The Tanduay First Five 2012

As I was checking the most recently viewed blog posts of mine, one of the top 3 is the last year’s post about the Tanduay First Five. So, for the benefit of those who are looking for this year’s Tanduay First Five concert venues, here they are featuring the Rock Royalties of the Philippines!

Tanduay First Five Concert Tour Schedule:
March 30 – Legaspi
March 31 – Naga
April 14 – Boracay
April 20 – Dumaguete
April 27 – Bataan
April 28 – Baliwag, Bulacan
May 4 – Calbayog
May 5 – Tacloban
May 11 – Lucena
May 18 – Kalibo
May 19 – Iloilo
May 25 – Santiago
June 1 – Vigan
June 2 – La Union
June 8 – Baguio
July 13 – CDO
August 17 – Digos
August 18 – Gensan
September 7 – Surigao
September 8 – Butuan
November 9 – Pagadian
December 1 – Bacolod

This blog post will be updated if there are more venues added in the future.

I haven’t seen this TV commercial yet but I am sharing this ASTIG video of the Tanduay First Five 2012 TV commercial.

Concerts. More fun in the Philippines. Rock on! \m/

(photo and video courtesy of Philippine Concerts)

You Didn't Thank Me For Punching You in the Face

Reblogged from Views from the Couch:

On a somewhat serious note today because of a conversation the other day:

I am sure every girl can recall, at least once as a child,  coming home and telling their parents, uncle, aunt or grandparent about a boy who had pulled her hair, hit her, teased her, pushed her or committed some other playground crime.  I will bet money that most of those, if not all, will tell you that they were told “Oh, that just means he likes you”. 

Read more… 742 more words

For the love of our children, and our children's children, and so on, and so forth, PLEASE read this and share!

2012 Grammys Red Carpet: Six OMG Fashion Moments

Reblogged from Entertainment:

From Nicki Minaj’s Red Riding Hood getup to Katy Perry’s head-to-toe blue ensemble, TIME rounds up a few of the best (and worst) sartorial choices from this year’s award show.

And the Grammy goes to...

Halika, Byahe Tayo! Tara na sa Pilipinas! (or not?)

I have been thinking of posting a blog about our country’s tourism campaign, but a lot of personal and business-related stuff has been my priority. It’s kind of a good thing though because now I have gathered more topics to discuss here.

#1. The Slogan/Logo

I know this has been a sensitive topic since the Department of Tourism changed our almost more than a decade tourism slogan, Wow Philippines! (established by then DOT Sec. Richard Gordon) to Pilipinas Kay Ganda! What is /are the reason/s? One argument is to promote internal tourism “daw” among the Filipino people. Maganda po ang layunin na yan ngunit…duh… Para namang kayang mamasyal sa iba’t ibang lugar dito sa Pilipinas ng karamihan sa mga pamilyang Pilipino. Hanggang sa mall nga lang ang kaya ng budget eh, pamasahe at konting pang-minindal/merienda, palamig sa libreng aircon ng mall, uwian na bago pa magutom ulit! lol

Again, the question is: why do we have to change the slogan? Another argument is to promote our Filipino language. Uhm…why? Are we not supposed to attract foreigners, expats, and tourists from other countries (hopefully those who know how to speak or understand the English language) to come and visit or even live here in our country? Hindi ba kelangan natin ng maraming dollars na makukurakot ng ating mga lider sa gobyerno? (Ay, ibang topic na pala yun, sa susunod na lang.) Kahit pa lagyan nyo yan sa ilalim ng paraan kung papano bigkasin ang “kay ganda” at ilagay nyo pa ang English translation nun, di pa rin yan nakakatuwang gamitin. Oh, I almost forgot! We were also accused of copying Poland’s tourism logo! Sus! Nag-aksaya lang kayo ng panahon at ng pera sa ginawa nyong yan. Why can’t we stick to this simple yet very understandable and easy to remember slogan? Example: Malaysia, Truly Asia. Kudos to whoever it was that coined this slogan! If the Wikipedia data are correct, Wow Philippines! campaign had brought us a record-breaking number of tourist visits since its launching. Ngunit datapwat, hindi pa dyan natatapos ang kwento dahil nabago na ulit ang Pilipinas, Kay Ganda! at ginawa na nilang Pilipinas, Tara na! Question po ulit, who are you inviting to visit? I just hope that hope is not forever lost since according to recent news, the Department of Tourism will release a new slogan before this year ends. Bakit nga ulit?

Just in case you have already forgotten what our tourism slogan/logo looked like (yeah, right!) here they are:

#2. The Jingle

This is where I will give credit to our fellow Filipino songwriters, composers and artists. Sabi nga, kung merong bad news, syempre dapat meron ding good news! I got one suggestion though, and it’s really a given. They should put English subtitles on these videos. It is not enough to induce an LSS based on tone alone. Am I right or am I right? Again, best example pa rin ang jingle ng Malaysia. Even my kids can name that tune from the first note then they’ll sing along with the lines: ♪♫…Malaysia…Truly Asia…♪♫ That is what we need to achieve. A little more tweaking here and there and our tourism jingles will soar high. Following is the music videos of our tourism jingles. First one is the original Wow Philippines! jingle. Next is the latest Pilipinas, Tara na! jingle, which has 3 versions so you better check out their Youtube Channel.

Quick question: Can you still name all of the artists involved in singing the above jingle?

***Speaking of making a jingle for the tourism campaign, let me share you this one awesome video of what I strongly believe the Department of Tourism should use or at least tap these talented people to make a new one! Introducing, the El Gamma Penumbra of Pilipinas Got Talent!

I hope you noticed their showcase of the Puerto Princesa Underground River which fortunately made it to the provisional list of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.***

#3. The Airport

Of course, I am going to discuss this here! I am seriously pissed off at these taxes that we, Filipinos and tourists, have to pay before leaving the country. The worst part is, there are two separate taxes! The travel tax which is Php1,620/each (depending on class, and if you are an OFW dependent); and the airport tax or terminal tax for international travel which is Php750/each. Not included pa dyan yung processing fees, etc! Imagine if three or more of your family members need to travel outside the country, let’s say Malaysia? How much would you need to shell out from your pocket before you can finally say Bon Voyage?

However, the real concern here is where do these taxes go since the record-breaking number of tourist visits? For the improvement of NAIA? No. (Ngayon pa lang nila naisip na umpisahan ang renovation ng Terminal 1 eh!) The security, safety and welfare of the travelers? No. (Read some horror stories of other travelers about our airport terminals, taxi services, food being sold inside the “safe zone”, etc.) The salary of airport employees? No. (Kaya nga may mga rallies, etc.) The improvement and campaign for the different tourist spots here in our country? No. (Hanggang ngayon makikita nyo pa rin ang paghihirap ng mga katutubong Pilipino sa mga lugar na ito upang mapanatili ang kagandahan ng lugar kahit na kulang sa budget.) The bulky pockets of the corrupt people? Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding! YES! (Sana magka-diabetes, magka-cancer at mabulok ang mga bituka ng mga taong ito na patuloy na kinukurakot ang pera na dapat sana ay magamit sa ikabubuti ng mga Pilipino at mga turista.)

No wonder that NAIA made it to the infamous lists of World’s Most Hated Airports (#5) and 2011 Worst Airports (#1…woohoo…<insert sarcasm here>)

Now tell me, do these taxes make you want to travel abroad or at least even here in the Philippines? If you are a solo traveler, and you have at least Php15,000 budget to travel, why not? But if you are like me, with two kids to consider the budget for everything under the sun, you might want to hide that traveling pants for a while.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that it isn’t worth it to travel, I am just saying that the Philippine tourism badly needs a revamp. Let us hope that this will happen in the nearest future possible. ☺

Remembering and Honoring Mr. FrancisM…

♫♪…every color and every hue is represented by me and you…take a slide in the slope, take a look in the kaleidoscope…♫♪

Those lines from his song Kaleidoscope World will never cease to make that emotional impact to me and to every Filipino, who had known Francis”Kiko” Magalona all of their lives. Today, we are remembering this one person who made us all proud to be called a Filipino; he who made us still held on to that HOPE that our country, and our race will rise up despite all the corruption and crab mentality of our so-called leaders. (Honestly, I am shedding my tears as I am writing this… Yes, I do have a heart… lol)

For most of us who have been aware of what has been happening to our country, our government and our leaders, couldn’t help but diss and cuss about being a Filipino. Patriotism has been long gone from our vocabulary. We even have this slogan that says, “Onli In Da Pilipins” where in, we “promote” the stupidity and incapability of the Filipinos. Most of our Kababayans who are working abroad as OFWs do not have faith anymore and will not even go back to work here in our country because they know that working here will only result to that “isang kahig, isang tuka” kind of living. Sad but true. Hurtful but true. For me, Francis Magalona gave us something to look forward to. He made us think and realize that we can do something.

Today on Eat Bulaga, the Magalona Family announced that they have created the Francis Magalona Foundation. Let’s get involved, check out the website. Whining and talking sh*t about our country and fellow Filipinos will get us nowhere (Yes, I am guilty of doing this, too). Now is the time to move, participate, contribute, learn and do what we can to get that CHANGE that we have all dreamed and hoped about. ☼

‘Mr. Big: Live In Manila 2011′ Experience

When I’ve heard that Mr. Big is going back to Manila for another concert I secretly wished that I can watch them perform live but with the budget restrictions I can’t buy my own ticket to watch them. Then hope shined upon me when I saw Hazel of Playtime RX93.1′s tweet that they will be giving out tickets for the Mr. Big concert! So I tuned in and waited…and waited…and waited…

At the last hour, they announced the instructions for joining the contests (for Justin Bieber and Mr. Big concerts), lucky me, they’ve changed the instruction for the Mr. Big contest from calling the station to sending a text message to RX.  Then came the announcement of winners…I’m one of them winners!!! Wooohooo! \m/

I asked for confirmation about how many pieces of Mr. Big tickets that I’ve won, and they tweeted that it’s 4pcs of concert tickets! I didn’t know yet what kind of seats I got until my friend, Edzcel, got the tickets on my behalf from RX. It was Upper Box A tickets! Lucky!

So I asked 3 of my closest friends (Wedding Wizards) to join me last night in watching the concert. Even though we are familiar with only 3 of Mr. Big’s hits (yes, we are not ashamed of it) we still enjoyed watching them rock the night away. Such great performers! They’ve even joked about comparing the audience of Bieber’s concert to theirs saying that the ones watching Bieber’s concert are the kids of those who are watching their concert. LOL

Here are some photos and video clips I’ve taken using my phone’s camera so please bear with me.

Manila F.A.M.E. International and Sakae Sushi Food Trip

April 18th, I went to the SMX Convention Center for the 53rd edition of Manila F.A.M.E. (Furnishings and Apparel Manufacturers’ Exchange) International. I was thinking that maybe because I went on a Monday that’s why there aren’t a lot of people in there. But WOW…the exhibitors were really GREAT! *two thumbs up*

I feasted my eyes on different designs, creations and materials. Perfect for those who are looking for some inspiration to upgrade or spice up their own crafts and of course for those who are looking for unique, edgy and world-class items!

I took some photos using my phone’s camera, although taking pictures were prohibited, I just couldn’t help myself!

After I have satisfied my eyes from that exhibit, it was time to stuff myself up with food! Lucky me I’ve got a friend (*ehem Targrod ehem*) who had his birthday a couple days before so he wanted to treat us on an eat-all-you-can sushi! So I told them that we try Sakae Sushi at the Mall of Asia, since I’m already there…lol

Sakae Sushi is actually a sushi bar (yes, the one with a sushi conveyor belt). Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think they are the first one to offer this kind of dining experience here in the Philippines. The eat-all-you-can sushi (including bottomless green tea) is offered for Php400/person, so if you want to “get even” you have to eat at least 4 red plates of sushi worth Php99/each. The plates are color coded according to the price of each sushi variant. And being the gluttons that we are, we ate at least 8 plates of sushi! I think mine totaled around Php600++. Oh, and by the way, you have got to try their fried tofu plate (a red plate) and lotsa roe sushi (a green plate).  They were so good! YUMMY! (watch out for your cholesterol though with that lotsa roe sushi!)

Here are some photos I have taken from that sushi bar experience:

Now the question is…when is the next “gluttony” food trip, guys? LOL

Tanduay “First 5″ 2011 Concert Tour Schedule

I have been wondering lately why the blog hits on my last year’s post about the Tanduay “First 5″ is continuously rising everyday until my husband called my attention earlier to let me see the new kick ass TV commercial of this year’s Tanduay “First 5″! (all I can say to myself was, “oh…so that’s why…”) I better make a blog post now for the sake of those people who are constantly being directed to this blogsite!

Unfortunately, last year we did not get the chance to attend any of the tours even the one that’s nearest from our place…But this time I will definitely make myself attend at least one because this year they have a scheduled tour in Manila! Wooot wooot! It’s gonna be at the SM Mall of Asia on the 14th of October! (source here)

So here it is, the Tanduay “First 5″ 2011 Concert Tour Schedule!

Tanduay Rhum First Five Concert Series 2011 featuring ChicoSci, Kamikazee, Wolfgang, Sandwich and Parokya ni Edgar.

Concert Schedule:

March 25 – Palawan April 1 – Marinduque April 8 – Masbate May 6 – Nueva Vizcaya May 7 – Tuguegarao May 20 – Bulan May 21 – Legaspi June 24 – Panabo Davao June 25 – Davao July 8 – Olongapo July 9 – Angeles Pampanga July 15 – Cebu July 16 – Bohol July 22 – Ormoc July 23 – Tacloban

July 29 – Marbel July 30 – General Santos Aug 19 – Dumaguete Aug 20 – Bacolod Sept 2 – Dipolog Sept 9 – Daet Sept 10 – Naga Sept 23 – Butuan Sept 24 – Nabunturan Sept 30 – Dagupan Oct 1 – Baguio Oct 21 – Malayabalay Bukidnon OCt 22 – Cagayan de Oro Dec 2 – Roxas Dec 3 – Iloilo

Image and schedule in text format courtesy of PhilippineConcerts.com

See you there! Let’s rock!  \m/

The Big Reveal On The Morning Rush With Chico And Delamar!

Yesterday, my Twitter timeline was flooded by tweet guesses as to what is this big news that Delle was talking about on her Facebook account. This Facebook status came out after we’ve all read an article about the Top 10 Prettiest Female DJs. And then she retweeted a lot of these guesses about the big news, some of them about Chico and Delle joining reality TV shows, TV guestings, having their own TV programs, releasing a new album, wedding proposals, getting married, getting pregnant, etc. And this anticipation of knowing intensified more when Chico gave 5 clues about this “big reveal.”

And if until now you do not know all about it yet, where the F have you been hiding?! This big reveal even reached other local radio stations and news websites. Okay, fine, read this article from GMA News.

So there you have it…Delle is pregnant, 9 weeks on the way…Okay, I’ll give you more time to get over it, scream your lungs out, cry, cuss, get bitter or whatever, because we definitely needed more time to recover. LOL Now I know what’s the next question that’s gonna linger inside your mind, “Who’s the lucky guy?” If you say it’s Chico, then Delle would answer you, “That is so 90s!” But if you really are a fan and a follower of this duo, then I’m pretty sure you already have an idea who he is…A lucky guy from the long list of sperm donors! JOKE! (patay ako kay Delle nito…)

Oh, Delle, you have broken too many hearts today, hearts of thousands (or even millions) of men who are fantasizing about you every single day! LOL So there should be a list of Top 10 Sexy Mommas, and you’re definitely one of ‘em, you sexy Delamama, you!

Of course, we are all happy and supportive of this big reveal…Congratulatory remarks aren’t really enough to express our joy for this upcoming bundle of joy! And with this big news, I’m sure a lot of Rushers will now join the mini-EB this last Saturday of March! LOL I think this upcoming 15th TMR Anniversary Grand EB/Tea Party on July will also become Delle’s Baby Shower! Bongga, di ba? Wooohooo! See you all there!

Look at her latest profile picture, she’s blooming! We love you, Delle!

Update:
Hear all about the BIG REVEAL here: cdtop10

My List Of Exhibits, Expos, Trade Shows, Seminars and Forums for 2011

Jumping at several small opportunities may get us there more quickly than waiting for one big one to come along.  ~Hugh Allen

Obviously, I have been hunting for exhibits, expos, trade shows, seminars and forums that I can go to this year. This is of course to help me upgrade myself with new skills, information and to expand my network (a.k.a. handing out our Wedding Wizards’ business card!).

So without further ado, here is my list of events that I am planning to go to (and if I didn’t show up, there are some obvious reasons…lol) :

starting this MARCH 2011:

March 4-5 ~ World Forex Expo Philippines at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel

March 4-6 ~ Babae: Kapuso Ka Ng Bayan: Women Entrepreneurship at the World Trade Center (by GMA7 and GoNegosyo)

March 12-13 ~ Wedding Expo Philippines 18th Edition at the SMX Convention Center

March 15 ~ Total Lifestyle Expo 2011 at the SMX Convention Center

March 16-20 ~ 16th World Building and Construction Expo at the World Trade Center (note: this is for interior design ideas)

March 17-20 ~ Philippine National Trade Fair at the SMX Convention Center

March 17-20 ~ 3rd Philippine Business and Entrepreneurs Expo at the Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall

March 31-April 2 ~ Philippine International Food and Beverage Expo at the World Trade Center

APRIL 2011:

April 1-2 ~ Philippine International Food and Beverage Expo at the World Trade Center

April 7-10 ~ Manila International Auto Show at the World Trade Center

April 15 ~ Princess and Brides 2011 at the Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall

April 16-19 ~ Manila F.A.M.E. International Asia’s Best Design Destination at the SMX Convention Center

April 16-19 ~ Fashionation 2011 at the World Trade Center

April 16-19 ~ Bio Search at the World Trade Center

April 29-30 ~ Total Beauty and Wellness Expo at the Activity Center, Trinoma

MAY 2011:

May 12-14 ~ International Food Exhibition Philippines at the SMX Convention Center

May 21-22 ~ Celebrations! Bridal/Events Expo at the SMX Convention Center

JUNE 2011:

June 4-5 ~ The Bridal Expo Year 8 at the World Trade Center

June 15-18 ~ Manila Food and Beverage Expo at the World Trade Center

June 18 ~ Bridal Talks at the Filipinas Heritage Library, Makati

JULY 2011:

July 6-8 ~ Food Ingredients Philippines 2011 at the SMX Convention Center

AUGUST 2011:

Aug 12 ~ Kasalan 2011 Part 1 at the Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall

Aug 25-27 ~ Philippines International Eco Show at the SMX Convention Center

SEPTEMBER 2011:

Sept 1-4 ~ Food and Drinks Asia at the World Trade Center

Sept 7-10 ~ Asia Food Expo at the World Trade Center

Sept 14-18 ~ The 32nd Manila International Book Fair at the SMX Convention Center

Sept 19-25 ~ Philippine International Franchise Conference and Expo at the SMX Convention Center

Sept 28-30 ~ PowerTrends 2011 at the SMX Convention Center

OCTOBER 2011:

Oct 14 ~ Kasalan 2011 Part 2 at the Megatrade Hall, SM Megamall

NOVEMBER 2011:

Nov 15 ~ Total Lifestyle Expo 2011 at the SMX Convention Center

DECEMBER 2011:

none as of this moment…I will update my list soon…

Now, for some of you who would like to attend these events, too, better that you search them over the internet on how to register or if there are some entrance fees to be collected. I will leave that up to you, have some kind of effort!

That’s all for now…until then!

P.S. Stalkers, please stay away! LOL