Monday, November 27, 2023
The Philippines possesses a beauty that just begs to be explored. And riding a motorcycle while exploring the wonders of the country gives the ultimate sense of freedom.
Before undertaking such an endeavor, it’s important to plan your trip carefully. To this end, Honda Philippines, Inc. (HPI), the No.1 motorcycle manufacturer in the country offers these tips to ensure your first On-Road adventure is not just memorable but will become the first of many.
Remember GOT TO BE SAFE - One of the first things a rider should do before going on an adventure is to make sure your motorcycle is in excellent condition. This is where the acronym GOT TO BE SAFE comes in. This refers to a motorcycle’s General Appearance, Oil, Tires, Tension of Chain, Operations of Controls, Brakes, Engine, Side Mirrors, Alignment of Steering, Fuel, and Electricals.
More importantly, this acronym is designed to help remind motorcyclists as to the components you need to check before riding your bike, whether on your first - or thirty-first - on-road adventure.
Wear the proper riding safety gear - Another important aspect of riding is to wear the proper riding gear. While wearing a certified helmet is a given, you should also consider other safety gear when going on an On-Road adventure. This is to help prevent or at least mitigate any physical injury. Examples of safety riding gear include gloves, protective boots, a riding jacket, and safety pads for your knees and elbows.
Check the weather and your route - Proper planning is another important aspect that can make or break your On-Road adventure. Make sure the weather is good before hitting the road to ensure a safe ride. Additionally, it’s a good idea to stick to established routes when going on your first adventure. An established route can offer things like pit and emergency stops for unforeseen issues. Don’t worry; as you gain more riding experience, you can certainly explore less beaten paths.
Be prepared for emergencies - Being prepared for anything while on the road is also another important element that can make your first On-Road adventure is a memorable experience. Essential to this is bringing along emergency equipment such as a first aid kit, a flashlight, some tools, and extra cash.
CB150X: Perfect for On-Road adventures. Of course, you can’t have an On-Road adventure without the proper motorcycle, and the CB150X (SRP: Php173,900.00) specifically features an adventure bike design highlighted by the familiar upright seating position, High Windscreen to minimize wind drag, Tapered Handlebar for better grip and handling, stylish Cockpit Design, Duck Fender, and Adventure Style Under Cowl protection. This design gives you a more comfortable ride over long distances, as well as adequate undercarriage protection against road debris - while providing a head-turning sporty style. Meanwhile, the bike’s All LED Lighting System and Fully Digital Meter Panel ensures outstanding visibility of the road and display your bike’s information, respectively.
The CB150X also features 149cc, 4-Stroke, 4-Valve, DOH Liquid-Cooled, PGMI-FI engine with 11.5kW of max power @9,000rpm and 13.8Nm of max torque. Likewise, its Showa-designed Inverted Front Suspension and full disc braking system provides maximum handling control and stopping power. These engineered elements when combined with its 12-Liter fuel tank and fuel efficiency rating of 38.0 Km/L based on Extra Urban Driving Cycle (EUDC) test method, you get a bike that gives you outstanding performance for longer rides.
There’s nothing quite like going on an On-Road adventure especially in and around our truly spectacular country. If you’re a first timer, this undertaking can certainly be daunting. However, if you have these tips in mind, and the CB150X, every journey is like an opportunity to explore the world around you.
For more information, visit www.hondaph.com. Stay updated on Honda’s newest products and promos by following Honda Philippines, Inc. on Facebook (facebook.com/hondaph) and Instagram (instagram.com/hondaph_mc/), YouTube (HondaPhilippines_Motorcycle) and Tiktok (tiktok.com/@hondaphilippines) or contact (02)-8581-6700 to 6799, and 0917-884-6632.
Sunday, November 26, 2023
#noheartlesha
“no heart” is an anthem of empowerment and resilience, where the act of dancing symbolizes the ability to move forward and embrace life with a fearless heart. It embodies the essence of danceable dark pop with its combination of catchy beats and lyrics about self- discovery, and unapologetically being oneself.
Lesha is very enthusiastic about this song's debut. She shares, “I’m really excited for this one ‘coz of how different it is from my last release GO TO HELL!!! This track is leaning more into the dark dance pop side - a genre I’m well known for. I can’t wait to perform this song live soon!”
You can also say that no heart is quite different from her previous tracks. For one, this is a very bouncy danceable anthem. The track that you listen to when you want to boost up your energy and confidence. Lesha has also incorporated different vocal chops into the song’s production working with her US based producer De’La and LA-based songwriter Krizia Carbonell .
“I wrote this song with LA-based songwriter Krizia Carbonell and I remember us just coming up with the concept of empowerment and not caring about what anyone else thinks in reference to the ‘dancing with no heart’ line. While the line “glowing in the dark” metaphorically symbolizes just me being an untouchable magical force or in general as someone who possesses power,” Lesha emphasizes.
It has always been her trademark for all the songs to share her feelings and innermost thoughts. For “no heart” lyrics, she expressed her own imperfections in the context of a troubled relationship. Her self realization led her to make amends that she wasn’t as bad as she was made to believe. While the idea of ‘dancing’ as symbolism used in the song, reflects a sense of liberation or living without holding back and just allowing herself to have control over how she moves through life.
Lesha can only attest how “no heart “ has made a great impact on her life. “It is a song that I wrote about a phase in my life where I finally decided to move on and not care about what anyone thought of me.”
2023 is almost ending but Lesha remains unstoppable in her pace moving forward and achieving a whole lot more. “For now I’m focusing on my upcoming plans for next year as we prepare to drop more singles and hopefully I get to perform all my new songs live soon too!”
As a true believer of manifestation, Lesha shares what’s on her mind lately and what she is manifesting to happen sooner than you think.
“A lot of my fans would agree with me on this, but I honestly can’t wait to drop another unreleased song of mine called Skin2Skin. It’s also produced by De’La and written by me in LA last year. I’ve been performing it at all my live shows this year and it organically built its own fanbase on social media! So, wait for it!”
Listen to “no heart” on Lesha’s Spotify. Check out other social media platforms-- Instagram, Facebook, and Tiktok for more updates.
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Saturday, November 25, 2023
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Regardless of the season, SM malls in Marilao, Baliwag, and Pulilan will make everyday a holiday as the malls bring in some of the latest additions to their exciting mix of food tenants for a fun and exciting shopping experience.
Perfect for the season of giving, SM City Marilao welcomes Caramia Cakes & Gelato. Sweet tooth or not, one can’t resist Caramia’s premium lineup of cakes, gelato, and shakes that are enough to make any celebration or a simple day merrier.
Here you may find Caramia’s bestseller cakes, such as Ube Cake, Midnight Dream, Pistaccio Cioccolato, and Salted S’mores. Of course, their all-time favorite gelato flavors include Pistachio, Chocolate Therapy, and Cookies & Cream. Also try their newest offerings— Mango Cream Pie, and gelato in Maltesers and Peach Mango Caramel flavors. Whether it’s a gift, a treat, or a simple craving, Caramia Cakes & Gelato will surely fit any occasion or anyone’s heart. Visit them now at the second level of SM City Marilao.
A highly recommended place to drink, eat, and unwind unveils as Nextgen Cafe opens at the ground-level, mall annex of SM City Baliwag. Shoppers will be thrilled, as Nextgen Cafe is the ideal place to stay with its cozy ambience and enticing menu.
Seize the day with a sip of their specialty coffee, such as Café Español, Café Yemen, and Vietnamese Coffee. Compliment your drinks with their bestseller menu—bacon, sausage, spam, choice of wafflesor rice- serve with omelet. The store also offers refreshing Sensazione series drinks available in 10 irresistible flavors, among others. Furthermore, Nextgen Café is pet-friendly, so fur parents are welcome to chill here with their pets, with rules applied accordingly.
Call the squad and assemble for a yummy feast as The Crunch – Boneless Fried Chicken opens at the ground level of SM Center Pulilan. Indulge in their unique style of tasty and mouthwatering boneless fried chicken. The store offers Chicken Shots, Shots Bucket, Half Chicken (6 pcs/flavor), and Whole Chicken (12 pcs/flavor), available in different delicious flavors such as Classic, Honey Garlic, K-Style, Spicy K-Style, Teriyaki, Cheesy Bacon, and Texas BBQ.
Plan your next food crawl and visit the latest food destinations only at SM Bulacan malls. Stay updated, as the malls will unveil some of the best store concepts in the coming days. Follow the social media pages of SM City Marilao, SM City Baliwag, and SM Center Pulilan for the latest trends and happenings.
TCL C755 presents outstanding brightness and darkness in every corner of the frame.
TCL Electronics, a leading brand in consumer electronics and TV manufacturing and the World's Top 2 TV brand, is finally revealing the next generation gaming TV dubbed as the “Ultra Game Master”. It is set to break barriers in QD Mini LED technology.
The new TCL C755 gives superior light control and precise dimming zones in all corners of the TV screen. With its incomparable picture quality, more defined color perfection and exceptional gaming features, you’ll be amazed by this ultra revolutionary product.
“The long wait is over! We are very happy to announce the coming of the new TCL C755 that will give every gamer’s fantasy in terms of giving them the ultimate gaming experience. This one is truly going to level up your expectations in a gaming TV,” says Mr. Loyal Cheng, TCL Philippines Chief Executive Officer.
A Visual Masterpiece
Speaking of exceptional eye feast, the TCL QD-Mini LED is a superb visual masterpiece that presents astonishingly vivid visuals with lifelike colors and an ultra-high contrast ratio. It is highlighted with higher peak brightness, a wider color gamut, a larger screen size, and a longer lifespan, making it a leading-edge display technology.
In terms of its dimming capability, the entire screen is finely divided into over 1344 zones. The full array local dimming precisely corrects and balances the backlight and image by calculating the brightness intensity for each zone based on image signals, ensuring that each frame can show more light and shadow details in ultra contrast ratio.
The TCL C755 also utilizes the Quantum Dot technology where it unveils over 1,000,000,000 hues of vibrant and precise colors, providing a wider color volume of up to 96% according to the DCI-P3 standard. Immerse yourself in a kaleidoscope of colors, where every shade comes to life with unmatched brilliance and depth. The HDR 1600 nits peak brightness capability provides a remarkable vivid visual for variable lighting conditions, even in broad daylight. Enjoy the details hidden in the sunny or shadowy scene.
This newest model also boasts of AI picture quality processor through the AiPQ Processor 3.0 that perceives and thinks like a clever mind to capture every detail in the real world into its rich database and to perform simulation and optimization based on human recognition. It finally reproduces visual outputs based on vibrant color, excellent contrast, and crystal clarity as you see in the natural world.
Exceptional Gaming
Experience next-level gaming with the best elevating technology in action dubbed as the Game Master 2.0. Unlock advanced display and audio experience by trying smoother streaming with the TCL Game Master.
The TCL C755 also puts an end to choppy gameplay and broken frames with fluid,
artifact-free performance at virtually any frame with its AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology. For a better gaming performance, the HDMI2.1*4 allows for higher resolutions, higher frame rates and a lot more bandwidth.
While the Aiming Aid feature helps you quickly and effortlessly aim at your target. Go find the Aiming Aid in the game bar and activate it! For the smooth gaming experience, the revolutionary variable refresh rate @144Hz lets you on track with your need for speed.
Superb Sound Quality
Bring the ultimate theater experience to your home through the TCL C755’s combined power of ONKYO's 2.0 CH 50W Hi-Fi. Immerse yourself in the captivating stereo sound and thunderous bass, capturing every detail as if you were at a live band performance.
Dive into sound reimagined and be amazed with the unprecedented depth, clarity, and details that the Dolby Atmos feature can offer.
While the DTS® VIRTUAL:X™ brings a compatible and immersive sound master at your home. Experience improved sound immersion and heightened realism that make every scene intensely shown on the screen.
Discover more about TCL C755 Ultra Game Master and level up your gaming experience. Available at all authorized TCL Dealers. For more information about the TCL C645, go to https://www.tcl.com/ph/en.
Folk dancers hired by the City Tourism Department welcome the passengers and crew of the luxury cruise ship - MS Silver Whisper as it arrives in Puerto Princesa. The 610-foot, 10-storey vessel is touted as a cruise ship for the rich and famous; the first of six cruise ships that will be visiting Puerto Princesa’s shores.
The after-effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic which crippled the tourism industry can still be felt in the Philippines. However, Puerto Princesa, the “Heart of the Best Island in the World,” harnesses its vast potential not only as a destination of choice but also as a preferred center of MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, and events) to forge ahead and move forward.
Paradise in Profile
Puerto Princesa is the center of trade and commerce, education, communications, and public administration of Palawan. Its strategic location is within the growth corridor of the BIMP East ASEAN Growth Area.
Known for its UNESCO World Heritage site Underground River, it shares 50 percent of the tourist arrivals in Palawan and in the region, making it the biggest contributor to its economic growth. In 2020, Palawan logged a partial number of 157,051 tourist arrivals, 71,889 of which were visits to PPC.
A tropical paradise with a bustling urban center perfect for business-with-leisure trips, PP is blessed with lush rainforests and white-sand beaches hours away from the city proper, where a banking and commercial boom has made life easier for workaholics and busybodies.
Puerto Princesa is a relatively young settlement, having been established as a city only in 1970. The first settlers arrived on March 4, 1872; a date celebrated every year as the foundation day of the city.
As part of the Philippines’ last frontier, the city is rich in natural resources. It is the country’s largest city with a land area of 253,982 hectares. A chain of mountain ranges runs through the entire length of the city, dividing it into two distinct areas – the East Coast and the West Coast.
A significant portion of the city retains its indigenous vegetation, rainforest, mangroves, and coastal ecosystem, all of which support an amazing array of wildlife. In terms of species biodiversity and its wide range of ecosystems, Puerto Princesa is of national significance.
The famous and must-visit Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, which was formerly known as Saint Paul’s Subterranean River National Park, covering a protected area of 22,202 hectares is a haven to endemic flora and fauna. UNESCO has inscribed the park as a World’s Heritage Site on December 4, 1999.
Calendar of Events
The Norwegian Jewel carrying with it around 3,000 passengers and crew is the second of the six cruise ships calling port in Puerto Princesa.
With a tropical climate and the warm welcome of its people, foreign and Filipino tourists can bask in Puerto Princesa’s embrace all-year round. In January is the Chinoy Festival, which celebrates the new year with ground firecrackers at the Chinatown Center, and with dragon dances and lion dances in major malls and hotels. Every February 14 is the Love Affair with Nature, which is marked by a mass wedding as well as letting citizens express their love for Mother Nature through participating in mangrove tree planting activities.
In March is the Balayong Festival, which commemorates the founding anniversary of Puerto Princesa highlighted by street dancing, float parade and planting of Palawan Cherry Blossoms. In April is the Pangalipay sa Baybay, a summer extravaganza at the baywalk. Activities kick off with parade and fireworks display, dance competition, cheerdancing and boat race.
In June is the “Pista y ang Cagueban,” a time when citizens celebrate the Feast of the Forest and plant thousands of different tree species.
September is Tourism Month, which is celebrated with great performances, exotic cuisines and a showcase of various talents and services in the local tourism industry. Every third Sunday of September is Coastal Cleanup Day, an international activity whose objective is to preserve and safeguard Mother Earth’s resources along the shorelines.
November is the Subaraw Festival, which is a fun-and-activity-filled celebration of Puerto Princesa’s very rich biodiversity. December celebrates Light a Tree, a merry event where a giant Christmas tree is lit up to start the Yuletide Season. This comes with Christmas carols, dances, and music.
Mighty MICE
The Department of Tourism sees the huge potential of Puerto Princesa, a city known for its remarkable attributes in MIMAROPA (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), as a preferred location for meetings, incentives, conferences, and events (MICE).
In May, Regional Director Zeny Pallugna of DOT MIMAROPA in a discussion with City Tourism Department (CTD) chief Demetrio Alvior Jr. Said they are pushing for Puerto Princesa as a MICE destination, where tourists can be enticed to stay longer to enjoy the city’s attractions.
During the “Amos Ta Ren sa Puerto Princesa” radio show, Pallugna said that the city is well on its way into becoming a MICE location because of it is capable of hosting events such as Ironman 70.3 Puerto Princesa and an international dragon boat competition.
“Aside from that, maybe in the future we can conduct a 101 on MICE. We can do that, and then identify the different function facilities for the MICE market,” Pallugna said, as quoted by Palawan News, so the regional tourism office can start promoting the city at the end of the year, or next year.
Another goal for Palawan, Pallugna emphasized, is to train more community tour guides, and recalibrate their skills continuously, so they could help promote and showcase the “Filipino brand of service” globally.
“The second thing is—MIMAROPA is, whether they like it or not, we are the cruise capital of the Philippines. Imagine it, we have 139 cruise calls in the Philippines, 22 of them is in Puerto Princesa; 41 total within the MIMAROPA Region,” Pallugna pointed out.
The regional director of the DOT also mentioned that they plan to introduce the national program called “Philippine Experience” to the city, which includes the well-received Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo, which the local tourism body plans to replicate.
Alvior, meanwhile, said that Puerto Princesa’s main focus is on the MICE industry. As such, City Mayor Lucilo Bayron actively encourages investors and venture capitalists to build convention centers in strategic areas such as Quito and the environmental estate in Barangay Sta. Lucia.
“Actually, we were discussing tourism activities, and the mayor suggested that we should expand the Quito area. There is a focus on MICE, so we are working on establishing convention centers,” Alvior was quoted by Palawan News.
Cruise Capital
This November, Puerto Princesa City enjoyed a surge in tourist arrivals with the celebration of the Subaraw Biodiversity Festival, which drew international participants, and the scheduled arrivals of more cruise ships as Christmas approaches.
During the opening ceremny of the Subaraw Biodiversity Festival, Mayor Lucilo Bayron said that the aim of the city to make the event international is once again gaining momentum after being adversely impacted by the pandemic. In recent years.
“We need to add more international events to attract more tourists from other countries. And this year, we have incorporated international events in the celebration – wild bird photography race, Ironman 70.3 challenge, and international dragon boat race. Our Miss Subaraw is already a national event with the winner coming from Angeles, Pampanga, and this year, we already have 10 foreign candidates,” Mayor Bayron said, as quoted by Palawan News.
Meanwhile, a luxury ocean liner called MS Silver Whisper dropped anchor in the city in early November, indicating greater opportunities for the local tourism industry to prosper.
Touted as a cruise ship for the rich and famous, the MS Silver Whisper brought 382 vacationers and a crew of around 300. Registered in Nassau, Bahamas, the 610-foot, 10-storey vessel is operated by Monaco-headquartered Silversea Cruises.
The MS Silver Whisper is the first of six cruise ships that will be visiting Puerto Princesa’s shores this November, the City Tourism Department excitedly announced.
CTD chief Demetrio Alvior, Jr. said that guests aboard the ship will tour several key attractions in Puerto Princesa, with the underground river in Barangay Cabayugan on top of the list. The ship will then sail off to their next port of call in Coron, also in Palawan.
The city anticipates heightened tourism and overall economic activity with upcoming cruise ship arrivals scheduled on November 4, 8, 16, 18 and 28, Alvior shared.
Five more massive vessels are scheduled to arrive in November and December will welcome the MV Norwegian Jewel and the MV Aida Bella. The MV Norwegian Jewel will bring in about 2,500 people; the MS Westerdam, 1,964 individuals; and the MS Star Breeze, around 327 passengers.
Alvior noted that unlike in the past when international tourists arrived mainly by airplane, the city’s expanded tourism program has paved the way for more visitors to arrive by sea.
The city official said that stakeholders in the tourism sector are being encouraged to provide exemplary service that will showcase the renowned Filipino hospitality to solidify Puerto Princesa’s place as a tourism center and give the local economy a much-needed boost.
Alvior also encouraged Puerto Princesa’s tourism frontliners to treat all visitors with the highest level of care and to exemplify the unique Filipino standard of service.
“The influx of tourists will keep us on our toes, but it's a bustling pace we look forward to," Alvior told Palawan News.
Friday, November 24, 2023
Photo by Ted Orsenado
After staging concert productions and special shows featuring some of the most iconic bands in the Philippines and overseas, GNN wraps up the year with their annual year-end event happening at 123 Block in Mandala Park, Mandaluyong City, on December 15, 2023 (Saturday), at 7 p.m. onwards.
Keeping things closer to home this time around, the Manila-based production outfit will be holding an intimate show with some of their favorite collaborators on the bill, including The Ransom Collective and Oh, Flamingo!, whom GNN has worked with for their sold-out tenth anniversary concert this year; SOS, Ang Bandang Shirley, and Ciudad—three of the bands that were part of GNN’s journey when they were just starting out as an indie production doing bi-monthly shows in Route and Saguijo in 2015.
Firmly rooted in the culture of fostering community and inclusivity through live music, the GNN Year-End 2023 aims to continue the tradition of producing shows that champion the independent music scene while remaining firm to their ideals and ethos as a passion project that continues to grow with the demand of the times.
This year, GNN has presented and produced some of the most memorable shows of the year such as the reunion concert of Philippine R&B royalty Kyla and Jay-R, the 20th anniversary of Sugarfree’s Sa Wakas album (featuring Ebe Dancel), the 25th anniversary concert of Barbie Almalbis (including the reunion of Barbie’s Cradle and Hungry Young Poets), Zark’s Fest 2023, Linya-Linya Land, and the intimate concert of Clara Benin—just to name a few.
The Filipino production group are also set to welcome Taiwanese math-rock outfit Elephant Gym (co-production with The Rest Is Noise PH) and Indonesian pop-rock band Reality Club to the Philippine shores next month for two headline shows at the 123 Block and Balcony Music House, respectively.
Early bird tickets go on sale today at PHP 700 for a limited time only. Regular/door tickets will be available for PHP 800. Secure a slot here: bit.ly/gnnyep23
This event is presented by GNN and 123 Block.
In the Philippines, the second half of the year not only signals the start of the long countdown to Christmas, but also monsoon season. Traditionally, typhoons sweep across the country during this time, often aggravating the south-western spell (“Habagat”) that trigger flooding and other concerns.
At least 20 typhoons hit the Philippine area of responsibility every year, with the violent ones often posing the biggest threat to human lives and industry, that may result in costly economic loses and damages.
Given the frequency of natural hazard events in the country, Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI)—the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country—ensures that its Environment, Health, Safety, and Security (EHSS) teams are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to mitigate disaster risk by regularly conducting refresher training courses.
“We conduct policy and procedure refreshers among our EHSS teams to enhance our disaster preparedness. We revisit our strategy, which are aligned with guidelines set by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) policies, on what to do before, during, and after hazardous events,” said PCPPI Sr. Manager for Safety and Security Dindo C. Garcia.
“We also conduct monthly performance monitoring to see if our teams across the country are consistently aligned with the regulatory standards and to assess the areas that merit improvement,” he added.
PCPPI is also committed to building on stronger relationships with local government units (LGU) to help enable and support communities in times of natural hazard events.
“Our employees are at the heart of our operations. It is our responsibility to ensure we not only empower our teams and partners, but also our customers and the communities where we operate. We recognize our responsibility to prepare and help them in times of emergencies and calamities towards quick recovery with minimal disruption to their activities,” Garcia added.
PCPPI is the exclusive manufacturer and distributor of well-known beverage brands in the Philippines, such as Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, 7-Up, Mirinda, Mug, Gatorade, Tropicana, Lipton, Sting, Premier, Milkis, and Chum Churum Soonhari. More information about the organization is available via www.pepsiphilippines.com.
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