As part of UP ITTC’s goal in making IT courses and trainings available to more Filipinos, an admission exam for potential students will be held in different UP colleges all around the Philippines (see schedule and venue below). Successful applicants can also avail of the scholarships through the sponsorship of several industry partners.

For those in Cebu, the admission exam will be on March 17, 2010, 8AM-12PM at the University of the Philippines in the Visayas Cebu College in Gorordo Avenue, Lahug, Cebu City. More information at the poster below.

For other venues and schedules, application requirements and other information, please visit the UP ITTC website. Good luck!

Computer spy softwares are usually used for family, corporate or personal use. I’ll discuss, on a personal point of view, the advantages and disadvantages of using computer spy softwares.

Personally, I don’t like being spied upon by some hidden software. It creeps me out. Of course that applies to my laptop at home. Using computer spy softwares for personal surveillance purposes can be intrusive — add damaging. You don’t want to reach school with the news spread out (with screenshots of course) that you watch too much porn, or you stalk your teacher and whatnots. For personal use, I guess computer spy softwares are evil — can be used for stalking, for blackmail and breaking down another’s privacy on a general note. But that’s just one disadvantage.

Computer spy softwares, just like security cameras, are used by companies to track down employee activities. An example would be for a company that has employees using primarily a computer. A computer spy software could be used to track down the productivity of the employee. This being known, the worker would avoid visiting prohibited sites during work hours. For family use, computer spy softwares could aid parents/guardians in watching over what the kids are doing or browsing on the internet (cleaning out the NSFW stuff out of the way).

I guess that’s it. Score is 1-2, so “advantage” wins. Computer spy softwares aren’t the bad after all. It all depends on how we use it. So depending on who you are, a computer spy can either be for good or for bad. I guess it really is just bothersome when used to spy against you. But for work and family safety purposes, computer spy softwares are a thumbs-up! Keep spying! (Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/yellowdwarfs/)

Hachiko: A Dog’s Story is based on a heartwarming true story from Japan about an Akita breed dog named Hachiko and his steadfast loyalty to his owner even after his (the owner) death. Hachi was found on the train station, lost, and was adopted by Prof. Parker Wilson (Gere). Hachi grew up with Parker and he accompanies his owner to the train station everyday and would return in the afternoon to greet him after work (with the train sound as a cue). Unfortunately, the professor died one day and never returned to the station. Hachiko faithfully returns to the same spot at the station the very next day, and every day for the next nine years to wait for his beloved master. Hachiko died on the same spot where he waited for his owner everyday.

Though the adaptation of the true story was shot in America, the real life Hachiko (died March 8, 1935) lived in Japan. Today, a bronze statue of Hachiko sits in his waiting spot outside Shibuya station, Japan. He became the symbol of undying devotion and loyalty to the Japanese.

I believe that dogs are really man’s best friend. Hachiko is one solid proof of that. And there’s more; just search Wikipedia. Anyways, I suggest Hachiko, the movie, for dog lovers out there. And for those who are not, I still recommend it. It’s a really good movie. Marley and Me is fun and heartwarming, while Hachiko, is dramatic and life-touching. Ana, Rose and I cried at the film’s ending. I’m not ashamed to admit that. This movie’s one hell of a really good one.

Watch the trailer below. And be moved.

Sa Ngan sa Amahan is a Cebuano play inspired from the Palanca Award winning play for Literature written by Roberto Jose de Guzman. Sa Ngalan ng Ama in its original title is a tragic story of a family ruined by the autocratic ways of the father. The story takes place within the old household of the Villasante’s. It tackles highly important and relevant political and social issues discussed in the family setting, society’s most basic unit and very foundation.

The story stresses the importance of family relations and how the country is shaped by the families composing it. Conflicts in the story do not only revolve around the family members but also involve the greater circles of the Philippine society. The lives and views of each of the family members carefully reflect the facets of our society.

I highly recommend this play. Aside from the lessons we’ll learn about the society and family, UPSTAGE delivers amazing stage plays as a lot of us witnessed in their play last year entitled Papeles. Once a member, I assure you that UPSTAGE will only give the best. The play would be worth your time and money.

So if you have time on February 27, Saturday, watch the play with your family or friends. It will also serve as a breather for students.

Ticket prices are as follows:

Php100 – regular price

Php85 – student price

Php150 – Gala Deluxe

Php200 – Gala Premiere

Schedule: 10AM, 1PM, 4PM and 7PM (Gala)

You can buy tickets at the cinema entrance on the 27th. So please spread the word about the play. Bring your friends or whoever you’d like to bring.

See you there!

Earth Hour is a global call to action to every individual, business, school and community to take a stand against climate change.

Show your support for Earth Hour by turning off your lights 8:30PM of March 27 (Saturday).

You can support Earth Hour by:

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

If you really care about saving the environment, participate in Earth Hour 2010.

Plantation Bay Resort & Spa

I expected a very grand entrance. What surprised me is a homey, humble facade of a 5-star resort. Mica’s uncle Mr. Gerry Rodriguez who is the Executive Housekeeper, welcomed both us. And he initiated the day tour. He was with us the 3 hours plus we were touring on the resort. And so, here’s my own list of the ten things you’ll love about Plantation Bay Resort and Spa.

1. The place is simply a paradise

When I was younger, I’ve always dreamed of going to Plantation Bay. I always see it in TV and the place just looks amazing. Personally experiencing the place is another thing. I’ve been to several resorts in Cebu and Bohol but Plantation Bay just has its own distinct feature. It’s really paradise — though not natural, but it is made to look and act like one.

2. The people are warm and accommodating

Aside from Mr. Gerry, the other staff of the resort were welcoming. They were smiling and friendly. I tend to observe a lot and what I noticed is that the staff will never fail to greet you when you pass by them. With matching smiles. But my biggest gratitude goes to Mr. Gerry for spending his time with Mica and I, touring us around the resort like we’re VIPs.

3. High-class amenities and facilities

I haven’t experienced a lot of their amenities but I know that they do have a lot of aqua rides, a gym and a game room (where the Korean kids were staying), diving, wall climbing and sports amenities. Plus the wide crystal clear swimming pools, left and right wherever you go. They also have a dedicated area for spa and wellness.

4. Many, many swimming pools

This is a bit biased because I personally love swimming, meaning I love swimming pools. A lot. Plantation Bay has lots of them. So if you love swimming, this is the place for you. By the way, most of their pools are seawater. They get it under the ocean so it is guaranteed fresh. They also change it regularly. As proven by the photos, the swimming pools are crystal clear. Someday I’m gonna get myself wet there.

5. Food is good

Mr. Gerry treated us to a snack break in Kilimanjaro Kafe. We had the pancit canton and the burger plate (forgot the name). It was good, yummy. Just look at the photos. That plus a good conversation between Me, Mica, Sir Gerry and his wife, is the perfect snack session.

Dishes next?

6. Place makes you feel relaxed

Of course it is paraiso! If you just sit under a tree there, and read a good book, then you will probably regain the energy you lost with stress. The place is built to freshen you up, to keep you away from the bustling noise of the city (literally) and to let you experience a place where worries are not allowed. THIS is the place to relax. I WANT to relax.

7. Huge place, huge resort

The resort is very huge, so if you like running around, biking, catching each other’s breaths or just walking, then this is the right place. Some resorts maybe grand with high-rise buildings but the ground area may be small. Plantation offers a wide area and that means a possibility of an endless array of activities.

8. Amazing room ideas and cottages

I’ve known this since I was a kid. Some of Plantation Bay’s rooms are on the pools. When you jump out of your room, you see water. I love this concept. And I want to try it! This is one of the features that I like about the resort. I just kept it to myself until I saw the real thing and went inside that type of room. Awee.

9. High-class room details

We’ve talked about the exteriors. Let’s take a look at the room details:

Judge the room by the picture. By the way, this leads to the wide swimming pool!

10. Plantation Bay is Plantation Bay

Lastly, I love Plantation Bay because IT IS Plantation Bay. I won’t forget the childhood dream of experiencing the place. Getting there last January 23, 2010 was my first time. It wasn’t bad. But I wish I could have swam. I love swimming. I promised to myself that I will be back not just to tour the place (I’m done with that) but to experience paradise in its fullness.

Again thanks to Sir Gerry for the tour. And Mica for inviting me to the place. I shall return to Plantation Bay soon.

In two years, blogging in Cebu has ripened from just being a mere online diary to something that takes an active role in civic and social awareness.

One of the factors that contributed to this positive development in the blogging scene in Cebu is the creation of a local blogging community.

The Cebu Bloggers Society was founded on February 14, 2008, with the main goal of uniting Cebu-based bloggers into a well-bonded community. And indeed, after its creation, individuals with diverse backgrounds but with a common interest, which is to promote Cebu and advocate blogging as a key tool for progress, converged together to establish Cebu’s first and largest blogging community.

The Cebu Bloggers Society has really grown and evolved quite significantly. From its humble beginnings, the group presently has at least 80 members and the number is still bound to increase further.

When I joined the group last February 21, 2009, we were a not-so-big group. And then I saw it grow. Now we’re a very active group, playing many useful roles in society, tapping politics and marketing and a lot more.

And we the huge group of bloggers in Cebu are very excited to celebrate our second founding anniversary. We call it “CBS @ 2: The Cebu Bloggers Society 2nd Anniversary Celebration“, an event envisioned to further strengthen the bond of friendship and camaraderie within the blogging community. The anniversary celebration will be held on Sunday, February 14, 2010, 5-9PM, at the Celebration Hall of SM Storyland, Lower Ground Floor, SM City Cebu.

We would like to thank the support of the following major sponsors and businesses in the forthcoming realization of the said event.

We would also like to thank the minor sponsors: Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort, Batang Yagit and Jehzlau Concepts.

Congratulations Cebu Bloggers Society for the great 2 years! Looking forward to more activities for us.

Quoting the source:

…It may not be real social relationship, but it appears that may not really matter in terms of its relief of feelings of social isolation and rejection. (http://tinyurl.com/yggluqr)

Well that was me before. I used to either sit in front of the computer or watch good TV shows when I was younger. Lack of social life then. Not like now that I go out often to hang out with friends or bury myself into homeworks and thesis,  before was TV, TV and TV – cartoons, reality shows, series, etc. I feel deprived now of TV. I have no time to do so. And I miss it much because I know watching TV shows can actually relax me and make me happy (though the internet makes me happy too). If only we have an HD DVR TV type at home. If only.

Here’s the anatomy and feature of an HD DVR gizmo:

Cool yeah?

An HD DVR TV can actually record the TV shows so you don’t have to rush home to catch up on a program right on its time slot. An HD DVR like the one offered by DIRECTV offers better resolution (than cable), more vivid colors and clearer sound aside from the auto-recording of TV shows. By the way, we use antenna at home right now. We didn’t continue subscribing to cable TV since it’s expensive and as I’ve said, there is less TV watching at home now (except for my sister watching Pinoy Big Brother everyday of her life). That is why for me, a DIRECT TV type would be useful maybe for this summer. If I’ll graduate on time, of course, I’d be back (maybe) to watching TV.

But we don’t have cable TV anymore. Maybe get a DIRECTTV product? Uhm. The right time will come. For now, I’m on the “longing” phase but I’ll focus on my graduation first.

Flowers, particularly roses, will always be the number one gift idea to complete a Valentine’s celebration. Did you know that the first ever red rose given for Valentine’s Day was given by St. Valentine himself ? And that probably is the root for the massive flower-giving during the day of the hearts.

Trivia: Ladies are no longer the only ones whom love receiving flowers. 60% of men surveyed by the Society of American Florists admitted that they would like to receive flowers on Valentines Day. -http://tinyurl.com/yfc4tvd

In the Philippines, flower-giving during Valentine’s is also a practiced tradition. Flower shops will be filled with bustling shoppers as February 14 comes near. But it’s always a problem where to buy the best flowers/roses and how to romantically send them to your loved ones. Combining creativity and technology rises a special kind of flower shop — Island Rose. Island Rose lets you send flowers to the Philippines in its complete freshness. A quick background:

Island Rose (islandrose.net) is the official e-commerce site of the Philippine Cut Flower Corporation (PCFC) – the largest retailer and wholesaler of roses in the country. Island Rose specializes in growing popular Dutch and French variety flowers using state-of-the art greenhouse facilities in the cool climate of Tagaytay, Philippines.

From classic bouquets to combinations, you can surely pick from a wide variety of lovely choices. Here are some samples:

And for a lovely combination:

Those two images might get you thinking. Don’t you agree they look really good. I’m sure anybody who receives those kinds of flowers will go crazy.

Send your love partners some Philippine flowers next week! Thinking for the best ones, choose Island Rose for your flower delivery to the Philippines, anywhere in the Philippines! For interested buyers, use coupon code VDAY022010 to get 10% discount. Valid until February 20, 2010.

Advanced Happy Valentine’s to the lovers all around the world!

The 45th day in the Gregorian Calendar is very well celebrated by couples stealing each other’s kisses, I love you’s, chocolates, flowers and many more. This is the time wherein lovers buy each other gifts just to pronounce their love to one another. Oftentimes, it is always the man who gives presents to his partner. Flowers and chocolates are cliche. If you notice, malls would be filled with such as soon as the calendar flips over to February.

Because we are slowing turning everything into “web”, shopping for Valentine’s Day meant busy servers for online shopping sites. One can even find women’s complete outfits over the internet with a variety of choices (there are also women’s blazers and those at par with women’s fashion trends) such as those in Shop Wiki. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and e-Bay contains similar shopping gift ideas for Valentine’s Day. How about for men? You could go to Ask Men (www.askmen.com) and find the gadgets or fashion stuff a man would love to get on Valentine’s Day. How about me?

As much as I would want to elaborate more on this pre-selected topic , I could not. As Glee’s hit song says, and I apply it to me, can anybody find me somebody to love? I am again (and again n-times) a bachelor on Valentine’s Day BUT I will be happily celebrating that day with my blogger friends for the second year anniversary of Cebu Bloggers Society.

P.S. I am available. You could leave a comment below if you like me hahaha . (Photo by merwing)