Eastwood City brings IYAZ, other musical luminaries to its 2013 New Year Countdown

Megaworld Lifestyle Malls and Eastwood City welcomes the New Year with supercharged performances from musical superstars, as they celebrate another year of Living the Good Life in their Countdown to 2013 on December 31 at the Eastwood Mall Open Park.

Donning fun, commemorative 2013 memorabilia from Eastwood City, guests are all invited to join the party, cheer and kiss their loved ones as they watch the Star Drop to celebrate the coming of 2013.

 

Guests have even more to look forward to at this year’s New Year Countdown as Eastwood City is the only celebration in Manila to treat its customers to a foreign artist to this year - none other than renowned reggae hiphop artist IYAZ.

A multi-platinum singer, songwriter and rapper, IYAZ first burst into the music scene with the hit single “Replay”, which reached platinum in different countries all over the world.   This was followed by other hit tracks including “Solo” and “Pretty Girls”. Iyaz is also known for his collaboration with Philippines’ very own Charice for the pop-ballad “Pyramid.”

Other prominent artists will also be rocking Eastwood City’s New Year Countdown to 2013. The festivities, hosted by by Myx VJ Joyce Pring, Sam YG and Slick Rick from Boys Night Out,   include performances from musical icon Ely Buendia, award-winning Filipino rock band Up Dharma Down, hiphop and R&B hitmakers Urbanation, the all-girl rock group General Luna, and X-Factor Philippines finalist Mark Mabasa,

At the stroke of midnight, Eastwood City will be lighting up the skies with a grand fireworks display right after the Dazzling Star Drop, an Eastwood tradition now in its second year that hearkens to the New York Times Square Ball Drop, marking the beginning of 2013.

 For those celebrating the New Year in the provinces and abroad, they can still watch the festivities by logging on to www.megaworldlifestylemalls.com and watch a live stream of the New Year Countdown on the website.

“This year’s Countdown to 2013 will be our biggest and brightest yet. Party with international and local artists, be amazed by the glittering fireworks display, and be dazzled by the amazing Star Drop, our very own Eastwood New Year Tradition. That is why we are inviting everyone to kiss off 2012 and welcome 2013 here in Eastwood City,” said Kevin L. Tan, First Vice President and Commercial Division Head of Megaworld Corporation. 

Usher in the New Year and celebrate another year of Living the Good Life at the Megaworld Lifestyle Malls and Eastwood City New Year Countdown to 2013 on Dec. 31, 6PM at the Eastwood Mall Open Park. This event was made possible through the help of The Richmonde Hotel, Emperador Light “Gawin mong Light”, The Philippine Star, Business World, HerWord.com, Monster Radio RX 93.1, Crossover 105.1 Manila and Myx.

For inquiries and restaurant reservations, call the Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Concierge at 709-9888 or 709-0888, or log on to www.megaworldlifestylemalls.com.

 

Enjoy a grand fireworks display right after the Dazzling Star Drop.

IYAZ

 

Ely Buendia

 General Luna

 

Mark Mabasa

Up Dharma Down

Urbanation

IYAZ answering questions during the Press Conference at Richmonde Hotel Ortigas.

Kristina Magtira, Assistant Communications Manager from Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, presents IYAZ with a token as a remembrance for his visit to the country – a miniature jeepney. 

Women know best

by IVY ONG (Advertising Board of the Philippines)

The 10 Consumer Trends shaping 2012 pictures the rise of a different female consumer. In the study by top marketing communications firm JWT, women are found to be the most empowered they have ever been, exercising the right to choose their own path in life.

Filipino women figure predominantly in the local setting of JWT’s consumer trends. As 2012 comes to a close, we realize how deeply the power of decision-making and purchasing rest with wives, mothers, titas, lolas, daughters and girl friends. They have become “masters of omnipresent thrift” – a title many women acknowledge with Pinay pride.

The Advertising Board of the Philippines (AdBoard) looks forward to 2013 and the future with hope that this consumer trend of 2012 would become a way of life for the industry. In it’s Code of Ethics, AdBoard urges the industry to develop “awareness and commitment to its social responsibilities, including the promotion of values”. One of its principles as an umbrella organization is to practice advertising with “social, economic and cultural responsibility to the community”, keeping in mind that “the advertiser’s interest should take into account community interest”.

The crucial role of women in the economy, and more importantly in the fabric of society, should never again fall into the background. It is the industry’s responsibility to further encourage the participation of women in business and social affairs.

Create shared value with women, because while the consumer is queen today, the industry – the whole country for that matter – would do well to uphold women and their capabilities. There are messages that speak directly to women, so marketing communications strategies could be made to be more relevant to the female sector.

Many products and services in the market may be focused on women, whether currently or in the past, but there are many differences between women of previous generations and the women of today. Highlight products and services which offer convenience and ease to the lives of the modern, working Filipina. Give them rewards for juggling many roles in their lives, from being a breadwinner to being a mother, friend or daughter.

Two notable endeavors that address the needs and aspirations of women in this time are Metrobank Femme Visa and Shakey’s V-League. 

Metrobank Femme is a credit card developed especially for women. It offers perks, rewards and privileges for its users to enjoy. Shakey’s V-League highlights women’s volleyball in Philippine sports. It began as an inter-collegiate tournament and has grown to include national and international teams. The acclaim for Shakey’s V-League as players compete each year inspires young women to participate in sports.

The AdBoard believes in empowering women as individuals and as decision-makers. The marketing communications industry is an influencer of ideals. In this capacity, the AdBoard encourages practitioners to listen to the voice of the Filipina consumer, and share in their challenges, hopes, dreams and successes.

 From left: Thai import Jaroensri “Jang” Bualee for Sandugo San Sebastian team, Shakey’s V-League Season 9 Open MVP and Angelique “Jec Jec” Dionela Libero of Cagayan Valley-Perpetual team, best digger for Season 9 Open Conference.

Rachelle Daquis aims for a spike as the girls from Ateneo try to block her.

The Femme-ICANSERVE Visa – the first co-branded credit card for breast cancer awareness.

Eastwood City Celebrates the New Year with a Countdown to 2013

Eastwood City kicks off the New Year with a countdown to 2013 starting at 6PM!

With live performances from

IYAZ

Ely Buendia

Up Dharma Down

Urbanation

General Luna

Mark Mabasa

Hosted by:

Sam YG

Slick Rick

VJ Joyce Pring

Hygiene 24 and Hygiene Pro: the perfect sanitizing tandem

as my readers already know, i am currently enrolled in a culinary school. in school, we are taught how to cook and bake all sorts of mouthwatering food. we are also taught sanitation and proper handling of food from receiving the raw ingredients to storing and serving the finished product.

since i have been baking at home for more practice and indulgence in baked goods, i try to observe proper hygiene like what is implemented in school. because, if and when i open my own restaurant or food business, i need to observe such decorum towards my products. after all, it is what's gonna bring in the income in the future.

the life and success of  food businesses depend on the quality of the food you'll be serving. anyone should know that quality of any products is dependent on how it is made - and cleanliness is definitely one of the major factors that makes up a quality food product.

you need to ensure the ingredients that make up your product are clean. and one way to make sure the ingredients are clean is to wash it. but that is not enough. you also need to clean and sanitize your work area as well. even if your ingredients are clean, if your work station is not, it is useless, it will still be unsanitary. germs and microbes are still there and can therefore contaminate the food you're making.

with that in mind, i have been looking for a surface sanitizer just like the one we use in school. sadly, i haven't found any wherever i inquired. luckily, i received a package containing a sampler of Hygiene 24 and Hygiene Pro.

Hygiene Pro is the surface sanitizer i've been looking for. it's not the same as the one in school, but it is definitely effective. i wouldn't want to risk my food products be contaminated and have people who eat my food eat unclean food. i wouldn't want to cause food poisoning, or worse, an epidemic among my family, relatives and friends. it's with them that i build trust and confidence that my products are of great quality.

Hygiene Pro is sprayed on after you have washed the work station/surface with soap and water. washing only cleans the surface by removing visible dirt and soil. sanitizing thoroughly cleanses the work surface by eliminating all germs and microbes that cause contamination and illnesses.

Hygiene 24, on the other hand, is the perfect sanitizer for me. use it after washing your hands to ensure thorough disinfection and protection. i love how it is foam and not gel, which is usually, if not always, sticky and uncomfortable, because of the mineral oil manufacturers include "for moisturizing" purposes. seriously, i need hand sanitizer, not moisturizer. this is why i preferred using alcohol instead of hand sanitizer gels because i believe you pick up more bacteria if your hands are wet than dry, and to me, sticky is equals to wetness.

see for yourself what i experience with Hygiene 24 and Hygiene Pro. for more information about Hygiene 24 and Hygiene Pro products, visit www.hsi.com.ph and www.facebook.com/247protected or call 836-5886!

Wheatgrass Chronicles Part 9

hey there! sorry, i skipped a month without blogging and i haven't realized it until today. school has made me that busy. sometimes i think it sucks, but hey, i chose this path, i have to stand by my choice. and the tuition my dad paid for culinary school isn't a joke. it's quite a LOT.

a lot of things happened in the past month - some ends, some starts, some trials, some triumphs, some losses, some hellos, some goodbyes. nevertheless, i am still here, and i like to think i still stand tall. positive thinking! it's what matters and it's what gets me going.

and here now is December - the season to be chubby.. oops! i mean jolly. don't deprive yourself from food. just don't binge. well, it's more like, do not deprive yourself because you'll only tend to binge once you lost control. and losing control is inevitable at this time of year.

i feel sad for those people who starve themselves on this happy season for an event before, during or after the holidays. i remember last year, a friend of mine refuses to eat scrumptuous food served to us on a mini-bridal shower because is on a strict diet because she has to attend two weddings over the holidays. sad. but funny she gained all the weight after. hahahaha :p

anyway, enough of the drama. i have been thinking of recipes i could share but i'm too busy to even touch my recipe book. so, i ended up searching the web for recipes easy enough for my dear readers to do for the holidays - with the inclusion of a packet of wheatgrass or two.

i have been making mostly desserts because i was in a baking course for four months. now i am in a culinary/cooking course the past month but we haven't started cooking.. in short, i will recommend recipes where you can sneak in a packet of wheatgrass. take note, i can only recommend, i can't share recipes yet because of time constraint. go find the recipes in the internet and include some wheatgrass in it. as long as you follow the recipe instructions, you won't go wrong.

what you can do are the following:

• cheesecake - either you can make the cream cheese filling green, or you can make a wheatgrass base. either way, having a wheatgrass cheesecake is easy and very possible. you can even have a wheatgrass base and wheatgrass filling! and maybe, even syrup too! 
• polvoron - wheatgrass polvoron recipe can be found on the Easy Pha-max website, on the recipes tab. or just click here.
• pastillas - a green pastillas may look semi-yucky, but it's wheatgrass, so it would definitely taste good. and it's healthy.
• gelatin shots - clear or green gelatin with wheatgrass molded on shotglasses. a must try! and a first. you got it here first!
• cream puffs - i know i haven't shared the recipe yet, but try looking for it in the internet for the mean time. add the wheatgrass on the pastry cream to make it a green puff.
• muffins - instead of blueberries or chocolate chips, stir in a packet of wheatgrass and stir it a bit to create a marble effect.