Take a Look at THE SPECTRUM

You've been working so hard these past few years and want something tangible to call your own. If you are working in the Ortigas district or nearby areas, maybe The Spectrum is just for you. 

Much of the spaces here are made into offices and commercial spaces, and perhaps, living in it would be a huge advantage so you don't have to go out and drive hours just to work here. This place is by Vista Land and dubbed as the Best Mixed Use Development in the island according to Lamudi, the biggest real estate platform in the country.

From essentials like groceries, restaurants, coffee shops, convenience stores or government offices, living here would be ideal for the working class or for those starting a family. The convenience of being in the city is certainly what a lot of people look for. There's also shopping malls, some of the biggest ones to boot, plus a lot of hotels that could rival the best ones in the Philippines. It's also modernly designed, so you've got a lot of options in terms of putting up where you want your entertainment, dining or bedroom would go.

You could literally walk to schools, with nearby Lourdes, Poveda or University of Asia and the Pacific, your kids (or you) would be able to get those degrees captured in no time. Inside The Spectrum, you've got lots of amenities that you, your loved ones could use so you don't have to go out to be entertained. They've got pools, a well thought out gym, even a great lobby where you can lounge and just rest. The Spectrum could also be used as an investment, to even have it rented out if you're the business minded one. The cuts would be perfect for young professionals since there's 21-28 square meters, even 40-42 square meters for differently sized one bedroom units. All you need to do is ask!

If this interests you, just head on to vistaresidences.com.ph or follow @VistaResidencesOfficial on social channels to know more about The Spectrum.

 

Robinsons Hotels and Resorts Introduces 4 Keys To Ortigas Business District

Ortigas has always been a place for business, and has thrived over the years. Change has always been happening in it, and the tourism, travel and hotel industry is part of that. Recently, Robinsons Hotels and Resorts showcased what you need to be here, not just for business, but bond with friends and family with 4 of their unique properties.

The Westin Manila just opened in March this year. Theirs is a property that is centered on wellness, and if you are up to it, staycations are highly encouraged. The holidays (and their Paskonstelasyon celebrations) are also going to be fun as they've got the Green and Bright theme executed in their offers. They have Holiday feasts for Lunch and Dinner, the famous Westin Holiday High Tea, several Holiday Hampers filled with Organic Food and sweet treats. They also have boutique pastries you can take home in your own home celebrations, plus their signature Rudolph The Reindeer Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse Cake which you can only get at the Westin Manila, or a mini version if you are cutting back on sweets. I love the ambiance there, with 303 rooms, function rooms and a ballroom, you would certainly love to stay there for the holidays. Soon to open are restaurants including a rooftop bar with a Spanish twist. Their GM Alexander Dietzsch would welcome you there!

Maybe this huge Sisig would convince you. GO stay at Ortigas' iconic hotels!

 

Their other property called GO Hotels and GO Hotels Plus have several offers for the holidays including 40% off on their various locations. They also have the new RHR Gift Card available in different denominations so you can give it to your friends and family as gifts too. With GO 24/7, you can check in anytime and check out of the hotel for a whole 24 hours after. You can also book in advanced via GO365, they also have people available online to answer your questions, now that's convenient!

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If you've gone into a conference, meeting or stay in the Ortigas district, chances are, you've probably done them in Crowne Plaza or Holiday Inn. These icons have lots to offer especially during the holidays. Crowne Plaza's UNBOX activities plan to combine business and leisure. If you book a room with them, it might come with a special gift where you could get discounts in Xin Tian Di, 7 Corners Restaurant, more discounts on future stays, or even free ones on your next dates (which they raffle off). Go stay with them and Holiday Inn Manila Galleria during the New Year's eve as both hotels have a Countdown Party at special rates, with more surprises up their sleeves.

Pretty good showing over at Robinsons Hotels and Resorts, which I hope I'd get to personally stay at soon. Now you're informed.

Gary V: Back at the Museum this August!

Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano is celebrating his 40th year in the showbiz industry. It's also his birthday on the 6th of this month which is a cause for celebration. He's ready to go back to the Music Museum this coming August 4, 12, 19 and 26 for a series of shows not just to celebrate his career and achievements, but to also help in his partner organizations.

The venue itself holds so many memories for him, it's very intimate, and he has held over 100 shows in this place since he started his career. Through Gary V: Back at the Museum, he wants to help the Shining Light Foundation to help with medical assistance for folks that are indigents, provide scholarships for children and aid those who are in need.

Together with Gary, he's going to perform with his daughter Kiana (flying from the US just for this). He's also going to perform with the Manoeuvers and will be directed by son Paolo, with Mr. Mon Faustino directing music for this concert. This is produced by Manila Genesis (who's celebrating their 37th year) and is supported by ABSCBN, ASAP Natin To!, AIA Philippines, Skelan, Forti D, Conzace, Powermac, Universal Records, the Philippine Star, Globaltronics, Jollibee, Toni&Guy, Partners in Christ, The Monochrome Events Place among others. Tickets are priced 5K, 3K and 1,500. You can get them now on Ticketworld or 09279675179 or 09696231564. If you prefer getting them online, visit https://bit.ly/GARYV-backatthemuseum .

 

Much of these will be documented and shared on Gary's social channels so make sure you're following him there! Come celebrate with the phenomenal Gary Valenciano and see why he's loved by many.

PASIG CITY LGU Starts Pet Microchip Service

Mayor Vico Sotto of Pasig City

It's such a good feeling if you feel the government is doing its job, you feel your taxes are all worth it not only for you, but the whole community. A few days ago, I've had the opportunity to witness the launch of Pasig City's Pet Identification Project (Pet i-Chip) using microchip technology. No less than the good looking Mayor Vico Sotto of Pasig City lead ceremonies together with the city Veterinary Services Department and Plaridel Products and Services Inc.

 

Mayor Vico says "This was presented to me during the pandemic and the delay was because of obvious reasons. We had to prioritize a few other things because of it. But now that we're slowly going back to normal, we are going forward with the programs of the city. I would like to thank Ortigas for letting us use Tiendesitas as venue for this event, our councilors who are also working hard to put measures on local government policies (RA 9482), our Barangay officials."

The program is also designed in conjunction with Pasig City's goal of being rabies free. Recent figures mentioned during the event that there are only a few cases (17) this last quarter which is already an improvement from previous numbers which reached hundreds. In the Philippines, there are lots of deaths resulting from animal bites. Aside from that, pet owners would be able to register, monitor temperature of their pets, health history and vaccinations in case they need to. This will be all administered by Veterinarians and will be FREE of charge in the city of Pasig. They will be also issued a Pet Passport that they get to keep for records. In case they lose their pets, it's easier to track ownership as registration requires owner information. This would be a huge change in the lives of pet owners, convenient too that roll out will commence in the next few months according to the city vet. They will be doing the activity together with their rabies shot which they have been doing on a weekly basis. Information will also be held confidential under the pet registration of the City of Pasig.

 

They also showed us the actual microchip and the process on how they implant it. It took a few minutes and much of it was double checking the chip which they scan before, and while it's already implanted. This will also be available in private vet clinics (with its usual cost). So if you're interested, all schedules will be posted at the Pasig City Facebook page and the city veterinary department's channels. If you need more information about the chip, visit plaridel.com.ph or animal-id.net.ph and it's all there!

The 5th Ortigas ART Festival: A Spectacle of Expression and Creativity

The 5th Ortigas ART Festival just started at the Estancia Mall at Capitol Commons in Pasig City. This was attended by the who's who in the art scene, several art gallery personalities, those in fashion and the Ortigas family who's heavily involved in this movement. They want art to be accessible for Filipinos, and what better way to do that but now.

Architect Renee Bacani VP for Ortigas Malls says "We are grateful for you to join us on the 5th year of the Ortigas Art Festival. We were requested a space for artists to showcase their works, and this is how the event came about. We won 2 international awards for making Ortigas properties more accessible to people. We present to you a bigger and bolder Ortigas Art Festival with photography, film, Fashion, Music, artwork and more. We look forward to more years of this for more years to come. Thank you for sparking joy to our patrons."

This is a platform for artists to showcase their works, and have it be seen by people from all walks of life. They want art to become part of the daily lives of Filipinos. There were lots of art installations, sculptures, all free of charge to see at Estancia Mall in Pasig City. There are also seminars and workshops for collectors on how to take care of artworks, and hope you also get to know various Filipino artists from July 7 to August 7, 2022.

"The previous years were a challenge to Ortigas Malls, and the event concentrated on Filipino artists. At the height of the pandemic, we got help from participating galleries, FDCP. The best place is this mall, accessible to everyone. From performance art, art workshops, exhibition center, a whole art ecosystem is here. Art is a catalyst for enlightenment, and this is a good thing." says Renato Habulan, Ortigas Art Festival's Lead Curator

Liza Diño the Chair of FDCP says "It's an honor to celebrate with you face to face. For many of us who lived in lockdowns, we watched, we read and remained creative. Art protects us from harm, this is a noble cause for expressions of the human spirit. The vertical cinema contest is doing shorts asking "Kamusta Ka Na?" to incite hope, change, in this month long festival. Highly acclaimed titles will be seen and highlighted and we hope through Ortigas Art Festival, we show our love for films. We provide ways to educate, learn before artists make films and we will have several noted film makers, screenwriters to do seminars during the month. This will bring cinema much closer to the public."

Gil Granado of the Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines says "We have come a long way in fashion . We appreciate art, the pandemic has slowed us down but we continue to strike back. Art and fashion is the lifeline of culture. We dedicate this event to the 40 years of FDAP, thank you to Ortigas Inc, and all our fashion patrons."

If you want to know more about the event, download the Ortigas Malls app and register to get their card to get perks from participating malls or visit OrtigasMalls.com. Best of all, these activities are FREE so there's no reason for you not to come.

EARTH HOUR Celebrations at Ortigas Malls

Hey folks! It's going to be Earth Hour on the 26th of this month, and just wanted to let you know that the good people from Ortigas Malls will be having an "Acoustic Night Unplugged" in all their properties. This includes the Greenhills Mall, Tiendesitas, Estancia at Capitol Commons, Industria at Circulo Verde as they want you to have fun while saving energy. You may download their Ortigas Malls mobile app so you too can get exclusive discounts, priviliges on their stores when you join the festivities on this date.

They are of course thinking about your safety too, be assured that all their employees and establishments have been given safety seals from LGU's, make sure you do your deed of following protocols stated by DOH and IATF in order to keep everyone safe while being there.

I think I'm going to Greenhills for this, so see you there!

Amaia Steps Pasig Offers 4th Midrise Building CLARA

Getting bigger year on year, that's what Amaia Steps Pasig is doing. Nestled in Vico's backyard, Pasig used to be an industrial town that is now becoming a fast rising cosmopolitan city - which is now full of huge malls, hotels, restaurants, schools, and booming businesses at the Ortigas Center district.

Amaia Steps Pasig already has existing mid rise condominiums in a sprawling 4.5 hectare development in Barangay San Miguel. The three 9 storey buildings Aria, Blanca, Esperanza will have a fourth one that will be called "Clara" soon. This addition would be a good buy especially for young professionals, for those who plan to start their own family, or investors who would want to take a dive in real estate. There are studio units, deluxe and premier sizes raning from 23-45 square meters. The place already has existing amenities being enjoyed by home owners like the multi purpose hall, pool, basketball court and a playground. Soon there will be retail shops and arcade so you don't have to go out to get your essentials. It's also near Ortigas CBD, several malls and restaurants so you don't go hungry if you don't know how to cook. The nearby Kapitolyo is sprawling with foodie destinations, the most hip joints so you could hang out when everything goes back to normal. It's also near the Greenfield District, C5, major thoroughfares so you can go to and from your home to a different city.

It's a nice place to live especially if you're still in the look for a new home. You can visit AmaiaLand.com for more details of the property, or get in touch with a real estate professional to help you with getting a unit today.

SvelTi Aesthetic Centre Outs LAVIEEN Machine

SvelTi Aesthetic Centre just opened its doors to bloggers this afternoon as they leveled up with services as they acquire new LAVIEEN Machine.

Ms. JM Matias, SvelT'i Operations Manager says 'We are a little tight today, but I would  to personally like to thank you all for coming. Most of skin problems we encounter in our clinics involve deep acne scars and we now have something to address it, this is Lavieen, it's skin rebirth. This would be best for Pigmentation."

Dr Rowena Aguilar-Joven adds "How long is the healing period? They always ask that. People are so afraid of procedures, this is the first of our BB Lasers. This is a machine with a 1927mm Thulium laser to target pigment lesions or photo damaged skin. Lavieen can be used in sub ablative mode, to target the junction between the epidermis and dermis. Coagulation and denaturalization mainly for whitening but with less downtime. No more fear of not going out and live a normal life like when you do other fractional lasers. Clinical trials show epithelial cells remain, have thermal effect of upper dermis, it would be best for skin rejuvenation. Pigment problems are cured, pores reduced and elasticity in your skin improves. On the day of treatment you'll get slight swelling, scab formation on second day, elimination of scab on third day and after 5 days you're all done. Scabbing are as small as dots of a ballpen, and it would dry out after a few days."

Here's how they did part of the procedure:

She adds "We also call this the BB Laser, at the same time it reduces fine wrinkles and large pores."

According to panelists who have undergone the procedure, you will see results right after it. You come in and in a few minutes you're done. Some patients who suffer from Melasma, enlargment of pores, look like they have BB cream without using it. It's like getting three results in one. They also do organic and fruit based facials, contouring, all you have to do is ask.

SvelTi Aesthetic Centres are found in 61 Timog Avenue in Quezon City and the other one at the GF of the Millennium Building in Ortigas Center Pasig. 

Good Desserts at Meet Fresh Podium

If you're in the Ortigas-Mandaluyong area and looking for unique desserts, you might wanna try this joint called Meet Fresh. It's at the 5th Floor of the Podium mall at the back of Megamall. Honestly, I was expecting it much to be like Ice Kacang which the Tsino-Malaysians enjoy but this is more of a Taiwanese treat which they brought in for Filipinos to enjoy.

The place can seat around 30, all separate chairs in front with an Express counter on the side. They had tons of guests, but serving time was ample on regular days. I visited it again a few days ago and quality didn't go down after opening the joint a few months ago.

I ordered the Cold Tofu Pudding, Milk Tea with Pudding, Mung Bean Cakes and Peanut Mochi Combo. Everything was so good especially the Peanut Mochi which I had to order more of. The Cold Tofu Pudding comes a close second because it reminds me of cold soy milk/ chilled Taho which I often drink or consume since I was a kid. The mixture of beans and mochi on some of the items on their menu felt ingenious! You're bound to say "Why didn't I think of that?!" a couple of times. Even though we don't have a similar version of these in the Philippines, our halo-halo seems a bit close sans the fruits. 

They've got milk teas and other flavored drinks but for me, it's better to stick with the best sellers because it's a little pricey, but definitely good for sharing. Ask them if you need extra bowls because they can do that on a whim.

MEET FRESH is at the 5th Floor of the PODIUM Mall in Ortigas Center. They are open mall hours, and is self service.

Fun Finds at Estancia Summer Toy Fest!

When I found out that a toy fair was happening at Estancia Mall in Capitol Commons, I took the road less traveled and tagged along my blogger friends too. I'm up for nostalgia so when I heard they were having some items from my generations sold, I took the chance and found some good deals this side of town.

There were probably a little over thirty merchants and collectors who joined the Summer Toy Fest, they were laid out on the bridge way of the mall and occupied one space on the left side for a full Tamiya Race Track where competitions were held.

This wasn't a small production because they also had Iron Man and Thanos appear for mall goers. They had 50% of the mall audience taking selfies for posterity. Maybe they'll live to see it on social media. Kids had so much fun!

I had a few things in my mind, Dragon Ball Z memorabilia was abound and the Goku, Klilyn and Vegetta Lego pieces were so awesome to see!

Lest we forget the one who started it all, Master Roshi taught Goku and Kililyn martial arts, but had them work for it when they were kids. Naughty but he did good in the recent inter universe tournament eh?

Ms. Kris Aquino should have attended the event because she'll love the Carebear stuff being sold for cheap in one or two stalls.

They also had something good for Hotweels collectors, huge trucks which are not so commonly sold in malls these days.

When I saw this rack in one of the stalls, I knew I had to have em all! Well I could see some MegaMan, Super Mario, Digdug keychains that only cost 50 pesos each, got them and put it on my bag so it wouldn't look boring. It did the job, you'll see later!

Since it is Avengers season, it's the right time to buy DC toys because they will be relatively cheaper, I was looking for unique Batman toys too but most of it was already in my boxes at home. They have the whole Justice League for 500 though. Good deal for collectors.

Nostalgia was provided by Plastic Man, if you don't know what that cartoon is, ask your older parents or friends, they are going to tell you how popular these were in the 80's.

One of my favorite things to see was Slimer, made of retromutagen ooze, he still eats a lot in Ghostbuster movies.

If you're not fond of heroes, you can get Joker or Penguin. Don't worry if they provide nightmares because Batman will surely save you!

I went home with a pretty good set of keychains on my back, too bad not a lot of folks know who or what these characters represent, because if you were a gamer during my time (I felt old saying that lol) you'll love how cute these things are now while hanging on my boring black leather backpack.

Make sure you check out events in Ortigas and Co. malls like Estancia, Robinson's, or Greenhills because as soon as they put out their toys for sale, you're sure to get some pretty good bargains. 

Just look at my haul, you can't find much of that in commercialized events these days! Thanks to Estancia Mall and to the people behind this event, I got my stuff easy!