NOVEMBER 2: All Souls' Day Prayer

NOVEMBER 2: All Souls' Day Prayer

Tomorrow ( November 2 ) is All Souls' Day. Traditionally, Filipinos celebrate All Souls' Day every November 1, which happens to be All Saints' Day.  All Souls' Day must be observed every November 2 because that is the real day of prayer for the dead, particularly but not exclusively one's relatives.  

Let me share to you brother Bo Sanchez prayer for our departed loved ones. 

Light a candle in your altar if you like or you can recite this prayer to your loved ones when you visit them at the cemetery. Okay lets begin our prayer for all our departed loved ones 

Father, I thank you for all my Loved Ones; 

Today, I especially thank you for all who have died,

I totally surrender each of them into your Big Hands and Loving Embrace.

(Note: Imagine each person being embraced by Jesus.) 

Jesus, I will follow you until my last day on earth;

I look forward to enjoy Heaven with You forever,

Including a happy reunion with all my loved ones through eternity!

Amen

Credits to Bo Sanchez

James Reid & Ericka Villongco Had a Bad Break-Up

James Reid & Ericka Villongco Had a Bad Break-Up

Ericka Villongco admitted to everyone present last night during the press con of Relaks, it's just Pag-ibig that March this year, at around the time the loveteam of James and Nadine was being launched in Viva Films’ Diary ng Panget,  Ericka and James Reid had a bad break-up. Their romantic involvement lasted for three and a half years. Watch the video interview at http://www.webmags.info/2014/10/video-ericka-villongco-on-james-reid.html

James Reid and Ericka Villongco's photo is from Ericka's tumblr account.  James and Nadine's photo is by yours truly.

Yes, their relationship started long before the Fil-Australian James joined PBB (Pinoy Big Brother).  Ericka said that was the time when James Reid was still a virtual unknown. James was taking Tagalog lessons back then because he wanted to learn how to speak Tagalog. She met James when he starred with her and her sister for their first album’s music video. She said they started out as friends. James was very honest and has a unique style of courting. He was direct to the point.

Photo Credits: Tricia Gosingtian from Ericka Villongco's Tumblr Post

She wished that they parted ways as friends, but admitted that they did not. Ericka clarified that there was no third party involved.  She said that James was loyal, very faithful, very loving. Ericka also shares that she and James have the same set of friends. That is why there are instances when they bump into each other in gimmicks but unfortunately they are indifferent with one another. They don't greet nor say hi to each other.

Ericka used to be a part of the duo Krissy & Ericka, together with her sister Krissy, 20. Yes, Ericka, at 21, is only 10 months older than Krissy.  Ericka is now concentrating on herself and her studies.  She is now a second year college student at Enderun. She's also trying acting, initially in Relaks, it's just Pag-ibig. Co-starring with papa Piolo Pascual’s son Iñigo Pascual.  

She plays Iñigo's childish girlfriend who terrorizes Inigo's driver played by Smokey Manaloto.

"Relaks, it's just Pag-ibig" is based on the Swag King series. It is produced by Sprint Film and will be distributed commercially by Star Cinema in movie theaters nationwide.  Showing starts on November 12, 2014. 

RYU RAMEN & CURRY RESTAURANT: The Art of Tantanmen and Curry

RYU RAMEN & CURRY RESTAURANT: The Art of Tantanmen and Curry

RYU (Pronounced as re you / r'YOO, the R-sound is halfway between the English R and English L) means "dragon" in Japanese. The name came about because all of the five owners of Ryu Ramen And Curry Restaurant (RYU) were born in the year of the dragon. And just like the legendary creature, RYU captures the imagination and gastronomical experience of those who get to enjoy its dishes. 

The five partners (singer/ comedian Ogie Alcasid, Edwin Dazo, Neil Castillo, DJ Vergel de Dios and Quezon City Councilor Joseph Juico) came up with RYU because they all love Japanese food. They all claim to have a passion for Ramen.

Tan tan tan tan... the Tantanmen Five.  RYU's latest offering for the Japanese Food lover! The tantanmen, or dandan noodles, is a specialty noodle dish of China and Japan recognized for its red soup, which is known for its incredibly spicy broth. It’s become the unofficial favorite of many in ramen houses in the Philippines, with some variations playing down the heat with the use of peanut sauce.

Yaki Buta Tantanmen

So yummy that you'll end up rubbing your tummy!

You'll surely enjoy the rich flavor of tender pork ribs, stripped off the bone, with vegetables and noodles in a bowl of miso-based soup. #ryutantanmen #tantanmen5

Ebi Tantanmen

RYU never scrimps on shrimps in its Ebi Tantanmen.  I've never seen so many shrimp bits goodness packed in a single bowl!  Ryu's Ebi Tantanmen is so flavorful, especially with its miso-based stock packed with ample serving of vegetables and noodles.

Karaage Tantanmen 

The chicken is absolutely heaven! Hefty chicken with shiitake mushroom, vegetables and noodles in a bowlful of miso-based broth.

Gyu Tantanmen 

Generous slices of tender beef with vegetables and noodles in a savory miso-based soup

Classic Tantanmen 

Yaki Buta, Gyu, Ebi, Karaage, or Classic? Which of the #Tantanmen5 is your favorite?

Katsu + Cheese + Curry + Rice = Happy and satisfied Tummy!  

We also tried its Katsucheese Curry and boy was I happy that I tried it!  It is so yummylicious! The cheese is oozing and its flavor is so good!

Just like me, you'll be a convert and would be wanting for more.

Cap off your weekend with a savory bowl of its Yaki Buta Tantanmen! Try this and all the #Tantanmen5 at your favorite ramen place #ryuramenandcurry #smjazz #smdcjazz #jazzmall #jazz #jupiter #reposo #makati #ryutantanmen #tantanmen.

@ryuramenandcurry 

For a Php280 Tantanmen, RYU Ramen is certainly cheap for a ramen place. Tantanmen 5 are all delicious and they did not disappoint. Though I am a bicolana I can't eat extra spicy ramen. It is good to know that in RYU Restaurants you could request the chef to tone down the spiciness of its Tantanmen. Ika nga, have everything in moderation.

Its serving size is quite big.  In fact, a group of four to six persons could share one big bowl of tantanmen ramen. So, price wise, its tantanmen 5 ramen are all worth your hard-earned peso.

Tamanegi is fried vegetable that can lessen the spiciness level of your Tantanmen,  making you crave for more ramen!

Affordable yet huge ramen servings that will surely leave you with a full belly. That's the RYU Ramen's promise.

Ryu's wall is decorated with a Japanese Dragon Drawing.

This review is made possible by Open rice ph. #ead6 Thank you for the invitation, Heidie.

Rating:

RYU RAMEN & CURRY RESTAURANT Branches:

- Tomas Morato cor Sct. Lazcano, Quezon City 709-8789
- U.P. Town Center, Katipunan Ave., Quezon City 294-3574
- SM Jazz Residences, Jupiter St. cor N. Garcia, Makati City 874-1022

Store Hours: Mon - Sun: 11:00 - 02:00

Sharing Expertise And Showing Genuine Compassion To Others

Sharing Expertise And Showing Genuine Compassion To Others

My ate Dindin Daliva is one of a kind. It is very rare that you'll find someone with the expertise and genuine compassion for our less fortunate brothers and sisters. Genuine compassion is understanding the suffering of another. For me, the most effective way to show your compassion for others is to empathize or to put yourself "inside the skin" of the other. Yes, to truly empathize you ought to "go inside" their body, feelings, and mental formations, and witness for yourself their suffering. Only through that action will you truly understand another human being. 

Most of us only has shallow observation of what our kababayans in the Vizayas area had went through during Haiyan (super typhoon Yolanda).

Like our political leaders, we are all outsiders because it is not enough to see our kababayans (countrymen) suffering on the news.  I believe that you and I must become one with the subject of our observation. Because it is only then that we can be in contact with another's suffering. Yes, that feeling of compassion can be born in us. 

Thank you fellow Dindin Daliva for the opportunity to share your expertise in helping at the grassroot level and congratulations for the biggest Emergency Pedagogy workshop that ever rolled-out in the Philippines. You and all that make up the IRelief Foundation did a really wonderful job. It is an honor to have you as a friend. You are a real life hero who works even when there is no camera around. (In fact, she's not aware that I feature her here. Sorry, ate Dindin, I only want to share to others your good example in helping people in far-flung areas.) 

Ate Dindin and her team went to far-flung places not reached by the government agencies and other organizations.  ( Mga lugar na hindi mapuntahan dahil sa layo at hirap, mga kinalimutan na ng gobyerno at iba pang mga tumutulong na nag concentrate lang sa Tacloban)  Unlike the dole out system by the government and other charitable institutions, she teaches the villagers in different remote barangays how to fish and does not simply give them fish. 

For instance, the iRelief Foundation gave the fisherfolks in New Buswang, Kalibo, Aklan, a machine that converts pruned branches from bakawan (mangrove) trees to charcoal briquettes (briquets) and taught them how to use it.

Alternative and sustainable source of livelihood. Joyful times indeed come to the new beneficiaries of fishing nets from Barangay Bantigue, Panay, Capiz and twenty new fisherfolk-beneficiaries in Barangay Agojo, Panay, Capiz!!

The system she adopted helped them to be self-sustaining (or self-sufficient). So far, it is more successful than that where victims being helped by the government just wait at the evacuation centers and are given dole outs.

Ate Dindin calls herself a child whisperer because she's now helping traumatized children in different places.  Her team continues to conduct healing sessions for traumatized children in different areas in the Philippines.  

                 

She left the corporate world to share her life with others. 

After a disaster,  everyone is left scarred to their souls. Children are given priority for trauma management not because they are the most vulnerable but because they are the most powerful. When our children start to laugh again amidst the despair, all the adults get healed.

She works tirelessly in silence, reaching areas such as the low-lying and remote island barangay of Bantigue, Panay, Capiz. It takes 30 to 40 minutes ride by boat to reach the island of 296 households whose fisherfolks remain unreached by any livelihood recovery and rehabilitation intervention.

Just like ate Dindin, UNILAB believes in 'Husay at Malasakit' in serving people, that is why in every product it produces, it makes sure that its facilities and procedures are safe, so that it will be able to take care of the Filipino people better.

This day and age, the country has braved various calamities that, if anything, have only strengthened our solidarity as Filipinos. But to fully rise again as a nation, we must be able to have both excellence and compassion (husay at malasakit) in everything we do, especially when in service to others who are in need.

Unilab, being the biggest pharmaceutical company in the Philippines, believes in the power of husay at malasakit and has geared the company’s belief in this.

It may have changed its processes in line with the rise of technological advancement, but its heart will always be present in the manufacturing of its healthcare products.

Rest assured that in all the innovations it creates, the health and safety of the Filipino people are always at the core.

The distribution of its products is scattered across the country—from Luzon, Visayas, to Mindanao, to reach out to everyone in need of superior and affordable healthcare products.

If anything, Unilab believes in the spirit of genuine concern to make the lives of other people better.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/unilab
Twitter: www.twitter.com/unilab_ph
Instagram: instagram.com/unilab

With its new TVC, Unilab shows its husay at malasakit thrust and hopes to influence as much as it can to the nation. After all, what matters the most is the number of lives we touch when we reach our triumphs.

HOW TO COMMUTE TO EASTWOOD FROM CUBAO

HOW TO COMMUTE TO EASTWOOD FROM CUBAO

Nearest MRT and LRT2 station to Eastwood would be the Cubao Station.

•  Alight in Cubao station. 
• Then walk towards General Romulo Avenue corner Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Quezon City.  Yes, dear that's the street where the former C.O.D. displays were used to be shown. 
• That street at the corner of Aurora Boulevard where you will find a Mercury Drug Store is the street where the jeepneys coming from Cubao pass by going to Rosario, Pasig (and Antipolo area). The jeepneys pass through C-5. These jeepneys are the only ones plying through C-5. 
• Get down at the foot bridge just adjacent to Citibank Towers in Eastwood City.

Note: Commuting via jeepney might be inconvenient to some but you'll be able to save money. Fare is only Php10 to and from Eastwood.  If you have the budget then by all means take a cab but get ready to pay between Php90 to Php110 depending on the traffic situation in the area.

Happy commuting!  Stay safe!

BIANCA GONZALES: Placed 2nd at Shell Fuel Save Good Choice Driving Challenge

BIANCA GONZALES: Placed 2nd at Shell Fuel Save Good Choice Driving Challenge

TV host and model Bianca Gonzales (right) and her teammate Rio Umali, a blogger, placed second place at the recently concluded Shell Fuel Save Good Choice Driving Challenge held at Bonifacio Global City. 

iamsuperbianca It was a fun and steady road trip yesterday with my partner @rioumali for the Shell Driving Challenge! And to cap the day off with great news.. we won 2nd place!!!!  It may be hard to believe, but we got 30+ kilometres mileage per 1 liter of FuelSave from Batangas to Taguig! Amazinggggg. Anyone can really make the most of every drop of fuel with the right habits - click the hashtag #ShellFuelSaveGoodChoice to see more tips!

Photo Source: Instagram user iamsuperbianca

Professional FX drivers, TV Host / model, mommy and fashion bloggers, news correspondents and young professionals comprise the 14 participants of the #‎ShellFuelSaveGoodChoiceDrivingChallenge‬ who were divided into seven (7) teams. All teams drove a total distance of 240 kilometers in the all new keyless Ford EcoSport 1.5L Titanium from Bonifacio Global City in Taguig to Batangas and back.

In a dinner awarding held at Mango Tree Restaurant at Bonifacio Global City,  all three pairs of women bloggers swept the top three places with Michelle Aventajado, daughter-in-law of rally driver Robert Aventajado and her partner Sarah Irene Tirona taking first place with 61 points, followed by Bianca Gonzales and Rio Umali at 62 points and Jackie Go and Grace de Guzman in third with 68 points. #GirlPower

I believe that Bianca Gonzales had an edge over the other participants because she was named Shell FuelSave Celebrity Driver of the Year when she represented the Philippines and bested three other celebrities from Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand during the final leg of the Shell FuelSave Celebrity Driving Challenge in February this year.

Bianca Gonzales was delighted to be a part of the challenge since it showed that everyday drivers can also be fuel efficient.

“I am not a driving enthusiast so I am amazed to know that making simple adjustments to the way I drive – such as driving smoothly, avoiding high speeds and planning my trips carefully can go a long way in increasing my fuel efficiency.  Of course, what makes the difference is choosing the right fuel,”  Gonzalez  added.

The event was not a race but a test of efficient driving. The participants were given a total of 4 challenges that tested their fuel efficiency on the road. Two challenges were given on their way to Batangas and another two on their way back to Bonifacio Global City.

Shell Fuel Scientist Mae Ascan, the only Filipino among the over 200 Fuel Scientists in the world made the driving challenge more of a learning experience for the participants when she hold a special mentoring session on smarter driving behaviors and how to make good choices on and off road to help manage life’s daily pressures.

Among the practical tips given by Shell are the following:

•  using the correct oil and fuel
•  the importance of regular tune-ups
•  the right tire pressure at all times
•  smoothness of driving
•  using higher gears more often
•  conserving momentum
•  avoiding idling, excess weight, and over speeding, all relatively easy to do for motorists.

The Shell FuelSave Good Choice Driving Challenge served as a prelude to the results of the Shell FuelSave Good Choice Report –a nationwide study conducted by Pilipinas Shell to probe deeper into the range of decisions Filipino motorists make, the factors that affect these decisions, and how these impact the other aspect of their lives.

Filipino motorists on the average think of over 30 decisions per day and then spend long minutes on how to approach the decisions that they have decided. Small things like what route to take, what to eat later, when or where to fill up and price or quality of fuel occupy the minds of Filipino drivers. Trivial as it seems but according to the Shell FuelSave Good Choice Report, a nationwide study conducted by the company in helping everyday motorists balance decision making, Filipino motorists lose up to 4 days per month just by pondering what to do next.

“We recognize that our customers are very busy people and are pre-occupied with so many things that they need to do in their daily lives. In fact, 78 percent of Filipino motorists admit to having difficulty in making a decision when there are a lot of choices to choose from. Our mission, then, is to simplify this process by offering quality products that could make their lives a bit easier when they drive out of their homes,” said Anthony Lawrence Yam, Vice President of Retail of Pilipinas Shell.

It is because of these findings that Shell introduced Shell FuelSave, the company’s regular priced fuel that is designed to last longer. According to Yam, it simplifies decision-making by offering a quality product that makes peoples lives easier. Yam added that FuelSave has active efficiency ingredients that gives drivers a good choice that motorists don’t need to think about.

#‎ShellFuelSaveGoodChoiceDrivingChallenge‬ showcases how easy it is for everyday individuals to become advocates of fuel-saving and be rewarded when they practice the Shell FuelSave Tips coupled with the use of Shell FuelSave fuels, which are designed to last longer per tank.

Congratulations to all of the 14 participants!  ‪

NOISE POLLUTION: Violation of Clean Air Act & Article 55

NOISE POLLUTION: Violation of Clean Air Act & Article 55

In the past, whenever my neighbor hold their regular "magdamagan" videoke session, we hardly had enough sleep. I just don't want to sound negative that I don't write nor put this on my FB status before.

Apparently, our neighbor who lives just across us decided to convert their home into a church. They regularly hold processions with unknown people going in and out our subdivision in the past but after their procession they simply dismantle and stop. 

Yesterday morning, maybe not contented with their "boyahan" with the Black Nazarene image that they use during procession they now evolved and hold their vigil, novena prayers and rosary almost every hour with a microphone and loud sound system to boot since yesterday morning until now...NONSTOP! They even closed the road, put several tents and the image in the middle of the road and use it as a road block.

I don't know if I can still refrain myself from telling them that there is a place for worship, a place to sleep and lecture them about noise pollution. 

We have been suffering from the disturbance and inconvenience brought about by the conduct of the religious business of our next door neighbor in a residential area. While it is true that every person has the right to pursue his own religion, passion, business or profession, he may not do so to the extent of disparaging the rights of others.

These activities flout the standard of serenity and tranquility of a village community. I am considering on filing a formal complaint to the proper authorities. The recourse to administrative remedies through our subdivision homeowners board of directors proved to be futile in the past to stop their videoke activities.

I am not a lawyer but I believe that noise pollution Is a violation of the Clean Air Act and Article 55 of the Revised Penal Code (alarm and scandal.)

For now, I'll try to catch some zzzzz.

BEWARE OF NETWORKING SCAM

BEWARE OF NETWORKING SCAM

Yesterday, I went to a luncheon meeting with somebody who claims to be a pr/ senior marketing manager of a reputable bank. He said he got my contact information from a blogger friend whom I asked several times via private message if he really knows the guy who contacted me, unfortunately he did not answer my querry. 

Not thinking straight, or shall we say I got enticed and excited on what kind of job he'll be offering me, I went to the venue as agreed upon only to find out at the last minute that he moved the meeting to another location. When I arrived at the restaurant where he set the lunch meeting, he offered me the menu so I ordered lunch.  He then asked me to transfer to another table because he has two more friends who are coming. ( Not only once but twice! I find that weird.) On the second table he asked me what's my plan for the next 5 years, etc. and then showed me a presentation on his tab and left me at the table to go to his friends who had just arrived and was sitting at another table. 

After a while he asked me to moved to another table. When we settled down finally to a table by the window, he then showed me a brochure. We were interrupted when his girl friend asked him for the products she ordered.  He then opened his bag and gave her a pen and products so she could ask the guy she was meeting with to sign a contract.  After a while,  he called the waiter's attention, he then instructed him to put his tab to the table of his friends. The waiter came back with my chit and asked for my payment.  Buti na lang may pera ako, paano kung wala? Hugas plato ang peg?

I find it very unethical of him, allegedly a senior marketing manager of a very reputable bank who earn thousands if not million of pesos a year to offer me ( an unemployed Ruptured Brain Aneurysm survivor who should be applying for disability because of her health condition) a lunch invitation where I ended up paying for my overpriced lunch of tapa and overcooked egg with rice in very small portion with no drinks priced at Php240, you could have that very same meal at tapa king for only 88 pesos with drinks. Grrrraaabbeee!

He asked me not to disclose what transpired during the lunch meeting to my bf, husband or whoever. Ano ka hilo?  As a blogger, it is my responsibility to warn my readers of scams concocted by silly individuals. Damn you!  Does your bosses from the Ayala owned bank know that you are using company time to do your networking biz?

Money can be earned without sacrificing your dignity.