Bangkarera 2017 celebrates the value of sustainable Philippine seas

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The coastal city of Dumaguete was the site of the 2nd Pioneer National Bangkarera, as part of Republic Chemical Industries, Inc. (RCI)’s 60th anniversary celebration. From May 12 to May 14, 2017, thousands gathered along the city’s main thoroughfare, Rizal Boulevard, to catch the action as 40 teams of fishing boats made up of 144 entries from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao braved the challenging waters to register impressive times.  

The competition had four categories: the 16HP (Open Category), 7HP (Open Category), 7HP (Angat Sa Dagat Category) and the Paddle Boat (Open Category). 

John Spakowski II, RCI Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, said that they were “inspired about helping people with the way they do their living and at the same time use our products to protect and preserve the environment”. 

Republic Chemical Industries is the maker of Pioneer Epoxy bonds, paints and sealants. The race celebrates fishing as a dignified source of livelihood as well as display the high quality of Pioneer adhesives--the preferred brand of the fishermen-participants.

OCEAN CONSERVATION EFFORTS

As part of the festivities, Pioneer Adhesives Foundation, Inc. (PAFI), led by Executive Director Martina Spakowski, collaborated with the Siliman University Marine Labs to conduct the Reef Fix project in Dumaguete.

The Reef Fix project is part of “Our Earth, Our Responsibility”, PAFI’s environmental campaign that responds to the growing harmful effects of global warming on our environment. During the Reef Fix project in Dumaguete, 10 volunteer divers participated and dove into the sea of Siliman Beach to remove the damaging Drupella and Coralliophilia from the coral reef.

The project has also initiated activities to repair 4,600 corals as part of sustained efforts to protect marine sanctuaries in Puerto Princesa, Boracay, Alaminos and Dumaguete City to improve fish catch. Some 11,200 mangroves were also planted by about 1,815 volunteers.

RACE RESULTS

Teams from the Visayas and the host island of Negros dominated the score boards. Below are the final race results:

16HP (Open Category) 

Champion: Team Pirata of Iligan City (P110,000) 

2nd Place: Team Aranicole of Bulacan (P80,000)

3rd Place: Team Boracay (P50,000)

7HP (Open Category) 

Champion: Team Black Manta of Negros Occidental (P60,000) 

2nd Place: Team Overtime of Cebu (P30,000)

3rd Place: Team Cebu (P20,000)

7HP (Angat Sa Dagat Category) 

Champion: Team Cebu (P60,000)

2nd Place: Team Tamztroopers of Dipolog City (P30,000)

3rd Place: Manful Racing Team of Negros Occidental (P20,000)

Paddle Boat (Open Category)

Champion: Team Tamztroopers of Dipolog City (P30,000)

2nd Place: Poblacion Sibulan Team of Negros Occidental (P15,000) 

3rd Place: Zamboanguita Team of Negros Occidental (P10,000)

About RCI

Over the course of more than half a century, Republic Chemical Industries, Inc. (RCI) has established a reputation for trusted products and initiatives that help and support local communities in the Philippines.

New Excitements in Vertis North Quezon City: Leading Hotel Chain and the First Millennial Mall in the Philippines

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Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) brings two essentials to the Quezon City central business district, with newly opened projects—Seda Vertis North and Ayala Malls Vertis North, within its 30-hectare mastreplanned, mixed-use estate, Vertis North.

Two destinations essential to take the quality of life a notch higher in a city that’s already progressive—one that offers seamless hospitality at par with global standards and another that delivers a hip lifestyle experience that can make people feel more alive. 

Executives from the Ayala Land group provided an exclusive sneak peek on this newest estate through the launch of its first phase - Seda Vertis North & Ayala Malls Vertis North during the Estate Media Briefing held on June 21, 2017, at the Quezon 1 ballroom of Seda Hotel, Vertis North.

The developer of sustainable estates envisions Vertis North as turns 45 hectares of vast land in northern Metro Manila into a master planned, mixed-use, and sustainable development that nurtures, inspires, and energizes enterprise. It is a dynamic engine for growth that offers a diverse mix of retail, office, residential, hotel, and entertainment facilities. 

“As an enterprising city, Vertis North will be the home of Seda Vertis North and Ayala Malls Vertis North to fulfill the promise of developing a regional gateway to the north and a growth accelerator for every scale of business, among other things.” Jay Teodoro Head of Vertis North Estate .

Seda Vertis North features a total of 438 guestrooms, ranging from deluxe room, club room, suite and presidential suite. 

Ayala Malls Vertis, which caters to the millennial market, offers a total gross leasable area of 40,249 square meters.

The addition of the hotel and mall in the estate is a welcome complement to the rising residential towers in the area by ALI brands Alveo and Avida. 

“As an enterprising city, Vertis North will be the home of Seda Vertis North and Ayala Malls Vertis North to fulfill the promise of developing a regional gateway to the north and a growth accelerator for every scale of business, among other things.” According to, Jay Teodoro Head of Vertis North Estate.

Seda Vertis North: 

A Seamless Hotel Experience in Quezon City

Taking hospitality to new heights for the northern community, ALI introduces Seda Vertis North, the largest of its homegrown chain of hotels. 

Designed to be the hotel of choice in Quezon City, Seda Vertis North is a 24-story hotel development that features upscale facilities for business, leisure and social events. Combined with warm service following global standards of hospitality, it appeals to discerning foreign and local business and leisure travelers. 

“Seda Vertis North is thoughtfully designed and conceptualized to weave destination, service, and value into an exceptional hospitality experience that complements the district’s active atmosphere,” says Al Legaspi President and CEO of Ayala Hotels and Resorts Corp.

Being at the center of convergence, Seda Vertis North just a few steps away from lifestyle shopping malls such as Ayala Malls Vertis North and TriNoma. 

All of its 438 guestrooms, ranging from deluxe room, club room, premier room, suite, and presidential suite, are designed to provide the utmost hospitality and service guests deserve. Guests traveling for business or leisure can find everything they need to enjoy their stay with in-room amenities that include a 42-inch LED HDTV with cable channelsa complimentary WiFi and internet access, and a mini-bar, among others. 

A wide selection of gastronomic experiences will delight those with a penchant for good food. Among these are Misto, an all-day dining restaurant that offers a medley of international dishes and local favorites, a Chinese restaurant that serves universal favorites as well as signature specialties, and a rooftop bar that features a spectacular view of the city’s skyline. 

Other facilities and services include airport and city transfers, ballroom and meeting rooms, clinic, club lounge, gym, lifestyle manager assistance, parking, spa, swimming pool, valet and more.

Ayala Malls Vertis North introduces country’s first millenial mall

Leisure enhances people’s quality of life. Thus, ALI ensures that the pleasures of recreation and entertainment will make the community of Quezon City feel much more alive with Ayala Malls Vertis North.

“We’re proud to say that the Ayala Malls Vertis North is the first millennial shopping complex. It’s a hip-lifestyle community center designed for the northern community that is free-spirited, wired, and socially active,” explains Rowena Tomeldan Head of Ayala Malls. “It is a place of ultimate leisure and entertainment that fuses advanced technology with art and passion to create a series of exciting innovations.”

Since Ayala Malls Vertis North is positioned to be the trendsetter for modern fashion, food, and fun in Quezon City, new mall and shopping experiences are expected to happen here. These are done by introducing a mix of uniquely conceptualized anchors—Japan Town, Korean Town, and Urban Turf.

Mall-goers can experience the latest cutting-edge technologies such as holograms and augmented realities at the Japan Town, where dining and retail meet interaction and creativity. South Korea’s busy streets was brought to the mall through the Korean Town, an eccentrically-futuristic area that will feature Korean retail and dining concepts. Lastly, the Urban Turf is the home of food parks, start-up concepts, and techie entertainments for the most adventurous and experiential generation. It will be known as the go-to place of millennials. 

The mall is highlighted by retail giants such as H&M and Uniqlo together with an assortment of experiential dining venues all within a gross leasable area of approximately 40,249 sqm.

The Philippines’ largest movie screen with two private skyboxes and two other recliner seat cinemas provide a new level of film viewing experience. All three cinemas are equipped with top-of-the-line Dolby Atmos technology for the best graphics and sound systems.

Culinary experiences can also be more gratifying at the mall’s Green Strip, as it features an exceptionally-designed lush area with water features in between restaurants with alfresco dining and hip-fashion brands. 

Both Seda Vertis North and Ayala Malls Vertis North provide new lifestyle experiences and excitements to the northern community as well as nearby residents, office workers, and travelers. These are all anchored on ALI’s vision of creating innovative developments that endeavor to enhance the quality of life of Filipinos not only at present but well into the future. 

BEAUTY THAT MOVES: Strokes Premier by Momoi Supe celebrates beauty with a purpose

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Strokes Premier by Momoi Supe launches “Beauty That Moves”, a campaign that celebrates human aesthetics and the beauty of giving and sharing through arts and collaboration.

 Strokes Premier by Momoi Supe Grand Launch on June 22, 2017 in Ayala Vertis North, Quezon City.

The collaboration kicks off with interactive portraits by visual artist Niccolo Cosme that showcases peace evoking images incorporated in the portraits that may be accessed via an “Augmented Reality” free mobile app. 

The artworks unveiled at the grand launch of Strokes’ second beauty studio, the Strokes Premier by Momoi Supe in Ayala Vertis North.

Momoi Supe

“Being in the aesthetic industry, I wanted to highlight that beauty is not just what people see on the outside, each one of us innately has that inner beauty for giving and sharing, each one of us can be a messenger of peace” said Momoi Supe, the man behind Strokes by Momoi Supe. 

“The situation in Mindanao is something that I cannot simply ignore because my family is from there and I wanted to move with what I have and can do."

“This is the beauty of collaboration-- sharing talents, creating an event which does not only celebrates beauty but highlights the importance of giving. I am very happy to share for this cause that will help our brothers and sisters in Mindanao,” says Yancy Trinidad, Fashion and lifestyle event director who also hails from Mindanao.

Strokes by Momoi Supe a beauty studio that specializes in 3D eyebrow embroidery, permanent makeup, scalp micropigmentation, laser tattoo removal and yumi lashes. Services availed from Strokes by Momoi Supe and Strokes Premier by Momoi Supe from June 26 to July 26, will raise money for Teach Peace Build Peace Movement. 

Stroke by Momoi Supe is in Greenbelt 1 Makati and Strokes Premier by Momoi Supe is in Ayala Vertis North.

About Teach Peace Build Peace Movement

Teach Peace Build Peace Movement spearheads psychosocial peace-building activities that reach out to children in distress or war. They provide debriefing and counseling services to help these children move on to a normal social life. 

“The activities of the Movement provide interfaith and intercultural dialogues and are designed to develop the values of compassion, service to others, empowerment, equality, respect and understanding – the very foundation of a just and peaceful society, where every individual practices peace as a way of life. The approach of the Teach Peace Build Peace Movement is: we have to “Teach Peace to build a Culture of Peace. We have to build a Culture of Peace to create different generations of peacebuilders toward our goal of a just and peaceful society.” 

For more information, please visit teachpeacebuildpeace.com

#BeautyThatMovesPH 

video on youtube https://youtu.be/nlbUADHah7k

City of Dreams Manila CSR: 3rd Year of Volunteerism, HR and Community Projects

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City of Dreams Manila marks its third year in helping build better lives for local communities and its human resources through long-term and sustainable corporate social responsibility programs and volunteerism.

The integrated resort’s executives and employees have been engaging in about three volunteer activities per month for the benefit of disadvantaged local communities, orphans and children and the elderly and in the preservation and development of the environment, public health and safety, among others.

In addition, City of Dreams employee volunteers also conduct free internal courses in their respective areas of expertise for interested colleagues, providing additional skills training to enable them to have an alternative source of income or a productive hobby during their free time. Among the workshops that have been held are, namely: meat processing for pork tocino and beef tapa; chocolate-making; creating floral and balloon arrangements; and basic photography.

COD Manila Property President Geoff Andres joins employee volunteers at the tree planting activity in Cavite

Property President Geoff Andres spearheads the resort’s regular CSR activities with employee volunteers to date, such as: renovating a children’s orphanage, educating orphans; visiting the elderly; tree planting; house painting and building, and regularly holding blood donation drives with the Philippine Red Cross.

The community engagements have exemplified the Christian virtue of helping those in need, feeding the homeless along the nearby highways of Pasay and Paranaque, as initiated by City of Dreams Manila’s security team who brought bags containing rice, canned goods, noodles, bread, and coffee to homeless families and other impoverished areas along Roxas Boulevard, Quirino Avenue, and Coastal Road (CAVITEX).

City of Dreams Manila's staff volunteers at My Father's House orphanage

Volunteers from the engineering team also renovated My Father’s House, an orphanage in Las Piñas. They replaced the tiles of the kitchen area, fixed and installed door knobs and repaired swimming pool pipes. They also fixed and installed new electrical outlets and lighting fixtures. The renovation provided the orphans with a cleaner, safer, and brighter place to live in.

Lighting fixture repairs done by COD Manila volunteers at My Father's House orphanage

Replacement of bathroom fixtures by COD Manila employee volunteers at My Father's House orphanage

City of Dreams Manila team’s visit to St. Anthony Village in Baranggay Talon, Las Pinas has helped liven up the small community. Volunteers from various departments successfully painted the exterior walls of some 20 homes, as the children warmly thanked their benefactors with a song and dance presentation. 

Volunteer employees also participated in CSR activities that addressed the emotional and educational needs of orphans and less fortunate children in the community.

Orphans from Bahay Aruga are given an educational tour and guided lesson at Museong Pambata

 

Fun-filled games conducted by COD Manila employee volunteers for Bahay Aruga orphans.

T-shirt painting activity with orphans in Bahay Aruga orphanage.

For the Bahay Aruga orphanage, the kids have been treated to an educational and fun-filled trips to Museong Pambata, were taught proper grooming and hygiene practices, and encouraged to live a healthier and more active lifestyle with a Zumba class.

A display of some of the t-shirt designs by Bahay Aruga orphans together with COD Manila employee volunteers

At My Father’s House, the children were taught to express themselves through artistic t-shirt painting. Most recently, a tie-up with the Department of Tourism’s Brigada Eskwela campaign resulted in the cleaning and refurbishment of 12 classrooms in San Dionisio Elementary School, Paranaque.

Feeding program for the elderly at Anawim conducted by COD Manila employees

Volunteers likewise reached out to the Anawim home for the elderly and spent a day with the senior members of society, sharing stories and singing heartwarming songs together.

COD Manila employee volunteers and the members of Anawim home for the elderly

In caring for the environment, two tree planting programs in Noveleta and Ternate, Cavite, were also done during the first half of the year, with over 3,000 mangrove seeds planted during both activities.

COD Manila employee volunteers plant along a mangrove in Cavite

Tree planting along a mangrove in Cavite by COD Manila employee volunteers

Mangroves protect the soil from erosion and shield against cyclones and other ecological disasters. They are also ideal breeding grounds for a variety of marine animals, playing a vital role in the ecological balance of coastal communities.

One of COD Manila's regular blood donation drives in partnership with the Philippine National Red Cross 

The regular blood donation drives in support of the Philippine Red Cross, draw an average of 100 employees, to help provide a healthy and sufficient blood supply for the organization.

For more information about City of Dreams Manila, visit www.cityofdreamsmanila.com.

The adventures of Turks’ Shawarma

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The year was 2007, when shawarma was barely known by food-loving Pinoys. With nothing but nursing degrees and 300-something thousand pesos to back them up, Gem Zenarosa and his wife Angel used all of their money to start a food business with doner (shawarma), kebab, and steak as the main menu. For the couple, it was the start of an adventure that catapulted them into one of the country’s fastest growing food business today.

Gem wasn’t actually sure that shawarma would be such an instant hit among Pinoys, but it did in a matter of weeks. Thanks to his gut instinct to be where diners frequently go to dine with friends and family – SM malls.

Gem Zenarosa 

The move is so unlike most upstarts who would try to sell online first before trying physical stores. The Zenarosas applied their concept for a food cart to as many SM malls as they possibly can, until SM Sta. Mesa gave the first nod. According to Gem, it was an easy decision since SM already has foot traffic that even a small business can take advantage of.

As it turned out, his decision to invest inside a mall right away proved to be the best for Turks. “We had a huge help from SM in terms of marketing our brand. In fact, they still consistently help us today – 10 years into being a tenant in their malls nationwide,” said Gem.

From a team of seven employees, Turks now employs at least 300 people in company-owned branches alone. The company gets its inspiration to stay as “the people’s favorite doner and kebab” from this present crop of hardworking employees.

“People who work for him motivates him, knowing we depend on him for our livelihood. We are treated like family, which resonates on our products and service. The business concept is like feeding your own family, that’s why we always strive to go all out for our customers,” affirmed Jhoanna Borricano, operations head of Turks.

The adventure continues for Turks. There are bigger plans to reach out to more food-loving Filipinos in the provinces, and to conquer the global food scene with its distinct Filipino take on this Mediterranean flavor. And so the journey continues for Turks, with sheer determination and confidence that the business concept will keep growing.

Turks branches are located in 47 SM malls nationwide, and is one of over 5,000 partners of SM Supermalls who offer family fun and extraordinary mall-going experiences for all.