Digital Filipino Club event in Baguio City

“Surround yourself with like-minded people who support you on the road to success.” ― Shirley George Frazier 

Good news to everyone! 

 

The Digital Filipino Club will be having its first out-of-town workshop session for club members on June 5 and 6, 2012 in Baguio City, Philippines. Venue of this activity and free accommodation to club members will be at Azalea Residences Baguio.

I personally believe that SME's should join the Digital Filipino Club to connect with like-minded individuals. Creating a circle of like-minded people should be a non-negotiable task on every SME's to-do list.

The DigitalFilipino.com Club is a community that began on December 25, 2003. The club has  get-together and technology briefing from four (4) to twelve (12) times a year in different parts of the country, fostering networking and collaboration among members. Presentation papers and reports are uploaded on a monthly basis.

The Digital Filipino Club members are composed of individuals and companies from various sectors with common interest in areas such as 

• Internet
• e-commerce
• research
• outsourcing
• wireless
• Internet security
• and software process improvement.

Join the DigitalFilipino.com Club as an individual, SME or corporate club member today!

Advantages of being a Digital Filipino Club member:

•   You will learn and exchange ideas on e-commerce development easily
•   Start-up development and acceleration
•   Internet advertising
•   You will learn Search engine optimization (SEO)
•   Blog marketing
•   Electronic payment
•   Social media
•   Software process improvement
•   Internet security, among others.

The following is the itinerary to be followed for the DigitalFilipino Club event in Baguio City:

June 4, 2012

Meet up at Starbucks 6750 (beside Shangri-la Hotel) 4 PM for transportation pick-up.
2nd pick-up point will be at Starbucks Podium ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center 5 pm.
3rd pick-up point will be at Eton Centris Walk (BEFORE MRT Quezon Avenue station) 5:30 pm

Dinner at one stop-over while in-route to Baguio City.

Proceed to  Azalea Residences Baguio and check-in. Room sharing arrangements three (3) persons per room will be made among club members.

June 5

8 AM : Breakfast / workshop proper

E-Commerce / Digital Marketing Business Model review

• Business Model Canvas building blocks
• Plotting of current business model and challenges
• Feedback session

Lunch

• Review of emerging and popular business models
• Customer-centric business model design
• Blue-ocean strategy
• Presentation of revised business model canvas
• Feedback session

Dinner

June 6 

8 AM : Breakfast / workshop proper

Digital Influencers Workshop

• Digital Influencers Framework, Profiling, Social Media, and SEO Influences
• Workshop
• Presentation

2 PM Check-out from hotel

Tour / Lunch

Return to Manila

Club members interested to participate are entitled to 15% discount in the Certified Blog and Social Media Entrepreneur Program.

FREE CBTL CARAMEL DRINKS AND MACCHIATO

Attention my beloved readers, there will be a Caramel Open House at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (Philippines) stores in Manila, Batangas, Cebu & Davao

GIVE IN TO YOUR CARAMEL DREAMS You're invited to their Caramel Open House! :) Today, June 3, 2012. Starting 10:00 a.m.- 11:30 a.m. ONLY. Let's all come together to enjoy their all new Caramel Cream Tea Latte, while you get to try everyone's favorite Caramel Ice Blended drink and the best tasting Caramel Macchiato in town. See you there and spread the word! VERY IMPORTANT NOTE *available in All The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf stores in Manila, Batangas, Cebu & Davao EXCEPT: Two-Ecom Center, One Archer's Place, Ayala Ave. Convergys and DLSU-Cybernook

An Eyeball with Garnier Philippines Brand Ambassadress Georgina Wilson

 

Garnier Philippines held a meet and greet, question and answer forum, and photo opportunity with Garnier Philippines Brand Ambassadress Georgina Wilson at SM MOA last June 2, 2012.

 

Georgina is the perfect brand ambassadress because she uses Garnier products ever since she's in England.

 

Hundreds of fans brave the stormy weather just to have a glimpse of Garnier Philippine's Brand ambassadress Georgina Wilson.

Georgina Wilson as Garnier Philippines new brand ambassadress gamely posed with her fans. I am lucky enough to be invited to interview her for the event. As expected a lot of people lined-up and bought Garnier's products just to have a photo opportunity with the vibrant and intelligent Georgina Wilson.

I had a photo opportunity with Georgina at the photo booth.  I actually met her in person last January when we covered the media launched of Fila at the Polo Club.

 

I met one of Georgina's fans. (S)he was so excited to finally meet Georgina in person, she even dressed up for the occasion and had her hair styled for the Photo opportunity.

Bohemian Brews at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Bohemian Brews at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. 

Luckily, I was invited to the formal opening of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf last night, June 1, 2012 at their Adriatico, Malate store.

It was drizzling and after two and a half hours of commuting plus walking, I finally reached the store. It's my first time to reach that area near Remedios Circle so I was so relieved to have finally reached the place without getting lost. I was welcomed by the event organizer. After signing the sheet, I was given my press kit.

He then ushered me inside. Upon entering, you will be welcomed by the staff at the drinking station. Various drinks are being offered by Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at their Adriatico, Malate store.

I don't drink alcoholic beverages. The woman manning the drinking station offered me water and pointed the location of the water pitcher.

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf® opens a new store in Adriatico, Malate

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf® opens a new store in Adriatico, Malate.

A coffee shop serving masterfully crafted beverages and a dynamic, artsy neighborhood come together in an inspired pairing.

Celebrated as the capital’s bohemian quarter, Adriatico’s locale is the latest community to be immersed in the whole The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® experience. “With our finest custom-roasted Arabica coffee and hand-plucked whole leaf teas, Adriatico’s old-world air comes alive with the addition of the modern-day gourmet delights that The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® brings,” shares Walden Chu, President of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® Philippines.

To formally launch its Adriatico store, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® hosted an art-themed gathering yesterday, June 1, 2012 in it’s two-storey coffee shop that also features a cozy complementing glasshouse. As a tribute to the area’s famed artist hub, Penguin Café Gallery, the store’s launch presented simultaneous art exhibits and intimate discussions with art installation mavericks Cesare and Jean Syjuco and digital illustration prodigy Dan Matutina.

For one extra special night, the premier café chain’s newest location housed diverse artwork collections of the said artists for guests to appreciate, while the artists talked about the inspirations behind each masterpiece and the subtleties that influenced their work.

Afterwards, guests were served with spiked specialty coffee and tea offerings while mingling in an entertaining ambiance enhanced with techno grooves and house tracks mixed by DJ Joey Santos.

“As a premium brand that considers crafting internationally acclaimed gourmet drinks and treats a priceless art form, we here at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® invite the community’s artistically inclined populace to feel right at home in our Adriatico store,” says Chu.

One of the biggest privately held coffee chains in the country, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® Philippines has been serving Filipinos with their full selection of signature premium drinks since 2003. To know more about the brand, you may log on to www.coffeebean.com.ph.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Adriatico store Art Exhibit

  Cesare

Dan Matutina (caricature by Meneer Marcelo)

 

Jean Syjuco

 

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Adriatico store Art Exhibit was a tribute to the area’s famed artist hub. Adriatico, Malate is a haven for artists.

 

Penguin Café Gallery, the The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® Adriatico store launch presented simultaneous art exhibits and intimate discussions with art installation mavericks Cesare and Jean Syjuco and digital illustration prodigy Dan Matutina.

Broken Heart

My heart got broken exactly four years ago today when my Papa died. I felt the world stopped and my heart stopped beating when they told me my Papa was gone.

I couldn't believe that my Papa who was so strong-willed will succumb to death without a fight. I always believed that my Papa would survive and spring back to life. That's how I viewed Papa, someone so strong and gentle at the same time, kind, understanding and loving. I love him so much.

A big part of me died when my Mama died two years before Papa. Yes, I must admit I have never really gotten over the death of my parents. Don't try to talk me out of my sadness if you still have both your parents with you. Talk is cheap. You will never feel the pain I have in my heart. You will never fit in my shoes. If you also lost both your parents, please impart some words of wisdom to me if you can, please. So I can move on...Yes, this is a cry for help.

I always asked God why he took my Mama and Papa away from me. I know, you will tell me that they're happy in heaven now. A lot of people told me that. Yes, I know for a fact that my parents are in heaven now. Why? Because my parents were so kind, loving and understanding. I would never trade anything in the world for them. They're the best parents one could ever wish for.

I hope things will get better now that I understand that this isn't the end and I will see my mama and papa again. I am lucky I was able to give him a big hug and a kiss before his heart attack. But still, it is difficult to hold back the tears and to stop my longing for my parents.

It’s difficult to let both of you go but I must…I know I must....Please Pray with me for my Papa's Death Anniversary today...I am literally crying when I compose this post-(

Loving God,

Listen to our prayer as we remember Constancio Sy on the anniversary of his death.
We thank you for the good things you have done among us by his life and example.
Grant that he may rejoice with you in heaven, as we journey to your kingdom.
Keep us faithful in following the way of Jesus that we may live in your love.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Is Glaucoma already ruining your sight?

Is your eyesight slowly blurring? It may be a sign of the dreaded disease called glaucoma. As the darkness of glaucoma ruins the quality of life for you and your family, it’s most dire effects can be temporarily circumvented with proper knowledge of what it is.

Glaucoma is an incurable eye disease that gradually steals vision. This means that as your days pass, blindness slowly take over a person’s life. Save what was left of your eyesight. Have yourself or your love ones check before its too late.

Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, which is the cable that connects the eye to the brain. Damage to this very crucial nerve is permanent and causes shrinking of the visual field, leading to blindness.

In the Philippines, glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness. As an advocacy against glaucoma, the Philippine Glaucoma Society is aggressively promoting awareness of the disease in the country in partnership with Allergan.

How exactly can you know that you have glaucoma already? You can’t. Only your doctor can pinpoint exactly if it truly is glaucoma that is ruining your eyesight as symptoms of the disease may not be apparent in the early stages.

 

Although mostly asymptomatic early on, a small percentage of cases of glaucoma have episodes of eye and head pain, blurred vision, redness, headache, vomiting and seeing rainbows around lights.

Patients who have high eye pressure, family history of glaucoma, are aged over 45 years old, previous eye injury, chronic steroid use, diabetes mellitus, or Asian descent have a higher risk of getting glaucoma.

High eye pressure

The normal range of eye pressure is 10-21 millimeters of mercury.  Your doctor measures your eye pressure using a special instrument called a tonometer. 

Eye pressure alone does not cause glaucoma; however, it is the most significant risk factor for the disease. If diagnosed with high eye pressure, it is smart to frequently get comprehensive eye examinations to check for signs of glaucoma. It is only the only risk factor that can be modified with treatment.

Diabetes mellitus

Patients with diabetes are also at high risk of getting the incurable eye disease. This is by virtue of the two diseases occurring in a similar age group (>50 years). There is also a certain type of glaucoma resulting from diabetic complications in the retina. This usually occurs in long-standing uncontrolled diabetes. 

Family History 

Open-angle glaucoma, one of the most common types of glaucoma, is hereditary. If you have immediate family members with glaucoma, you are more susceptible to the disease compared to those without it.

Steroids

There are many studies that show the relationship between the chronic use of steroids and glaucoma. Long-term steroid use may cause elevation of the eye pressure and cause glaucomatous damage to the optic nerve. Common indications for steroids are asthma, arthritis, severe allergies, eczematous skin conditions. If you are being given steroids for more than 1 month ask to be referred to an eye doctor for measurement of eye pressure.

Eye injury

A previous eye injury also makes a patient susceptible to glaucoma. Injuries that penetrate the eye may damage the drainage channels of the eye causing high eye pressure. Common causes of these are sports-related injuries.

There is no cure yet for glaucoma. The only thing that you and your doctor can do is slow down the damage that glaucoma causes on not only your vision but also your life. 

Remember, for glaucoma, early detection is the only solution. Visit your doctor and find out if glaucoma is already ruining your sight.