"Likhang HABI Market Fair" Slated October 13-15 at Makati City

 

Seeing the various colors, textures and ingenuity done on Philippine fabric in one place was overwhelming to see. I had the chance to actually experience all these at the preview of "Web of Woven Wonders", an activity of HABI: The Philippine Text Tile Council. They will be mounting the Likhang HABI Market Fair this coming October 13-15 at the Glorietta 2 and Palm Drive Activity Center grounds in Makati City.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by John Bueno (@kumagcow)

HABI President Adelaida Lim says "People are connected, like textiles, people, places and things bind us together. As you can see in this preview, it's the outstanding skill of our weavers that make these world class products happen. Definitely, it's something we can all be proud of!"

The fair will be having over 72 vendors from all across the country. They will converge at the venue to showcase, promote and make available the hand woven textiles, clothes, bags, trinkets and more. They also have pieces made of pineapple, abaca, cotton that will be shown in a bigger space this year and other international exhibitors from countries like Laos, Vietnam, Indonesia so PH vendors get inspired from our SEA neighbors. The event is supported by Ayala Land, Ayala Foundation, government agencies and private corporations. There will also be competitions happening at the event, particularly the 6th Lourdes Montinola Pina Weaving and the 2nd Eloisa Hizon Gomez Abaca Weaving. This will be an exciting venue to showcase their work!

Dr. Randy Madrid's book "Pina Futures: Weaving Memories and Innovations" will be launched at the same fair, so for those who are passionate about PH textile, you can get them all there!   

This is just the tip of the iceberg, so make sure to be there on October 13-15 when the event happens!

GCash Insider Sessions Showcase Partner Solutions

It was a nice evening of letting GCash users know that there's more to the app than meets the eye during the GCash Insider sessions at XYLO in BGC. They called it Passion Forward, where harnessing consumer behavior for business success is being encouraged. GCash has really gone beyond just finance (and your ability to conveniently transfer funds) and show you how your passions can also be used to increase profit from your businesses, level up what you've been doing by utilizing their various solutions designed specifically for their partners no matte how big you are.

 

One of their guests Ms. Weng Rivera the Head of Travel for AirAsia Super App says "We are most decorated low cost carrier and in 2019 a lot of you have been traveling before the pandemic struck. It put us, our ground crew, and air personnel in a limbo. It was one opportunity to put one of our core values in front, we brought fresh produce to different places across the region helping out and opening doors in the country. Employees were given funds so they could put up their businesses, we didn't want to waste a crisis. A lot of things were uncertain, so we converted our usual airline to a more travel inclined super app, and people were ready for it. Hence, we became a digital airline quite fast. Now it's got flight, hotels, shops, transportation, ride, super plus, and rewards system in place. We now can connect you via land or sea, have more flights and redeem points every time you travel. Go download the app today and enjoy the discounts, travel is back with a vengeance! With GCash, we are now able to increase transactions and make travel affordable, and accessible. It is also our advertising platform, an effective one at that as it directly correlates with GCash transactions."

Mr. Franco Pantangco the Business Development and Partnership Lead of mgames also discussed about Hyper Casual Games where you compete, play and get rewards. In GCash initiatives, there are now in app advertising which resulted in phenomenal growth on engaging with GLife users, coming from leads of successful campaigns. It's a multifaceted segment, and their next move is to utilize mgames partnership with Tempo that also utilizes all Filipino music. 

Improvements to the app will certainly continue and they plan to use AI technologies to further fuel your passions with solutions that effectively increase what you can do with your business, make it easy use and safe at all points of transaction. If you want to see what they can do for you, head on to beta.gcash.com/partner-solutions and be connected to existing GCash users worldwide!

Passion: An Indespensible Ingredient in Blogging

The era of blogging is still alive in the country, which for me - is still in its infancy. I believe we've barely scratched the surface; as the expertise and passion required to be in this industry has been satisfied by the skin of one's teeth.

I've been writing online since 1995. I started doing journals of my life, of goofy personal anecdotes as I was already building websites and didn't have content for them during the dial up era. My official hosted website started around 2003 as I've seen a surge of it of sorts in the US. I felt there were barely a few blogs in the Philippines and most of them were transcribed in Filipino which I wasn't too confident writing with. It was awesome to have been able to talk to them (US bloggers) while I was starting, I got the advice I needed from industry leaders/professional bloggers whom I could learn from early on.

 

I started covering local events in Manila and saw how my writing passion could help businesses and startups be known on the web. This started the expansion of my network as I got to be recognized with the value of what I write and see conversion first hand as people started to tell me about what I wrote about this and that product. In 2010, I got bit by the photography bug and bought my first DSLR camera. With it, I combined my love for fashion, photography and  writing appearing in Philippine Fashion Week, fashion shows, bi annual brand shows (the biggest in the country) and got to see the Philippines brightest celebrities, international stars, models, fashion designers and got to know them a little better. I also started to interview stars from broadcast stations, and increased my tribe including those from other countries because of the medium I decided to write with and established what my website is today.

Prior to that, I've been working for a multinational corporation as a Computer Engineer. It was totally off from my day job but it was something that I believed would take me places, unbeknownst to some of my peers. Others say it was a crazy idea to quit a secure and prestigious job and do this full time. When I left the corporate world a few years ago and did this stint, I didn't feel that it was work and I was only following my passion. I also had the chance to write for a travel magazine, a men's magazine with an international circulation which was only a dream for a budding writer like me. It happened all so fast, but I'm glad to have been able to go through the trials and tribulations of blogging early on.

Some international celebrities who have graced my blog. There are more, we couldn't fit them in one frame!

 
Here’s some pointers to note if you would like to start in the same profession:

1.    Don’t do it because you can earn from it. It’s a perk, but it’s not a good place to start. Pretty soon, you’ll run out of ideas and you won’t be in the right place to find inspiration to write if it’s something you’re not passionate about.

2.    Get a handy camera. These days, telling a story isn’t just going to cut it if you don’t spend time telling a story with photos or videos. Invest in a good digital camera or a mobile phone that can be your best buddy when doing interviews. It will save you a lot of time. Owning your own images and videos will also save you from the headache of fighting copyright issues from day 1.

3.    Be nice to people. Say hello and thank you often. Make sure the connections you make in one event last a lifetime because brands, deals, people would make you thrive in this industry. Help them as they help you.

4.    Appreciate the little things. From saying thanks to a simple gift, it wouldn’t hurt to reciprocate the good things people do for you. 

5.    Don’t shortchange yourself. In this industry, the last person that should doubt yourself is YOU. If you feel and think you are in the right, fight for it. Just like in any job, the playing field is huge… and there are people that will take advantage of your kindness. Be nice, but if you find a situation where you need to be stern, become it.

6.    Be honest with your readers, because they can spot who’s not from a mile away even before you press that publish button.

7.    Follow your passion. At the end of the day, it will make you happy. 

One of the highlights of my career probably was the chance to go back to my university and tell them about what I've gone through; so they too would take the chance and follow their dreams. I’ve been blogging for a little around 22 years, yet I feel like I’ve just started doing what I love… and I have no plans of stopping anytime soon. Passion is an ingredient mostly looked over, but it is the most important thing I've had - it kept my desire for writing stay.

The Launch of CAL the Brand

Stepping out of the shadows of proud mom Dimples Romana and dad Boyet Ahmee is daughter Callie as she now embarks on launching a new business venture called CAL THE BRAND.

She's only 17, and yes, she initially had challenges taking this idea off since she had to source materials for it. She built, learned the ropes and did this from the ground up. She burned the midnight oil learning about the business and started quite early with her fascination of Rattan bags. She ultimately wanted to support local artisans who mostly made these pieces by hand. She now wants these to reach a younger audience, who like her, would have love for aesthetic that is same as hers, which is all locally made and sourced.

As a person who has been working in fashion shows, photography stints who has probably seen lots of these, I could say what she's getting out in the market is SUPER nice. Sans her age, maturity, she sees things quite clearly curating each piece from local artisans. I am very impressed about how she was able to put this up in such a short time too.

Callie says "A few years from now, I hope to see more people with products from Cal. I want to see them wearing and using them proudly because they know how good it is, and how it is made proudly local. I hope Cal would make more individuals be inclined to support local artisans and promote them more here and abroad!"

She adds "Thank you for taking time out and joining me in supporting local brands, I hope this influences people and the communities that are being helped, from fashion items, furniture, to support our local artisans. Thank you!"

Here's our talk yesterday

There's a lot to see in her Instagram account where you can also order the items. She's planning a few things after this particular launch, like clothing, furniture, some things she's going to be proudly coming out real soon. Take a breather and look at how good the items are in her store here https://www.instagram.com/calthebrand as CAL The Brand starts their journey.

ASUS Unleashes All New VivoBook S14 and S15

It was fun to see a couple of celebrities grace ASUS Philippines' launch of their newest laptops the ASUS VivoBook S14 and S15 (S433 and S533). Aside from the technical capabilities of these machines, I was mostly interested how they presented it to fit different lifestyles which celebrated photographer Shaira Luna, Vlogger Benedict Cua, artist and director Khalil Ramos and international endorser and Kapuso artist Gabbi Garcia represented during the launch.

Yes, they are totally different individuals and with rightly shows what colors they chose, Gaia Green for Benedict because he's more travel oriented and adventurous, Dreamy White for artsy and creative Shaira Luna, Resolute Red for fashionable Gabbi Garcia and Indie Black for bold leader Khalil Ramos. The laptops also have NVIDIA GeForce MX350 and SSD drives, so it won't be a problem editing content and speed of saving and transferring files. They also have several software options so it would be seamless to transfer, backup files from phone to laptop and vice versa. It is also lightweight at 1.4 kg, you can carry it around your bag so you can work anywhere. It also charges fast, and battery life is phenomenal as it gets full in a few minutes. It has undoubtedly served them well in the past few days and recommending it to other people was not much of a problem. 

ASUS PR Head Francis Garcia also taught us unique ways to enjoy the new ASUS VivoBook S14 and S15

The VivoBook S series costs Php 49,995 and Php 59,995 for the i5 and i7 variant respectively. Now you can create, work and play without worrying your hardware won't be able to keep up. This is designed with Gen Z's in mind and if you are the type who would want to personalize your things, this would be the best choice for you. It looks cool, powerful and does the job. It is available now in ASUS concept stores and online via Shopee and Lazada.

Honestly, I want one. 

SM Employees Continue to Reach More Communities

There's a saying that goes "If you choose your passion, you never have to work a day in your life!". Those words actually come close to my personal journey. This is also true for some of our friends from SM. You see, they've been doing a lot of things in the shadows and they've won several internal and external awards through their CSR arm SM Cares. I personally witnessed this when they helped a foundation that serves persons that are differently abled, the deaf and mute. They have some really good employees, they also help children, the elderly and less privileged communities.

It's quite nice to see private corporations insert these things on their employee relationships. It gets the ordinary people a chance to help those in need and make them better versions of themselves. Mr. Kevin Bonifacio who is a Resident Engineer of SM City Tarlac says "I really love participating in activities like these with my colleagues. Through the Adopt a Daycare Program of SM, we were able to take time off our busy schedules and participate in a worthwhile program that can make us feel better. It also reminds me of when I was a kid, where the simplest gift and show of concern for someone can already bring me genuine happiness. We also get motivated and get the needed morale boost so we can work efficiently the next day when we go back to the four corners of our office. That to me is priceless!"

Michael Uy, one of SM's Mall Managers says that the experience is quite humbling. Being a volunteer at SM North EDSA’s Brigada Eskwela, he was able to be a part of the team that helped repair damaged classroom furniture and repaint walls of a public school near their area. He adds “It inspires us to work harder. The most fun part is the teamwork that all volunteers had during the whole activity!”. Having a mall in different parts of the Philippines has not only proven to have benefited the economy but bring a different change in the community. They've been doing this for quite some time now and it has really brought out the best in their employees, to have the chance to help a brethren in need. That feeling of volunteerism brings pride, makes the employees be more positive in the office and in turn make them more productive even if it's outside their office. That's about 2,500 of their workforce, and they've never been happier. 

I wish I could do the same in my community. I really appreciate it when they take their time and help other people, we all should do that! 

For more information about their cause:

SM CARES

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://www.smcares.com.ph/

Scents of Style: Downy Parfum x Folded and Hung

It was an exciting Valentines day for me because this is the first time I'm actually covering the Folded and Hung runway show. This is part of their efforts on the collaboration that they're doing with Downy Parfum and they call it "Scents of Style".

The inspiration comes from Downy's scent variants which they call Timeless, Passion, Fusion, Mystique and Romance. Different scents appeal to different sets of people, what might smell "okay" for you might mean the whole world to another individual. This individuality, being feisty, the classic scents just made me a little excited on how it would actually translate into clothing. I've had the privilege of actually covering countless fashion shows, different brands of the same caliber, but never have I encountered scents donned style on the runway. This is something interesting as I also got to see the people from Folded and Hung, one of the Philippines' reputable brands when it comes to fashionable retail clothing. It might surprise you but this is actually the first time I shopped in their store too. I usually don't go here as I don't have sizes (yes I admit I'm a very BIG boy), but this year felt different, one that would actually took me to have a second look at the well loved brand.

Janeena Chan hosted the show

 

I took the liberty of shooting the entire show and present them in photos. This happened on Valentines day, together with Earth (earthlingorgeous.com), Ruth (ruthdelacruz.com) and Rodel (nognoginthecity.com), we took our dates for later and saw the show in Glorietta's Activity Center. Thank god for really good seats!

Writing Advice

There are some folks over at the Red Tribe Forums that were asking me for advice about writing. I said heck I don't know! I just write how I feel and it just comes naturally. If I like something, I write about it. If I get inspired, I write about it. If I get irked about something, I write about it. That's the reason why this site already is discussing anything under the sun! Because personally I have not concentrated on one thing, I just do what I feel and if it comes to a point that it is going to be about writing, I set myself free and just type what I have in my brain at that time. Nothing unusual about that... but most of them don't know how to start. Maybe they just need to get inspired. This is really not a disciplined format of writing... I guess I follow one rule though... just common sense. The others are for losers so if I am going to teach them how to write then I will just have to tell them to write about what they want.

Writing about what you are passionate about is the key. Whatever the subject maybe make sure that your interest resides on it. Describe it for the reader. Make sure you point out what you like and dislike about it. What makes it special for you... and make sure your reader gets the point. I had a long time of writing stuff before that was not that much appealing because of jargons I used. I changed that and made it simple... voila! I had readers afterwards.

Making this blog a success would need that same niche I had before so will have to continue what I am doing and get as many readers as possible. We are afterall making life more interesting for other people by telling our own stories. Now isn't that fun! =)

Staying In Love

It hurts a lot!

I'm in the middle of things right now because this almost 9 month relationship of mine is on the rocks. I admit to be at fault on some degree but its a conscious effort for both of us to work on our differences and maybe sometime soon we would resolve it. I almost lost hope in love, but you know how your past experiences come rushing back when you need it? I think that happened with me and I try each day to cope with the depression, analysis of the situation and seeking a glimmer of hope that everything will soon be alright.

I met her through common friends in the Internet and I don't want to tell everybody that it's the the greatest place to look for love. For starters, I was only after steady dating and the consequences between my quest to look for that special someone ended on one fine drinking spree while out with our friends. Not really because I was under the influence of alcohol but maybe because we were both free of our inhibitions at that time. We became more serious after that and we really did fall in love. I'm starting to fix this but I probably need more time. It will all be better, I know it will. For you guys out there that think there's no hope for you to find a loved one, there are thousands of Internet dating services you can go to. Try out passion search that gives you the chance to use every medium imaginable to get hooked up on line. Maybe someday you'll be luckier than me and meet that special person that the one above made especially for you.