Foundation Takes On Cebu Earthquake Relief Efforts

Recent earthquakes have jolted the country and crippled a lot of lives in Northern Cebu. While the government addresses relief efforts, the private sector also took some of the chores to make sure everybody gets the help that they need. The folks from B!ing0P|us in Cebu (employees) took potable water, packed food and needed medicine to roughly 56,000 individuals in places like Bogo, Medellin, Daanbantayan, San Remegio, Borbon and Tabogon communities as they partnered with LGU's and other private entities in the region. 

B!ing0P|us Foundation treats this as a call to action which is why they immediately took 6 million funding to affected folks in Cebu. Through their Bayanihan P|us program, it took them a while to get to these areas but committed to the cause. They were met with aftershocks, heavy rain and transport challenges, but they didn't fret because they knew how much help the folks need including a 5.8 Richter scale aftershock that they experienced too. 

Their teams from Manila and local Cebu offices took to the streets together with the AFP engineering brigades to deliver help to far flung areas in Northern Cebu, also doing it house to house including PWD's in the community via PADS (Philippine Accessible Disability Services). 

It might be a long recovery process, but they will not hold back helping this part of the country. They plan to monitor and partner up with even more organizations to make sure Cebuanos, Filipinos would get access to supplies at the most trying times. If you want to know more about their efforts, follow their social channels by searching for the foundation name on FB and other channels.

The Art of Leadership: Foundation Teaches Essential Skills for Success

It is true to say that it takes a community to raise a child, and it also takes a nation to raise great leaders. B!ng0P|us Foundation recently had their 2nd FutureSmart Leaders General Assembly at the country's financial hub Makati City. This brings in over 80 scholars from around the country to teach them the manners of growth, inspiration and connection. The foundation sought help from some of the industry's leading trainers, beauty queens, even those from NGO's who have experience in leadership to teach these young minds and help them become future ready leaders themselves. 

They dubbed it as the PLUS Factor (Pioneering Leadership and Uplifting Service) aimed to give young ones life skills, community leadership and personality development. 

They also taught them about public speaking, build confidence, show presence and how to share these traits with others. Aside from that, they had Management Strategies hold consultations so they could start identifying their purpose, so they could see what they need to do for a better future. 

Present during the occasion was Jasper Vicencio who's part of B!ng0P|us Foundation a d AB Leisure Exponent. They were also given a very educational talk about how to advance their platforms courtesy of beauty queens Chelsea Fernandez and Kat Llegado. 

They also talked about the importance of volunteerism and more. Ms. Issa Litton shared her experience in public speaking, voice and communications which is a huge part of her career. They immediately got feedback after each session which is very important for their initiatives. If you want to know more, just search for them on their official social channels.

More Celebrities, Food, Destinations on the Second Year of FARM TO TABLE

Chef JR ROYOL is steadily becoming a household name in the Philippines through his show "Farm to Table". They are currently celebrating their 2nd year and yes, there are going to be a few changes especially with the way they do the show. 

The confident man who hails from Mountain Province talked to us more about what's going to happen in the next few weeks as they come out with more content from different locations. Farm to Table will visit his Mom's hometown of Barlig in this week's episode. This will start on Sunday at 6:50PM. 

 

He says "Thank you for celebrating our 2nd Farmniversary with us, we are excited to share with you good news about the show. Definitely it's going to be a consistent cooking element, we are going to expand our reach, the places that we plan to go to will have us explore and discover more people week after week. I would hope we can do that in the next few episodes, so we can tell more stories and food adventures too. It's totally a collaborative effort to focus on food we do. We don't limit ourselves with a particular cuisine and always integrate local ingredients that we have in the country and tell the stories about them. We want to start this year with a bang, so this weekend we will have BEA ALONZO as our guest. We will also be having TikTok personalities and other chefs that will also be in the show. As far as guests, we have a lot of stars coming in the next food adventures!"

He is so thankful about the show and adds "The show was able to make me work with very dynamic people, we are not boxed up and the different locations gives us a chance to work with a lot of talented individuals. We also get to create different dishes with not so common produce, we usually encounter them in the local markets and the locals tell us how to cook it."

He wants to introduce a dish internationally and says "Pinikpikan is the number one dish that should be introduced to the world. It's easy, the method can be taught, and I could eat it everyday. If there's anything, it's number one for me because there's nothing like it. You could also see it in other cultures but the process is innately ours alone."

He remarks "I wish the show would last for years, this show could be done til we're sixty, but more than that, to our viewers I hope you watch it every week. We do it purely that this comes from our heart, and I hope our viewers appreciate how we do Farm to Table."

There's certainly more to look forward to in the next few episodes, so if you are into food adventures, get Chef JR ROYOL to take you along different places in the Philippines and see how colorful our food culture is. This show airs Sundays on GTV and their other online channels.

foodpanda PH Lets Us Experience pandaPRO "GANAPS"

Are you a foodpanda fan? Have you been ordering too much on the app and wish you could save on your food and shopping orders? Well, this might be the opportune time to become a real deal pandapro. It's a monthly subscription program on the foodpanda app that gives MORE exclusive deals, benefits, free delivery so you can save a lot from purchasing food and groceries on the popular app.

Well, a few days ago, they got us to experience a new thing called pandapro "GANAPS". Aside from the perks you get for subscribing in the app, they went the mile of doing several events intended for invited pandapro subscribers so they could win prizes, watch movie premieres and be with fellow loyal pandapro community members. 

 

 

I think with the restrictions relaxing a bit, these would be really good additional perks to have. The THOR Love and Thunder movie they had us watch was the perfect way to end the day too.

The foodpanda app now also has access to shops, travel destinations, even more food spots so you can do everything even at the comforts of your home. You can also choose to pickup and have more discounts, vouchers that you can use morning, noon and night time. I'd like to take this bit to thank the good people of foodpanda Philippines for having me, the rest of the bloggers and influencers in your event. I bet, pandapro subscribers would be happy to experience this soon. For as low as Php 33.30-Php 50.00 a month, this is surely worth every penny saved. I think they've got more events planned in the pipeline, and that means it'll be good if you get subbed early on. If you want to know more about the pandapro membership, there's some FAQ's on the foodpanda PH app so go download it off Google Play or the App Store today!

Lumina Homes Asks You to "Rush Your Move" in 16 Locations Nationwide

Finding a home has always been a dream for every Filipino. A place where they could take refuge, take care of their family, raise kids in a community that would make them well rounded individuals - and perhaps be accessible to every convenience in life. These days, acquiring homes have been complicated, tedious and not to mention hard to finance. Though if you're trying to find a good deal, Lumina Homes has got you covered with their "Rush Your Move" promo. As the name suggests, they now have made it easier to own a house of your own. Imagine how you would get you to save over Php 168,000 off the actual price, which certainly is something unprecedented in the industry... and pretty difficult to resist. 

See, they're offering two-storey houses at Php 35,000 down payment. They even went a mile and made that price payable in 2 months. Add to that figure a whopping 8 percent discount if your bank loan gets released in 2 months. Isn't that a good deal?

They also made it available in 16 Lumina Home locations nationwide. This includes historic Tarlac, Balanga in Bataan, Subic in Zambales, Baliwag Bulacan, their two townships Bacolod 1 and 2 in Negros, Iloilo, Bauan, Sto.Tomas, Lipa and Tanauan in Batangas, Quezon, Sariaya, Tanza Cavite, Cabanatuan and San Jose in Nueva Ecija. This makes the choices quite varied for those who prefer quiet provincial life, city dwelling, because they made sure it's still churches, restaurants, groceries, transport locations so you could live comfortably with your family. There are also business establishments around, if you're looking for work or more, being in these properties would make life so convenient.

If you're seriously considering to live here, get in touch with a friendly Lumina Homes Sales and Marketing representative so you could join their 360 degree tours and see quality made homes that's ready for occupancy. Available models include the Athena which is a Single Firewall house that's got 53 square meter floor area and 63 sq.m. lot area. They also have the Armina (also a Single Firewall house) with 42 square meter floor area and 54 square meter lot. The nice Adriana Townhouse on the other hand has 44 square meters of floor area and about 36 square meter lot area. The pretty Angeli Townhouse has got a 42 square meter floor area and about 36 square meter lot. They also have the Angelique Townhouse that's got a 35 square meter floor area and around 36 square meter lot which you can choose in different areas of these communities.

 

 

I wouldn't be surprised if this gets taken advantage of by people who would want to invest in real estate. You can buy one then have it rented out and have income early because it's all ready. It's an opportune time to buy a home and if that becomes an investment, you're in a good place. Engr. Joemi Tan, Lumina Homes Division Head for North and East Luzon says "It would be a good opportunity for people to invest in a Lumina property so they could have a home that can be leased and be a source of income. We've got different RFO units they can choose from."

If this interests you in any way, make sure to follow @LuminaHomesOfficial on Facebook or their official website www.lumina.com.ph today!

Livable, Safe and Secure BRIA Homes in Pampanga and Bataan

We love the outdoors and living in it takes a certain amount of effort to make the quality of life liveable, safe and secure. In provinces like Pampanga and Bataan, this comes surely close as they have a BRIA Home community nearby. Choosing your first home should be simple, it has to be cozy, comfy, and a community easy to live in. BRIA Homes answers all of these as they really think of urban planning prior to putting up houses in a certain location. As Division Head of BRIA Homes Eduardo T. Aguilar says "We are all about bringing the Filipino's home of choice and these ready for occupancy units in Pampanga and Bataan, we are doing that!" Their thrust has always been to provide quality homes for Filipinos country wide!

Aside from that, BRIA Homes has got ready-for-occupancy (RFO) units in Pampanga and Bataan. With perimeter fences, guards and CCTV on 24/7, you're assured you have a secure place to live in. Since it's still pandemic days, they've got 360 Virtual Tours at bria.com.ph so you wouldn't have to go out. You can also ask questions at their Facebook page BriaHomesIncOfficial and reserve a place for yourself at onlinereservation.bria.com.ph. BRIA Homes in Pampanga and Bataan has got multipurpose halls, basketball courts, playgrounds, green spaces, walk paths so you can take care of yourself even in your own community. They also have really good internet connection and ways to pay for amortizations via BRIA's partner banks. They also have electronic payment channels so it doesn't have to be difficult in paying for your homes once you've lived in it.

If you want to see more of it, visit their official website at bria.com.ph or follow Bria Homes Inc. on Faceboo, Twitter, IG, YouTube, Pinterest, Spotify, Viber, Telegram, Kakao Talk, LINE and WhatsApp. You can also call them directly at 09398879637.

Why Millennials Choose a BRIA

 

It's a tough season to actually have that thought of getting properties these days. The working class, are full of young, hungry and motivated bunch of youngsters that are very driven, but undecided where to put their money in and for them, one clever option is buying their own homes and investing in properties.. As they grow older, smarter, they now have the capacity to invest and choose real estate properties in different places across the country. Question is, why a BRIA?

The houses and lots, condominium units are affordable, they also have several communities with stable internet connection and just about a multitude of digital payments which are encouraged to pay for the property. That in itself would be very convenient for those who have just started to climb the corporate ladder, or a small family, wherein you don't have to waste your time going to offices, the bank or outside in this pandemic. This makes them the home of choice for a vast number of young and ambitious property seekers.

 

This place is quite near major roads or highways as it was planned well. This community is also sprawling with retail establishments, grocery, churches, schools, government offices, several green spaces and hospitals. BRIA Condominiums also have very secured public and private areas, with essential spaces monitored 24/7, and security personnel to make sure you are safe in the confines of the community. Everything is also well lit as they utilize solar lamps, aside from huge ones on roads and pathways. You'll also love the flora, the trees that have grown all around the property.

They bank on affordability and quality which is why there are a lot of millennials already getting their own BRIA homes. If you want one, just head on to www.bria.com.ph and check out the virtual tours they have. It's a pretty good way to check out the properties without compromising your health (pretty safe from COVID). Or if you're more into social network pages, just head on to facebook.com/BriaHomesInc because they've got lots of people to help you there too.

Are you ready to have a BRIA home?

The Sense of Community at BRIA Homes

I sincerely envy them, they live in a thriving community. Their lush green spaces, playgrounds, sports and recreation areas, I wish I had them in my hood. 

I guess it stems from getting planned well, BRIA Homes being a mass housing developer in the country made sure that each home they put up have corresponding amenities around them. A place where they could bond, be with other community members and be in a safe environment. Things should be simple, and they have done that in several properties (around 50) just like in Mariveles and Hermosa in Bataan, Urdaneta in Pangasinan, Paniqui town in Tarlac, San Fernando and Magalang in Pampanga, Plaridel, Sta. Maria, Norzagaray, and San Jose Del Monte in Bulacan, Teresa, Baras and Binangonan in the nearby province of Rizal, General Trias, Trece Martires and Indang in Cavite, Calamba, Sta. Cruz, San Pablo, Calauan, Alaminos and Bay in Laguna, Lipa and Balayan in Batangas and Pili, Iriga, and Naga in down south Camarines Sur. They also have developments in Calbayog, Samar, Ormoc, Leyte and Dumaguete in peaceful Negros Oriental. In Mindanao they have Tagum, Maco and Panabo in Davao Del Norte, Carmen, Davao City, Digos in Davao Del Sur, General Santos, South Cotabato, Kidapawan, North Cotabato, and more in Cagayan De Oro, Balingasag and Gingoog in Misamis Oriental, Manolo Fortich and Valencia in Pineapple laden province of Bukidnon. 

Homes could also go as low as Php 1897 a month, with thousands of families already living in it enjoying what they already have inside their community plus the nearby schools, churches, hospitals and markets which they strategically plotted with the community in mind. This is why owning a BRIA becomes so pleasant for them all, maybe you should consider having one too. 

BRIA Homes has that sense of community indeed.

People Are Eager to Live Here: Amaia Steps Pasig Bianca

I’ve heard after the elections, a LOT of people wanted to transfer to Pasig City. Well if you’re keen on really making that happen, this might be good news for you.

There’s a new mid rise residential structure in Eusebio Avenue San Miguel Pasig City called Amaia Steps Pasig Blanca. Made to answer the need of driven young professionals who are just starting a family or climbing up the corporate ladder, this would be a worthy investment at the heart of the green city.

It’s got 256 units across nine floors, spacious Studio, Deluxe and Premier units. It’s also modernly designed to fit the taste of young professionals, and their families. It’s also near the Ortigas Central Business District and commercial complexes like Tiendesitas, SM Supercenter Pasig and Robinsons Galleria. If you want your kids to also go to school, they’ve got nearby Pasig Catholic College, Arellano University and Rizal Technological University. Traveling to and from the community is easy because you can literally walk from it to jeepney stops, uv or other transport means. They also have a swimming pool, a jogging path, multi-purpose hall, basketball court and landscaped gardens inside the property. They plan to also build a few commercial spaces downstairs which will serve as their retail complex. Kids will also love the play area, they’ll all have fun without leaving the community too.

Amaia Land sells these with flexible payment schemes. You can get through cash, deferred payments and bank financing.

You may visit amaialand.com or facebook.com/AmaiaLand for details. As east as that!

Halloween Fun at Ayala Ferndale Homes

I had a lot of fun a few days ago at Ayala Ferndale Homes in Quezon City. For those who don't know, this is an exclusive subdivision for the more affluent people in the metro so when we got an invitation I packed my bags and headed over to their community at the edge of Don Mariano - Tandang Sora district in the same city.

UAAP stars and UP mainstays Juan and Javi Gomez De Liano started to learn the ropes in this village, in the community court

Honestly, there were a few more villages in the area that I've never even heard of and security is very tight. I felt it was nice to see how they celebrated Halloween and the theme this year was obviously COCO, the animated movie that talked about the day of the dead. In the past, they all did the scariest stuff and this year, they told us this is a breath of fresh air especially for the kids who they didn't want to traumatize when this occasion comes. Them doing this NaCOCOtakot theme, was just amazing!

Here's our video blog, enjoy!

Thank you so much to Ms. Sally Jo, the people who organized the event and to Homeowners Association President Atty. Felipe Cruz and his whole family (even the one who cooked the lovely lasagna!) who accommodated us into their home and community. We had a wonderful time! Thanks to Alfonso Felipe (in touching photo above) who also took time talking to us before we went home. The community surely is tight nit, the kids had so much fun and it was just a day to celebrate all that! Again, thank you for letting us experience it all in one fine day!

Thank you!

KUMAGCOW

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Lance Raymundo Does “Martir Sa Golgota” This Holy Week

I have witnessed his story unfold on music, TV and in 2014 het met an accident that nobody would ever want to happen. Lance Raymundo had a promising career, hit songs, a glorious future ahead of him and being bound in a wheelchair with his face disfigured must have been so hard for anyone, but not this man.

Honestly, while I was having coffee with him during this interview, my mind was somewhere else, really wondering. While looking at him, I was really at awe at how Lance have had all these POSITIVITY in him while he shared his story. He said it stems from accepting the situation, he knew he had to do that not just to be alive but to go back to where he wants to be in his literal second life.

I found him VERY THANKFUL, APPRECIATIVE and WILLING to share his story because he knew how it would inspire other people, including the youth, the millenials and make them have their outlook in life a little better than before. Aside from the talks, he made it a point to participate in projects of former councilor, actor and director Lou Veloso. In this community play (called Cenaculo in the Philippines) entitled Martir Sa Golgota , he’ll be playing role of Jesus Christ, and says “I always want to make time for this in my schedules, this is my way to give back regardless of religious affinity.”

Here’s his interview in two parts, hope you pick up something inspiring from this short talk, because I did.

Again, make sure to watch the first salvo tomorrow at Althea Park, Paseo Outlets at Greenfield City in Sta. Rosa Laguna and on March 25 at Greenfield District Central Park in Mandaluyong City. They will also be taking this to other towns and major cities as Lance mentioned. If you haven’t seen a Senakulo yet, this may be the opportune time to do it. Go see the story and the passion of Christ as portrayed by an inspiring man.

It’s Holy Week, you be good!

KUMAGCOW

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The Giving Cafe

My resting "I need a cup of coffee!" face.

What does a coffee cup carry nowadays? 

We all know the usual things like caffeine, sugar, cream, but whenever you drink a cup do you even ask where it came from? What beans they used? Or who planted it? Most often than not, we don't and a few days ago I got to see a thriving business that's been doing this for a combined 50 years. We were not there to boast about their achievements, but to spread the word that this business has been helping farmers in little ways that they can. It's why they put up an establishment called The Giving Cafe.

This coffee shop was conceptualized by Henry & Sons, a coffee solutions company. They've been supplying the country's best coffee shops with world class premium luxury coffee (via Conlins Coffee) and coffee equipment that has its origins in Malaysia (via RICMAS Philippines). The company imports and processes coffee beans from over 20 countries (like  Ethiopoa, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Kenya, Indonesia, Vietnam among others) and even provide training, support to coffee shops and companies in the Philippines. They also supply customized blends for their clientele and has been able to do so as a business. They felt they had to give back to an industry that has been so good to them all these years.

Under the Henry & Sons Foundation for Sustainable Coffee Excellence, they want to put the Philippines back in the world map as legitimate source and stalwart of sustainable coffee farming. It is a tall order, but the vision is to start things and keep the ball rolling. This is a great example of social enterprise and the proceeds of operating The Giving Cafe will go to the projects they have lined up for the Filipino coffee farmers from Benguet. Soon, they will have projects in coffee producing farms and provinces but they decided to start where the majority of their beans are grown (Cordillera Range). 

I've known how much care they put in on producing Robusta, Excelsa and Premium Arabica beans in this region and it has gotten attention around the world already. These beans are hand picked, all drawn from plantations in the northern part of the Philippines, dried for a few days, processed and roasted in their plants to get the best the country could offer. The Giving Cafe sells off food items, coffee products and other items that has its proceeds go to these causes.

The Interiors

I'd like to actually compare this to a palette called shabby chic but they do have elements that are very eclectic, a hodge podge of different items from the owner's travels and books that they've managed to read through the years. The place is apt for around 20 - 30 people, more if you include the outdoor seating which sits across their RICMAS plant (See the light across the window?) where you can park since they own both places. The coffee shop is located at the corner of Pines and Sheridan streets. It's a couple of minutes away from EDSA and is accessible from that route. Here's the map!

The Coffee

Now as I mentioned earlier, they're all experts in the coffee business and that includes roasting. I was almost dumbfounded because when I asked what beans they used they answered back with the connotative answer like they've used them all. They import some of them, and most are sourced locally so if you see their blends, it makes our beans at par with the rest of the world. Maybe even better. They let us experience first hand at how to be a barista, well not so much but the thought of making a coffee cup with latte art was just so hard to pass.

This is their work, so perfect the heart no? It looked so easy when they were making it. Did I ace it? Well that's another story LOL.

This is one of their best sellers. and this chicken is pretty tasty.

They showed me how to make the latte art which were comprised of two shots of espresso and a whole lot of milk and froth. You have to move your wrist or else your latte art would look like fluff LOL!

They have guides you can follow, but really, it was hard!

They also had samples of the coffee beans we used and you can smell the samples when it's grounded. I wanted to stay here but I remembered I have to make that latte thing haha!

Now this is my first attempt, ever, in my entire life. Although they said it was good for a first timer like me, I still think it looks like a heart with tons of fat strands haha.

The Giving

One of the main projects of under the foundation who also handles The Giving Cafe is the selling of BLOOM COFFEE. Now you can see they have different designs on them which also connotes different blends. It also signifies the different causes that they help. From the scholarships they give out to the kids of coffee farmers, to the free coffee seedlings they give to farmers, to high tech water producing machines they donate to farmer organizations (one of which they just gave to Benguet farmers recently), the proceeds from these coffee beans would go those causes. 

My family owns a small parcel of land in Tagaytay that is used for coffee plants but is already old to produce really good beans; I kinda understand you need to replenish them every couple of years; so I understand how these things sort of in more ways than one had been able to help local farmers in their goal to be as competitive as they can be in the market. To see them achieve this soon is what would make Henry & Sons happy, hopefully your support to this social enterprise would be the start. If you're around the area and looking for a place to hang out and read, The Giving Cafe would be the perfect place for that. Buy a can or more of the coffee while you're at it.  

I've never seen a man so enthusiastic about their CSR projects. Michael Harris Conlin the President and CEO of Henry & Sons Manufacturing & Trading Company Inc. says "I hope we would be able to help more farmers and inspire them to become better producers so we could get Philippine coffee back into the international market by next year. The Giving Coffee is already serving a lot of special things. This, hopefully, would be something we would be more proud of until the next decade."

Thank you so much to Henry & Sons and The Giving Cafe for having us in their event. I'd be really happy to get a cup or two of your brew when I'm in the area and perhaps take some of it to my relatives in EU who digs these stuff the most. You're genuinely helping an industry that is connected to your business and aside from that, you're caring for their families which I am so impressed with. Congratulations, I hope this goes a long way!