Hi-5 is back in the Philippines with an All-Filipino casts…

Hi-5, the Australian award winning children’s program brings back the spirit and fun much closer to Filipino kids with its all Filipino casts. TV5, the network that was able to get the franchise launches Hi-5 Philippines which was also adapted by several countries around the world. 

My two younger kids grew up watching Hi-5 right after they got bored watching Barney. I was quite relieved because at least, they have finally out grown nursery rhymes and leveled up to a more up- beat type of music which I find it very interesting and fun to sing too. So as they watched, I was able to learn and like the songs myself. Actually, in many occasions, I find myself unconsciously singing Hi-5 songs on my way to work. 

Last June 11, 2015, TV5 invited several members of the media (including me) together with children to witness the first live showing of Hi-5 Philippines at the TV5 studio in Mandaluyong City. After more than two months of auditions by dozens of aspiring talents, organizers of the new show have finally came up with five highly exceptional individuals that best fit the personality and charisma of the original gang in Australia. 

After a very hefty lunch, we all proceeded to the main studio where the set up was very much like the original studio. The kids, with their equally excited parents, gathered around the stage to watch their version of some of the original songs that my kids loved to sing a long when they were little. To my excitement, I can’t help not to sing-a-long with them as well. 

The Hi-5 Philippines cast of Gerard Pagunsan, Aira Binas, Rissey Reyes, Alex Reyes and Fred Lo are all set to bring a Hi-5 House party in every household as they interact with kids in a “tag-lish” type of show  that will best connect with Filipino kids. Many of the original songs will be sung as it is and some will be converted to “tagalized” form. 

At The launch, we were very fortunate to see a member of the Hi-5 original cast who happens to be a half-Pinoy. She is no other than Ms. Fely Irvine. After the show, we were all invited to join a press conference where the casts were able to expound more about themselves. 

Hi-5 Philippines will airing weekdays at 8:30am starting June 15, 2015. A reply telecast will be aired every 3:00pm at TV5. 

The latest Harman / kardon & JBL Store Opens at Ayala Terraces

Finally, it’s good to see high end audio brands streaming their presence in the commercial scene. Way back in the early 90’s where I used to work in the recording studio industry, brands such as JBL and AKG are always the top of mind among sound engineers when it comes to quality sound. For monitoring speakers, recording studios invest on JBL because they produce distinct clarity sounds which are important in sound production. When it comes to micro-phones, we use AKG. Even in concerts, music production houses use AKG.  

With the advent of modern technology, more and more brands are emerging to compete in the market. And even the not-so popular brands are also producing a good quality sound now. So the popular ones are now seemingly moving from industrial to commercial, which I thing a good strategy.

Finally, a few weeks ago, a concept store of JBL and Harman kardon opened at Ayala Terraces in Fairview, Quezon City. Though quite far from my place, I had the opportunity to visit and experience first-hand the great quality sounds which I only got to listen to when I’m in a recording studio before. The store is owned and managed by Beyond Innovations Inc. in which JBL and Harman kardon are their flagship brands. 

Harman, a company noted for producing great brands such as JBL, Lexicon, Mark Levinson, AKG and Infinity, is also the company of choice of more than 25 automobile owners all over the world for their car audio set ups. Moreover, it is also the brand of choice of sound production experts, audiophiles and musicians. 

The concept store, with its other branches in SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, Trinoma and Bonifacio Global City offer a very wide range of product variants that covers from personal compact listening system, such as earphones, headphones, pocket speakers that delivers explosive sounds to a complete home entertainment system that brings larger than life quality sound. 

So whether you're setting up a comprehensive home entertainment system, a personal listening room or just finding a good quality personal listening gadgets, Choose only what the professionals use. 

Back to Back Championship Bouts Headline PXC 48 on TV5

Is boxing slowly losing its charm among Pinoys and is starting to be replaced by mix martial arts (MMA)? Why do a lot of Filipinos and same goes to the many people around the globe are going crazy over this new full-contact sport? I guess the barbaric nature of man are starting to kick in when two oppressing opponent tries to pin each other down. 

For those who are into this kind of action pack sport, then you are for another big treat when the Pacific Extreme Combat presents PXC 48 on June 13, 2015 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City. PCX will feature some of the country’s toughest fighters coming from all over the regions will be challenged by MMA fighters from other countries.

To start off, four minor flyweight titles is at stake as Ernesto Montilla faces Jenel Lausa; a foreign contender will challenge Rufino Mante, while Marcelo Cabusas battles Marc Alcoba; after which, Adamson Torbiso and Nilo Vidal will grapple each other to the finish.

Three other bantam weight fights are on schedule, with Mark Abelardo of New Zealand facing Harold Banario of Benguet; Ramon Alvarez of Guam taking on Ernie Baraca of Ilo-ilo City and finally, Genil Francisco colliding with Charles Diao. 

PXC 48 will highlight the main event that will stage not one but two championship bouts, the flyweight and the bantam weight divisions. Well known fighters Alvin Cacdac of San Jose California and Cristiano Pitpitunge of Kapangan, Benguet will face each other for the flyweight crown.  Cacdac is ranked No. 1 out of 77 pro flyweight fighters in South East Asia and as a bantam weight is ranked No.2.

After which, Kyle Aguon of Yona Guam and Rolando Gabriel Dy of Davao City will battle off the title of Bantam weight crown. Currently, Aguon holds the title of the bantam weight and Dy will try all of his might to grapple the title off Aguon this afternoon. This action pack fights will be aired live at TV5 this afternoon June 13, 2015.

AVIDA South Park: Part City, Part Nature…Pure South

I’m always fascinated by Ayala Land Developments and more particularly the AVIDA structures. When I was new in blogging, I used to get invites to some of the media launches of Avida high rise condo-developments in Metro Manila. Every time I get to see the model units, I just can’t help but imagine and wish if someday I could own one in the future.

Before, a condominium is something I could not consider a dignified real estate property because it’s just a room among many within a larger building. And for a nature lover like me, living in one is way too urbanized that lets you feel like you’re living in an office space. But one thing that is quite special with Avida is the green landscape that allows you to experience living in place still grounded on the earth with plants and trees. 

Ever since my family moved from Pasay City to Alabang in 1977, I always see myself living in the south. The roots of my parents are from Bicol, my in-laws are from Rizal, Laguna, and many of my long-time friends are from Los Banos. So, the South has always had a “pull” on me. Now that the boys are all grown, pretty soon they will leave the nest and my wife and I would love to imagine cuddling each other while retiring in a condo, not too far from the people who are close to our hearts. 

A few years back, we were surprised to see an Avida development in Alabang which is very much near to our house. And every time we pass by that area, I'd always dream of seeing myself living there someday.

South Park is the first Avida development in the Alabang area and I’m sure a lot of “Southerners” like me would now be toying with the idea of owning a unit there. At present, the construction of Tower One is already in full-swing and I heard that 80% of it is already sold out. Good thing that Tower Two will start pre-selling soon with construction soon to follow.

Last week, I was invited to have a sneak peek of how the rooms would look like at South Park. Along with other members of the online media, the marketing group of Avida offered us a tour of the place where we got to take photos sample interiors of the model units.

The first unit we saw was the studio room which has a dimension of 23 to 24 square meters. This unit is fit for bachelors or for those who are just starting up. Because of the small space available, furniture are very limited. But with the use of convertible-furniture, a single unit can come out as spacious. The Studio Unit is priced at P1.9M.

The one bedroom unit is for newlywed couples or small families. The interiors are very much compact but with spacious bedrooms that can fit two double-sized beds, very much ideal for a family with small kids whom they can share the room with. The size of the room is around 45 square meters with a price tag of P2.3M.

Now a three-bedroom unit was something I really want to own someday. First, the size of the unit is 63 square meters and the rooms are very spacious. A queen-sized bed can fit easily inside with much spaces left for other stuff, like an entertainment center with all the sense-surround amenities or a personal ref. The secondary room is a kids' haven where adult-size bunker beds can fit easily and you can throw in a couple of study tables and other furniture. The price tag for this unit is P5.7M.

After the tour, Avida offered us a mini food-crawl of four different types of food trucks from which we can order any food we want to try. The event ended having me leaving the place dreaming for an Avida home with some food stash in tow.

Energizer Night Run 2015: How far can you go to lighten up the life of a poor child?

Energizer Night Run 2015 is a run for a cause organized by Energizer to benefit the medical needs of indigent children under the Bantay Bata 163 Foundation. This year, the night run will have a different kind of twist. It will be an open run that will allow runners to push themselves a little further to run as far as they can within a three kilometer loop in 2 hours of run time. 

A P700 registration will cover all distances. Runners can run for 3k or more, depending on his or her capacity. For every 3k loop a runner makes, Energizer will give additional donation to Bantay Bata 163. This running event will hope to raise more than P1 Million donation to fund the medical needs of children in critical conditions. 

The running event will be held at Alabang’s popular running circuit, the scenic and nature-inspired Filinvest. The event will start at 5:00pm on June 27, 2015 and more than 3,000 runners are expected to join. This run for a cause are catered not only for beginners but also to the seasoned runners like me who has the capacity to run much longer distances within two hours. 

Another special feature of this run is that, there will be no podium winners and all who will participate will be recognized as champions.  According to Mr. Vincent Lizo, Energizer Philippines’ Business Director, the first open run bears truth that no competition is needed if we want to help improve the lives of children. "Being generous is all about benefiting others more than yourself”, Lizo said. “For its part, Energizer, as a company, will recognize every runner of this event as a winner since no medal nor any form of special recognitions are needed to fulfill our responsibilities to the community," added Lizo.

Registration includes both online and through official registration sites Reebok Filinvest, Trinoma and Megamall, RUNNR BGC and Royal Sporting House Glorietta.  Online registration and details of event are through Energizer’s official website at www.energizer.com.ph,  www.Facebook.com/EnergizerPH, and race partner www.pepsquadevents.com.

The Legend Villas: Part Vigan, Part Manila…All Filipino

The Legend Villas is a three-star hotel with a Five-star Filipino service. Located at the Pioneer area in Mandaluyong City, The Legend Villas is the only hotel in this area that is built-inspired by the early 19th century old houses that thrives Manila many years ago before most of them were destroyed by the Japanese occupancy in the 2nd World War. 

Legend Villas is part of a group of hotels such as Legend Palawan and Kabayan Hotel, among others, that caters to the busy corporate clientele who wish to just unwind, relax and momentarily escape the daily grind of the corporate rat-race. For many, the hotel’s first impression would be a little pricey, but it’s not. The room rates ranges only at P4,600 for a spacious studio room to P10,400 to a Team Suite that can accommodate, as many as five to six person. 

All accommodation are bundled with tons of amenities such as a powerful wi-fi access, a complementary in-room massage and of course a classy all-Filipino buffet breakfast at Lola Maria Restaurant, where you can experience to taste some of the best Filipino dishes much like the ones our old “lola” used to cook. 

Lola Maria Restaurant offers a wide array of Filipino dishes from different parts of the archipelago 

Lola Maria's special version of "Lumpiang Hubad"

The Lechon Paksiw is just one of the "sinful" indulgences that will make you forget your daily diet plan

Yesterday, I and some friends of mine in the social media industry were able to have a glimpse of the services of The Legend Villas. The Management treated us to a hefty lunch buffet that covers the best Filipino dishes from different regions in the country. And for dessert, all of us indulged in a Halo-halo treat with more than 12 ingredients and toppings. 

A dozen ingredients is certainly not enough to make a perfect "Halo-halo"

Would 15 ingredients do the trick?

Shortly after lunch, Ms. Abby (Legend’s Communication Officer) toured us in some of the rooms of the hotels. We were briefed that the whole hotel is being given a new “face-lift” and all rooms underwent renovations with added amenities to serve their loyal guests even better. For those who plans to hold wedding ceremonies, the hotel offers seven function rooms and one of which can accommodate more than 200 hundred guests. 

Receiving area of one of the Deluxe Rooms with Twin bed on the second-floor

A multi-functional rooms that can accommodate more than 200 guests...

Smaller function rooms are offered to those who wish to hold business meetings and corporate events. For some who just wish to dine, Lola Maria Restaurant offers a buffet breakfast for as low as P390 per head. For the foreign guests, the restaurant offers selected international cuisine.  

The Legend Villas is very much accessible practically from all directions. So, it is easier to go to the malls you wish to go to with no hustle of traffic congestion. For reservations, you can reach them through: 

Tel. (63 2) 702-2700 to 04

Fax. (63 2) 702-2780 / 638 9255

Mobile: (63) 917 702 2700

centralreservations@legendhotels.com.ph

Website: www.legendvillas.com.ph

FB page: thelegendvillas

Honor Series by Huawei

Huawei, a China-based mobile phone giant have finally come up with a brand name that is more highly acceptable to a global market. Just recently, the Honor mobile phone series was launch to go head-to-head with other mobile phone giants that has become an iconic hose-hold name to all mobile phone users. 

A few years ago, one of my first smart phone was Huawei Accend Quad XL. It was one of the early quad-core smart phones in the market that is equipped with an eight mega pixel camera. At that time, for me, it was pretty high end. One experience that changed my perception with China-made smart phone was an experience that really blew me away. 

Photo taken May 2015

Last 2012, I participated in a kayak 25km marathon from Bataan to Subic and back. My partner and I paddled the 25km race in the open sea for more than five hours and only to realize that my Huawei Phone was still in my pocket without any protective case. It was drenched in salt water for hours. My realization was alarmed by a text message, so that’s why I knew it was still with me. When we got back to the shore, I resigned to the fact that my phone is destroyed. But lo and behold, after two days of air-dry, the phone booted up and is working until now! From then on, I see Huawei Phones a lot differently.

Photo taken June 2013

Can you beat that, iPhone?! 

Last May 12, 2015, I was fortunate to be invited to the launch of Huawei smart phones under the name Honor series, specifically the Honor 6 plus, Honor 4x and the Honor 4c. Honor 6 plus, being the flag ship model among the series, is backed by cutting edge designs and features. 

KEY SPECIFICATIONS - HONOR 6+

Dimensions: 150.5 x 75.7 x 7.5 mm (5.93 x 2.98 x 0.30 in)
Weight : 165 g (5.82 oz)
Size:         5.5 inches (~73.2% screen-to-body ratio)
Display:         IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Resolution: 1080 x 1920 pixels (~401 ppi pixel density)
SIM:         Dual SIM (Micro-SIM/Nano-SIM, dual stand-by, dual call)
                                Micro-SIM - PE-TL10
Platform Os: Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat)
Chipset:         HiSilicon Kirin 925
CPU: Quad-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A15 & quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7
GPU: Mali-T628 MP4
Memory Card: microSD, up to 128 GB (uses SIM 2 slot)
Internal:         32 GB, 3 GB RAM
Camera:
Primary:                 Dual 8 MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED flash
Secondary         8 MP, 1080p@30fps
Connectivity: WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth         v4.0, A2DP, EDR, LE
GPS        Yes, with A-GPS
Battery:        Non-removable Li-Po 3600 mAh battery

KEY SPECIFICATIONS HONOR 4X

Dimensions: 152.9 x 77.2 x 8.7 mm (6.02 x 3.04 x 0.34 in)
Weight: 165 g
Size:         5.5 inches (~70.6% screen-to-body ratio)
Resolution: 720 x 1280 pixels (~267 ppi pixel density)
Display: IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
SIM:         Dual SIM 4G/LTE (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by)
Platform:         Android OS, v4.4.2 (KitKat) or Android OS, v5.0 (Lollipop)
Chipset:         HiSilicon Kirin 620
CPU         Octa-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A53
GPU         Mali-450
Memory Card: microSD, up to 32 GB
Internal 8 GB, 2 GB RAM
Camera
Primary 13 MP, 4208 x 3120 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Secondary 5 MP, 720p
Connectivity: WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth         v4.0, A2DP
GPS: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS
USB: microUSB v2.0, USB Host
Battery: Li-Po 3000 mAh battery

KEY SPECIFICATIONS HONOR 4C 

Dimensions: 143.3 x 71.9 x 8.8 mm (5.64 x 2.83 x 0.35 in)
Weight: 162 g (5.71 oz)
Size:         5.0 inches (~66.9% screen-to-body ratio)
Display: IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Resolution: 720 x 1280 pixels (~294 ppi pixel density)
SIM:         Dual SIM 3G (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by)
Platform OS: Android v4.4.2 (KitKat)
Chipset:         HiSilicon Kirin 620
CPU: Octa-core 1.2 GHz
Memory Card slot: MicroSD, up to 32 GB
Internal 8 GB, 2 GB RAM
Camera:
Primary                 13 MP, 4208 x 3120 pixels, autofocus, LED flash
Secondary         5 MP, 720p
Connectivity: WLAN Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth          v4.0, A2DP, EDR
GPS         Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS
USB         microUSB v2.0, USB Host
Battery: Li-Ion 2550 mAh battery

The Honor 6 plus, Honor 4x and Honor 4c are now available in all Huawei Concept Stores and authorized distributors all over the country. The SRPs of Honor 6 plus, Honor 4x and Honor 4c are P17,490, P8,290 and P6,390 respectively. 

Honor, a bolder brand, equipped with a cutting edge features, Huawei is now brave to compete with the rest.