Yummy Eats 2012

Guys, it's that yummy time of the year again when you can sample all sorts of yummy food items in just one place!

Last year, I attended Yummy Eats 2011 with my sons and we thoroughly enjoyed the gastronomic experience of walking from stall to stall sampling everything from beverages to pica pica to main dishes to desserts. I was especially amazed that there were so many more food stalls that were moving into healthy and organic dishes then. Maybe there will be more now as I hear there will be around 50 food concessionaires.

Throughout the day, there will be cooking demos too so that would be fun to watch for.

My post on that Yummy Eats experience in 2011 is HERE.

Brought to us by Yummy Magazine, Yummy Eats 2012 will be at The Rockwell Tent on May 26, 2012 from 10AM to 9PM. That is a LOT of hours walking around and taste testing.

Watch this TVC.

Dolcelatte: More than the usual cafe

Their facade doesn't tell you the whole story and maybe many, like me, who go there for the first time will think that Dolcelatte is yet another cafe in the metro. Well, it turns out that I was the one pleasantly surprised to find out that it was a lot more than just a cafe.

I cannot blog about what we ate the day a few of us gathered. We were taste testing some new dishes and for now it's a shhhhhhhh....But do watch out for another post once they've finalized their offerings.

But let me tell you now what Dolcelatte is and what more it offers.

Dolcelatte's facade

The interiors impressed me. They were tasteful, done in vibrant colors with subtle lighting touches. To one side was a tiny fountain area that provided the relaxing sounds of running water.

Their breads and cakes are made by their very own commissary that manages the restaurant's supply chain and looking out for consistency and quality of their products.

View from the front 

View from the back

Bread and cookies pillar

Running water under the stairs leading to 2nd floor. Nice!

TEDx comes to Xavier School on Feb. 18, 2012

Xavier School is celebrating its 55 years in existence year-long. And one of the highlights of its celebration is the inaugural TEDxXavierSchool event which is happening this Saturday, Feb. 18, right in the Xavier School campus.

Just as a backgrounder, TEDx is an independently organized TED event which operates under license from TED. TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. At TED talks, the world's thinkers and doers are given 18 minutes to talk about their passion. TED speakers have included Bill Gates, Jane Goodall, Elizabeth Gilbert, Sir Richard Branson, Benoit Mandelbrot, Philippe Starck, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Isabel Allende and former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown.  These talks are provided free to the global audience at TED.com. In fact, there is a TED app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch that allows you to view the videos on these devices.

In TEDx events, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. Just recently, my friend Jay Jaboneta, was invited to France to share about his Yellow Boat Foundation at TEDxMontpellier. But this TEDx event is close and dear to my heart because it is happening in the heart of my boys' school. I am so proud that Xavier School is leading the pack when it comes to the use of technology in academe as well as in other pioneering ideas like this one.

In the heat of preparations...
(taken from TedxXavierSchool Facebook page)

The TEDxXavierSchool theme, “Innovation built on tradition”, will be a half-day event to explore ways in which we innovate based on our history and our own experiences. 

Innovators scheduled to speak in person at TEDxXavierSchool include:

• Raynard Raphael Lao — a Xavier High School student, who is also a champion public speaker at both local and regional competitions 

• Brian Maraña — International Programs Coordinator of Xavier School who has transformed the way students learn from the world 

• Tony Meloto — Founder of Gawad Kalinga, providing countless homes to the homeless and building them into communities, and speaker at the World Economic Forum 

• Dodie Ng — Games and apps creator who also founded a robotics organization and team for the youth while also being a Xavier High School student 

• Mark Ruiz — Co-Founder of Hapinoy and Founder of Rags2Riches, providing social business enterprise and microenterprise development as a living means to some of the poorest people 

• Brian Tenorio — Internationally-acclaimed, New York-based designer who has altered the way development is done through Design

Here's a teaser video for TEDxXavierSchool.



For more on TEDxXavierSchool, follow their Facebook page and on Twitter via the hashtag #TEDxXS.

Credits:

Co-chairs for the TEDxXavierSchool event are Galvin Radley Ngo, Coordinator of Xavier School’s Operation NExT (New Experiences with Technology), and Jessica Demegillo, Technology Integrator at Xavier School. Martin Gomez is the primary licensee for TEDxXavierSchool. This event is organized by Xavier School’s Operation NExT department, Club NExT student organization, and the Xavier School student Media Team. 

Book Launch: The Kaya Natin! Champions

My own kids can get cynical when it comes to discussions about transparency and good governance. They are old enough to be aware of how dirty and corrupt the systems are in government and even, I daresay, in pockets of the private sector and in the lives of the common Juan. 

Based on the Corruption Index 2010, the Philippines ranked 134 out of 178 countries with a grade of 2.4 out of a perfect 10. We are in that ranking together with countries like Bangladesh, Nigeria and Sierra Leone. Vietnam is even doing better than the Philippines, ranking 116.

So it was quite a delight for me to be invited to the launching of a book by the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership. Called "The Kaya Natin! Champions: Inspiring Stories of Good Governance and Leadership in the Philippines", the book is the first in a series of books that features 10 government leaders who have embodied the values of effective and empowering leadership with integrity.

Harvey Keh, Lead Convener of Kaya Natin! gave the opening remarks, saying that with a rigorous advocacy on good governance, corruption and other transgressions in government can be alleviated.

This book is meant not only for those in government positions. More importantly, it is a way of showing the youth that there are still people in position of power who use this power responsibly and for the public good. Keh says "The objective of this book is to highlight the positive and inspiring stories of political leaders who are doing good for the country, and how this can help bring about empowerment for ordinary Filipinos who also want to make a difference."

Each chapter covers one champion and follows them from their background to their political career and up to their leadership lessons.

In this first volume, the champions being introduced to us are the following: Kaya Natin co-founders Jesse Robredo, Grace Padaca and Ed Panlilio; former mayor Sonia Lorenzo (San Isidro, Nueva Ecija); Sen. Teofisto Guingona III; Rep. Teodoro Baguilat, Jr. (Ifugao); Rep. Bolet Banal (Quezon City); former councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta (Davao City); Mayor Roque Verzosa, Jr. (Tagudin, Ilocos Sur); and Board Member Shirlyn Macasarte (Cotabato).

Former mayor Sonia Lorenzo (2nd from left) and Rep. Bolet Banal (center)
pose with the Kaya Natin! book's editors and Harvey Keh

With former councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta of Davao City

Even as the first volume is being launched, I hear the second volume is already in the works. That is great! The more people we feature, the more we can inspire ordinary citizens, the youth and those already in government to take up the advocacy for a broader base of transparency and good governance.

During the launch, we heard from 2 of the champions featured, former mayor Sonia Lorenzo and Rep. Bolet Banal. I bought myself a copy and am looking forward to reading the book itself to read their stories in greater detail as well as the stories of the other champions.

The Kaya Natin! Champions Volume 1 book is available at Fully Booked, the Kaya Natin Office (call 02-990-0928) and the Ateneo de Manila University Press (call 02-426-6001 ext. 4612).

Metro Manila Traffic Navigator launches - with more to come

Last August 1, 2011, the Metro Manila Traffic Navigator (a web-based, real-time traffic situationer) was formally introduced to the riding public by executives from both the MMDA and TV5 present, as well as media and bloggers. When I last blogged about the Metro Manila Traffic Navigator last June 29, the first day its beta version was opened to the public, I was delighted to find the page so easy to read, clean and as real-time as you can get (with updates every 5 to 15 minutes).

The Traffic Navigator was a personal savior for me. While MMDA was already doing a good job of announcing traffic situations in the Metro via their Twitter account, it was still difficult to filter the timeline. For example, in the case of Tropical Storm Falcon, I was attending a despedida for a friend and it was raining cats and dogs outside. I went online before going home and checked MMDA's Twitter timeline to see if the route I was taking was going to be flooded. I did find out but not after some amount of scrolling through the timeline searching for the tweet specific to what I needed.

With the Traffic Navigator, you get a visual image of the initial 6 lines that are up (EDSA, Quezon Avenue, Espana, C5, Roxas Blvd and SLEX), the various points along each line and the traffic situation in any of 3 colors - red, yellow and green. Just on the homepage alone, it's easy to check the red (heavy traffic) points and make plans for an alternate route. The Traffic Navigator has a system view, line view, and a Google Map view so you get the situation from a macro or micro level.

At the formal launch, MMDA Chairman, Atty. Francis Tolentino; TV5's Chief of News and Information Division, Ms. Luchi Valdes;  and TV5 Interaksyon.com's editor-in-chief, Mr. Roby Alampay, talked about how the idea of Traffic Navigator was born and what they hoped it would achieve in terms of upping public service levels. MMDA's Yves Gonzalez also explained how the app was being updated to reflect real-time traffic situations. Since it began operations, about 6,000 drivers and commuters have already consulted the Traffic Navigator.

Nominate your 10 bets for the Globe Tatt Awards now!

When it comes to adapting to technology, Pinoys are definitely not far behind but oftentimes, waaaay ahead! And we have taken like fish to water as well with social media, making the Philippines known as the Social Networking Capital of the world.

Recognizing that as many as 95% of online Pinoys are into social media, Globe Tattoo has launched the first ever Tatt Awards -- a series of awards recognizing Filipinos who have used their passion and energy to create a strong, unforgettable social media presence.

 

Timed to launch last June 30 with the second annual celebration of Social Media Day, an initiative of award-winning social media and tech news site, Mashable, the Tatt Awards seek to find 10 awardees in 10 different categories to be the first to be recognized in the field of social media.

Judging will consist of social media peers as well as the Tatt Awards Council of Judges including veteran journalist and the force behind ABS-CBN’s News and Current Affairs initiatives Maria Ressa; Rock Ed Philippines founder Gang Badoy; prolific blogger and entrepreneur Cecile Zamora-Van Straten; tech blogger supreme and Tattoo ambassador Rico Mossesgeld; Flippish star and YouTube personality, director, and video blogger Kring Elenzano; RX radio DJ Chico Garcia; President of the Internet and Mobile Marketing Association (IMMAP) Hans Roxas-Chua; and Tattoo Head of Nomadic Broadband Business, Dong Ronquillo.

4 of the 8 judges (L-R): Dong Ronquillo, Gang Badoy, Rico Mossesgeld, Kring Elenzano

Nominations are already open and will run till July 14, 2011. After the nomination period, the nominees in each category will be shortlisted and will undergo another screening round with the judges.

You can nominate anyone (or in the case of some categories, any group) and you can nominate as many people as possible. Here are the 10 categories:

Clear's Total 3 Scalp Care Line

I have been buying Clear shampoo for my boys for some time now. They love the Cool Sport Menthol variant. This was an additional incentive for me to go and attend Clear's event recently at Midas Hotel. Curious me wanted to find out why my boys would specifically ask me to buy this brand over others they've tried.

Midas Hotel (which, I found out later, was a renovated Hyatt Regency Hotel) sported a unique, yuppie kind of look at the lobby, with a grand piano on a raised dais and modern glass and orange-accented decor

Midas Hotel lobby

Entrance to Midas Hotel

I was ushered by receptionists to an escalator and took an express ride all the way to the penthouse of the hotel. Good thing I had just washed my hair because it would have been totally embarrassing. I found out, upon reaching the penthouse, that like everyone else there, I was going to have a... SCALP TEST!

A hair analyzing probe was rolled over a portion of my scalp. Thankfully, I had no dandruff and no sebum (the oily substance secreted which, if in excess, can cause very oily hair and odor if bacteria feeds on it. But because of other hair concerns like dryness and hairfall, my overall score was an acceptable 70%.

My scalp test score - 70%!

After some canapes and cocktails, we were led into the main area to wait for the program to begin. Fortunately, we got a good place in the front of the stage with no cameras blocking our view.

Carrier launches its Designer Series airconditioners

Concepcion-Carrier Air Conditioning Company (CCAC) has long been a known name in air conditioning. At a recent launch I was invited to, I heard the Carrier executives explain why they decided to open up a designer line and what its intelligent features were.

For the longest time, airconditioners came in just one color - silver. Then in recent years, some brands came out with shell-white framed airconditioners. After doing a customer survey, Jojo Concepcion (CEO of CCAC) said that they were surprised to find out that for women, the color of choice was....BLACK!!! 

Well, I'm not surprised. Fashion-wise, black is THE color you see for daytime and nighttime wear. Whether worn in a casual gathering or in a formal occasion, black does look nice. Why not have an airconditioner that comes in black? It would look good and add class to the ambience of modern homes.

Midnight Black, Twilight Silver and Winter White are the colors of this series.

But not only do these designer airconditioners look good. They come with features that not only cool all the nooks and crannies of your home but also comes with an 8-in-1 filter (whoa!) and is supposed to save you energy costs because of its built-in intelligence.

Here are some of those features:

1. 8-in-1 filtering system - I only have 1 3M filter now in one airconditioner while with the others, I regularly take out and wash the filter that comes with the unit. But these designer series units have not 1 but 8 filters!

• Anti-mold filter that prevents molds and other fungi from causing allergies, infections and toxicity
• Zeolite filter/activated carbon filter - a natural earth mineral which remove volatile organic compounds and bacteria
• Vitamin C filter - neutralizes free radicals and converts active oxygen to oxygen, preventing the increase of melanin which is the cause of dark spots on skin
• Catechin filter - a bioflavonoid in green tea with antiviral/antioxidant qualities
• Super sterilizer filter - harnesses the power of the 3 other filters (Sasa, Bio-Enzyme, Gingko Extract) to alleviate allergies and keep your family safe from harmful germs
• Sasa - a bamboo extract with bacterial and viral deactivation properties
• Bio-Enzyme - helps eliminate bacteria, viruses and molds
• Gingko Extract - reduces agents that cause allergic reactions

Yummy Eats: A cooking and eating fair this May

(click to enlarge image)

I love good food but before I try out restaurants, I always check my foodie friends for recommendations and feedback. Now, here is a painless way to try good food because everything under the NBC Tent, Fort on May 21, 2011 will represent the best food finds specially chosen by Team Yummy of Yummy Magazine.

Yummy Eats is a cooking and eating (I love that combination!) fair that will run from 10am to 6pm. Not only will you get to check out Team Yummy's recommended food but there are activities running throughout the day.

In fact, I got a Facebook invite from LowCal Cafe to Yummy Eats just today as they are one of the best food finds. LowCal Cafe is behind those sugar-free but still delish dessert concoctions which even diabetics can take. I am actually hoping they will have their Sansrival at the fair. Their Sansrival is sweetened with Suchero (coco sugar) which I tried at the Suchero event some time back and I tell you, it tasted just as good as the sugar version (my post on Suchero is HERE).

I am looking forward to a day of eating because I am sure I'll bump into my foodie friends there as well as get to taste some of the best food in town. And yes, I'll do my workouts before and after this event.

The entrance fee is Php150 but pay only Php100 when you present the May issue of Yummy Magazine at the door.

Kudos to my neighbor and foodie friend, Fran of frannywanny.com who is the force behind this event.

Hope to see you there!

Make Miracles Happen with the Miracle Machine

Kraft, through Miracle Whip, wants to whip up miracles outside the kitchen for this Christmas. It is inspired by the collective efforts during Typhoon Ondoy last year when many people turned to social networking sites like Facebook to mobilize rescue, feeding and rehabilitation efforts.

Out of this inspiration, they created the Miracle Machine, a Facebook application whose objective is quite simple: to get people, their friends, and their friends' friends working together to make miracles happen for the less fortunate.

11 beneficiary organizations were selected after a screening process. Each organization was asked what their Christmas wish was. Beginning December 1 and every day thereafter, an organization will be featured by the Miracle Machine with a list of tasks that volunteers like us can fulfill if it is within our capabilities.

The idea is that each of us is a working part of this machine. For every task that each of us can do for any or all of these beneficiaries, your name will be put on a cog and added to the Miracle Machine. If all tasks are fulfilled by the end of the 12 days, the Miracle Machine will work perfectly and all 11 beneficiary organizations would have their Christmas wishes fulfilled.

Will you help whip up miracles for these 11 beneficiaries? It's very simple.

The Pacman Up Close

The whole Philippines stands still today. Very few vehicles were on the road when I went out earlier. Almost the entire country is at home, at pay-per-view establishments or on the internet intently looking for livestreaming links.

I had the chance to meet Manny Pacquiao a few months back. He was shooting a TV commercial for a pain-relieving drug, Alaxan FR, and I stayed quietly in the background watching him go through the shoots, joking with the staff in between takes, and noting how lean and muscular, absolutely no excess fat, and lithe his body was (a sign of the rigorous training and care he had for his body).

Real Living Launches its Book on Handy Hints and Instant Makeovers

Thanks to Summit Media, I got to attend the launch of Real Living's newly launched book "Handy Hints and Instant Makeovers".

I've been living in our present home for as long as my married life. And a lot of the furniture and "look" of the house is as it was when we got married. It gets a bit tiring when the familiar becomes TOO familiar, right? So I've been trying to find ways to change the look of the house without having to go right out and spend a fortune. I felt that little touches here and there could really do the house a lot of good.

But, my creative imagination is really sorely lacking in this department. I always feel that if I walked into a bare room, I would not know what to put in it. I prefer to see a magazine or picture and point to stuff to say, "I want this. And I want that."

The next best thing is of course to leaf through the glossy mags, right? But why, oh why, do they have to feature such expensive stuff that I can't afford?

Well, this book is just the answer I need and for good reason:

Water Plus Goes Beyond Just Being Water

Have you seen this picture on billboards yet?

That's Andi Manzano and she is the endorser for a new kind of flavored water that comes in several variants recently released -- Water Plus by the Zest-o people. One of Water Plus' variants is their Waterplus Reduce line which comes in three flavors - grape, lemon & berries, and apple, and is touted as a weight loss water product.

OK, I know what some of you may say. Another water product? It's touting itself as water but has a lot of sugar? What's new?

I must say, the thought crossed my mind too. But I was willing to listen to the organizers tell me a bit more about the product before I made any conclusions of my own.

Some water drinks introduced in the past which I tried were heavy on the flavoring. They tasted nice but because the flavorings were quite strong they already bordered closer to being juice than water. That made me wonder about the sugar content in WaterPlus Reduce. 

October 20: National Thank You Day

Years back, when I got my issue of Reader's Digest, I noticed it published the results of a survey done to find out which countries were most grateful. As it was with their previous surveys, Reader's Digest people scattered people anonymously and observed the behavior of the country's citizens, counting the number of times "Thank you" was said.

I really thought the Philippines would score pretty high, considering how we're known for our hospitality. Imagine my dismay when I found we only ranked #22! And the top scorer was, of all places, New York! You'd think that in a place as busy as NY, people would have less time to say thanks!

Now I am wondering what ever happened to the value of gratitude taught to us as little kids as well as the importance of saying thank you. Have we become too busy? Or is it that we really have  taken a lot of things for granted these days?

Inspired by this revelation, Toblerone spearheaded the “National Thank You Day” initiative. This eventually led to Mayor Alfredo Lim officially declaring October 20, 2007 to be Manila’s first “National Thank You Day.” In 2009, the day also saw the celebration of the first Thank You Day Awards where Filipinos recognized former President Corazon Aquino as the person Filipinos should be grateful to the most.

Weddings with Josiah's Catering

June is a very romantic month because aside from December, this is the marry-est month in the calendar. There were no such things as wedding coordinators during my time so I basically had to do my own research, canvassing and preparations when I got married. Now, with a proliferation of wedding planners, brides now have an easier time than I did before.

So, it was very exciting to check out what modern wedding receptions look like nowadays. 1 Esplanade played host to a wedding themed affair prepared by one of the top caterers in town, Josiah's Catering. "Seasons of Love: A Wedding Banquet Expo" featured Four Seasons set-up, one of many packages that well-known Filipino event designer, Ms. Beth Amat, designed especially for Josiah's Catering. No matter what month of the year you plan to get married, there is a theme just for you.

If you're planning your own wedding, you may want to check out the Four Seasons themes: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. Each theme is attended to with utmost detail.  Everything from the presidential/guest tables, centerpieces, flower blooms, decor, color schemes, to the wedding cake are all matched to the season selected by the couple-to-be. I asked Chef Jasper Versoza about the menu and he told me that even the choices of food can be tailored to the season. 

Take a look at the different themes:

For more information, please visit www.josiahcatering.com or call 934-2163, 941-7032 or 942-5738.

Ipanema Launches its "Colorful Sea" Collection

I have several pairs of Ipanema flipflops and each one is just so comfortable and pliant. I can do a ballet pointe and the flipflops would just follow the curve of my pointed foot.

For 2010, Ipanema is once again launching its latest GB collection, which it dubbed "Colorful Sea". The GB line (GB which stands for Gisele Bundchen, a Brazilian and the world's most successful supermodel who endorses Ipanema GB) is known for its hip design, unmatched style and high quality as well as for being an important medium for eco-awareness.

A devoted environmentalist, Gisele Bündchen actively adheres to her role as UN ambassador by using each GB collection to raise funds and awareness for specific eco-causes. The 2010 “Colorful Sea” collection supports the preservation of Brazil’s turtle population as well as the welfare of our own local marine life.

The "Colorful Sea" collection is ocean-inspired so most of the flipflops have bright, cool, vibrant colors that remind you always of beach and sunshine.

Take a look at their 2010 collection. I'm sure that you'll find a few pairs that you'd want to own and wear.

"DOugh YOUR PART" on May 10: Go out and VOTE!

Just one week from now and the Philippines will hold its first automated elections.

Many citizens' groups have joined hands to help the voting public. A big concern is teaching the public to vote in a different way from the old procedure of writing the candidates' names on a ballot. Mock elections held in different parts of the country showed that so many still were not sure how to vote.

In an effort to do their share in spreading awareness of exactly HOW TO VOTE, Krispy Kreme has come out with an innovative, and fun, way to make voters comfortable with the new ballot. Beginning this Labor Day weekend, all Krispy Kreme customers will be asked to fill out their orders for doughnuts using this mock-up ballot. Mark Gamboa, Marketing Manager of Krispy Kreme, has this to say about the mock ballot, "We wanted to make it a fun learning experience for the voters. This will help them prepare for the real, automated voting system."

(front of KK ballot)

(back of KK ballot)

And, from May 8 to May 10 only, limited edition Krispy Kreme Vote 2010 doughnuts will be available for sale.

I'm going to be one of those making a beeline for the Vote 2010 doughnuts this weekend. I suggest you get your family boxes before they run out. These will be great snacks to bring to the voting precincts as well. Sugar rush = high energy! Yes, I'll need a lot of energy to get over these days running up to Election Day.

And oh...one more message from Krispy Kreme...

iBlog6 is Coming!

iBlog6


iBlog6 will happen from April 16-17, 2010. Venue is Malcolm Theater, Malcolm Hall, UP College of Law, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

While this is, as it says, its 6th year already, this will only be my 4th year to attend this summit. 2006 was the first time I joined iBlog. Since then, I have become friends with an entire blogging community, participated in so many blogger events and advocacies, and learned so much (and still continuing to learn).

For newbie bloggers, this is THE annual conference to attend if you want to pick up really great tips on blogging and various issues about it, including how to bring it to the next level and monetizing it. This is also where you will get to meet in the flesh the people behind blogs you just have been reading or hearing about to date. For veteran bloggers, it is a great excuse to meet up with fellow bloggers, many of whom are already very good friends.

Another good excuse to go? The whole thing is FREE!

iBlogs in the past were 1-day events but this year, it has become a 2-day affair. Day One is reserved for those interested in the entrepreneurial, marketing and advertising aspect of blogging while Day Two is a day for all bloggers.

Check out iBlog6's homepage HERE

To see the 2-day programme of activities, click HERE

To register, go HERE

Earth Hour 2010

Earth Hour 2010 happens on March 27, 2010.



On this day, people all over the world will turn off their appliances and lights for one hour starting at 8:30 PM.

We can no longer ignore the effects of climate change. Just see the frequency and intensity of earthquakes happening around the world. In my own country, the Philippines, we are now experiencing a very harsh El Nino with very little rain and drought in many agricultural places. Last year, we were hit by Typhoon Ondoy which brought floods to Metro Manila in places that have never experienced floods. Many other countries are experiencing freak weather activities as well.

Rather than leave it up to the different governments around the world to do something about it, we should act as individuals, living on this one and only home planet of ours, to make changes and adapt greener and more eco-friendly lifestyles.



You can support Earth Hour by:

1. Turning off your lights at 8.30PM on March 27
2. Showing your support and adding yourself to the Earth Hour world map
3. Adding Earth Hour widgets, logos and banners to your blog or website to help us spread the word
4. Talking about Earth Hour in your social network by updating your Facebook status, grabbing a Twibbon, tweeting about your support, and more
5. Get together with your friends and family, by hosting an Earth Hour party or holding your own candlelit affair
6. Rally your local council or community group to run an Earth Hour event for your community
7. Encourage your employer and workmates to take part in Earth Hour and make energy savings every day
8. Make an Earth Hour Lantern as a symbol of hope for the future
9. Be creative! Find a new way to mark Earth Hour and let Earth Hour know all about it!

This will be the third year that my family will be joining this endeavor. Here are my 2008 and 2009 posts on it.

Manila Slows Down Once Again with Pacquiao-Clottey Fight

It's just a few more minutes to the Pacquiao-Clottey fight at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas and over here in Manila, a Pacquiao Sunday is a sight to behold.

(courtesy of www.pacquiaovideo.com)

Pacquiao's fights are always national events in the Philippines. Everything comes to a standstill. People knock off from work early and head home to watch on their TV sets. Hordes of families and friends meet up in movie theaters, malls, bars, restaurants, schools and just about anywhere where there will be livestreaming. Such livestreaming places have evolved these into income-generating product as bars price a livestreaming ticket with free beer and restaurants package lunch or snacks for their paying patrons.

Personally, I enjoy the free roads. In a place like Metro Manila where every day is a survival race against traffic, seeing a highway almost free of vehicles is a sight to behold. And statistics have shown that crime drops to almost insignificant rates during a Pacquiao fight. It seems that even criminal elements actually stop to watch his fights.

A website, Pacquiao Video, gives the following "tale of the tape:

The whole Philippine nation is rooting for Pacquiao, naturally. In a while, we will all be at the edge of our seats, cheering every punch that lands squarely on Clottey, and wincing at every punch that lands on Manny. And if Pacquiao once again wins this fight, he will be the talk of the town as work resumes tomorrow, Monday. 

GO, MANNY! YOUR WHOLE COUNTRY IS BEHIND YOU ALL THE WAY!