Tourism Promotions Board: Philippines Celebrates Food Month this April

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April is sure to delight the palates of foodies as the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB)and Department of Tourism (DOT) launch Food Month with a delicious line up of gastronomic events and activities.

Kicking off the Food Month is the Flavors of the Philippines, a nationwide, month-long cultural and food festival showcasing the best of each region’s culinary specialties. A prelude to Madrid Fusión Manila (MFM) 2016, Flavors of the Philippines celebrates regional cuisines through various activities such as food tours and tastings, and weekend markets, among others.

The Flavors of the Philippines started with the Paella Gigante Festival last 12 March 2016 at Greenbelt 3, where the country’s largest paella measuring 10-feet in diameter was served. Cooked by some of the most brilliant and renowned chefs in the country, the giant paella was filled with over 600 kg of savoury and flavourful ingredients.

The highlight of Philippine Food Month is MFM 2016 happening on April 7-9 at the SMX Convention Center, Pasay City. The event is a gathering of the most acclaimed Michelin-star chefs from across the globe. With the theme “The Manila Galleon: East meets West”, MFM 2016 will feature the crème de la crème of the culinary field from the western and eastern hemispheres, making it the biggest and most important international gastronomy congress in Asia. It will definitely allow local and international food enthusiasts to sample and enjoy various sumptuous dishes from the different corners of the globe.

Philippine Food Month will culminate with a massive street food feast at the World Street Food (WSFC) Congress 2016 on April 20-24. Happening for the first time in thePhilippines, WSFC will feature three components including The World Street Food Dialogue, The World Street Food Awards and The World Street Food Jamboree,where 24 Top International Hawkers from around the world, including India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, USA, Thailand and Singapore, will showcase their country’s iconic street food.

Indeed, the Philippines offers not just beautiful tourist destinations but also rich and diverse culinary adventures. With the upcoming grand gastronomic events happening this April, travelers definitely have more reasons to visit and experience the country all over again.

To find out more events lined up for the Visit the Philippines Again year, go to:www.itsmorefuninthephilippines.com.

Sarah Geronimo, Elmo Magalona and JK Labajo at the Jollibee mall show to celebrate #8-7000, the country’s first nationwide delivery hotline

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Jollibee holds star-studded  “Isang Number Para sa Pinas” mall show to celebrate the launch of the fast food chain’s nationwide delivery hotline, #8-7000. The event, held at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall, was headlined by three of today’s most popular stars—Sarah Geronimo, Elmo Magalona and JK Labajo.

JK Labajo, Sarah Geronimo and Elmo Magalona

Jollibee’s latest TVC with Sarah, Elmo and JK promoting the country’s first centralized hashtag hotline, indulged the crowd with their respective performances. Afterwards, they joined to do a three-piece performance of the catchy #8-7000 jingle.

“Isang Number Para sa Pinas” further emphasized the efficiency of the Jollibee Express Delivery service, with the introduction of the hashtag hotline, by selecting random attendees to try it out. These volunteers dialed in #8-7000 on stage and requested for their favorite langhap-sarap meals, which arrived within the 30-minute guarantee.

The hashtag hotline #8-7000 can be accessed through PLDT's nationwide network, as well as Smart, TNT, and Sun Cellular networks. According to PLDT’s First Vice President and Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise Jovy Hernandez, they are very grateful that Jollibee Foods Corporation decided to centralize their entire delivery hotline system through the PLDT #MyNumber solution.

“The solution is seen as a great way to help Jollibee Foods Corporation drive more sales, further build its brand, and enhance the overall customer experience,” added Hernandez.

“We want Jollibee’s langhap-sarap offerings to be easily accessible to every Filipino whenever and wherever they are in the country. That’s why we are always introducing innovations to our delivery service to provide the best customer experience. And the centralization of the hotline number, powered by PLDT’s #MyNumber service, will make this easier and faster for every Filipino,” said Jollibee Vice-President and National Business Channels Head Manjie Yap.

The Jollibee Express Delivery Hotline, #8-7000, can now be used nationwide. Filipinos in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao can get their favorite Jollibee treats in an easy-to-remember number combination. With over 300 delivery stores nationwide, great-tasting Jollibee favorites are guaranteed to reach people within 30 minutes.

OPM artist 1:43 endorses McJim Classic Leather

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OPM artist and the most-sought boy band today, 1:43, is the newest brand endorsers of McJim Classic Leather.

With their new hit single rocking the airlanes today, award-winning OPM artist 1:43 is now being touted as the newest brand ambassador of McJim Classic Leather.
 

The long established gentlemen’s brand tapped the boy band—composed of Anjo Resurrecion, Yuki Sakamoto, Gold Aquino, and Yheen Valero—to represent the McJim in its advertising, public relations, collaterals, and digital marketing materials for the year 2016.

“McJim constantly prides itself in having a long-standing support program that celebrates Filipino talent. And as a staunch supporter of OPM, McJim has always been there for 1:43. Thus, it’s high time to make them the new face of the brand,” McJim said in an official statement.

The multi-awarded Filipino pop heartthrobs, who have successfully morphed from teenyboppers to serious musical idols, have just released their pop-rap single “Maria Clara,” which is set to capture the heart of OPM listeners. The song was composed by one of its members Yheen Valero and was arranged by Jonathan Ong of Sonic State Studio.

The members of the hunky group, who flexed some muscles on their latest shoot for McJim, acknowledge how the world-class leather brand known for its quality belts, wallets, bags, and accessories boosted their efforts in attaining success all through these years.

“We have always been grateful to McJim because the brand has supported us from the very beginning. This year they tapped us to be the face of the brand and that’s a big deal because this will help us reach a bigger audience and help us share our music with them,” a very gratified Resurreccion enthused.

“McJim was there when we were just starting out and we will always be thankful for that. This project will allow us to take further strides on our path to more success—just look at how McJim helped the likes of OPM icons Jose Mari Chan and Randy Santiago, and actor and television host Edu Manzano get to be where they are now,” Sakamoto said.

The bachelors of 1:43, the voices behind the iconic and 5th PMPC Star Awards for Music Song of The Year "Sa Isang Sulyap Mo,” are the perfect endorsers for McJim as the brand aims to be more relevant to the younger generation, especially the millennials.

Likewise, 1:43’s family-oriented song “Ang Saya-Saya” became the official song of “Ismol Family” in GMA 7, while "Hayop sa Ganda" has a cult following among the LGBT audience, making them the most sought boy band today.

They also won the Most Promising Recording and Performing Group in the 45th Box Office Entertainment Awards of the Guillermo Mendoza Memorial Scholarship Foundation, a barometer of the most bankable local talents, and have been nominated for various Awit Awards and PMPC Star Awards For Music categories.

“McJim Classic Leather, having been being in the industry for more the 40 years now, deserves to be endorsed by a pool of young talents who are making waves in their field. 1:43 has demonstrated that it is the most popular and enduring local boy band today so we believe that they are the right people to carry the brand,” add the brand's official statement.

Aside from his composition, Valero says music lover to expect more feel-good and heart-warming songs from them this year which they will compose like their other hit songs.

“’Maria Clara’ is just the start of great music from us. We hope that our fans will continue to support us and watch for our shows here and abroad,” Valero affirmed.

Fresh from a successful 2015, 1:43 is scheduled to have shows across the country and abroad. For bookings and inquiries, please contact chriscahilig2011@gmail.com or call 0927-4180808.

Thousand of students, youth volunteers take part in Habitat Young Leaders Build

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Student volunteers cleaning one of the several schools in Manila involved in Habitat for Humanity Philippines’ Young Leaders Build. Photo c/o JM Lago/ HFHP

 Habitat for Humanity Philippines (HFHP) held its sixth Habitat Young Leaders Build (HYLB) in various public schools across Manila, gathering more than 2,000 youth. 

The annual HYLB campaign is celebrated in over 15 countries across the Asia-Pacific region and Americas to engage participants to “Play a part, Lead today and Share with friends”.

Hundreds of Students from Jose Abad Santos High School in Manila getting ready for Habitat for Humanity Philippines’ Young Leaders Build. Photo c/o Miggy Rupisan/ HFHP

“Schools are considered children’s second homes and are a vital part of a community as they help build and shape the minds of our young people,” Charlie Ayco, Managing Director and CEO of HFHP said. 

As HFHP’s largest annually celebrated event, the youth volunteers led the movement by cleaning their schools in preparation for the upcoming school year.

Habitat for Humanity Philippines’ Young Leaders Build organized thousands of students to clean and organize school facilities in Manila in preparation for the national elections and next school year. Photo c/o Miggy Rupisan/ HFHP

Empowered young student leaders took part in Habitat for Humanity Philippines’ Young Leaders Build in several schools in Manila. Photo c/o JM Lago/ HFHP

The event gave young people a venue to advocate for decent housing for less-fortunate Filipino families, as well as share their opinions, concerns and ideas on how government, the private sector, organizations and individuals can be more involved in building a better Philippines. 

Student volunteers from Manila organizing their school vicinity in Habitat Young Leaders Build for the upcoming national elections and next school year. Photo c/o Miggy Rupisan/ HFHP

“This activity empowered our youth to play a more active role in revitalizing their very own community, as well as building their nation,” Ayco finished.

Panasonic’s future-proof data archiving solution drives business advantage

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First-of-its-kind blu-ray data archiver offers reliable data storage and cost-efficiency

In the Age of Big Data, the growing demands for storing and archiving data can be an expensive challenge as companies’ and public agencies’ information assets increase globally each year. As a response to the pressing needs on data archiving and management, Panasonic is introducing its blu-ray data archiver—a first-of-its-kind optical disc-based solution using proven technologies to dramatically extend the lifespan of stored data, improve compliance, and lower operating expenditure.

The need for more reliable and efficient storage systems is becoming more pressing as analysts predict that up to 45 zettabytes (ZB) of digital data will be generated over the next four years. In the Philippines, different industries, government agencies, and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are relying more heavily on Big Data to understand competition, discern patterns, make better decisions, and enhance productivity.

The country’s business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, which relies on centralized data, has leaned on the cloud to accelerate growth and gain competitive advantage. BPO is the fastest growing industry in the Philippines, seeing a growth rate of 17 percent so far this year. SMEs, which make up about 99.6 percent of Philippine enterprises, can likewise benefit from cloud computing, allowing them to have greater reach, speed, and flexibility in acquiring or serving customers.

“The growing demands for active, and long-term, archival storage present a number of challenges that can strain existing archival systems. Panasonic’s blu-ray data archiver is uniquely positioned to address these challenges—from reliability, data integrity, cost, and environmental footprint—as compared to existing solutions,” said Hideo Yonenaga, General Manager, Storage Business Division, Panasonic System Solutions Asia Pacific.

Data archives are currently stored on either hard disk drives (HDDs) or tape-based solutions—technologies that tend to have relatively short lifespans and high energy requirements, leading to increased operating costs. Panasonic’s blu-ray data archiver delivers reliable data storage that lasts five to ten times longer than either tape or HDD archives. This longer lifespan reduces electronic waste, and when combined with lower cooling needs and energy requirements, makes blu-ray archival more environmentally friendly than alternative storage solutions.

The Panasonic blu-ray data archiver’s large storage capacity caters to organizations that deal with high data volumes. Blu-ray archival storage is also a WORM (Write Once Read Many) medium, which makes it tamper proof and ideal for compliance.

More energy efficient – Blu-ray archival systems require less power and run cooler.

Lower per bit cost – Cheaper high-capacity storage that lasts longer, removing the need for costly data migration.

Greater reliability – No physical wear on the storage medium means fewer failures, while still supporting best-in-class practices such as RAID 5, 6, and WORM.

Longevity with a lifespan of more than 50 years – Eliminates wastage and landfill required to get rid of alternative storage mediums. 

Plan B, a New Zealand-based provider of hosted infrastructure and business continuity services, has built the world’s first cloud-based archive-as-a-service technology on Panasonic’s blu-ray data archiver.

Said Ian Forrester, Managing Director, Plan B Ltd, “Our new service makes blu-ray archival technology accessible to businesses of all sizes and allows them to securely access and manage their archive data in the cloud. Our as-a-service model eliminates capital expenditure while providing easy access, lower costs, scalability and reliable data storage now and into the future. This service model will not just be available in New Zealand but in Asia and Australia as well.”

Plan B’s Cloud Data Archive service, hosted on Panasonic’s blu-ray archival technology, is available directly from Plan B. For more information, please visit clouddataarchive.sg.