by Penny Angeles-Tan | Sep 4, 2018 | Awards and Competitions
Mr. and Ms. Chinatown 2018 candidates Lawrence Chua and Sabrina Ng gain an edge in the competition after being awarded Mr. and Ms. GAOC during the Cultural Costume Competition held recently at the Resorts World Manila.
Awarded for their winning smiles, both candidates will become ambassadors of GAOC – the premiere, most advanced and world-class dental implant center in the country. The Mr. And Ms. Chinatown pageant aims to promote the Filipino-Chinese culture, an advocacy shared by GAOC.
This year, 28 candidates vying for the titles and coronation will be on September 2, 2018 at SM MOA Arena.
Photo shows Lawrence Chua (right), Sabrina Ng (left) with Dr. Mary Elizabeth Marigomen (center) from GAOC.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Sep 3, 2018 | Advocacy, Awards and Competitions
The Pasig River, the cradle of early Manila civilization, is a finalist in the first ever Asia Riverprize by the prestigious International River Foundation (IRF) which recognizes and rewards organizations that make a difference through effective river basin restoration and management programs.
The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) just came from a successful campaign in the 2017 Thiess International Riverprize competition where they placed second to the San Antonio River of Texas, USA.
PRRC Executive Director Jose Antonio E. Goitia
PRRC Executive Director Jose Antonio E. Goitia says that “the consecutive entries of the Pasig River as a finalist in the 2017 and 2018 Thiess International and Asia Riverprize, respectively, is a testament that the world recognizes the efforts of the Philippine government to restore the Pasig River and its environs since PRRC was established in 1999.”
In the beginning the competition was called the Asia-Pacific Riverprize Awards which allowed entrants from 45 countries, including New Zealand and Australia. With so many entries and because of the high quality of the said entries it as later decided to split the event into two: Asia Riverprize and Australasia Riverprize.
After much deliberation the committee decided on its finalists for Asia Riverprize, namely the Pasig River (Philippines) and the Yangtze River (China).
Asia Riverprize 2018 finalist
Goitia adds “last year, the Philippines is the only third world and developing country that made it into the international finals and bravely competed with the US and the United Kingdom. In this year’s Asia Riverprize, we will be facing another super power – the red dragon, China. However, with an indomitable spirit, we remain steadfast and optimistic that we will stand triumphant in the end.”
Criteria for judging
IRF Director Professor Bill Dennison
In behalf of the IRF’s board of river basin experts, IRF Director Professor Bill Dennison says that “these different river stories are united by a common theme: excellence in river management.”
The Riverprize is not a competition of which river is more beautiful or cleaner. This is the reason why the IRF, comprised of river management experts and professionals from around the world, has given importance and consideration to the rehabilitation efforts of the PRRC to bring back the Pasig River system to life.
It has acknowledged PRRC’s commitment in delivering quality projects, programs, and activities in easement recovery, housing and resettlement, riverbanks development, waste and water quality management, and public awareness.
The Pasig River – past, present, and future
There has been significant improvement to the condition of the Parig River where it was once declared in the 90’s as “biologically dead”. While still a work in progress many areas along the historic river have already shown signs of acquatic life. In addition, it has now become conducive to transport, recreation, and tourism.
The Pasig River prepares to win the coveted award
Mr. Jose Antonio E. Goitia, PRRC’s Executive Director, together with Mr. George Oliver G. dela Rama, Division Head of the Public Information Advocay and Tourism join forces to present and defend the Philippines’ Pasig River entry an esteemed panel of judges in the upcoming 21st International Riversymposium on October 14 to 18, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. Other PRRC Management Committee members are also part of the Philippine delegation.
The winner of this prestigious event will receive widespread global recognition, which will, additionally:
- build new partnerships
- provide opportunities for exchange of knowledge and best practices
- open doors for international support
Also, the winner will automatically qualify for Stage Two of the Thiess International Riverprize in 2019.
As one nation, the PRRC seeks everyone’s support to its Pasig River entry in the 2018 Asia Riverprize. The Pasig River’s victory is the victory of the Philippines and every Filipino who works hard and shares the same vision of saving our waterways and the environment. It will be the triumph of all who believe that the dream of a clean and alive Pasig River is within reach!
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 18, 2018 | Awards and Competitions, Beauty
Trisha Denise Montero as an extra-terrestrial
Trisha Denise Montero, design graduate and young mother from Las Piñas City, won The Big Beauty Challenge Year 2 top prize with her whimsical rendition of the grand finals theme, Extra-terrestrial.
Montero, who first won in the weekly Disney Princess-themed challenge, bested nine other aspiring makeup artists. She took home P70,000 cash and P30,000 worth of Ever Bilena makeup products.
The cosplayer, who took a break when she became a mom, said, “I’m very grateful to have a family who supports my passions. Winning The Big Beauty Challenge will give me the opportunity to go back to cosplaying and support my family at the same time.”
Katherine Catiis won the special People’s Choice Award and P20,000 in cash. She had the most number of Facebook likes and shares. Hajie Alejandro received P30,000 as first runner-up while Zjhay Taupan P15,000 as second runner-up.
Competition judges were Ever Bilena executives, including key accounts manager Denise Sy-Muñez, marketing manager Olive Padilla and brand manager Christel Roca.
The contest, now on its second year, encouraged students, aspiring and professional makeup artists to create a tutorial on how to achieve a complete makeup look following a specific theme and using only Ever Bilena products.
Ever Bilena, the country’s leading local cosmetics brand, also carries Ever Bilena Advance, a full range of makeup essentials for young professionals, Ever Bilena Naturals for skin care and Careline cosmetics for teens. It also has the Blackwater brand for fragrance and other personal care products.
To know more about Ever Bilena and The Big Beauty Challenge Year 2, visit Ever Bilena’s website, www.everbilena.com.ph and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/everbilenacosmetics
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 9, 2018 | Awards and Competitions
They come from different backgrounds and generations, but the new Century Tuna Superbods Ageless winners have one thing in common – they all want to serve as inspiration to other people.
Angel Jones, Johann Ludovica, Jules Aquino and Maureen Montagne have fulfilled their dreams after emerging as winners in the competition. They now serve as fitspirations so that others can become better versions of themselves.
Greg Banzon, EVP and COO of Century Pacific Food, Inc., said, “Through Century Tuna Superbods Ageless, we do not only recognize fit and sexy individuals but also promote healthy lifestyles for everyone regardless of age, gender and status in life.”
This year’s competition, which had its finals at the Cove in Okada Manila, was divided into two categories: the Superbods, which consisted of 20 finalists aged 18-37; and, for the first time, the Ageless category, which consisted of 20 finalists aged 38-50. Montagne and Aquino won in the Superbods category while Jones and Ludovica were the first winners in the Ageless category.
Ageless female grand winner Angel Jones
Jones, a 40-year-old mother of two, found the Century Tuna Superbods Ageless competition a good venue for meeting other people, learning their stories and inspiring others.
She said, “I want to show every woman that it’s possible to have kids, have a career and survive all the struggles but still look fantastic and gorgeous.”
Typical day for her consists of breakfast preparation for her actor son Tony Labrusca at 6AM, workout at 8AM, lunch preparation for her daughter at 10AM, errands and meetings in the afternoon, and finally, a quiet and cozy evening with kids.
Ageless male grand winner Johann Ludovica
On the other hand, Ludovica’s daily activities always include basic fitness routines like basketball, weight lifting and regular gym workout. He remains disciplined, responsible and driven despite the stress caused by his work as a BPO (business process outsourcing) trainer. The 42-year-old is fit, sexy body and self-confident. He advised his fellow contestants to “believe because you can. And if you need help, ask me.”
Superbods female grand winner Maureen Montagne
Although she grew up in the US, female Superbod winner Montagne had always been proud of her Filipino roots and showed her appreciation for her heritage by helping and inspiring Filipino children. The 24-year-old Fil-Am model said, “I hope to use my new found resources to continue volunteering and be able to give back to others.” Montagne stays fit by going to the gym 3 to 4 times a week or doing exercises on a yoga mat at home.
Superbods male grand winner Jules Aquino
Aquino, like Montagne, also believes in setting goals. His advice for achieving a healthy physique is to stay consistent and do something fun. “Enjoy the activities and have a positive outlook in life and you will reap countless benefits,” the 24-year-old said. His fitness routine includes Olympic lifting, calisthenics, plyometrics, high-intensity interval training or HIIT, animal flow, yoga, plenty of stretching and mobility work, running (long distances or short sprints), and gymnastics.
Indeed, through Century Tuna Superbods Ageless, these four winners have proven that whatever the age, there is no limit and no boundaries to what you can do to be fit, sexy and healthy.
For more details and updates, visit Century Tuna on Facebook: www.facebook.com/centurytuna.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 28, 2018 | Awards and Competitions
SM Easter Egghunt
Easter celebrations usually include egg hunts, Easter-themed fairs, and parties for kids and their families. This year, SM Supermalls delights customers with a fresh, exciting take on the well-loved egg hunt and Easter party in 68 malls across the country!
Kids and kids at heart are invited to join the “Hunt, Scan, and Win,” SM’s first nationwide digital-egg scavenger hunt on Easter, April 1 – where QR codes will be scattered in the malls for customers to find and scan for giveaways, deals, and GCs from participating stores.
“Celebrating Easter with the whole family will be more memorable this year with all the fun activities we have in store for them in the malls, especially as we host SM’s first nationwide digital-egg hunt,” says SM Supermalls senior vice president for marketing Jonjon San Agustin.
Fun-filled activities at SM include the well-loved Easter Fashion Costume Contest on April 1. Along with designing the SM Supermalls bunny ears, parents can dress up their kids in cute and creative costumes for a chance to win P10,000 worth of SM gift certificates. You can even run to Toy Kingdom, SM Markets, or The SM Store for kiddie-costume shopping!
From March 18 to April 1, there’s the Hoppy & Artsy arts and crafts workshops offering fun and educational eggs-periences for kids. Mallgoers can also check out the Easter Fun Festival bazaar for Easter eggs, finds, costumes, and treats. In between activities, you can take a break and indulge in Easter Dining Deals at restaurants for freebies and dining specials.
For more details about SM’s fun Easter happenings, visit www.smsupermalls.com. Don’t forget to celebrate and enjoy an egg-citing Easter with your family at SM Supermalls!
For exclusive news about SM Supermalls, visit www.smsupermalls.com or follow SM’s official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram; and get an insider access to all the fun happenings at SM Supermalls nationwide through SM’s Viber Public Chat. Tweet your thoughts, upload and share your photos about your memorable moments at SM, then use its official hashtag #EverythingsHereAtSM.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Mar 24, 2018 | Awards and Competitions
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Citi Foundation are staging the Youth Co:Lab Regional Summit in Bangkok from March 26 to 28, 2018.
Launched in 2017 by UNDP with support from Citi Foundation, Youth Co:Lab is a regional program that aims to tackle social and unemployment challenges by harnessing youth leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation. Youth Co:Lab is Citi Foundation’s flagship Pathways to Progress program in the region.
Data released by the International Labor Organization states that the global youth unemployment rate is currently over 13 percent, translating to about 71 million young people, aged 15 to 24, worldwide. About half or 33 million of these people live in Asia-Pacific.
By engaging young people with policymakers and private sector partners, Youth Co:Lab serves as a platform for networking, idea-sharing, mentorship and collaboration through local National Dialogues and Social Innovation Challenges.
The inaugural Summit in Bangkok will comprise a Regional Dialogue on March 26 and a Regional Social Innovation on March 28. A total of 21 teams, including three from the Philippines, will pitch their social enterprise models at the Challenge for a chance at additional capacity-building opportunities.
Proudly representing the Philippines are Alex Austria of LawKo, a legal literacy initiative that aims to bridge the knowledge gap between a complicated legal system and the Filipino public; Pamela Nicole Mejia of Phinix, which upcycles old clothes and fabric scraps into footwear and accessories; and Samantha Sanchez of Arooga Health, which provides convenient access to emotional and wellness care providers.
Alex Austria of LawKo
Alex Austria of Lawko
“We feel quite lucky to be a part of the Summit,” says Alex. “Since we just got into the start-up scene less than 6 months ago, we’re overwhelmed and grateful because we didn’t even expect to end up here in the first place,” she added.
From its initial incarnation as a chatbot, LawKo has evolved into a legal literacy initiative thanks to the guidance of mentors from Rappler, QBO Philippines, and UNDP. It harnesses the power of technology and social media to help educate the public about government and legal processes.
Pamela Nicole Mejia of Phinix
Pamela Nicole Mejia of Phinix
For her part, Mejia feels just as honored to represent the country in the Youth Co:Lab Summit and is pleased with what Phinix has achieved thus far.
“We intend to employ economically vulnerable women such as out-of-school girls, single mothers, and unemployed women in our textile recycling facility,” Mejia says, adding that “we have partnered as well with a community of PWD weavers for our textile upcycling and weaving production.”
Phinix is a textile recycling center that collects textile wastes and transforms them into higher valued products such as footwear and accessories. It is packaged as a fashion social enterprise that aims for the triple bottom line – for the planet, for the people, and for profit.
Samantha Sanchez of Arooga Health
Samantha Sanchez of Arooga Health
Meanwhile, Samantha says that the positive response to Arooga Health “is an inspiring validation that mental health matters and seeking help for mental wellness is not a sign of weakness.”
Arooga Health is a platform that provides employees and companies convenient access to trusted care providers for their emotional and mental wellness and needs. Arooga Health matches a user with trusted care providers based on their objectives, preferred schedule, and mode of interaction.
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