Manilabake:Traditional baking with a modern Filipino twist

I really missed the Pandesal during the 70's and the 80's where it only cost 25 cents each and the size was as big as a small coconut. Each time my mother served that bread during breakfast, it was so filling that you can skip lunch and still feel full.

Today, the regular bakeries don't served that kind of Pandesal anymore. Though some popular ones are making them, but each cost hundred times over. So, in most days my family and I would resort to the pebble-sizes at P2.00 each. 

Just over a week ago, I was so blessed to be part of a unique tasting event of special breads, including the special Pandesal I used to eat before and more. The pastry house is called Manilabake. It is located at Katipunan Road, just a little over Blue Ridge in Quezon City. 

The person behind this special bakery house is Ms. Gretchen Lim. Ms. Lim shares that the reason why many breads today lost the quality is because much of them are cooked to quickly. In order to produce more, in a short span of time, bakers normally overly dressed their doughs with too much yeast in it, so it can expand more faster, therefore cooking time is shorter. By doing so, most of the good ingredients of the breads are not cooked well and you don't get much of their flavors.

Manilabake's motto is: "good bread comes from good baking". A good baker patiently waits for the dough to rise naturally, then hand-shaped and well-mixed and laid out in a cool place to ferment and to developed to the fullest. After which, a baker will placed them in customized ceramic charcoal fired oven. This way, you allow the bread's sugar to caramelized and fully baked to perfection.

The everyday Pandesal is not the only bread Manilabake serve. Among the best sellers are the Barbeque filled Pandesal, priced at P47 each, Bonete bread at P5, Cinnamon Raisin loaf at P225, Macapuno Pandan cake and much more. My personal favorite is the Calamansi Cupcake which is surprisingly very affordable at P70 each.

The cafe also served some light meal with coffee and desert, like the special Champorado and the Sheperd's Pie la Cubana. It is actually a mashed Camote (sweet-potato) and patato blanketing the meat filling served in a bowl. If  you want something special for the holidays, they also make Queso De Bola cupcake.

Ok, the Pandesal was not as affordable as I thought it would be, but they sure brings me back to the time where the Pandesal was so special it's the best meal of the day.

HUAWEI Smartphones Now in the Philippines

HUAWEI. Honestly, it took me a while to just get the correct pronunciation of this not-so-quite-new player in the never ending “battle of the smartphones” industry. Little did many people know, HUAWEI is one of the two biggest telecommunication companies in China today aside from ZTE. For years, Huawei is one of the leading toll-manufacturers of smartphones and tablets being used by other brands like the PLDT tablet. With the wide acceptance of many information and telecommunication brands in the world, the company finally ventured out to come up with new communication devices under its own brand name.

Last December 16, 2012, HUAWEI unveiled two of its latest top-of-the-line smartphones namely, Ascend G600 and Ascend D1 Quad XL. Powered by Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, these two, along with the rest of the smartphone lines are backed up by US software technology. The hardware casing design is a product of former BMW design experts in the UK.

With all the powerful l smartphones available in the market today, one prevailing limitation that’s common among these phones is battery life. As a common rule, the more powerful the phone is, the faster it would wear out. Not so for the Ascend D1 Quad XL because one of its notable features is the longer battery life. Huawei Tech people were able to improve the battery life span up to 30%, much longer than its leading competitors. It carries an ultra-powerful 2600mAh battery that can deliver an impressive 15 hours talk time and stand-by time of 500 hours.

This turbo-charged smartphone is powered by Huawei’s HiSilicon HI3620 quad-core 1.4GHz processor. It provides a cinematic experience with it cutting edge IPS display in a high-definition 4.5-inch 1280 x 720 Toshiba screen, giving you crystal clear images even under direct sunlight. Matching its high quality visual clarity is the Dolby Mobile 3.0 Plus sound enhancement that offers a superb audio experience. The Ascend G600, on the other hand, also carries Android 4.0 ICM. The camera is 8-megapixels with auto focus, double focus, and surround system speakers. Being a one notch lower model from Ascend D1 Quad XL, this phone still packs more powerful features that are much better than other brands in the value-for-money class.

The official launch was held at the activity center at SM Annex North Edsa. It was graced by tech and lifestyle bloggers as well as several members of the traditional media. Each of us was able to scrutinize the details of the Huawei phones and they do give a serious kick and can compete side by side with the other more popular smartphones around. 

At the near end of the program, the management of Huawei was generous enough to raffle off great prizes including a unit each of Huawei Ascend G600 and the top of the line, Ascend D1 Quad XL. In raffles like these I normally don’t keep my hopes too high because, for some weird reason, luck always seems to be against my favor and I would be happy if I just go home with one of the minor prizes. However, my friends’ names were called one by one and I still didn’t hear mine. Then suddenly, as I was thinking that all luck has ran out, my name was called and I bagged the grand prize – the Ascend D1 Quad XL! Wow, my first quad-core phone!  

 Truly, this made the Christmas season a very Merry one for me. Thank you Huawei! 

The indigenous Filipino Martial Arts, Lakan Kali gains popularity in the law Enforcement

I have always been a fan of martial arts and I’m fascinated by anything indigenous -- everything that is true-blue Filipino in nature. So when I first saw the interview of Matt Damon in the film Bourne Identity, I was surprised to hear him explaining how he learned a cool martial art which originated in the Philippines. One of the highlights of that film was the fight scene between Jason Bourne and a Threadstone agent assassin where Jason (Matt Damon) used a pen as a weapon against his opponent, hitting on the vital parts of his enemy and eventually subduing him down. The fighting style that was ingeniously choreographed is no other than the Lakan-Kali.

From then on, many Hollywood action films followed, such as “The Hunted” starring Venicio Del Torro and Tommy Lee Jones, that also featured the Lakan-Kali fighting style. Presently, this Filipino martial art has gained and crossed over its popularity from the movies to US law Enforcement, such as the State Police Force, FBI, Navy Seals and US Special Forces. Of course, the Philippine National Police is never left out in mastering this martial art that is, in the first place, inherently ours.

Last November 21, 2012, the Philippine National Police Training Institute celebrated its annual sports fest with a different kind presentation. About two thousand police cadets simultaneously executed a synchronized field demonstration of Lakan-Kali. Headed by Police Chief Inspector Serafin Petalio, a.k.a. Lakan-Kali Grand Master, who first instituted to integrate the Filipino martial arts as the standard basic self-defense and counter offense to be taught in the police academy.

The demonstration was witnessed by the guest of honor Ms. Mikee Cojuangco-Jaworski, the daughter of Philippine Public Safety College President Ms. Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco, who has been a loyal supporter of improving the law-enforcement in the Philippines. In the past eight years, Ms. Cojuangco has sponsored countless developments in the structure of the Philippine Police Academy; one of which is the application of Lakan-Kali to be the standard police self-defense system, improving the training facilities for the police cadets in training, and improving digital capabilities of the academy by putting up a state-of-the-art CCT monitoring system within the areas of Camp Gen. Vicente Lim. 

Police Chief Inspector Petalio expressed that Lakan-Kali or Kali, apart from being both an effective deadly and non-lethal way of subduing an assailant, is an advocacy that many Filipinos should learn. It has been evident that in many health and fitness gyms that are sprouting around, self-defense that were being taught there are all foreign like, Tae-Kwon-Do, Thai-boxing, Capoiera (Brazilian martial arts) and Krav-Maga which is Israeli in origin. Grand Master Petalio further expressed his vision that Kali may someday be taught in these gyms as well and be known throughout the country and even around the world.

Ultimate Frisbee spreads in the Philippines

PRESS RELEASE:

Steadily gaining foothold in the Philippines, Ultimate Frisbee continuously attracts a number of fanatics and spurs tournament after tournament in the country. The only game in the world that does not have any referees, it demands a strong spirit of sportsmanship and respect from its players, or what the sport calls the “Spirit of the Game.” This is the very same factor that draws many players to the game.

Wendell Simbulan, a proponent of Ultimate Frisbee in the Philippines, said, “In this sport, you can be the most skilled or be the highest pointer, but it doesn’t automatically make you an Ultimate player,” he said. “An Ultimate player abides by the rules even if there are no referees or people in charge. There should be no cheating, no bad calls, no trash-talking — fair play rules the game.”

Coach Wendell Simbulan is considered as one of the pillars of Ultimate Frisbee 

in the Philippines

 Brought to the shores of Boracay by foreign tourists in 2002, Ultimate Frisbee in the country is governed by the Philippine Ultimate Association. Since 2002, the sport has spread throughout the Philippines and young athletes travel around the country to bond and have fun through that “Spirit of the Game” rule. The most popular beach Ultimate team in the Philippines, the Boracay Dragons, is even considered among the best beach Ultimate players in the world, having finished second place in the World Beach Ultimate Championships for two consecutive seasons, in Brazil (2007) and Italy (2011). International grass Ultimate tournaments contenders also have Philippine teams to deal with. The Philippines emerged as the Singapore Ultimate Open 2012 champions, and ranked 7th out of 15 countries in the 2012 World Ultimate and Guts Championship in Osaka earlier this year.

 Players from all over the world travel to play in two international tournaments in the Philippines: the Manila Spirits (grass) held every November, and the Boracay Ultimate Open (beach) during the summer months. Local players also consider the following to be the most visited grass Ultimate Frisbee tournaments in the country: the Ultimate Shindig in Dumaguete every August, the Daba-Dabaw Ultimate Frisbee Tournament in Davao, and the Ultimo Abril in Cebu every summer. A number of tournaments are also held in Subic, Pampanga, Laguna, Cebu, Iligan, Iloilo, Bacolod, Dipolog, Cagayan de Oro, and Bukidnon throughout the year.

Pictured here are the members of the Dumaguete Team Extreme,

on the strongest local team, after ranking 6th over-all in the 

international tournaments mixed divisions

 “Ultimate Frisbee in the Philippines is growing and evolving so fast to the point that players really travel to attend provincial tournaments. There are so many people who get hooked, so if you’re into Ultimate Frisbee, you’ll be spoilt for choice in the Philippines alone. Flying in teams from different parts of the country is easier with Cebu Pacific, because we can fly from one province to another, and even to international tournaments! We can follow the sport anywhere for a fraction of the cost,” declares Wendell.

He adds, “we want the Philippines to be the Ultimate Frisbee center in Asia. We already have the most number of tournaments and the number of athletes continues to increase. In Manila alone, there are more or less 100 clubs and counting,” said Wendell. For more information on Ultimate Frisbee in the Philippines, visit www.philippineultimate.org/pua/.

Natures Trail Discovery Run 2012 culminates at Daranak Falls, Tanay

last Sunday, November 25, 2012 was the culmination of the last leg of three of the Nature's Trail Discovery Run. This run is an initiative of the government of Tanay, Rizal and Philippine Trail Runners Association - PTRA to highlight the tropical rain forest, the rivers and falls of Tanay, Rizal for local and foreign adventure seekers, outdoor enthusiasts and of course trail runners. This program will also encourage civic oriented groups and environmental organization to support and protect the natural flora and fauna of mountains Tanay Rizal.

The first two was held at Tanay Adventure Camp where I run 21k on the second leg. I missed running the first one because there was already a scheduled run I needed to attend. The course of the second leg was quite exciting because runners got to experience to do seven river crossings inside Sampaloc, Tanay. The trails was a mix of rough road, narrow tracks and flat pavement. The tougher part of the course was the almost forty-five degrees steep ascent.

At 2:30am, waiting for the ride to Tanay, Rizal...

The third leg, however was literally test of everyone's limits. The course was generally rough with chunks of   lime-stone rocks covered most of the trails. At the gun-start, the 21k runners immediately faced an early challenge with a steep ascend going up to the trail head. After which, runners creeped through Calinawan cave 300 meters long. the path way was slightly lit that's why navigating through the narrow and sharp limestone was challenging but a fun experience. For some who brought their head lamps, the passing through the cave was much easier but it was a life and death situation for some who did not bother to bring one, including me. 

Running friends Joan and Modj Mojdeh inside Calinawan Cave...

After the race, a fellow runner Nickson Yucom,  had an accident inside the cave and fell in one of ditches. He immediately got back on his feet and undermined his injuries until the finish line and ranked third. Only then he realized the gravity of his injuries was a bit serious. He incurred heavy bruises on his shoulder and back and a big bump on his forehead when he hit hard limestone rocks inside the cave.

The cave is full of natural limestone formations...

After going through the Calinawan Cave, most of the runners made a quick pause for a short photo ops just to document an unforgettable experience. Then back to the trails again until we got to the portion where runners will do some vertical stair climbing 340 steps to be exact. The climb was one hell of a cardiac exercise and a quads buster. After which, we got to do a short river traverse that made us cool-down from the fatigue.

With Choi, Joan and modj at the mountain summit 1.5k climb...

After passing through the U-turn for the 10k category, that was where the real challenge began. The trails at that point became much narrower with more jagged limestone rocks all over. With a minimalist shoes I used, the sensation was definitely felt, but i got to do a lot of technical scrambling running technique with it since its very light weight. The distances of the 21k runners became much father apart. One by one some runners lagged behind to stop for rest because of exhaustion and fatigue. Some totally retired from the race because of extreme cramps and other running related injuries. The ascent was 1.5 kilometer steep trail climbing. Slowly, one by one started geared down on a much slower pace then to just walking pace.

Savoring the sweet 21k trail run finish...

After reaching the U-turn at the summit, most of us decided to just drop down, enjoy the cool breeze of mountain air and enjoy the nature, another fun part of trail running where i don't get from running on roads. after a few minutes of rest, we loaded up our hydration bottles and headed down to finish the race. The trail running down the mountain was much easier and faster because of gravity,  but way much too dangerous as well. Then, it was full speed a head until we reach the last one kilometer of the race where we had to navigate our way through thick vines as we traverse the side of a stream. Suddenly, a load sound of Daranak Falls welcomed us as we cross the finish line exhausted, battered down, beaten up by fatigue but with full of high.

Cooling down at the finish line near Daranak Falls...

The Natures Trail Adventure Run was for me one of the toughest I ever run. The fatigue, pains and heat after the run eventually subsided and strength was recovered for another trail running in the near future. A special thanks of course to Chris Sports and Ms. Arleene Lindo for allowing to experience this awesome trail run. Thanks also to Iris Torculas for the effort of getting it for me. A special thanks also to Merrell Philippines for equipping me with the best trail shoes, the Barefoot Trail Glove and to the husband and wife running friends Joan and Modj Mojdeh for treating us with a mouth watering feast at Berhuz Persian Cuisine.

Greenwich: Crispy Glazed Chicken

I think the Philippines, other than being the text capital of the world, it is also the place where all people love to eat chicken. From litson manok (roasted chicken), Fried chicken, Tinola (boiled chicken in ginger) down to merciless local deli fried one-day old chicks and even down to the embryo levels - "balut and kwek-kwek". Pinoy just love to eat chicken in all stages of their lives.No wonder that most fast food restos that popped-out in every street corner, both foreign and locals never miss chicken as part of their menu. 

Greenwich, popularly know to serve the best pizza and pasta also included chicken as foodies fave. The chicken of course is no ordinary but a special one. Greenwich have come up a special chicken that all Pinoys would love and enjoy. Presenting the Greenwich Crispy Glazed Chicken, the latest addition in their menu that many Greenwich fans are now raving about. 

The Greenwich Crispy Glazed Chicken is packed with extraordinary goodness. Each large piece of chicken is prepared in a special marinade for days to make sure that all the special flavors seeps through every part of the chicken. It is then cooked in deep fried pressurized vat to seal all the goodness inside. After getting the right crispiness it is then wrapped in a mouth watering sweet and mildly spicy glaze that lingers on the taste buds. Of course for Pinoys, this lip smacking "ulam" wont be as perfect with out a hot steaming cup of rice on the side. 

Priced at P79, this awesome meal will definitely make all the chicken lovers out there dash to the nearest Greenwich and bite into the extraordinary goodness of this latest offering. The serving is available in either as a meal or in bucket. 

Jollibee University Floats

One of the best things in life of a student is the daily allowance "baon" everyday they get from parents. From the meager allowances they get, fast food companies have never run out of things to accommodate their limited budget just to experience all the exciting perks of fast food and in order to compete with the student meal prices of the adjacent "turo-turo". 

Jollibee, the number one fast food chain in the country have come up with another cool way kids can celebrate their student life. Announcing the arrival of four new amazing flavors of drink floats. Tagged as University Jollibee Floats, Jollibee captured the flavors of like Blue berries, Green Honeydew, Red Apple, and Yellow Pine-orange. These floats even matches the color themes of their own schools. Simply a great way to watch UAAP and NCAA gulping these cool drinks while cheering the teams for victory. 

These fantastic floats is a mix of ice-cold sprite, the fruit flavors of choice (Blue berries, apple, honeydew and orange) with a topping of vanila soft-serve ice cream. priced at P28 for the regular size and P38 for the giant size, you can upgrade a regular value meal to go-float just by adding P21. 

So bring along the whole barkada to the nearest Jollibee to experience the new University Floats. It's another fun and exciting way to get those cheering mood while watching your favorite school team champions.

BROOKS Opens Running Concept Store in the Philippines

Brooks, noted as the number one running shoes in the market today finally opens a state of the art concept store solely dedicated to running. It is located at the 3rd level of SM Annex in North Edsa, Quezon City. 

Last October 17, 2012, friends and members of the media were invited to an intimate gathering to witness the launching of Brooks Store, initiated by Brooks local distributing partner Sports Resource Inc. (SRI). The local company is the same group that operates Toby’s and RUNNR, two of the popular sport hubs in the metro.

 In many years, as ASICS rested on its laurels to be the number one running shoes, it has overtaken by a more unlikely contender two years ago and that is Brooks. A company that started as a multi-sport brand that caters to various sports, it has finally restructured and decided to focus mainly on running and running alone. Because of this bold move, it has radically sprinted to become the most liked running shoes in many countries around the world.

 With its stature, it has also received various awards and has helped thousands of runners elevate their running performance. Among the most liked models are the Ghosts 5, Trance 11,PureGrit and PureFlow, which all cited as the best running shoes in their own classes.

 The new concept store in Manila offers a wide selection of Brooks shoes models that caters to all types of runners. For people who just decided to venture into running as part of their regular physical regimen, The PureCadence is the model of choice. For the seasoned long distance runners, Trance 11 is the model that can endure long distance punishment. And the PureConnect is among the newest brand that receives the best minimalist shoes. All these and more can be found in the newest Brooks store in SM Annex.

 The Brooks store offers not only the latest Brooks running models but also equipped with state of the art gate analysis system where a runner can under go running diagnostics to determine his/her running form thus knowing the right type of shoes. The store also offers running the coolest running apparels, tri-suits, compression leggings and the hottest running gears that let your running experience a more enjoyable one. 

The launching was initiated by welcoming remarks by the President of SRI Mr. Cloudio and a fashion show by the country’s hottest sports models that feature the wide selection of Brooks Running gears. After which, the crowd proceeded to the store itself to witness the state of the art design which also the first in South East Asia.

PBA players make a slam dunk for health with Mondo Juice

PRESS RELEASE:

PBA players make a slam dunk for health with Mondo Juice In the fast-paced, no-holds-barred world of professional basketball, staying in top form is essential. Taking healthy living to heart, top cagers Danny Ildefonso, Robert Reyes and Alex Cabagnot of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) score high on fitness and well-being with the help of all-natural beverages from Mondo Juice. With specially-chosen fruits, vegetables and fresh ingredients that go into every smoothie, Mondo Juice gives them their all-star dose of healthy fruit drinks to fuel their hard court performance.

One of the most recognized names in the PBA, Ildefonso, popularly known as “The Demolition Man”, currently plays for Petron Blaze Boosters with Reyes. The 6’6” Power Forward has also played for the Philippines in different international basketball competitions. For the two-time PBA Most Valuable Player, Mondo Juice’s healthy selection of smoothies and sandwiches is the way to go. He enjoys it best with his family. “I really love their smoothies and Chicken Caesar sandwiches. My family and I go there whenever we can, and it’s great to have such food options that don’t contain so much fat. As an athlete I have to keep watch of what I eat, and I am positive this will help me perform even better in my career,” he says.

Robert Reyes, also playing as a power forward for the Boosters, is a self-confessed Mondo Juice aficionado. Reyes is a fan of Mondo Juice’s fresh-pressed juices, which give him that much-sought taste of real fruit without additives. His preference for non-sweetened drinks keeps him coming back for more. “Personally I don’t prefer drinks with added sugar. I try not to eat too many processed foods so going to Mondo Juice is like treating myself to a delicious meal without the guilt. It doesn’t compromise my normal routine as a sportsman,” he says. Reyes also recounts how he discovered the juice joint. “I was in Megamall when a friend suggested that I try Mondo Juice. The first one I tried a few years ago was ‘Berry Blitz’, and I totally loved it. I just can’t get over the taste of real blueberries,” he says.

Cabagnot, famous for the moniker “Crunch Time Cabagnot,” recalls how he got into the Mondo Juice craze. “I was walking around Robinson’s Galleria that time when I came across Mondo Juice. I tried out their delicious pastrami sandwich and was a fan ever since,” he says. As a long-time player for the Boosters like Ildefonso, Cabagnot recognizes the benefits of fresh fruit juices in the diet of highly-active individuals. “Without proper diet, the full advantages one can get from working out can never materialize. 

That’s why I do both, work out and eat healthy, so I can play longer,” he adds. The all-natural goodness of 100% real fruit and the freshest ingredients that make up the best sandwiches and desserts come in one store that serves them all. With outlets in SM Megamall and Robinson’s Galleria in Ortigas and another to come out in Legaspi Village, Makati, Mondo Juice serves the healthiest options not just for star athletes but everyone who wants to keep fit and fab.

Tetra Pak Encourages Runners to Recycle, Feed and Run

PRESS RELEASE:

The Tetra Pak RFR(Recycle. Feed. Run) event will commence on November 18, 2012 at the Bonifacio Global City(BGC) in Taguig City.

Thousands of running enthusiasts are expected to join this event organized by Tetra Pak Philippines, Inc. in cooperation with the HyperSports Philippines, which encourages the recycling of Tetra Pak cartons in the country.

Consumers simply have to bring at least 2(two) empty and clean Tetra Pak cartons for recycling, fill out registration form and pay the registration fee to sign-up for the running event. Plus, if they bring 5(five) pieces of Tetra Pak cartons for recycling they get a Php50 discount on the registration fee.

“Aside from the promotion of a healthy and active lifestyle, we would also like to highlight the importance of recycling and sharing through a milk donation activity under the Tetra Pak Feed-a-Child program. Participants of the run get to help “Recycle” since the empty and clean Tetra Pak packages they bring shall be recycled into useful paper products and they also get to help “Feed” a child with milk since every Tetra Pak package collected for recycling during the registration will be equivalent to a donation of 1(one) ready-to-drink milk in Tetra Pak package(in 200ml or 250 package size) to a chosen children’s foundation which shall be jointly donated by Tetra Pak and our dairy customer partners for the event”, said Tess Raymundo, Tetra Pak’s Communications and Environment Manager.

The running event includes a 21Km, 10Km, 5Km and 3Km options for fitness and running buffs. The event venue will be at the parking lot of Block 32 (at the corner of 28th Street and 9th Avenue) in Bonifacio Global City,Taguig City. Registration fees range from Php500 (for 3Km) to Php800(for 21Km).

Registration for the Tetra Pak RFR(Recycle. Feed. Run) event is from October 1 – November 16, 2012 at these registration sites: Toby’s Robinson’s Ermita, Toby’s Glorietta, Toby’s Trinoma, RUNNR- Alabang Town Center, R.O.X.- BGC, A Runner’s Circle- Roxas Blvd. Manila, SecondWind- Ortigas, and at www.ayojak.com.ph for online registrations. 

ABOUT TETRA PAK:

Tetra Pak is the world's leading food processing and packaging solutions company. Working closely with our customers and suppliers, we provide safe, innovative and environmentally sound products that each day meet the needs of hundreds of millions of people in more than 170 countries around the world. With almost 22,000 employees based in over 85 countries, we believe in responsible industry leadership and a sustainable approach to business. Our motto, “PROTECTS WHAT’S GOOD™," reflects our vision to make food safe and available, everywhere.

More information about Tetra Pak is available at www.tetrapak.com

BROOKS Sports Inc.: Sees Philippines as one of South East Asia's hottest running Hubb

I consider Brooks shoes to be an iconic brand to my running lifestyle. When I started to engaged to serious running three years ago, the Brooks Trance 8 was the shoes that cradled me to endure my first few kilometers. The shoe size was a bit tight for me but surprisingly I was able to run long distances with it. Now, I seldom run with these shoes but i still use them for everyday walking and still feels good to wear.

last September 27, 2012, I was invited to an intimate gathering of media and bloggers to the launching of the partnership of Sports Resources Inc., the distribution arm of Quorum Group of Companies and Brooks Sports Inc. to announce the forthcoming launch of the first Brooks Concept Store in Manila.

According to Mr. Toby Cloudio, President of Toby's Sports Shop and RUNNR Store, the partnership of Brooks and SRI marks a milestone in the Philippine sports because the Concept store will be the first in South East Asia.

According to Steve Ave, Brooks Asia Pacific brand development manager for South East Asia, Brooks recognizes the growing running community among Filipinos and sees lucrative opportunities to present Brooks as the brand of choice in the running crowd. He says. "Brooks is you go-to company for anything and everything related to running."

In more than ten years that the brand Asics have placed to be the number one running shoes in market, Brooks have successfully over taken them last year with the overwhelming increase of sales model Ghosts, Trance, Revenna and Adrenaline GTS which is the number one running shoes in the market today and have voted as the running shoes of the year. 

Mr.Ave and Mr. Rodolfo Cloudio, the president of SRI added, " Brooks Sports Inc.and SRI are the perfect fit in that it share the same passion for fitness and running both a a sports and as a hobby. Proficiency and reliability has made it top of the best foreign brands like Brooks and wishes to expand in the Philippines.