RCBC Bankard held a #BestiesDay event at Eastwood Mall Open Park together with the real life Besties Solenn Heussaff and Georgina Wilson. It was a besties day for everyone as RCBC opened the chance to meet and greet Solenn and Georgina for the first 150 qualified applicants who signed up for an RCBC Bankard at www.RCBCBankard.com/Besties which happened last November 13, 2015.

It was a Friday night and it's gimmick night for most of the teenagers and even yuppies. They all lined up to meet and greet the two favorite Besties, Solenn and Georgina. Most of their supporters aside from taking a selfie with them including the Besties book, they were also given a chance to ask in a question and answer portion.
Take a glimpse of my video during the event;

Didn't make it to the first 150? No worries! All applicants who will get approved for an RCBC Bankard Untl December 31, 2014 will get a Besties book!.
Got my Besties book though I am crossing my fingers to get a chance to approved my application for an RCBC Bankard, hopefully!
For details and pre-registration, log on to www.RCBCBAnkard.com/Besties.

Last week, it was a great experience during the Wine Tasting event at Planet Grapes. There were so many varieties of wines available for wine enthusiasts plus the meal that is paired with their selection of wines. Like their tag line "Wine without the Drama", Yah, just enjoy the wine with your friends and colleagues and no problem to be included while sipping the delicious wine.
Love the ambiance, specially at their mezzanine area , it is so lovely when you are dating or when you are with your loved one.
Wine enthusiasts were whisked off to South Africa to savor some of the best known grape varieties during the “South African Wine Tasting” event at Planet Grapes- Shangri-La Mall branch.

Alex Dale, special guest-wine maker who founded The Winery of Good Hope, led the Planet Grapes wine and food pairing event. He is instrumental in the company’s ascent to the internationally recognized label it is today.
South African wines are making a positive global impression. The wines have not escaped the attention of discerning wine drinkers in Manila, who find that the wines pair well with local cuisines. The aromatic, fresh and innovative wines are highly suitable to the Filipino palate.

Planet Grapes’ wine tasting event served as confirmation that some of the most elegant and magnificent wines are produced in that part of the world.
Radford Dale is a winery that aims to produce natural and balanced wines that reflect the originality of their own terroirs. Radford Dale wines, are grown, matured and blended on the The Winery of Good Hope property, one of the bigger wine farms in Stellenbosch, and home to Land of Hope, Vinum Africa and The Winery of Good Hope labels. The Radford Dale takes pride in using traditional, natural viticulture and wine-making methods at their cellar on the Helderberg Mountain.
Guests during the wine-tasting occasion were able to sip: The Renaissance of Chenin Blanc 2012, a wine that combines freshness, minerality, and pear & apple fruit flavors; The Winery of Good Hope Unoaked Chardonnay 2013, an easy-to-drink yet classy wine with nice citrus zest and mineral tang; The Winery of Good Hope Bush Vine Pinotage 2012, with red cherries, violets and juicy palate, that finishes with balance, length, minerality and some funky spice; The Winery of Good Hope Mountainside Shiraz 2012, which has bold flavor, varietal spiciness, balance, individuality, and freshness; and Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, with deep and dark aromas, earthy tones and spicy notes.
The South African wines complemented the delicious Filipino foods served by Planet Grapes, including dimsum, tenderloin salpicao, squid balls, BBQ pork spare ribs with adobo rice. The sublime culinary concoctions are prepared in an open kitchen by Executive Chef Jonathan Bautista and his team.

Planet Grapes is a hip gathering place where wine enthusiasts as well as budding young drinkers gravitate to savor wine and great Pinoy comfort foods. Embark on an exciting journey to the world of wines, and try commendable South African options – at Planet Grapes.
This modern wine shop-cum-bar-and-restaurant offers wine without the drama. Customers can find wines they love, one grape at a time, with flexible options for different serving sizes of wine. The state-of-the-art Italian enomatic machines allow guests to sample sip, half or full glass of different wines from the major wine regions of the world.

Planet Grapes utilizes temperature-controlled containers and stores each bottle at the perfect temperature and angle in its cellars and shops to retain freshness of the wines.

This is my first time to visit Planet Grapes and so far I'm liking the place and the scent of wines. I will definitely date my husband here to experience the wine at the Planet Grapes and of course celebrate our 10th Wedding Anniversary next month. Planet Grapes is the place to have a moment with my hubby, this the best time for us to have our moment together.  
For more information, please email info@planetgrapes.com.ph and visit http://planetgrapes.com.ph. Planet Grapes is located at Tuscany at McKinley Hill (551-3713), the New Wing of Ayala Center Cebu (032-266-0526 or 032-262-0515), Shangri-La Mall (531-8207 or 532-2950) and River Park, Alabang (831-9438 or 831-9439).

The premier Filipino network lets overseas Filipinos from various countries with the most touching stories experience a virtual Christmas reunion with their family, plus stars in Kapamilya Reunion

The Filipino Channel (TFC), the network that truly exists for Filipinos outside the homeland, will bring together overseas Filipinos (OFs) and their Kapamilyas in a virtual get-together via its Christmas offering – Kapamilya Reunion.

Inspired by its mission to serve as the link between Filipinos overseas and their loved ones back in the Philippines, TFC unveils its gift of Kapamilya Reunion where Pinoys can enjoy a virtual Christmas get-together with their loved ones in the Philippines just by just by addressing the line - “I-kuwento ang iyong most memorable Paskong ‘Pinas with your family? (What is your most memorable Christmas in the Philippines with your family?).

All OFs who are legal residents of or contracted workers in the U.S.A., Canada, UAE, United Kingdom, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, and Taiwan can join the promo and send their answers to TFC facebook pages in these countries.

After registering and entering their stories, five winners from the qualified participants will be chosen for each of these countries based on the uniqueness of the story (50%) and the over-all impact of the entry (50%).

Winning participants will then get the chance to bring two family members to designated areas in their respective countries and chat with their loved ones back home on December 6 at the Restaurant 9501 in Quezon City, Philippines.

Their loved ones in the Philippines will be joined by executives of TFC in Manila as well by several Kapamilya Stars from widely watched ABS-CBN programs. Like a true reunion, both overseas Filipinos and their Kapamilyas in the Philippines will also receive exchange gifts via balikbayan boxes from TFC and participating sponsors.

Through Kapamilya Reunion, TFC will bring the cheer of the holiday season and the company of loved ones for Filipinos who can’t be home for Christmas. Share your “Most Memorable Christmas in the Philippines” and visit www.facebook.com/TFCUSOfficial, CanadaOfficial, TFCMiddleEast, TFCEurope, TFCAustralia, TFCJapan, TFCHongKong, TFCSingapore and TFCTaiwan1. Promo will run until November 22 only so share your memories now.

photo credit to Gracee Bongolan of www.itsmegracee.blogspot.com

Did you know that children around the world miss an estimated 443 million school days each year because of diseases caused by poor sanitation and hygiene practices, including using unsanitary toilets? Simply put, this number of sick days is equivalent to all grade school and high school classrooms in the Philippines being empty for one month. Every day, millions of children in rural communities and urban households nationwide are exposed to these health problems by using dirty toilets populated by disease-carrying germs.

Unilever Philippines, through its leading germ-kill expert cleaner brand Domex, celebrated World Toilet Day 2015 at the East Avenue Medical Center in Quezon City by announcing a stronger 1 Million Clean Toilets Movement. The advocacy campaign endeavors to educate a million Filipinos every year on proper toilet hygiene towards fighting diseases caused by unsanitary toilets.

In its first year, the movement gathered more than one million pledges from people to keep their toilets clean and sanitized, answering the call for more responsible toilet sanitation. What’s more, with the help of UNICEF, more than 100,000 people are now living in open defecation free communities. These improvements in sanitation and hygiene are contributing to a healthier environment for children and their families, reducing the risks of sanitation-related diseases

This year, the movement is bigger and better with partners from health institutions and leading hospitals joining the advocacy, through the Philippine Public Health Association. “We wanted to help people who have suffered the consequences of poor hygiene. We want to educate them on proper toilet sanitation that will enable them to prevent sickness from happening again.” said Anna Mangilin, Unilever Marketing Director for Homecare.

The program includes training of hospital housekeeping staff on proper toilet hygiene, as well as distributing educational materials to patients. “The program is very relevant and helpful because the simple act of proper toilet hygiene can help prevent the spread of disease,” said Dr. Alfonso Nuñez III, EAMC Deputy Quality Management Representative.

Unilever also partnered with Maxicare to reinforce the 1 Million Clean Toilet Movement’s commitment to educate Filipinos on proper toilet sanitation. As the country’s leading health maintenance organization with an estimated one million members nationwide, Maxicare and its network of doctors can reach more health conscious individuals and encourage them to adopt proper hygiene practices.

Patients at the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center, East Avenue Medical Center (EAMC), Rizal Medical Center, and Maxicare clinics experience germ-free toilets and are empowered to have the same for their homes, given the right tools for proper toilet sanitation.

All of these efforts on toilet sanitation are in line with Unilever Philippines’ long-term commitment to the global Unilever Sustainable Living Plan which aims to improve the health and well-being of two billion people worldwide by 2020.
“Looking toward 2016, we are confident to educate a million people more as we drive the agenda among the top hospitals and health institutions consistently throughout the year, aiming to fight diseases and save lives, one clean toilet at a time,” said Liza Vengco, Unilever Sustainable Business and Communications Manager.

 5 Reasons To Make Every Day A “D” Day

For folks who live right by the sun-drenched equator, it’s ironic that Filipinos are largely Vitamin D deficient. Local research shows that 7 out of 10 Filipinos are low on this vital nutrient1. Considering that Vitamin D is absorbed by the body through the sun, one would think that Filipinos are “over-sunned.” “But, inadequate sun exposure is extremely prevalent in the Philippines—surprised?” posed Dr. Stan Chua, a Functional Medicine Practitioner trained in the Institute for Functional Medicine, Washington DC, USA, and Health Optimization Medicine Consultant in the BioBalance Institute.

We need to level up on the “D.” Here are top 6 reasons why we should consciously make every day a (Vitamin) D day:

1. Tired of being tired?

According to the Vitamin D Council, deficiency in Vitamin D may cause low energy, including depression and chronic fatigue. Other familiar symptoms may be brittle bones and even the propensity to put on some excess weight. We may not draw the connection easily, but our Vitamin D levels may be the culprit. Why? “Vitamin D has many physiological effects and affects the function of many organs,” simplifies Dr. Michael F. Hollick, PhD, MD, professor of medicine at the Boston University, and one of the world’s experts on Vitamin D. As such, we may be suffering from symptoms caused by our levels of “D.”

2. Lack of D spells Deficiency, Disease, and Deadly.

It’s a known fact that Vitamin D deficiency leads to Osteoporosis, since the body needs Vitamin D in order to absorb Calcium. However, recent studies show that Vitamin D deficiency is also linked to even more life-threatening diseases, like Diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and even Cancer. Vitamin D has been discovered to affect the brain though our nerves, the heart muscles, and even our bodies’ absorption of pertinent nutrients. Bottom line: We need adequate levels of Vitamin D in our bodies not just to function efficiently, but to manage our risk for these diseases.

3. Why guess, if you can test?

Aside from local hospitals and laboratories that offer Vitamin D testing, there is also more affordable and more convenient option like the point-of-care testing kit called Test4D™. It’s is a simple finger prick test that tells you if you have low or enough levels of Vitamin D. Not only is it half the cost of laboratory tests, results are also available in just 10 minutes. It’s that simple.

4. Getting your “D” dose is free!

Getting your daily dose of “D” is as simple as taking a 15-minute walk outdoors, every other day (sans sunscreen, except on your face and neck). It’s important to just note that there are different factors that affect how much Vitamin D we can optimize from the sun – like the time of day (midday is best), how far we are from the equator (the nearer, the better), the color of our skin (darker skin needs more exposure), and the amount of skin exposed (more skin, please!). Our bodies are also so unique that our ability to absorb vitamin “D” naturally vary, so it’s also best to complement sun exposure by eating more D-rich foods or even popping a Vitamin D supplement.

5. If you need it, then do something about it.

As with anything, knowing is half the battle. In the case of Vitamin D, proper testing your Vitamin “D” levels can identify if you need to take more Vitamin D–rich food, up your dosage of Vitamin D supplements, or increase your exposure under the midday sun . Taking advantage of today’s scientific breakthroughs, like the latest Test4D™ can help you harness the power of Vitamin D in your life.

Knowing where you stand in a scale of health is the first step in becoming healthy! If you need necessary tweaks in your daily habits or require drastic changes to your overall lifestyle, you’ll need to test first for your basic levels of Vitamin D and other markers in order to know which habits and lifestyle changes will lead to your optimized health.

3 Resolutions To Bring On The D

These daily habits may give you the Vitamin D lift you need.

“For a breather, I will take a quick walk outdoors during the day."

You don’t need to stay under the sun too long to get your body’s required dose of Vitamin D. A simple 15-minute midday stroll can be enough. If tests show deficiency, you may stay under the sun longer.

“I will make an effort to know about my health—and do something about it.”

Take today’s medical advances as tools you can use to be your best you. Tests like the Test4D™, help you begin your Vitamin D journey with the right information, making you able to achieve optimal health.

“I will be conscientious about my D-rich diet and eat accordingly.”

To optimize your level of Vitamin D after testing and to address deficiency, you can up your D-rich foods, like mushrooms and oily fish, or take necessary supplements to arrive at optimal D levels.
The Test4D™ is a point-of-care Vitamin D test kit that shows you if you are deficient or sufficient in just 10 minutes. SRP is at P1,100, which is half of the cost of testing in most local laboratories, but test accuracy is at 97%.

Test4D is available in the following clinics/wellness centers:

BioBalance Wellness Institute Website: www.biobalanceinstitute.com Address: 3rd Level Soho Central, 748 Shaw Boulevard Greenfield District, Mandaluyong City Contact No.: +632 650 4858; mobile no. +63917 521 4860 Email: info@biobalanceinstitute.com Twitter: @biobalanceinc Instagram: @biobalanceph

Health First – Eastwood Address 1: Level 3, Cyber & Fashion Mall, Eastwood Ave, Quezon City Contact No.: +632 718 0829

Health First – Shaw Blvd. Address 2: 2nd Level Soho Central, 748 Shaw Boulevard Greenfield District, Mandaluyong City Contact No.: +632 634 5714

Health First Wellness Station – BGC Address: Bonifacio Technology Center, 31st St. Corner 2nd Ave Bonifacio Global City, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig Contact No.: +632 856 7939

Personally I love lechon and knowing that there’s an attempt to break the World Guinness Record for the “Largest serving of roast pork” is something that is worth covering. Since we, Filipinos love lechon very much then perhaps this is something that is to be witnessed and of course to be enjoyed as Calata Corporation Philippines is hailed as the new World Guinness Record holder with its Lechon Party. The event happened at the Liwasang Aurora of the Quezon City Memorial Circle.
 

Calata Corporation, one of the biggest agribusiness conglomerates in the country. Its business is one of the largest retailer and distributor of top agrochemical brands, feeds, fertilizers, veterinary medicines and seeds throughout the country. Calata Corporation also owns and operates a chain of retail stores named AGRI, the largest retailer of the country’s choice brands such as AGRI Crop Protection, Heisenberg veterinary medicines, Thomson and Hine, as well as Ivansmith agrochemicals.

The day of the Lechon party made the people busy with more than 50 plus persons armed with chopping knives and aprons, these lechons are then carried to a specialized weighing platform to measure how many kilos have already been chopped and waiting to be served to the awaiting public. Calata Corporation topped the record by serving 4,045 kilos of the country’s well-loved version of roast pork which is the Lechon. Dethroning the previous record holder from Mexico with a served cochinita pibil weighed at 3,094.2 kilos.

As the Calata Corporation celebrated their 16th years in the business, this attempt of breaking the world’s Guinness record is one way of them saying thank you to their partners and patron consumers of their products direct or indirect. According to Joseph Calata, Chairman and CEO OF Calata Corporation, “This year, we celebrated our 16 successful years in the business by giving back to the community instead of having a lavish party. This is a very momentous occasion for the Philippines, to break the Guinness World Record for the ‘Largest serving of lechon’.”



The Lechon Party and the announcement of the World Guinness Record representative happened at the Liwasang Aurora of the Quezon City Memorial Circle which is an early Christmas treat for the less privileged residents of Metro Manila and not only that but as a present for the company being the new record holder of the Guinness World Record for the ‘Largest serving of roast pork’.

This Mom was able to witness how one's life made an incredible story using Asus products during their work and adventure time. ASUS, one of the leading brands when it comes to gadgets, laptops, computers and much more, made an incredible wave of stories with the launch of their new line of dependable products. If you're on mobile, a gamer or just simply wanted to experience the best of today's technology, these are all answered with the unveiling of the new products to feast with. Together with the brand ambassadors shares their experiences and their #MyIncredibleStory.






During their product launch and presentation last October 23, 2015 at the Valkyrie, specifications and features were presented to media people. Sighting its advantage, power, special features and of course it's affordability. Great and advance specifications comes with much cost but of course there's always an exception and ASUS is just one of those exception.



The day event is for the in depth understanding of the products. A first look and experience of the products to be unveiled and a chance to explore more. I'm curious enough to know more about the new products of ASUS and good thing that my hubby is with me to explain some things that I don't understand.










I think my favorite among the product launch was the ASUS Zen Pro AiO where I could really enjoyed a wide screen view of what I'm doing what could I possibly do computing things. Plus there's no bulky unit around. 

The day was an incredible story to share and what more if these gadgets were mine to enjoy with. Here are the products that were launch and its specifications.

ZEN AiO PRO Z240IC
 Specifications:
ZenBook Pro UX501
ZenBook UX305LA 
X555UB 


ASUS ROG G752
ASUS ROG GL552
ASUS ROG G501