Two and a Half Men ex-star Charlie Sheen and Warner Bros. settles lawsuit

After filing a $100 million lawsuit against CBS and Chuck Lorre, the studio and creator behind the this TV series "Two and A Half Men", Charlie Sheen has settled his lawsuit stemming over the Sheens's dismissal from the top-rated U.S. television comedy earlier this year.

Warner Bros. did not put a figure on the settlement. The case had been settled through arbitration.

Sheen was fired from "Two and A Half Men" after publicly insulting Lorre in a series of bizarre interviews. His remarks followed a series of trips to rehab that had forced production on the TV comedy to be suspended in early 2011.

Sheen was replaced on "Two and A Half Men" by Ashton Kutcher. The new season debuted last week to a record 28.7 million U.S. viewers -- a bigger audience than any episodes in the comedy's first eight seasons with Sheen in the starring role as a womanizing bachelor.

United Football League partners with AKTV; signs 5-year TV deal

United Football League, a local football league in the Philippines has just recently signed a five-year contract with AKTV, a local sports channel as it aims to bolster the game in which the AZKALS have helped kickstarted.

In the contract between AKTV and UFL, there will be two live UFL matches that will be shown every Saturday beginning October 8, 2011 with the televised matches played at the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium and non-televised games played at the University of Makati.

The season kicks off with the UFL Cup where 28 teams, including 13 guest squads, will compete for slots in the UFL’s Division II.

Group A: Nomads FC, Baguio FC, Union Internacional FC, Lions FC

Group B: Loyola Meralco Sparks FC, Internacionale FC, Agila FC, Team Socceroo FC

Group C: Global FC, Pachanga FC, Stallions FC, Cebu Queen City FC

Group D: Kaya-Cignal FC, ABC Stars FC, Schwarz, Diliman Victory Liner FC

Group E: Philippine Air Force FC, Philippine Navy FC, Manila All-Japan FC, Laos FC

Group F: Green Archers United FC, Dolphins United FC, Pasargad FC, Forza FC

Group G: Philippine Army FC, Manhur FC, Sunken Garden United FC, and Garuda FC PH

Different AZKALS players will be distributed amongst the different clubs participating in the league.

Loyola Spark FC will have Phil and James Younghusband with former national teammates Mark and Matthew Hartmann.

The Azkals’ Fil-Spanish striker Angel Guirado and Fil-Iranian Misagh Bahadoran will be donning the colors of Global FC.

Kaya FC will have Aly Borromeo, Anton del Rosario, Jason Sabio, Yannick Tuason, and Nate Burkey in uniform.

Philippine Air Force FC has scoring threats Chieffy Caligdong and Ian Araneta in harness while rival Philippine Army FC features Roel Gener and Nestor Margarse.

This will definitely be a fun league to watch as we see the different AZKALS players compete against one another. And with the continued support of the public and the Filipino people,
football is getting a much needed shot in the arm, as it popularity continues to grow in this basketball crazy country.

Long Teng Cup, AZKALS next target

The Philippine AZKALS will be heading towards Taiwan for this years LONG TENG CUP, a four nation tournament in which the Philippines has not won yet. With the experience that the team have gained over the past year, hopes are high that they would be able to win it all.

The Azkals will be playing five international matches in 11 days starting in Sept. 30 when they face Hong Kong in Taiwan. They will also play Chinese-Taipei on October 2 and Macau on October 4.
With a full complement of players, including those based in Europe, the Azkals play an international friendly in Singapore on October 7, before returning home for a date against Nepal on October 11 at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

The LONG TENG CUP will be aired live locally over at Studio 23 and BALLS. Game schedule below:

September 30
Philippines vs HongKong 4:30 p.m. (Studio 23)

October 2
Philippines vs Chinese Taipei 7 p.m. (Studio 23)

October 4
Philippines vs Macau 3pm(Kick off @ 4:30pm) on Studio 23

R.E.M says goodbye to fans after 31 years

US rock band R.E.M said goodbye to their millions of fans last Wednesday, after more than 30 years of generating hits and selling millions of records.

R.E.M originally comprised of singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bass player Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry, who suffered a brain aneurysm during the band's 1995 "Monster" tour and subsequently left the group.

Their debut album, 1983's "Murmur," helped them build a cult following among America's youth, and they crossed over to mainstream success with 1987 hit single, "The One I Love" off the album "Document."

In December of 1987, Rolling Stone magazine put the band on its cover and dubbed it "America's Best Rock & Roll Band," and after that came years of successive hits.

Well as they all say, All good things must come to an end, and sadly this holds true even if it pains us to see them say goodbye. Though they may have already said goodbye, R.E.M's music will continue to hit the airwaves and that's for sure.

Smart Gilas Pilipinas FIBA ASIA Championship Quarter Finals set today

Smart Gilas Pilipinas will be in a Do or Die situation when they battle with Chinese-Taipei for a spot in the Semifinals of this years FIBA ASIA Qualifiers in Wuhan, China.

Smart Gilas Pilipinas will be led by Naturalized Center, Marcus Douthit, Team Captain, Chris Tiu and Spitfire Guard, JV Casio, Jimmy Alapag and other key players.

Below will be the complete Quarterfinal schedule:

Game 1 - Jordan vs. Iran
Game 2 - Japan vs. Korea
Game 3 - Philippines vs. Ch. Taipei
Game 4 - China vs. Lebanon

Smart Gilas Pilipinas vs. Chinese Taipei will be broadcasted live by AKTV and BTV, game time is set at 6PM.

Here's wishing our National Team to get thru the medal round! We will all be watching! Goodluck Smart Gilas Pilipinas!

Sports: Ron Artest says goodbye to the LA Lakers

Once the NBA lockout season is over, Ron Artest will not be playing for the Los Angeles lakers anymore instead Metta World Peace would take his place.

A Los Angeles court has completed the process for Ron Artest last Friday, September 16th which requested to have his name changed last June due to personal reasons. Ron Artest will now be using the surname, World Peace which is ironic since "Peace" hasn't been his strength in his NBA career. In 2004, he received one of the longest NBA bans in history for his role in a brawl with fans in which he raced into the stands in Detroit.

But before we get to see World Peace play in the NBA, we will be seeing him in the upcoming season of the hit TV dancing competition “Dancing with the Stars”

So once the NBA lockout is over, do not be surprised to see a new name wearing the Los Angeles Lakers jersey and hear a familiar beauty contest answer echoing the staples center.

World Peace!

Tech News: Webcam 101 with Grandma and Grandpa

Two grandparents are instantly becoming a youtube sensation. Bruce and Esther Huffman accidentally recorded themselves while setting up their webcam on a new laptop. It has even been featured in Good Morning America.

For those of you who haven't seen the clip. Here you go. You might want to share it with your Grandpa and Grandma.

Original Webcam Clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcN08Tg3PWw&feature=related
Good Morning America Clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyd9wPhB1hA

Entertainment: Black Eyed Peas, Live in Manila 2011

Multi-Grammy awarad winning group, Black Eyed Peas, will be visiting Manila, Philippines for a one night concert this coming October 25, 2011 at the SM Mall of Asia Grounds.

Rappers Will.I.Am (William Adams), Filipino Apl.de.Ap (Allan Pineda), Taboo (Jaime Gomez) and singer Fergie (Stacy Ann Ferguson) will be performing for thousands of fans later this year — and there is no stopping them in rocking Manila this coming October 25 at the SM Mall of Asia concert grounds.

The best-selling group will conquer the Manila party stage with their smash hits such as “Let’s Get It Started,” “Boom Boom Pow,” “Don’t Stop the Party,” and “The Time-Dirty Bit.”
Together with their other favorites hits such as “My Humps,” “I Gotta Feeling,” “Don’t Phunk With My Heart,” and “Meet Me Halfway.”

Tickets for Black Eyed Peas Live in Manila are now available. Enjoy the 20% OFF on VIP A, VIP B, and BRONZE tickets for the Black Eyed Peas Live in Manila 2011 concert. Rush to SM Tickets and Ticketworld!

Ticket outlets:
Futuretainment - +63 0947-396-4539 / +63 0939-9019836 / +63 0917-555-5475 / +63(2)577-3265
MMI – +63 0917-555-5415 / +63(2)5867275
TicketWorld – +63(2) 891-9999
SM Tickets – +63(2) 470-2222


For more information about the concert you can visit Futuretainment Inc. at their website

Tech News: Typhoon 2000, a better alternative when checking the Philippine weather

The monsoon season is already affecting major parts of the Philippines and tropical cyclones are a constant visitors to this country. I have been visiting one particular website that focuses on giving information about the current weather pattern affecting the Philippines and neighboring Asian countries.

Typhoon 2000.ph was created specifically give its followers "easy-to-understand" tropical cyclone information over the South China Sea and Northwest Pacific Basin (from Malay Peninsula - 100° E up to the International Date Line - 180°). This website is often referred to as a "one-stop" web portal which links all Asia-Pacific warning centers monitoring active or existing tropical cyclones.

Typhoon 2000 gets its information from a variety of meteorological sources such as Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical & Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), U.S. Navy's Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) based in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, United Nations' Regional Specialized Meteorological Centre (RSMC) Tokyo-Typhoon Centre (Japan Meteorological Agency), & Hong Kong Observatory.

If you want a more detailed, diversed and accurate weather report for the Philippines, you guys might want to try visiting www.typhoon2000.ph

Places: Pagcor Entertainment City; a reality or just a fantasy?

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation is trying to create an Entertainment City that would rival that of Las Vegas. The Entertainment City on Manila Bay is expected to generate at least a million jobs locally and raise the gaming revenue of the Philippines by 14 times from the current $800 million annually to a staggering $11.5 billion in revenue. The plan if to succeed will bring in an additional one million tourists to the Philippines. According to reports from certain broadsheets in the Philippines that Pagcor have already licensed four investors to help develop the project, they are: Resorts World Manila developer Travellers International Hotel Group Inc.; the SM group; Bloomsberry Investments; and Japan’s Aruze group.

I would say that this is a very bold plan and project by PAGCOR and hopefully this materializes and not just remain as a plan. I think its about time that government officials come up with such plans to further boost the marketability of the Philippines.

Entertainment: Shamcey Supsup proves that there is more to Philippines than Manny Pacquiao

Leila Lopes from Angola won the recently concluded Miss Universe 2011 held at Sao Paolo Brazil.

The contest albeit frustrating for majority of the Filipino people was definitely a good one. The Philippines bet, Shamcey Supsup placed 3rd runner up which was a bit of surprise, considering that she had a good chance of being in the TOP 2 especially after her answer during the Q&A portion for the TOP 5. There were unconfirmed reports that the same sentiment was shared by Oprah Winfrey during her interview with NBC news with regard to the result of the 2011 Miss Universe

"I have reservations with the results. If the only basis is the Q and A portion, after having been trimmed down to 5, Ms. Philippines deserved to win. What made her different from the rest is that she had no seconds to rethink of her answer as she had no interpreter to break the ice. The rest had their interpreters and having breaks on seconds to think about their answers. Hands down, Ms. Philippines answered straight to the point."

Nonetheless, unconfirmed or not, Shamcey Supsup's win was another testament that the Philippines can compete with the rest of the world when it comes to beauty contests and that there is more to the Philippines than Manny Pacquiao.

Tech News: Pacquiao's HP TouchPad got KO'd by Apple's iPAD

Boxing celebrity and 8 division world champion Manny Pacquiao, got knocked out by Apple's iPAD.

HP tapped the Fighting Congressman to be part of its list of celebrity endorsers for their HP TouchPad - designed to counter Apple's iPAD. But barely 2 months after Pacquiao's commercial has been released, HP has decided to pull the plug due to poor sales.

HP opted to slash TouchPad’s price by $250 in an effort to recover part of the $100 million it was expected to lose because of the decision to stop selling the tablets, according to an article in www.thenextweb.com.

Just last month, HP released a 31-second TV ad featuring Pacquiao, the Saranggani lawmaker who is also acknowledged as the best fighter pound-for-pound on the planet today.

The ad shows Pacquiao discussing how he conquered doubts about his boxing skills, political acumen, and lately, his ability to make it as a singer. All the while, he is holding a TouchPad in front of his face, flicking through its variety of features.

“Now, I’m trying to make it in music,” the congressman says in the ad, which shows a clip of his duet with Dan Hill as they sing “Sometimes When We Touch.

“Haha, millions of hits,” he ends, referring to the song’s online clip.

But all of this was a futile effort made by HP to directly compete for the iPAD's market. Now I was wondering if they could have priced it lower than the iPAD would it make a difference?

For those who have not yet seen the commercial, just click on the link below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gd5up6XrzQc

Tech Tips: Facebook Security Changed again

I know that most of us has a Facebook account and are likely using it everyday to interact with people and connect with long lost friends. But as a user we need to be wise enough to know the dangers that it would bring once an account is hacked or maliciously accessed. Most of you probably don't know that when accessing Facebook it has to be in a secured environment in order for it not to be hacked. Facebook has recently changed its security settings (again!) without notifying its users. Apparently, Facebook has automatically set to default the setting of everyone's account security to Non-Secure.

Take a look at your URL. If you see "http" or just "www" instead of "https", that means you DO NOT have a secure session & your account can be hacked. But don't fret, if you want to change this just go to Account Settings -> Account Security -> click Change. Check box (secure browsing), click Save. Then after that you should see the https://www.facebook.com as the url for your Facebook page.

It's definitely frustrating to know that Facebook would have to do this and not let their users know about it, but we just need to suck it up and learn it from someone else's.

Happy browsing everyone!

Events: Concert - Miley Cyrus, Gypsy Heart World Tour, invades Manila

Miley Cyrus, the teen star that popularized Hannah Montana is here in the Phillipines for her Gypsy Heart World Tour. Philippines will be the only Asian country that she will be visiting for her world tour.

Her concert will be held at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds this June 17, 2011, concert starts 8PM.

Music Management International, the same producer of Justin Bieber’s Manila Concert at SM Mall of Asia on May 10, is the group responsible for bringing Cyrus in Manila.

Tickets are still available thru Ticket World or any SM Ticketnet outlets
Ticket Prices: VIP Php7,460 GOLD A Php4,670 SILVER Php3,500 BRONZE Php1,844 GENAD Php 650

Sports: 2011 NBA Championship: A DejaVu from 2006

Call it dejavu with a twist. This year’s 2011 NBA season is not deprived of plots and subplots as Miami vs Dallas will surely be barnburner. This is a rematch of an epic 2006 finals wherein Miami down 0-2 bounced back and won 4 straight games to capture their first Larry O’Brien trophy.

There are a lot of things to look out for this year’s NBA finals since a lot are at stake.

Miami – Is this the year where they start their reign as Kings of American Basketball? Will the experiment work? James, Wade and Bosh
Will they fulfil their promise of winning multiple championships together?
Will Eric Spoelstra win his 1st ever championship ring as a head coach?

Dallas – Is this the year where Dirk Nowitzki, Jsaon Kidd, Shawn Marion, and the rest of the Dallas mavericks win their 1st ring?
Is Tyson Chandler the missing link that they have been waiting for?
Will Rick Carlisle finally win his 1st championship ring as head coach?

A lot are at stake and pressures are high. Which team will step up to the plate and claim this year’s championship? Hold on to your seats as this will be one exciting series.

Dirk is on mission and you can see it in his eyes, though I can’t help but root for Eric Spoelstra who is Half-Filipino. Plus the fact that it’s the trio of Lebron, Wade and Bosh. So as for my thoughts as to who will win it?

Hate to say it but Dallas in 6.

Here is the game schedule:

US TV coverage by ABC

Game 1: Mavs @ Heat - Tue 5/31 9:00p ET
Game 2: Mavs @ Heat - Thu 6/02 9:00p ET
Game 3: Heat @ Mavs - Sun 6/05 8:00p ET
Game 4: Heat @ Mavs - Tue 6/07 9:00p ET
*Game 5: Heat @ Mavs – Thu 6/09 9:00p ET
*Game 6: Mavs @ Heat – Sun 6/12 8:00p ET
*Game 7: Mavs @ Heat – Tue 6/14 9:00p ET

* If necessary


Philippine Free TV Coverage ABS-CBN Channel 2

Game 1: Mavs @ Heat - Wed 6/01 9:00am
Game 2: Mavs @ Heat - Fri 6/03 9:00am
Game 3: Heat @ Mavs - Mon 6/06 8:00am
Game 4: Heat @ Mavs - Wed 6/08 9:00am
*Game 5: Heat @ Mavs – Fri 6/09 9:00am
*Game 6: Mavs @ Heat – Mon 6/13 8:00am
*Game 7: Mavs @ Heat – Wed 6/15 9:00am

* If necessary

Tech News: Twitter and Facebook rule Philippine mobile users

According to a recent survey made by TNS, an international media research firm, Twitter and Facebook saw an increase in their popularity last year among Filipino mobile device users, thanks to cheap and unlimited data services.

The international media research firm also mentioned that a total of 91 percent of mobile device users in the Philippines this year access sites such as Facebook. This is a good 54% increase in penetration for the same population last 2010.

And it’s not just Facebook that got the interests of Filipino mobile device users, microblogging sites like Twitter saw a 17% increase in 2011 from 4% last 2010.

An estimated 73% of mobile phone users use their devices to send personal messages. Filipinos also use their mobile devices to enjoy digital music, video calling, bluetooth functionality, and as a planner for their calendar functions. This just shows that Filipino’s are putting their mobile devices into good use

While majority of Filipinos continue to use the short messaging service (SMS) on their mobile devices, the levels have been declining as social networking steps into the picture.

I wouldn't be surprised if the trend continues to go up every year, as mobile service providers continuously find ways on how to better incorporate data services packages into their mobile plans and services.

Local Events: Havaianas Always Summer: Race to Hawaii Final Results

The results are in, last April 16, 2011, 1 lucky pair have punched their way for a 6 day/5 night, all expense paid vacation for two to the land that inspired Havaianas - Hawaii!

Michael Balcita and Bernard Rebollido of Team Rosa from Baguio City prevailed out of the 20 pairs that trekked their way to Boracay. The triumphant cousins were the only team to finish all the challenges without incurring a time penalty. They will now travel in style with luggage from American Tourister

Of course before reaping the fruits of their labor, Team Rosa and the other competing teams have to complete and accomplish sets of fun and unique tasks that included identifying the ingredients of the delicious mystery shakes provided at the famous Jonah’s Fruit Shake and Snack Bar (A Taste of Boracay), digging into the sand to find secret summer items (Summer Search), spotting certain individuals roaming around the beach (Spot Me), discovering famous Boracay landmarks (Sea the Signs), and even inflating a bright yellow and green Havaianas Flip-Float (Havaianas Flip-Float Challenge).

“The challenges were really fun and challenging and we had a hard time accomplishing everything,” said Balcita and Rebollido. “We’d like to thank Havaianas for everything. We really had a great time.”

“We’d like to congratulate Michael and Bernard for winning the Havaianas ‘Always Summer: Race to Hawaii’ contest,” said Anne Gonzalez, Managing Director of Havaianas Philippines. “We’d also like to applaud the rest of the Havaianatico participants for living the fun-loving and happy spirit of summer every day.

Here are some pictures taken from the event.

Upon arrival, the finalists—who were stylishly clad in their Havaianas flip-flops—were greeted with special summer essentials from David & Goliath, Hawaiian Tropic, Sony, and Havaianas

After 100 summer-loving two-member teams from all over the Philippines took part in the regional leg of the Havaianas “Always Summer: Race to Hawaii” last April 9 in Bonifacio Global City, Metro Manila, the twenty teams with the fastest times were flown to Boracay, courtesy of Seair, to go through a series of fun and exciting challenges and to find out which 2 Havaianaticos would come out on top

Fun and exciting challenges, unique to Boracay, await the contestants, such as searching for famous landmarks by the shore or digging through the sands to find secret summer items. Teams are sure to keep cool under the sun with hydration stations provided by Powerade Sports Drink and Viva! Mineralized Water – both of which advocate an active & healthy lifestyle for Filipinos.

Although some of the contestants breezed through the challenges in the regional leg, this wasn’t the case for the final round in Boracay. One of the unique tasks they had to accomplish was the inflation of Havaianas-shaped floats in the Havaianas Flip-Float Challenge.

All 20 teams in the Havaianas “Always Summer: Race to Hawaii” contest had to accomplish a fun game called “A Taste of Boracay” where they to identify the ingredients of the delicious mystery shakes provided at the famous Jonah’s Fruit Shake and Snack Bar.


The Havaianas “Always Summer: Race to Hawaii” contest is one of the highlights of the Havaianas “Always Summer” campaign, a year-round celebration of summer. Havaianas believes that summer never goes out of style and that Filipinos can live out the spirit of summer every day, all year round, with a positive attitude and a sense of enthusiasm.

For more exciting details about the recently concluded Havaianas “Always Summer: Race to Hawaii” contest, visit http://www.havaianassummer.com/
or follow our Havaianas Philippines Facebook fan page at http://www.facebook.com/havaianasphilippines and celebrate a stylish summer to the fullest with your favorite pair of Havaianas flip-flops!

Sports: Manny Pacquiao shuts out Shane Mosley

Manny Pacquiao scored a unanimous decision over Shane Mosley after a sell out crowd of 16, 412 at the MGM grand garden in Las Vegas Nevada last May 7, 2011. Almost all of them ended up disappointed not because of Manny but with Sugar Shane Mosley. He never put up a fight after getting rocked and dropped at the 3rd round. The look in his eyes were already a tell tale sign that he will try as much as possible to move away from the power punch and avoid getting KO'd for the first time in his career. Shane Mosley was able to recover and used his leg power and bicycled instead all the way to the 12th round except maybe for the "knockdown" that Mosley was credited for during the 10th round. In fact it was more of a push rather than a knockdown, though Kenny Bayless admitted after the fight that he mistakenly called it as a knockdown and apologized to Freddie Roach and Manny, but then again after that KO Manny was so angered that he tried to bulldoze his way to Mosley and knock his senses out, but then again, Mosley was back pedalling too fast for Pacquiao to catch.

Manny Pacquiao, disappointed as well said during one of the post fight interviews that he was expecting Mosley to fight toe to toe for at least 5 of the 12 rounds. But none of those expectations happened and the result was a marathon instead of a boxing match.

Shane Mosley after this fight should consider retirement since he clearly showed that he no longer has it. Freddie Roach sums it up best when he said that "Shane did not try to win the fight, He tried to survive, and when you get to that point in boxing, it's time to retire"

All in all it was an okay fight to say the least not because Manny did not knock Shane Mosley out, (a fight that we all get accustomed to) but because Mosley was thinking of not getting knocked out.

Well at least Paris Hilton said that the fight was amazing, really?

Go figure :)

Events: Pope John Paul II beatification to be serenaded by Filipino Choir

Beatification, this is a recognition accorded by the Catholic Church of a dead person's entrance into Heaven and capacity to intercede on behalf of individuals who pray in his or her name (intercession of saints). Beatification is the third of the four steps in the canonization process. A person who is beatified is given the title "Blessed".

This Sunday, May 1, 2011 Pope John Paul II will be the beatified and the Philippines will surely be following this event not only because Pope John Paul II is close to every Filipinos hearts but also a choir composed majority of Filipino migrant workers will be one of the groups that will sing in this momentous event. The group sings regularly at the Basilica of Santa Pudenziana in Rome, home of the Sentro Filipino Chaplaincy.

Performing in the Beatification of Pope John Paul II is being considered as a blessing by the Maharlika Group with many of the members had seen the Pope last 2002 when he himself arranged a special audience with the Vatican-based Filipinos.

In my 32 years of existence, I have been blessed to witness how a Pope is selected and now a beatification of a soon to be Saint. This is a once in a lifetime experience which I will not forget, plus the fact that a Filipino choir will be singing.

Local Events: Havaianas Always Summer: Race to Hawaii down to twenty teams

Last April 9, 2011 50 pairs of team from Metro Manila, Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, Central and Eastern Visayas, Western Visayas, Northern and Western Mindanao, and Southern and Western Mindanao participated in the first leg of the Havaianas Always Summer: Race to Hawaii promo held at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Teams from outside Metro Manila were flown in, all-expenses-paid, to take part in this one of a kind race.

“Havaianas has always believed that summer is more than just being the hottest, happiest season of the year; it is a state of mind which we can live out everyday through a positive outlook in life and a sense of enthusiasm,” says Anne Gonzalez, Managing Director of Havaianas Philippines.

The same question, “What is summer for you and how do you live it out throughout the year?” was asked to the Havaianaticos who participated in the Race to Hawaii competition.

“Summer is about having fun!” declares Clementine San Juan, 44, a participant from Southern Luzon. “So to live out summer, I always see to it that I enjoy my life to the fullest.” Meanwhile, for Diana Paynor, 24, also from Southern Luzon, summer is about having quality time with loved ones. “I always make sure that I spend time with my family and my friends because they are the ones who keep me happy and contented in life.”

During race day, the teams were all giddied up that they arrived and assembled earlier than the actual start time of 6am.

The team is asked to complete 6 set of tasks during the race;
Giant Slippers challenge

Fruity Truthy

Freesbie golf

Fashion iSpy

Big bubble challenge

and Water Toss

The participants enjoyed the one of a kind summer race and with the ultimate goal of finishing all the challenges and events in the shortest time as possible

At the end of the 1st leg, presence of mind and teamwork propelled the pair from the City of Pines - Team Rosa to the top of the elimination with a time of 28 minutes and 59 seconds

The top 20 teams that finished the 1st leg of the race received gadgets from Sony and hot summer essentials from David and Goliath, Hawaiian Tropic and Havaianas while a stylish prize from American Tourister awaits the grand prize winners. The finalists of the Havaianas “Always Summer: Race to Hawaii” will fly to Boracay, courtesy of Seair and the Tides Hotel in Boracay, wherein they will battle it out to win a 6 day-5 night, all-expense-paid summer vacation for 2 to Hawaii. Whew! Talking about spending your summer holiday.

For more updates about the Havaianas: “Always Summer: Race to Hawaii” contest you can visit http://www.havaianassummer.com or their facebook account at http://www.facebook.com/havaianasphilippines

Sports: Azkals to play at Rizal Memorial Sports Coliseum

Finally! A home game within reach of spectators from the metro. Azkals will be playing their home game against Sri Lanka for the first leg of the Asian qualifying round for the 2014 World Cup on July 3, 2011.

After the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) made an inspection of the century old stadium, the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) announced that the Azkals will be playing at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila.

In line with that San Miguel Corp. has promised that they will help fund the renovation of the coliseums grandstand seats and score board. Also part of the assistance and grant is the repainting, construction of additional locker rooms and media center which is estimated to cost more than a million pesos.

This is a very welcoming news to all football fans in general and not just Azkals since this would only mean that there would be more football games that will be held in the historic coliseum. Also it will be within an arms reach of football afficionados from Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

Local News: 19 Year old Teen Wonder, breaks UP academic record

John Gabriel Pelias, 19 years old is already holding a degree in Mathematics, nothing unusual there but wait til you read this...He graduated SUMMA CUM LAUDE at the University of the Philippines. Plus, he got a general weighted average (GWA) of 1.016 which is the highest ever GWA garnered in UP history after World War II or make that around 63 years.
Such a remarkable feat from this 19 year old teenager. He is the epitome of what the University of the Philippines is all about.

Pelias, never considered poverty as a hindrance to reaching his goal and fulfilling his dream to study in one of the premier university in the country and with hardwork, his good study habits and some help from scholarships, he not only fulfilled his dream but eventually set up an academic record which to me would take another half a century to be broken or possibly even more.

In one of his interviews, Pelias mentioned that his immediate plans after graduation would be to teach and serve the University that gave him the opportunity to learn and achieve his dreams. Teaching is his passion according to Pelias and it is where he finds fulfillment, also he added that it is his own way of giving back.

A very humble and noble intention considering that with what He achieved, He can opt to go out of the country and work there, but this teen wonder, doesn't have to go far to do that, he already found a place where he can contribute his knowledge, that is his alma mater, his home.

Local News: Uniliver Suspends TV ads on 'all game shows'

Recent development spurring from the 'child abuse' controversy that TV5's Willing Willie received, UNILEVER Philippines, Inc. a multinational corporation and one of the country's leading producer and maker of household products such as soaps, detergents, shampoo etc. is suspending all of their advertisements placed on "all reality-based live game shows across all (television) networks." Unilever mentioned in a press release that "the suspension will be in place until they have observed a stricter and objective self-regulatory guidelines across networks and proper enforcement by the relevant government agencies of existing content regulations"

This is a nice move from one of the companies that can be considered a lifeblood of major TV networks in terms of advertising. Also with the move to suspend their ads, Unilever would also like to see the Movie Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) strenghten their regulations about contents across all live programs, and making sure that TV networks are clear about the potential sanctions for erring programs. I am sure there will be changes in the policies and guidelines of TV networks now that the Willing Willie issue has blown out of proportion. And besides who wouldn't want Unilever pour in millions of pesos in advertising in their stations? Now its just a matter of who implements the changes first (though TV5 have already mentioned that they have already created a regulatory body to oversee this type of issues see my related article about this. http://ch1nelas.blogspot.com/2011/04/entertainment-tv5-feeling-heat-of.html )

Who would have thought that a controversy involving one TV network would redefine the landscape of live programs on network TV? Talking about Unilever flexing their muscles. Good job ei! :)

Entertainment: TV5 feeling the heat of Willie Revillame's latest controversy

Is Willie Revillame the proper noun of CONTROVERSIAL? Damn! Everywhere he goes he is always at the center of it and now TV5 is feeling the heat already with yet another controversy of one of their most prized acquisition.

Willie Revillame is undergoing another barrage of criticism from all sector of the society for the alleged child abuse incident that he did with one of the contestants from his prime time show, Willing Willie.

In case you haven't heard, the Movie Television Review and classification Board (MTRCB) has issued a statement against ABC TV5 regarding the incident that happened last March 12, 2011 wherein a six year old boy Jan-Jan Estrada dancing in tears on Willing Willie to a cheering studio audience.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Commission on Human Rights and other groups such as the United Nations Childrens Education Fund (UNICEF) have already called for reforms in television programming involving children.

In response to the ongoing controversy, TV5 mentioned that they will follow stricter guidelines on the appearance and performance of minors on all of their programs and even created a new Standards Advisory Board composed of creative directors, psychologists and a childrens communication expert. The move is a welcome sight to make sure that no minors are exploited by any shows just for the sake of rating and entertainment.

Though I think the move failed to impress MTRCB since what they wanted ABC TV5 to do is impose punitive sanctions on the program that ranges from a reprimand up to cancellation of the program (which i don't think TV5 would ever do).

I'm sure ABS-CBN must be smiling on the side with all of this controversies that is hounding their former cash cow.

Local News: Too much drama with the Drug Mule issue

There is too much drama going on with what the Aquino administration has done with the execution of the so called drug mules in china. I have nothing against the family of those who were caught and executed but isn't it that the government is doing too much and focusing on the wrong area? Weird. I seem to not get the attention that they have been giving where in fact there are at least a hundred or even thousand more "documented" and legitimate OFWs working abroad who are being maltreated and that needs more help and are detained due to other reasons not connected to drug trafficking. Heck, the government have even offered scholarships to the family members. I am fearing that our government is sending the wrong signal to the people.
I was just wondering why not our government delve into the real root cause of the problem and nip it from there? One reason I can see is the security measures that our international airport enforces, if a tighter and more efficient security measures are in place then they would not be going gaga over saving someone from a crime which could have been prevented in the first place. There is more than meets the eye here.

Events: Havaianas Always Summer: Race to Hawaii Promo

I am sure that you are all familiar with The Amazing Race series wherein participants gets to perform tasks to complete as they travel to certain destinations around the world. Well this summer, Havaianas will be doing the same stuff and is flying a pair of participants to Hawaii as a grand prize to the winner of the race.

In line with that Compangie de Catalina Corp. the sub-distributor of Havaianas in South Luzon is hosting a press launching on April 7, 2011 6:00 pm at Hotel Ponte Fino, Batangas to officially announce the 5 teams from Southern Luzon who will be competing in the Elimination round scheduled on April 9, 2011 at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Wherein they would have a chance to advance to the final round to be held in Boracay from April 15-17, 2011 and win a free trip to Hawaii.

If you are a fellow blogger within the South Luzon area and if you are free on April 7th and interested to attend the said event you may contact Joni at jonicatalina@gmail.com for more details.

You can also visit http://havaianassummer.com/how_it_works for more information about the promo

Sports: Azkals qualifying stage for AFC done, World Cup qualifiers next

The country is still ecstatic with the win that our Philippine football team achieved during the AFC qualifying match with Bangladesh 3-0, following draws against Palestine and Myanmar to advance to the Asian Football Confederation Challenge Cup’s main tournament next year. With the AFC main tournament scheduled for next year, the Azkals have this year to hone and improve their skills further. We might as well mark in our sporting calendar their next games this coming June 29 and July 3 against a yet to be confirmed opponents as they kick off their World Cup qualifying bid. This will definitely be a step up in the competition as these matches will determine who would advance to the second round of the World Cup qualifying matches. Also playing on the first round of qualifying and possible opponents are Laos, Myanmar, Chinese-Taipei, Macau, Timor Leste, Palestine, Pakistan, Mongolia, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal and Malaysia.

The level of competition of the next matches that the team will be participating are a step higher compared to what they have already experienced during the AFC qualifying tournament so hopefully the Azkals team would springboard from all of their recent successes and continue on giving the Philippines something to cheer about. Though I would like to make an appeal to all *new* football fans especially Azkals fans to make sure that we rally behind our team no matter what the results are. We might not even make it past the first round. Hopefully, we would continuously support our Azkals team even if the results are not on their side.

Sports: Who will win this year's NBA championship?

The NBA 2010-2011 regular season is winding down and as the playoffs get closer the positioning battle for the TOP 8 teams and those that are in the 9th and 10th spot are tightening up. Questions are abound as to who will be this years NBA champions? Here are some of my takes on who are the legitimate contenders vying for the coveted Larry O’ Brien trophy.

Chicago – the team is smoking hot, but do they have what it takes to win it all?
Celtics – Experience will be a factor, but will their weary and veteran legs keep up with the likes of those with the HEAT and Chicago?
Heat – The Superfriends were on a rollercoaster ride all season albeit a bumpy ride, expectations are high for this team since joining forces together last off season. Is this the year for them to win their first ring as a trio? And a start of what could be multiple championships together?

How about in the west?

Spurs - Are they for real? I should say that they have a legitimate chance barring any setback or injuries with their own big three (Duncan, Ginobili and Parker).
Oklahoma – A very interesting team to watch, they might have an outside chance to crash the western conference party? but I'm sure that this is not yet the year for them.
Lakers – They have been on a roll since the all-star break, winning 13 out of 14 games. Will Kobe and company step it up a notch during the postseason and try to win their 3rd straight championship? And give Phil Jackson his 12th championship ring?

Well for now, its’ everybody's ballgame and as for your guess who wins this years cup? Your guess is as good as mine folks.

Earth Hour: A worthy cause to help fight Climate Change

For those who don't know, Earth Hour started in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million individuals and more than 2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour to take a stand against climate change. Only a year later and Earth Hour had become a global sustainability movement with more than 50 million people across 35 countries/territories participating. Global landmarks such as the Sydney Harbour Bridge, CN Tower in Toronto, Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and Rome’s Colosseum, all stood in darkness, as symbols of hope for a cause that grows more urgent by the hour.

Different countries and individuals, all making an effort to help fight climate change and we too can contribute and help with the cause. This coming March 26, 2011 8:30PM local time, Earth Hour is upon us once again. This time though, instead of the usual 1 hour event, everyone is encouraged to turn off their lights for more than 1 hour.

This is a very time event given the catastrophe that happened with Japan and also around us. It is not that much to ask since an hour worth of turning off your lights would go a long way in helping save planet earth. So let us all commit and do our own little part in helping save the only planet and home that we have, Earth.

Cheap Summer Getaway: Enchanted Kingdom

Have you penciled on a place that you will go to this summer? On a tight budget and does not want to go far? Well if you haven't thought of one, here's one suggestion that you would like to probably consider.

Enchanted Kingdom - Why don't you unleash the kid in you and visit this world class theme park in the Philippines located at Sta. Rosa Laguna. Rates are very affordable and transportation going to and from EK is very easy either via public buses, vans or if you want, you can even bring your own car.

Food is not a problem since there are food stalls inside plus you also have the option to go out and eat at a nearby Jollibee, McDonalds, GoNuts Donuts and 7-11. Just make sure that you get yourself a re-entry stamp in order for you to get back in.

If you are not a big eater and simply just wanted to enjoy the attractions and rides offered a budget of 1.5K per person would be safe enough.

I have visited Enchanted Kingdom together with my family almost every year (either during the summer or Christmas season) and it never ceases to amaze me. I always feel excited whenever I am about to enter their gates and be greeted by the site of the beautiful Victorian inspired Grand Carousel. As always I would always leave with a smile after. I really think that they are living up to when they say, “the magic stays with you.”

Below are their current rates as seen on their website.

Carousel Ticket:

Weekend / Holiday Rate: Php 150.00
Weekday Rate: Php 150.00
Descriptions: Free admission to the park grounds and unlimited access to the Grand Carousel, Bumbling Boulders, and Boulderville Express.

Regular Day Pass:

Weekend / Holiday Rate: Php 500.00
Weekday Rate: Php 400.00
Descriptions: Enjoy unlimited use of all the Park’s rides: Space Shuttle, Jungle Log Jam, Swan Lake, Up, Up & Away, Roller Skater, Dodgem, Wheel of Fate, Anchors Away, Bump n’ Splash, Rialto, Rio Grande Rapids, Flying Fiesta, Grand Carousel, Bumbling Boulders, Boulderville Express, Air Petrodactyl, Stone Eggs, and Dinosoarus.

Junior Day Pass:

Weekend / Holiday Rate: Php 320.00
Weekday Rate: Php 250.00
Descriptions: Applicable to children between 36” to 47” tall. Children 35” and under are FREE. Enjoy unlimited use of all the Park’s rides: Space Shuttle, Jungle Log Jam, Swan Lake, Up, Up & Away, Roller Skater, Dodgem, Wheel of Fate, Anchors Away, Bump n’ Splash, Rialto, Rio Grande Rapids, Flying Fiesta, Grand Carousel, Bumbling Boulders, Boulderville Express, Air Pterodactyl, Stone Eggs, and Dinosoarus.

For more information about the ticket prices and other latest updates please visit their website: http://new.enchantedkingdom.ph

Bigg's Diner finally at SM Sta. Rosa

When I was still studying in Naga City, I used to eat a lot at Biggs Diner because I love the taste of the food that they are offering, from their classic Spaghetti with Chicken, their Chicken with Rice meal together with their mouthwatering coleslaw and a slew of other tasty food. After I graduated, I had to move back to Laguna and find work. I sure have fond memories of Biggs when it comes to good food and had always craved for the taste of Biggs. I was hoping that they soon expand outside Naga. Though it took them a while, Biggs just recently opened their SM City Sta. Rosa branch last March 4, 2011 and my wife and I made sure that we get to eat lunch there. The place looked nice! A throwback of the early 60’s and 70’s similar to what they have in Naga and the rest of their branches. I felt a little nostalgic seeing the designs that they put in, their tables set up like the inside car of a train. Overall design was good and very appealing to the eyes. It sure made an impact on me and my wife.

Of course the visit will not be complete without the order. For my wife she ordered the tenderloin tips complete with carrot, corn, beans as side dish and mashed potato.While I had my classic favorite, Pork Cordon Bleu together with a mix of carrot, corn, beans as side dish and mashed potato plus a glass of their delicious and very tasteful iced tea. The food was prepared correctly and we only had to wait 5 minutes for our food to be served. The crews were all smiles and very friendly. Though it took a while for Biggs to open, it was worth the wait. My wife and I felt like kids while enjoying the food that we ordered. It was our first time to visit and eat at Biggs after how many years and I am sure that it will not be the last.

Biggs Rocks!

Check out some of the pics from our visit...

While waiting for our food

My wife enjoying her Tenderloin Tips

God I missed this Pork Cordon Bleu!

I love the taste of Biggs

Great Interior, definitely a blast from the past

Tech News: Tweetwars! Jim Paredes vs Gringo Honasan

Nowadays when you want to bash, praise, comment, give feedback on someone you can do that via twitter. In case you are living under a rock and do not know what twitter is about, it is a social networking site that is being used by majority of the celebrities and politicians all over the world, in the Philippines, this is also the same avenue for celebrities and politicians to dabble into sometimes educational and oftentimes downright dumb discussions which ends up being a complete waste of time.

I happened to read the tweetwars between Gringo Honasan and Jim Paredes last week and can't seem to get over his statement, "get elected first, even as Brgy. Captain. Then lets talk"

WTF??? That is just plain rubbish in my own honest opinion. Why do we need to be an elected official first in order to talk to an incumbent or seating official? An absurd thinking from an elected official! That is why our country is so far behind since politicians feels like they are god and no one can talk to them nor get near them unless they are part of their clique and their inner circle. What a shame!