JAPAN EMBASSY: NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

JAPAN EMBASSY: NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC

Don't be fooled by false news that have been circulating regarding the Japanese visa for Filipinos. The news mentioned that Japan has lifted its visa requirement for Filipino citizens.

The Embassy of Japan in the Philippines would like to clarify to the public that Japan has not lifted the visa requirement for Filipino citizens contrary to recent reports. However, Japan has opened multiple-entry visas to Filipinos. Japan will continue to accept and deliver visa applications for Japan through accredited agencies.

For details about the visa application and issuance of multiple-entry visa, please refer to the information at:

http://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/visiting/

http://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/visiting/new visa/multientryvisa.html

KIM CHIU: Loses Mother to Aneurysm

KIM CHIU: Loses Mother to Aneurysm

Popular actress Kim Chiu's ma died last Sunday, June 23, 2013. She is 50 years old.  Kim Chiu together with Xian Lim went to Cebu last Tuesday, June 25, 2013 to mourn the death of Kim's mother, who died after suffering a ruptured brain aneurysm.

Kim Chiu’s mother reportedly suffered a heart attack and fell in a coma. She was pronounced dead Sunday due to a ruptured brain aneurysm.

According to reports, Kim Chiu's family and relatives gathered last night to pay their respects and honor the late Louella Yap Chiu, whose remains were placed at the Cosmopolitan Funeral Homes in Nivel Hills, Cebu CIty.

Two men in black guarded the entrance of the chapel. 

The father of actress Kim Chiu, William Chiu Jr., defended the Kapamilya star after she had to leave the country earlier  today despite the death of her mother Louella Yap Chiu.

Chiu’s father said Kim would have wanted to stay for the wake, but she and her sister Lakam had to fly to Thailand today, Wednesday, June 26, 2013  to shoot a commercial which was negotiated two years ago.

He said her daughter will try to convince the product owner and advertisers to let her return to Cebu sooner so she can pay her last respects to her mother.

Louella Yap Chiu will be laid to rest on Saturday, June 29,2013 at CemPark in Banilad, Cebu City.

Kim Chiu’s father said the burial date can't be moved because they have already consulted a feng shui expert on the matter, and that the next best date for her burial will fall on July 5, 2013. William Chiu Jr said Kim left Cebu with a very heavy heart. Last April, Kim visited her father who has another family in Romblon.

Kim and her father were reunited recently after not communicating for five years. According to Kim's father, he and his daughter are still catching up with each other.

He also set the facts straight and defended the actress from allegations that she never cared for her ailing mom.

He said Kim and her family only knew about the whereabouts of her mother when she was already suffering from an illness.

Chiu’s mother reportedly asked her caretakers not to contact Kim and her siblings despite her condition, but the caretakers eventually contacted Kim when her mother slipped into a coma.

Chiu’s father said that when Kim learned about the condition of her mother, she immediately came home to Cebu to visit her.

"She would arrive every dawn and return to Manila in the morning for work and back again here in Cebu," the actress’ father said.

He added that Kim would talk to her mother in the intensive care unit (ICU) as if she was listening.

“Kim was her mother's favorite. It was painful for Kim,” he said.

He recalled that Kim wanted her mother to recover so that she can stay with the actress in Manila.

Relatives and fans of the actress continue to visit the wake of her mother in Cebu.

Kim and her siblings grew up with their paternal grandmother since their parents had separated.

Kimberly Sue Yap Chiu is the real name of Kim Chiu.

Last night, she posted in her Instagram (chinitaprincess): “Life is full of surprises.”

Earlier she posted in her Twitter (@KimChiuOFFICIAL), “Sana panaginip lang ito.” (I wish this was just a dream.)

Support for Kim filled social networking sites Twitter, Instagram and Facebook as fans expressed their sympathy and offered prayers for her and her family. 

Among those who posted condolences in her Twitter account were Rico Hizon, a Filipino anchor of the BBC. Hizon twitted: “My deepest condolences and prayers to @prinsesachinita and her family.”

If you could still remember, Kim Chiu was a 16 year old student of Cherish School, a private school for children of Filipino-Chinese families in Cebu City when she shot to fame by winning the top spot in the reality ABS-CBN’s reality series Pinoy Big Brother Teen Edition in 2006.

She later moved to Manila to embark on a career in movies and teleseries in ABS-CBN.

Kim Chiu's latest teleserye, Ina, Kapatid, Anak, where she starred with the new girl friend – Maja Salvador – of her former boyfriend Gerald Anderson just ended last week.

Anderson was Kims runner-up in the popular PBB Teen Edition in 2006./Correspondents Carine M. Asutilla and Michelle Joy L. Padayhag

Source: Abs-cbn TV news

BLACK CANYON COFFEE & INTERNATIONAL THAI CUISINE RESTAURANT at Tuscany in McKinley Hill

BLACK CANYON COFFEE & INTERNATIONAL THAI CUISINE RESTAURANT at Tuscany in McKinley Hill

Good food for good health & good life. That is what Black Canyon Coffee & International Thai Cuisine restaurant (BCC), Thailand’s largest chain of coffee houses, offers to its customers. 

Now open at Tuscany in Mckinley Hill, Taguig City is the second branch of Black Canyon Coffee  & International Cuisine restaurant . . . READ MORE

Sawikain o Idyoma

Sawikain o Idyoma
Ano ang Sawikain?

Ang sawikain o idyoma ay salita o grupo ng mga salitang patalinhaga na nagbibigay ng di tuwirang kahulugan. 

Marami sa mga Pilipino ay gumagamit ng Idyoma sa pag sasalarawan ng tao man, lugar, damdamin o pangyayari. Katulad na lamang ng mga sumusunod na halimbawa:

Alilang-kanin - utusang walang sweldo, pagkain lang.

Halimbawa: Sa obserbasyon ng aking tiya ang mga bloggers ay mai-kla-klasipika na mga alilang-kanin. ( Ito ay isang biro lamang pero masasabing may katotohanan kasi hindi naman po sinuswelduhan o binabayaran ang karamihan sa mga bloggers.)

Ahas - taksil; traydor

Halimbawa: Sa kabila ng mga ginawang kabutihan ni Berto sa nanghingi ng tulong sa kanya ay inahas pa rin siya nito.

Anak-dalita - mahirap 

Halimbawa:  Nagsisikap sa buhay si Pedro kahit siya ay isang anak-dalita.

Balitang-kutsero - balitang hindi totoo o hindi mapanghahawakan.

Halimbawa: Huwag kayong magalala, hindi basta basta naniniwala ang Boss namin sa mga balitang-kutsero.

Balik-harap: mabuti sa harapan, taksil sa likuran 

Halimbawa: Ang ugali ni Melissa ay balik-harap.

Bahag ang buntot - duwag 

Halimbawa: Yung inaakala mo na magtatanggol sayo ay bahag pala ang buntot.

Basa ang papel - bistado na

Halimbawa: Huwag ka ng magsinungaling pa, Melissa. Basa na ang papel mo sa amin.

Bukal sa loob: tapat 

Halimbawa: Bukas sa loob niya ang pagtulong sa kapwa.

Butas ang bulsa - walang pera 

Halimbawa: Karamihan sa mga manggagawang pinoy ay butas ang bulsa.

Bukas ang palad - matulungin 

Halimbawa: Si Ver ay bukas ang palad sa mga kapus-palad.

Buwayang lubog - taksil sa kapwa 

Daga sa dibdib: takot 

Halimbawa: Dahil sa nangyari ay may daga sa dibdib siya na magtiwala muli.

Di makabasag pinggan - mahinhin 

Halimbawa: Akala mo ay di makabasag pinggan pero na loob pala ang kulo.

Ibaon sa hukay - kalimutan 

Halimbawa:Maari mo ng ibaon sa hukay ang inaasahan mong mga pagbabago sa sistema.

Ikrus sa noo - tandaan 

Halimbawa: Ikrus sa noo ang mga pangaral ng iyong magulang.

kidlat sa bilis - napakabilis 

Halimbawa: Ang mga pangyayari ay kidlat sa bilis.

Lawit ang pusod - balasubas 

Halimbawa: Nancy mag-ingat ka sa mga taong lawit ang pusod.

Mahapdi ang bituka - nagugutom 

Halimbawa: Mahapdi ang bituka ng mga dumalo sa event na yaon.

Makapal ang mukha - di marunong mahiya 

Halimbawa: Pinagmukha nila akong makapal ang mukha sa mga pinalalabas nilang kwento.

May ipot sa ulo - taong pinagtaksilan ng asawa 

Halimbawa:  Hindi matanggap ni Randy na may ipot na siya sa ulo dahil sa natuklasan.

Putok sa buho - anak sa labas 

Halimbawa: Si Melissa ay putok sa buho kaya ganyan siya magsalita.

Sampay-bakod - taong nagpapanggap, hindi mapagkakatiwalaan ang sinasabi 

Halimbawa:Dapat mag-ingat sa mga sampay-bakod ang bawat isa sa inyo.

Taingang kawali - nagbibingi-bingihan 

Halimbawa: Nang ipinahayag ni Cris ang kanyang panig ay nagtaingang kawali lamang sila Iris.

Tawang-aso - tawang nakatutuya 

Halimbawa: Tawang- aso si Annie ng kanyang makita si Bessie.


Tulak ng bibig -- salita lamang, di tunay sa loob 

Halimbawa: Marami sa mga tao ngayon ay puro tulak ng bibig lamang ang sinasabi.

CHARICE PEMPENGCO: Sings Perfect, Titanium, My Heart Will Go On etc.

CHARICE PEMPENGCO: Sings Perfect, Titanium, My Heart Will Go On etc.

Hays, enough of the nasty haters out there.  Let's just listen to Charice Pempengco's cover of the following songs:

•  My Heart Will Go On
•  Because You Loved Me
•  (Everything I Do) I Do It for You
•  Titanium
•  Halo
•  Perfect

When you finish listening to Charice, I believe you'll agree with me that Charice Pempengco is a very talented singer! Go Girl!

SAMSUNG TAB 2: User Friendly

I own a Samsung Tablet 2 with 3g and wifi capability. I've been using this gadget since last year. I bought this from a gadget store in Megamall and I can attest that this particular model is so cool!

CARRIE LUPOLI a.k.a "Chief Mum": Up Close and Personal

CARRIE LUPOLI a.k.a "Chief Mum": Up Close and Personal

Fisher Price, the popular educational toy brand that everyone loves brought to the Philippines, sought after International Parenting and Child Development Consultant Carrie Lupoli through Fisher Price Joy of Learning (FPJOL) workshop last June 16, 2013 held at Crowne Plaza Manila. Hundreds of mothers learned a lot from the workshop. 


It is not everyday that we get the honor to met a mother with so much passion and love to share to everyone. In this crazy world, where you hear and watch news about parents who molests their child Carrie Lupoli is a breath of fresh air. 

So, do you know what it takes to be a parent?

Carrie Lupoli a.k.a. Chief Mum is a mother of two adorable little girls. She is also the official "Chief Mum" for MumCentre.com, a family of parenting websites in Singapore, Malaysia, Australia and Philippines. She is also the founder of Live and Learn Asia in Singapore and a spokesperson for Mattel Fisher Price.

It is a good thing that my blogger friend Glaiza (courtesy of Richprime Global Inc. the distributor of Fisher Price toy) asked me to join her and other selected bloggers to have a brief interview with Carrie Lupoli just before she left the Philippines. And boy was I glad for the chance to be up close and personal with Carrie Lupoli. 

You ought to listen to Carrie Lupoli because she has tons of lessons to share regarding child rearing and being a mother. 

Carrie Lupoli's Helpful Tips on how to properly raise your kids :

• Your goal as parents is to raise independent and responsible adults. 
• You should all leave your kids with a big box containing everything that you wanted your kids to have when they grow old and eventually walk away as adults. You have to make sure that you fill this box with only positive traits and attitude. What things do you want to leave your children with? Love, empathy, respect, faith, hard work, academic skills?Hopefully, all the good things. So that one day when your kids move out, they’ll have these box filled with great things that they can unpacked if they needed. You have what they need to have a great box.  
• A lot of people think that child-rearing should just be left to the teachers or to someone with a degree in child development, but what it takes to be a really great mom to your children is simply to be there for your kids. It’s about the quality of time that you spend with your children, make them your priority. Love them unconditionally. Remember you are raising children, a human being, it takes an awesome lot of responsibility. But it is all worth it at the end of the day.
• Carrie shared that parenting style must be age-appropriate. They are a different kid when they were 0-5 year old and they’d be another kid when they’re around 10 year old.  You should remember to use play based, joyful, child initiating, encouraging and responsible learning. For her daughters age now, she's applying the loving disciplinarian style, which will eventually progress to a different style once they reach a certain age group.
• Use Ipod or Itouch to keep your children occupied after dinner when dining out. But  please make sure to upload only educational apps for your sons and daughters to enjoy and learn from.
• Ms. Carrie Lupoli believes that it is very important for you mothers out there to have your own “me-time” in order to ‘recharge’ and ‘de-stress’ from all the stuff that you do every single day. Whether it is as simple as a coffee break or a luxurious pampering spa treatment, mothers deserve such a break. No question asked! We all deserve some pampering.
• There are key components to her own parenting style. Love is always at the core of it. But she believe that if you truly love a child, you have to make a firm relationship with them, like a mentor. You should let your children know that you are also their friend while setting limits for manners and discipline in a fun way. You must be firm that your children can’t get away with everything but your children must not be afraid to come to you and tell you their problems. This is very cool especially at this time and age where bullying is very rampant.
• For moms and moms-to-be, you have what it takes to be a really great mom. Remember that you are doing something awesome. In those times that you get frustrated, just relax, breath and step back and see the bigger picture. You are raising a human being and this is a tremendous amount of responsibility. And as parents, you need to get ready and prepare early for your children to set them up for success. Responsible parenting is equals to joyful learning.

When asked who her mentors were and how she prepared for motherhood. Carrie Lupoli admitted that she struggled having children and was so occupied of being a mom that she didn't have time to prepare for it.

"I struggled to be pregnant. I had a tricky pregnancy then I had a tricky delivery and then I ended up adopting my second child and I've been fighting so hard to get pregnant that I forgot to even check how to be a parent. I don't even know what to expect on the first year. Because by then I got so busy being a mom that I didn't have time to sit to read."quips Carrie Lupoli.

Carrie Lupoli's experiences made her so passionate on helping moms and wants to give practical solutions on preparing their children when they go out in the real world. She also noted how her mother and mother-in-law helped her in the process of raising her children. In fact, her relationship with her mom improved and grew stronger when she became a mom.

Bloggers(Left -Right) Tin,Vance,Cha,Carrie,Glaiza,Monika, Lai Kwan Wong.

Carrie Lupoli's Final Message to all of us: Live and Learn!

Special thanks to Miss Lai Kwan Wong, Brand Manager of Fisher-Price South East Asia, Ms. Julie, Glaiza and Ms. Liann Eugenio of Richwell Club for setting up the interview.
For more information please visit www.facebook.com/richwellclub.
Know more about the Fisher Price's Laugh and Learn Collection at www.richprime.net

No Expiry Date For Gift Certificates

No Expiry Date For Gift Certificates

To all business establishments:

Ignorance of the law excuses no one.

Please read...

Pursuant to DTI Administrative Order No. 10-04 on the Guidelines on the Issuance, Use and Redemption of Gift Checks, Certificates or Gift Cards in accordance with Republic Act No. 7394, otherwise known as the Consumer Act of the Philippines, and for other Purposes

Starting 01 July 2012, all suppliers, issuers, distributors and sellers are prohibited to issue and/or sell gift certificates/check/cards with an expiry date. 

However, gift certificates/checks/cards that are distributed to consumers under awards, loyalty, or promotional programs are not covered.

All gift checks/certificates/cards with no expiry dates shall be redeemable until used by the bearer.

Holders of unused and unexpired gift check/ certificates/ cards after June 30, 2012 shall be entitled to replacement after revalidation by suppliers.

Terms and conditions of unused gift checks/ certificates/ cards issued before the effectivity of this order shall be honored; but those bearing expiry dates beyond June 30, 2012 shall be subject to revalidation or replacement.

Goods and services that are paid with gift certificates/check/card are qualified in promotional sales activities, loyalty programs, warranties, return policies for cash purchases, and discounts for senior citizens/persons with disability.

The suppliers cannot be held liable for gift certificates/ checks/ cards under that are: 

(a) lost due to no fault of the supplier; and
(b) mutilated or defaced due to no fault of the supplier and such damage prevents the supplier from identifying the security and authenticity features thereof.