Live, Work, Play at the NEW Ayala Center Cebu

Want to discover the new look of Ayala Center Cebu while getting the chance to win cool prizes like a 3 days 2 nights trip for two to Hongkong Disneyland?

Then here's how:

The promo is from April 25 to May 13, 2012 and is open to Cebu residents currently residing in Cebu, Philippines.

Pictures of the winners will be posted on Ayala Center Cebu's Facebook album named "Live Work Play Grand Winners".

The rest of the detailed mechanics is in this link or go to Ayala Center's Facebook Page.

GT Cosmetics has a new celebrity endorser

GT Cosmetics is an emerging proudly Cebuano company offering a line of beauty products that leave women, mostly students, wanting for more.

Among their best sellers are the GT Bleaching Soap and the GT Carrot Soap. These are products that my wife also uses and she is satisfied with them.

And GT just keeps getting bigger and better as it is sold in big stores and malls and is expanding its operations to areas outside the Visayas.

College students are among their loyal customers and word of mouth has helped perhaps with consumers satisfied with the products' results. No wonder that beautiful college students were among its early endorsers.

During the Visayas Blogging Summit last November 2011, participants lined up to have a picture taken with GT's College student endorser, a very lovely lady with GT (Gandang Tunay) characteristics.

This year, GT is taking one step higher by introducing its first celebrity endorser. Clue?

She recently played a lead role in a local indie film.

She is a weekend TV show host and occasionally has appearances in a morning TV show.

She is none other than....

PHOEBE KAYE FERNANDEZ!

 Phoebe Kaye was introduced to the media last March 30, 2012 as GT Cosmetics' first celebrity endorser at Cabalen Restaurant SM City Cebu.

Isn't she the perfect fit for GT Cosmetics?

Velez graduate tops the March 2012 Medtech Board Exams

I am all smiles again. Wow!

Just one Board Exam ago, I have a former student who placed second in the medical technology boards whom I interviewed for Yahoo Philippines Cebu Kini blog.

Then a graduate of my medical school alma mater, Cebu Institute of Medicine took top 2 in the latest Physician Board exams.

Then I have another former student in Velez College ranking top one in the March 2012 Medical Technology Board Examinations out of the 533 who passed. He is none other than Vincent Edouard Anthony Retardo Gullas of the famous Gullas clan. Congratulations to him and the Gullas family!

Press Release: CBSI@4 - It's More Fun in CBSi

“Individually, we are a drop.  Together, we are an ocean.” ~ Ryunosuke Satoro

There is only one blogging group in Cebu that continues to thrive in reshaping the online publishing norm in the locality, and introduces a new form of media to the locales, bringing citizen journalism and independent online publishing to the next level.  Cebu Bloggers Society, Inc. empowers the common people to know their rights and capabilities toward information dissemination which also changes the way they consume them.

A Simple and Fun Dinner for CBSi’s 4^th Year of Promoting Cebu

Cebu Bloggers Society Inc. will be celebrating its 4^th anniversary on February 11, 2012 at Azkals Sports Bar and Grill.  This dinner celebration is a get-together party among old members and new ones.

CBSi has grown from a mere bloggers’ group to an incorporation headed by leaders who organized huge social media events like Visayas Blogging Summit and online celebrations like World Bloggers’ Day.

In its 4^th year, CBSi is still true to its commitment to the Queen City of the South – promoting the Cebuano culture and the city’s diversities both offline and online.

In lieu with this year’s theme – It’s More Fun in CBSi, the organization aims to bring more fun to its members by creating events and activities that would benefit them as bloggers and as individuals.

Fun and Bonding through the Years

Since CBSi’s creation four years ago, there have been countless testimonials from members published on their blogs on how great and fun it was spending time and working with the growing CBSi family.

From attending the US Election Watch on 2008, being interviewed in radio and TV shows, to organizing and doing outreach activities like helping the poor fire victims through gift giving and staging a mini-concert, teaching students in mountainous areas on how to use a computer to feeding the less fortunate and abandoned elders and children.  It’s always more fun and heartwarming doing all these activities with the CBSi family.

“Cebu Bloggers Society Inc. is more than an organization for me, it is a family of different kinds of people but of the same bloodline, blogging. In CBSi, we don’t see each other as competitors, instead as brothers and  sisters who might need help in their corresponding fields or who can help the family (organization) grow into a more organize and respectable blogging institution. As a founder, I am so blessed that CBSi has gained such name and is patrionized by members who make working in the group more fun and enjoyable.”, stated Mark M. Monta, Founder of Cebu Bloggers Society, Inc.

Aside from outreach activities, and fun-filled events by invitations, CBSi has also organized various events that tighten the bond between its members like the Wild CBSi Camp Out in Busay, World Bloggers’ Day Offline Celebration here in Cebu, the CBSi 2010 Election Coverage, the Filipino Blogosphere and Political Participation Forum, and most recently the 2^nd Visayas Blogging Summit, one of the largest social media summits in the country.

CBSi, along with its current set of leaders and active roster of new and old members, will be more visible in Cebu’s online scene, rocking 2012 and the blogosphere, enjoying one another’s company while having more fun and glam.

Cebu Bloggers Will be Checking In at Azkals Sports Bar and Grill

Azkals Sports Bar and Grill’s foursquare map on February 11 will surely be filled with black dots as members of CBSi would simultaneously check in for their 4^th anniversary dinner celebration.  The whole CBSi gang would surely love to fill their foursquare page with fun photos and comments.

Visit Cebu’s newest and coolest hang out place at Treehouse Bldg, Ramon Aboitiz St, Cebu City. (right next to backgate of St.Theresa’s College). They are open Mondays through Thursdays at 4PM – 1AM and Fridays to Saturdays at 4PM to 3AM.  For reservation contact them through these numbers: +639153433251 / +63 32 2391967, or email them at azkalssportsbarandgrill@gmail.com.

Visit their Facebook Fanpage here.

RAFI receives two Quill Awards for its environmental advocacy

Run 2 Plant 4 GREENIN Philippines was such a success that it became a blueprint for the Cebu local government's greening projects as well as the national government. This success was made because of good communication management by RAFI people.

It was no surprise that RAFI won a Quill Award: the Quill Award for communication management: economic, social and environmental development -- a testament that "RAFI has achieved that competitive edge in terms of pushing its program and advocacies forward through communication...", quoting RAFI's Integrated Development Executive Director Rowena Bandola-Alensonurin.

The Run 2 Plant for GREENIN Philippines (Generation, REdemption and Expansion of Natural resources INitiatives in the Philippines) was held last June 25, 2011 and was participated in by a total of  55,372 runners and "feeling" runners who collectively plant close to 240,000 native tree seedlings after a fun run held in various parts of Cebu province. These figures actually exceeded RAFI's expectations.

RAFI's Tree of the Month, a bi-monthly section that comes out in Freeman with the aim of educating the public on the various native tree species and encourage their propagation, is a finalist under the writing category of the communication skills division of the Quill Awards.

RAFI Executive Committee Chair Ma. Cristina Aboitiz, RAFI Chief Operating Officer Dominica Cua, RAFI Deputy Director for Operations Amaya Aboitiz, RAFI's Integrated Development Executive Director Rowena Bandola-Alensonurin and RAFI Communications Officer Haidee Palapar received the two awards during the 10th Philippine Quill Awards held last November 18, 2011 at Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila, Quezon City.

They were joined by Lucky Malicay, news editor of the Freeman.

Students, like RAFI let us educate others about forest conservation, reforestation or planting of native tree seedlings and caring for the environment. Let us support RAFI in this advocacy.

Diamond Suites and Residences in Cebu turns 1

Diamond Suites and Residences Cebu is one of the hotels which supported the Visayas Blogging Summit where some of the speakers stayed.

Last December 6, 2011, this hotel celebrated its first year anniversary with very nice music by a live band (I wish I knew the name of the band), good food and raffle prizes.

During the party, we even met a very friendly guest from Africa (the tall guy on the center).

Once again, thank you to Diamond Suites and Residences for supporting the organizers of the Visayas Blogging Summit.

Diamond Suites and Residences is located in Apitong corner Escario Street, within walking distance of Ayala Center Cebu. They have 102 modern guestrooms with high-speed internet access and many other amenities.

Visit their website for more details.

The Ciudad Project, Beneficial or Bad for Cebu?

Based on the video above, the planned Ciudad Project to be built in the BanTal Road looks promising.

A mall designed to look like Cebu many years ago. Security guards dressed like guardia sibil. Balut vendors, "dirty ice cream" vendors selling their products in the vicinity. Replicas of Cebu's historical sites. Museum featuring works of Cebuano artists. The usual things you see in a mall except for the appearance of old Cebu. More potential job openings.

But traffic appears to be a legitimate issue which the project planners plan to address by putting jeepney stops within the Ciudad and not in the BanTal road itself. The developers, Fifth Avenue Development Corp. claimed the local government do not need to spend for addressing this problem.

There are still many questions you probably want to ask. Like what happens to the Cebu Medical Society office and the ERUF in the area? How exactly will the traffic problem there be eased with the building of the Ciudad Project?

Today, December 2, there will a public hearing to decide whether an Environmental Compliance Certificate will be issued for the project developer to start the work. It will be at the Brgy. Apas, Lahug Gymn at 10 AM. You may want to raise issues or questions during the hearing.