The artwork format is assemblage (a three dimensional artwork made of different materials put together to form one unified concept art piece or composition.). This contest is open to all Filipino students currently enrolled in public and private high schools in Los Banos, Laguna. The assemblage should be a result of a collaboration by a team of three students. Any other team composition is disqualified. The theme of this contest is “Unity in Diversity” in line with EU’s motto.

The team should submit their entries to any of the following schools by 30 March 2009: Philippine High School for the Arts and the Los Banos National High School.

The medium or materials to be used should be made of recycled materials, preferably those coming from the home and including from the community, like the following: tin cans, rubber slippers, bottles, cloth or textile materials, paper products such as papers, paper boards and boxes, plastic materials such as containers and old toys, metal pieces. Materials that deteriorate are not permitted.

The dimensions include: height – 16 inches including base, not smaller than 10 inches, weight – maximum of 20 kilos and cubic measure of 12 inches x 12 inches x 16 inches.

All entries should be accompanied by a short rationale explaining the concept of their entry piece. Rationale should be not more than five sentences with a maximum of 500 words.

Students also should attach the following information to their respective entries: name, address, contact landline and mobile phone numbers of the members of the team, the year and section of the members of the team, name of adviser, contact number of adviser, name of school.

The criteria for Judging are: relevance to the Theme – 40%; Durability & Stability – 20%; Aesthetic Significance and Uniqueness – 20% and Commercial Viability – 20%. The jury will be composed of artists and officials from the organisers.

All winning entries submitted for this contest will automatically be considered as shared property between the Delegation of the European Commission to the Philippines and it is understood that the winning entries will be displayed in the premises of the Delegation.

Five winners will be chosen and each will be awarded a trophy and a medal as well as special prizes from the Delegation. In addition, five finalists will be chosen and each will be awarded certificates. All the winning entries including finalists will be exhibited in a venue to be identified before the awarding ceremony. The awarding ceremony will be held during the latter part of May 2009. All winners will be notified by mail.

Further information: http://www.delphl.ec.europa.eu or (02) 8595124

My sister Dianne and I were able to meet Forrest Gump (portrayed by Steve Weber) during an event for bloggers at the TriNoma branch of Bubba Gump last October 21, 2008. Alongside with the meet and greet with Forrest Gump, Bubba Gump introduced their new and exciting dishes!

One of their new appetizers is the Dynamite Shrimp; an appetizer composed of shrimp poppers with a spicy Asian glaze. Dianne and I really enjoyed this appetizer. In fact, we could eat this one everyday!

Spicy Jambalaya Pasta is one of the great additions in Bubba Gump’s menu. A dish composed of shrimps and spicy Andouille Sausage over Linguini with Bourbon Street Tomato Sauce.

“That Chocalate Thing” is a special jar of warm flourless Chocalate cake, topped with Vanilla Ice Cream and Whipped Cream, and drizzled with Raspberry Sauce. This is a dessert that you could share with your friends or family.

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. has branches in Trinoma (916-9314 or 916-9315) and Greenbelt 3 (757-5154 or 757-5104). You could also visit their website at http://www.bubbagump.com.ph/ for more information.

Here comes, Pocketful of Kids, the very first interactive toy village in the country. It is where kids and their parents or guardians get to experience first hand the popular American and European toy brands that encourage to wonder, to discover and to learn through play which is important to the growth and development of the kids. Pocketful of Kids is not your ordinary “look, but don’t touch” toy store. At Pocketful of Kids, you can play with the toys and interact with the other kids in the village.

“The notion of bringing learning into playtime is really something that Pocketful of Kinds wanted to push. Our vision is to provide high-quality toys that help children learn and ensure that these will aid significantly in influencing a child’s mind,” explained Natalie Tanchip, founder and owner of Pocketful of Kids.

The first interactive toy village in the country carries only top-of-the-line developmental toys from reputable American and European brands such as Melissa & Doug, Learning Resources, Educational Insights, HaPe, Educo, Alex, Tatiri among others. Aside from toys, Pocketful of Kids also features books and other services for kids like a health food section and playground. The toy village also extends its reach to parents and guardians through parenting seminars and workshops conducted by no less than child experts.

“As parents, we play a vital role in equipping our children with the opportunity for growth, innovation and learning. What more effective way to do is than by providing them with toys that boost their ability to learn,” added Natalie Tanchip.

My mother, sister Dianne and I had a chance to experience how fun and exciting it is to be in the first interactive toy village in the country. It is where we feel that we’re preschoolers all over again. Here’s a glimpse of what’s in store for everyone especially for the kids at the first interactive toy village in the country:

You too can experience the fun & excitement with your kids starting this Saturday, October 25, 2008 by visiting Pocketful of Kids, the first interactive toy village in the country located at 15/F Strata 2000, Emerald Avenue, Ortigas from 10am to 7pm or call (02) 634-7888 or (02) 634-2888.

Map:

More pictures:

“When deciding where to go on a night out, people now consider the diversity of activities they can do in one place. This is why we constantly expand our offerings. We want to give the market all the fun they want without going through the hassle of moving from one place to another,” said Paolo del Rosario, Marketing Director of Red Box.

Enjoy the company of your family and friends while singing karaoke, playing Wii, playing a game of pool, battling on the poker table, binging on delicious food or just by lounging in the karaoke bar’s comfy sofa — all of these you could do at Red Box.

Experience a different level of karaoke high only at Red Box. Red Box has branches in Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma. For more information and inquiries, please call 757-6188 or visit www.redbox.com.ph.

I am not a very vain person who goes to the dermatologist for weekly check-up, facial, and whatnots. Even though skin clinics are present here in our neighborhood, I never had the chance to step inside them and have my face treated. I don’t put moisturizers and other facial creams on my face except for the thing that treats my acne.

We often hear celebrities and other famous people thanking Dr. Vicki Belo in different TV shows. When you hear the name Vicky Belo, what comes in your mind?

Liposuction, breast augmentation, botox, nose lift, face-lift and other surgical services. But did you know that almost 80% of the services offered by the Belo Medical Group are non-surgical? Yes. Dr. Vicky Belo herself confirmed this during a Belo Open House for Bloggers at their Tomas Morato branch last August 16, 2008. Since it’s non-surgical, pain won’t be as much as inserting a catheter. Dr. Hayden Kho Jr. was also present at the event and gave a talk about the different treatments that the Belo Medical Group is offering. One of the newest treatments being offered by the Belo Medical Group is called the Biosculpt.

Biosculpt is an ideal treatment for people who want to shape up without effort. It makes use of the B.E.A.M. technology (Bio Electrical Acceleration Management) to send customized electrical pulses to stimulate and activate specific muscles or muscle groups, increase blood circulation, improve, metabolism, and tone the body where you want it.

Bloggers were able to experience the different treatments such as Visia, Tenor, Inara, Powerpeel to name a few. I was able to try two treatments – the Inara and Power Peel. The Power Peel or microdermabrasion makes use of corundum oxide crystals to gently remove dead skin and a vacuum to stimulate the deeper layers. It is great for acne scars and fine lines. This treatment takes around 20 minutes and can be done once a week.

One of the interesting services they are offering is called Visia. VISIA Digital Skin Analysis is an exciting technological innovation that uses a multi-spectral imaging system to identify problem areas of your complexion, allowing for a customized skin treatment program that specifically targets these areas.

Moreover, The Belo Medical Group launches the Ike and Nena Belo Foundation, a non-profit corporate charity meant to shape lives, with education, surgical assistance and environmental protection as its advocacies.

Dr. Vicki Belo, medical director of the Belo Medical Group, put up the foundation in honor of her parents, lawyer Enrique Belo and wife Florencia, who instilled in her the value of charitable giving. The private foundation was created for the education of needy children, rehabilitation of burned victims, surgery of children with cleft palate and environmental awareness. The core advocacy is geared towards the physical, mental and social welfare of the beneficiaries. The launch of Ike and Nena Belo Foundation comes at an opportune time when the Belo Medical Group is celebrating its 18th anniversary as the country’s top name in the field of dermatology and cosmetic surgery.

You can visit the Belo Medical Group in Alabang, Greenhills, Makati, Rustan’s Makati, Subic, The Podium, Tomas Morato and Trinoma. You can call their hotline at 844-2939 for more information regarding their services. Check out their website at www.belomed.com. Belo Medical Group will be launching their new website some time in September.

More pictures from the event:
(Please click the thumbnail for full view.)

… because pictures (or videos ) paint a thousand words

The PONDS Taste of Beauty Event in a Nutshell

Poyt‘s Singing Career

That’s it for me, PONDS!

You can sign-up by click here or the PLURK logo on my sidebar.

Because Coke has too much Coke Zero, they decided to treat bloggers of all ages and sizes last Friday, June 27, 2008 at Taste Asia in Mall of Asia. Am I making any sense here? Nevermind, I know you know what I mean! Whew! That sentence was full of Asia, Coke, and commas! The event isn’t formal at all. It’s like an eyeball event for me because I was able to meet some of my Plurk and Twitter buddies in person. I can’t name them all because they’re so many! The great food that night was provided by Taste Asia. And of course, the overflowing alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks were there too.

Anyway, who would think that just by having an active Plurk account, you’d get to win a Coke collectible dining set? Because of JayDJ, I won a Coke collectible dining set! That was easy! Those who remained loyal to Twitter got prizes too.

Some bloggers present during the Coke Zero Event (from L-R – Poyt, Lauren, Jehz, Cai, Coy, and Mica)

Who would forget the Plurk Banana Dance and The Banana Dancer? NO ONE! The Banana Dance is actually the highlight of the event. Wait, I thought it’s Coke Zero? Just take a look Jason dancing the Banana Dance.

I saw some ladies from 26K of Kapamilya, Deal or No Deal too. Actually, Charmel was the only one I know from the girls. At the end of the event, each one of us were able to bring home one (1) case of Coke Zero in cans – a total of 24 Coke Zero in cans. Up to this point, we haven’t consumed all the Coke Zero from the event. The Coke Zero we got would be expiring on July 14, 2008 so we should dispose or consume them quick. And I forgot to mention that there was a magic show that night too!

Magic Show by Marcelle

I guess that’s all I can say! Thank you to Coke, Taste Asia and SM Mall of Asia. To all the bloggers I met that night, hello!

You can try four different variations of the Chowking Chao Fan – pork (P39), beef (P49), spicy (P79) and yang chow (P79). My personal favorites are the spicy chao fan and the yang chow chao fan.

The Pork Chao Fan (P39)

Tasty, flavorful, steaming hot, and moist stir-fried rice mixed with pork slices in a specially blended sauce of thick shrimp-paste and sacha sauce; and kangkong leaves, sprinkled with spring onions. Can be topped with choices of fried or steamed dumplings.

The Beef Chao Fan (P49)

Tasty, flavorful, steaming hot, and moist stir-fried rice mixed with beef chunks in a special beef sauce, cabbage and carrot bits; sprinkled with spring onions. Can be topped with choices of fried or steamed dimsum.

The Spicy Chao Fan (P79) – My personal favorite

Tasty, flavorful, steaming hot, and moist stir-fried rice mixed with tender beef cuts, and succulent chewy chicken balls, seasoned with hot chili-garlic spices and think, sweet soya sauce. Can be topped with choices of fried or steamed dimsum.

The Yang Chow Chao Fan (P79) – My personal favorite

Tasty, flavorful, light yellow and moist stir-fried rice, sautéed with chorizo bits, roasted pork asado bits, beaten egg and fresh and crisp vegetables, topped with sautéed shrimps.

The Chao Fan Toppings

Alongside with a serving of the Chowking Chao Fan, one can choose to add some toppings like egg (P13), siomai (P22), lumpiang shanghai (P26), and friend dumplings (P26).

The Chao Fan goes with the Chow To-Go Box and a spork (spoon and fork combined) for those who are on the go.

Truly, sarap starts at P39! Iba talaga ang kain kapag kanin! Call 702-8888 for Chowking Delivery anywhere in Metro Manila. Just take note that the price indicated here are applicable to dine-in orders only. There is a special price list for delivery orders.

The Chowking Halo-halo is a best seller. In fact, 25% of Chowking’s sales came from the famous halo-halo. The halo-halo from Chowking may be quite pricey if compared to the ones bought in your “suking tindahan” but with Chowking’s Halo-halo you are assured that the ingredients used are clean and fresh. Chowking’s Halo-Halo is composed of 12 ingredients, which I won’t list anymore but the distinguishable ones are Jackfruit, Sweetened Banana, Ube and Leche Flan. In preparing the Halo-Halo, Chowking uses their very special “blended milk”, which complements the halo-halo very much. The Halo-halo was presented in a very creative way with powder-like ice. The vibrant colors of the ingredients and its taste makes you wanna crave for more. Just to add, I consumed the Fiesta Halo-halo (with two scoops of ice cream) in a flash!

The marketing people from Chowking are very much hands-on. They entertained questions coming from the bloggers present. They also did some table-hopping to check on the bloggers which I took advantage to complain about the Chowking branch nearby (as in a stone throw away from our house, literally). They also shared about the story behind their Halo-halo and how Halo-halo finds it way to Chowking’s regular menu.

You can enjoy Chowking’s Halo-halo anytime (rain or shine)! You could choose from three sizes which are Half Dozen, Petite and Fiesta. If you want to add a little more sweetness to your Halo-halo, then add a scoop or two of ice cream.

Please do watch out for the video blog I would be posting on Jeric On The Tube about the event.

Other blog post/s:

Dianne – Chowking’s Halo-Halo Experience