETiTiON, TOFARM Secretariat 10th Floor, Harvester Corporate Center, 158 P. Tuazon St. corner 7th Street, Cubao, 1109 Philippines or via email tofarmmusic@gmail.com

Filipina Singer Ivy Grace Paredes Gets All The Yeses She Needs From The X Factor UK Judges

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Ivy Grace Paredes, 33, from the Philippines, impressed all four judges of The X Factor UK with her rendition of Whitney Houston’s All The Man I Need on the sixth episode of the show today.

On camera before she belted out her version of the hit song, she said that she was inspired to join the competition after seeing 4th Impact on the show last year. “If they can make it, I can make it, too.” She said that she wasn’t getting any younger but that she could still be on The X Factor UK stage.

After her powerful performance Simon Cowell reacted, "Oh my God! What just happened there?!"

"She just sang our faces off, pretty much, that's what happened," replied Nicole Scherzinger.

Louis Walsh said that her audition was amazing to which Simon said it was more than amazing and thought the second half was incredible. 

“Everybody comes in here saying ‘I want it so bad, am fighting for it’ but that, right there, is wanting it and fighting for it,” said Nicole. Louis said she was sensational and thought she was a little diva. Sharon Osbourne said that Ivy Grace did herself proud. 

A native of Malaybalay, Bukidon, Ivy Grace tearfully said that she chose to join The X Factor UK because of her daughter.

"For me, I believe this is the biggest competition and I want to be a part of it. (The) X Factor (UK) can give me the stepping stones I need to do good in the future because this is all for my daughter." Her daughter is 2 ½ years old and is under the care of her parents in the Philippines.

Ivy Grace Paredes moves on to the next round of The X Factor UK. 

The X Factor UK airs first and exclusive on RTL CBS Entertainment same day as the UK on Sundays and Mondays at 10:30am with primetime encores Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays at 9:00pm. 

RTL CBS Entertainment is available on SkyCable channels 53(SD) and 196(HD), Destiny Cable channel 53, Dream Satellite channel 17 and Cablelink channels 37(SD), 313 and 800(HD).

The band you know. The story you don’t. Watch The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years

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The band you know. The story you don’t.  In 1962, four friends changed the world. 

To celebrate the release of new Beatles film ‘Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years’, Academy Award winning director, Ron Howard presents 'The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years', the highly anticipated documentary feature film about The Beatles’ phenomenal early career.

It will be featuring rare and unseen footage when they toured and captured the world’s acclaim. Watch the drama and history of the famous group - John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr.

Ron Howard’s authorized and highly anticipated documentary feature film about The Beatles’ phenomenal early career is set for a global theatrical release on September 2016.

The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years' , is based on the first part of The Beatles’ career (1962-1966) – the period in which they toured and captured the world’s acclaim. It will explore the band’s inner workings – how they made decisions, created their music and built their collective career together – all the while, exploring The Beatles’ extraordinary and unique musical gifts and their remarkable, complementary personalities. It will focus on the time period from the early Beatles’ journey in the days of The Cavern Club in Liverpool to their last concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco in 1966.

We all know the moment. February 9th, 1964, 8:12pm EST – after a brief commercial break, four young men from Liverpool step onto the Ed Sullivan stage, changing culture forever.

Seventy-three million people watched The Beatles perform that night, the largest audience in television history. It was an event that united a nation and signaled the birth of youth culture as we know it today. But while this single performance introduced The Beatles to America, what the band did next would introduce them to the entire world, permanently transforming the music industry and forever engraining them into the fabric of popular culture...

They went on tour.

By the time the band quit touring in August of 1966, they had performed 166 concerts in 15 countries and 90 cities around the world. The cultural phenomenon their touring helped create, known as "Beatlemania," was something the world had never seen before and, arguably, hasn't since. It was the first time much of the world felt truly unified – bound by aspiration and attitude, rather than divided by race, class, religion or nationality.

THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK - THE TOURING YEARS will tell the story of the band's exceptional touring years – from the perspectives of the band, its world, the fans, and their world. It will examine the impact of those years on each of The Beatles – the toll that touring took on their relationships and the effect it had on their musical evolution, as well as the colossal boost the tours gave to their lifestyle and fame. But while the band created the spark, it was young people around the world who created the firestorm. The film will also explore the incomparable electricity between performer and audience that turned the music into a movement – a common experience into something sublime.

Visit :

YouTube: http://bit.ly/TheBeatlesEightDaysAWeekTeaser

FULL TRAILER in YouTube: https://youtu.be/54fmdNnKQvU

Official Website http://thebeatleseightdaysaweek.com/

Official Beatles website: www.thebeatles.com

Official Twitter handle: @thebeatles

Facebook: facebook.com/thebeatles

YouTube: youtube.com/thebeatles

Official Hashtags: #TheBeatlesEightDaysAWeek, #TheBeatles

Amaia offers fully furnished units at Skies Sta. Mesa

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CLC executives and Amaia (From L-R) CLCMV Business Development Head Fernando Pahati, CLCMV Vice President for Sales and Marketing Charles Lester Ching, CLCMV COO Charles Lincoln Ching, Amaia Project Development Head for Luzon Projects Joel Punzalan, and Amaia Project Development Manager for Metro Manila Projects Raizel Matibag were present during the contract signing last May 17. 

Amaia Land recently partnered with CLC Marketing Ventures (CLCMV) to offer fully furnished units at Skies Sta, Mesa, making the moving-in process more convenient and hassle-free for homeowners who do not have a lot of time in their hands. 

“These contemporary units are ideal for investors who plan to lease out homes—a very strategic income source,” Joel C. Punzalan, Project Development Head for Luzon Projects said. He also emphasized that the undertaking with CLCMV addresses the needs of clients who put a premium on time and mobility, like young professionals and newly-married couples who want a fresh start.

Amaia partners with CLCMV to offer fully-furnished homes to homeowners, assuring affordability and quality. CLCMV is well-known here and abroad for its furniture products and indoor and outdoor furnishings. 

Amaia Land asserts that its fully furnished homes are noted for both quality and affordability and that customers’ satisfaction remains the company’s main consideration. Model units may now be viewed at Amaia Skies Sta. Mesa.

Adhering to functional and contemporary design aesthetic, the fully furnished units come in either space saver or student pod options. Space saver units best suit start-up families and newly-weds, while student pod is ideal for college students who would want to live close to their schools to avoid having to hurdle the metro’s traffic. These ready-for-occupancy units feature amenities such as bed, toilet and bath and kitchen. 

The convenience offered by the fully furnished units is complemented by the building’s top-of-the-line features and amenities, such as retail outlets at the ground floor, multi-purpose halls, swimming pool, children’s play area, landscape gardens, CCTV, 24-hour security, and many more. 

The contract signing between Amaia Land and CLC Marketing Ventures which was held on May 17 at the was attended by Amaia and CLC executives, namely Amaia North GEO Head Joel Punzalan, Amaia North PD Manager Raizel Matibag, CLC’s Vice President for Sales and Marketing Charles Lincoln Ching, Chief Operating Officer Charles Lester Ching, and Business Development Head Fernando Pahati.

CLC manufactures and markets a wide variety of furniture products from home decors and interior architecture to hotel and other establishments’ indoor and outdoor furnishings. It has gained prominence here and abroad, having provided upscale Asian markets, most especially Japan, with high-quality and affordable products. 

For inquiries about Amaia properties, visit www.amaialand.com or www.facebook.com/AmaiaLand.