Leorenz Jamias – A Transient Life

USANA® Celavive™ — Go Beyond What You See

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 00:00:00 +0000

Let’s face it, not all skincare lines are created equal and neither is our skin. Our skin has gone through plenty of harsh cleansers, swampy-smelling masks, and layer upon layer of concealing makeup. I even remember carrying around thin paper films to blot the oil off my skin throughout the day.

As an Independent Associate, I have a skin secret I want to let you in on. It's time to say goodbye to worrying about dry, sensitive, and/or oily skin after just one month of personalizing your skincare routine with the all-new Celavive® product line.

Discover your skin’s natural ability to fight visible aging with this brand new, high performance skincare system, only from USANA.

Celavive: Go Beyond What You See
Here’s what sets the Celavive skincare line apart from the rest: it’s formulated with USANA’s InCelligence Technology® and/or Olivol™, which target your individual beauty needs. These products are specifically designed for your skin type: dry/sensitive or combination/oily.

The entire line of Celavive skincare products has been dermatologically tested and is paraben free, so you can feel confident about what you’re using on your face.

Like with all of USANA’s products, there’s scientific research at the foundation of these creams, gels, and cleansers that focuses on nourishing our skin in unique ways.

Board Certified Dermatologist, Dr. Jennifer Lee, talks skin - diving below the surface for a closer look at the science of Celavive. Uncover the secrets of your skin and find out exactly how Celavive works in tandem with your skin to create a more beautiful, younger-looking complexion. Plus, learn the three things Dr. Lee teaches every patient for healthy–looking skin.

Available now, the USANA® Celavive™ skin care line consists of the following:

Conditioning Make up Remover
Hydrating Eye Essence
Creamy Foam Cleanser
Replenishing Night Gel
Protective Day Cream
Vitalizing Serum

Let's have a walk through on how to use each product and what makes each product unique.

It’s time to reveal more radiant, younger-looking skin. Discover how Celavive™—USANA’s high-performance skincare line—can work step by step to support your natural ability to defy visible aging.

Celavive Confidence
Celavive makes it easy for anyone to start their own personalised skincare regimen now. Let’s make this the year of being confident in our own skin. Upgrade your regimen with the new Celavive products and show off that gorgeous face.

If you want to know more about these fabulous products or want to place an order, please drop me a line or visit my USANA Independent Associate website at https://leorenzjamias.usana.com.

About USANA Health Sciences
USANA manufactures the highest-rated, most effective nutritional supplements and health care products in the world - backed by a potency guarantee. The corporate headquarters are located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Independent Associates distribute and sell scientifically-based nutritional and personal-care products. To ensure you and your family are receiving genuine world-class USANA products, purchase them only through your Independent USANA Associate.

How to Set Up a Sole Proprietor Business in the Philippines (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Jul 2017 00:00:00 +0000

In the second part of our preview in setting up a sole proprietor business in the Philippines, let us continue to look into the processes involved together with some important notes and tips.

Make sure that before applying for these Certifications you already have at least two Valid ID’s. (e.g. Passport, SSS, PRC ID’s etc.). They are usually required when filling up the forms.

After applying for the BIR Certificate of Registration, you need to apply immediately from the BIR an Authority to Print some Official Receipts and Invoices to be used for your operations.

These Receipts and Invoices are valid only for use for a certain number of years and should the period lapse, a new set of Receipts and Invoices must be printed.

Below are the types of receipts that should be registered with the BIR before commencing operations:

Provisional Receipt when collection is only partial. Official Receipt must be issued after issuance of Provisional Receipt after final collection of a particular Invoice or Delivery Receipt.

Delivery Receipt for Retail

Sales Invoice for Retail

Service Invoice for Services

Official Receipt for Services

Official Receipt for Retail

Make sure that they get printed after a certain time prescribed by the BIR. You will get a penalty for not having them printed after the prescribed period.

Make sure that all the Certificate of Registration you acquired from the different Government Agencies are hanging on a wall in the place of Business and all your Book of Accounts (Journals and Ledgers) are available for inspection complete with records of transactions coming from the Invoices and Receipts. They will be inspected by the BIR when they make their surprise visit in your office.

5. SSS, Philhealth, and PAG-IBIG
If you have employees working for you, it is necessary that you register them with these Government Agencies. It’s mandatory to have them enrolled and the employer pay their employer contribution on a periodic basis. Employees as per DOLE (Department of Labor and Employment) are eligible to Benefits provided by these Agencies.

After registering with the enumerated Agencies, you must open a Bank Account with a bank that accepts payments for BIR, SSS, Philhealth, and PAG-IBIG. Most of these banks have options for Online Banking where you can automatically transfer payment to the account of these Agencies. For a complete list of these banks, you can check out the website of these Government Agencies. Once you select a bank, you can enroll with them so they can allow you to have Online Access for the money transfer.

Once you accomplish these you are all set for your Operations. You can have a Bookkeeper handle all the recording process so you can focus more on your business. You can follow us on Facebook should you want to outsource this process. We can also provide Computerized Accounting Services complete with POS and Taxation Tools.

† Facebook: HDM Bookkeeping Services

Location: Phase 1-A Blk 11 Lot 9, Pacita Complex, San Pedro, Laguna

How to Set Up a Sole Proprietor Business in the Philippines (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Jun 2017 00:00:00 +0000

Nowadays a lot of SMEs are sprouting like mushrooms in the age of the Millennials. People are more aware of what business they want to engage themselves with. And with the recent economic growth, more and more people are enticed to set up a Sole Proprietorship.

What is a Sole Proprietorship?

It’s a type of Business managed and owned by a Single Individual. There are other Business Types like Partnerships and Corporations. But for the ease of starting a new business with a modest capital, this is the best option.

What are the Pro’s and Con’s of a Sole Proprietorship?

Lets enumerate some of the Pro’s and Con’s

Pro’s

Less Fuss in Set up and registration. Other Business Types can require you to register with the SEC as part of Business Regulation and Control. Sole Proprietorships don’t include this process.
Capital Requirements are minimal. Same goes with cost related to Government permits and licenses.
Decision making and profits are enjoyed by a Single Individual.

Con’s

All Liabilities, Losses, and Risks are shouldered by the Owner.
All Business Strategies originate from an Individual which may not always be best. Sometimes a business can run smoothly if there are a select number of people who can pitch in more resources like Capital, Contacts, and Ideas.
If your business becomes bankrupt, the Government and some creditors can go after your personal assets besides the one that you invested in the business.

Government Agencies where you need to register your Sole Proprietorship:

1. Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
You will need to procure a DTI Certificate of Registration to ensure that your business name will be unique. This will avoid problems of being identified with an existing enterprise. If you have a Franchise Business, there will be additional requirements to be submitted to the DTI.

2. Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines
If you have a Trademark or Logo, you need to register this to avoid copycats from taking advantage of it once your business prosper.

3. Local Government Units where your business is situated:

Barangay
Mayor’s Office

You need to register and secure a Certificate with these Local Government Units where your business is located. Fees that you will pay may vary depending on your capitalization. Additional requirements maybe required like Contract of Lease if you are renting or a Certificate of Land Title if you own your place of business. If you are conducting business on the residence of your relatives or friends without paying rent, there will be no other requirement.

4. Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
After procuring your certificates from the DTI, Barangay, and Mayor’s Office, you need to register them to the BIR. They are the regulating body that make sure you are paying your taxes correctly. You will also need to bring a photocopy of your Lease Contract or Certificate of Land Title. But if you are neither renting or owning your place of operations, this will not be necessary.

If you are engaged in multiple businesses, - ie Retailing, Professional Services (e.g. Bookkeeping), and Printing Services - you can register them all in one Certificate of Registration with the BIR. Of course, it will entail a bit more complex accounting when you consolidate your Financial Reports.

For Licensed Professionals such as Accountants, Doctors, Lawyers, and the like who are setting up a Professional Services Firm or Clinics, there will be other requirements needed to set up the Proprietorship. The BIR have a complete list of these requirements. As an example and in the case of Certified Public Accounts, their requirements usually include a Certification that you have undergone some kind of Audit Experience of the practice for a certain number of years. You would need it verified and signed by an already established CPA.

We will be showing you the rest of the Procedures on Part 2 of How to Set Up a Sole Proprietor Business.

† Facebook: HDM Bookkeeping Services

Location: Phase 1-A Blk 11 Lot 9, Pacita Complex, San Pedro, Laguna

The Fast, The Furious, and The Duel Commander Super Series

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 Jun 2015 12:00:00 +0000

The excitement building up for the Philippines Duel Commander Super Series has finally reached the South through its 3rd leg at Madcap Gaming. Duel Commander enthusiasts, fans, and hard-core players from all over flocked the scene hoping to bag a Top 4 finish and enter the finals for the Super Series. We witnessed great plays, new tech, and even greater fun and camaraderie all around. From Round 1 through the end, the event was definitely a rousing success.

The meta-game breakdown from the 32 different "Commanders" and their respective decks provided as interesting a battlefield as can be with Reanimator, Combo, Elfball, Tempo, Hexproof, Control, and fast death and slow death bringers being represented all around. One thing was clear as we reach the end of Round 6, it seems decks with fast kills of various means reigns supreme in a top-level highly charged tournament scene such as this.

And by that, nothing else would seem able to bridge the gap for win and annoyance factor alone than by throwing in huge fatties and/or swarms of creatures (tokens or not) onto the battlefield alongside huge card/time advantage plays. So yes, we are looking at you Esper, reanimated Griselbrands and Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur, Animar, Soul of Elements, The Mimeoplasm, Jenara, Asura of War, Prossh, Skyraider of Kher, Titania, Protector of Argoth, and the infamous Necrotic Ooze/Triskelion/Phyrexian Devourer Combo. We look forward to opposing your decks for the next tournaments to come.

Congratulations to all the winners!
Thanks to everyone who went and made the tournament as challenging yet as fun as we all expected!

Format: 1v1 Duel Commander
Timestamp: 1:00 PM, Saturday, 20 June 2015
French Banned list + Partial Paris + Swiss
and with no proxies allowed

The 3rd Leg of the Philippines Duel Commander Super Series at Madcap Gaming drew in a high-level tournament experience with a total of 49 registered players.

The breakdown of Commanders are as follows:
Anafenza, the Foremost (Janji Naling)
Anafenza, the Foremost (Raymond Macayan)
Animar, Soul of Elements (Jeffrey Leal)
Animar, Soul of Elements (Simon Bryan Floreza)
Animar, Soul of Elements (Teo Diaz)
Dragonlord Atarka (Jack Austin Derla)
Dragonlord Ojutai (Alvin Pilariza)
Dragonlord Ojutai (Benedict Co)
Dragonlord Ojutai (Gerry Ramos)
Dralnu, Lich Lord (Lawrence Errol Tales)
Ezuri, Renegade Leader (Chester Tolentino)
Ezuri, Renegade Leader (Gomer Caasi)
Geist of Saint Traft (Israel Rodriguez)
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV (Louie Siongco)
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV (Tomee Tomelden)
Grenzo, Dungeon Warden (Ian Emmanuel De Luna)
Griselbrand (Jed Berones)
Jeleva, Nephalia's Scourge (Kernell Laserna)
Jenara, Asura of War (Dondee Abad)
Jenara, Asura of War (Jose Peter Ang III)
Karador, Ghost Chieftain (Irwin Tabisora)
Maelstrom Wanderer (Edizon Tanyag)
Maelstrom Wanderer (Juin Paul San Juan)
Maelstrom Wanderer (Raffy Facultad)
Marath, Will of the Wild (Mark Edward Lasam)
Marath, Will of the Wild (Michael Guezzo Diaz)
Narset, Enlightened Master (Kenneth Paul Laurel)
Narset, Enlightened Master (Yves Bausa)
Nekusar, the Mindrazer (Robert Lopez)
Keranos, God of Storms (Jun Era Cabezudo)
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher (Chuck Lim)
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher (Don Bunag)
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher (Leorenz Jamias)
Rafiq of the Many (Mark Anthony Diaz)
Radha, Heir to Keld (Emil Gabriel Enriquez)
Rhys the Redeemed (Derrick Ponay)
Ruhan of the Fomori (Miko Abrina)
Ruhan of the Fomori (Nino Ruiz)
Sen Triplets (Earl Castel)
Sidisi, Brood Tyrant (Manuel Flor Jr)
Sigarda, Host of Herons (Christian Anthony Lim)
Talrand, Sky Summoner (Merlin Maisog)
Tasigur, the Golden Fang (Fedimarc Garcia)
The Mimeoplasm (Edwin Albert Jocson)
Thrun, the Last Troll (Joseph Edward A. Fuentes)
Thrun, the Last Troll (Ranier Maglantay)
Titania, Protector of Argoth (Hernani Bautista)
Titania, Protector of Argoth (Mark Toh)
Vendilion Clique (Alan Baculpo)

Top 8
1 Sen Triplets (Earl Castel)
2 Animar, Soul of Elements (Teo Diaz)
3 The Mimeoplasm (Edwin Albert Jocson)
4 Jenara, Asura of War (Jose Peter Ang III)
5 Prossh, Skyraider of Kher (Leorenz Jamias)
6 Prossh, Skyraider of Kher (Chuck Lim)
7 Animar, Soul of Elements (Simon Bryan Floreza)
8 Titania, Protector of Argoth (Mark Toh)

Raffle Winners (6 Rounds - 6 winners)
Sarkhan Unbroken
Flor, Manuel Lance
Baculpo, Allan

Mini Snap Commander Cases
Leal, Jeffrey
Cabizudo, Jun Era
Fuentes, Joseph Edward

FOIL Ojutai's Command
Caasi, Gomer

Philippines Duel Commander Super Series 3rd Leg
Top 8 Decklists

Earl Castel - Sen Triplets

Artifacts [2]
Expedition Map
Sensei's Divining Top

Creatures [9]
Ashen Rider
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Griselbrand
Iona, Shield of Emeria
Kederekt Leviathan {Unearth}
Rune-Scarred Demon
Snapcaster Mage {Flash}
Sphinx of Uthuun
Sun Titan

Enchantments [3]
Animate Dead
Necromancy
Phyrexian Arena

Instants [20]
Complicate {Cycling}
Counterspell
Dismember
Fact or Fiction
Far // Away
Forbid {Buyback}
Forbidden Alchemy {Flashback}
Force of Will
Flash
Into the Roil {Kicker}
Intuition
Lim-Dul's Vault
Mana Leak
Memory Lapse
Miscalculation {Cycling}
Mystical Tutor
Muddle the Mixture {Transmute}
Skeletal Scrying
Swords to Plowshares
Thirst for Knowledge

Planeswalkers [2]
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Liliana of the Veil

Sorceries [22]
Buried Alive
Careful Study
Chainer's Edict {Flashback}
Council's Judgment {Will of the council}
Damnation
Deep Analysis {Flashback}
Demonic Tutor
Drown in Sorrow {Scry 1}
Duress
Exhume
Grim Tutor
Inquisition of Kozilek
Night's Whisper
Reanimate
Sickening Dreams
Show and Tell
Supreme Verdict
Thoughtseize
Toxic Deluge
Unburial Rites {Flashback}
Wrath of God
Zombify

Lands [41]
Adarkar Wastes
Arcane Sanctum
Boseiju, Who Shelters All
Bloodstained Mire
Cavern of Souls
City of Brass
Command Tower
Drowned Catacomb
Fetid Heath
Glacial Fortress
Godless Shrine {Plains Swamp}
Hallowed Fountain {Island Plains}
Mana Confluence
Marsh Flats
Misty Rainforest
Nimbus Maze
Polluted Delta
Reflecting Pool
River of Tears
Scalding Tarn
Scrubland {Plains Swamp}
Secluded Glen
Skycloud Expanse
Temple of Enlightenment {Scry 1}
Tolaria West {Transmute}
Tundra {Island Plains}
Underground Sea {Island Swamp}
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Wasteland
Watery Grave {Island Swamp}
Windswept Heath

Island - 3
Plains - 1
Swamp - 6

Teo Diaz - Animar, Soul of Elements

Artifacts [ ]

Creatures [ ]

Enchantments [ ]

Instants [ ]

Planeswalkers [ ]

Sorceries [ ]

Lands [ ]

Edwin Albert Jocson - The Mimeoplasm

Artifacts [2]
Lion's Eye Diamond
Sensei's Divining Top

Creatures [17]
Birds of Paradise
Eternal Witness
Griselbrand
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
Massacre Wurm
Necrotic Ooze
Phyrexian Devourer
Primeval Titan
Rune-Scarred Demon
Satyr Wayfinder
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon {Infect}
Snapcaster Mage
Sylvan Primordial
Terastodon
Triskelion
Venser, Shaper Savant {Flash}
Woodfall Primus {Persist}

Enchantments [6]
Animate Dead
Dance of the Dead
Exploration
Necromancy
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Library

Instants [22]
Abrupt Decay
Catalog
Counterspell
Daze
Fact or Fiction
Flash
Forbidden Alchemy {Flashback}
Force of Will
Frantic Search
Grisly Salvage
Impulse
Intuition
Lim-Dul's Vault
Mana Leak
Miscalculation {Cycling}
Muddle the Mixture {Transmute}
Mystical Tutor
Remand
Spell Pierce
Stifle
Sultai Charm
Thirst for Knowledge

Planeswalkers [1]
Liliana of the Veil

Sorceries [14]
Buried Alive
Careful Study
Damnation
Demonic Tutor
Duress
Exhume
Inquisition of Kozilek
Life from the Loam {Dredge 3}
Personal Tutor
Ponder
Preordain {Scry 2}
Reanimate
Thoughtseize
Toxic Deluge

Lands [37]
Bayou {Forest Swamp}
Bojuka Bog
Boseiju, Who Shelters All
Breeding Pool {Forest Island}
Cavern of Souls
Cephalid Coliseum {Threshold}
Command Tower
Drowned Catacomb
Flooded Grove
Flooded Strand
Hinterland Harbor
Homeward Path
Marsh Flats
Misty Rainforest
Overgrown Tomb {Forest Swamp}
Polluted Delta
Reflecting Pool
Scalding Tarn
Sunken Ruins
Tolaria West {Transmute}
Tropical Island {Forest Island}
Twilight Mire
Underground River
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Verdant Catacombs
Wasteland
Watery Grave {Island Swamp}
Windswept Heath
Wooded Foothills
Woodland Cemetery
Yavimaya Coast

Island - 1
Snow-Covered Forest - 1
Snow-Covered Island - 1
Snow-Covered Swamp - 1

Jose Peter Ang III - Jenara, Asura of War

Artifacts [6]
Birthing Pod
Sensei's Divining Top
Skullclamp
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Fire and Ice
Umezawa's Jitte

Creatures [31]
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Aven Mindcensor {Flash}
Birds of Paradise
Bloom Tender
Edric, Spymaster of Trest
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Elvish Mystic
Eternal Witness
Fyndhorn Elves
Gilded Drake
Glen Elendra Archmage {Persist}
Karmic Guide {Echo}
Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Llanowar Elves
Mother of Runes
Noble Hierarch {Exalted}
Phantasmal Image
Qasali Pridemage {Exalted}
Reclamation Sage
Reveillark {Evoke}
Scavenging Ooze
Scryb Ranger {Flash, Protection from Blue}
Snapcaster Mage {Flash}
Sower of Temptation
Stoneforge Mystic
Sun Titan
True-Name Nemesis
Vendilion Clique
Venser, Shaper Savant {Flash}
Voice of Resurgence
Weathered Wayfarer

Instants [18]
Brainstorm
Counterspell
Daze
Eladamri's Call
Enlightened Tutor
Force Spike
Mana Leak
Mana Tithe
Mental Misstep
Miscalculation {Cycling}
Nature's Claim
Negate
Remand
Spell Pierce
Stifle
Swords to Plowshares
Unexpectedly Absent
Worldy Tutor

Enchantments [3]
Song of the Dryads
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Library

Planeswalkers [1]
Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Sorceries [4]
Ancestral Vision {Suspend 4}
Council's Judgment {Will of the council}
Gitaxian Probe
Green Sun's Zenith

Lands [36]
Adarkar Wastes
Arid Mesa
Breeding Pool {Forest Island}
Brushland
Cavern of Souls
City of Brass
Command Tower
Flooded Strand
Glacial Fortress
Hallowed Fountain {Island Plains}
Hinterland Harbor
Marsh Flats
Misty Rainforest
Polluted Delta
Razorverge Thicket
Reflecting Pool
Savannah {Forest Plains}
Scalding Tarn
Seachrome Coast
Stirring Wildwood
Sunpetal Grove
Tectonic Edge
Temple Garden {Forest Plains}
Treetop Village
Tropical Island {Forest Island}
Verdant Catacombs
Wasteland
Windswept Heath
Wooded Bastion
Wooded Foothills
Yavimaya Coast

Forest - 1
Island - 2
Plains - 2

Leorenz Jamias - Prossh, Skyraider of Kher

Artifacts [5]
Coalition Relic
Sensei's Divining Top
Skullclamp
Talisman of Impulse
Talisman of Indulgence

Creatures [23]
Acidic Slime
Birds of Paradise
Blood Artist
Courser of Kruphix
Deathrite Shaman
Den Protector {Megamorph}
Dryad Arbor {Creature Land - Forest}
Elvish Mystic
Elves of Deep Shadow
Eternal Witness
Fyndhorn Elves
Purphoros, God of the Forge {Indestructible}
Llanowar Elves
Lotus Cobra {Landfall}
Primeval Titan
Reclamation Sage
Rune-Scarred Demon
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Scavenging Ooze
Sylvan Caryatid {Defender, Hexproof}
Sylvan Ranger
Wood Elves
Xenagos, God of Revels {Indestructible}

Enchantments [7]
Bitterblossom
Contamination
Fecundity
Goblin Bombardment
Phyrexian Arena
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Library

Instants [10]
Abrupt Decay
Beast Within
Crop Rotation
Diabolic Edict
Hero's Downfall
Hit // Run
Kolaghan's Command
Skeletal Scrying
Tainted Pact
Terminate

Sorceries [13]
Beseech the Queen
Damnation
Demonic Tutor
Duress
Green Sun's Zenith
Hymn to Tourach
Inquisition of Kozilek
Night's Whisper
Read the Bones {Scry 2}
Rolling Earthquake
Thoughtsieze
Toxic Deluge
Yawgmoth's Will

Planeswalkers [4]
Garruk Wildspeaker
Liliana of the Veil
Sarkhan Vol
Xenagos, the Reveler

Lands [37]
Arid Mesa
Bayou {Forest Swamp}
Badlands {Mountain Swamp}
Blood Crypt {Mountain Swamp}
Bloodstained Mire
Bojuka Bog
Cavern of Souls
Command Tower
Dust Bowl
Gaea's Cradle
Homeward Path
Kessig Wolf Run
Llanowar Waste
Mana Confluence
Marsh Flats
Misty Rainforest
Overgrown Tomb {Forest Swamp}
Phyrexian Tower
Polluted Delta
Reflecting Pool
Scalding Tarn
Stomping Ground {Forest Mountain}
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Verdant Catacombs
Wasteland
Windswept Heath
Wooded Foothills
Woodland Cemetery

Forest - 6
Swamp - 2
Snow-Covered Mountain - 1

Chuck Lim - Prossh, Skyraider of Kher

Artifacts [8]
Coalition Relic
Coat of Arms
Helm of Obedience
Sensei's Divining Top
Skullclamp
Talisman of Impulse
Talisman of Indulgence
Worn Powerstone

Creatures [15]
Deathrite Shaman
Dosan the Falling Leaf
Eternal Witness
Farhaven Elf
Flametongue Kavu
Joraga Treespeaker {Leveler}
Primeval Titan
Reclamation Sage
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Solemn Simulacrum
Somberwald Sage
Vampire Hexmage
Wood Elves
Xenagos, God of Revels {Indestructible}
Zealous Conscripts

Enchantments [9]
Beastmaster Ascension
Blood Moon
Contamination
Dark Tutelage
Leyline of the Void
Phyrexian Arena
Planar Void
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Library

Instants [9]
Beast Within
Dark Ritual
Demonic Consultation
Dismember
Fire Covenant
Nature's Claim
Skeletal Scrying
Tainted Pact
Terminate

Planeswalkers [2]
Garruk Wildspeaker
Liliana of the Veil

Sorceries [19]
Cabal Therapy {Flashback}
Cruel Tutor
Damnation
Demonic Tutor
Distress
Duress
Farseek
Green Sun's Zenith
Hymn to Tourach
Inquisition of Kozilek
Kodama's Reach
Maelstrom Pulse
Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
Nature's Lore
Night's Whisper
Rampant Growth
Search for Tomorrow {Suspend 2}
Thoughtsieze
Toxic Deluge

Lands [37]
Arid Mesa
Bayou {Forest Swamp}
Badlands {Mountain Swamp}
Blood Crypt {Mountain Swamp}
Bloodstained Mire
Cavern of Souls
City of Brass
Dark Depths {Legendary Snow Land}
Dragonskull Summit
Gaea's Cradle
Homeward Path
Karplusan Forest
Kessig Wolf Run
Mana Confluence
Marsh Flats
Misty Rainforest
Overgrown Tomb {Forest Swamp}
Phyrexian Tower
Polluted Delta
Rootbound Crag
Scalding Tarn
Stomping Ground {Forest Mountain}
Taiga {Forest Mountain}
Tarnished Citadel
Tectonic Edge
Temple of the False God
Thespian's Stage
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Verdant Catacombs
Windswept Heath
Wooded Foothills
Woodland Cemetery

Mountain - 1
Swamp - 1
Snow-Covered Forest - 2
Snow-Covered Swamp - 1

Simon Bryan Floreza - Animar, Soul of Elements

Artifacts [2]
Birthing Pod
Skullclamp

Creatures [54]
Ancestral Statue
Arbor Elf
Birds of Paradise
Bloodbraid Elf {Cascade}
Bloom Tender
Cloud of Faeries {Cycling}
Coiling Oracle
Deceiver Exarch
Dream Stalker
Dryad Arbor {Creature Land - Forest}
Duplicant {Imprint}
Edric, Spymaster of Trest
Elvish Mystic
Elvish Visionary
Eternal Witness
Farhaven Elf
Fauna Shaman
Fierce Empath
Flametongue Kavu
Fyndhorn Elves
Gilded Drake
Glen Elendra Archmage {Persist}
Imperial Recruiter
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
Kozilek, Butcher of Truth {Annihilator 4}
Llanowar Elves
Llawan, Cephalid Empress
Lotus Cobra {Landfall}
Magus of the Moon
Man-o'-War
Mistcutter Hydra
Mulldrifter {Evoke}
Oracle of Mul Daya
Painter's Servant
Pestermite
Phantasmal Image
Phyrexian Metamorph
Phyrexian Revoker
Primeval Titan
Rattleclaw Mystic {Morph}
Raven Familiar {Echo}
Reclamation Sage
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Scavenging Ooze
Sea Gate Oracle
Shardless Agent {Cascade}
Spellskite
Sylvan Ranger
Ulamog, the Infinite Gyre {Indestructible, Annihilator 4}
Vendilion Clique
Venser, Shaper Savant {Flash}
Wirewood Elf
Wood Elves
Zealous Conscripts

Enchantments [5]
Blood Moon
Earthcraft
Survival of the Fittest
Utopia's Sprawl
Wild Growth

Instants [2]
Chord of Calling {Convoke}
Worldly Tutor

Sorceries [1]
Green Sun's Zenith

Lands [35]
Arid Mesa
Bloodstained Mire
Breeding Pool {Island Forest}
Cavern of Souls
City of Brass
Command Tower
Flooded Grove
Flooded Strand
Gaea's Cradle
Hinterland Harbor
Karplusan Forest
Mana Confluence
Misty Rainforest
Polluted Delta
Rootbound Crag
Scalding Tarn
Shivan Reef
Steam Vents {Island Mountain}
Stomping Ground {Forest Mountain}
Sulfur Falls
Taiga {Forest Mountain}
Tropical Island {Island Forest}
Verdant Catacombs
Volcanic Island {Island Mountain}
Windswept Heath
Wooded Foothills
Yavimaya Coast

Island - 3
Forest - 4
Mountain - 1

Mark Toh - Titania, Protector of Argoth

Artifacts [4]
Expedition Map
Crucible of Worlds
Skullclamp
Zuran Orb

Creatures [28]
Acidic Slime {Flash}
Arbor Elf
Birds of Paradise
Boreal Druid
Courser of Kruphix
Craterhoof Behemoth
Devoted Druid
Dosan the Falling Leaf
Dryad Arbor
Elvish Mystic
Eternal Witness
Fyndhorn Elves
Joraga Treespeaker {Leveler}
Llanowar Elves
Lotus Cobra {Landfall}
Nylea, God of the Hunt {God, Indestructible}
Oracle of Mul Daya
Phyrexian Revoker
Polukranos, World Eater {Monstrosity}
Priest of Titania
Primeval Titan
Reclamation Sage
Regal Force
Scavenging Ooze
Sylvan Safekeeper
Terastodon
Thrun, the Last Troll
Wood Elves

Enchantments [7]
Concordant Crossroads
Exploration
Hall of Gemstone
Song of the Dryads
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Library
Utopia Sprawl

Instants [8]
Beast Within
Chord of Calling {Convoke}
Constant Mists {Buyback}
Crop Rotation
Harrow
Hunter's Insight
Nature's Claim
Worldly Tutor

Planeswalkers [3]
Garruk, Primal Hunter
Garruk Wildspeaker
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Sorceries [10]
Green Sun's Zenith
Harmonize
Kodama's Reach
Life's Legacy
Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
Nature's Lore
Primal Command
Reap and Sow {Entwine}
Search for Tomorrow {Suspend 2}
Sylvan Scrying

Lands [39]
Boseiju, Who Shelters All
Cavern of Souls
City of Traitors
Crystal Vein
Dust Bowl
Evolving Wilds
Gaea's Cradle
Gargoyle Castle
Ghost Quarter
Homeward Path
Misty Rainforest
Mosswort Bridge {Hideaway}
Mouth of Ronom
Mystifying Maze
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx {Devotion}
Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
Petrified Field
Tectonic Edge
Terramorphic Expanse
Treetop Village
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Verdant Catacombs
Windswept Heath
Wooded Foothills
Yavimaya Hollow

Forest - 9
Snow-Covered Forest - 5

Wizards of the Coast, Magic: The Gathering, and their logos are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the United States and other countries. © 2014 Wizards. All Rights Reserved. This blog is not affiliated with, endorsed, sponsored, or specifically approved by Wizards of the Coast LLC. This site may use the trademarks and other intellectual property of Wizards of the Coast LLC, which is permitted under Wizards' Fan Site Policy. For more information about Wizards of the Coast or any of Wizards' trademarks or other intellectual property, please visit their website at www.wizards.com.

† The Pinoy Planeswalker - Syntax Assassin
† Facebook: Official Madcap Gaming Facebook Page
† Youtube: Official Madcap Gaming on Youtube

Photo Credit: Madcap Gaming, The Pinoy Planeswalker - Syntax Assassin

Location: Olivares Building Unit B G/F, Pacita Avenue Barangay San Vicente, Pacita 1 Phase 1A, San Pedro, Laguna

WWF turns Tweets to Donations with #EndangeredEmoji Social Campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 May 2015 12:00:00 +0000

Today WWF launches its first ever emoji-based fundraising campaign to help support the organisation’s work to protect precious species and their habitats. The launch of the campaign, which will be run on Twitter, comes just ahead of Endangered Species Day on Friday 15 May.

The idea for the #EndangeredEmoji campaign was sparked by the discovery that 17 characters in the emoji alphabet represent endangered species. WWF is seeking to translate the popularity of these characters into donations. Emoji have been used over 202 million times on Twitter since they were integrated into the platform in April 2014. The number is increasing daily.

#EndangeredEmoji will be run through the official @WWF Twitter account and at http://endangeredemoji.com. Here’s how it works:

WWF will tweet an image showing all 17 Endangered Emoji. To take part in the campaign all twitter users need to do is retweet the image.
For every Endangered Emoji the user then tweets, WWF will add the local currency equivalent of €0.10 to a voluntary monthly donation.
At the end of each month, users will receive a summary of their Endangered Emoji use and can then choose how much to donate.

We're using #EndangeredEmoji to save real animals from extinction. Please retweet to sign up and help. pic.twitter.com/hX1p1GEDZ9
— WWF (@WWF) May 12, 2015

Adrian Cockle, Digital Innovation Manager at WWF International said:

“When it comes to fundraising, giving people a simple way to donate is key. By using one of the world’s biggest social platforms to highlight endangered species, we’re hoping to raise vital funds for their conservation as well as raising awareness globally.”

The emoji alphabet, the standardised set of digital pictograph characters used in communication globally, contain the following characters which represent endangered species:

Spider monkey
Giant panda
Asian elephant
Galapagos penguin
Antiguan Racer snake
Bactrian camel
Tiger
Sumatran tiger
Green turtle
Amur leopard
Siamese crocodile
Bluefin tuna
Blue whale
Western gray whale
African wild dog
Lemur leaf frog
Maui’s dolphin

This campaign is launched a month after WWF Global Ambassador Andy Murray used emoji to celebrate his wedding to Kim Sears, receiving more than 14,000 retweets.

Influential digital supporters will help to publicize the campaign by retweeting the original image to their followers, including Xavier Di Petta, creator of @EarthPix and @HistoryInPics. He comments,

“Emoji is the first global language and I love that people all over the world can get involved in protecting our planet and the animals we share it with.”

The campaign was developed with advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy London and technical partner Cohaesus.

About WWF
WWF is one of the world's largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in over 100 countries. WWF's mission is to stop the degradation of the Earth's natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world's biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

Note: The estimate that Emoji have been used over 202 million times on Twitter since April 2014 is according to the website emojitracker.com

© [12 May 2015] WWF. Some rights reserved.

Magic: The Gathering Announces Magic Origins

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 15:30:00 +0000

Wizards of the Coast announced today Magic Origins, a new Magic: The Gathering set releasing this July. This pivotal new set reveals the origin stories of five of Magic's most beloved Planeswalker characters.

In the Magic: The Gathering Multiverse, some mages are born with a rare gift, simply known as "the spark." When such mages face a great ordeal, their spark's potential is unleashed, elevating them to become Planeswalkers and travel between the planes of the Multiverse. Magic Origins will reveal for the first time these pivotal moments for five Planeswalkers: Gideon Jura, Jace Beleren, Liliana Vess, Chandra Nalaar, and Nissa Revane.

"Magic Origins is a different kind of core set than we've ever done before, one with ambitious story goals and deep creative impact," says Doug Beyer, Magic's senior creative designer. "All core sets in recent years have had Planeswalker cards, but Magic Origins doesn't just contain five Planeswalkers—it's also about those Planeswalker characters. It's about certain points in time in those Planeswalkers' lives—the events that led them to become Planeswalkers—and is meant to set up a lot of our plans for Magic's future story. We'll see these characters' home worlds, learn about the joys and crises of their early lives, and discover how they became the Multiverse-traveling Planeswalkers we know today."

This Planeswalker spark also exists in Magic's 20 million players and fans worldwide. For many fans, playing Magic has become a pivotal point in their own lives, as they forge life-long friendships in a welcoming and supportive community united by the fun of playing the world's best strategy game. With face-to-face play events and social gatherings in more than 7,000 hobby game stores around the world, Magic invites you to ignite your own spark and join the ranks of the most passionate fans in gaming.

Magic Origins will release worldwide on July 17, 2015. Please visit MagicTheGathering.com for the latest news and updates and follow Magic on Facebook and Twitter.

About Magic: The Gathering
Magic: The Gathering is the world's best strategy game with more than 20 million players and fans worldwide. In this innovate card game, players build personalized decks using cards they collected through booster packs and trading with friends. Magic offers a robust gaming experience for its community of passionate fans through face-to-face play events and social gatherings in more than 7,000 hobby game stores around the world, complemented by its Duels of the Planeswalkers and Magic Online digital games. For more information, visit Magicthegathering.com.

About Wizards of the Coast
Wizards of the Coast LLC, a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAS), is the leader in entertaining the lifestyle gamer. Wizards' players and fans are members of a global community bound together by their love of both digital gaming and in-person play. The company brings to market a range of gaming experiences under powerful brand names such as MAGIC: THE GATHERING and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS. Wizards is also a publisher of fantasy series fiction with numerous New York Times best-sellers. For more information about our world renowned brands, visit the Wizards of the Coast Web site at www.wizards.com.

Earth Hour 2015 Countdown Begins, Marked by Launch Of High Impact Video

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 12:00:00 +0000

FL Philippines -Earth Hour Celebrations - By Gregg Yan WWF EH2015 Global (Earth Hour)

As nations and individuals around the globe gear up to participate in the world’s largest grassroots environmental movement, WWF’s Earth Hour kickstarted the countdown to the 2015 event with the release of the official campaign video today. Set to the international hit song ‘Pompeii’ by British rock band Bastille, the two-minute video demonstrates how Earth Hour is empowering individuals and organisations around the world to take action on climate change.

Showcasing memorable moments and achievements from past Earth Hour events as well as powerful statements from world leaders and personalities such as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, US President Barack Obama and actors Emma Thompson, Li Bingbing and Marc Ruffalo on the issue of climate change, the Earth Hour 2015 video aims to inspire people with the message to act and ‘use your power to change climate change’.

“This is the ninth time the Earth Hour movement will roll across the world. Millions of people will come together to use their power to change climate change and we want to work with them to deliver real solutions for a sustainable future for our planet,” said Sudhanshu Sarronwala, Executive Director, Marketing and Communications WWF International.

In the past eight years, Earth Hour has grown from a symbolic lights-off event in Sydney, Australia to the world’s largest open-sourced environmental campaign mobilising hundreds of millions of people in more than 7,000 cities and 163 countries and territories.

“We would like to thank the band Bastille, Universal and EMI Publishing for helping us create an inspiring video that captures the energy and power of the Earth Hour movement to impact climate change,” said Sarronwala.

Earth Hour 2015 will take place on 28th March 2015 between 8:30 and 9:30 P.M. in your local time zone. To know more about the event and activities happening in and around your city and how you can use your power to change climate change, visit www.earthhour.org.

About Earth Hour

Earth Hour is WWF's global environmental movement. As one of the first open-sourced climate change campaigns, Earth Hour has grown from a symbolic event in one city to the world's largest grassroots movement for the environment. In 2014, Earth Hour engaged individuals, business and organisations in over 7,000 cites and 163 countries and territories during the hour and beyond. In 2015, Earth Hour aims to harness the power of its millions of supporters worldwide to change climate change.

About WWF
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations, with over five million supporters and a global network active in more than 100 countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

† Music Credits: © “Pompeii” performed by Bastille
Licensed courtesy of Universal Music Publishing Australia Pty. Ltd
Under exclusive License to Virgin Records
Licensed courtesy of Universal Music Australia Pty Limited

† Video Credits: WWF / Earth Hour local teams around the world. Emma Thompson’s public speech at People’s Climate March 2014 © Chris Smith, Green Party (www.greenparty.org.uk) and Greenpeace UK Ban Ki-Moon © United Nations. Mark Ruffalo’s interview at People’s Climate March 2014 © Kenneth B. Goldberg. Public footage of Li Bingbing and Barack Obama at UN Climate Summit 2014 © United Nations.

Metascreen, a guard against ‘sudden death’

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 11 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

Nearly one baby every hour each day dies abruptly. An estimated 7,000 babies die each year without warning.ⁱ

Parents are left clueless after the death as the possible causes remain unknown even after undergoing autopsy. All because of the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

SIDS is the unexplained death of babies usually occurring during sleep and striking under unexpected circumstances.

Even a healthy one-year old baby may be a victim of the condition which is often simply attributed to physical and environmental factors. Studies have shown that babies with physical conditions including brain abnormalities, low birth weight and respiratory infection have higher risk of dying an unexplained death.

Still some studies indicated that an infant’s sleeping position may also be a cause. Babies sleeping on their stomach side are more prone as they may suffer more difficulty in breathing. Those sleeping on soft surfaces and with their parents are also at risk.ⁱⁱ

To address the problem, various newborn screening tests are being employed as a means of identifying inborn disorders. For instance, dried blood spot screening, usually available in hospitals, can effectively screen the newborn of many metabolic disorders.

This type of screening, however, can only detect less than 50 metabolic disorders.ⁱⁱⁱ

Given that there are far more metabolic disorders that place an infant in danger of SIDS, a new process called Metascreen, an expanded, advanced and non-invasive metabolic screening service, was developed.

Metascreen can detect up to more than 100 inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) through a painless method that uses the child’s urine sample collected after 48 hours of birth.

IEM is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the lack of enzymes needed in the body to maintain the normal body metabolic temperature.

This condition eventually causes the build-up of toxic substances and a deficiency of the critical ones. And because this may remain undetected during the infant stages of the baby, it poses as a silent threat to every newborn.

Aside from causing sudden death, the disease may also trigger serious developmental issues and lifelong disease, if left untreated.

Research showed that 10% of the SIDS cases can significantly be attributed to these inherited metabolic defects.

In the Philippines, this comprehensive newborn screening is offered by Cordlife Medical Philippines, the country’s most chosen cord blood and cord lining banking institution. Metascreen is offered free to all mothers who bank their baby’s cord blood and cord lining at Cordlife.

“Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is a serious and unseen condition that contributes to infant mortality,” said Dr. Arvin Faundo, Medical Director, Cordlife Medical Philippines. “Metascreen offers mothers the chance to reduce this incidence to secure the future and the wellbeing of their newborn.”

The screening test is performed by the Hong Kong Screening Centre Limited, a company that provides early and accurate detection of metabolic disorders in newborn babies.

“Here in the Philippines, we take pride in providing our clients with the best facilities to ensure that Cordlife is something they can depend on especially when it comes to securing the health of their newborn,” Faundo added.

Cordlife Medical Philippines, is a branch of Cordlife Group Limited which owns and operates processing and cryopreservation storage facilities across Asia including in Singapore, Hong Kong, India and Indonesia.

The Group’s processing and storage facilities in Singapore, Hong Kong, and India are also AABB, formerly known as American Association of Blood Banks, accredited, meeting the gold standard of private cord blood banking.

Cordlife Group also has a direct investment in China Cord Blood Corporation, one of the top operators in China.

For more information, download Cordlife’s free infopack @ www.cordlife.ph or call (02) 3321888 to know how you can invest in your children’s future.

ⁱ Retrieved from: http://sids-network.org/facts.htm
ⁱⁱ Source: Mayo Clinic, retrieved from: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome/basics/causes/con-20020269
ⁱⁱⁱ Retrieved from: http://www.metascreen.com.hk/metascreen-advantage/more-than-100-disorders-tested

Southern Bivouac 12-13-14

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 18:39:00 +0000

The Madcap Gaming Community and The Pinoy Planeswalkers all around have great reason to be thankful for and celebrate the successes gained throughout the year. And what better way than to hold a monumental tournament and a Christmas party?! The Southern Bivouac is a great way to cap off 2014 as it comes to a close. It is one big hoorah as we look back to a great year and then move forward to a better and brighter 2015.

Let us get into some of the nitty-gritty tournament details. The decks that came provided quite a varied meta-game with Reanimators, Hexproof, Combo, and Control being represented all around. As the tournament progressed, however, it already appeared that Azorius was laying down the law and dictating the flow of the meta. Looking at the final 8, it will show that decks with either Blue and/or White dominated the scene. It was also no surprise to see the Hexproof commanders taking the lead as it has shown to be quite annoying in past tournaments.

The side-event provided a different story as Aggression ruled the single-elimination sudden-death tournament. Speed and Destruction seemed well-fitting for this type of format. You really only need to win a game per opponent and a take no prisoners approach gives you that.

Format: 1v1 Duel Commander
Timestamp: 2:00 PM, Saturday, 13 December 2014
French Banned list + Partial Paris + Swiss
and with no proxies allowed

Madcap Gaming in partnership with The Pinoy Planeswalker finishes off the year with a prize-filled high-level Duel Commander Tournament. The event transpired with a total of 19 registered players.

The breakdown of Commanders are as follows:
Akroma, Angel of Fury (Joseph Dean de Ramos)
Animar, Soul of Elements (Jeffrey Leal)
Dralnu, Lich Lord (Raymond Inocentes)
Geist of Saint Traft (Alvin Pilariza)
Geist of Saint Traft (Israel Rodriguez)
Geist of Saint Traft (Rizalino Jose Sanchez)
Griselbrand (Andrew Cantillana)
Jenara, Asura of War (Jose Peter Ang III)
Maelstrom Wanderer (Raffy Facultad)
Narset, Enlightened Master (Jun Era Cabezudo)
Nin, the Pain Artist (Oscar Sauza)
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher (Eman Amante)
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher (Leorenz Jamias)
Sen Triplets (Richard Casacop)
Sigarda, Host of Herons (Raymond Macayan)
Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon (Mark Christian Calienta)
The Mimeoplasm (Aubrey Ngo)
Thrun, the Last Troll (Ranier Maglantay)
Wydwen, the Biting Gale (Lance San Juan)

Top 8
1 Geist of Saint Traft (Alvin Pilariza)
2 Geist of Saint Traft (Israel Rodriguez)
3 Maelstrom Wanderer (Raffy Facultad)
4 Wydwen, the Biting Gale (Lance San Juan)
5 Jenara, Asura of War (Jose Peter Ang III)
6 Sigarda, Host of Herons (Raymond Macayan)
7 Geist of Saint Traft (Rizalino Jose Sanchez)
8 Prossh, Skyraider of Kher (Leorenz Jamias)

As a special Christmas treat, a single elimination Duel Commander Tournament followed the main event with a total of 33 registered players.

The breakdown of Commanders are as follows:
1 Akroma, Angel of Fury (Erik Bondoc)
1 Animar, Soul of Elements (Jeffrey Leal)
1 Azusa, Lost but Seeking (Felix Capule)
1 Crovax, Ascendant Hero (Juster Paterno)
1 Dralnu, Lich Lord (Raymond Inocentes)
2 Ezuri, Renegade Leader (Chester Tolentino, Jaime Velasco)
3 Geist of Saint Traft (Alvin Pilariza, Israel Rodriguez, Rizalino Jose Sanchez)
1 Griselbrand (Andrew Cantillana)
1 Jenara, Asura of War (Jose Peter Ang III)
1 Kaalia of the Vast (Ykaia Mipalar)
1 Keranos, God of Storms (Elmer Ching)
1 Maelstrom Wanderer (Raffy Facultad)
1 Narset, Enlightened Master (Jun Era Cabezudo)
1 Nin, the Pain Artist (Oscar Sauza)
2 Prossh, Skyraider of Kher (Eman Amante, Leorenz Jamias)
1 Radha, Heir to Keld (Eric Talag)
1 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed (Vher Manabat)
1 Sen Triplets (Richard Casacop)
2 Sigarda, Host of Herons (Daniel Ramido, Raymond Macayan)
1 Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon (Mark Christian Calienta)
1 The Mimeoplasm (Aubrey Ngo)
2 Thrun, the Last Troll (Carl Dumdum, Ranier Maglantay)
1 Trostani, Selesnya's Voice (JD Chavez)
4 Wydwen, the Biting Gale (Fedimarc Garcia, Jed Berones, Jet Pablo, Lance San Juan)

And after 5 rounds of intense battles, the Final 4 remained...
1 Akroma, Angel of Fury (Erik Bondoc)
2 Ezuri, Renegade Leader (Chester Tolentino)
3 Thrun, the Last Troll (Carl Dumdum)
4 Nin, the Pain Artist (Oscar Sauza)

Southern Championships Top 8 Decklists

Alvin Pilariza - Geist of Saint Traft

Artifacts [3]
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Fire and Ice
Umezawa's Jitte

Creatures [13]
Aven Mindcensor {Flash}
Gilded Drake
Grand Abolisher
Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Meddling Mage
Snapcaster Mage {Flash}
Sower of Temptation
Stoneforge Mystic
Thassa, God of the Sea {Indestructible}
True-Name Nemesis
Vendilion Clique {Flash}
Venser, Shaper Savant {Flash}
Weathered Wayfarer

Enchantments [4]
Detention Sphere
Nevermore
Parallax Tide {Fading}
Steel of the Godhead

Instants [29]
Brainstorm
Condescend {Scry 2}
Counterspell
Cryptic Command
Daze
Dig Through Time {Delve}
Disenchant
Enlightened Tutor
Cyclonic Rift {Overload}
Force of Will
Force Spike
Impluse
Into the Roil {Kicker}
Mana Leak
Mana Tithe
Memory Lapse
Mental Misstep
Miscalculation {Cycling}
Mystical Tutor
Negate
Path to Exile
Remand
Spell Pierce
Spell Snare
Stifle
Sword to Plowshares
Trickbind {Split Second}
Unexpectedly Absent
Wipe Away {Split Second}

Planeswalkers [2]
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Sorceries [10]
Ancestral Vision {Suspend 4}
Armageddon
Council's Judgment {Will of the council}
End Hostilities
Gitaxian Probe
Preordain {Scry 2}
Ponder
Supreme Verdict
Treasure Cruise {Delve}
Wrath of God

Lands [38]
Adarkar Wastes
Arid Mesa
Cavern of Souls
Celestial Colonnade
City of Brass
Command Tower
Dust Bowl
Eiganjo Castle
Flagstones of Trokair
Flooded Strand
Glacial Fortress
Hallowed Fountain {Island Plains}
Marsh Flats
Maze of Ith
Minamo, School at Water's Edge
Mishra's Factory
Misty Rainforest
Mutavault
Mystic Gate
Polluted Delta
Reflecting Pool
Scalding Tarn
Tectonic Edge
Temple of Enlightenment {Scry 1}
Tolaria West {Transmute}
Tundra {Island Plains}
Wasteland
Windswept Heath

Island - 5
Plains - 5

Israel Rodriguez - Geist of Saint Traft

Raffy Facultad - Maelstrom Wanderer

Artifacts [1]
Birthing Pod

Creatures [44]
Acidic Slime
Arbor Elf
Avenger of Zendikar {Landfall}
Birchlore Rangers {Morph}
Birds of Paradise
Coiling Oracle
Craterhoof Behemoth
Devoted Druid
Edric, Spymaster of Trest
Elvish Archdruid
Elvish Mystic
Elvish Visionary
Eternal Witness
Fauna Shaman
Fierce Empath
Frost Titan
Fyndhorn Elder
Fyndhorn Elves
Gilded Drake
Hornet Queen
Inferno Titan
Joraga Treespeaker {Leveler}
Kiora's Follower
Llanowar Elves
Misthollow Griffin
Ohran Viper
Phantasmal Image
Phyrexian Metamorph
Phyrexian Revoker
Priest of Titania
Primeval Titan
Quirion Ranger
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
Reclamation Sage
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Scavenging Ooze
Scryb Ranger
Somberwald Sage
Sylvan Primordial
Sylvan Ranger
Tinder Wall
Voyaging Satyr
Wirewood Symbiote
Wood Elves

Enchantments [8]
Earthcraft
Food Chain
Opposition
Overgrowth
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Library
Utopia Sprawl
Wild Growth

Instants [5]
Beast Within
Chord of Calling {Convoke}
Krosan Grip {Split second}
Mystical Tutor
Worldly Tutor

Planeswalkers [1]
Garruk Wildspeaker

Sorceries [2]
Green Sun's Zenith
Tooth and Nail {Entwine}

Lands [38]
Breeding Pool {Forest Island}
Cascade Bluffs
Cavern of Souls
City of Brass
Command Tower
Dryad Arbor {Creature Land - Forest}
Flooded Grove
Flooded Strand
Mana Confluence
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx {Devotion}
Polluted Delta
Steam Vents {Island Mountain}
Windswept Heath
Wooded Foothills
Yavimaya Coast

Forests - 15
Islands - 5
Mountain - 3

Lance San Juan - Wydwen, the Biting Gale

Artifacts [3]
Batterskull {Living weapon}
Runechanter's Pike
Sword of Feast and Famine

Creatures [4]
Baleful Strix {Flying, Deathtouch}
Dark Confidant
Snapcaster Mage {Flash}
Venser, Shaper Savant {Flash}

Enchantments [2]
Bitterblossom
Standstill

Instants [35]
Annul
Brainstorm
Condescend {Scry 2}
Complicate {Cycling}
Counterspell
Cryptic Command
Cyclonic Rift {Overload}
Daze
Diabolic Edict
Disrupt
Dismember
Far // Away {Fuse}
Force Spike
Force of Will
Go for the Throat
Hatred
Hero's Downfall
Into the Roil {Kicker}
Mana Leak
Memory Lapse
Mental Misstep
Miscalculation {Cycling}
Mystical Teachings {Flashback}
Mystical Tutor
Negate
Remand
Rewind
Shadow of Doubt
Skeletal Scrying
Spell Pierce
Spell Snare
Stifle
Think Twice {Flashback}
Trickbind {Split Second}
Wipe Away {Split Second}

Planeswalkers [3]
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver
Jace, Architect of Thought
Liliana of the Veil

Sorceries [13]
Ancestral Vision {Suspend 4}
Black Sun's Zenith
Damnation
Demonic Tutor
Drown in Sorrow {Scry 1}
Duress
Gitaxian Probe
Inquisition of Kozilek
Preordain {Scry 2}
Ponder
Serum Visions {Scry 2}
Thoughtseize
Toxic Deluge

Lands [39]
Bloodstained Mire
Bojuka Bog
Cavern of Souls
Command Tower
Creeping Tar Pit
Darkslick Shores
Dreadship Reef
Drowned Catacomb
Dustbowl
Flooded Strand
Maze of Ith
Minamo, School at Waters Edge
Mishra's Factory
Polluted Delta
Riptide Laboratory
Shizo, Death's Storehouse
Sunken Ruins
Tectonic Edge
Temple of Deceit {Scry 1}
Tolaria West {Transmute}
Underground River
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Wasteland
Watery Grave {Island Swamp}

Island - 10
Swamp - 5

Jose Peter Ang III - Jenara, Asura of War

Artifacts [5]
Birthing Pod
Skullclamp
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Fire and Ice
Umezawa's Jitte

Creatures [33]
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Aven Mindcensor {Flash}
Birds of Paradise
Bloom Tender
Containment Priest {Flash}
Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
Edric, Spymaster of Trest
Elvish Mystic
Fauna Shaman
Fyndhorn Elves
Glen Elendra Archmage {Persist}
Grand Abolisher
Hallowed Spiritkeeper
Hokori, Dust Drinker
Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Llanowar Elves
Lotus Cobra {Landfall}
Mother of Runes
Mystic Snake {Flash}
Noble Hierarch {Exalted}
Qasali Pridemage {Exalted}
Reclamation Sage
Scavenging Ooze
Scryb Ranger {Flash, Protection from Blue}
Snapcaster Mage {Flash}
Spiketail Drakeling
Spiketail Hatchling
Sower of Temptation
Stoneforge Mystic
True-Name Nemesis
Trygon Predator
Venser, Shaper Savant {Flash}
Voice of Resurgence
Weathered Wayfarer

Enchantments [4]
Aura Shards
Rising Waters
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Library

Instants [16]
Bant Charm
Counterspell
Eladamri's Call
Enlightened Tutor
Force Spike
Nature's Claim
Mana Leak
Mana Tithe
Memory Lapse
Miscalculation {Cycling}
Negate
Remand
Stifle
Unexpectedly Absent
Swords to Plowshares
Worldy Tutor

Planeswalkers [2]
Elspeth, Knight-Errant
Jace, the Mind Sculptor

Sorceries [2]
Armageddon
Council's Judgment {Will of the council}

Lands [36]
Arid Mesa
Breeding Pool {Forest Island}
Brushland
Cavern of Souls
City of Brass
Command Tower
Flooded Grove
Glacial Fortress
Hallowed Fountain {Island Plains}
Hinterland Harbor
Kor Haven
Marsh Flats
Misty Rainforest
Mystic Gate
Polluted Delta
Razorverge Thicket
Reflecting Pool
Savannah {Forest Plains}
Scalding Tarn
Seachrome Coast
Sunpetal Grove
Tectonic Edge
Temple Garden {Forest Plains}
Tropical Island {Forest Island}
Verdant Catacombs
Wasteland
Windswept Heath
Wooded Bastion
Wooded Foothills
Yavimaya Coast

Forest - 2
Island - 2
Plains - 2

Raymond Macayan - Sigarda, Host of Herons

Artifacts [7]
Birthing Pod
Blasting Station
Relic of Progenitus
Selesnya Signet
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Fire and Ice
Umezawa's Jitte

Creatures [36]
Acidic Slime {Deaththouch}
Arbor Elf
Avacyn's Pilgrim
Birds of Paradise
Dauntless Escort
Elvish Mystic
Eternal Witness
Farhaven Elf
Fiend Hunter
Fierce Empath
Fyndhorn Elves
Gaddock Teeg
Glimmerpoint Stag
Grand Abolisher
Heliod's Pilgrim
Joraga Treespeaker {Leveler}
Karmic Guide {Echo, Pro from Black, Flying}
Knight of the Reliquary
Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Llanowar Elves
Mirran Crusader {Double strike}
Ohran Viper
Priest of Titania
Primeval Titan
Qasali Pridemage
Reclamation Sage
Restoration Angel {Flash, Flying}
Reveillark
Saffi Eriksdotter
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Stonecloaker {Flash, Flying}
Stoneforge Mystic
Sun Titan
Sylvan Ranger
Wood Elves
Yavimaya Dryad {Forestwalk}

Enchantments [8]
Angelic Renewal
Bear Umbra {Totem armor}
Gift of Immortality
Mirri's Guile
Oblivion Ring
Spirit Mantle
Utopia's Sprawl
Wild Growth

Instants [7]
Beast Within
Crop Rotation
Eladamri's Call
Enlightened Tutor
Oblation
Swords to Plowshares
Worldly Tutor

Sorceries [5]
Armageddon
Council's Judgment {Will of the council}
Green Sun's Zenith
Primal Command
Wrath of God

Lands [36]
Arid Mesa
Centaur Garden {Threshold}
City of Brass
Command Tower
Dryad Arbor {Creature Land - Forest}
Flooded Strand
Forbidding Watchtower
Ghost Quarter
Homeward Path
Horizon Canopy
Nantuko Monastery {Threshold}
Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
Remote Farm
Rifstone Portal
Rogue's Passage
Ruins of Trokair
Saltcrusted Steppe
Savannah {Forest Plains}
Sunpetal Grove
Temple Garden {Forest Plains}
Temple of Plenty {Scry 1}
Twilight Mire
Yavimaya Hollow
Wasteland
Windswept Heath
Wooded Foothills

Forests - 5
Plains - 5

Rizalino Jose Sanchez - Geist of Saint Traft

Artifacts [ ]
Batterskull
Lotus Petal
Mask of Memory
Mox Diamond
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Fire and Ice
Umezawa's Jitte

Creatures [ ]
Aven Mindcensor {Flash}
Containment Priest {Flash}
Glen Elendra Archmage {Persist}
Grand Abolisher
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Snapcaster Mage {Flash}
Stonecloaker {Flash}
Stoneforge Mystic
Venser, Shaper Savant {Flash}

Enchantments [ ]
Detention Sphere

Instants [ ]
Brainstorm
Counterspell
Cryptic Command
Delay
Dig Through Time {Delve}
Disenchant
Enlightened Tutor
Cyclonic Rift {Overload}
Fact or Fiction
Force of Will
Mana Leak
Memory Lapse
Mental Misstep
Mystical Tutor
Path to Exile
Psionic Blast
Remand
Stifle
Sword to Plowshares
Trickbind {Split Second}

Planeswalkers [ ]
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Nahiri, the Lithomancer

Sorceries [ ]
Armageddon
End Hostilities
Hallowed Burial
Preordain {Scry 2}
Ponder
Sleight of Hand
Steelshaper's Gift
Supreme Verdict
Terminus {Miracle}
Treasure Cruise {Delve}
Wrath of God

Lands [35]
Adarkar Wastes
Celestial Colonnade
Command Tower
Flooded Strand
Gemstone Mine
Glacial Fortress
Hallowed Fountain {Island Plains}
Polluted Delta
Tundra {Island Plains}
Wasteland
Windswept Heath

Island -
Plains -

Leorenz Jamias - Prossh, Skyraider of Kher

Artifacts [5]
Coalition Relic
Skullclamp
Talisman of Impulse
Talisman of Indulgence
Unstable Obelisk

Creatures [22]
Acidic Slime
Birds of Paradise
Courser of Kruphix
Deathrite Shaman
Dualcaster Mage {Flash}
Elvish Mystic
Eternal Witness
Fyndhorn Elves
Purphoros, God of the Forge {Indestructible}
Llanowar Elves
Lotus Cobra {Landfall}
Priest of Titania
Primeval Titan
Reclamation Sage
Rune-Scarred Demon
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Scavenging Ooze
Sylvan Caryatid {Defender, Hexproof}
Sylvan Ranger
Voyaging Satyr
Wood Elves
Xenagos, God of Revels {Indestructible}

Enchantments [7]
Fecundity
Food Chain
Goblin Bombardment
Phyrexian Arena
Recurring Nightmare
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Library

Instants [10]
Abrupt Decay
Beast Within
Crop Rotation
Diabolic Edict
Fire Covenant
Hero's Downfall
Hit // Run
Skeletal Scrying
Tainted Pact
Terminate

Sorceries [14]
Damnation
Demonic Tutor
Diabolic Intent
Duress
Green Sun's Zenith
Hymn to Tourach
Inquisition of Kozilek
Night's Whisper
Rakdos's Return
Read the Bones {Scry 2}
Rolling Earthquake
Thoughtsieze
Toxic Deluge
Yawgmoth's Will

Planeswalkers [4]
Garruk Wildspeaker
Liliana of the Veil
Sarkhan Vol
Xenagos, the Reveler

Lands [37]
Arid Mesa
Badlands {Mountain Swamp}
Blood Crypt {Mountain Swamp}
Bloodstained Mire
Bojuka Bog
Cavern of Souls
Command Tower
Dryad Arbor {Creature Land - Forest}
Gaea's Cradle
Homeward Path
Kessig Wolf Run
Llanowar Waste
Mana Confluence
Marsh Flats
Misty Rainforest
Overgrown Tomb {Forest Swamp}
Polluted Delta
Phyrexian Tower
Rishadan Port
Rootbound Crag
Scalding Tarn
Stomping Ground {Forest Mountain}
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Verdant Catacombs
Volrath's Stronghold
Wasteland
Windswept Heath
Wooded Foothills
Woodland Cemetery

Forests - 4
Mountain - 1
Swamps - 2
Snow-Covered Swamp - 1

Southern Championships Side Event Top 4 Decklists

Erik Bondoc - Akroma, Angel of Fury

Artifacts [21]
Basalt Monolith
Coalition Relic
Coldsteel Heart
Commander's Sphere
Expedition Map
Fellwar Stone
Fire Diamond
Gauntlet of Power
Gilded Lotus
Guardian Idol
Heart of Ramos
Icy Manipulator
Jeweled Amulet
Mind Stone
Mishra's Helix
Ring of Gix {Echo}
Sisay's Ring
Thran Dynamo
Unstable Obelisk
Ur-Golem's Eye
Worn Powerstone

Creatures [5]
Avalanche Riders {Echo}
Goblin Ruinblaster {Kicker}
Kuldotha Phoenix {Metalcraft}
Magus of the Moon
Shard Phoenix

Sorceries [24]
Aftershock
All Is Dust
Boom // Bust
Burning of Xinye
Decree of Annihilation {Cycling}
Demolish
Destructive Force
Devastation
Earthquake
Epicenter {Threshold}
Flowstone Flood {Buyback}
Icefall {Recover}
Incendiary Command
Lava Flow
Mizzium Mortars {Overload}
Molten Rain
Pillage
Pyroclasm
Ruination
Slagstorm
Stone Rain
Sudden Demise
Tectonic Break
Wildfire

Enchantments [1]
Blood Moon

Instants [6]
Chaos Warp
Fissure
Galvanic Blast {Metalcraft}
Shattering Spree {Replicate}
Starstorm {Cycling}
Volcanic Fallout

Planeswalkers [4]
Chandra, Pyromaster
Daretti, Scrap Savant
Karn Liberated
Koth of the Hammer

Lands [38]
Boseiju, Who Shelters All
Dust Bowl
Ghost Quarter
Great Furnace {Artifact Land}
Mishra's Factory
Myriad Landscape
Scrying Sheets {Snow}
Tectonic Edge
Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
Wasteland

Snow-Covered Mountains - 28

Chester Tolentino - Ezuri, Renegade Leader

Creatures [51]
Acidic Slime
Arbor Elf
Argothian Elder
Birchlore Rangers {Morph}
Boreal Druid
Caller of the Claw
Chameleon Colossus {Protection from black}
Civic Wayfinder
Copperhorn Scout
Craterhoof Behemoth
Elvish Archdruid
Elvish Harbinger
Elvish Mystic
Elvish Visionary
Eternal Witness
Fauna Shaman
Fierce Empath
Fyndhorn Elves
Gaea's Herald
Greenweaver Druid
Heritage Druid
Imperious Perfect
Jagged-Scar Archers
Joraga Treespeaker {Leveler}
Joraga Warcaller {Multikicker}
Karametra's Acolyte {Devotion}
Llanowar Elves
Nettle Sentinel
Priest of Titania
Primeval Titan
Quirion Ranger
Reclamation Sage
Regal Force
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
Scryb Ranger {Flash / Protection Blue}
Stingerfling Spider
Sylvan Messenger
Sylvan Ranger
Sylvan Safekeeper
Tajuru Preserver
Viridian Emissary
Viridian Shaman
Viridian Zealot
Wirewood Channeler
Wirewood Elf
Wirewood Herald
Wirewood Hivemaster
Wirewood Symbiote
Wood Elves
Wren's Run Vanquisher
Wolf-Skull Shaman {Kinship}

Artifacts [1]
Umbral Mantle

Enchantments [1]
Sylvan Library

Instants [6]
Beast Within
Crop Rotation
Crushing Vines
Deglamer
Krosan Grip {Split Second}
Worldly Tutor

Planeswalkers [1]
Garruk Wildspeaker

Sorceries [5]
Green Sun's Zenith
Harmonize
Primal Command
Sylvan Scrying
Triumph of the Hordes

Lands [34]
Cavern of Souls
Deserted Temple
Gaea's Cradle
Ghost Quarter
Homeward Path
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx {Devotion}
Petrified Field
Tectonic Edge
Wirewood Lodge

Forests - 25

Carl Dumdum - Thrun, the Last Troll

Artifacts [7]
Icy Manipulator
Runechanter's Pike
Skullclamp
Sword of Body and Mind
Sword of Feast and Famine
Sword of Vengeance
Tangle Wire

Creatures [26]
Acidic Slime
Arbor Elf
Birds of Paradise
Boreal Druid
Devoted Druid
Elvish Mystic
Elvish Visionary
Eternal Witness
Farhaven Elf
Fyndhorn Elves
Great Sable Stag
Joraga Treespeaker {Leveler}
Llanowar Elves
Ohran Viper
Priest of Titania
Primeval Titan
Reclamation Sage
Regal Force
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Sylvan Primordial
Terastodon
Ulvenwald Tracker
Voyaging Satyr
Wirewood Elf
Yavimaya Elder
Yeva, Nature's Herald

Enchantments [7]
Bear Umbra {Totem Armor}
Ground Seal
Lignify
Rancor
Snake Umbra {Totem Armor}
Sylvan Library
Utopia Sprawl

Instants [7]
Beast Within
Crop Rotation
Crushing Vines
Krosan Grip {Split Second}
Noxious Revival
Unravel the Aether
Worldly Tutor

Planeswalkers [2]
Garruk Wildspeaker
Karn Liberated

Sorceries [15]
Bramblecrush
Creeping Mold
Desert Twister
Fallow Earth
Feast of Worms
Green Sun's Zenith
Harmonize
Mwonvuli Acid-Moss
Rampant Growth
Reap and Sow {Entwine}
Revive
Search for Tomorrow {Suspend 2}
Thermokarst
Uproot
Winter's Grasp

Lands [35]
Dust Bowl
Encroaching Wastes
Ghost Quarter
Homeward Path
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx {Devotion}
Opal Palace
Rishadan Port
Rogue's Passage
Tectonic Edge
Treetop Village
Wasteland
Wirewood Lodge
Yavimaya Hollow

Forests - 22

Oscar Sauza - Nin, the Pain Artist

Artifacts [4]
Engineered Explosives
Expedition Map
Pithing Needle
Tormod's Crypt

Creatures [13]
Clever Impersonator
Consecrated Sphinx
Enclave Cryptologist {Leveler}
Gilded Drake
Magus of the Moon
Merfolk Looter
Snapcaster Mage {Flash}
Squee, Goblin Nabob
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir {Flash}
Thought Courier
Trinket Mage
True-Name Nemesis
Venser, Shaper Savant {Flash}

Enchantments [3]
Blood Moon
Parallax Tide {Fading}
Treachery

Instants [25]
Brainstorm
Counterflux
Counterspell
Cryptic Command
Cyclonic Rift {Overload}
Dead // Gone
Dig Through Time {Delve}
Dismiss
Dissolve {Scry 1}
Electrolyze
Fire // Ice
Flash of Insight {Flashback}
Forbid {Buyback}
Izzet Charm
Lightning Bolt
Mana Leak
Memory Lapse
Miscalculation {Cycling}
Mystical Tutor
Pyroblast
Remand
Shattering Spree {Replicate}
Stifle
Think Twice {Flashback}
Trickbind {Split Second}

Planeswalkers [1]
Dack Fayden

Sorceries [12]
Ancestral Vision {Suspend 4}
Bonfire of the Damned {Miracle}
Deep Analysis {Flashback}
Devil's Play {Flashback}
Faithless Looting {Flashback}
Gitaxian Probe
Mystic Retrieval
Order of Succession
Quiet Speculation
Ruination
Sudden Demise
Treasure Cruise {Delve}

Lands [41]
Arid Mesa
Bloodstained Mire
Flooded Strand
Misty Rainforest
Polluted Delta
Riptide Laboratory
Scalding Tarn
Steam Vents {Island Mountain}
Tectonic Edge
Tolaria West {Transmute}
Wasteland
Wooded Foothills

Island - 19
Mountain - 10

† The Pinoy Planeswalker - Syntax Assassin
† Facebook: Official Madcap Gaming Facebook Page
† Youtube: Official Madcap Gaming on Youtube

Photo Credit: Leorenz Jamias, Madcap Gaming, The Pinoy Planeswalker - Syntax Assassin

Location: Olivares Building Unit B G/F, Pacita Avenue Barangay San Vicente, Pacita 1 Phase 1A, San Pedro, Laguna

The Power of the Skull

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Dec 2014 17:00:00 +0000

New sets and new formats bring new ideas - sometimes, though, the sparks of the strategies of an older time still holds true until today. Many players out there will remember Necropotence and, I imagine, will give a slight involuntary grin at the thought of and the dominance it once had. But there are a whole lot of players out there who don't remember, but have heard whispered rumors around the gaming shops. Wouldn't it be nice to show them what the sheer raw power of the skull can really do? The card and the deck that fundamentally changed the way people thought about resources also changed the face of Magic forever. Let us then harken back to the days of old and command in the splendid moments once dubbed Black Summer.

You'll Like This Deck If...
You love conjuring the Power of the Skull.
You love going into a Card Advantage war.
You love your personal Demon.

You Won't Like This Deck If...
You're not a control player.
You believe Orange is the new Black.
You're a fan of Avacyn.

Deck Deconstructed
Although we are translating the deck for Commander, the key elements remain the same. The overall strategy will rely on a single attrition war - Card Advantage. Using hand disruption and other control cards, you can ruin your opponent's strategy early on. Eventually, you can bring your opponents to their knees picking apart their game plan while allowing you enough time to build up yours. When you run low on cards, you simply fill your hand back up and get back to business...which leads us to...

Grislebrand is your Necropotence on a stick. Probably, the best Commander a Mono Black Control player could ever ask for hands down. He lets you draw a new hand and gives you more than what Necropotence and Yawgmoth's Bargain couldn't. He solves your life gain problems, doesn't let you skip your draw step, and nets you the cards immediately instead of waiting for them on your end step. A 7/7 flying lifelinker Demon that just won't go away is nearly as annoying as your neighborhood smacker. What's not to love?!

Mono Black Control
Format: Duel Commander
Commander: Griselbrand

Artifacts [24]
Basalt Monolith
Charcoal Diamond
Chrome Mox {Imprint}
Coalition Relic
Everflowing Chalice {Multikicker 2}
Expedition Map
Fellwar Stone
Fractured Powerstone
Gilded Lotus
Guardian Idol
Helm of Obedience
Jet Medallion
Lion's Eye Diamond
Lotus Bloom {Suspend 3}
Mind Stone
Mox Diamond
Mox Opal {Metalcraft}
Pithing Needle
Prismatic Lens
Rings of Brighthearth
Thran Dynamo
Unstable Obelisk
Wayfarer's Bauble
Worn Powerstone

Creatures [2]
Crypt Ghast {Extort}
Dimir House Guard {Transmute}

Enchantments [6]
Curse of Death's Hold
Infernal Darkness
Leyline of the Void
Night of Souls' Betrayal
Phyrexian Arena
Underworld Connections

Planeswalkers [5]
Karn Liberated
Liliana of the Dark Realms
Liliana of the Veil
Liliana Vess
Sorin Markov

Instants [7]
Bile Blight
Dark Ritual
Diabolic Edict
Dismember
Hero's Downfall
Murderous Cut {Delve}
Shred Memory {Transmute}

Sorceries [18]
All Is Dust
Beseech the Queen
Black Sun's Zenith
Chainer's Edict {Flashback}
Damnation
Demonic Tutor
Dimir Machinations {Transmute}
Distress
Duress
Exsanguinate
Hymn to Tourach
Inquisition of Kozilek
Mind Shatter
Sinkhole
Thoughtseize
Toxic Deluge
Unmask
Yawgmoth's Will

Lands [37]
Bloodstainded Mire
Bojuka Bog
Cabal Coffers
Cavern of Souls
Crystal Vein
Deserted Temple
Marsh Flats
Maze of Ith
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx {Devotion}
Phyrexian Tower
Polluted Delta
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Verdant Catacombs
Wasteland

Swamps - 23

Annotations
Notes: 06:00 PM 00/00/2015 [ ]

Spoils of the Skyraider

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 09 Dec 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Prossh dominates the Kher region of Dominaria. Each day at dawn, he takes to the skies, tracking his prey and monitoring the lands he claims as his own. The sound of dragon wings in the distance sends many of his subjects into a panic, scrambling for shelter that can withstand his dragon fire. He levels entire villages just to punish a single hunter who strayed into his territory. Those who don't pay tribute to him are burned alive. Prossh is worshipped by the kobolds of the region, and some offer themselves to His Mighty Overlordship in hopes that he spares their kin. Prossh is a predatory machine, and the death of his "allies" just makes him stronger.

When the Commander 2013 decks came out, I knew Prossh, Skyraider of Kher would be one of the new strong contenders in the Duel Commander meta game. Although Derevi, Empyrial Tactician and Oloro, Ageless Ascetic could potentially break the format, they also had the potential to be banned. Still, I felt Prossh can go head to head with these and the other heavyweights in the format. And it seems that that initial assessment was to be right.

You'll Like The Deck If...
You like the potential for big mana.
You like the potential for big card draws.
You go for a midrange play style.
You have a thing for 0/1 Kobold Minions.

You Won't Like The Deck If...
You're not into Jund.
You don't like a cluttered battlefield.
You're into pure Aggro/Control/Combo strategies.

Deck Deconstruction
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher doesn't look much of a serious threat at first glance. A 5/5 flier at 6 mana is quite balanced but hardly menacing. The true powerhouse on this card are the 0/1 Kobold Minions you get each time Prossh is cast. With the right cards and in the colors that support them, those Minions provide you some of the most powerful effects you can get in Magic.

Cards like Skullclamp and Fecundity provide an effective card draw engine. Gaea's Cradle, Phyrexian Tower, and Xenagos, the Reveler then supply you large amounts of mana you can use with the new cards you just drew.

There is also an inevitability with the deck as you strive to control the flow of the game while throwing out threat after threat at your opponent. Eventually, you will gain the upper hand if you play smartly and then smoothly cruise yourself all the way to a victory.

Spoils of the Skyraider
Format: Duel Commander
Commander: Prossh, Skyraider of Kher

Artifacts [6]
Coalition Relic
Golgari Signet
Sensei's Divining Top
Skullclamp
Talisman of Impulse
Talisman of Indulgence

Creatures [21]
Acidic Slime
Birds of Paradise
Blood Artist
Courser of Kruphix
Deathrite Shaman
Dryad Arbor {Creature Land - Forest}
Elvish Mystic
Eternal Witness
Fyndhorn Elves
Purphoros, God of the Forge {God / Indestructible}
Llanowar Elves
Lotus Cobra {Landfall}
Primeval Titan
Reclamation Sage
Rune-Scarred Demon
Sakura-Tribe Elder
Scavenging Ooze
Sylvan Primordial
Sylvan Ranger
Wood Elves
Xenagos, God of Revels {God / Indestructible}

Enchantments [6]
Fecundity
Goblin Bombardment
Phyrexian Arena
Recurring Nightmare
Survival of the Fittest
Sylvan Library

Instants [11]
Abrupt Decay
Beast Within
Crop Rotation
Diabolic Edict
Fire Covenant
Hero's Downfall
Hit // Run
Kolaghan's Command
Skeletal Scrying
Tainted Pact
Terminate

Planeswalkers [5]
Garruk Wildspeaker
Karn Liberated
Liliana of the Veil
Sarkhan Vol
Xenagos, the Reveler

Sorceries [13]
Beseech the Queen
Damnation
Demonic Tutor
Duress
Green Sun's Zenith
Hymn to Tourach
Inquisition of Kozilek
Night's Whisper
Read the Bones {Scry 2}
Rolling Earthquake
Thoughtsieze
Toxic Deluge
Yawgmoth's Will

Lands [36]
Arid Mesa
Badlands {Mountain Swamp}
Bayou {Forest Swamp}
Blood Crypt {Mountain Swamp}
Bloodstained Mire
Bojuka Bog
Cavern of Souls
Command Tower
Gaea's Cradle
Homeward Path
Kessig Wolf Run
Llanowar Waste
Mana Confluence
Marsh Flats
Misty Rainforest
Overgrown Tomb {Forest Swamp}
Polluted Delta
Phyrexian Tower
Rootbound Crag
Scalding Tarn
Stomping Ground {Forest Mountain}
Taiga {Forest Mountain}
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Verdant Catacombs
Wasteland
Windswept Heath
Wooded Foothills
Woodland Cemetery

Forests - 3
Mountain - 1
Swamps - 2

Snow-Covered Forest - 1
Snow-Covered Swamp - 1

Annotations
Notes: 11:00 PM 12/13/2014 [ 8th Place - Southern Bivouac @ Madcap Gaming ]
Notes: 11:00 PM 12/13/2014 [ French Banned List Update ]
Notes: 08:00 PM 03/23/2015 [ + Sensei's Divining Top / - Food Chain ]
Notes: 08:00 PM 03/27/2015 [ + Kolaghan's Command / - Rakdos's Return ]
Notes: 11:00 PM 06/20/2015 [ 5th Place - Philippines Duel Commander Super Series 3rd Leg ]

#Inequality Affects Us All

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 16:30:00 +0000

Over the last seven years thousands of people from over 100 countries have taken part in Blog Action Day, creating global conversations on poverty, water, climate change, food, the environment, Power of We and Human Rights.

A common thread within posts, across the varied Blog Action Day themes of the last several years that have always aroused great passion and empathy is Inequality.

The Blog Action Day community are not the only ones concerned about inequality. If you take a look at your news, documentaries, top political or social concerns or even the conversations you have with your family and friends, inequality is a hot topic.

Whether it is economic, racial, gender, disability, faith, sexuality, health, education, political, social status or age, inequality unfortunately seems to be on the rise, affecting more people and limiting the opportunities they have, in many different ways.

For Blog Action Day 2014, let us think about and contribute to the global discussion on October 16. You may not know it; but, #Inequality affects us all.

Take a look at the conversations with the Blog Action Day partners for some interesting insights, resources and points of view that may start us all of on our global discussion on #Inequality.

Ben Phillips, the Campaigns, Policy and Influencing Director at Oxfam GB explains why Oxfam are so excited to partner with Blog Action Day 2014 and create a huge global conversation about Inequality.

“Blog Action Day is a fantastic event which each year unites the worldwide online community in discussing a key global issue. There’s never been a more pressing time to talk about this year’s theme – inequality. The gap between the rich and the poor has got out of control. As the experts attest and Oxfam witnesses across the world, rapidly rising inequality jeopardises the fight to end poverty. In a previous report, Oxfam highlighted that the richest 85 people in the world have as much wealth as the poorest 3.5 billion. Now that figure has reduced to just 66.

Such extreme inequality is not only a moral outrage, it tears societies apart, damages economies and pushes more people into poverty. It allows those at the top to rig the rules in their favour, ensuring a continuing cycle of inequality that denies millions of people the opportunity to make a better life for themselves. To end extreme poverty we need to challenge extreme inequality.

Yet we know that extreme inequality is not inevitable – it is the result of political choices. We know change is possible when governments make the right choices, and are accountable to the many, not the few. Investing in free public services, tackling tax dodging, ensuring decent wages, and addressing other forms of inequality, such as gender, are just a few of the actions that governments can take to reverse the rising tide of inequality.

If we want a world that works for the many, not the few, we need to tackle inequality.”

Karen Johnson, the Global Campaign Coordinator at the International HIV/AIDS Alliance tells us how inequality affects people living with HIV/AIDS and why the International HIV/AIDS Alliance is taking part in for Blog Action Day.

Inequality is everywhere. You don’t have to look very far, in any society, to see some form of inequality. Economic or social inequalities, or inequality around race, religion, gender or sexual identity. However, there is one common thread – those living in poverty, the most marginalized and vulnerable individuals and communities, are always hit hardest.

For those groups and individuals most vulnerable to HIV, inequality can mean the difference between living a healthy, happy life in dignity and peace; and living a life on the fringes of society, stigmatized and persecuted simply for being who you are.

We work with communities who face inequalities on a daily basis which makes it difficult for them to claim the most fundamental rights and freedoms we have as human beings – our human rights. For example, access to essential healthcare services by some groups vulnerable to HIV is impossible due to structural inequalities driven by discriminatory laws and policies such as Anti-Homosexuality laws. Even if they can access healthcare, they are subjected to the most awful prejudice and discrimination.

The International HIV/AIDS Alliance is taking part in Blog Action Day because it is inequality that is holding us back from achieving our vision of ending AIDS. The lives of all human beings are of equal value, and everyone has the right to access the HIV information and services they need for a healthy life. If inequalities were eliminated, especially those inequalities driven by discriminatory laws and policies that criminalize vulnerable groups, the HIV response would be much more effective and we would be much closer to our vision of a world without AIDS.

Strictly Beza: Dancing in Ethiopia is about an inspiring community group using dance and music to get the message out about HIV prevention and helping to remove prejudice against people living with HIV/AIDS

Nova Longhurst, the Communications Officer at All Together Now, tell us more about their organisation, what Inequality mean to the team at All Together Now, and what ordinary people can do to help and stop inequality.

All Together Now works to eliminate racial inequalities found in Australian society and culture. All Together Now’s vision is for an Australia that embraces cultural diversity and is free from racism.

Inequality means people being subjected to vilification, hate, bigotry, and sexism. This leads to a break down in society, less social progression, less opportunities for some, and this can lead to mental illness in those specifically targeted with such inequality. People are human beings and must come together on this basis, for that is equality.

All Together Now’s strategies are about working with ordinary people to help and stop inequality. In the case of All Together Now our focus is on racial inequality. Firstly, the biggest way to help end inequality starts with you, the individual. Pull yourself up if you realise you have fallen in to any traps of social inequality. Change starts with the self.

Secondly, individuals can help and stop inequality through blogging about the subject of inequality, speaking up against inequality in your home and amongst friends, reporting inequality within the workplace to Managers, CEO, HR or the Ombusdman, in public if you see an incident occur, reporting incidents to police, using schools (primary, secondary and tertiary) to discuss racism and why it is unacceptable amongst teachers, schools boards and students, and using social media such as twitter, facebook, tumbl etc. to highlight issues and place a positive light on the importance of social equality.

Vikki Reich, the co-founder and co-publisher of Village Q with Deborah Goldstein, tells us our more about VillageQ and why they want to encourage people to talk about #inequality on October 16, 2014 with Blog Action Day.

VillageQ is a website by and for Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgeder (LGBT) parents. We have contributors from the US, Albania, Israel and Canada. We are particularly interested and passionate about issues of equality because we are part of a community that experiences bigotry and discrimination. More than that however, we recognize that our own struggles are connected to those of others and seek justice and equality for everyone.

As members of the LGBT community, we recognize that inequality manifests in myriad ways such as poverty, limited access to health care, housing issues, employment discrimination, bullying, violence and more.

To be completely honest, I don’t believe we will ever completely overcome inequality. The world is constantly changing and people are often slow to adapt to change. But I do believe that we can make great strides and have a responsibility to work towards that elusive goal.

VillageQ stands with others who are committed to working for social change.

What can ordinary people do to help overcome and stop inequality?

Educate themselves on issues besides the ones that affect them personally.

Read the stories of others and tell their stories so that we all learn from each other and broaden our experiences.

Advocate for equality in all areas of life.

WWF: Renewable Energy Best Solution to Power Crisis

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 13:00:00 +0000

It’s More Sun in the Philippines – As the world’s second-largest archipelago, the Philippines is composed of 7107 isles – making it difficult to connect all islands to the grid through power transmission and distribution lines. Installing solar panels will make many small islands energy self-sufficient. (Gregg Yan / WWF)

With the Department of Energy’s warning that an impending power shortage will befall the Luzon grid next year, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) reiterates its call for the Philippine government to more actively mainstream renewable energy (RE) solutions to meet the growing demand for electricity. Especially if we aim for enhanced national competitiveness through increased control over the supply and cost of power, RE must be integrated as the primary solution to the power development plan of the Philippines.

Based on the current power situation, there is already an adequate supply of grid-connected base-load power plants. The predicted shortfall that the DOE has stated will mostly affect intermediate and peak loads. Thus, intermediate or peak power plants are required to address coming needs.

The conventional solution would be to inject more bunker or diesel power plants into the mix to meet demand. However, the average cost of power generated by such power plants starts at Php12 / kWh, making the cost of this electricity extremely expensive.

Peak demand periods for highly industrialized grids such as the Luzon grid, usually cover the period from 10AM to 2AM, when demand for electricity is at its highest. The optimal operating hours for certain RE options like solar correspond precisely with these periods of high demand. Relatively speaking, the installation of solar arrays takes much less time than large fossil-fuel dependent systems. They can certainly help augment power during intermediate and peak demand periods. Incidentally, this period is also called the ‘sunshine period’ for solar energy, when solar panels absorb and generate the most energy.

Other indigenous RE options like hydro and biomass can be used to complement existing base-load and intermediate power plants. This will help promote energy security, because the Philippines’ primary source of electricity is fossil-fuel, which the country has very little of. Over 70% of the electricity generated in the country comes from fossil-fuels, with 90% of fossil-fuels imported at varying prices from other nations.

“Our imbalanced reliance on foreign fossil-fuels makes doing business in the Philippines very risky. The cost and pace of national development is at the mercy of foreign interests. Energy security is going to be very important for the future of our country. Fossil-fuels are a finite and dwindling resource. Their emissions also exacerbate climate change, a needless aggravation. Do we really want to compete with larger countries like China and India for fossil-fuel resources on the world market? No, especially when we have abundant and readily available RE sources whose costs will remain stable, and well within our control,” says WWF-Philippines Vice-chair and CEO Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan.

Renewable energy can provide a stable source of electricity at a constant price for years to come, especially with the implementation of the government’s Feed-in Tariff (FiT) system. Under this system, RE projects are guaranteed a rate for the electricity they produce per kWh that will be held constant for the next 20 years, with the Energy Regulatory Commission doing periodic reviews to adjust the rate for foreign exchange and inflation. In contrast, not a single fossil-fuel dependent power project is ready to hold their prices for 10 years, not to mention that the cost of bunker and diesel-fired plants are even higher than solar and wind power FiT rates.

Even DOE Secretary Jericho Petilla stated in an interview that, “The FiT is a testament that while RE seems to be more expensive than traditional energy sources, admittedly it is needed because it is essential to the country’s energy security.”

This means that the price for electricity from RE can only ever go down – and will never increase. Add the fact that some RE plants can be directly embedded onto certain key areas, or economic zones, which will further reduce the cost of electricity because it will eliminate the need for transmission and possibly even distribution lines to deliver electricity from power plants to households. RE has also been given a 0% VAT rate unlike fossil-fuels, where VAT is applied to add to existing cost. In contrast, the International Energy Agency forecasts a steady increase in the cost of coal and other fossil-fuels over the next decade. This will increase the cost of living, plus the cost of doing business.

“If we are to address a power crisis within the timeframe of less than a year, then RE must really be viewed as the primary long-term solution. Solar and wind energy are the fastest power plants that can be deployed to meet this specific type of electricity demand. They offer a quick solution that can still be viewed as long term. In fact, solar power plants can take just six months to be constructed and go on-stream. These types of power plants will produce electricity at a constant rate that the Philippines can trust shall not fluctuate, unlike fossil-fuels which are affected by foreign exchange. In most cases, the cost of fossil-fuels is directly passed onto the consumer,” adds WWF-Philippines Climate Change and Energy Programme Director Atty. Angela Ibay.

Based on the provisions of the RE Law of 2008, RE plants will only receive payment for actual electricity generated. This will eliminate the costly provisions of the past take-or-pay contracts that add stranded costs to the consumer’s electricity bill, regardless of whether that electricity was used or not.

The Philippines can actually learn from its own past experiences in RE to prove that it is the best solution to the country’s power needs. The Philippines invested heavily in hydro and geothermal energy in the 1970s and today, these produce 13.67% and 14.4% of our electricity, respectively. Many RE systems can be installed quickly. They produce electricity at a stable rate. They are de-coupled from foreign supply. They are also insulated from price increases dictated by international markets.

WWF is currently working with the DOE to conduct bottom-up, localized energy planning for the different provinces of the Philippines, starting with Palawan, as part of its Seize Your Power campaign. The experience has so far shown that optimal integration of RE into the power mix of a grid simply requires proper planning so that the variable nature of RE sources is well accounted for.

“We need to stop focusing on RE as simply a generation issue. It is actually a system operation issue. If the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow, you can plan ahead and take that into account. We know more or less when that happens based on proper RE feasibility studies, and this is when you might run other technologies to compensate. When the sun shines or the wind blows, there is no need for diesel energy. Thus, we end up saving a lot of money. We shouldn’t be limited by such constraints. A proper energy plan just needs to be in place,” says WWF-Philippines Climate Change and Energy Programme Communicator Christopher Ng, who is working on the Seize Your Power campaign in Palawan.

If emergency powers are granted to address the power crisis, RE must be seen as part of the solution. Adding RE to the grid under a proper, comprehensive long-term energy plan based on sound energy demand forecasting by the DOE must be the primary driver for the long-term energy security of the Philippines. Concludes Secretary Petilla, “In the long-term, we hope to develop systems in order for RE to compete toe-to-toe with traditional energy resources and eventually lower the cost of electricity.”

Photo Credit: © [Gregg Yan] / WWF-Philippines. Some rights reserved.
© [WWF: Renewable Energy Best Solution to Power Crisis]. Reproduced with permission from WWF. [03 October 2014]. WWF-Philippines / Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas Foundation. All rights reserved.

10 Things You Can Do to Keep Seas Trash-Free

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 12:00:00 +0000

A boat braves an armada of plastic bags in Manila Bay, the Philippines. Plastic accounts for half the world’s marine debris. Reducing our reliance on plastics will save marine life. (Jürgen Freund / WWF)

In fully-furnished homes, you’ll usually find television sets, tables, chairs, coffee tables, desk lamps, sofa sets, refrigerators, rugs, plus curtains. These same items – even the proverbial kitchen sink – have all been retrieved from the sea. Because of improper waste disposal, untold amounts of garbage end up in our oceans to harm marine life.

International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day, spearheaded by the Ocean Conservancy in 1985, is the world’s largest voluntary movement for our seas. In last year's ICC activities, nearly 650,000 volunteers from 92 countries collected over 12.3 million pounds of trash.

“The health of our seas hangs in the balance not just because of unsustainable fishing practices or climate change impacts like rising sea temperatures and ocean acidification. Marine pollution also poses threats that we can minimize by managing our waste properly. From plastic bags to fertilizer run-off, most of the waste we produce on land eventually reaches the oceans, either from deliberate marine dumping or from inland sources like canals and rivers,” says WWF-Philippines Vice-president for Conservation Programmes Joel Palma.

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Network of Underwater Digital Imagers (NUDI) call on Pinoys to follow these ten simple steps for trash-free seas:

1. Watch what you throw.
Over 80% of marine pollution comes from land-based activities. Most waste thrown inland eventually make their way out to sea.

2. Minimize use of plastic bags.
Plastic bags do not biodegrade. Instead, they photo-degrade and break down into smaller and more toxic particles to contaminate both water and soil. The danger is real and alarming: in a planet where everything is connected, these chemicals enter the food system to eventually poison humans. Curbing our over-reliance on plastic bags minimizes this threat.

3. Bring your own water tumbler instead of relying on bottled water for hydration.
High concentrations of plastic bottles may block the breathing passages and stomachs of many large marine species like sharks and whales.

4. Dispose of cigarette butts properly.
Did you know that cigarette butts are the top items collected at International Coastal Cleanup drives globally? They are followed by food wrappers and plastic water bottles. Last year, more than two million cigarette butts, 1.6 million food wrappers, plus about a million plastic water bottles were gathered. These numbers do not yet account for the millions of tonnes of uncollected garbage.

5. Reuse disposable food containers.
Taking out leftover food from the restaurant? It is likely that you will bring home your food with a disposable plastic container, which you can use to store other food and household items.

6. Pay attention to what you dispose of.
Interesting items collected at International Coastal Cleanup Drives include enough items to furnish an apartment: kitchen sinks, refrigerators, air conditioning units, rugs, tables and chairs, curtains, desks, mattresses, pillows and pillow cases, toilet bowls, among many others.

7. Be creative!
Take part in upcycling activities that reinvent or redecorate once-useless products into new, useful materials.

8. Support products that have less packaging.
Buy in bulk. Buying lots of smaller packs generates more waste. Bulk purchasing saves money, too. Opt for brands that have less packaging.

9. Influence change in your community.
Learn about the waste management policies of your local public officials before voting them. You can also write your Mayor or local representative to ask for tougher action against garbage, which end up polluting our seas or accumulating in landfills.

10. Take action!
Even if it’s not International Coastal Cleanup Day, make sure to pick up marine debris whenever you chance upon trash at the beach.

About WWF
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) is the world’s largest and most experienced conservation organization, operating in over 100 countries through the support of nearly five million people worldwide. WWF-Philippines has been working as a national organization of the WWF network since 1997 and spearheads practical solutions to help the Philippines adapt to climate change, secure food and water sources, switch to clean sources of renewable energy and infuse sustainability into the lives and businesses of Filipinos.

About NUDI
NUDI is the Network of Underwater Digital Imagers, Inc., a non-stock and non-profit association based in Manila, Philippines, that aims to promote underwater photography and videography in support of conservation. Founded In August 2010, the club is the brainchild of professional scuba divers and photo enthusiasts Jan Acosta, Jules Terrado-Acosta, Marie Lat, and Wowie Wong. NUDI was officially registered in March 2011. As of 2014, NUDI has around 80 registered members.

Photo Credit: © [Jürgen Freund] / WWF-Philippines. Some rights reserved.
© [10 Things You Can Do to Keep Seas Trash-Free]. Reproduced with permission from WWF. [18 September 2014]. WWF-Philippines / Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas Foundation. All rights reserved.

Soul Surf 2014 Travel Factor Packages

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 15:00:00 +0000

Travel Factor is the official travel partner of Soul Surf 2014

This October 24-26, BEEP! Productions brings you SOUL SURF 2014! After its successful maiden launch last year, Soul Surf brings you yet another year-defining festival experience. With international and local acts playing over the course of three days, set against the magnificent background of San Juan, La Union’s coastline, there is surely a beat that will get you off your feet. After nearly 13,000 people flocked to San Juan in 2013, there was no doubt that a second act was forthcoming.

During the day, the famed waves of LU will be a magnet to any surfer or beach lover’s heart. Fantastic waves and a bourgeoning surf culture are at the heart of San Juan. Come sunset and everything comes to a standstill as a golden amber envelops the entire beach. Its environs will also be transformed into an artist’s playground as art installations will be mounted along the shoreline for the festival-goers to appreciate. Soul Surf is where your heart, ears and mind find respite, energy and spirit.

We promise you. It’s going to be pure bliss.

Book your packages now through Travel Factor, Soul Surf's exclusive travel partner, and expect hassle-free and affordable packages. Early birds will get the rooms nearest to the festival grounds (and rooms get fully booked sooner than you think!). Register now!

Cheap rooms, more beer! The Travel Factor Adventure Packages are the cheapest of the bunch starting at P5,865 per person.

Not sure what to get? Regular Packages are the easy choice starting at P6,600 per person.

Got some cash to burn? Live it up and go for the Premium Packages at P8,900 per person.

HIGHLIGHTS
- Be part of Soul Surf, the biggest surf and music festival in the country!
- Watch the pro surfing competition and cheer for your favorite surfers.
- Experience the stoke, go surfing!
- Soak in some art and culture at the festival.
- Be in the biggest beach parties of the year and get blown away by the country's top bands and DJs.

ITINERARY
Oct 24, Friday
12:30 AM Meet-up at Ortigas CBD Area
01:00 AM Estimated time of departure
07:00 AM Estimated time of arrival in La Union, Check-in (subject to availability)
01:00 PM Standard check-in time
Free Time
Soul Surf Beach Party Day 1

Oct 25, Saturday
Free Time
Soul Surf Beach Party Day 2

Oct 26, Sunday
Soul Surf Beach Party Day 3
Free Time
12:00 NN Standard Check-out Time
03:00 PM Estimated Time of Departure
10:00 PM Estimated Time of Arrival in Ortigas CBD Area

INCLUSIONS
- Roundtrip Chartered Land Transfers (Manila - La Union - Manila)
- 2 Nights Accommodation
- Soul Surf Cool Pass (valid for the entire festival)
- Soul Surf Festival Kit
- Service of Travel Factor Coordinators
- Travel Insurance

-
Travel Factor / Copyright © 2014 Travel Factor, All rights reserved.

Travel Factor HQ

Follow Travel Factor

Location: 5F Bloomingdale Plaza 200 Shaw Blvd Brgy Kapitolyo Pasig City 1603 Philippines

#NinoyAquino

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Thirty-one years ago, Ninoy Aquino came home to prove that the Filipino is worth dying for. He joined the ranks of the martyrs who stood for our national freedom and integrity: Jose Rizal, Jose Abad Santos, and Ninoy Aquino’s fellow victims of Martial Law.

For those around at the time, no one will forget where they were on August 21, 1983, when the tragic news of Ninoy Aquino’s assassination spread through the grapevine. His supreme sacrifice began three years of sustained People Power efforts to bring back democracy through peaceful means.

As we pause in prayer and reflection, let us revisit Ninoy Aquino’s undelivered arrival statement, which is available in the original English and Filipino translation on the Official Gazette. Let us pledge to transmit his thoughts and the reasons he took his fateful stand to the generations who were not yet around in 1983, but who continue to enjoy the freedom of choice, thought, and expression that he fought and died for, and which characterizes our country today.

The undelivered speech of Senator Benigno S. Aquino Jr.
upon his return from the United States of America on August 21, 1983

I have returned on my free will to join the ranks of those struggling to restore our rights and freedoms through nonviolence.

I seek no confrontation. I only pray and will strive for a genuine national reconciliation founded on justice.

I am prepared for the worst, and have decided against the advice of my mother, my spiritual adviser, many of my tested friends and a few of my most valued political mentors.

A death sentence awaits me. Two more subversion charges, both calling for death penalties, have been filed since I left three years ago and are now pending with the courts.

I could have opted to seek political asylum in America, but I feel it is my duty, as it is the duty of every Filipino, to suffer with his people especially in time of crisis.

I never sought nor have I been given assurances or promise of leniency by the regime. I return voluntarily armed only with a clear conscience and fortified in the faith that in the end justice will emerge triumphant.

According to Gandhi, the willing sacrifice of the innocent is the most powerful answer to insolent tyranny that has yet been conceived by God and man.

Three years ago when I left for an emergency heart bypass operation, I hoped and prayed that the rights and freedoms of our people would soon be restored, that living conditions would improve and that blood-letting would stop.

Rather than move forward, we have moved backward. The killings have increased, the economy has taken a turn for the worse and the human rights situation has deteriorated.

During the martial law period, the Supreme Court heard petitions for Habeas Corpus. It is most ironic, after martial law has allegedly been lifted, that the Supreme Court last April ruled it can no longer entertain petitions for Habeas Corpus for persons detained under a Presidential Commitment Order, which covers all so-called national security cases and which under present circumstances can cover almost anything.

The country is far advanced in her times of trouble. Economic, social and political problems bedevil the Filipino. These problems may be surmounted if we are united. But we can be united only if all the rights and freedoms enjoyed before September 21, 1972 are fully restored.

The Filipino asks for nothing more, but will surely accept nothing less, than all the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the 1935 Constitution—the most sacred legacies from the Founding Fathers.

Yes, the Filipino is patient, but there is a limit to his patience. Must we wait until that patience snaps?

The nation-wide rebellion is escalating and threatens to explode into a bloody revolution. There is a growing cadre of young Filipinos who have finally come to realize that freedom is never granted, it is taken. Must we relive the agonies and the blood-letting of the past that brought forth our Republic or can we sit down as brothers and sisters and discuss our differences with reason and goodwill?

I have often wondered how many disputes could have been settled easily had the disputants only dared to define their terms.

So as to leave no room for misunderstanding, I shall define my terms:

1. Six years ago, I was sentenced to die before a firing squad by a Military Tribunal whose jurisdiction I steadfastly refused to recognize. It is now time for the regime to decide. Order my IMMEDIATE EXECUTION OR SET ME FREE.

I was sentenced to die for allegedly being the leading communist leader. I am not a communist, never was and never will be.

2. National reconciliation and unity can be achieved but only with justice, including justice for our Muslim and Ifugao brothers. There can be no deal with a Dictator. No compromise with Dictatorship.

3. In a revolution there can really be no victors, only victims. We do not have to destroy in order to build.

4. Subversion stems from economic, social and political causes and will not be solved by purely military solutions; it can be curbed not with ever increasing repression but with a more equitable distribution of wealth, more democracy and more freedom, and

5. For the economy to get going once again, the workingman must be given his just and rightful share of his labor, and to the owners and managers must be restored the hope where there is so much uncertainty if not despair.

On one of the long corridors of Harvard University are carved in granite the words of Archibald Macleish:

“How shall freedom be defended? By arms when it is attacked by arms; by truth when it is attacked by lies; by democratic faith when it is attacked by authoritarian dogma. Always, and in the final act, by determination and faith.”

I return from exile and to an uncertain future with only determination and faith to offer—faith in our people and faith in God.

Talumpating hindi nabigkas ni Senador Benigno S. Aquino Jr.:

Noong siya ay bumalik mula sa Amerika*

[Ika-21 ng Agosto 1983]

Kusa akong nagbalik upang makisama sa mga hanay ng mga nakikipaglaban para sa pagbabalik ng ating mga karapatan at kalayaan sa mapayapang pamamaraan.

Hindi ko hangad ang sagupaan. Idinadalangin ko’t aking sisikaping magkaroon ng tunay na pambansang pagkakasundo batay sa katarungan. Handa ako sa ano mang masamang maaaring mangyari. Nagpasya ako labag sa payo ng aking ina, ng aking tagpayong espirituwal, ng aking mga kaibigan, at ng ilang tagapayo sa politika. May naghihintay sa aking hatol na kamatayan, dalawang kasong subversion na ang pawang hiling ay ang aking kamatayan na hanggang ngayon ay nakabinbin pa rin sa mga korte.

Maaari sanang ako’y humingi ng political asylum sa Amerika ngunit nadarama kong tungkulin ko na siya ring tungkulin ng bawat Pilipino na makiramay sa kanyang mga kababayan lalo na sa panahon ng krisis.

Kusa akong nagbalik na ang tanging sandata ay ang aking malinis na konsensiya at nagkukuta sa pananalig na sa dakong huli’y ang katarunga’y gigitaw nang buong tagumpay.

Nang ako ay umalis upang ipailalim sa bypass operation sa puso, ako’y umasa at nanalanging sana’y ibalik ang mga kalayaan at karapatan ng ating mga kababayan na ang pamumuhay ay umunlad at ang pagdanak ng dugo ay matigil. Ngunit sa halip na tayo’y sumulong tayo’y dumausdos nang paurong. Dumami ang pagpatay, ang ekonomiya ang lalong sumama at lumubha ang karapatang pantao. Ang malalang kalagayan ng bansa ay ating malulunasan kung tayo’y nagkakaisa. Ngunit tayo’y magkakaisa lamang kung maibabalik ang lahat ng karapatan at kalayaang tinatamasa natin bago ang ikadalawampu’t isa ng Setyembre, 1971. Tunay na matiisin ang Pilipino ngunit may hangganan ang kanyang pagtitimpi. Hihintayin pa ba nating maubos ang pagtitimping ito?

Ang laganap na paghihimagsik ay lumalala at nagbabantang sumabog sa isang madugong rebolusyon. Dumarami ang mga kadre ng kabataang Pilipino na sa ngayo’y naniniwalang ang kalayaan ay hindi ibinibigay kundi kailangan ito’y agawin. Kailangan pa bang tayo’y magbuhos ng dugo tulad noong nakaraan na naging kabayaran ang ating Republika o maaari ba tayong umupo at mag-usap bilang magkakapatid upang ayusin ang ating hindi pagkakasunduan sa tulong ng katwiran at magandang kalooban.

Madalas kong isipin, alin kayang mga sigalot ang naisasaayos sana nang mahusay kung ang mga nagtutunggali ay naglalahad lamang ng kanilang malinaw na mga kagustuhan. Kaya upang di mabigyang puwang ang di pagkakaunawaan, aking ilalahad ang aking mga hangad na mangyari.

Una, iniutos ang pagbitay sa akin noong ako’y palayain kaagad. Ako’y hinatulang mamatay sapagkat ako raw ay isang puno ng mga komunista. Hindi ako isang Komunista, hindi ako kailanman naging komunista at kailanman ay hindi ako magiging komunista.

Ikalawa, ang pamabansang pagkakasundo’t pagkakaisa ay makakamit ngunit sa tulong lamang ng katarungan. Kasama na ang katarungan para sa ating mga kapatid na Muslim at Ifugao. Walang pakikitungo sa isang diktador, walang pakikipagsundo sa diktadurya.

Ikatlo, sa isang rebolusyon ay walang nagtatagumpay. Mayroon lamang mga biktima, hindi natin kailangan magwasak upang makatayo tayong muli.

Ikaapat, ang paglaban sa pamahalaan o subversion ay nag-uugat sa mga dahilang pang-ekonomiko, pangkabuhayan at pampolitika at hindi ito malulunasan ng mga hakbang militar. Ito’y masasagkaan hindi ng higit na paghihigpit kundi ng higit na patas na pamamahagi ng kabuhayan. Higit na demokrasya at higit na kalayaan.

Ikalima, upang mapaunlad ang ekonomiya, ang mga manggagawa ay dapat na pagkalooban ng kanilang makatarungan at tamang bahagi ng kanilang pinagpaguran sa pasilyo sa Harvard University ay nakaukit sa marmol ang mga salita ng makatang si Archibald Macleish, ang sabi ni Macleish, “Paano ipagtatanggol ang kalayaan sa tulong ng sandata kapag ito’y sinasalakay ng sandata, sa tulong ng katotohanan kapag ito ay nilalapastangan ng kasinungalingan, ng tiwala sa demokrasya kung ito ay binabayo ng prinsipyong mapaniil, lagi at hanggang sa huli, sa tulong ng matatag na paninindigan.”

Ako’y magbabalik mula sa pagkatapon sa ibang bansa at sa walang katiyakang bukas taglay lamang ang tanging tibay ng loob at pananalig sa Pilipino at pananalig sa lumikha.

*Translated in Filipino by the Komiskyon sa Wikang Filipino
*Isinalin sa Filipino ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino

Photo Credit: Presidential Museum and Library, Managed by the PCDSPO.
Statement of Secretary Edwin Lacierda: On Ninoy Aquino Day 2014 [Released on August 20, 2014].

7 Ways to Prepare Trees for Storms

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 02 Aug 2014 00:00:00 +0000

WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS - Typhoon Glenda snapped the bough or trunk of this tree in Parañaque City. (Arturo Dedace)

An Acacia tree that stood proudly for over a century at the Malacañang Palace grounds in Manila has witnessed the transition of more than 14 Philippine Presidents – from Manuel L. Quezon to Benigno S. Aquino III. Located at the country’s seat of power, the tree has been a strong fixture, able to withstand wars, coup d’etat attempts, and the passage of time. Today, that tree is no more.

Typhoon Glenda, internationally-known as Rammasun, pummeled Luzon and parts of the Visayas last 16 July 2014. The typhoon packed wind speeds of up to 150 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 165 kph.

Similar scenes of felled trees were seen along its trail of destruction. Trees with massive trunks littered the streets of Makati City, the Philippines’ financial center. In the province of Albay, Governor Joey Salceda is considering what to do with the Bicol University’s 107-year-old tree that was uprooted at the height of the typhoon.

In some cases, trees added to the damage wrought by the typhoon. Trees flattened cars and electric power lines, causing widespread power outages.

Top environmental solutions-provider World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines) outlines key ways to manage our trees and make them more storm-resistant:

1. Find out what makes trees vulnerable to storms.
Trees planted in loose, rocky soil stand a high chance of being uprooted. Disease, damaged roots or trunks, plus pest problems can also weaken trees. Says WWF-Philippines Vice-president for Project Development Luz Baskiñas:

“Trees not strongly anchored to the soil are vulnerable to leaning, uprooting and trunk damage. Those with numerous lateral branches and leaves are vulnerable to defoliation, with branches easily snapped off.”

Baskiñas says a combination of factors affects the ability of trees to resist tropical cyclones. Environmental factors include the slope, elevation, exposure, soil type, plus depth. Inherent genetic and morphological characteristics of trees like height, diameter, foliage size, crown structure, root length, plus depth all shape a tree’s vulnerability. Baskiñas suggests that a typhoon risk assessment for urban trees, plus species suitability studies, be undertaken.

2. Prioritize planting trees native to the Philippines.
Anthony Arbias, President of the Philippine Native Plant Conservation Society, Inc. (PNPCSI), observed that most of the toppled trees were the ‘exotic’ ones, such as Mahogany, Gmelina, Acacia, Fire Tree, and Teak wood.

“Because most of these exotic trees are planted on ‘foreign’ soil like ours, there is naturally a major mismatch with Philippine weather patterns, soil, wind, water, and other elements that would challenge their existence with vulnerability or destruction,” Arbias notes.

Examples of native trees are Narra, Molave, Lagundi, Dita Batino, Pandakaki, Balete, and Kalios.

“The typhoon was a wake-up call on the vulnerabilities of exotic trees against natural elements. We should set our attention to a more patriotic and ecologically-sound approach on restoring vegetation by using native trees. After all, we have more than 3500 species of native trees to choose from, and they are all part of our natural heritage,” he adds.

3. Re-plant trees that are able to withstand ferocious winds.
Baskiñas recommends that trees with needle-like foliage, spherical canopy-structure, deep root systems, and strong wood should be replanted in areas that are typhoon-prone or high in elevation.

4. Prune trees to encourage good branch angles.
Careful pruning helps trees survive strong winds. Trim rotting branches to develop a sturdy framework around a strong trunk. Good branch angles are 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock. Let strong winds pass through freely, while still providing shade. “Pruning reduces the impact of strong winds and heavy rain on leaves and branches,” notes Baskiñas.

5. Choose trees with strong root systems.
Trees with shallow, fan-like roots are less-resistant to strong winds than those with deep root systems. Plant trees away from utilities and buildings to minimize risk.

Keen observers might have noted that many Acacia trees were felled by Typhoon Glenda. Baskiñas explains that the diameter of an Acacia’s canopy is very wide, which translates to more pressure on the main trunk. Too much pressure can topple trees.

6. Toppled trees can still survive.
Small trees may be righted or replanted if their root systems are relatively intact. Cover or moisten exposed roots, dig a pit around the toppled tree, then carefully push the tree back to its upright position. Ensure that all roots are covered in soil and prune the majority of branches to encourage regrowth. Baskiñas says some damage can be treated with tree surgery, while some trees can heal on their own.

7. Contact your electric company to ask for assistance in cutting off tree branches that interfere with power transmission lines.
Trees whose branches obstruct electric wires increase the risk of power outages and even fires during storms. The Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) deploys teams to trim tree branches.

Managing the Impacts of Storms
We face a climate-defined future. More extreme weather events and tropical cyclones like Yolanda and Glenda will come to batter the Philippines – toppling not just trees but development successes which have taken decades to achieve.

Like trees, we must learn how to bend with the wind and grow roots that enable us to withstand the tempest.

We also have to manage our environmental footprint. WWF and the Global Footprint Network’s 2012 report reveals that humanity’s footprint is 50% beyond sustainable levels. The Philippine footprint has overshot its limits by 117%.

A 2013 Laguna Lake Development Study also showed that though Metro Manila generates 0.05 global hectares per area (GHA) of resources, it consumes 1.7 GHA. Manila is thus 3400% beyond sustainable limits. Our ecological footprint, coupled with the mismanagement of our environment and poor urban planning, aggravates the impacts of climate change and increases our vulnerability.

Concludes WWF-Philippines Vice-chair and CEO Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan:

“Trees have adapted to life in forests and plains – not in cities. In a climate-defined future, managing what trees we plant in our cities can greatly reduce our vulnerability to typhoons. This will save lives and keep vital lifelines – like power and communications – humming and running during the most ferocious storms.”

Photo Credit: © [Arturo Dedace] / WWF-Philippines. Some rights reserved.
© [7 Ways to Prepare Trees for Storms]. Reproduced with permission from WWF. [01 August 2014]. WWF-Philippines / Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas Foundation. All rights reserved.

#HuntBiggerGame

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000

The ultimate hunter in the Multiverse has turned his sights on you, planeswalker. Will you be another of his victims? Or will you prove victorious? Corrupted, Garruk now uses a combination of green and black magic. Garruk seeks to hunt other planeswalkers and destroy all who get in his way.

Wizards of the Coast^TM went all out with their new Magic: The Gathering^TM core set Prerelease using Garruk as the face of Magic 2015. His imposing visage is all over the place, looking about as intimidating as any Planeswalker ever has. Dude means business.

It did get me hyped up a bit so much so that I grew a mediocre looking beard of my own in anticipation of prerelease day. I also did say something earlier which I hoped to achieve.

Garruk is out for blood! It makes me wanna be him or beat him at the #Magic2015 Prerelease, Let's #huntbiggergame | http://t.co/Njxxugtpuy
— Leorenz Jamias (@LeorenzJamias) June 23, 2014

I took every opportunity I can get to have a pic beside the eight-foot-tall Garruk standee.

We have turned our sights on you, planeswalker! Prepare to be hunted! Ready for #MTGM15 Prerelease! #HuntBiggerGame pic.twitter.com/Fl49V393Fb
— Leorenz Jamias (@LeorenzJamias) July 11, 2014

It's prerelease day and guess what?! The packs I got was less than stellar especially with some of the rares in it. Opening a booster with a Stormtide Leviathan isn't cause for joy much less another stupid-asked Stormtide Leviathan! I mean, seriously?! It left me feeling less enthused at first. But I decided it was best to have fun with them, instead. And of course, hopefully, win in style.

Pulled off Jalira, Master Polymorphist sac Chasm Skulker into Stormtide Leviathan w/ 13 1/1 Islandwalkers! #MTGM15 pic.twitter.com/SvTJKTcpvn

— Leorenz Jamias (@LeorenzJamias) July 13, 2014

Creatures [17]
1 Chasm Skulker
2 Coral Barrier
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Invasive Species
1 Jalira, Master Polymorphist
1 Netcaster Spider {Reach}
1 Phytotitan
1 Quickling {Flash}
1 Runeclaw Bear
2 Shaman of Spring
1 Soul of Zendikar {Reach}
1 Stormtide Leviathan {Islandwalk}
1 Welkin Tern
2 Will-Forged Golem {Convoke}

Enchantments [1]
1 Encrust

Instants [6]
2 Chronostutter
1 Gather Courage {Convoke}
1 Hydrosurge
1 Jace's Ingenuity
1 Negate

Lands [17]
9 Forests
8 Islands

And win I did going 3-1 even with a certain Andrew Cantillana in the ranks. Not too shabby, I can say. As for what I said, I guess, I kinda almost got both.

Photo Credits: Madcap Gaming

#SchoolBusPH: Fun Learning for the Working Professional

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 22 Jun 2014 16:35:00 +0000

Mobile Learning for the
On-the-Go Professional

School Bus PH is a non-traditional recreational education provider, the first of its kind in the Philippines and in the world — in more ways than one.

First (and intriguingly enough), the classes are held inside a moving bus roaming around the metro. And second, there’s nothing about it that mirrors traditional education. Let us enumerate the ways:

1. ADMISSIONS: There are no qualifying exams, lengthy application forms, or other forms of interviews and assessments. Anyone with zero knowledge on the subject can register in the courses and learn. School Bus PH aims to remove every known barrier to learning and make education easier and simpler for everyone to access and acquire.

2. COURSES: The courses offered are all interesting, fun to learn, and are of practical value. The goal is to provide learning opportunities that can help Filipino professionals to continuously acquire learning and become skilled not only in their chosen professions but also in disciplines outside and beyond what they do every day, which they find endlessly appealing. School Bus PH aims to make the working Filipinos of today multi-skilled, more flexible, more knowledgeable, and more able to deliver and also derive value both in their careers and personal lives. For the first batch of classes, School Bus PH is offering a wide range of interesting and relevant courses including: Japanese, Creative Writing, Film-Making, Cinematography, Graphic Design and Photography, Business Development, Entrepreneurship, Investing, Basic Accounting, Personality Development, and more — conducted in fun-filled, exciting and action-packed learning programs!

3. INSTRUCTORS: The instructors are practicing professionals in their respective fields – people who walk the talk. They teach things they have successfully done themselves, things they are really passionate about. They just won’t be reading from books or discussing the subject in theory, but will show students how things are done in actual practice based on years of actual experience in the field. And they are cool, fun and interesting people, too, whom students can be friends with even outside of class.

4. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION: The entire point of “classes in a bus” is to get the classes out of the classroom, remove the barriers usually associated with the four walls of a classroom — and go outside. Explore. Discover. There are many ways of learning available if only we stop restricting ourselves to the normal things we are used to. At School Bus PH, students are encouraged to speak their minds, to think for themselves, to provide their inputs. The class activities are interactive, where the students actively participate and perform. There are no boring moments in class. The activities and exercises are so carefully and cleverly designed to teach the fundamental, the crucial, and the actual aspects of the subjects and they are all fun, engaging, and exciting to do.

5. COMPLETION: At School Bus PH, you go to class to learn for the sake of learning. School Bus PH does not issue certifications of completion or any piece of paper to prove that you are trained in a particular skill. Instead, students will graduate with more solid and concrete proof that they have learned from the class: an actual output, an actual accomplishment, a piece of work that says they have indeed learned and acquired a skill because they have done it.

School Bus PH aims to revolutionize education — make it more easily accessible, more interesting, and more fun — so that it can become a way of life and a form of recreation for the Filipino people just like going to the movies or watching a sports game.

Courses are done in 10 Saturdays for three hours each session and are priced at P10,999.00 (with installment options available for early birds). Students are effectively paying just a thousand pesos each Saturday, an amount they can so easily spend doing not-so-productive, not-so-meaningful activities on a Saturday. Ten percent of the registration fee will go to teaching efforts dedicated to out-of-school youth in Metro Manila, whom should also be given the same learning opportunities.

Registration can be done through the School Bus PH website at www.schoolbus.ph. Registration period is from June 1 to 30, 2014. And the first batch of classes will run from July 5 to September 6, 2014.

† Facebook: Official School Bus PH Facebook Page
† Twitter: Follow @SchoolBusPH

Photo Credit: School Bus PH

International Chef Bobby Chinn Promotes Sustainable Seafood in the Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000

International Celebrity Chef Bobby Chinn addresses the crowd at Hamilo Coast in Batangas. “As seafood consumers, we all have a responsibility to ensure that the fish we eat comes from sustainable sources." Coral Triangle Day is celebrated every 9th of June and highlights the need to conserve the region's marine resources. (Gregg Yan / WWF-Philippines)

BATANGAS, Philippines – Where does the fish on your plate come from? It is highly likely that it was sourced from the Coral Triangle, the world’s epicenter of marine life and abundance.

Every day, thousands of small fishing boats set out within this throbbing nursery of the seas, whose resources directly sustain the lives of more than 120 million people. However, unsustainable fishing methods have shattered coral reefs and depleted fish populations all over the region.

More than 85% of the reefs in the Coral Triangle – which spans the waters of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste – are directly threatened by local human activities, substantially more than the global average of 60%. Asia’s growing population coupled with an insatiable appetite for dwindling delicacies like shark fin soup is placing extreme pressure on our seas.

Overfishing and illegal fishing are threatening coastal and marine environments, wiping out large populations of fish stocks and compromising people’s food security and livelihoods. Pacific Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus orientalis) stocks for example, are taking a nosedive. The International Scientific Committee for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean (ISC) says that the global population has shrunk by 96.4% compared to unfished levels.

To promote better alternatives and viable solutions that protect the region’s marine wealth, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), Costa del Hamilo, Inc. (Hamilo Coast), plus international celebrity chef Bobby Chinn partnered to celebrate Coral Triangle Day in the Philippines on 9 June 2014.

“As seafood consumers, we all have a responsibility to ensure that the fish we eat comes from sustainable sources or were caught in ways that aren’t harmful to the marine environment. This helps conserve our food supply and the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on the ocean’s bounty,” said Chinn, a Vietnam-based chef, restaurateur, and television personality. He previously marked the Coral Triangle Day in Indonesia and Malaysia.

Now on its third year, the Coral Triangle Day is an annual open-sourced event celebrated in the countries belonging to the region every 9 June. The festivities are done in conjunction with World Oceans Day, which is celebrated every year on 8 June.

Set against the majestic blue waters and lush landscapes of Pico de Loro Cove in Nasugbu, Batangas, Chinn kicked off his cooking segment by cooking Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares) sourced by hand-line from Occidental Mindoro. Hand-line is a traditional and more sustainable way of catching tuna, several stocks of which are threatened in the Coral Triangle.

To promote local fisheries, Chinn prepared dishes from local fish sourced off the waters of Hamilo Coast.

Lastly, to raise awareness about the perils of shark finning, Chinn created a seared snapper head dish with dipping sauce, as an alternative to shark fin soup. About 73 million sharks are slaughtered each year for the lucrative shark fin trade. This high demand for shark fin soup, particularly in China and Hong Kong, threatens the health and balance of global marine ecosystems.

“The worldwide demand for tuna, live reef fish, and other marine products continues to grow – at a frightening environmental cost to the Coral Triangle. Through our partnership with Bobby Chinn and Hamilo Coast in celebrating Coral Triangle Day, we hope to emphasize the need to rehabilitate the Coral Triangle’s reefs from decades of damage and build a sustainable means of livelihood for fishermen,” says WWF-Philippines Vice President for Conservation Programs Joel Palma.

Concludes Costa del Hamilo, Inc. Senior Vice-President for Operations Rona Torres-Tan,

“Preserving the Coral Triangle is a cause that is important to us because Hamilo Coast is located right at the entry of the Verde Island Passage, one of the most prolific areas of the Coral Triangle. As stewards of this one-of-a-kind location, we, along with our community of homeowners and club members, are committed to protecting the gifts of nature that Hamilo Coast has been blessed with, for years to come.”

Photo Credit: © [Gregg Yan] / WWF-Philippines. Some rights reserved.
© [International Chef Bobby Chinn Promotes Sustainable Seafood in the Philippines]. Reproduced with permission from WWF. [09 June 2014]. WWF-Philippines / Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas Foundation. All rights reserved.

New Promenade Cinemas offer art, comfort, luxury and Dolby Atmos, the latest in movie sound technology

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 07 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000

It’s the new world of sound that let’s you “hear the whole picture”.

Dolby Atmos is the revolutionary sound technology that is the current world class standard of sound technology. It debuted in the Philippines at the Greenhills Cinemas 6, 7 and 8 at the new Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center on July 11, 2013.

What makes Dolby Atmos so special? It is state of the art sound technology that brings the movie’s sound come to life, making you feel as if you are part of the picture, in the middle of the action, hearing the sounds from where they are actually coming from.

Technically, Atmos is a positional sound system, with many more channels of audio than a typical surround sound system. It enables the aural tracking of objects in a 3D space, to create a more lifelike sound. Instead of thinking of sound in terms of channels, the technology allows sound editors to work with object-oriented sound instead. Using a computer algorithm, Atmos can drive audio across the hall, splitting it across multiple speakers to accomplish a positional effect.

Traditional sound technology has the sounds coming from in front of or behind the audience, from either side, or from above. With Atmos, the sound comes from anywhere and everywhere. The technology uses a computerized algorithm to tweak the sound output based on the number of installed speakers, so sound editors can designate where in the cinema space each sound should be coming from, instead of having to consider speaker numbers and placement.

In short, Dolby Atmos delivers a powerful and dramatic new cinema sound listening experience. It allows sound to move around the theater to create dynamic effects. It reproduces a natural and lifelike audio experience that perfectly matches the story. Its overhead speakers create the most realistic effects you’ve ever heard. And up to 64 speakers total placed all around the theater heighten the realism and impact of every scene.

Major movies such as Brave, The Life of Pi, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Pacific Rim, Gravity, Thor : The Dark World, Elysium, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, 300: Rise of An Empire, Captain America : The Winter Soldier, Transcendence, The Amazing Spiderman 2, Godzilla, Maleficent, and now, Edge of Tomorrow were made in Dolby Atmos.

How To Train Your Dragon 2, Transformers : Age of Extinction, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Guardians of the Galaxy, The Expendables 3 and The Avengers : Age of Ultron are the upcoming movies in Dolby Atmos. And Greenhills Cinemas 6, 7 and 8 – all equipped with Dolby Atmos and fitted with wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling screens – enhance the viewing experience of these blockbuster movies best.

Greenhills Cinema general manager Paolo Mendoza says putting up one Dolby Atmos theater is like putting up three regular theaters in terms of cost and equipment.

“You need to invest in a CP850, which is the latest processor used by Dolby as well as special Perlux screens. The new Promenade screens are also bigger – floor to ceiling in height and spread side to side – in essence, a mini IMAX,” he explained.

To date, there are 150 countries that enjoy the revolutionary Dolby Atmos technology all over the world and Greenhills Cinema is the first in the Philippines to offer it in Promenade Cinema 6, 7 and 8 – the most number of Dolby Atmos theaters in one structure in the whole of Asia.

Besides the Dolby Atmos technology that has revolutionized the movie viewing experience, the new Greenhills Cinemas at the Promenade are made special by luxurious appointments. A large-sized mural fashioned from metal by National Artist for the Visual Arts Benedicto Cabrera (Bencab) entitled 8 Movements greets moviegoers as they get off from the escalator, giving one a sense of the grandeur of well-appointed cinema houses of the 50's and 60's. Towering palm trees, mood lighting, and wrap-around giant posters of Oscar Best Pictures adorn the lobby. Even the rest rooms are hotel-like in their luxury.

“We wanted to bring back some of the elegance of movie theaters during the grand old days of cinema when movie houses were stand-alone and had murals and art pieces for décor. Moviegoers then surely had a grand feeling when going to the movies. This is the reason why we brought the finest art into the new theaters at the Promenade and why the three new cinemas are fitted with state of the art Dolby Atmos technology. We hope in the near future more cinemas will follow suit to give movie goers the wonderful experience of watching movies in the best way they can,” said Precy Florentino, president of the Music Museum Group, Inc. which runs Greenhills Cinemas.

Present-day moviegoers never had it this good.

Traversing Murky Waters at Coswort

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 01 Jun 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Coswort Hobby Shop have finally ventured deeply into Duel Commander with their format first Tournament! As a show of support and also to help the Commander Community flourish in the south, the Madcap Gamers, Syntax Assassin and I crammed ourselves into an SUV and made our way through a quick road trip up the San Pedro and Cavite boondocks all the way to Coswort. Who knew we'd unknowingly and unintentionally end up muddling the meta mixture with murky waters.

Before we delve into the tournament details, the story as much wouldn't be as eventful without our short road trip tale. Crowding six men in a car should mean we'd get there smoothly, right? Rrright....Of course, we obviously knew where we were at and where we were going. And yes, as vague as they may come, we were asking for directions from the locals. "Take a left from the first stoplight and just keep taking a left until you get to the second stoplight and you're there," said the local police. "Take a left from the third corner and then keep taking a right and you're there," said the tricycle driver bystander. But an hour and a few wrong turns later and we're uhm not there yet. Their advise would've been sound had there not been too many darn back streets. We did get there eventually even though our designated driver was taking directions from 5 backseat navigators and we'd get a tad bit confused from time to time.

We finally arrived and Coswort proprietor Richard Mariano mightily greeted us. There were still some time before the tournament starts and the very warm weather had made us quite peckish. One thing you must definitely try when you're there, I found out, is the tapsihan just a few walks away from the shop.

With our tummies full and our excitement replenished, we were ready to take on the tournament. I came in with my prized Ezuri, Renegade Leader, Eric Talag came with Radha, Heir to Keld, while Mark Calienta came in trying out Pharika, God of Affliction as Commander instead of Skullbriar, the Walking Grave. As the registration went, we soon realized we had brought with us three Black Blue players all with their distinct deck strategies: Wilfredo "Boom" Dizon's Dralnu, Lich Lord / Reanimator, Fedimarc Garcia's Wydwen, the Biting Gale / Control-Voltron, and Jed Berones' Wydwen, the Biting Gale / Polymorph-Emrakul. This presented a very interesting and challenging meta ahead.

Format: 1v1 Duel Commander
Timestamp: 3:30 PM, Saturday, 31 May 2014
French Banned list + Partial Paris + Swiss
with 10 Proxies allowed except for the Commander

Coswort Hobby Shop's first Duel Commander Tournament transpired with a total of 11 players registered for the event.

The breakdown of Commanders are as follows:
Daxos of Meletis (Yondaime Kesshite)
Dralnu, Lich Lord (Wilfredo "Boom" Dizon)
Ezuri, Renegade Leader (Leorenz Jamias)
Mereike Ri Berit (Carlo Bernardino Alon)
Pharika, God of Affliction (Mark Calienta)
Prossh, Skyraider of Kher (Jessieco Lee)
Radha, Heir to Keld (Eric Talag)
Talrand, Sky Summoner (Michael Joseph Villano)
Wydwen, the Biting Gale (Jed Berones)
Wydwen, the Biting Gale (Fedimarc Garcia)

Top 4
1 Ezuri, Renegade Leader (Leorenz Jamias)
2 Wydwen, the Biting Gale (Fedimarc Garcia)
3 Dralnu, Lich Lord (Wilfredo "Boom" Dizon)
4 Wydwen, the Biting Gale (Jed Berones)

Fedimarc Garcia - Wydwen, the Biting Gale

Artifacts [8]
Batterskull
Mimic Vat
Sword of Body and Mind
Sword of Fire and Ice
Sword of Light and Shadow
Tormod's Crypt
Umezawa's Jitte
Vedalken Shackles

Creatures [5]
Crypt Creeper
Faerie Macabre
Gatekeeper of Malakir {Kicker}
Vampire Hexmage
Vendilion Clique

Enchantments [2]
Bitterblossom
Declaration of Naught

Instants [34]
Brainstorm
Careful Consideration
Counterspell
Countersquall
Cryptic Command
Diabolic Edict
Doom Blade
Envelop
Far // Away {Fuse}
Forbidden Alchemy {Flashback}
Force of Will
Go for the Throat
Hatred
Hero's Downfall
Mental Misstep
Mindbreak Trap
Muddle the Mixture {Transmute}
Murder
Mystical Tutor
Negate
Nullify
Peek
Perplex {Transmute}
Prohibit {Kicker}
Psychic Strike
Remove Soul
Skeletal Scrying
Spell Pierce
Swan Song
Thieves' Fortune {Prowl}
Trickbind {Split Second}
Twincast
Undermine
Wipe Away {Split Second}

Planeswalkers [1]
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver

Sorceries [11]
Black Sun's Zenith
Chainer's Edict {Flashback}
Damnation
Demonic Tutor
Drown in Sorrow {Scry 1}
Duress
Inquisition of Kozilek
Massacre
Merchant Scroll
Ponder
Sign in Blood

Lands [38]
Academy Ruins
Bojuka Bog
Cabal Pit
Command Tower
Darkwater Catacombs
Dreadship Reef
Dust Bowl
Faerie Conclave
Marsh Flats
Riptide Laboratory
Secluded Glen
Spawning Pool
Springjack Pasture
Sunken Ruins
Tainted Isle
Tectonic Edge
Temple of Deceit {Scry 1}
Unstable Frontier
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Verdant Catacombs
Vesuva
Watery Grave
Wasteland

Swamp - 4

Wilfredo "Boom" Dizon - Dralnu, Lich Lord

Artifacts [1]
Lightning Greaves

Creatures [11]
Griselbrand
Consecrated Sphinx
Sphinx of Uthuun
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
Rune-scarred Demon
Sheoldred, Whispering One
Tidespout Tyrant
Kederekt Leviathan
Snapcaster Mage
Vendilion Clique
Massacre Wurm

Enchantments [3]
Animate Dead
Dance of the Dead
Necromancy

Instants [28]
Brainstorm
Careful Consideration
Counterspell
Cyclonic Rift {Overload}
Darkblast {Dredge}
Daze
Dispel
Entomb
Flash
Flusterstorm {Storm}
Force of Will
Force Spike
Foil
Frantic Search
Intuition
Lim-Dul's Vault
Makeshift Mannequin
Mental Misstep
Mystical Teachings {Flashback}
Mystical Tutor
Quicken
Skeletal Scrying
Spell Pierce
Spell Snare
Stifle
Swan Song
Tainted Pact
Thirst for Knowledge

Sorceries [18]
Careful Study
Demonic Tutor
Duress
Exhume
Footsteps of Goryo
Gitaxian Probe
Inquisition of Kozilek
Last Rites
Living Death
Merchant Scroll
Personal Tutor
Preordain
Ponder
Reanimate
Show and Tell
Stitch Together
Thoughtseize
Toxic Deluge

Lands [38]
Bloodstained Mire
Boseiju, Who Shelters All
Cabal Pit
Cephalid Coliseum
City Of Brass
Command Tower
Creeping Tar Pit
Darkslick Shores
Drowned Catacomb
Flooded Strand
Homeward Path
Marsh Flats
Minamo, School at Water’s Edge
Misty Rainforest
Polluted Delta
Reflecting Pool
River of Tears
Scalding Tarn
Shizo, Death’s Storehouse
Sunken Ruins
Underground River
Underground Sea
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Verdant Catacombs
Watery Grave
Wasteland

Islands - 3
Snow-Covered Islands - 4
Swamp - 2
Snow-Covered Swamp - 3

Jed Berones - Wydwen, the Biting Gale

Artifacts [2]
Runechanter's Pike
Sword of Fire and Ice

Creatures [1]
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn

Enchantments [2]
Bitterblossom
Declaration of Naught

Instants [44]
Arcane Denial
Brainstorm
Capsize {Buyback}
Condescend {Scry 2}
Counterspell
Cyclonic Rift {Overload}
Daze
Diabolic Edict
Disrupt
Dissipate
Faerie Trickery
Far // Away {Fuse}
Foil
Force of Will
Frantic Search
Go for the Throat
Gush
Hatred
Into the Roil {Kicker}
Intuition
Lat-Nam's Legacy
Lim-Dul's Vault
Mana Leak
Memory Lapse
Mental Misstep
Mystical Teachings {Flashback}
Mystical Tutor
Opt
Pact of Negation
Polymorph
Prohibit {Kicker}
Psychic Strike
Quicken
Rapid Hybridization
Remand
Remove Soul
Rewind
Skeletal Scrying
Spell Crumple
Spell Pierce
Swan Song
Think Twice {Flashback}
Trickbind {Split Second}
Wipe Away {Split Second}

Planeswalkers [1]
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver

Sorceries [13]
Black Sun's Zenith
Damnation
Demonic Tutor
Duress
Gitaxian Probe
Innocent Blood
Merchant Scroll
Night's Whisper
Preordain
Ponder
Serum Visions
Sleight of Hand
Thoughtseize

Lands [37]
Bojuka Bog
Boseiju, Who Shelters All
Cabal Pit
Command Tower
Creeping Tar Pit
Darkwater Catacombs
Dimir Guildgate
Dreadship Reef
Faerie Conclave
Flooded Strand
Halimar Depths
Mana Confluence
Marsh Flats
Minamo, School at Waters Edge
Shizo, Death's Storehouse
Tainted Isle
Temple of Deceit {Scry 1}
Tolaria West {Transmute}
Verdant Catacombs
Watery Grave

Island - 7
Swamp - 10

Leorenz Jamias - Ezuri, Renegade Leader

Creatures [49]
Acidic Slime
Arbor Elf
Argothian Elder
Birchlore Rangers {Morph}
Boreal Druid
Caller of the Claw
Chameleon Colossus {Changeling / Protection Black}
Civic Wayfinder
Craterhoof Behemoth
Elvish Archdruid
Elvish Harbinger
Elvish Mystic
Elvish Spirit Guide
Elvish Visionary
Eternal Witness
Fauna Shaman
Fierce Empath
Fyndhorn Elves
Heritage Druid
Imperious Perfect
Joraga Treespeaker {Leveler}
Joraga Warcaller {Multikicker}
Karametra's Acolyte {Devotion}
Llanowar Elves
Nettle Sentinel
Priest of Titania
Primeval Titan
Quirion Ranger
Regal Force
Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
Scavenging Ooze
Scryb Ranger {Flash / Protection Blue}
Stingerfling Spider
Sylvan Messenger
Sylvan Ranger
Sylvan Safekeeper
Viridian Corrupter {Infect}
Viridian Emissary
Viridian Joiner
Viridian Shaman
Viridian Zealot
Wirewood Channeler
Wirewood Elf
Wirewood Herald
Wirewood Hivemaster
Wirewood Symbiote
Wood Elves
Wren's Run Vanquisher
Yeva, Nature's Herald

Artifacts [2]
Lightning Greaves
Umbral Mantle

Enchantments [1]
Sylvan Library

Instants [6]
Beast Within
Crop Rotation
Crushing Vines
Deglamer
Krosan Grip {Split Second}
Worldly Tutor

Planeswalkers [1]
Garruk Wildspeaker

Sorceries [6]
Ancient Stirrings
Green Sun's Zenith
Harmonize
Primal Command
Sylvan Scrying
Triumph of the Hordes

Lands [34]
Cavern of Souls
Deserted Temple
Gaea's Cradle
Ghost Quarter
Homeward Path
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx {Devotion}
Petrified Field
Tectonic Edge
Wirewood Lodge

Forests - 25

† Facebook: Official Coswort Hobby Shop Facebook Page

Photo Credit: Boom Dizon of Syntax Assassin

X-MEN: Days of Future Past

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 10 May 2014 14:47:00 +0000

"The ultimate X-Men ensemble fights a war for the survival of the species across two time periods in X-Men: Days of Future Past. The beloved characters from the original "X-Men" film trilogy join forces with their younger selves from "X-Men: First Class," in an epic battle that must change the past - to save our future."

Ever since my oldest brother introduced me to the world of comic books when I was a kid, I've been hooked to the Marvel Universe. From reading the Uncanny X-Men and the various X-titles that came along after and with the other Marvel titles, these comic books have provided me with a wealth of inspiration. They have served as one of my creative and imaginative platforms. So it is that I almost always turn into a somewhat giddy teenage schoolgirl every time a movie comes out based on any of the characters in the Marvel stable. I'm probably even more excited now with the release of X-Men: Days of Future Past as we all will get a chance to see a superabundance of our favorite X-Men characters in one of their best story arcs ever.

As any X-Men die-hard fanatic would know, the movie is based on an X-Men comics fan favorite story arc Days of Future Past by Chris Claremont and John Byrne. X-Men: Days of Future Past is the sequel to both The Wolverine and X-Men: First Class that is to be released this May 2014. It is the seventh film in the X-Men film franchise. For those who don’t know about the film, “The X-Men send Wolverine to the past to change a major historical event that could globally impact man and mutant kind.” Peter Dinklage, from Game of Thrones, will play Sentinel creator, Bolivar Trask. Furthermore, “X-Men: Days of Future Past blends the casts of the original trilogy and First Class.” Among the confirmed cast are:

Future
Patrick Stewart as Charles Xavier
Hugh Jackman as Logan/Wolverine
Ian McKellen as Erik Lehnsherr
Halle Berry as Ororo Munroe/Storm
Ellen Page as Kitty Pryde
Shawn Ashmore as Bobby Drake/Iceman
Daniel Cudmore as Peter Rasputin/Colossus
Omar Sy as Lucas Bishop
Booboo Stewart as James Proudstar/Warpath
Fan Bingbing as Clarice Ferguson/Blink
Adan Canto as Roberto DaCosta/Sunspot
Anna Paquin as Rogue
Kelsey Grammer as Henry McCoy/Beast

Past
James McAvoy as Charles Xavier/Professor X
Michael Fassbender as Erik Lehnsherr/Magneto
Jennifer Lawrence as Raven Darkholme/Mystique
Nicholas Hoult as Henry McCoy/Beast
Peter Dinklage as Bolivar Trask
Evan Peters as Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver
Josh Helman as William Stryker, Jr.
Lucas Till as Alex Summers/Havok
Evan Jonigkeit as Mortimer Toynbee/Toad
Gregg Lowe as Eric Gitter/Ink
Jaa Smith-Johnson as Mutant Soldier

What would you correct from your past to save the future?

In asking this question, it may seem incredulous and uncanny. For one, it obviously is impossible to go back and change things from our past. On another and for ordinary folks like us, is there really anything we can change that would definitely save the future?

I will not suppose and answer this for everyone else. The answer for me, though, is Yes.

We can be Super Heroes for the Planet.

I've been an advocate of Sustainability and of the environment for as long as I can remember. I try to incorporate sustainability principles into my daily life and practice good habits with such fundamentals as Reuse, Reduce and Recycle. I also try to call people into action regarding various sustainability and environmental issues.

But it wasn't always like that for me. It may not be that way for some even today. There was a time I was oblivious of these matters. There were moments when I simply threw my litter anywhere on the streets just 'coz it was "convenient." I would leave electric appliances switched on or leave the water running even though I wasn't using it. I regarded the building of high-rises and malls that I saw happening around me as a sign of progress even in areas where there were abundant vegetation. Needless to say, I was naive to the calls and cries of Mother Nature. If I would have only seen all the ill effects of these horrid habits before into what is happening around us now, I would have acted sooner.

It may not be too late, though. True, it would be great and convenient to go back and do things all over again. We could prevent climate change and global warming. We could have prevented the extinction of some of the wonderfully amazing animals on the planet. We could do so much more.

We may not be able to change the past; but, we can definitely start now for a better future. We may not be Children of the Atom. We may not be as "gifted" as our mutant heroes. We can be Super Heroes for the Planet. In our small way, we can make a difference.

Professor Charles Xavier said it best, "Please, we need you to hope again."

About Marvel Entertainment

Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. ©MARVEL

About 20th Century Fox

William Fox (1879-1952) began the Fox empire in 1904 with the purchase of a single nickelodeon located in Brooklyn, New York. By 1913 he was the most powerful independent exhibitor/distributor in the silent film business. Mr. Fox founded the Fox Film Corporation in 1915 and by 1927 he'd introduced sound on film which greatly enhanced the popularity of his Movietone News reels. The 1930 release of Fox's The Big Trail heralded the golden age of widescreen film.

The Fox Film Corporation merged with 20th Century in 1935 and has since been known as 20th Century Fox.

Former Apple Chief Evangelist Guy Kawasaki joins online design company Canva

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 13:00:00 +0000

Former Chief Evangelist of Apple, Guy Kawasaki, has joined Canva and resurrected his famous title from Apple. Canva is an online graphic design platform used to create designs for Web and print including social media graphics, presentations, posters, blog graphics and invitations.

“Macintosh democratized computers; Google democratized information; and eBay democratized commerce. In the same way, Canva democratizes design,” said Mr. Kawasaki. “You don’t get many chances to democratize an industry, so I seized the opportunity to work for Canva.”

The renowned author, entrepreneur, and startup advisor will develop an evangelism program for the company and help it grow internationally. Mr. Kawasaki said, “I was an early adopter of Canva and used it to create graphics for my social media posts and email newsletters. After making contact with Canva’s founders, I was enchanted by the company’s vision and desire to change the world.” Mr. Kawasaki will also become an investor in the company.

“In seven months, people have created more than 1.5 million designs using Canva. We’re incredibly excited to welcome Guy onboard as Canva’s Chief Evangelist,” said Canva CEO Melanie Perkins. “It’s an amazing endorsement of the Canva vision to have someone of his caliber join our team.”

“We have become a daily tool for many bloggers, marketers and small business owners. It’s a testament to our team’s hard work that we’re seeing 100,000 new designs created every week by more than 330,000 users,” she said.

To add to Canva’s social-media firepower, Peg Fitzpatrick will also join Canva. Prior to this, she worked with Mr. Kawasaki as his social-media architect, and she was the cofounder of the 12 Most website. She will become Canva’s Head of Social Strategy.

Guy Kawasaki joins Australian startup Canva as Chief Evangelist
In his new role, Mr. Kawasaki will establish an evangelist program and help Canva grow globally
People have created more than 1.5 million designs using Canva

-
About Canva
Canva makes it amazingly simple for everyone to create professional quality graphic designs. Its online design platform brings together a simple drag-and-drop design tool and a library of more than one million photographs, graphics and fonts, allowing anyone to take an idea and present it beautifully in print or online.

Canva can be used to design almost anything: presentations, posters, blog content, cards, online marketing materials, invitations, flyers and so much more. For more information on Canva, visit the website or follow the company on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram or Pinterest.

Photo Credit: Canva.com

#EarthHour to Provide Bancas for the Philippines

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 11 Mar 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Typhoon Yolanda destroyed about 30,000 bancas, depriving some 145,000 artisanal and commercial fisherfolk of their livelihoods. WWF promotes the evolution pf boat-making technology to ensure that tomorrow’s bancas are ready to weather the waves of the future. (Gregg Yan / WWF-Philippines)

“My banca was my sole means of earning a living,” explains a Coron fisherman gazing at the shattered remains of his boat.

Typhoon Yolanda smashed the country on 8 November 2013, bearing winds and waves so ferocious that most of Tacloban City was obliterated. The death toll has soared past 6200, with 2000 still missing. Over 100 days since the calamity, hundreds of communities still rely on relief efforts to survive. Worse, Yolanda’s 330kph winds demolished at least 30,000 bancas – the traditional outrigger boats of the Philippines, depriving around 145,000 fisherfolk of their livelihoods.

“Since its inception in 2007, Earth Hour has been recognized as the world’s largest voluntary action for the environment, reaching 7000 towns and cities across 154 countries,” says Earth Hour Philippines Director Atty. Gia Ibay. “The Philippines has been one of the movement’s strongest supporters, having topped town and city participation levels from 2009 to 2013. In light of Typhoon Yolanda, it is now time for Earth Hour to work for us Filipinos.”

Encouraged by its popularity, Earth Hour has reinvented itself as a crowd-funding platform for environmental initiatives, while still celebrating climate change solutions via a global 60-minute switch-off. Earth Hour 2014 is slated from 8:30pm to 9:30pm on Saturday night, 29 March.

Fiberglass Versus Wood
Among the featured crowd-funding projects is Bancas for the Philippines, a project of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines).

“Climate change is here, now. WWF is a forward-thinking organization, so it is time to think and act beyond relief,” notes WWF-Philippines Vice-chair and CEO Jose Ma. Lorenzo Tan. “By enhancing the traditional banca design and providing fisherfolk with the resources to build new boats, we will minimize our growing dependence on local and foreign aid.”

Initially conceived to help Yolanda-afflicted coastal communities in Northern Palawan and the Eastern Visayas, the project aims to introduce fiberglass boat-making technology to restore food security, increase climate resilience by reducing boat construction time, and decrease current reliance on hardwoods for banca construction. Through the support of donors, the project provides materials, training and boat moulds, which shall be awarded to selected communities so fisherfolk can build as many bancas as is needed to jumpstart self-sufficiency.

Compared to wooden boats, fiberglass bancas are lighter, easier, faster and cheaper to both build and maintain – with repairs as simple as patching up cracks and holes with epoxy or fiberglass. Unlike wood, fiberglass is completely watertight and does not expand when wet.

The project aims to restore food security while avoiding an increase in fishing pressure by ensuring that boats do not exceed 20 feet in length and are propelled chiefly by sails or paddles, promoting artisanal or small-scale fishing. To contribute to the goals of the year-long project, the Earth Hour crowd-funding platform aims to raise $24,000 for 60 bancas by mid-April.

Earth Hour Slated for March 29
Envisioned as a unique and highly-visual way to stand against climate change, Earth Hour uses the simple action of turning off lights for 60 minutes to deliver a powerful message on the need for decisive climate change solutions. This simple act has captured the hearts and minds of people the world over.

Earth Hour began in 2007 as a single-city event. Today, it has become the largest recurring environmental mass-action, with 154 of the world’s 196 countries joining the global switch-off. The Philippines has been championing Earth Hour since 2008.

Official Earth Hour 2014 Corporate Partners include Megaworld, Philips and ArthaLand. Earth Hour Media Champions include ABS-CBN, ABS-CBN RNG, ANC, The Lifestyle Network, ABS-CBN Sports + Action, Myx, The National Geographic Channel, The Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Manila Bulletin, Business World, Business Mirror, the Philippine Star, Click-The-City, FocusMedia, Globaltronics, QCreativs, Leo Burnett, DZUP and Radyo Veritas.

“Give a man some fish and you’ll feed him for a day. Teach him how to fish and you can feed him forever,” concludes Tan. “We invite corporations and individuals to support Bancas for the Philippines via the Earth Hour crowd-funding platform. Through your help, we can help Yolanda-hit prepare for the rougher seas brought about by climate change. Together, let us keep hope afloat.”

Donate here: http://ehour.me/BANCAS

Photo Credit: © [Gregg Yan] / WWF-Philippines. Some rights reserved.
© [EarthHour to Provide Bancas for the Philippines]. Reproduced with permission from WWF. [19 February 2014]. WWF-Philippines / Kabang Kalikasan ng Pilipinas Foundation. All rights reserved.