by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 24, 2016 | Food & Beverage
I live in a household of chocoholics and my mom, the least chocoholic of the bunch LOVES Cadbury Dairy Milk. Whenever I bring home a bar or 3 she always gets first dibs – and this from a self-professed non-chocoholic. 😀
I recently found out that the limited edition Christmas flavors are back. Yey! Oh what a joy it would be to give these special chocolates to my special people.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Christmas Flavors – who deserves these special treats?
My mom deserves a treat
For my beautiful mom, the person who is always there for me no matter what, I would give her the Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Mousse. With its light and airy chocolate-flavored cream enveloped in classic milk chocolate shell, she is sure to love it and ask for more.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Mousse
Mom likes to eat her chocolate before sleeping, as a light snack. I hope she will be able to control herself and stop at just one. Just to be sure I will eat with her. 😀
My daughter deserves a treat
My fashionista daughter, Erika, is sure to love the Cadbury Dairy Milk French Vanilla. She likes her chocolate light and not too chocolatey … which makes this the perfect variant for her.
Cadbury Dairy Milk French Vanilla
A bite into this exquisite flavor will plunge her into the smooth, soft, silky center filled with light and delectable French vanilla cream.
This sophisticated flavor is definitely a match for my classy kid. 🙂 And, for sure, her baby, Star, will love it, too! But I’ll taste it first just to make sure. 😀
My sisters deserves a treat
my younger sisters
The Cadbury Dairy Milk Black Forest deserves a person who likes to live a little and experiment with flavors. Consider this … you combine your Cadbury Dairy Milk with chocolate cookies and red jellies and you get the perfect combination of crunchy and chewy wrapped in delicious chocolatey goodness!
It’s a two in one deal! Therefore, I cannot, in all conscience give it to just one person. I’ll live a little, too, and give it to both my sisters, Tina, and Gigi … then we three can share it, hehehe.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Black Forest
How much are these these luscious treats?
Cadbury Dairy Milk Black Forest, Cadbury Dairy Milk French Vanilla, and Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Mousse are available in 180g packs for a suggested retail price of P180.00. Hurry and get all flavors – available until supplies last! #FreeTheJoy this Christmas with Cadbury Dairy Milk!
Cadbury Dairy Milk’s limited edition Christmas flavors are available in all leading supermarkets.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 23, 2016 | Events
Mrs. Philippines Globe 2016 will be crowned tonight! For the last couple of weeks I’ve posted a couple of things about Mrs. Globe. The first for Mrs. Bacolod Globe and then later the article that introduces the finalists for tonight’s event.
I had the pleasure of attending the media event where these 17 lovely women were introduced. Along with the former winners they are a beautiful sight to behold.
Meeting the candidates for Mrs. Philippines Globe 2016
During the event (where candidate number 1, Darlene Conde was not present) we were able to see them walk, pose, dance a little bit, and get to know the candidates a little better. It was clear from the start that the media had favorites. These were the candidates that were asked the most questions. To be fair they mostly answered very well. There may have been a fumble or two, but mostly they were forgivable.
Describe yourself in ONE WORD
At some point in the evening this lovely lady (Mrs. Globe 2013, Sheryl Lynn Baas, according to the Philippine Star) asked a question and addressed it to all the other candidates who were not addressed by the media. This was her question … “if there was ONE WORD that would describe you, what word would that be and why?”
This took some thought. Even I, though not a contestant, had to stop and think … what if I had been asked that question? Many of the candidates answered well enough but the one that almost made me choke on my spit was the one that said she could not come up with one word but rather a phrase and the phrase she gave was (drum roll, please) … BREAST FEEDER.
Jaw hit table. Breast feeder? Seriously?!? And, her reason … because she was literally just breast feeding just before stepping into the venue for the event. So, of course, my next action was to look down at her chest and I noticed she was small breasted which made me wonder if she had enough milk for her baby.
Ok, ok … That might have been mean. And maybe she just couldn’t think of anything else by the time it was her turn to speak. But, it also displayed to me that this lady was not good at following instructions … neither was she graceful under pressure … because if I were a judge (which I’m not) that was a big misstep.
Nova Christine dela Cruz
Dr. Nova Christine dela Cruz, Dermatologist
The candidate I am rooting for is number 15, Dr. Nova Christine dela Cruz. I have known Chris for about 17 years. She was my gym buddy, was and is my dermatologist, but more importantly, she is my friend. I am very picky about my friends so for me to call her that means that she has a wonderful heart … and is truly beautiful inside and out.
She told me months ago that she was joining the competition but it completely slipped my mind until I saw her step out in that lovely blue dress.
Genevieve Uy
Genevieve Uy
Another candidate who I thought was beautiful and was able to answer the questions properly was number 12, Genevieve Uy. If my memory serves me correctly she is a “plain” housewife with a doting husband.
I wanted to interject at that point that there is nothing “plain” about being a housewife because it is the most difficult job of all. 🙂
Pageant Night
Tonight the audience will be witness to our lovely ladies in swimsuits, dancing, beautiful gowns, dancing, intelligent answers to thought-provoking questions, dancing … and did I say dancing already? 😀
Who will take home the crown of Mrs. Philippines Globe 2016 and will go on to represent the country in Hainan, China for the Mrs. Globe 2016 competition? Your guess is as good as mine and in just a few hours we will know.
Special Awards
Aside from the coveted Mrs. Philippines Globe title, candidates will also vie for the coveted Woman of Substance title alongside other special awards such as:
- Achievement of the Year
- Best Talent of the Year
- Career Woman of the Year
- Charity or Advocacy of the Year
- Darling of the Press
- Entrepreneur of the Year
- Husband of the Year – which, I suppose, will be awarded to the most loving husband of one of the candidates 🙂
- Most Beautiful Face
- Mrs. Body Beautiful
- Mrs. Philippines Globe Classic 2018 – the latest addition to the special awards to be given to the chosen contestant between 45 to 55 years old
- Most Elegant Woman
- Personality of the Year
- Solane Mother of the Year
Criteria for Judging
Candidates will be judged based on the following criteria:
- 35% beauty charm and poise
- 35% personality intelligence conduct
- 30% figure
About the Mrs. Globe Pageant
Founded in 1996, Mrs. Globe is one of the biggest international beauty pageants for married women and single mothers. It celebrates beauty and culture goodwill, tourism awareness, and charitable acts through pageantry and competition.
Mrs. Philippines Globe is presented by: Samsung Hall, Lucky Rainbow Makati, SM Tickets, Solane, and Bio-Oil. This pageant is organized by EVI Marketing Communications.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 21, 2016 | Business
Thomas Edison is credited as the inventor of the light bulb in 1879. Since then the light bulb has become a necessity in every home and business and has evolved not just in appearance but also in performance.
Homes and establishments rely on emergency lights as their main arsenal against power outages, being that they light up as soon as the power trips.
Our usual solution to power outages
Whenever the power is down most people end up doing one or all of the following:
- bring out some candles
- if they have gas lamps, they bring those out, too
- or they bring out/turn on emergency lights, especially along stairwells.
Emergency lights that are available commercially usually come in 2 forms … industrial and portable. Industrial emergency lights are often wall-mounted while portable, as the term suggests, is something that you can carry around.
In both cases they are essentially battery packs with light bulbs attached. In both cases the entire unit is heavy and cumbersome.
Wall-mounted emergency lights are often left plugged the entire time and are equipped with a sensor so that as soon as it gets dark the light will turn on. Portable emergency lights are charged for a few hours then stored and only brought out when needed.
The Nxled Emergency Light Bulb is the solution
Tessa Prieto-Valdes endorses the Nxled Emergency Bulb
Nxled, Next Generation Lighting, offers an innovative solution to power failures with the new Nxled 6 Watts Emergency Bulb. This revolutionary bulb works like a normal bulb but better: it can be attached to a regular socket in any part of the house and charges while it’s being used. When a power failure occurs, it will automatically light up, thus switching into emergency lighting!
The Nxled Emergency Bulb, powered by a 3.7V 3000mAh lithium battery, can remain lit for up to 6 hours. It also has the option to be used as a carry-around bulb. It comes with a portable mother socket so you can simply carry it indoors or outdoors.
And because it’s LED, you can save energy and costs by up to 90% compared to a 50 Watt incandescent bulb with the same brightness. It also does not contain mercury and is environment friendly, with an average lamp life of 30,000 hours.
The Nxled emergency bulb comes with a two-year warranty and is now available in leading hardware stores nationwide at an introductory price of PHP 495.
That’s 495 pesos! This is less expensive than other emergency lights found in the market today.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 16, 2016 | Awards and Competitions
Carla Cabrera Quimpo, Mrs. Globe Philippines 2011.
From hundreds of applicants all over the country, seventeen single mothers and married women have been chosen to compete for this year’s Mrs. Philippines Globe 2016 title, a national competition for married women and single mothers.
“Mrs. Philippines Globe promotes women as symbols of inspiration through their achievements, charitable acts, and life stories” said national pageant director Carla Cabrera-Quimpo.
“We want them to be movers of society by bringing out their strengths and encouraging them to be the best versions of themselves.”
The Candidates for Mrs. Philippines Globe 2016
For this year, the candidates vying for the crown are:
Ranging from 25 to 55 years old, this year’s finalists are composed of women from diverse fields of expertise: banking, dermatology, aviation, human resource, online business, beauty, engineering, events, and business process outsourcing.
Mrs. Philippines Globe 2016 Pageant Night
The 17 finalists will compete on October 23, 2016 at the Samsung Hall, SM Aura, Taguig City. The winner of Mrs. Philippines Globe will receive P150, 000 worth of prizes. She will also represent the Philippines in the prestigious Mrs. Globe 2016 World Finals in Hainan, China in December 2016.
Aside from the coveted Mrs. Philippines Globe title, candidates will also vie for the coveted Woman of Substance title alongside other special awards such as:
- Achievement of the Year
- Charity or Advocacy of the Year
- Best Talent of the Year
- Career Woman of the Year
- Most Beautiful Face
- Darling of the Press
- Entrepreneur of the Year
- Solane Mother of the Year
- Mrs. Body Beautiful
- Most Elegant Woman
- Personality of the Year
- Husband of the Year
- and a new addition to the roster of special awards — the Mrs. Philippines Globe Classic 2018.
Candidates will be judged based on the following criteria:
- 35% beauty charm and poise
- 35% personality intelligence conduct
- 30% figure
Founded in 1996, Mrs. Globe is one of the biggest international beauty pageants for married women and single mothers. It celebrates beauty and culture goodwill, tourism awareness, and charitable acts through pageantry and competition.
Mrs. Philippines Globe is presented by: Samsung Hall, Lucky Rainbow Makati, SM Tickets, Solane, and Bio-Oil. This pageant is organized by EVI Marketing Communications.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 15, 2016 | Travel
Take a trip to your idea of paradise with Travelbook.ph!
With so many companies online that offer the same (or similar) services, it begs the question … why book with Travelbook.ph?
In 2012, TravelBook.ph, under the management of Summit Media, started as an online catalog catering to more than 4,000 hotels and resorts in the Philippines. The company was established by Recruit Holdings Company, one of the biggest media conglomerates in Japan, and specializes in classified advertisements, publications, and human resources.
To date, TravelBook.ph is the fastest growing Online Travel Agency (OTA) in the Philippines and boasts more than 2,700 hotel listings all over the country. Over the past three years, the company has achieved a record-breaking 200% growth rate and an average of 3,900 paid bookings per month.
With various offline and online marketing efforts, TravelBook.ph has gained exposure through media partners such as TV stations GMA NewsTV through programs like PopTalk and Biyahe ni Drew, CinemaOne, and radio stations Love Radio, Monster Radio, and Barangay LS.
TravelBook.ph also boasts increasing 1.6 million monthly page views, with 455,000 monthly unique visits, 52,000 registered members, and 299,000 newsletter subscribers.
Its social media presence also continues to grow: it has more than 540,000 likes in Facebook, while its Twitter and Instagram accounts have about 2,900 and 10,300 followers respectively.
Why Book with TravelBook.ph?
TravelBook.ph aims to cater to the needs of the ever-growing market, which is why it continuously develops and expands its strengths through various customer-driven initiatives.
Here are six good reasons to book with Travelbook.ph.
1. Convenient Booking
TravelBook.ph focuses on improving its offline bookings through 24/7 Customer Care that offers competitive room rates, promo plans, rewards points, membership promos, and GetGo promos.
TravelBook.ph also has a user-friendly mobile app that offers double rewards for bookings to make the service available for the growing number of smartphone users in the Philippines.
2. Multiple Payment Options
Since only about 5% of the whole Philippine population are credit card holders, TravelBook.ph has made sure that it has various online and offline payment methods to make booking hotels for every customer convenient.
Aside from using their credit cards, customers can pay via online and offline bank deposits or over-the-counter payments. They can also pay at 7-Eleven branches, Robinsons Department Store and SM Department Store branches, Bitcoin, and the newly launched Pay At Hotel, which allows the customer to pay upon check-in.
3. Corporate Partnerships and Alliances
TravelBook.ph has also partnered with top brands and companies in the Philippines, including Cebu Pacific, Robinsons Bank, Sun Cellular, Toys R Us, JG Summit, Robinsons Land, Robinsons Department Store, and Universal Robina to strengthen its presence in the business through various campaigns.
The company also has special partnerships with GetGo, BDO, Union Bank, Eastwest Bank, and Security Bank.
4. Tours
TravelBook.ph will soon launch its 359 Tour Package Plans to cater to the travel needs of its customers.
What vacation do you have in mind? Adventure, romance, educational, spiritual — so many options and Travelbook.ph is up for the challenge of creating a tour package to cater to your needs.
5. Affiliate Program
The recently launched Affiliate Program now has over 600 partner bloggers. Through this program, both seasoned and new bloggers are able earn income from the hotel bookings made in their websites.
6. Promotion of Philippine Tourism
More than just being an e-commerce company, TravelBook.ph aims to Philippine tourism by encouraging everyone to travel more in the country. The company believes that traveling should become a lifestyle as it promotes education, quality time, and bonding with families and friends.
TravelBook.ph also comes up with various creative campaigns to promote local tourism such as the recently concluded #Juanderlust, an international competition where travelers all over the world participated to be the lucky “Chosen Juan” who will embark on an 80-day adventure to 80 places in the Philippines. The winner, Mr. Dave Agbayani, traveled around the country to explore and experience the best things that the country has to offer.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 15, 2016 | Food & Beverage, Yummy Reviews
‘Tis the season to be eating and Guevarra’s serves up a Yuletide feast fit for a king starting today! You read it right, TODAY, October 15!
Christmas comes early at Guevarra’s. For those who have sampled Chef Lau’s popular buffet you already know that a regular 3-hour reservation for lunch, merienda, or dinner is not enough to taste all 80 dishes they regularly serve. For the Yuletide season, they’ve added 11 new dishes.
This means we can enjoy 99. OMG, NINETY-NINE DISHES! How can we taste/eat them all?
When bloggers were asked what their favorite dish was most mentioned the Angus beef. Having tried it myself, I would have to agree but, personally, I found it difficult to single out one dish specifically. 😀
Appetizer, salad, rice, fish, fowl, red meat, vegetable, dessert, beverages — so much to choose from, how can I pick just one, right? My answer, don’t limit yourself. With so much to choose from (and all of them delicious) each one deserves a trip on your tongue and down to your belly. 😀
The Yuletide offerings at Guevarra’s
Chef Lau and Chef Jac sat down one day and thought about what dishes are traditionally served at Filipino get togethers like Christmas gatherings and reunions. In a previous post I featured the eleven Yuletide dishes they added to the menu.
For Starters
Guevarra’s Christmas Chicken Liver Parfait
I’m not a big fan of liver but I did try this pate and it was good. Smooth and creamy. The name, though, was a tad confusing. It’s a pate but it’s called a parfait? Like the ice cream?
Guevarra’s Christmas Macaroni Salad
Macaroni salad is so simple to make that we usually ask the kids to make it. 🙂 All we need are cooked macaroni, cream or mayonnaise, cheese, raisins, and gelatin. The kids like to cut the gelatin into different shapes but cubes will suffice. The red and green gelatin cubes makes this favorite holiday salad colorfully beautiful.
The Main Course
Guevarra’s Christmas Embotido Lasagna Roll
Two dishes in one! Lasagna noodles are just perfect for this dish as it acts as both the wrapper and the pasta dish. 😀 During the blogger event Chef Lau shows us how they made this dish. Lucky us! Watch the video as he demonstrates how to make it step by step.
And for those of us who like to cook this means I could try to make this myself for noche buena. Actually, I definitely will make this for noche buena. 🙂 I hope I can do it justice.
Guevarra’s Christmas Beef Morcon
Beef morcon is also a staple fiesta dish at home. Our Yuletide festivities is just not complete if there is no beef morcon on the table.
I’m glad they made it because this dish takes too long to cook and oftentimes I’m too tired after to even appreciate the dish. Since they serve it at Guevarra’s I now have another reason to bring my family here for a meal. 🙂
Guevarra’s Christmas Fish Mayonesa
I remember my mom making this when we were kids … but she called it fish en blanco. Not to diss my mom but I prefer this version because Guevarra’s uses fish fillet. No fishbones to deal with. Yey! It gave me an idea, though, on how to serve fish en blanco next time. 🙂
Guevarra’s Christmas Paella
It almost isn’t a good idea to eat paella at a buffet. Why? because paella is a mix of rice and viand all cooked at the same time — meaning, it is already a buffet in itself!
Having said that, you should still try it anyway. It is really, really good! I placed a spoonful or two on my plate just to taste it and ended up finishing it before the white rice. 😀
Guevarra’s Christmas Roasted Stuffed Turkey
Some people say that turkey is just a big chicken but one taste will prove otherwise. Paired with gravy or cranberry sauce, my favorite part is the thigh. Cooked improperly turkey could become dry and tasteless. But never at Guevarra’s. This stuffed turkey is just delicious!
My personal favorite when it comes to sauces is the cranberry sauce. Somehow gravy just seems so ordinary but the cranberry sauce screams Christmas. 😀
Happy Endings and Great Coffee Pairings
Guevarra’s Christmas Pudding
Pudding is HEAVY. I mean physically heavy, not just heavy in the stomach. It is a very English treat. If I am not mistaken this baked goodie is infused with rum and smothered in honey. Perfect to pair with black coffee. Also great to have as a late night snack.
Christmas Suman Fruitcake
Suman is a traditional Filipino rice cake usually wrapped in a leaf and then steamed until cooked. We then eat it by dunking it in sugar. I personally like it paired with mango and topped with tablea chocolate.
Guevarra’s combined the traditional suman with the a fruitcake by topping the suman with candied fruits. The end product is a sweet confection. Diabetics beware! As with the pudding this goes well with coffee.
Guevarra’s Bibingka
Bibingka is served in so many ways now — topped with cheese, egg, cheese and egg, filled with chocolate or any syrup. Seriously, the skies the limit! I personally like eating bibingka while drinking hot chocolate or coffee.
Guevarra’s Puto Bumbong
Simbang Gabi is not complete without buying puto bumbong after hearing mass. But at Guevarra’s we don’t have to wait until December. We can have it now! Puto bumbong is served in single serve (big bite size) soup spoons.
Not only is it delicious, it is also very beautifully presented it is almost a sin to eat!
Should you go to Guevarra’s and sample their buffet?
If I haven’t convinced you yet, I don’t know what will. Lol! But maybe you have a few more questions. Let me see if I can come up with some of the answers a they were given to us during the Q&A.
Are there desserts made that are safe for diabetics?
Chef Jac says they don’t have any at the moment but they’ve been discussing it and they intend to bring out dishes safe for diabetics soon. Those dishes will, of course, be specially labelled so that customers who suffer from it know that they could safely consume it.
Is it necessary to call ahead for reservations?
Yes, absolutely! Reservations are necessary. Guevarra’s does not like turning people away and the only way to ensure that is if reservations are made ahead of time.
Do they accept walk-ins?
Like I mentioned, they don’t like turning people away. However, in the event that a party with no reservation arrives, they will be informed that they will have to wait in case someone who made a reservation (for the same number of people) fails to arrive within 30 minutes of their booking, then the walk-in party will be accommodated.
What meals do they serve?
No ala carte. It’s all buffet, buffet, buffet — lunch, “maagang salu-salo”, and dinner.
Meals are prepared by world famous Chef Lau, it must be expensive.
Au contraire, mon ami! It is anything but! Check out this price list:
|
LUNCH |
MAAGANG SALU-SALO |
DINNER |
| MON |
P399+12%VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
| TUE |
P399+12%VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
| WED |
P399+12%VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
| THU |
P399+12%VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
| FRI |
P399+12%VAT |
P549+12% VAT |
P599+12% VAT |
| SAT |
P599+12% VAT |
P549+12% VAT |
P599+12% VAT |
| SUN |
P599+12% VAT |
P549+12% VAT |
P599+12% VAT |
| HOL |
P599+12% VAT |
P549+12% VAT |
P599+12% VAT |
What time should we be there?
Meals are served at the timeframes below. Make sure to come early.
- Lunch is from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Maagang Salu-Salo 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
- Dinner is from 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM.
Can we make reservations for private functions like company parties?
Since they encourage reservations it is safe to say that customers will not be surprised to arrive to find the venue closed for private functions. Guevarra’s will just inform us whether or not the day and time we stated is available or not.
For Inquiries and reservations you may contact: 705 1811; 705 1874; 0917 311 2222. Follow them on Facebook: Guevarra’s ; Instagram: @Guevarras_ ; Twitter: @Guevarras_ .
See you at Guevarra’s!
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 13, 2016 | Stories
Ipanema, Brazil’s fun, chic and colorful brand of sandals and flip flops, has opened its latest outlet at SM City in Sta. Rosa, Laguna as part of its expansionary thrust in time for the holidays. The new store is one of the new outlets that the company is eyeing to open this year in time for the holiday season.
With the opening of this latest branch, residents within the area can conveniently shop for the latest Ipanema footwear, especially for gift giving this Christmas. The new store carries the latest Ipanema styles and collections, each one inspired by the spectacular coastal neighborhood of Ipanema in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Cecille Loretizo, ELRO Sales and Marketing Head
“Our expansion in this part of the South couldn’t have come at a more opportune time as the holiday season is just around the corner,” explains Cecille Loretizo, Head of Marketing, ELRO Retail Corp.
“This new store which carries Ipanema sandals exclusively, boasts of a wider selection of the latest footwear from this iconic Brazilian brand.”
Aside from the newly opened Ipanema outlet at SM City Sta. Rosa, Ipanema store is set to open in SM City Dasmarinas and more stores on the upcoming months, signs of ELRO’s strong outlook in the market as it aims to further grow its retail footprint in the country.
The new Ipanema store is located at Level 1, SM City Sta Rosa. Ipanema stores are also located at:
- Ayala Abreeza Davao
- Ayala Centrio Cagayan de Oro
- Bacolod
- Cabanatuan
- Cauayan-Isabela
- Clark-Angeles
- Gensan
- Iloilo
- North Edsa
- Pampanga
- Roasales
- Robinsons Place, Antipolo
- SM City Lucena
- SM Lanang Premier in Davao
- SM Seaside Cebu
For more information you can follow Ipanema Philippines on their social media accounts:
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 9, 2016 | Food & Beverage
Torn between two classic Taco Bell favorites? No need to choose as Taco Bell rolls out its newest item on its menu – the Quesarito.
What is a Quesarito?
The Quesarito, as the name suggests, is a mash-up between cheesy gooey quesadilla and beefy meaty burrito.
Imagine a Quesadilla made with Taco Bell’s signature three cheese blend and nacho cheese sauce wrapped around a burrito filled with seasoned beef, Mexican rice, cool sour cream and creamy jalapeno sauce. Its two delicious flavors coming together to create something truly extraordinary!
Taco Bell’s Quesarito meal. Beverage not in photo because I was drinking it at the time. 😀
Have I tried it?
I had the opportunity to try the Quesarito meal for myself when I went to Taco Bell at the Ground Floor of Gateway Mall in Cubao. I usually like to drop by there on my way home from work for a quick bite and I was checking to see if there was anything new.
As I perused the menu I noticed they had a new product out so I decided to give it a shot. I love quesadillas and I love burritos so I thought to myself … “I eat rice topped with Cheez Whiz sometimes so this must be similar.”
And to some extent it is! What makes it different? Why everything that makes a burrito and a quesadilla different from plain old rice and cheese, of course! All the filling. 🙂 Add to that the side order of chips and a drink just complete the meal perfectly.
If you don’t say anything they will automatically give you the barbeque flavored chips for your side order. I tried it the first time and didn’t like it. Not because it wasn’t good but because I found the combination of cheesy Quesarito and barbeque chips too salty for my taste. When I asked for plain chips they willingly obliged me. 🙂
As for the beverage that accompanies it, you get to choose … soda or iced tea. I opted for RED iced tea (my favorite!)
Try the Quesarito for yourself!
Try the new Quesarito exclusively available for a limited time only at Taco Bell branches in:
- Gateway Mall (Ground floor and at the food court)
- TriNoma
- Alabang Town Center
Priced at P129 ala carte and P169 with nachos and a drink, this is a mash-up you wouldn’t want to miss.
For more updates, visit Taco Bell’s official website at www.tacobell.com.ph or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 6, 2016 | Stories
Citi – the country’s largest foreign bank launches Voice Biometrics in the Philippines, the first bank to roll out this groundbreaking authentication across Asia.
Starting October, clients of Citi Philippines will no longer need to remember passwords, or personal identification numbers, or answer a series of questions to verify their identities. The country’s largest foreign bank is the first bank in Asia to introduce Voice Biometrics, which simply means your voice is now your password.
Voice biometrics – now a reality in Philippine banking
Citi Philippines CEO Aftad Ahmed and Consumer Banking Head Bea Tan announced to the media the introduction of this groundbreaking technology being introduced to the Philippines.
With this launch, Citi’s more than 1 million clients in the country can now enroll in Voice Biometrics and let their voices be the means for authentication of their phone banking transactions.
In the press briefing attended by representatives of traditional media and bloggers Citi’s voice biometrics system was explained and demonstrated in several ways to showcase the level of security voice biometrics can give Citi clients.
First we set up the voice authentication system for one of the audience volunteers. It was a painless experience which lasted only a few minutes.
Next we tried to have one of the female audience members pretend to be someone else and midway through the call the real Citi customer took the phone and continued the call. Here voice authentication was not enough. Given the circumstances the client will either have to do one of two things … hang up and call again or answer a series of 3 to 5 verification questions.
Lastly, we had an existing Citi customer who had already enrolled in voice authentication call the Citi call center.
Aftad Ahmed, Citi Philippines CEO
“We are proud of our strong track record in innovation, and we are delighted to once again take the lead in introducing a game changer in the banking industry,” said Ahmed.
“We are relentlessly focused on making it more convenient for our customers to bank with us. Voice Biometrics will deliver convenience and additional protection for their accounts.”
The voice biometrics authentication capability identifies customers through their voice print, which, similar to a fingerprint, is unique to each person. Citi clients can opt to enroll by recording their voices, which the bank will use to generate and store their voice prints for matching subsequent calls to Citibank. Each voice print will be uniquely tagged and cannot be reverse engineered once stored.
Once available, customers who call into the bank’s contact centers will have their identity automatically verified within 15 seconds or less as they explain their reason for calling. This is a reduction from an average time of around 45 seconds currently or 66% less time spent verifying their details currently.
Bea Tan, Citi Philippines Consumer Banking Head
“Voice biometrics is a great example of how we at Citi listen to our clients and leverage technology to address their concerns,” explained Tan.
“With our client’s agreement, we can digitize their voice print and with a successful registration, the next time they call, we will do away with the three to five questions to verify their identity, which can take between 45 and 60 seconds.”
To date, voice biometrics authentication has been implemented in the following countries in Asia:
- Australia
- Hong Kong
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- Taiwan
It will be rolled out throughout the region in 2016 and 2017 to cover all 12 of Citi’s consumer banking markets in Asia Pacific that represent more than half of the bank’s 19 consumer markets globally.
Citi targets to be the first financial services firm to deploy voice biometrics authentication across Asia Pacific as the bank builds further on its successful innovation in retail banking in the region.
Citi has around 15 million Consumer Banking customers in the region and the bank expects to have at least 1,000,000 customers actively using voice biometrics authentication in the next 12 months. Within three years the bank expects the number of users to grow to 3,000,000.
Asia is an important region for innovation at Citi. Six years ago, the bank launched its new branch design – called Smart Banking – in Asia for the first time. The Smart Banking concept involves using technology, architecture and design and new retail channels to connect customers to their money and provide them with a better way of banking. Over 200 such branches have since been rolled out globally since the Asian launch.
About Citi
Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions.
Citi provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.
For more information about Citi visit their website at www.citigroup.com or any of their social media accounts:
With Citi your voice is your password.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 5, 2016 | Stories
A total of 19 gorgeous married women and single moms successfully made it as finalists to the first-ever Mrs. Bacolod Globe 2016, a competition that encourages women in the City of Smiles to be movers of society and symbols of inspiration.
Nineteen gorgeous married women and single moms made it as finalists to the first-ever Mrs. Bacolod Globe 2016, a competition that encourages women in the City of Smiles to be movers of society and symbols of inspiration.
The Mrs. Bacolod Globe Competition
The pageant is a component of the national pageant Mrs. Philippines Globe 2016, a national competition established in 2012 under the auspices of Mrs. Globe, an international competition touted as one of the biggest international beauty pageants for married women and single mothers.
Carla Cabrera Quimpo, Mrs. Globe Philippines 2011.
According to Carla Cabrera Quimpo, National Pageant Director, franchise owner of Mrs. Philippines Globe, and Mrs. Globe Philippines herself in 2011, the turn out for the first Bacolod competition is very encouraging. “Each of the finalists embodies the positive traits of a true Bacolodnon woman. Their beauty, strength of character and achievements really shine through, making each a strong contender for the national title Mrs. Philippines Globe 2016.”
“Whoever advances to the national pageant will not only represent Bacolod well but will also serve as an inspiration to other married women in the province to become better versions of themselves,” added Ms. Quimpo.
The Finalists for 2016
This year’s Mrs. Bacolod Globe 2016 finalists are:
- Rosalia Jamaybay Fransz
- Janice Dinorog Makilan
- Michelle Christie De Castro Sayo
- Ma. Irene Altes
- Julie Kristie Martelino Mondia
- Analyn Marie Gayatin
- Mary Jean Medianero Basiano
- Mae Belen Gonzales Imperial.
Also included are:
- Monica Jeselle Pido Estrella
- Jean Eyre Lobaton Salazar
- Maria Theresa Tomayao Uhlmann
- Felamie Lopez Demegillo
- Stefannie Labis Montaner
- Jinky Dequina Girasol
- Kristoffersen Estrope Jison
- Michelle Duyungan Boyero
- Maria Althea Rose Mauricio
- Irish Menente Vale
- Rasha Mustafa Demonteverde.
The 19 finalists will compete in the Mrs. Bacolod Globe 2016 Finals Night on October 6, 2016, 7:00 PM at SMX Bacolod. Top actor Ian Veneracion will be gracing the event.
Candidates will be judged based on the following criteria:
- 50% beauty, personality and appeal, and
- 50% for physical physique.
The Awards and Prizes
The winner of the Mrs. Bacolod Globe 2016 title will win P40,000 cash while the first and second runners-up will each take home P20,000 and P10,000 cash respectively. Special awards will be given to 10 finalists including Darling of the Press, Best in Evening Wear, Most Beautiful Face, Mrs. Body Beautiful, Personality of the Year and Woman of Charity.
After the coronation, the Mrs. Bacolod Globe 2016 title holder will fly to Manila to compete in the Mrs. Philippines Globe 2016 National Competition on October 23, 2016 at the Samsung Hall, SM Aura, Taguig City.
The winner of the Mrs. Philippines Globe 2016 title will then fly to Beijing, China to compete in the prestigious Mrs. Globe international competition this December 11, 2016.
Founded in 1996, Mrs. Globe is recognized worldwide as a competition that celebrates not just beauty, goodwill, and tourism awareness through pageantry and competition; but more importantly, it promotes and supports the admirable strength of mothers by giving them a chance to reinvent and unleash the better versions of themselves, and to communicate the deeper strength of every woman.
For ticket sales updates, please like MrsBacolodGlobe on Facebook or visit www.smtickets.com.
For my beautiful mom, the person who is always there for me no matter what, I would give her the Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Mousse. With its light and airy chocolate-flavored cream enveloped in classic milk chocolate shell, she is sure to love it and ask for more.
Guevarra’s Christmas Chicken Liver Parfait
Guevarra’s Christmas Macaroni Salad
Guevarra’s Christmas Beef Morcon
Guevarra’s Christmas Fish Mayonesa
Guevarra’s Christmas Paella
Guevarra’s Christmas Pudding
Christmas Suman Fruitcake
Guevarra’s Bibingka
Guevarra’s Puto Bumbong
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