Witness A Christmas Season in Kawit Cavite

Every year as we celebrate the yuletide season many of our fellow citizen often spend the holidays in the mall, watching movies, shopping, eating etc. same as what we do in the family for years now. But this time around, discover a better way to spend the season in a place where history never fades.

Kawit Cavite has its own share of historical sites that holds timesless beauty and priceless stories.  The municipality has been a big portion of Philippine history.  Some of Kawit historical spots that you should give visit not only for story behind its wall but the colorful Christmas celebration as well.

• AGUINALDO SHRINE

As you go to the heart of the city, it will not be complete without dropping by at the Aguinaldo Shrine wherein the Philippine flag that we know of today was first waved publicly declaring our Independence by none other than the first Filipino President Emilio Aguinaldo. Nowadays, the home of the late president is very much preserved including his personal belongings. It opens to the public for free entrance.

• BALDOMERO SHRINE

Who is Baldomero Aguinaldo? Hailed towards the cousin of Emilio Aguinaldo and grandfather of Cesar Virata who as a prime minister in 1980's.  There's also a lot to learn by going to his place in "Museo ni Baldomero Aguinaldo". His home for many years also preserves the memories of old times. 

• PANDAYAN

Learn the craft of making knives (Bolo) by a local blacksmith in Pandayan.  The blacksmithing shop is still active and you can still purchase handcrafted knives and bolos made the same way during the Revolutionary era. Blacksmithing is an endangered craft that needs to be promoted and preserved because only few from this present generation is seem to be interested to inherit this kind of craft. 

• ST. MARY MAGDALENE PARISH

Holiday spirit is in every corner of this church with all the Christmas ornaments that displays around it makes this place so pretty amusing.  It is also known as Kawit Church built in 1737, one of the oldest churches in the municipality of Kawit Cavite.

• FREEDOM PARK 

Other significant feature and tourist attraction of Kawit Cavite is the Freedom Park or the Liwasang Aguinaldo where Kawit celebrates Christmas season through a spectacular display of lights. The Christmas lighting event was held last December 14, 2019 and a number of distinguished guests and celebrities joined in celebration of the event. A fireworks display and lighting of the Christmas lights at the Freedom park was also held.

• PUTO BUMBONG

Before you end the heritage tour, treat your taste buds to this Christmas specialty – Puto Bumbong or rice cake with shaved coconut and muscovado sugar is a staple food trip stop that shouldn’t be missed when visiting Kawit. 

Make sure to visit Kawit Cavite this Christmas Season and enjoy the season filled with pride of our own heritage and historical sites in Kawit. The Municipality of Kawit welcomes everyone who wishes to visit Kawit during the Christmas season. 

#PaskongKawiteño #TaraSaKawit 

December 14, 2019 (Saturday) Kawit Cavite

Glad to Give Smiles Family Fair

For the love of humanity that makes a charity drives its purpose. Helping the needy and suffering are the main mission and vision of every charitable institution such as the world’s leading cleft charity, Smile Train together with the food storage and cooking solutions provider Glad® Philippines recently held the Glad®-To-Give Smiles Family Fair to help spread smiles to Filipinos this Christmas season. Smile Train Partners with Glad® Philippines to Host “Glad® To Give Smiles” Family Fair to Raise Awareness and for Children with Clefts.

Smile Train Area Director for Southeast Asia Kimmy Flaviano presents a plaque of appreciation to Chef Happy Ongpauco-Tiu for her support to Smile Train Philippines. From left to right: Kimmy Flaviano, Chef Happy Ongpauco-Tiu, Glad Philippines Sales and Marketing Director for Southeast Asia, and Ms. Suzi Abrera.

Smile Train Area Director for Southeast Asia Kimmy Flaviano presents a plaque of appreciation to Chef Happy Ongpauco-Tiu for her support to Smile Train Philippines. From left to right: Kimmy Flaviano, Chef Happy Ongpauco-Tiu, Glad Philippines Sales and Marketing Director for Southeast Asia, and Ms. Suzi Abrera.

“As part of the Glad®-to-Give Smiles program, we held this family fair to help raise awareness and funds for Smile Train and babies born with clefts,” said Mr. Paulo Lao, Sales and Marketing Director for Southeast Asia of The Clorox Company, which owns Glad®. This program is the product of our long-standing relationship with Smile Train, as well as the company’s commitment to helping more consumers, including children and their families. Glad thrives on feasts and celebrations, especially during the Holiday and what better way to reinforce this message by bringing back the smiles of children affected with cleft lip and palate so they too can have happier mealtimes this Christmas,” Lao added.

It was such a fun experience with kids and their families to have this kind of family fair, it doesn't just bring each and everyone closer together but of course a smile in every individual that had been part of this year's Glad®-To-Give Smiles Family Fair. The event was filled with fun activities, delicious food stations and a cooking demonstration prepared by Glad®'s Ambassador, Chef Happy Ongpauco-Tiu. The Glad®-To-Give campaign is Glad®’s global corporate social responsibility platform. 

Slime Making

Kids' Zumba

Fun Games

Food Station

"I am very proud to be a part of this meaningful campaign this holiday. It is an honor for me to help raise funds and awareness about Smile Train’s work in the Philippines,” said Chef Happy Ongpauco-Tiu. 

The program was hosted by Ms. Suzi Abrera.  Other supporters include The Medical City, Alveo Land, Beyond® Yoga, Swell Sweets Cake Lab, and Ms. Natalia Santamaria Escano, who performed with Smile Train beneficiaries during the program.  Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Smile Train’s cleft programs in the Philippines.

“As we celebrate our 20th year in the Philippines, we are grateful to our partners like Glad® Philippines who have been enabling us to fulfill our vision to raise awareness and create a better future for children with clefts,” said Kimmy Coseteng-Flaviano, Smile Train’s Area Director for South East Asia. “We also thank the families for giving their time for the Glad®-to-Give Smiles Family Fair. With their help, we are able to raise funding for more cleft surgeries this holiday season.”

Approximately 5,000 new babies with clefts are born every year in the Philippines. Without access to proper cleft treatment, these babies often have difficulty eating, breathing, speaking, and ultimately thriving. Smile Train’s sustainable model empowers local medical professionals with training and resources to provide 100 percent-free, quality, comprehensive, and safe cleft care to children in need in their own communities. 

For more information about Smile Train's global efforts and to make a donation, please visit smiletrain.org. To learn more about Smile Train’s programs in the Philippines, follow Smile Train on Twitter and Instagram @SmileTrainPh, and like us on Facebook at @SmileTrainPhilippines.

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About Glad® Philippines

Glad is the leading brand when it comes to food packaging safety. We are at the forefront of every celebration because we know that people who love good food understand the importance of food safety and proper handling. Our flagship products consist of quality foil, wraps, holiday trays and containers. Here in the Philippines, Glad products are available in leading supermarkets – SM, Rustans, Unimart, Landmark, Robinsons, and Puregold.

Glad® Philippines 

Paulo Lao, Sales & Marketing Director, South East Asia

Paulo.Lao@clorox.com

63.999.8849049

Rhoda Delos Reyes, Brand Manager, South East Asia

Rhoda.DelosReyes@clorox.com

63.928.503959 

About Smile Train

Smile Train empowers local medical professionals with training, funding, and resources to provide free cleft surgery and comprehensive cleft care to children globally. We advance a sustainable solution and scalable global health model for cleft treatment, drastically improving children’s lives, including their ability to eat, breathe, speak, and ultimately thrive. To learn more about how Smile Train's sustainable approach means donations have both an immediate and long-term impact, please visit smiletrain.org.

Smile Train Philippines

Kimmy Flaviano, Area Director, South East Asia

kflaviano@smiletrain.org

63.999.8849049

#GladPhilippines #SmileTrainPhilippines #GladToGiveSmiles

November 23, 2019 (Saturday) - Alveo Corporate Center

Eurotel Naga Offers In-House Tour Package in Bicol Region

There are so much to explore in the Bicol Region, from beautiful old churches to the picturisque view of Mayon Volcano's perfect cone shaped plus other magnificent natural features, you'll find it so convincing you just got to see & visit Bicol. While staying at this province, where can you book your accommodation that already has travel tour offers for your convenience?

Eurotel Naga revamps to boost tourism Bicol region is about to get a boost in tourism, following the grand relaunch of Eurotel Naga as it shapes up to take travel and leisure on another level. Eurotel Naga, one of the leading hotels in the Queen City of Bicol Region, promotes local industry in greater heights through incorporating its own in-house travel tour. Featuring five tourist hotspot locations, Eurotel Hotel takes its guests on an exciting and unforgettable experience they will surely treasure. Whether it’s the thrilling ride around Mayon Volcano, island hopping in Caramoan, extreme watersports in CamSur, island escapade in Calaguas, or an up-close and personal encounter with a whaleshark, Eurotel’s #LoveLokal tour packages will surely bring summer all-yearlong in your calendars. 

“Our main goal is to simply improve the local tourism industry here in Bicol with our own tour packages. We offer the top tourist destinations to the guests for them to truly enjoy what Bicol region has to offer,” Ms. Sue Geminiano, Marketing Manager cited. 

Ideally situated near the central district of Naga City, Eurotel Hotel has been one of the top choices by many tourists visiting Bicol region, since it first opened in October 2013. Almost 100 smartly designed rooms, therapeutic massage services and conveniently located near the business, medical, and commercial district, Eurotel Hotel-Naga caters to every guest in different walks of life. The hotel also offers a 24/7 wide selection of international cuisine - alongside the best local dishes of Bicol Region and different function rooms to cater receptions or corporate events. Truly, Eurotel Hotel is a wonder in Naga City, blending superb service and relaxing stay at an exceptional rate thus meeting the demand for unique lodging services. 

Function Halls

Rooms

 “Aside from the picturesque tour packages, we’re also proud to bring you the local cuisine of Bicol, filling your stomachs at your heart’s content. Enjoy some of the local’s best delicacies such as the Lokal Naga Ensalada, Pancit Bato, Tinumok (similar to pinangat and laing), Kandingga, and Tinutong na Manok,” Ms. Sue added. 

Eurotel Hotel offers guests a unique cultural and comfortable experience paired with extraordinary service and hospitality. Indeed, Eurotel Naga is the perfect home away from home. So what are you waiting for? Experience a yearlong summer with Eurotel Naga now. For reservations, call us at (02) 8353-6000.

AIM MBM ’95 Launched the First Ever Notables

Every individual deserves equal treatment so we can live together a normal life. This can be achieved by making sure that everyone is supported in the community. 

In time for the latest issue in our country regarding LGBT  rights, the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) Master of Business Management (MBM) Batch 1995 has launched  the first-ever Notables at AIM, a nontraditional speaker series hosted by an array of luminaries with expertise and insight on relevant topics. Thought leaders and captains of industry are invited to engage not only with the AIM community but with the public in attendance as well. The speaker series kicked off Thursday, November 28 at Fuller Hall, AIM, Makati City. 

 With the event open to controversial figures in order to spur intelligent dialogue on challenging issues, the organizers saw it fitting to invite as their first featured speaker the first openly transgender woman elected to the Congress of the Philippines, Hon. Geraldine Roman, who has snagged headlines for her bold efforts in advocating for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) rights. The Bataan representative’s talk focused on equality and inclusivity in the society. In her speech, Roman explained how Filipinos are being discriminated especially in the workplace in terms of age, religion, ethnicity, physical appearance, as well as sexual orientation and gender identity and expression or SOGIE. 

 “If we are willing to fight against discrimination on the basis of these personal circumstances that have nothing to do with one’s capacity to work, why are we not able as a society to fight against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity and expression?” Roman said. “But I have to insist, these circumstances are not chosen and these circumstances are irrelevant especially when looking for a job or qualifying for a post in government. They should not be used as criteria in determining who should receive services from the government or who should be able to enter a public establishment like a hotel or a restaurant.” 

 The congresswoman is known as one of the champions of the SOGIE Equality Bill. She reiterated that the bill is an anti-discrimination bill “that seeks to protect Filipinos who just happen to be LGBT, from discrimination at the workplace, in schools, in the delivery of government services, as well as access to commercial and public establishments. It also seeks to guarantee that Filipinos who happen to be LGBT will not be insulted in the streets, that they will be ‘outed’ without their consent.” Roman also defended the bill based on the many accusations thrown by those who are against it. 

 “They say that the SOGIE bill is same-sex marriage. It is not. In fact, in one of the provisions where there was reference to professional licenses…we were careful to specify that these do not refer to marriage licenses,” Roman explained. 

She further clarified that the bill will not infringe or violate religious freedom nor is the bill a gender recognition law. Roman closed her speech with an appeal to treat the members of the LGBT community with respect, “There are people who may have different sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. But these people have to be treated with dignity and respect. And their rights have to be guaranteed under the law.” 

 Marc Ablaza, MBM ‘95 Batch Representative, explained that the speaker series is no ordinary speaking engagement. “It provides a much-needed arena for informed and purposeful exchange on relevant issues,” said Ablaza. He also emphasized the relevance of creating conversations about the event’s topic, “The third out of the seven fundamental human needs is the need to belong or connection. It comes after subsistence and security; and growth and understanding. Inclusivity addresses and fulfills that need. How do we achieve it? We temper if not altogether do away with discrimination. How do we go about it? We start with intelligent discourse. Inclusivity is a critical yet complicated humanitarian issue. Let’s start engaging with it.” 

 AIM MBM Batch ’95 organized Notables at AIM to further the renowned international management school’s advocacy in providing quality education. The batch also hopes to raise funds for scholarships. 

 For more information about Notables at AIM, you may visit our social media pages: Facebook: facebook.com/NotablesAim95 Twitter: @NotablesAim95 Instagram: @NotablesAim95 #NotablesAtAIM

Celebrations Pinasarap by Mega Prime Quality

As early as now, we’re already planning what to prepare on the table this coming holiday season. And with Christmas fast approaching, it's time to start thinking about your holiday menu. To prepare a festive meal, organizing a menu can be complicated at times most especially when you have so many other tasks to complete by the 25^th. And during this season, moms are the ones in charge in doing the preparations and all.

To do all these, particularly when it comes to cooking Mega Prime Quality provides every mom the needs to create an unforgettable Christmas celebration to make the season feast memorable.

Mega Prime Quality hosted a holiday workshop held at the SM The Block Atrium last November 16, 2019 open exclusively to Prime Mom Club members, bloggers and members of the media. During the event, the guests started capturing their photos with Santa Clause. Instagram-ready photo ops were also available at the event’s sampling area where Christmas favorites from Mega Prime have been displayed to make sure all the moms’ hard work is preserved for posterity. Kids also enjoyed the Arts and Crafts station creating their own version of holiday cards using art materials provided.

Mega Prime Quality  holiday workshop is dedicated to every household in empowering moms to be the best home-makers that they can be. They were taught to improve the traditional Christmas feast with Mega Prime’s exclusive programs from making drinks to savory dishes demonstrated with the celebrity Chef Rosebud Benitez. She showcased the full spread of holiday treats that will be guaranteed hit for family and loved ones. She also shared how to whip up a new holiday recipe called Vegetable Pasta with Mega Prime Pieces and Stems Mushroom and Mega Prime Green Peas and what's a Christmas dinner without a decadent dessert to finish off the meal? Using Mega Prime Peach Halves, the guests had a mocktail mixing session where they were taught how to make Peach and Mango Mocktail. They also had the chance to make Creamy Fruit and Nata de Coco Dessert using the Mega Prime Tropical Fruit Cocktail and Mega Prime Nata de Coco to highlight Mega Prime’s full holiday product line.

An exclusive Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Winter Wonderland Terrarium making session was showcased by another celebrity guest Say Alonzo. Both moms and the little ones enjoyed this holiday-themed bonding time by making this craft filled with fake snow, small Christmas themed figurines and tiny Christmas trees. This made the celebration even more fun, memorable and educational as well.

Honorary Prime Mom Club member Marian Rivera-Dantes rounded up the day’s events by giving a short but sweet message to fellow Prime Mom Club members, and expressed how happy she is to be part of the community.

“There is so much to look forward to during the holidays that we tend to forget how much time and effort it takes on the part of our moms to make all this happen for us. Through workshop like this, we aim to help take the stress out of the holiday preparations so families can truly enjoy the spirit of Christmas - staying true to the Prime Mom Club's objective of empowering moms to be the best homemakers." says Mega Prime Brand Manager, Raymund Alegre.

#CelebrationsPinasarap # MegaPrimeQuality #MegaPrime

Early holiday surprises for RedDoorz guests to enjoy family-friends bonding

The air is cooler, the nights are longer. Colored lights flicker in every place you see. Everybody’s easing into a holiday mood and RedDoorz advanced the holiday vibes with surprises for their hotel guests and target market.

In late October, RedDoorz surprised hotel guests nationwide in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao with #RedDoorzKeyMoments. Randomly selected guests were gifted with RedDoorz “keys” as they registered at the front desk of RedDoorz properties in different key cities. The “key” entitled them to one more free stay at selected RedDoorz properties nationwide anytime until November so they can bond and share new memories with family and friends.

Guests loved the special touch that allowed them to share more special times with their chosen companions – from Lolo and Lola to Best Buddy to to Big Bro and Little Sis, to Mom and Dad and the barkada. “This will definitely come in handy when my brother comes back for home leave this month,” said Jennylyn Casitas, whose brother works in Bahrain.

RedDoorz uncorked even more surprises. At the Fablacion Street Party held on Halloween Night at Dulo MNL in Makati, RedDoorz activated its #RedDoorzFunMoments. RedDoorz brand ambassadors went around the party venue to present party goers with more RedDoorz “keys”. Revelers who sported the Most Unique Theme, Best Make-up, Best Joker look, Best Avenger, Best Animé, Best Celebrity Lookalike, Best Drag Queen, Best Maleficent or Disney Character and the Best Family Group were singled out and awarded the surprise “keys” that would let them experience more fun times with their special people.

“At this time of year, everybody is in a holiday mood. It’s time to bond, hold reunions, do impromptu get-togethers and plan for what the family, the barkada and special friends will do together. RedDoorz joins the celebration by providing people with more ways to bond and create more key and fun moments. We have prepared fun activities and promos to enable more and more people to enjoy short or long trips anywhere in the Philippines where our over 200 properties are located,” 

said Raenald De Jesus, RedDoorz Country Marketing Manager.

For more information on how you too can experience RedDoorz, go to www.reddoorz.com and @RedDoorzPh on Facebook and Instagram  

#RedDoorz #RedDoorzPh #Hotel

Mush-Yummy Home-Cook Meals by Jolly Mushroom

Enhance the flavor of your cooking with Jolly Mushroom! Try to add this new ingredient to your daily recipe and makes a little extra different taste to your palate. 

Using the country’s leading mushroom brand, Jolly Mushroom, brings new level of cooking adventure to every moms’ favorite recipes, transforming them into ‘mush-delicious’ home-cooked meals instead of the average Filipino dish. Over the years, mushrooms are generally used for a limited number of dishes reserved only for special occasions but now with Jolly Mushroom, moms can now incorporate mushrooms in their everyday cooking – a kitchen hack that can come in handy for meal preparation daily.

, 
Its nutritious contents alone will want you to serve it in every single meal. Its mild flavor makes it more versatile and so easy to mix with just about any Filipino dish. It can be eaten either raw or cooked and works well in soups, stews, salads, and on pizzas.

Moms can now ease into making more mushroom-based dishes and discover how mushrooms can shake up their culinary repertoire. By simply adding a 1 can (400g) of Jolly Whole Mushroom, moms can make any dish extra special and “mush-masarap” – making them “mush-madiskarte” in the kitchen. 

Marilou Acuña, Fly Ace Corporation group product manager for Jolly Food Line, talks about this interesting kitchen discovery that can elevate any dish. “Jolly Mushroom can add depth and flavor to one’s cooking. It can be a hearty addition to your favorite ‘ulam,’ giving it an exciting twist for the whole family to enjoy.”

Jolly Mushroom is also making the transition easier by sharing new takes on recipes for Filipino classics like pork adobo, chicken afritada, and burger steak. More recipes that integrate mushrooms, such as pork giniling and chicken teriyaki, will be added to the brand’s YouTube channel in the coming months.

Jolly Mushroom cans (whole mushrooms, and pieces and stems) are available in leading supermarkets nationwide. For more information about the brand, visit Jolly Eats on Facebook and YouTube, and get access to tips and ideas on how to use Jolly Mushroom in your everyday cooking.

You can try these home-cook recipes and share the goodness of adding Jolly Mushroom in your dish.

Daily “ulam” recipes with Jolly Mushroom

*MUSH CHICKEN AFRITADA* 

Ingredients: 

1 can (400g)               JOLLY Whole Mushrooms 400g, drained

1 tablespoon               oil

½ kilogram                 chicken, cut into 8 pieces 

1 piece                       onion, chopped 

4-5 gloves                   garlic, minced 

2-3 pieces                   bay leaves 

1 piece                       carrots, cut into cubes 

1 piece                       green bell pepper, sliced diagonally 

1 cup                          tomato sauce 

1 cup                          water 

1 teaspoon                  ground pepper 

1 teaspoon                  fish sauce 

2 teaspoons                 Jolly Tomato Paste  

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Pan-fry chicken for 10-15 minutes or until brown. Remove excess oil. 
2. Add onion, garlic and bay leaves. Sauté until fragrant. 
3. Add JOLLY WHOLE MUSHROOMS, carrots, green bell pepper, tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, ground pepper and fish sauce. Stir well. 
4. Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until chicken is tender. Add water if the sauce becomes too thick. 

 Number of servings: 7-8 servings 

*MUSH PORK ADOBO* 

Ingredients:

1 can (400g)              JOLLY Whole Mushrooms, drained

½ kilogram                 pork belly, adobo cut (about 2 inches thick)  

2-3  tablespoons         oil 

1 piece                       onion, chopped

1 head                        garlic, minced

1/2 cup                      soy sauce

1/4 cup                      vinegar

1 cup                          water

1 teaspoon                  peppercorns

2 pieces                      bay leaf or laurel leaf 

Procedure:

1. Heat oil in a pan. Pan-fry pork for 10-15 minutes or until pork is light brown on all sides. Remove excess oil. 
2. Add onion and garlic, sauté until fragrant.  
3. Add JOLLY WHOLE MUSHROOMS, soy sauce, vinegar, water, peppercorns and bay leaves; let it simmer for 30-45 minutes.  Add water if it becomes too dry. 
4. Add. Continue simmering until pork is tender and sauce is reduced. Adjust seasoning if needed. 

 Number of servings: 6-8 servings

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ABOUT FLY ACE CCORPORATION

Fly Ace Corporation is one of the leading food and beverage consumer goods companies in the country today. Propelling limitless multiple-category growth by bringing the best of the world closer to Filipino homes, Fly Ace Corporation’s portfolio of food and beverage products includes house brands and exclusively distributed brands. Learn more at www.flyacecorp.com.

#JollyEats #JollyMushrooms #Mushroom