Jollibee’s new Ube Pie offers crispy and creamy spin to classic Pinoy treat

There’s a new dessert pie in town—and it boasts of a classic Pinoy dessert favorite at its core!

Jollibee, the country’s number one fast-food brand, is introducing a sweet, creamy, and purple addition to its dessert line-up: the all-new Ube Pie. Bringing together a delightfully rich ube filling and the texture of a golden-brown, crispy pie crust, this new offering is definitely the answer to your ube cravings.

“The Ube Pie is an exciting new addition to Jollibee’s dessert-pie line, which includes all-time favorites like the Peach Mango and Choco Mallow Pies,” said Kay Segismundo, Jollibee Senior Marketing Manager for Complementary Products. “We’ve turned this humble yet truly delicious dessert into a convenient treat that you can enjoy on the go while staying true to the unique characteristics of this classic Pinoy ingredient.”

Thanks to its vivid purple hue and irresistible combination of sweetness, good mouthfeel and texture that simply melts in the mouth, ube has taken the culinary world by storm over the last couple of years. Chefs and taste-makers across the globe cannot get enough of ube, as seen in glowing features in publications like GQ andHuffPost.

“Ube fanatics will be happy to know that there’s a new ube treat for them when craving strikes. Just drop by the nearest Jollibee for an authentic, delightful Ube Pie!” added Segismundo. 

Indulge in your ube cravings with the new Ube Pie, available in all Jollibee stores nationwide for dine-in, take-out, drive-thru, and delivery starting May 21, 2018. The Ube Pie will retail for P29.00* for solo and P82.00* for the Trio Pack.

For more information on Jollibee’s latest products and promotions, like Jollibee Philippines on Facebook or follow @Jollibee on Twitter and Instagram.

Jollibee Ube pie Yay or Nay?

The popular fast food giant has got me wondering if this new addition to their menu is worth the money. I opted for the solo piece for trial before shelling out P82 for a package of three. Ube or Yam is the main ingredient this time, I adored their previous pies namely: peach mango, choco malllow, and the tuna (the first one mentioned being my most favored). I waited patiently for 10 minutes even if I have been thinking about it all day because the cashier said they're saleable.

After my first bite, I didn't get to taste the core yet so I did a second. The filling was too hot and I intended to eat it that way. It isn't too much sweet, it was just right for my preference. The crust was crispy as usual and the amount of filling was satisfactory. 

Overall I wasn't much impressed as the Peach mango pie. The sweetness of the Ube pie is just right that it made me purchase another one. Yes, it's dee-licious and for Php 29 a piece, it's not too bad at all. Well that's just me. Good job mr bee. I'm rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

Stephen Bishop to perform May 22 at Resorts World Manila

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Stephen Bishop is resuming his round of successful concert tours in the US and the international scene, including the Philippines. Bishop who popularized such unforgettable songs as “Separate Lives, It Might Be You, Something New In My Life, On and On and Save It for a Rainy Day” will return to entertain Filipino audiences on Tuesday, May 22, 2018 in “Love Rocks”. This is a one-night concert at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Resorts World Manila.

It promises to be a night of fun and sweet memories, “I am very excited about going back to Manila where I have so many friends” says Bishop. He will sing the blues, pop, rock and light rock in his inimitable way that has charmed his millions of fans of all ages.

Joining him are Grammy-nominee Bobby Wilson, who sang “Your Love Has Lifted Me Higher, Get the Sweetest Feeling, Lonely Teardrops” and J Michaels who recorded “Wildflower, Smoke from a Distant Fire, and I Just Can’t Help Believing”.

OPM artists also performing in the concert include “Prince of Jazz” Richard Merk, Milet Abrenica and Janis Cagara.

“Love Rocks” is an MGM Global Entertainment Productions offering to be directed by Maestro Danny Favis. Tickets are available through www.ticketnet.com.ph and www.ticketworld.com.ph

The Spectacular Mid-Year Auction 2018 by Leon Gallery

The León Gallery is founded in 2010 and known to be the leading gallery that specializes in Philippine art that's historically important and museum quality. Stored within their walls are Old Master paintings done by Luna, Hidalgo, de la Rosa, and Amorsolo and also modernist works.

Leon Gallery set the date for its much-awaited, scintillating Spectacular Mid-Year Auction 2018 on Saturday, June 9, 2018 at its Eurovilla I showrooms on Legaspi Street, Legaspi Village.

A recovered Bologna sausage recipe from the Rizal family with the initials JR (probably Jose Rizal)

Headlining the must-have masterpieces are an exquisite Lorenzo Guerrero of life along the Pasig River. Guerrero, who became most famous as the mentor of the brilliant and internationally-celebrated Juan Luna, was also a wonderful painter in his own right. He was educated by the foremost Spanish instructors at the Manila academia : Manuel de la Cortina, who was himself a graduate of the Madrid art academy and his successor Nicolas Valdez. Guerrero, in fact, was to become the teacher of Manila’s finest artists, from Simon de la Rosa Flores and his nephew Fabian de la Rosa, Felix Martinez and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo, Telesforo Sucgang, Felix Pardo de Tavera, and Jorge Pineda to name a few stellar painters who passed through the portals of the legendary art school.

A 1917 work by one of Guerrero’s star pupils, Fabian de la Rosa, of a charming pair of ponies in a stableyard, provides an interesting behind-the-scenes look of a Manila home, at a time when horses were more common than automobiles.

Fernando Amorsolo — who happened to be Fabian de la Rosa’s nephew — is also in the spotlight with several riveting and early works : A post-war procession outside the ruins of the Antipolo church; works from the Thirties, Forties and Fifties, from an orange-streaked sunset scene by the water to glorious country scenes “Under the Mango Tree” and by a waterfall. The works are all the collections of several distinguished Manila families. A rare urban scene of the massive Ynchausti Rope Factory is a unique view of Manila in the 1920s.

Scintillating Jose Joyas, one ante-dating his historic participation in the Venice Biennale (the Philippines’ first in that august art fair); others from his halcyon years in the 1970s.

Other mid-century moderns include Vicente Manansala with a superb work dated 1949 that speaks allegorical almost in a style more typical of Carlos “Botong” Francisco : a trio of women pound rice, in a variety of Filipino costumes, while men pile grain in tall mountains. In the background, a sunlit landscape which suggests the Benguet rice terraces and in the foreground, a large carabao. Another work, datelined Paris, portrays a grieving mother at a child’s bier.

Arturo Luz painting

Arturo Luz, Ang Kiukok, and Romeo Tabuena are likewise represented, as are Juvenal Sanso, Oscar Zalameda, Lao Lianben, Malang, and Federico Aguilar Alcuaz.

An finely-proportioned ‘comoda’ with original marquetry in a floral design, an imposing Sheraton sideboard, and a ‘Mariposa’ butterfly sofa are just some of the impressive furniture to be included in the June sale.

Malang

Among the collectible memorabilia, the country’s most iconic heroes are represented. There is a bread-and-butter note (dated 1891) from the Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal to the Scottish millionaire Don Alejandro S. Macleod who had thrived in Manila.



Letters from various historical personalities to Teodora Alonso are also available in a single lot, including a Rizal family recipe, and more piquantly, the court documents of the suit brought against Rizal’s mother and her brother. Her unjust persecution greatly influenced Rizal’s nationalism.

Most explosive is the narration of Gregoria de Jesus of the last days of Andres Bonifacio as well as a dagger bearing the markings of the Katipunan. This document, while having been featured in works on the Philippine Revolution has never been revealed in full previously and is certainly one of a kind. A rare autographed photograph of the Lakambini of the KKK (dedicated to the journalist Jose P. Santos) and a letter to Emilio Jacinto complete the historical offerings that will fascinate the collector and every patriot.

Apropos, a BenCab of Rizal’s last days in Fort Santiago — and featuring excerpts of his “Ultimo Adios” is also a highlight, alongside an appealing work from his “Larawan” series, inspired by turn-of-the-century Philippine photographs.

From the contemporary artists, exciting works by Ronald Ventura, Marcel Antonio, Jon Jaylo, Danilo Dalena, Emmanuel Garibay, Edwin Wilwayco, Manuel Ocampo (with a grim Christmas work) and Jose John Santos III are also featured. The Santos work echoes the themes in the rest of the auction of women of the Philippine Revolution : The painting juxtaposes ladies in traditional Filipino wear with Cretan friezes, a view of a bahay na bato through an archway, and a fragment of an antique door.

A Different Dining Experience at Seascape Village

There's something about the ocean that sets the mood. The scenery relaxes and takes away your stress, and the view even makes a great centerpiece for conversation. Now imagine what it does to enhance your dining experience.

Seafood indulgence in Metro Manila is on a whole new level with the opening of Seascape Village Bay Market.

Seascape Village Bay Market is home to restaurants that offer Filipino, Asian, and fusion cuisines, and a wet and dry market that features fresh seafood trading. It is also a place where dining customers can enjoy an unobstructed view of the glorious Manila Bay sunset.

The Philippines being a tropical archipelago, is also one of the world’s primary sources of fresh seafood. It comes as no surprise for locals and tourists to search for dining places that specialize in seafood. Setting apart the Bay Market is the unique experience of how it elevates the whole process of seafood dining – from selecting fresh and live fish, crabs, shells, and even lobsters, to choosing how it will be cooked – something that everyone is sure to enjoy.

“We really wanted to bring a new experience for locals and tourists alike. Seafood is one of the bountiful resources that we have and with Seascape Village, we are able to bring a more interactive experience to dining,” said Christine Suntay, Seascape Village Marketing and Events Head.

To cater to different segments, the Seascape Village Bay Market has several restaurants that offer various price points – from casual gatherings to the more refined dining. Seascape Village is home to Mr. A’s Bar, Asian Taste Restaurant, Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimps, Darwin’s Café Hong Kong Special, Fish Music Bar, GoGo Kitchen, Golden China, Golden Fortune, Lhong-E, Lola Ina’s Seafood Paluto Restaurant, Mazu Seaside Diner, Wow Cow Fresh Beef Hot Pot,  Yatai Asian Cuisine,  and other exciting food stalls.

The Seascape Village Bay Market is the first of the four phases of Seascape Village, which are all set to open in the next two years. The second phase is geared towards lifestyle and wellness. The third phase of the development is all about events and entertainment while the fourth phase will feature a hotel and commercial complex. Upon its completion, one of the main highlights of the property is a beachfront that accords a view of Manila Bay and its famous sunset.

Seascape Village is located at Atang dela Rama Street corner Zoilo Hilario Street, in between Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel and the Manila Film Center, within the Cultural Center of the Philippines complex in Pasay City.

Slow internet - when you can't work and you can't play

Everyone hates slow internet connection - it's a pain to watch video-on-demand services, listen to music, download files from Dropbox, and chat on Messenger, Hangouts, and Skype. Add to that multiplayer and eSport games (on PC, mobile, and console) that require stable connection to be playable, and websites that take forever to load. SMEs, corporations, and those in the enterprise sector hate this even more: unreliable and slow internet connectivity leads to missed opportunities, takes a toll on revenue, and pulls down productivity.


But there is an alternative to hate. No one loves traditional, costly DSL plans with poor customer service, inconsistent speeds, and data capping. That’s why Converge ICT is a welcome game-changer: it rose in mindshare, from last year’s barely-known, and became today’s serious option if you want internet connectivity. Converge ICT disrupts the ISP landscape by providing value-for-money, reliable, solid end to end pure fiber optic-based internet for home, office, SME, and enterprise needs.


Consumers want value-for-money, fast internet connection
The consumer landscape is changing: video-on-demand services are now widely used, multiplayer games (popularized by eSports) are gaining traction, video calls among family and friends are the new normal, and more freelancers and employees now require fast, reliable internet connectivity to be able to work at home. And then there are social media apps, which allow people to "share more" (message and call each other and comment on posts) are elbowing out text messaging.

Converge ICT has the plans that fit your needs


The Converge ICT high-speed plans like Fiber X 1500, with up to 25 Mbps connectivity (for more than 10 devices), or the Fiber X 2500 plan, with up to 50 Mbps (to connect more than 20 devices at home) guarantee exceptional internet connectivity. You binge watch on your favorite streaming services without lags that ruin the mood. And this comes with unlimited bandwidth or no data caps: browse, stream, upload, download, or game on as you like. This last feature is the definitive offer that made Converge ICT an industry disruption - enough that competitors offered their own "unli" offers but a high cost.

Pure Fiber Optic-Based Internet for the needs of businesses


Converge ITC's mantra of "our customers deserve better" extends to what they can offer the enterprise sector. Expensive, lagging, unreliable, non-secure internet connectivity can be a barrier to do doing business. Converge has carefully crafted its pure fiber optic-based internet connectivity packages for the varying needs of businesses. The outcome, when you partner with Converge, is increased productivity, savings in time and money, and maximization of output.
Converge Enterprise offers the following:


Direct Access Internet. This provides a premium and dedicated connection to the global public internet backbone delivered via multiple route and diverse fiber optic submarine cable. With this you can build your critical and real-time applications.


Multi-Protocol Label Switching allows you to combine video, data application and voice without the complexities with secure “one-to-many-point” network connection (whether to your branches, business partners or suppliers).


International Private Line is a cost-effective and secure point-to-point or point-to-multipoint connectivity solution.


Converge Colocation provides a reliable data center environment to store your data and applications. Runs on a resilient pure fiber network that ensures consistent and uninterrupted service, and guaranteed security.


Converge Fast is a robust connectivity solution wherein the delivery of private information over a shared network is secured, reactive, and adaptive.


Carrier Ethernet lets you easily connect with your satellite offices across the Metro in a cost-efficient intranet that supports all your bandwidth-consuming business applications.


Converge Enterprise offers secure and dynamic pure fiber solutions for Enterprise needs. This is a clear opportunity to partner with the leader in ISP disruption and an emerging contender in the internet connectivity service sector.


Remember, nothing should prevent you from enjoying and benefiting from what the hyper-connected, searchable, sharable, immersive internet can provide. Converge ICT is here for your needs - whether it's for entertainment or for the enterprise.


Find out more about Converge ICT Solutions, Inc. visit http://www.convergeict.com

Jollibee celebrates mothers’ great love with trilogy of heart-warming Mother’s Day videos

Jollibee pays tribute to all mothers with a special Kwentong Jollibee Mother’s Day trilogy that again tugs at the heartstrings of Filipinos anywhere in the world.

Coming from the viral success of last year’s “Parangal”, Jollibee aims to surpass the “feels” it generated and once again set the internet abuzz with three short films that celebrate a #MothersGreatLove.


First in the Mother’s Day trilogy is “Amor”, directed by Dan Villegas, which tells the story of a mother who goes to great lengths to provide for her family’s needs.

The second episode, “Tess” is from filmmaker Pepe Diokno who continues to showcase his brilliance in bringing out the beauty of love between a mother and her child, having directed the memorable “Parangal” and “Date” Valentine’s Day videos. Diokno’s masterpiece this year, “Tess” celebrates a different kind of motherly love between a child and her nanny.

The third installment, “Helen” is directed by Ianco Dela Cruz, the same director who captured the hearts of netizens with his Valentine’s Day “Vow” and “Status” viral videos.

“The greatest love anyone can ever feel can only come from a mother’s heart. The true stories featured in Kwentong Jollibee’s first-ever Mother’s Day trilogy is testament to this as we celebrate and honor an endless love that has nurtured us from the time we were born,” said Francis Flores, Jollibee Brand Chief Marketing Officer and PH Marketing head.

More than becoming viral hits, Jollibee hopes that the 3 stories will capture the sentiments of millions of Filipinos from every corner of the world and become a fitting tribute to all the moms and nanays. “We sincerely hope that through this special Mother’s Day Trilogy, people will appreciate even more their moms and will go out of their way to express their love and gratitude to them,” added Flores.