Cirque Du Soleil: Varekai in Manila

In an effort to bring world-class entertainment to the country, Hoopla Inc., official promoter of Cirque du Soleil in the Philippines, finally brings one of the Cirque du Soleil big top live production Varekai.  Cirque du Soleil is a major Québec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment.

 Varekai has been touring in the last nine years in North America, Australia, New Zealand and Europe. This year, Varekai finally visits Asia beginning with Taiwan in January. They are currently performing in South Korea and will be premiering in the Philippines in June 2011.

Hoopla, Inc. believes that the Manila staging of Varekai will help boost the image of the Philippines as an entertainment destination and will encourage other big-ticket productions to consider the country for their shows. The official promoter also shares that they are very excited to bring Cirque du Soleil to the Philippines because they feel that the local audience deserves only the best. Made possible by the show’s presenting sponsors, Manila Hotel and Banco De Oro, together with its official sponsor, Sun Life Financial, they stressed that there is huge market for high-quality productions in the Philippines, affirming the Filipinos’ passion for art, music and entertainment.

Cirque du Soleil will set up its trademark blue and yellow Grand Chapiteau (Big Top) which can house up to over 2,500 audiences across Quirino Grandstand. Varekai will perform in Manila for a limited engagement from June 22-July 8, 2011. Tickets are available through our online box office at www.hoopla.ph or www.cirquedusoleil.com. For inquiries, call 775-0939, 881-0947, 0919-4508125 and 0917-4436463.

Kulinarya Festival at Bayview Park Hotel Featuring Bicolano Dishes

Bayview Park Hotel, one of the premiere hotels in the metropolis, hosts the run-through of  Kulinarya Festival on May 23, 2011, in cooperation with Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines (HRAP) and the Department of Tourism (DOT).

The Kulinarya Festival is a brainchild of Bayview Park Hotel to adhere to one of the activities that the Department of Tourism has lined up this year to promote culture and heritage of the Philippines not just to the tourists but also with the locals.  In particular, Kulinarya Festival aims to promote authentic Filipino cuisines that our country has to offer.

Hotel and Restaurant Association of the Philippines

This year, Bayview Park Hotel successfully hosts the said project of the DOT and together with the other HRAP members namely the Century Park Hotel, Discovery Suites, Café Illustrado, Bacolod Chicken Inasal and Serye Restaurant, they will also simultaneously showcase our culinary heritage in the coming months.


Native dishes and  delicacies of Bicol Region (Region V) spearheaded the Kulinarya Festival experience.   Bicolano foods calls to mind if we say hot and spicy.  The locals are really known for their love of spicy foods but in Kulinarya no need to worry about the spices as you will have your choice on the level of spiciness.


Rice is a must for hot and spicy lovers so dig in to Bicol Express and Dahon ng Gabi na Pinangat. 

Noodle lovers can recharge with Pansit Bato.

Don't have a tooth for chilis?  Well, here are the Bicolanos native desserts and one unique food to them is the sweetened/caramelized pili nuts.

 I, together with the other bloggers Sire Arevalo of Munch and Gulps, Leira Pagaspas of DulceDeLeirs, Jay L Aquino of Blog-PH, Ning Buning of Ning4U, Michelle of Manila Stuff, and Tita Lucy of Pinay Corner were truly appreciative to see these cultural delights first hand.

This buffet experience at the Bayview Park Hotel is really authentic as we were greeted by a festive barrio-styled ambiance and welcomed by Ms. Precy Mendoza and Mr. Eugene Yap of Bayview Park Hotel.

Staff of Bayview Park Hotel

Bayview Park Hotel General Manager Eugene Yap

Here are my favorites and if you happen to pass by Bayview Park Hotel on July, which is the start of the Kulinarya Festival, this would be some of the dishes that you would also expect to feast on.

I begin the meal with a sampling of the Lato Salad.  Lato is a kind of seaweed that is shaped like grapes.  We call it in Ilocano as ar-arosep.  It's been a while since I have eaten lato and it is really refreshing.

How would I forget the this... the pinangat or tinadtaran.  It is bathed in gata and I love the ground fish inside it.  It is really a meal for vegetarians.

And for the final flourish, pili nuts and halo-halo refresh the palate, concluding the meal on a high note.

Bayview Park Hotel will make every lunch a most special treat with Kulinarya Festival this July 2011.  Enjoy Filipino favorites buffet including Ilocano, Bicolano, Kapampangan, and a lot more for only P600.

After the festive treats, we were lucky to be able to roam around Bayview Park Hotel's elegant rooms and facilities.

The Executive Suite

Deluxe Room

Of all the rooms, my eye candy is the executive suite with spacious and Comfortable Living area, Dinning area and Powder room with separate Bedroom with bathroom.  Ms. Precy Mendoza, marketing officer of Bayview Park Hotel, said that this room also serves as a debutante or bride's room so it is really meticulously and elegantly designed.


We also went at the roof deck pool where Ms. Precy Mendoza mentioned that hotel guests are entitled of free use of the facilities once you're booked in the hotel.

It was really tiring but a fun-filled day.  I still haven't digested that ample lunch buffet when I got home and my eyes still feasted on the elegant rooms of Bayview Park Hotel.  I really won't forget that debutante suite...

Bayview Park Hotel Manila
1118 Roxas Boulevard corner United Nations Avenue
Manila, Philippines

Phone Number: +63-2-2479000
Fax Number: +63-2-5223040
Toll Free Number: 1800-1888-5555
Website: www.bayviewparkhotel.com

For the Kulinarya Festival buffet reservations, you may also call +63-2-2479000

Another World of Wellness Branch Is Open To Serve You

WOW World of Wellness Direct Sales (BF Starmall EDSA, Mandaluyong City) is the 8th Business Center in the country serving health and beauty products and providing an alternative source of income for Filipinos through sales and distribution of highly beneficial and very affordable food supplements,skin care, and other wellness products.

During the Starmall Branch opening on May 21, 2011, beauty and wellness guru Ms. Cory Quirino and wellness enterpreneur Ms. Sheila Mae Velilla  joined in on the celebration.

To top it all off, World of Wellness Starmall Branch offered free membership registration and beauty and wellness talk courtesy of Ms. Cory Quirino at the Starmall Activity Center.

WOW World of Wellness Products

WOW World of Wellness head office is located at 108 Scout Delgado St., Quezon City, while its branches are at Virra Mall, Escondido Beach in Boracay, SM Fairview, Bacoor, SM North EDSA and a franchise store in Baguio City.

Take a cue from the beauty and wellness gurus and jumpstart a healthy lifestyle.

Other event photos:

Dockers Daddy's Day Promo: Win Khaki Pants For Dad!

In celebration of Daddy's Day, Dockers launched its first ever online promotion, Dockers Dad.  It is simple enough to join, no purchase requirement and the instructions are simple enough to follow at www.facebook.com/dockersphils. Please feel free to participate and maybe you will be one of the five winners.

 

Win Dad a Dockers Khaki by simply following these simple instructions –

Who are Qualified
If you are a wife, daughter, son, brother, sister or grandparents and Filipino residing in the Philippines and want to treat the “man of the house”, you are definitely qualified.


Mechanics
1. Check out the Facebook Dockers Dad Photo Album.
2. Look at each of the Dockers Dad and see which of them best describes your ‘kind of dad’.

Techie Dad – loves more pockets for more gadgets

Fun Dad – not afraid of colors or prints

Outdoor Dad – always on the go wearing his fave shorts

Formal Dad – always dressed for success

Cool Dad – hip to wear something fit




3. Click Like and put your Comment – begin your statement with

“I LOVE KHAKIS for Dad because…

Then briefly tell us what makes him your ‘choice’ of Dockers Dad.

Example:

I LOVE KHAKIS for Dad because he seems comfortable with it and it matches really well with any of his shirts.

My Dad, is a Techie Dad, because he simply loves gadgets! He never leaves home without it. Oh by the way, he even loves gaming too! Techie Dad isn’t he?

4. After posting your choice and comment, get your friends and family to Like your post. The post that gets the most number of Like will be the winner.

5. In case of a tie, Dockers will determine the winner based on the comment posted. The more original the comment the higher the score.

6. There will a total of five (5) winners. One winner for each kind of Dockers Dad. Each winner will get P3,000.00 worth of Dockers gift certificate. Gift certificates can be used at selected Dockers stores – Trinoma, Rockwell, Glorietta, Robinsons Ermita, Festival Mall and Ayala Cebu.

7. Winners will be announced through Dockers Fan Page on June 20, 2011, Monday at 1PM.

Promo begins May 19, 2011 and ends on Daddy’s Day, June 19, 2011.


For more details visit www.facebook.com/dockersphils

Phiten Philippines: Health and Fitness Products For the Non-Sport Buffs

Phiten Philippines, the country’s leading sports accessory and apparel provider held a press conference last May to both offline and online media at Hyphy's, Robinson's Galleria Ortigas to reintroduce the brands commitment for health and wellness.

Phiten staff together with Coach Jun Saret, an international sports training consultant (and yes, he is the guy you see at The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition on ABS-CBN airing at prime time) demonstrated Phiten products’ benefits for balanced energy flow and blood circulation.


I remember him giving tips on how to start and maintain an active lifestyle especially to those who are sedentary (or stationary people meaning not doing exercises or activities).  He also taught to the bloggers and the media how to exercise in less than 5 minutes which he also shared to the contestants of Biggest Loser Philippines.  These exercises are very effective for sedentary people like me, hahaha, and with the use of Phiten.  But what really is Phiten that I am talking about?


Phiten executives from Japan reintroduced the to us the brand.  Phiten is an innovative Japanese brand of aquametal-infused wearable technology in form of various accessories and apparel.

Phiten was founded in 1982 by its president, Yoshihiro Hirata, an alternative medicine practitioner. “We are helping people enhance their quality of life around the globe, building on our Phiten philosophy of health, energy, and well-being,” said Hirata in Phiten’s Official website.

Now found in countries over Asia, Europe, and US, Phiten continues to create waves in the scientific community.

“Nano-technology is the breaking down of titanium, silver, and gold minerals to nano particles which are then infused in the materials used to make Phiten products,” said Ronaldo Colmenar, general manager of Sports, Entertainment and Events Management, Inc., the exclusive distributor of Phiten in the country.

The technology restores, if not maintains the optimum balance of the body. Phiten, together with a healthy diet and good exercise and sports programs like biking and running, can also help fight chronic stress brought about by a busy lifestyle.

Colmenar added, “Phiten is not a craze or trend. It is a lifestyle brand that promotes health, style and comfort for people-on-the-go and sports enthusiasts who want to be in their best state always.”

To learn more about Phiten’s health benefits and to see its wide array of products, log on to www.phitenphil.com or visit any Phiten shop kiosk and consigned stores nationwide. Be updated and on the know of Phiten’s promos and sale on facebook.  www.facebook.com/phitenphilippines