Jaysee Blabs

RAFI is now accepting applications for YMA season 6

2012-01-26T08:28:00.001+08:00

Following the launching of the sixth season of Young Minds Academy (YMA) last Jan. 21, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) is now accepting applications for the program.

YMA is a youth leadership and citizenship development program of the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center (EADSC) of RAFI aimed at developing young people to become responsible and accountable leaders and proactive citizens ready to serve the public and its interests.

This is done through awareness raising, experiential education, immersion, and open discourse, among others.

It is open to young people aged 12 to 20 years old.

Because of my very wonderful 10 months, I designed a poster showcasing how awesome it is to be a YMAer.

One chance of a lifetime. Nation-building has never been this fun! Poster by Jaysee Blabs!

YMA was launched in October 2006 and already ran for five seasons, including a special summer edition held in 2009 for Region 8.

“Through this program, I have discovered what kind of leader I want to be. The change has started in me already. Now it’s my time to be a role model to others,” said 15-year old Jessica Therese Vestil, a scholar of last season’s YMA.

For Sean Timothy Salvador, 18, another YMA season 5 scholar, he said that YMA taught him to use his life as a daily opportunity to become a blessing to every person he meets and help change their lives for the better.

To join the sixth season of YMA, interested applicants must form a team of five members under one of the following categories: Generation A (17-20 years old) and Generation B (12-16 years old). List of team and individual requirements and application forms may be obtained from the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center, or downloaded at www.rafi.org.ph.

Deadline for the submission of applications is on February 20, 2012.

YMA is sponsored by UnionBank of the Philippines.

It is one of the programs under RAFI’s Leadership & Citizenship focus area, which gathers and nurtures future leaders and influencers ready to effect change. Its other focus areas are Integrated Development, Micro-finance & Entrepreneurship, Culture & Heritage, and Education.

For more information about YMA, please call 418-7234 loc 110 and look for Mel Yan, or email mel.yan@rafi.org.ph, or visit www.rafi.org.ph or www.facebook.com/rafi.org.ph.

To know more about YMA, see my YMA life notes:

http://jayseeblabs.blogspot.com/search/label/yma

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

How to Create Kickass Awesome Tourism Site Web Design

2012-01-20T19:00:00.000+08:00

When I went to Bohol for the second time last year, I fell in love with the resort we stayed in. I was there for a learning visit on some of their great government programs and went to see the mayors and the governor himself. Our resort was in Panglao and I woke up early morning to enjoy the seashores and took some really great photos which got me thinking of designing a tourism site for the place. So as usual on a bored day, I pulled up Photoshop on my computer and drafted what I think is my best work so far. Colors, photos, and user experience design rules were considered as I got going designing a Jaysee Blabs Panglao site. Check it out!

The rotating banner with the cool buttons on the side showcasing the best features of the place.

The phone number creatively placed on a post it together with snapshots of the photos I took.
And yes, that's me on the Book Accomodations call to action. LOL

The footer with with my feet on it.

The header feeds on the thought of using complementary colors to make everything lively as the place could be but I used the brightest color palette on the logo for more branding retention.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the homepage design study for Panglao done by yours truly.

For your web, graphic and print design needs, feel free to drop a line or two:

Contact Jaysee Blabs Now

See more of my designs and the stories behind them at:

Jaysee's portfolio

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

Awesome Web Design for Pirate Site AGGRRHH!!!

2012-01-19T19:00:00.000+08:00

Last Christmas, I was able to attend a themed party and I got so inspired with my look that I decided to draw inspiration from it for my next web design project. I ran Photoshop and decided to get my creative juices flowing with logical web design rules running in my mind at the same time and created a homepage design for the i55 Christmas Party. And that's me on the banner. LOL

It's all in the details. Must be effective and consistent.

The main call to action.

The banner exudes old world elements and my photo.

The header with the main navigation, search box and a shopping cart.

The logo.

That's about it! Follow your passion, have an inspiration and just be awesome at all the things you do and you can just be surprised at what you can do. Trust me, I did.

FIRST LOOK AT THE SM MALL SET TO OPEN AT THE SRP!

2012-01-19T09:50:00.000+08:00

As the City of Cebu thrives and its economy flourishes, SM Supermalls, the country’s largest chain of malls, gives their vote of confidence in the city’s growth potential by developing what will become a major new landmark at their South Road Properties (SRP) site.

A new mall, aptly called SM Seaside City Cebu will be one of the first developments in the masterplan of SM Properties for their 304,100 sq. m. site, which stretches from the northern part of the SRP to the sea.

Designed by Arquitectonica, an international architecture, interior design and planning firm from Miami, Florida, the grand, first-of-its-kind urban development at the SRP will dramatically change the landscape of the city with its nautilus-inspired design of expanding, concentric arcs from a central multi-purpose space.

A large church – a sleek, modern all-white structure nestled among lush foliage – will be the first to be built and completed in the SM SRP complex.

Hotels, a conference and convention center, residential buildings and community facilities will follow, and will be designed to span out from the SM Seaside City Cebu mall, which will be located at the center of the entire development. The mall will be interconnected with these other structures through elevated walkways.

With a lot area of 93, 570 sq. m. and a gross floor area of 291,043 sq. m., SM Seaside City Cebu will be a 4-level, circular-shaped, world-class retail mall with multiple anchors, including a two-storey SM Department Store and SM Hypermart, a 5-theater Cineplex and IMAX Theatre, an 18-lane SM Bowling and Amusement Center, and a food court flanking an ice skating rink. In addition, the mall will have over 800 food and retail shops, including international brands.

Retail shops will occupy the outer arc of the mall on the ground floor. This area will include a furniture zone as well as a fashion boulevard to showcase the talent of Cebu’s many local designers. Numerous new wining and dining outlets will face an inner circular garden, increasing in number as shoppers proceed to the higher floors.

On the third floor, these outlets will have verandas facing the garden below while the fourth floor will have restaurants and bars on the outer circuit of the circle with verandas on the north side of the mall looking out to the sea.

The mall will also have a covered event area for concerts and shows at the fourth floor as well as a roof garden with ponds and trees, as well as restaurants to enjoy the beauty of the greens from.

Keeping with the nautilus-inspired theme, the mall’s car park will be incorporated into the structure, helping to define the semi-circular volume of the building. The mall’s layout induces traffic to flow inwards and upwards.

The second-level garden has a drop-off area for private vehicles whereas public vehicles will have their own transport interchange at the ground level with different areas dedicated to taxis, public utilities and buses. The retail and food outlets at the ground level will be easily accessible to the riding public while service and delivery bays for tenants and SM anchors are set aside at strategic areas.

An Iconic Viewing Tower will be an attraction in itself, offering sensational panoramic views of the entire city of Cebu while serving as a new landmark for the city. SM Seaside City Cebu will be one of the first establishments to create an address in this district of metro Cebu, and will pave the way for development in the area.

SM SEASIDE CITY INTRODUCTION:

The project will be the newest addition of SM Supermalls in the Queen City of the South. It is part of the larger SM SRP Development that stretches across the South Road Properties or SRP.

The 4-level world-class retail mall will contain multiple anchors such as the department store, hypermarket, shops, and restaurants. Leisure and entertainment activities will also be provided such as Skating Rink, Bowling Center, a Theatre, and Imax Theatre.

It has a lot area of 93, 570 sq.m with a gross floor area of 291,043 sq.m.

DESIGN ARCHITECT:

Arquitectonica – an international architecture, interior design and planning corporation with headquarters in Miami, Florida, United States

THE MALL’S FEATURES:

HYPERMARKET

SM Hypermarket is a full-fledged business entity within the SM Group of Companies. For one, it has been successful in creating the convenience of having a first-rate indoor wet market as well as a food and general merchandise store in all of the Hypermarkets.

The concept behind the creation of a new retail format – which is what is now known as a “hypermarket retail format” – is to combine the features of a supermarket with those of a department store. The principal aim of this venture is to provide the consumer with a one-stop shop where most shopping needs will be satisfied all in one go.

Hypermarket has 12,410 sq.m flood area

SM DEPARTMENT STORE

The 20,389 sq.m 2-level SM Department Store is a home of the latest trends in fashion and accessories – from Ladies, Men, Boys and Girls Teens, Children, Infants, Shoes & Bags, Accessories, and Beauty & Wellness

RETAIL SHOPS/RESTAURANTS/JUNIOR ANCHORS

Over 800 food & non-food tenants including international brands.

5 SM CINEMAS

SM Cinema is proud to be the largest cinema exhibitor in the country today, currently operating over 200 cinemas in more than 36 SM Supermalls nationwide - and still growing! It offers these great facilities:
• 300 seats (with handicapped seats)
• superb film projection
• state-of-the-art surround sound
• spacious lobby area
• comfortable upholstered seats
• carpeted floors

IMAX THEATRE

With over 500-seating capacity, IMAX Theatre is equipped with the most advance digital theatre system. It is also equipped with the latest revolutionary IMAX digital projection system
projects crystal clear, larger than life 2D & 3D images and delivers laser-aligned digital sound.

IMAX makes you feel the full emotional impact of the visionary creators’ dream and creates powerful experiences by enhancing every image, sound, and dimension.

BOWLING CENTRE

18-lane SM Bowling Center

ICE SKATING RINK

It can accommodate both recreational and competitive figure skating. The Ice Skating Rink will occupy 1,966 sq.m in floor area.

ROOF GARDEN

Similar to SM North Edsa, the roof garden is 23,443 sq.m elevated park with ponds, trees, and restaurants. The park provides the much needed greenery not only for the mall but for the city.

COVERED EVENT AREA

Will be situated at the 4th level, the Event Area is a perfect venue for performances, shows, and exhibits.

THEATER

1,020 seating capacity perfect for stage plays, concerts, and other performances.

COVERED PARKING

89, 366 sq.m
2,234 slots
With 2nd floor, 2nd mezzanine, 3rd floor, 3rd floor mezzanine

800 TENANTS (FOOD AND NON-FOOD)

ICONIC VIEWING TOWER

100-meter viewing tower (this is still a proposal, no specific details available)

THE CUBE

-similar to the Globe in SM Mall of Asia (this is still a proposal, no specific details available)
-made of LED

Always remember something big is always coming!

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

TV5 celebrates with Cebuanos in “Sugod mga Kapatid Sa Sinulog 2012”

2012-01-18T20:14:00.000+08:00

Eula Caballero

TV5 and its sports and news platforms—sports channel AKTV and 24/7 news channel Aksyon TV—join Cebuanos in celebrating one of the country’s grandest and most colorful religious events, the Sinulog Festival, happening in the whole province of Cebu simultaneously this week.

The Kapatid Network and its affiliate platforms roll out week-long activities to make the festivity even more meaningful to the Cebuanos via “Sugod mga Kapatid sa Sinulog 2012,” kicking off with the participation of United Football League (UFL) at the 2nd Cebu Sports Commission Football Championships that happened last weekend (January 7 to 8).

UFL players such as Mark Hartmann, Misagh Bahadoran, Jose Paolo Pascual, Nestorio Margase and Lexton Moy were warmly received by Cebuano football fans during the event at San Roque and USC football fields. (The UFL series of games starts on Saturday, January 14, on AKTV on IBC)

Edu Manzano

TV5 also holds daily open TV viewing marathon at Fuente Osmeña Circle from January 9 to 12, 1 to 5pm, featuring shows like Glamorosa, PS I Love You, Pinoy Explorer and Talentadong Pinoy.
The country’s most awarded and biggest talent show, Talentadong Pinoy, is slated to hold auditions at Fuente Osmeña Circle on Thursday (January 12) from 4 to 5pm.

TV5 also hosts “Sugod mga Kapatid sa Sinulog Show,” a gathering of the brightest Kapatid stars such as Ruffa Gutierrez, Wendell Ramos and Edu Manzano on Thursday, 5 to 7pm. TV5 princesses Alex Gonzaga, Arci Muñoz, Danita Paner, Ritz Azul and Cebu’s pride Eula Caballero with primetime prince JC de Vera, Nina Jose and also Cebu’s own Morisette Amon will charm Cebuanos with their performances there. Empoy Marquez, Andrew E., Faith Cuneta and Talentadong Pinoy champ AstroBoy are also expected to join the show.

JC de Vera

Come Sunday, January 15, NEWS5—the news and information division of TV5—is geared up to cover the main festival’s event to be aired on Aksyon TV from 8am to 8pm. TV5’s 24/7 news channel is committed to share the colorful sights and sounds of Sinulog Festival from Cebu to the rest of the Philippines. Stay tuned for the coverage of Sinulog Festival with NEWS5 Manila and Cebu, headlined by Aksyon Bisaya anchors Atty. Ruphil Bañoc and Lanne Sino Cruz.

Aksyon TV can be viewed on Channel 41 in Mega Manila, Channel 29 in Metro Cebu and Davao, Channel 1 on Cignal Digital TV, and Channel 59 on Sky Cable.

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

World’s Largest Chess Tournament to be held in CEBU! Registration Deadline Jan.19; more than 50,000 registered participants now recorded

2012-01-18T19:00:00.000+08:00

It’s the grandest Chess event in history! More than 40, 000 registered participants are now recorded in the most ambitious chess program in the country. A series of eliminations began last October 2011, which will culminate in two weeks.

Nearly 4,000 finalists will converge at the Grand Finals during the first “Cebu Chess Festival: World’s Largest Chess Tournament” on January 21, 2012 at 1:00 p.m. at the Cebu City Sports Center Grand Stand and on January 22, 2012 at 9:00 a.m. at the Cebu City Sports Center Gym.

The first “Cebu Chess Festival: World’s Largest Chess Tournament” is organized by the Cebu City Sports Commission in cooperation with the Cebu City Government, Department of Education Region VII and the Philippine Sports Commission.

Generous sponsors such as Julie’s Bakeshop, Bioderm, International Pharmaceuticals Inc., Rose Pharmacy, Virginia Foods Inc. and the University of Cebu have thrown their support to make this noble program successful.

Guinness World Record already in the bag

The program will culminate in a Guinness World Record Attempt to break current record holder for largest chess (board game) tournament Krasnoyarsk, Russia with 1,214 participants.

In essence, the current record was already broken with one school alone, the Apas National High School that had 1,594 registered participants. Barrio Luz Elementary School had 1,369 participants; while Don Carlos Gothong Memorial Night High School had 2,289. The Abellana National School alone had 3,432 registered participants.

Cebu City Sports Commission Chairman Edward Hayco exclaimed, “We first targeted only 1,500 participants. We didn’t realize the number would balloon up to more than 50,000 after we launched an aggressive grassroots program that took three months of extensive chess workshops in over 150 public schools.”

The main bulk of the 50,000 registered participants are elementary and secondary students, with winners pitted against winners in a series of tournaments from classroom level to schoolwide, finals at the sports center, until a grand champion emerges.

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

New DOT Campaign Wows International Travel Experts

2012-01-18T03:09:00.000+08:00

This year’s ASEAN Tourism Forum at Manado, Indonesia witnessed the new Philippine brand launch with the line - ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines.’

“ATF 2012 is a perfect platform to introduce to some 1,600 international delegates composed of buyers and sellers, the NTO community and media delegates,” Philippine Tourism Secretary Ramon R. Jimenez, Jr. said.

Focusing on the country’s core strength, the campaign singles out what no other destination can offer - and that is the Filipino people.

The Lonely Planet guidebook calls Filipinos ‘among the most easygoing and ebullient people anywhere.’

Meanwhile, a constant truth that comes out in the passenger exit surveys is the “warmth and hospitality of the people.”

“Our strategy is simple: while other countries invite you to observe, Filipinos can promise a more heartfelt and interesting experience. Wherever you go, whatever you do in the country, it’s the Filipinos that will complete your vacation and will make your holiday unforgettable,” says the new tourism chief, who accepted the post in September.

The Filipinos are already known around the world to be one of the happiest and warmest people on earth. In a survey conducted among expatriates by international bank HSBC, it was revealed that the Philippines is the 8th friendliest country for them.

The campaign hopes to enjoin the whole country in creating positive buzz of the tagline. The campaign was trending on Twitter Friday noon when it was earlier introduced to local media. Catching like wild fire, netizens flooded the web with creative ways to interpret the line through do-it-yourself-memes which could likely land on shirts, billboards, stickers and other collaterals.

Meanwhile, the ‘#1FORFUN’ local slogan aims to rally the Filipino nation to strengthen and sustain this well-appreciated fun character and be a “constant reminder to make sure people’s experiences in our country are positive, enjoyable, and most of all, fun,” Jimenez added.

The presentation was well-received during the Philippine-hosted dinner on 13 January 2012 at the Sultanraja Hotel. The occasion was graced by North Sulawesi Governor Sinyo Harry Sarundajang, Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Maria Rosario Claudio Aguinaldo and Consul General Jose Burgos.

Exciting travel prizes were raffled off from generous sponsors Philippine Airlines and various hotels and tour operators. The high spirits continued until curtain fall with participants dancing to band music and cheering the world-class performances by top Filipino artists.

Visit:

http://itsmorefuninthephilippines.com/

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

RAFI, partners open contemporary art exhibit on Cebu

2012-01-10T19:00:00.000+08:00

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) in partnership with Alternative Contemporary Art Studio and The Grove by Rockwell launched an art exhibit entitled “Contemporary Cebu” last January 4, 2011 at the Cebu City Museum. It will run until January 31, 2011.

An annual event, Contemporary Cebu is aimed at bringing national attention to Cebuano artists and their works. The first exhibit was held in June 2011 in Manila at the Ateneo de Manila University and Picasso Boutique Hotel.

Free admission is given to the public to view artworks that exemplify contemporary movements in painting, sculpture and performance arts. New masterpieces by leading and upcoming artist from the region – Palmy Pe-Tudtud, Marvin Natural, Kidlat of the Junks Collective, Karl Roque, Sio Montera, Ritchie Quijano and Tito Cuevas – are featured in the exhibit. Russ Ligtas will give Butoh performances on January 12, 2011 and January 13, 2011.

The Contemporary Cebu art exhibit was formally opened last Jan. 4. The ribbon cutting was led by (L-R, foreground) Amaya Aboitiz, executive director of the Dolores Aboitiz Children’s Fund of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.; Cebu City Councilor Margarita Osmeña, vice-chair of the Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission of Cebu City; Massimo La Magna, over-all supervisor of Pizzeria Michelangelo; and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama. (Inset) The exhibit’s curator, JV Castro (far left), introduced to the public the participating contemporary artists: (second from L-R) Marvin Chito Natural, Karl Roque Jr., Sio Montera, Tito Cuevas, Palmy Pe-Tudtud, and Ritchie Quijano. Not in the photo (inset) are Kidlat of the Junks Collective, Vidal Alcoseba, and Russ Ligtas who will give Butoh performances on Jan. 12 and 13.

Alternative Contemporary Art Studio headed by Fr. Jason Dy, SJ, pooled together the artists and challenged them to create works specifically for the event. JV Castro served as curator for both the 2011 and 2012 runs of the art exhibition.

According to Dy, the decision to launch this year’s exhibit in January is due to the Sinulog Festival which aside from being an important Cebuano event is a magnet for local and international tourists who have interest in contemporary art.

Dr. Jocelyn Guerra executive director of Culture and Heritage of RAFI, said that Contemporary Cebu is in line with RAFI’s advocacy to promote local arts to enrich Filipino cultural identity. She added that by holding this exhibition at the Cebu City Museum, wide appreciation is given to Cebuano artist and people from different walks of life are exposed to contemporary art.

RAFI has been Alternative Contemporary Art Studio’s major partner since Contemporary Cebu’s inception in 2011. This year, they took in The Grove by Rockwell as a major partner. The other sponsors of the exhibit are the Cebu City Government, Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission of Cebu City, National Commission for the Culture and the Arts, Blue Shield Risk Management, Gothong Southern, Michealangelo Pizzeria and Hola Espana.

Culture and Heritage is a focus area of RAFI, believing that a confident community begins with a strong sense of identity. Its other focus areas are Integrated Development, Micro-finance and Entrepreurship, Leadership and Citizenship, and Education.

For more information on Contemporary Cebu, please contact 418-7234 loc. 703 and look for Florencio Moreno or Karl Hegel Damayo or visit http://rafi.org.ph or http://facebook.com/rafi.org.ph.

Contemporary Cebu: Profiles of the Artists

Dennis Montera

Dennis Montera is more popularly known by his nickname, “Sio.” He holds a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines in the Visayas Cebu College (UPVCC) and Master of Fine Arts from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman. Currently, he is an associate professor at UP Cebu and a member of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

For the past ten years, Sio’s works has been non-objective and never fails to explore the use of mixed media. He makes sure he disassociates the process of creating an image from any preconceived thoughts. He simply allows form and content to materialize during the process of creation which presents him with new discoveries. According to him, “The ‘directness in painting’ as motivated by the dictates of the artist’s passion, medium, and technique, would allow the content to finally emerge.”

Marvin Natural

Born in Mandaue City, Cebu, Marvin Natural has a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology. His works have been featured in several exhibitions in the Visayas and in the capital.

Natural is a recipient of many prestigious art awards, including in the 2006 Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE) National Competition (3rd prize); 2009 Philippine Art Awards Visayas (1st Prize); and Juror’s Choice Award of Excellence in the 2010 Philippine Art Awards

Palmy Pe-Tudtud

Palmy started early with her formal training as an artist at the Philippine High School for the Arts in Laguna where she majored in visual arts. She later earned a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts at UPVCC.
Her artworks have been featured in a long list of art exhibitions held in different parts of the Philippines and in other countries, including US and Thailand.

Her artistic background has allowed her to work in different professional fields, such as in hotel promotions, radio broadcasting, and events organizing. She is currently a lecturer at UPVCC.

Ritchie Quijano

A graduate of Business Administration from the University of San Carlos, he became a painter and sculptor. A husband and a father, he is also a columnist of the Arts and Culture section of Sun.Star Cebu.
He prefers to refer to himself as a collector rather than an artist. He draws his inspiration from objects rather than persons, events, or eras. His eye for details allows him to see beauty—in old, broken or worthless objects—where most people don’t.

Karl Roque Jr.

Karl Roque is currently an associate professor in the humanities division of UPVCC where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts.

Since the 1980s, he has been a recipient of numerous awards for his skills in visual art, including the Nationalist Artist Jose Joya Award-Figurative Abstraction Category, which he won in three consecutive years from 1985 to 1987.

He has held nine one-man exhibits in Cebu and in Manila, the last one of which was entitled “Elements.”
Known for his commissioned works, his two most recent works are found in the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu.

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

Something big is coming! | Welcome to another year of awesome

2012-01-10T08:00:00.000+08:00

I really do hope that you started your year right. The kind where you have swept out skeletons in your closet, put on a brand new attitude, envisioned, and set your goals that bring forth happiness. Something about new years that changes the way people look at life. Maybe because of the hope that it gives or a reminder to that you can make bigger things right this time.

Because we all know that no matter how life is designed to be simple, it is very hard to live.

Either way, we, the Cebu Bloggers Society Inc., are doing our best to continuously improve ourselves, the things we do and how we do it.

This year we are proving ourselves to be bigger, bolder and definitely better in so many ways as we map out our agenda for the whole year. We are streamlining our internal processes and planning about big events that everyone can be part of. As we try to go beyond blogging, I do hope you paddle forward with us. Rough seas ahead are gonna rock us big time but with the right tools, methodologies, rules and faith in ourselves, things will happen when you just try to attract positivity, an attitude all of us should strive to achieve.

When the whole universe conspires to make you frown, you still have the daybreak to smile about.

Every day, when you gussy up in the front of the mirror, start your day by telling that man in the mirror that big things are coming. So breathe it. Live it.

Let me leave you with a poster I designed that definitely says it all.

Take Nicki Minaj as an example, there is no apocalypse that can stop her from looking like a million bucks (See vid hahaha)! And in the spirit of being awesome let this be our new anthem as citizens of the world... We came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive... We came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise... To fly... to fly... :)

Share this post and spread that good feeling! You'll never know whose soul you're gonna save today.

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

Bounce forward as you push off with the Skechers ProSpeed SRR running shoes

2012-01-09T15:13:00.003+08:00

Running has become a national pastime in the Philippines. Weekend warriors who used to jog around Greenhills and then find themselves in surrounding coffee shops after their run, now find themselves in the streets of Bonifacio Global City or the paved roads around Mall of Asia in sponsored Sunday runs.

As more and more people take to the streets to pound the pavement, there emerged a resurgence of interest in the right footwear to use as you see people in these runs wearing a variety of shoes from normal street rubber shoes to technical running shoes that offer a myriad of benefits.

This has led to the development and introduction of a new kind of lightweight running shoe from Skechers for active enthusiasts and serious athletes --- the Skechers ProSpeed SRR.

Chinggay Andrada, one of the trainers in the Biggest Loser Philippines show and a certified professional fitness expert; and Skechers Philippines newest fitness spokesperson said:

“This new footwear technology by Skechers will greatly help in getting more Filipinos to run more comfortably and efficiently whether they’re taking on their first 3K or training for a marathon.”

The ProSpeed SRR features the patented Smart Shoe™ Technology, the rocker-bottom that guides runners into mid-foot strike position. This mid-foot strike design transforms the energy of impact, through the Kinetic Return System, into forward motion with every stride.

Me with the new Sketchers ProSpeed shoes!

“The shoes literally give runners a spring in their step as they feel a distinctive bounce forward upon toe-off or push off,” Andrada adds.

The Skechers ProSpeed SRR is also lightweight due to the Resalyte™ ushioning with memory retention that reduces impact for a supported, comfortable ride during runs. Each ProSpeed comes in just under 10 oz. per shoe depending on the size.

Check out www.skechers.com.ph and www.facebook.com/SkechersFitnessPhilippines for more information on ProSpeed SRR.

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

Live: The 2011 Jaysee Blabs Year End Reflections

2012-01-05T19:00:00.000+08:00

Life is simple. You are born. You grow, then you die.

But no one ever said it's easy. The roads we take in between, the people we meet, the circumstances that surround us and the challenges being thrown our way brings out the worst in us; and in some cases, our best. It’s very tempting to talk about positivity but there will come a time that God will test you so much that you will know what is real and where you really stand. People call it pessimism. I call it upright realization that life is irreversible so never take a leap to unknown heights if you’ve had your share of sorrows and mistakes.

It is knowing who you really are, what you are capable of and what you want to do that will define who you will become.

Life is harsh. The most horrendous things can make you become a stronger being you never thought you would be. I’ve taken risks and some may have paid off but one thing didn’t.

Life is short. Have fun. Love the simple things. Kiss the rain. And of course, don't screw things much and if you do just bounce right back because life is too short for you to dwell in the past. Enjoy every minute even when you are in pain.

Eat like a king, laugh out loud, love like you’ve never been hurt and as a wise man once said, live as if you would die tomorrow.

This post might come as a shock to people who may only know me by my very fun nature but I come with great seriousness as I deliver very important messages that I so rarely dwell into.

I can spend the whole day rambling about how my 2011 might’ve been the best and the worst in my life but I’d rather not because we’re not that close (lolz) and I’ve been known to be secretive even to my family. Instead, let me take you to a journey with me like strangers meeting for the first time at a long bus trip. Vague. Simple. Fun.

This is one part I’d rather not discuss much at all but I think I might have shocked the world when I did a lot of things throughout the year that squeaky clean me would never do. I thought so too. But when I’m pushed to edge, I get surprised with discovering what I am truly capable of.

There might have been a lot of dark moments in that year that convinced me to go bald (lolz); pack up and leave the comforts of my own home to live alone; to have a mean look by dying my hair bloody red, have both ears pierced; and get a tattoo for all the world to see.

I’m not really the kind of person who wants to explain myself but one thing you should know is that I am fine, for the most part. I know I have a lot of things to thank for and there are a lot of people who loves me but you don’t actually remember those things when you are in a very hazy state.

And oh, I survived two house floods alone for which I lost most of my gadgets, went on a hunger strike, lost a bike on the street and bought a new one, and got ran over and walked away completely unharmed. Tsk tsk tsk. I know right?

TRAVEL. Last year was a great one for my travelling feet. I had a great experience walking towards great lengths both literally and figuratively. But one notable thing in my travel logs was the fact that I went to the picturesque beauty that is Bohol for three times. And the excitement and fun never gets old every time I go there maybe because of the fact that I am with different people and mostly in different places. An island built for solitude as well as good ol’ friendly amusement.

The first time I went there was to join a young adults retreat with Christian friends. It was our adventure trips that made it very memorable. I could so remember how I squirmed as I went ziplining to probably one of the highest peaks in the country, and how I underestimated the word ‘caving’ before I went in and found out how hard it really was.

I went back by December to respond to the invitation of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the National Nutrition Council to see the great government programs of the province of Bohol. We went to see the very reasons why Bohol is one of the most well managed local government units today and met program coordinators, volunteers and the beneficiaries who made it happen. But then what is a trip to the leading tourist destination without taking a lot of detours to the island’s sweetest spots. We even spent the night at a very great resort in Panglao. Ahh the pristine sea lines, sands so white and fine they feel like clay on your feet.

The third time came a few weeks later after a planned trip with some officemates as we take advantage of the Holiday break being given to us by the company. For three days and two nights, we were able to enjoy most of what the island has to offer. The great experience came after one of us tried to canvas around 30 travel companies for being the most reasonably priced and with the best itinerary. Exciting dolphin watching, snorkeling at their sanctuary, leisure dining at the river cruise, mud splashing with the ATV ride and so much more. It was definitely worth every penny and it just proves that travel need not be dollar expensive.

GRADUATION. 2011 is also a year of academic highlights for me. I graduated with high colors earning my degree Bachelor of Science in Information Technology as well as graduating from the best leadership training program in the country, the Young Minds Academy of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. The YMA Program taught me so much when it comes to seeing the bigger picture in our lives that we need to go beyond passive citizenship and actually jumpstart doing something great with all our energy and time.

But there is something about those graduation moments that made it feel so impersonal for me. I have dreamt of getting a medal when I graduate for as long as I can remember but when that moment finally arrived I just never felt a thing; maybe because of the fact that it came at a really bad time in my life, as I was in between different challenges or maybe because my definition of happiness has grown to something so much deeper. I ask forgiveness for people who wanted me to throw lavish parties but trust me, there is nothing worth celebrating anymore. Appreciation from people is good enough and seeing my family happy because of that makes the rocky trip worth the ride.

JOB. I am also thankful for my current company, where I also did internship, for offering me a job when I graduated. Despite the offers of others, I chose not to be lured by money because trust me, VISA is right, there are some things money cannot buy; like the reliance you have gained, signature WebXpress camaraderie and friendships you have formed and the caring management that you so rarely get in an industry driven to prematurely propel itself to success.

CHRISTMAS. But what is being Jaysee if without being the life of the parties? (lolz) Surprisingly, I always thought I wasn’t social enough but as of writing this article I found myself scavenging through my photo albums and statistics would say I might have attended around six Christmas Parties. The most number my life will ever have I think.

First there was the media thanksgiving organized by Globe from which I won a new phone.

With my 19th century hottie writer outfit, there I was at another party with media practitioners under the MIND 7 which was celebrated the same night of the office Christmas party. Teleportation powers was put into place that night.

As if I came straight out from a Carribean movie, I attended the Pirate Themed church youth party.

Then as part of our social responsibility efforts, the Cebu Bloggers Society Inc. decided to spend Christmas with our brothers and sisters at the Missionaries of the Poor.

And of course, what’s the holidays if without spending it with my beloved families of both sides on separate occasions. They are the reasons why I so love Christmas.

BIRTHS. Probably one of the best blessings of my 2011 was the birth of two special kids. No, not that special. Special in a sense that they came from two close friends, Ate Suzette, my former office supervisor and Ate Ceewai, my cousin. Salute to all the mothers for I am witness to how it can cause monstrosity in mood and looks at birth but they are pretty much fine now and they have become great mothers for all I know.

I would really like to impart you every single thing that I have learned for the past year but it’s so much better if you discover your life’s lessons yourself.

I do however would like to imprint some points into your consciousness: enjoy life; never give up everything for just one; people who leave you never deserve you; it’s always ok to be real and be human; and when you crumble down, pick yourself up, dust yourself off, put on a smile and do what is expected of you and just… live.

Live: The 2011 Jaysee Blabs Year End Reflections
Feature by Jaysee John R. Pingkian

P.S. I'm going to hibernate much on 2012. Taking the backseat on every thing. I've had my run. Inner peace and happiness is my new goal. I'm contented. I am complete. Will slowly disappear to obscurity perhaps. Have a great year ahead and I wish you all the best.

The 20 Awesomeness of Visayas Blogging Summit 2011

2012-01-03T19:00:00.000+08:00

Blogging has been a great tool to market great solutions, events, ideas and businesses because of its dynamic and interactive nature compared to traditional media. That is why when the Visayas Blogging Summit was organized two years ago by Ilo-ilo Bloggers, it had strengthened the capabilities of online publishers by equipping them with knowledge and access to unlimited information to upscale this media.

After my great experience of flying all the way to Ilo-ilo to learn more about blogging tools, ethics, photography and travel blogging, I could just be nostalgic as I got into the hype of co-organizing this year's Visayas Blogging Summit 2011 (#VBS2011) with the great people (from fellow Board of Trustees, to its members and volunteers) behind the most organized blogging institution in the country, the Cebu Bloggers Society Inc. (CBSi).

The official Visayas Blogging Summit 2011 logo
designed by yours truly, Jaysee Blabs

SM City Cebu Trade Hall was opened early to give way to participants to converge for the #VBS2011 last November 26, 2011 and my organization, the Cebu Bloggers Society Inc. pulled together bolts and screws to make this event a success. It was not a walk in the park as we had two months to gather everything! From the marketing, publicity and promotions, documentation, legal, meeting with sponsors, formulating the program, arranging the arrival of the speakers, resource mobilization and a whole lotta planning.

The event was divided into 4 major parts:

(1) PERSONAL BLOGGING. Know the advantages of blogging, how to improve a blog's visibility and how to make it sustainable

(2) PROFESSIONAL BLOGGING. There is more to blogging. This can be a career and even become a business. Find out how professionals make it to the top.

(3) SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING FOR BUSINESS. Learn how small businesses use social media to boost their sales and visiblity. Learn their experiences, secrets and tips first hand.

(4) SOCIAL MEDIA RESPONSIBILITY. Blogging is not only for business but for social change. Find out how bloggers influence and use blogging as a medium to change their communities and improve lives.

That's meh! haha (photo by Byran Karl)

Instead of going through the usual run down of a great post-event blog post, I am giving you all the reasons why the Visayas Blogging Summit was super awesome!

1. The Bloggers Prayer led by Dr. Buboy Tapia made me smile.

2. Hon. Cebu City Mayor Michael L. Rama went to speak about truth in journalism and he sang a song too! And the Ms. Earth candidates strutted their way to the event and talked at the forum! Too bad I missed them all for an errand. huhuhuhu (photos by Tiborsho)

3. I designed the cute certificates! Models: Jomar Lipon and Irish Nunez.

4. The GT Cosmetics Girl

5. I judged the Best VBS Blog Post Contest! And now they enjoy overnight stays at Marco Polo, Maribago Bluewater and so much more.

6. Learned about being Getting Steady with Blogging Iggy Go. He also encourages people to give back, finding other crazy people who blog, and basically, grab attention. (photos by Tiborsho)

7. Finally realized about concentrating in my niches through the environment trivia master Photoblogger's talk (Evanjohnn Mendoza). (photos by Tiborsho)

8. Aimed for Blogging Excellence by listening to Max Limpag talk about becoming the Best Blogger there is. (photos by Tiborsho)

9. "FANG IT" as Chris C. Ducker has quipped in his talk about "From Blog to Business – Getting Serious Online!" He is the VirtualFinder CEO & Founder of Live2Sell Group of Companies. (photos by Tiborsho)

10. HERO Hotdog Eating Session!

11. Krispy Kreme from GeiserMaclang and overflowing drinks from Coffee Dream!

12. Learned how to become the next big thing thru the Basics of Using Social Media for Business by Joanne Apat, Social Media Expert working for Gwion Limited Hong Kong.

13. Tips for Successful Social Media Campaigns from Coy Caballes of Globe. (photos by Tiborsho)

14. Online Content Warfare — the next wave of digital PR Brad Geiser (photos by Tiborsho)

15. Raffle Draws to mobile phone handsets from Globe, RedBox and so much more!

16. Social Media Responsibility: A Perspective Janette Toral, the Philippines' Internet Marketing Queen and Mother of E-Commerce Law.

17. Role of Social Media for Change by Rep. Mong Palatino. He is the Kabataan Partylist, Philippine Congress and Southeast Asia Editor of Global Voices.

18. Community Projects that Need Social Media Assistance Haidee Emmie Palapar, the Communications Officer of RAFI.

19. The powerful roar of the participants shouting their cry agains mining in Palawan! Ms. Gina Lopez, Managing Director of ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. talks about Synergizing Online and Offline: Aggregating Bloggers Towards Social Cause specifically for the Save Palawan Movement. (photos by Bryan Karl)

20. I designed the cute IDs!

For that, I designed a thank you poster to show the organizer's gratitude to the sponsors, speakers, media, partners and participants for making it happen! Hats off to Ruben Licera Jr. Chairman, Visayas Blogging Summit 2011 and Kevin Ray Chua President, Cebu Bloggers Society Inc. and the rest of fellow CBSiers!

Further Reading:

What is the Visayas Blogging Summit?

The Best Speakers for the Visayas Blogging Summit

Jaysee Blabs Story and the Visayas Blogging Summit

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

Groupon PH saved me from a really BAD day!

2012-01-02T23:18:00.000+08:00

Since Groupon Philippines was launched here in the country, around a thousand people have enjoyed what their city has to offer in Cebu alone. We have been enjoying as much as 90% discount on restaurants, fitness and wellness centers.

December has been quite a ride and it burnt me out pretty bad so I decided to use the 30-minute foot spa and 1 hour full body massage, compliments from Groupon Philippines.

It was actually so easy! All I did was go to the homepage and register then I clicked the Buy Now button which takes me to the payment page. There are so many ways to pay: Visa/Mastercard, PayPal, Bancnet, GCash and Bank Deposits via leading banks (BDO, BPI, Unionbank, RCBC).

Thru Groupon, I was able to enjoy a great time with myself at the Subtle Zen Spa Center just in time when I had a really BAD day just when my year was just about to end, but I had sorta snapped out of it already by now. But anyway, what was awesome about the foot spa and full body massage deal was that I was able to get it with a 50% discount. So what is normally priced around Php 1,000.00 was bought for only Php 500.00 and your deal is actually redeemable within one year after purchase!

So what are you waiting for? Enjoy Cebu! Get a Groupon account now!

Groupon is also available at:

Cavite
Cagayan de Oro
Davao
Iloilo
Metro Manila
Pampanga

Visit http://groupon.ph

Subtle Zen Spa Center
3/F One Mango Building, Gen. Maxilom, Cebu City.
Call +63.32.255.4705
Spa hours: Monday - Thursday from 12:00nn - 2:00am / Friday- Sunday from 12:00nn - 10:00pm
Appointment is required

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

Official Jaysee Social Networking Sites | Jaysee Blabs Rebranding Launched!

2011-12-24T19:00:00.000+08:00

Jaysee Blabs Official Avatars used

I have been putting on hold this blog's branding launch for quite some time now because of a lot of engagements.

I wanted to be an identity and with so much avenues for expression, I admit I may have been quite inconsistent.

I wanted Jaysee Blabs not just as a blog title but a reputable source of quality content; a mission I have not concocted not until I reached this far.

The ironic thing is I am able to pull branding strategies and collaterals on other causes such as the Project Liwanag and iluvfarmers Campaign. and events like the Visayas Blogging Summit and 3rd CBSi Anniversary and other businesses via freelance and office clients... but certainly not on mine. Life, let's just say, has not been that kind enough to give me much time for the things I love.

You can read about the weird Jaysee Blabs story at cebubloggers.com, the mother site of the organization I am actively part of the Cebu Bloggers Society which has also garnered the respect of other institutions for its professionalism and its establishment:
Looking back on Jaysee Blabs Journey

Jaysee Blabs blog's mission is to create editorial impact, build community, effectively market solutions, products, business, and events all by delivering quality content.

Jaysee Blabs is where you get to read quality articles about anything awesome. From life in Cebu, issues and great programs in the Philippines, technology and entertainment, graphic and web design and some other awesome stuff.

My tagline: Anything Awesome!

Anyway, in just two days I was able to create a design guideline with consistent imagery amongst all the social networks where Jaysee Blabs and its network of blogs appear and I am proud to show you the output. Meticulous color scheme, design inspiration, HTML/CSS knowledge, and Photoshop layouting was put into place for all of this to be achieved. It was actually more of trial and error because of the different behaviors of the images in different browsers, different platforms and different screen resolutions. Anyways, drool on them below...

Jaysee Blabs Official Youtube Channel

Jaysee Blabs Official Twitter Account

Jaysee Blabs Facebook Page - Landing Page

My Facebook Profile Timeline Cover Photo

Official Jaysee Blabs Google+ Page

Jaysee Blabs Official Myspace Profile

Jaysee Blabs Official Tumblr Site

Jaysee Blabs Official Multiply Site

Jaysee Blabs Official Vimeo Channel

Jaysee Blabs Official Friendfeed Profile

For that let me leave you another digital art promoting the new Jaysee Blabs brand. If you look closely it showcases gadgets that have contributed so much to me and my career. The theme for this art is all about empowerment.

So what are you waiting for? SUBSCRIBE, FOLLOW, +1 and LIKE Jaysee Blabs now to get a grip of the latest awesome stuff.

Happy holidays and enjoy your Christmas eve!

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

How to design exciting pet and tourism homepages. Web 2.0 Design Case Study

2011-12-22T19:30:00.000+08:00

Been doing a lot of web designs at my workplace for quite some time now and I'd like to share just some of the few stuffs I made when I started this job.

Here is a closer look to doing a sample web design for a tourism themed site. First look at core colors of the place you are designing for. In this case, I am making a site for Cebu province. If you google Cebu provincial logo, the prominent colors are blue and yellow, so I created a color scheme palette out of that. Also if you have noticed I had a diamond design accents from the backgrounds to the bullets to subconsciously inculcate our place's brilliance. Draw inspiration from everything and never be afraid to use them!

Top menu bar extends on both ends of the site which is recommended for CSS purposes.

Instead of big photo banners which are usual, I opted for a photo composition muted in a bright color for prominence. The goals of the site are found in the banners main menu: where to dine, where to go, where to say, about the people and events. Don't be afraid to redesign the text box for your search area and make the RSS Subscribe button cute too. That'l improve conversion rates.

Use web safe fonts for the paragraphs. Design a special box for the blockquote HTML tag.

Simple logos depending on how it is used can emulate elegance.

Here is another site I created for a fictional dog home named after two of my dogs who passed away, Mack and Jasper. I wanted to create an atmosphere of freedom and refreshing happiness to make users actually want to own a pet. Again in designing, focus on your goals and always think about accessibility and optimizing the screen. Make every design element effective in achieving what you want from the users and based on your target audience, optimize the use of images. In this case, I am targeting wealthy families with huge broadband bandwidth because owning a dog in the states could be so costly; so it is okay to use large backgrounds and picture buttons.

When creating main call to action buttons on the buttons, also create the hover states for CSS purposes.

Repeating background on the footer wouldn't hurt.

Cute, articulate logos could make the design more appealing too.

For your web, graphic and print design needs, feel free to drop a line or two:

Contact Jaysee Blabs Now

See more designs and the stories behind them at:

Jaysee's portfolio

Happy Holidays!

CBSi celebrates Christmas with special people

2011-12-21T19:00:00.000+08:00

Life is full of sorrow and hardship for most of us, but it is this one time of the year where people come together and generally makes an effort to make others happy. Because this season shouldn't just be about the lavish parties who go to, the highly commercialized shopping season, it's about coming together and remembering the birth of the man who would save humanity.

Christmas is a time where people genuinely feels happy and to be part of that in bringing the season to those who needs it the most, the Cebu Bloggers Society Inc. (CBSi) went beyond by asking friends to give back through our org. The CBSi Corporate Affairs headed the pulling of strings together to stage this year's CBSi Christmas Party at the Missionaries of the Poor in Sawang Kalero, Pasil, Cebu City.

My first time in the Missionaries was very unforgettable as I never thought I could be so moved seeing a lot of special kids who are bound to be that way for the rest of their lives, while some throw theirs away. It was part of our itinerary for our 4-day YMA Community Visit all over Cebu's great communities. You can read more about it here:

Missionaries of the Poor Community Visit

That is why we, YMAers, vowed to somehow come back to the place and contribute or something and although our Christmas Party there didn't push through, I was just so ecstatic when the Cebu Bloggers actively made this happen. Last year, we celebrated with the fire victims of Duljo-Fatima Cebu and brought a local band, Bethany, jam their spirits up with hope:

CBSi Christmas Party 2010

For this year, I designed an online poster asking for help with a bright color scheme and my signature gradients and we raised funds online through the social media:

To immortalize the greatest moments of that day, here are some snaps:

It was a humid December 18 when we all went up early to go to the missionaries' home. What we thought would be a day of giving happiness to our special kids and our finely aged grandpas turns out to be just an understatement. The feeling never gets old even with much exposure to government, foundations and church programs.

We are all part of a bigger picture and there is a greater purpose outside of our own little world.

For that, I dedicate this song from my favorite Christian artist, to those who give out most of themselves to serve others:

Thank you to everyone who supported! :)

Missionaries of the Poor

Missionaries of the Poor is a home for the aged and special children. Most of the elders have Alzheimer's Disease and most of the children are autistic and the ones who are bedridden have Cerebral Palsy.

Tingnan ang Mas Malaking Mapa

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

Night Market Shopping At Asiatown I.T. Park

2011-12-21T06:00:00.002+08:00

For 6 years now, a Cebu-based events and marketing company organizes the highly successful Christmas Nights Bazaar event.

Crinnovent Corp. holds this year’s event at Block 11 of Asiatown I.T. Park, at the parking lot across The Walk and Skyrise 3 Building. It is ongoing until December 27, 2011.

More companies have started joining this year's Bazaar. Some of this year’s corporate participants are Dranix Distributors, Citi Souvenirs, Chevrolet, SEA Olympus Marketing’s Techni-Ice, Yamaha, and Leylam Shawarma.

Aegis PeopleSupport is a gold sponsor of the event. Bronze sponsors are Hero Sausages and Virginia Foods, Inc.

However, most of the exhibitors remain micro-entrepreneurs.

And since the owners are directly hands-on with overhead kept at a minimum, they are able to offer their products at much lower prices than other stores. This allows our shoppers to haggle for their goods and helps them stretch their budgets for the Christmas season.

This year, the bazaar has over 100 exhibitors and is offering more variety such as garments being sold come from the Philippines, Hong Kong, Korea, and USA. There are gift items, customized giveaways, toys, exotic foods, and even LED shirts.

About Christmas Nights Bazaar

Christmas Nights Bazaar is a night market first introduced in 2006 at Banilad Town Centre.

“When we organized the first Christmas Nights Bazaar event 6 years ago, it was the first night market concept in uptown Cebu. We were simply hoping that the Cebuanos were ready for an upscale night market shopping experience,” said Jodie Lynn Soontit, Crinnovent’s project manager.

“Happily, it turned out that Cebu was more than ready and we are very glad to be able to provide Cebuanos with this alternative shopping destination.”

Due to its continued growth, the bazaar has been moved to I.T. Park to accommodate more participants.

“Asiatown I.T. Park has a much bigger area to offer, and also sits at the heart of Cebu’s current night life, drawing many visitors every night. The numerous BPO employees in the immediate area are also an attractive market for those participating in the bazaar,” Soontit continued.

Christmas Nights Bazaar 6 is open daily from 4:00pm until 12:00 midnight.
For inquiries, one may call 032-3472987.

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

MIND 7 shows the world how Philippine govt takes nutrition up a notch

2011-12-20T19:00:00.000+08:00

The government’s Nutrition Program is aimed at improving nutrition situation by ensuring that the intervention programs were implemented properly at the local level.

In the midst of its implementation it would be worth looking at what the Local Government Units are actually doing to help mitigate hunger and malnutrition by implementing the following programs:

supplementary Feeding Program for daycare children
promotion of exclusive breastfeeding, complementary feeding for six months onwards,
importance of growth monitoring
establishment of community gardens to increase availability of food in the household
teach parents become better nutritionists in the nutrition education using the “Pabasa sa Nutrisyon” play and learn strategy

The National Nutrition Council network like the Provincial/Municipal/Barangay Nutrition Committees as policy and coordinating body oversee the management of these programs maximizing available resources.

In line with this a team of media experts together with the National Nutrition Council in coordination with the Department of Social Welfare and Development regional staff will conduct a learning visit to selected areas of Bohol to understand and to get first hand information the program implementation from selected LGUs in Bohol Province.

These media experts are composed of representatives from the press, TV and radio who are members of Media and Information Network on Nutrition (MIND 7) Region VII:

Ms. Anabelle C. Lagrosas - BPPA II, DYMR
Mr. Jun P. Tagalog - Station Manager, DYLA
Ms. Imee Vanessa Casona - Station Manager, Home Radio
Ms. Marie Mignon A. Nillama - PRO II, DPWH 7
Mr. Jaysee John R. Pingkian - Cebu Bloggers Society Inc.
Mr. Vernon Joseph M. Go - Cebu Bloggers Society Inc.
Ms. Phoebe Jen Indino - Reporter, Manila Bulletin
Ms. Cherie Gozon - Segment Producer, GMA 7
Mr. Ferdinand Gonzales - Videojournalist, GMA 7
Ms. Fe C. Oribia - DNPC, Provincial Health Office, Bohol Province
Ms. Susan Y. Orpilla - Nutrition Officer III, NNC 7
Ms. Melinda O. Cañares - ND III, DSWD
Mr. Emmanuel Mongaya - SunStar Cebu
Ms. Beatrice P. Rafols - ND I, PHO, Bohol Province

Through this visit the MIND7 members will have a better understanding on how government programs were being translated into activities at the local level.

The two-day activity involves ocular visit to day care centers, breast feeding station, project sites on LGUs best practice and interviews to local chief executives, beneficiaries and other key players. It was sponsored by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) FO Region VII and was organized by Ms. Melinda D. Cañares, Nutritionist-Dietitian III, DSWD and Ms. Parolita A. Mission, DPA, RN, Nutrition Program Coordinator, NNC 7.

Bohol Media Learning Visit Objectives :

To obtain first-hand information from the implementers and beneficiaries on their experiences in implementing nutrition related programs
Document good practices

We arrived in Tubigon, Bohol and made a courtesy call to Mayor Allen Ray Z. Piezas.

We enjoyed our breakfast in his dining room before having our official media briefing. It was led by Ms. Mel and the NNC team. The Vice Mayor even gave a short message to us before heading out on our first visit.

We walked across the street to see the Breastfeeding Station in the market. It actually provides a private, safe, clean and comfortable place where mothers can breastfeed so they don't have to do it in public which, unfortunately, used to be the case.

The station is a small wood outbuilding installation in the Tubigon marketplace but nonetheless durable and clean enough to sustain. There were also Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials available and it is actually manned by a Barangay Health Worker and the Barangay Nutrition Scholar of Barangay Centro who take turns every once in awhile to educate nursing mothers and for consultation purposes.

After learning how the local government promotes breastfeeding, we then met up with the Mayor of Calape, Bohol for a courtesy call. Mayor Sulpicio N. Yu, Jr. was very proud to announce that his town has over 5-6% decrease in malnutrition and 0% severely malnourished children. He then enumerated the mechanisms that lead them to become a Consistent Regional Outstanding Winner in Nutrition (CROWN) Maintenance Awardee for six years.

As it turns out, they have an Adopt-a-Child program too. Food security, he says, is the very focus of his programs so he issued an order that every home should have a malunggay plant available and families of malnourished children can fish for free at the municipal-owned fishpen, which is very innovative. He is lucky, he says, that the programs were institutionalized even before he sat; so all he had to do is modify it for updating and implement it. He also asked every purok to have a community garden and employed a Barangay Nutrition Scholar for all his barangays. What amused me though was that he had this order that every engaged couple who underwent pre-wedding counseling shall plant a fruit tree for each of them. Now that's sweet.

Why Day Care Kids are now Healthier?

Our wheels then rolled to the Tultugan Day Care Center to witness the actual feeding program being implemented in all day care centers every school day in the country. I didn't know that till I actually went there. They used iron fortified rice to the kids along with vegetables and meat.

They even grow their own vegetables in the community garden and the parents take turns cooking the food according to the menu set by the national nutritionists which was very endearing. The participation of the parents is also an application of what they have learned through nutrition training which I will discuss later. After saying graces, the children enjoyed their nutritious brunch.

After having a very sumptuous lunch at the Barangay Hall of Tultugan, we immediately found ourselves immersed in Lawis Fish Sanctuary for a quick visit before we go see the governor himself.

Bohol Awarded as Most Outstanding Province in the Region

Gov. Edgar Chatto promised that monitoring of the programs will be more vigilant even with all the awards that they had. He intensified their projects in terms of food production.

He also took the initiative to introduce us to his great new project which is the Bohol Milk Program that is set to be the biggest carabao and cow milk farm and community-based milk processing. Yep, carabao. The distribution of the milk products will have the cooperation of parents and teachers from all over the province. It is being partnered with the National Dairy Authority and Department of Agriculture. The Bohol Dairy Farm will showcase cows which are shipped all the way from the New Zealand.

Tourism, he says, needs no reinvention; we just have to strengthen our culture. He exclaims this in emphasizing how he is managing the booming tourism industry of Bohol. Eco-tourism, as his priority, is a low-impact type of development unlike mass tourism where a lot of infrastructure has to be placed, he adds.

When one of the journalists asks him how was he able to bag home the Best Governed Province award, he has to say that he owes a lot to the "participation of the people and policy implementation."

"We are just doing what we have to do," he says.

He also told us that he has a great blueprint for progress which involved the three fold rule: government, civil society and the business sector. He also gives time to meet up with the local media regularly and most importantly, all his programs are directed on a single direction which is branded as HEAT Bohol. HEAT stands for Health, Education, Agriculture and Tourism.

He also made it to a point to call his initiatives as prosperity programs rather than poverty alleviation ones for more positivity. He even drops a few hints of the great things to come for their province such as preparing the necessary IT infrastructures to cultivate a BPO industry, a cruise port and an airport.

After the long fun and educational day it was, we retired at a resort in Panglao, Bohol for dinner, bed and breakfast.

Eco-agriculture: The Future of Bohol

The very next day, we headed on to see the Mayor of the land of the world-famous Chocolate Hills, Carmen, Bohol. Mayor Conchita delos Reyes greeted us to her very beautiful home that is just as to what a resort could be. After lunch, we gathered with her at the patio and talked about the municipality's combat against malnutrition:

"I can say that in more than a year of being in office, the malnutrition rate [have] gone down."

She says that he had all her hands on the Nutrition Projects and allocated as much as P100,000 for it.

CHE Project which stands for Carmen Household Entrepreneurs was a flagship program of hers that brandishes agriculture where farms grow high value crops and promotes in-land fishing. Her demo site is already up and she aims to replicate this for the 29 barangays.

"My [administration] is gearing towards sustainable progress."

But all her successes in life as family woman, a businesswoman and being the first lady mayor is all in honor of how she started early on. "I was once a very poor person," she says.

Carmen is now mechanizing efforts to make Carmen the country's leading eco-agriculture tourism destination. Her demo site has grown great vegetables, houses livestock and bullfrogs, cultured tilapias and features nipa huts where guests can be accommodated. She is doing this to complement the Chocolate Hills so that people will have more reasons to stay which is slowly being overturned by other local destinations. Should these community farms make it big on her municipality, you can just imagine what it could do to other places in the country who are struggling economically and in upscaling the nutrition status of their constituents.

Parents are now better nutritionists! Bohol moms show us how

After this, we found our way to the municipality's Action Center where a great nutrition program is taking place. The project is called Pabasa sa Nutrisyon which aims to educate parents about breastfeeding and basically learning more about food through a series of lectures and games. This is also implemented all over the country and is conducted by a trained volunteer.

Breastfeeding moms are heroes in the country! Introducing Lactation Stations

To be able to see the best practices of promoting breastfeeding even in the in the workplace, we were toured to the lactation station in BQ Mall where shoppers and employees can breastfeed their child in a private, comfortable place.

They it is also equipped with a refrigerator for employees who wishes to pump milk and feed it to their child when they get home. A TV is set up which educates about how breastfeeding can be both beneficial to the mother and the child. This project is being spearheaded by their HR department and is being benchmarked as best practice in supporting working mothers and providing quality customer service. The said station is being manned by the volunteers from Integrated Midwives Association of the Philippines (IMAP) Bohol which offers consultation services for free.

For further reading....

Bohol Media Learning Visit Series:

Bohol Awarded as Most Outstanding Province in the Region

Parents are now better nutritionists! Bohol moms show us how

Why Day Care Kids are now Healthier?

Breastfeeding moms are heroes in the country!

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

Mandaue Foam presents Holiday Rewards in Nationwide, storewide sale!

2011-12-16T19:30:00.001+08:00

Mandaue Foam Furniture Store is going all-out in its holiday sale with a rewards and discounts package that would make every homemakers Christmas wishes come true!

Caroling with dance numbers presented by the kids of Children’s Joy Foundation Inc.

Now is the best time to make your family happy by having new furniture in the home. With a great sale discount, a rewards promo, and easy payment schemes, making your dream home wouldn't get any easier than this.

From December 26, 2011 to January 8,2012 all Mandaue Furniture Stores nationwide slashes 20% off on all dining sets, imported sofas, carpets, lightings, rods, tieback holder, tassel, spring mattresses inclusion of made to order items, pillows and other foam products, office furniture, picture frames, wall art, paintings, figurines, plants, flowers and all regular items.

You can own these dream items easily with trouble-free payment schemes. Enjoy 0% interest up to 3 months term on credit card. Sale discount can also be availed on cash, credit card straight payment, COD and On Date Check with a minimum purchase of P10,000; or enjoy 0% interest up to 12 months term using major credit cards with a minimum purchase of P10,000 (for regular items only).

For more information, visit Mandaue Foam Furniture Store along H. Cortes St. Mandaue City and all other branches nationwide. Mandaue Foam has Furniture Stores in Cebu, Manila, Iloilo, Butuan, Bacolod, General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao.

The Mandaue Foam Holiday Rewards Promo
For every single receipt purchase worth P5,000 customer will be given a promo card.
There are 12 gift boxes with corresponding amount. The customers must fill all gift boxes in order to reach the biggest gift box to get the main prize.
The customer has 4 options to get the prize. First prize is when customer reaches the 3rd gift box. Second prize is when customer reaches the 6th gift box. Third prize is when customer reaches the 9th gift box. Fourth, continue filling out all the gift boxes until he/she reached the 12th biggest gift box to get the main prize.
Once the prize has been claimed, customer cannot continue filling out all the remaining gift boxes.
On each visit, customer must bring the card and after reaching P5,000 amount net purchase customer card will be signed by the store manager.
To claim the prize, just present the Holiday Rewards card with complete signatory of the store manager after the quick validation of the card, customer can get the prize.
Promo offer is from December 26, 2011 to January 18, 2012 only.

With the rewards card, you can get the chance to win a designer Flower Vase, stylish table lamp, an elegant bookcase, a chic chest of drawers.

Holiday Promo Offer

P35,000 and above sofa purchase = 1 center table + side table
P20,000 and above sofa purchase= 1 TV rack
P20,000 and above purchase on all beds = 1 Unihard Foam Mattress
P20,000 and above dining set purchase = 1 shoe rack

What made the launching of the Holiday Rewards amazing were the performance of Children’s Joy Foundation Inc. who have always been the personal beneficiaries of the owners of Mandaue Foam.

Mandaue Foam's Jonathan Ho and the kids at the Christmas sofa.

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

Hotel Elizabeth blows its 1st year anniversary cake!

2011-12-16T19:30:00.000+08:00

The Cebu hotel industry is one tough arena one would rather dare not enter into but armed with great experience and beaming accomplishments, Fersal Hotel Group did not step in as a mediocre but a force to reckon with.

They positioned Hotel Elizabeth Cebu as a compact, boutique five-star hotel with affordable rates, something that will give key players a run for their money. The hotel exudes this Mediterranean feel on its wall treatments, painting and interior design, a character that you'll hardly forget.

Handling the same hotel brand in the Philippines' north, Fersal Hotel Group has frequently won the Baguio Hotel of the Year. Now they brought the same royal treatment here in Cebu, something that locals and Cebu's tourists truly deserve.

Hotel Elizabeth just recently celebrated its 1st year Anniversary with a party at their Santorini Ballroom with patrons, business partners including the suppliers and Association of Tourist Guides. Cebu Bloggers Society Inc. and the rest of Cebu's media were also there to be treated to a night of thanksgiving, great food, hospitality they have been known for, live music and raffles.

The night was graced by the governor herself, Gov. Gwen Garcia and Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama who gave a very entertaining and personal rendition of The Way You Look Tonight (I did have to google what song it was).

Spearheading the event was the Hotel Elizabeth President Elizabeth Salonga Fernando and her daughter who gave away plaques of appreciation to the Hotel's loyal customers and referrers.

All the staff and crew surprised their President with a amusing dance number to the tune of a catchy jingle written by their general manager. I could not remember all of the lines but it goes something like "when you are in a place where the sun never sets and the fun never ends", there is only one place to say where you are "treated like a king or queen."

Visit http://www.hotelelizabethcebu.com

Congratulations Hotel Elizabeth!

Tingnan ang Mas Malaking Mapa

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

The Yule-timate treat from San Remigio Beach Club

2011-12-16T19:00:00.000+08:00

CEBU’S VERY OWN SAN REMIGIO BEACH CLUB gives you your 2011 Christmas treat with only one promise: “Yule” never regret it.

Celebrate or hold Christmas meetings and parties and avail of their wonderful Christmas packages.

“We offer Yuletide Sprees for as low as P510-P610 per minimum of 30-50 persons”, shares Miss Jay de Torres of SRBC. “These two packages include meal buffets with the client’s choice of viands, use of decorated venue and sound system. Aside from those, we also offer the use of the resort’s facilities and other amenities at the client’s request”.

San Remigio Beach Club photo by sanjah

Their third package offers a P655-P675 price range. Perfect for holding Christmas conferences and meetings, this package enables the client to enjoy San Remigio’s meal buffets, use of decorated venue with sound system and offers 10% room discounts and other services for clients.

With more extra services to boot, the fourth Yule Spree Package falls at the range of P1,440-P1,720. Like the rest of the packages, this package lets a minimum of 30-50 persons enjoy their Christmas parties with meal buffets, better room accommodation discounts at 20% and even free use of the resorts’ transfer services.

“All these plus free use of the resort facilities and amenities is sure to make every San Remigio Beach Club client fee very special this Christmas”, adds Miss de Torres.

All of these Yule Spree packages offer extra services such as entertainers, use of LCD screen and projectors and sound and lights. San Remigio Beach Club even offers lechon for clients who want to celebrate Christmas the Filipino way.

According to SRBC General Manager Mark Ynoc, “San Remigio’s Yule Spree packages were conceptualized with only the client’s best interests at heart. We know that Filipinos love being with their families and closest friends this holiday season. We built the Yule Spree Packages from that concept and let it grew from there.”

With these Christmas packages, San Remigio boasts of the Yule-timate holiday treat! Celebrate Christmas at San Remigio Beach Club!

To know more about San Remigio Beach Club’s Yule Sprees, feel free to get in touch with:

Jay de Torres
San Remigio Beach Club
236-1908/422-4070
reservation@sanremigiopensionnesuites.com

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

Lihok Pilipina Foundation: Social Welfare Champions, Ultimate ChangeShapers

2011-12-15T22:00:00.000+08:00

Lihok Pilipina Foundation Inc.:

Social Welfare Champions, Ultimate ChangeShapers

Feature by Jaysee John R. Pingkian, author of Jaysee Blabs

Action is the most definite thing one should do if he wishes to become an architect of change, and to mobilize hundreds of families to battle poverty and abuse could be a legacy worth talking about in the decades to come.

There are a lot of institutions that caters to protecting women and children but one goes beyond their purpose to solve the bigger ills of this society.

Child protection is very close to my heart because I am witness to cruelty against them almost every now and then; and to be powerless at times, makes me rethink how I perceive this world but now knowing that a group of individuals are putting their acts together to help, and alleviate them from poverty along the way, is, by far, the best discovery I have ever made.

Introducing Lihok Pilipina Foundation Inc. (LPFI)...

Uphill Climb

Lihok Pilipina Foundation Inc. (LPFI) was organized from the dream of one woman for a safer more livable society.

Ms. Tessie Fernandez, the embodiment of a very vigilant and active citizen and Cebuano, everyone can only hope to emulate, is used to quick action that is why she sought the aid of different institutions to make Lihok Pilipina what it is today: an organization that values life more than any other.

Ms. Tessie Fernandez of Lihok Pilipina Foundation Inc.

Lihok Pilipina started with operating its credit program for the women of Cebu City. This gave the mothers a glimpse of hope as they are able to start their own micro businesses in their respective communities from sari-sari stores to small scale food shops we commonly refer to as carenderias. The foundation actually monitors the lives of their beneficiaries that is why it came as an alarm to them why the ladies began missing out important meetings. It was then that they had learned that “family trouble” kept them from venturing into other things and was ultimately the cause why most of them eventually falter on their payments and closed their shops.

Being with the women whom she has considered family, Tessie and her team made it their newfound mission to protect women and children at all cost because she could not bear to hear any more stories from them as to how they got their bruises from their husbands who ventilates their anger quite too much, quite too often.

"At first we thought of addressing domestic violence just as a strategy to resolve the difficulties in the credit program. But it became an issue itself because we found out that it was such a huge concern among the women," she explains.

Their bigger mission is to have “communities that are dynamic, non-violent, viable, effective, militant and self-reliant, where the dignity of women, children and men are upheld and continuously developed.”

Different challenges hindered Lihok Pilipina as they opened their doors to accommodate a new set of issues. They launched the Women’s Support and Crisis Center which welcomed women who were raped and abused both physically and mentally. They needed a home for battered women to stay, logisitics, supplies and transportation as more and more women call for their help. Good thing, legal representatives were not a burden as they have lawyers in the Board of Trustees. With all the requirements that she needed to furnish to complete this mission, she pooled together all the people she could gather. From former classmates in law school, to community organizers and even tapping on development workers in the University of San Carlos, government and in NGOs, Tessie and the rest of Lihok Pilipina team was able to help victims appreciate the new day in their lives that has come.

To see more about the roots of the foundation and the women who inspired Tessie to build the org, see this 3-part documentary film produced by Advocacy Videos:

Change is a very herculean task that even Jesus had a hard time doing. But given the right strategies, approach, and support, you can shape a nation one person at a time. That’s just what Ms. Tessie and her team did.

I can just marvel at the great works of her organization as I researched and actually saw the people who are living testaments of Lihok Pilipina’s successful efforts all these years.

Change Shaping Today
Lihok Pilipina’s celebrated accomplishment was the conception of the Office of the Urban Poor as one of the specialized division in Cebu City Hall and has aided close to 3,000+ clients in Cebu City alone.

They bear on to reach out to women and children needing shelter and immediate attention due to domestic violence and abuse cases.

They were also able to find ways and means for policemen to undergo gender sensitivity trainings as they handle these very vulnerable issues. They were also able to stir up national buzz as the front page of a daily showed their research results on domestic violence and eventually caught the attention of then President Ramos who reprimanded DSWD for their indifference on such a grave issue. From that, the Bantay Banay (Family Watch) was born.

They even won the heart of then Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena who said “[Lihok Pilipina] can do it better. Why don't I just give you money to continue what you are doing?” That’s because he was referring more cases to LPFI rather than his office so he funded around 15 barangays to organize a Bantay Banay group. Eventually, the performance of the program became so phenomenal that it other places invited LPFI over to organize it for them and history soon followed that this program reached Dumaguete and Misamis Oriental.

But I think the best achievement of LPFI are the lives that has changed as they champion social welfare and poverty alleviation efforts; two heavy issues that even United Nations is on the verge figuring out how to combat against... a battle we've been losing since human civilization began.

Tale of Success

I can talk all about Lihok Pilipina the whole day and it still wouldn’t be enough as they have more programs that have passed critical acclaim like the Community Waste Management Project and their Youth Program. To think they already have the Savings and Credit Center and Support and Crisis Intervention giving them load that the most powerful being would grow tired of.

The Triennial awards is the ongoing effort of the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) to look for and distinguish the underappreciated heroes in the Visayas and Mindanao region who set an example of lives dedicated to help and serve others. It goes without saying that Lihok Pilipina’s feat is a milestone when it bagged home the Most Outstanding Institution award in the Triennials last 2005.

"With the country being preoccupied with political turmoil, our feat should serve as an encouragement for others to do their share. We should stop talking and do the action," Fernandez said.

The cash and trophy that the foundation holds is not even enough to compensate for all the work that they had done, the change that they have initiated. But they, for one, ask for no compensation as they take great joy in helping others and I think every single one who are familiar with NGOs and social work know this kind of fulfillment.

With the great impact that this foundation has been rippling into Filipino society, I give them my highest respect and all. But there is still a lot of work to be done and the humble team behind Lihok Pilipina assures me that they will never rest on their laurels until every Filipino and possibly every person in the world is safe and happy.

How You Can Help

Contact them now to refer domestic violence cases, volunteer, donate:
Ms. Tessie B. Fernandez or Mr. Alex Ocampo, Executive Director

Phone:
(032) 254-8092
(032) 256-1341
(032 )254-8072

Fax:
(032) 254-8072

Email:
tbf_lihok@yahoo.com, lihok@mozcom.com, lih0kpilipina_09@yahoo.com, lihok@durian.usc.edu.ph

Or visit their office at:
102 P. Del Rosario Extension, Cebu City

Lihok Pilipina Foundation Inc.:

Social Welfare Champions, Ultimate ChangeShapers

Feature by Jaysee John R. Pingkian, author of Jaysee Blabs

This is an official entry to the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI) Triennial Awards Blogging Contest.

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

Diamond Suites Cebu rejoices its 1st Anniversary!

2011-12-14T19:00:00.000+08:00

One of the emerging high-end hotels in Cebu just turned one! Diamond Suites and Residences Cebu celebrated its first year anniversary last December 6, 2011 with the suppliers, patrons, partners and the media.

Board Members Ray & Venus Manigsaca with the EXECOM and Sales Team (L-R): Carmi Revil, Anita Iway, Mae Aparece, Bjanesha Emphasis, Jerome Tomabiao, Sheryll Ordoyo, Angela Emphasis, Greg Perral, Jessica Angeles, Roxan Manigsaca, Pearly Hortelano, Dimples Gerodias, Cecile Mag-uyon

The buffet!

Event hosted by Ms Mafe Castillo!

The team behind the hotel got so much excited with the milestone that they didn't hire an events organizer to put the celebration together. They organized it themselves and the guests had a great time with the buffet served, amazingly entertaining live band, lively sassy host Ms. Mafe Castillo and a whole lot of raffles being drawn throughout the night.

The amazing band! They could do an Adele and a Micheal Buble and you would hardly notice the difference!

Diamond Suites and Residences Cebu offers all-day dining restaurant outlet, business center, mini gym, swimming pool, and three meeting room facilities that can accommodate up to 100 guests for meetings and special occasions.

Tingnan ang Mas Malaking Mapa

Congratulations Diamond Suites and Residences Cebu!

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

SonyEricsson launches new Android Xperia phones and a great Christmas promo!

2011-12-14T01:38:00.000+08:00

Sony Ericsson advances its bid for dominance in Android with an stirring range of new models like the Sony Ericsson Xperia™ ray and Xperia™ active. Both phones sport the new amazing feature called 3D Sweep Panorama. Sony Ericsson executives flew all the way from Manila to launch the phones here in Cebu as they gathered Cebu bloggers to experience the phones first hand.

3D Sweep Panorama is a camera shooting mode where users can capture a scene in true 3D with a sweep of the camera. When pictures are played back on a compatible 3D TV, the images come alive with depth, clarity and realism.

For 3D Sweep Panorama, users just pan the camera and up to 100 images are automatically taken from a number of different angles. The camera’s processor then analyzes and combines these images to build the full 3D picture, which can be viewed as a fully three dimensional panoramic image on a compatible 3D TV.

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ ray packs an 8.1-megapixel camera with Exmor R™ for mobile, a technology that makes pictures a little bit awesome even in dim lighting situations.

Sony Ericsson Xperia™ active aims for consumers with a fit and active lifestyle, being dust-proof, scratch-resistant and water resistant.

The Xperia™ PLAY is the first PlayStation™ Certified Android™ smartphone. It's built on the gaming expertise of Sony Computer Entertainment.

Just in time for Christmas, Sony Ericsson is raffling away great gift certificates worth 1000 every month for 12 months for 2012 on your favorite Cebu establishment!

Sony Ericsson launches its newest Xperia promo, 12 Days of Xperia SurPRIZES! Raffle Promo. When a customer buys a new Sony Ericsson Xperia handset from December 12, 2011 to December 23, 2011, he/she gets a chance to win 1 year worth of products/services from awesome and uniquely Cebuano brands. These are:

1. Body and Sole Spa
2. Chika-an Restaurant
3. Coffee Dream Cafe
4. CnT Lechon
5. Dimsum Break Restaurant
6. Formo Resto-bar
7. Home Bakers Bakeshop
8. Island Souvenier Shop
9. JCA Pizza
10. La Marea Pastry Shop
11. Salon de Rose
12. Thirsty Juices and Shakes.

Give yourself an Xperia and a better Cebuano lifestyle!

For more details, visit the Sony Ericsson Concept Shops. Join the Sony Ericsson PH community on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sonyericsson.ph.

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

Best Cebu Blogs 2011 awards this year's great online promoters

2011-12-08T00:59:00.001+08:00

Cebu is really worth promoting and there are a lot of awesome things to see and do; and the need for quality online publishing will put Cebu into the international limelight. Being awarded as Best Cebu Blog 2010, I am deeply honored as I was recognized for all the efforts into showcasing what Cebu has to offer.

This year, I am invited to be part of the team behind the Awards Committee and I have been assigned to do graphic designs for this year's Best Cebu Blog 2011 which is happening this December 9, 2011 at SM City Cebu. Here is the official online poster for the great event:

It is a very intimate social media gathering, as the event is invites only. Gracing the occasion are the finalists and some members of the Cebu Bloggers Society Inc.

I also personally congratulate friends who made it on the shortlisting of finalists:

Irish Nuñez of mcjobz.blogspot.com
Ken Taarup of aroundtheflexure.com
Sinjin Pineda of libotero.com
Mark Gallardo of triptabai.com
Rabsin Dela Cruz of philippinestreetfashion.com
Eden Villarba of chicinthetropics.blogspot.com
Fleire Castro of fleirecastro.com
Bert Padilla of cebutechblogger.com
Edcel Ceniza of thewanderingcouple.com
Mary Angeli Bas of foodiecraft.com
Marlen Limpag of marlen.limpag.com
Ronnell Padillo of ronnellpadillo.com
Jessa Bustamante of jessaster.net
Mikyu Maglasang of ifancy.me
Narciso Tapia of cebumd.com
Geezelle Tapangan of geemiz.com
Milafel Hope Dacanay of lemonsito.wordpress.com

For the complete list of Best Cebu Blogs 2011 finalists

God bless guys!

For more awesome stuff, keep reading through Jaysee Blabs

Jaysee Blabs

RAFI is now accepting applications for YMA season 6

How to Create Kickass Awesome Tourism Site Web Design

Awesome Web Design for Pirate Site AGGRRHH!!!

FIRST LOOK AT THE SM MALL SET TO OPEN AT THE SRP!

TV5 celebrates with Cebuanos in “Sugod mga Kapatid Sa Sinulog 2012”

World’s Largest Chess Tournament to be held in CEBU! Registration Deadline Jan.19; more than 50,000 registered participants now recorded

Guinness World Record already in the bag

New DOT Campaign Wows International Travel Experts

RAFI, partners open contemporary art exhibit on Cebu

Contemporary Cebu: Profiles of the Artists

Dennis Montera

Marvin Natural

Palmy Pe-Tudtud

Ritchie Quijano

Karl Roque Jr.

Something big is coming! | Welcome to another year of awesome

Bounce forward as you push off with the Skechers ProSpeed SRR running shoes

Live: The 2011 Jaysee Blabs Year End Reflections

The 20 Awesomeness of Visayas Blogging Summit 2011

Groupon PH saved me from a really BAD day!

Official Jaysee Social Networking Sites | Jaysee Blabs Rebranding Launched!

How to design exciting pet and tourism homepages. Web 2.0 Design Case Study

CBSi celebrates Christmas with special people

Thank you to everyone who supported! :)

Missionaries of the Poor

Night Market Shopping At Asiatown I.T. Park

About Christmas Nights Bazaar

MIND 7 shows the world how Philippine govt takes nutrition up a notch

We arrived in Tubigon, Bohol and made a courtesy call to Mayor Allen Ray Z. Piezas.

Why Day Care Kids are now Healthier?

Bohol Awarded as Most Outstanding Province in the Region

Eco-agriculture: The Future of Bohol

Parents are now better nutritionists! Bohol moms show us how

Breastfeeding moms are heroes in the country! Introducing Lactation Stations

Bohol Awarded as Most Outstanding Province in the Region Parents are now better nutritionists! Bohol moms show us how Why Day Care Kids are now Healthier? Breastfeeding moms are heroes in the country!

Mandaue Foam presents Holiday Rewards in Nationwide, storewide sale!

Hotel Elizabeth blows its 1st year anniversary cake!

The Yule-timate treat from San Remigio Beach Club

Lihok Pilipina Foundation: Social Welfare Champions, Ultimate ChangeShapers

Uphill Climb

Tale of Success

How You Can Help

Diamond Suites Cebu rejoices its 1st Anniversary!

SonyEricsson launches new Android Xperia phones and a great Christmas promo!

Best Cebu Blogs 2011 awards this year's great online promoters

Bohol Awarded as Most Outstanding Province in the Region

Parents are now better nutritionists! Bohol moms show us how

Why Day Care Kids are now Healthier?

Breastfeeding moms are heroes in the country!