THE SEARCH FOR THE NECT K-POP SUPERSTAR BEGINS!

tvN, Asia’s leading Korean Entertainment Channel launches K-Pop Star Hunt Season 2 and is once again looking for the next K-POP Superstar!


Are you aspiring to be Korea’s next pop sensation? Make K-Pop Star Hunt your first step to stardom! With the success of its first season – attracting more than 50 million viewers across Asia – K-Pop Star Hunt is set to make its triumphant comeback for a second season.

Through K-Pop Star Hunt (Season 2), talents across Asia will have the incredible opportunity to make K-Pop miracles of their own. Aspirants from the Philippines, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan will be given the opportunity to battle it out to become the next K-Pop superstar.

Each country will be selecting the most outstanding contestants from each territory for preliminary auditions. After the contestants’ heated battles, the survivors will be flown to Seoul to receive professional training and compete for the final showdown in Korea!

MEGAWORLD LAUNCHES VICEROY RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUM

Experience a Live-Work-Play-Learn lifestyle in the newest flagship condominium of Megaworld Corporation… The Viceroy Residential Condominium that is strategically located along Florence Way of McKinley Hill in Taguig City. 

THE VICEROY RESIDENTIAL CONDOMINIUM LAUNCHING. In photo: (l-r) Ms. Mary Rachelle Penaflorida; Vice President for Sales of Megaworld and Mr. Jackson Lim Jr; also its Vice President for Sales as they pose for a photograph during the Viceroy Residential Condominium launching held recently at the Megaworld showroom in McKinley Hill in Taguig City.

The bedroom area where you can sleep, relax and watch TV with your family after going to work or just anytime of the day.

The Viceroy Residential Condominium is complete with various recreational facilities and amenities like outdoor lounge and wading pool, gym, spa, Day Care Center, function rooms, clubhouse, fitness station, children’s play area, courtyards and others that residents need not to go out of their place to have fun and bonding with their families and friends. Aside from that, it also has spacious lobby with reception and lounge area, two high-speed elevators for each tower, a 24-hour security monitoring command center, a mail room, centralized laundromat, different retail shops and a three-level basement parking for your convenience.

The dinner table where you can eat and meet your guest.

Viceroy Residential Condominium is a four-tower residential condominium that is preferable for young adults, professionals on-the-go and even to the newly married couples who are about to start a family. And being strategically located in one of the busiest areas in Makati, Viceroy is almost a stone-throw away from your favorite restaurants, banks, foreign embassies, cyber parks, international schools and other business establishments.

The kitchen area where you can cook your favorite dishes with your loving husband, lovely wife and beautiful kids.

Viceroy Residential Condominium units are available in the form of Studio-type and One-bedroom type with a size of 23 sq. meters, 26 sq. meters, 26.10 sq. meters, 26.50 sq. meters and 34.75 sq. meters where you can choose from. The amount cost ranges from 2.2 million up to 3.9 million depending on the unit. Interested or would-be buyers can pay in cash or in an installment basis, and they can also avail of a loan through Megaworld’s partner banks for easier payment scheme.

For more information, you may call 815-1888 or visit www.megaworldcorp.com

SCHNEIDER FITS ADAMSON UNIVERSITIES SOLAR CAR WITH SOLAR CHARGE CONTROLLER

Schneider Electric (SE), the global specialist in energy management, re-affirms its support for “green” technologies by providing Adamson University’s (AdU) solar-powered car, the LEEPad2, with the Xantrex XW Solar Charge Controller.

 Aside from preventing power loss and reverse-current flow, the Xantrex XW Solar Charge Controller helps LEEPad2, made by AdU’s electrical engineering students, perform at optimum power at all times by converting excess voltage into amps.

Photo above shows (l-r) AdU President Fr. Gregorio L. Bañaga, Jr., SE Philippine President Philippe Reveilhac, C.M, AdU College of Engineering Dean Engr. Evelyn Q. Raguindin, AdU Electrical Engineering Department Chair and the student inventors’ mentor Engr. Virgilio Lomotan during the launch of LEEPad2.

 The AdU Electrical Engineering department developed the car as a response to the University President’s challenge of "greening the university", aligned with the AdU’s aim of becoming one of the champions of energy efficiency when it comes to the academe.

UPTOWN RITZ RESIDENCE

Megaworld Corporation recently unveiled its newest and most high-end and upscale project to date, the UPTOWN RITZ RESIDENCE at Fort Bonifacio, Global City in Taguig.

UPTOWN RITZ RESIDENCE is set to rise at the heart of Uptown Bonifacio in Bonifacio Global City. This project is a 2,500 square meter development towering at 45 floors and comprises of 2 bedroom units only, and having only 10 units per floor that will guarantee a luxurious lifestyle.

PHILIPPINE SKATING UNION ATTEND WORLD CONGRESS

The Philippine Skating Union attended the the 54^th Ordinary Congress of the International Skating Union last 11^th-15^th June 2012. The PSU was represented by its President Manuel “Pocholo” Veguillas assisted by Noel Resultay of SM International Skating Rinks.

Over 200 delegates from 76 ISU member federations voted on 340 proposals regarding policies and competition rules both in Figure Skating and Speed Skating. This was the 2^nd time for an Asian Country to host the ISU Congress. The first was in Kyoto, Japan.

The next International Skating Union Congress will be held at Dublin Ireland on June 2014.

Government Increasing Spending on AIDS

More than 80 countries increase their domestic investments for AIDS by over 50% between 2006 and 2011

WASHINGTON, DC/GENEVA, July 2012—A new report by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) shows that domestic funding for HIV has exceeded international investments. The report, Together we will end AIDS, states that low- and middle- income countries invested US$ 8.6 billion for the response in 2011, an increase of 11% over 2010. International funding however remained flat at 2008 levels (US$ 8.2 billion).

According to the report, 81 countries increased their domestic investments for AIDS by more than 50% between 2006 and 2011. As economies in low- and middle-income countries grow, domestic public investments for AIDS have also grown. Domestic public spending in sub-Saharan Africa for example, (not including South Africa) increased by 97% over the last five years. South Africa already spends more than 80% from domestic sources and has quadrupled its domestic investments between 2006 and 2011.

“This is an era of global solidarity and mutual accountability,” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Countries most affected by the epidemic are taking ownership and demonstrating leadership in responding to HIV. However, it is not enough for international assistance to remain stable­­—it has to increase if we are to meet the 2015 goals.”

UAAP OPENING

THE ROBOT ZOO

Experience the fun and the thrill in the newly opened Robot Zoo located in Nido Fortified Science Center in Mall Of Asia where you will see a lot of life-size creatures in robot form like grasshoppers, giraffe, rhinoceros, platypus, Octopus, squid, a bat, a fly and a chameleon that you can actually control and manipulate just by moving the control that is assigned to each animal.

ROBOT ZOO OPENING. In photo: (l-r) Ms. Carla De Castro; Marketing & Communications Manager of Nickelodeon Asia and Mr. Arturo Carballo, Senior Vice President of Science Discovery Center as they pose for a photograph during the opening of The Robot Zoo in Mall of Asia. 

Aside from those mechanical robot that you can see in the zoo, kids and adults can also play games while inside the zoo. Kids can play with tortoise or turtle marathon where a big back plastic type of a turtle will be put on the back of the kid and let us see who crosses the line first. They also have the squid marathon where one will pump the button, and whoever pump faster… and the squid that touches the light first… wins. They also have a gun-like chameleon type of games where you will spot and shoot the target by hitting it with a tongue of the chameleon head. Aside from that, visitors can also enjoy other games like swat fly, sticky feet, chess and hide & seek. Not to mention, kids can also celebrate their birthday parties and other occassion at the Cosmic Kids party pod.

GRASSHOPPER ROBOT

The Robot Zoo is a travelling museum developed by Evergreen exhibits and based on the book “The Robot Zoo” that is conceived, edited and designed by Marshall Editions of London England and has been in many countries like: Europe, North America and other parts of the globe… and now, finally, it’s here in the Philippines for a limited period of time from June 2012 to January 2013. So for more fun and learning, you may visit The Robot Zoo at the 2^nd floor of Nido Science Discovery Center in Mall of Asia.  
PLATYPUS ROBOT (above)

A BAT ROBOT HANGING ON A CEILING

A HOUSE FLY

A CHAMELEON ROBOT

 OCTOPUS ROBOT

KIDS PARTY PLACE

NICKELODEON

The kids who attended the opening of The Robot Zoo where they had a lot of fun, games, food and gifts courtesy of Nickelodeon and Nido Discovery Science Center. 

Here you can see the kids wearing a polk a dot dress that is similar to the wall… imitating to what a chameleon can do by changing its color.

The Robot Zoo is located at the second floor of the Science Discovery Center. For more information, you may visit www.sciencediscovery.ph

SM CITY'S GREAT NORTHERN 3-DAY SALE (JULY 13-15)

All roads lead to SM City North Edsa during the first day of its Great Northern Sale that started yesterday (July 13) where thousands of people flocked to the mall… from its opening until its closing. You will see a lot of people lining up everywhere; to the food stalls, to the cashiers, to the ATM machines, etc., in fact many of them are lining up already even before the mall opens its doors.

As I walk along the aisle you will see a crowd of people both Filipinos and foreigners carrying bags of groceries and other items from different establishment in different colors showing they are enjoying their shopping spree with big discounts from 30%, 50% and up to 70% and other add-ons.

As part of SM 3-DAY SALE, SM City North Edsa has lined up various activities for shoppers to enjoy their shopping even more... They have a fashion show at the SM The Block where models walked the runway with the latest collections of clothes and shoes, SM Annex has its Hewlett Packard launching of its printers and other gadgets, SM Sky dome has its 3-day festivities of its Travel and Tour Expo and others. 

The whole place is jump packed with a lot of people from moviegoers, shoppers and diners from the SM City The Block to the SM City Annex, from the basement up to its highest floor. 

So shoppers out there, you still have two days more (July 14-15) to avail of the great discount that SM City has in store for shoppers like you. So come and join the fun.

UAAP SEASON 75 OPENS ON JULY 14 @ SM ARENA

Catch the heat as the UAAP season 75 opens on July 14 at the SM Arena in Mall of Asia complex in Pasay City. It is expected that the coliseum will be full to its capacity as it opens this Saturday where eight different Universities will participate. 

The grand opening will be handled by National University, which serve as the host school for this year.

There are so much to expect this UAAP season, from the new and exciting players, to the new coach, to the new and beautiful school court side reporters and to the wider UAAP coverage that can be seen and watch in Studio 23, Balls HD Sky cable 167, The Filipino Channel and via live streaming on www.uaapsports.tv

So sit back, relax and watch as the UAAP season 75 unfolds as eight Universities compete with one another for supremacy on the hard court.

The Trauma of Glaucoma: How eye injury can cause irreversible blindness

Glaucoma, a major eye disease that gradually steals vision, is ceaselessly lurking as every injury or damage to the eye can potentially cause a lifetime of blindness.

Among the many risk factors of Glaucoma, the country’s number one cause of blindness, previous eye injury cannot be underestimated. 

While most eye injuries can be given proper treatment, the risk of glaucoma may persist. Glaucoma may not be contracted immediately after an injury. It can develop over time, according to the Philippine Glaucoma Society (PGS), the organization of the country’s leading eye experts on glaucoma.

“The Philippine Glaucoma Society with Allergan is fighting to rid the country of this dreadful disease. Eye injury like many other glaucoma risk factors is not to be taken too lightly. It may cause the onset of a specific but equally damaging type of glaucoma, which is Traumatic Glaucoma,” said Dr. Biboy Martinez, PGS vice president. 

A previous eye injury may damage the drainage channels of the eye causing increased eye pressure, this elevated pressure may then cause damage to the optic nerve causing glaucoma.  

Traumatic glaucoma is usually cause by blunt trauma, which could either be a direct blow to the head or a direct injury to the eye.

Eye fluid flows out of the eye through the pupil and is absorbed into the bloodstream through drainage canals around the edge of the iris.

Blunt trauma damages the flow of eye fluid inside the eye, causing blockage in the system and eventually elevation of eye pressure. This blockage can be caused by an excess amount of blood, plasma and debris.

SM CITY'S “GREAT NORTHERN SALE” ON JULY 13, 14 & 15, 2012

Get a big savings on the upcoming Biggest Sale of the Year… with a theme “Great Northern Sale” that will happen on July 13, 14 & 15 in SM City North Edsa where shoppers will enjoy big discounts that is up to 70% on selected brands and items. And as you shop, you will see a lot of stores offering major discounts and other add-ons where you can use your credit card or maybe even your debit card for easier shopping that will give you the comfort of not having a lot of cash in your wallet. Shoppers can also earn points by using their SM advantage card by purchasing in any SM retail stores in SM City North Edsa. 

So what are you waiting for? Get those exclusive deals on all stores and dining places at the upcoming SM City’s “Great Northern Sale” where all your needs from clothing’s, furniture, home appliances, groceries, etc. You name it; SM has it all for you. So see you there!!!!!!!!!!!!   

PHILIPPINE OBSTETRICAL AND GYNECOLOGICAL SOCIETY (POGS) TOGETHER WITH REP. ROMAN ROMULO WITH THE SUPPORT FROM GLAXO SMITH KLINE (GSK) LAUNCHED THE "ANTI-CERVICAL CANCER CAMPAIGN"

 

 

In celebration of its 66^th anniversary, The Philippine Obstetrics and Gynecological Society of the Philippines (POGS) together with Rizal Medical Center and the office of Rep. Roman Romulo with the support from Glaxo Smith Kline (GSK), recently launched the Cervical Cancer Awareness campaign among the youth  that was held last July 06, 2012 at the auditorium of the Rizal Medical Center in Pasig City.

The purpose of the program is to make the youth, especially those residing in Pasig City to be aware of this disease (Cervical Cancer) and the danger that it brings. Cervical Cancer is the 2^nd leading cause of death in the world today; where 12 women die daily in the Philippines alone and one woman dies every two minutes on a global basis.

This disease is considered as subtle because it appears in a woman's cervix without any symptom at the start and when the symptom start to appear… it’s in the late stage already where it is already considered hard to cure and can cause death to the person who has it.  
   

Part of the campaign is to give vaccine to the female youth of Pasig City who are not yet sexually active in order to develop immunity in their bodies so that when the time comes that they are sexually active already; their body will not be vulnerable to this disease. As part of the process, the female participants will be receiving three vaccines within a 6-month period on the stage of 0 to 1 to the 6^th month to complete the vaccine that will prevent them to acquire the cancer of the cervix.

The event was attended by the medical doctors of the Rizal Medical Center and other doctors who are members of POGS, by the Barangay and Church officials and by no less than the Congressman of the lone district of Pasig City, Rep. Roman Romulo who himself is a staunch health advocate who believe that good health can be achieved through prevention by means of immunization that will lessen the number of patients in the hospitals, hence, will make the city government of Pasig to spend less on health matters. 

THE ALL-NEW HTC ONE S, V & C

HTC, a global designer of smartphones, today unveiled the new HTC One S-elegantly styled with an ultra-slim 7.9mm metal unibody for people who want a powerful smartphone that pushes the boundaries of mobile phone design.

Engineered with advanced design

HTC One S features two innovative new finishes, used for the first time ever in mobile phone design. The first, an ultra-matte black ceramic surface, is the result of a microarc oxidation process originally developed for use in satellites. It transforms the surface of the metal unibody into a super-dense crystalline structure that is four times harder than anodised aluminum, resisting the bumps and scrapes of everyday use to leave the HTC One S looking pristine. The second takes traditional anodisation to a new level, with a patented HTC process that creates a subtle and sophisticated light-to-dark gradient fade through the aluminium.

 Powerful, durable performance

A Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor with up to 1.5GHz dual-core CPUs powers an ultra-responsive interface with rich graphics that come to life on the 4.3 inch bright Super AMOLED screen. Crafted from contoured Corning™ Gorilla Glass, which flows over the edges of the phone, the durable screen has optical lamination offering wide viewing angles to make reviewing pictures and videos easy. 

Versatile user experience

HTC One S blends Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) with HTC Sense™ 4, the new version of HTC’s acclaimed user experience. HTC Sense 4 features new camera capabilities, enabling users to shoot outstanding pictures in the blink of an eye. Beats Audio™ technology is also integrated more deeply throughout all multimedia features of the phone, to deliver a more premium mobile experience.

Incredible camera

With an f/2.0 lens and auto HDR mode, HTC ImageSense technology delivers fast image capture with stunning results, even under adverse lighting conditions. In just 0.7 seconds you’re able to take a shot and, with its new superfast 0.2 second autofocus, you’ll never miss a moment again. You can even take pictures as you shoot HD video, or extract high resolution stills from HD video in playback.

Philippines-Japan Friendship Month (July to August 2012) with Eiga Sai—The Japanese Film Festival

Enjoy free screenings of much-awaited contemporary Japanese films in July and August at the 2012 Eiga Sai. Presented by the Japan Foundation, Manila, in cooperation with the Embassy of Japan, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, UP Film Institute, Film Development Council of the Philippines, ClickTheCity.com and NET 25 TV. An invitational screening of the film ‘Villain’ on July 5 at Shang Cineplex Cinema 2, EDSA, Mandaluyong City is the kick-off event for the festivity.

Villain is a gritty social critique drama directed by Lee Sang-il, director of the multi-award film—Hula Girls. Eri Fukatsu who won the Best Actress Award at the Montreal World Film Festival 2010 and Japan Academy Prize 2011 for her role (Mitsuyo), takes on challenging and heated love scenes, playing a woman on the run with a murderer. Satoshi Tsumabuki (Yuichi) runs away after killing a woman (Yoshino) he met on a dating website. While the families of the victim and the assailant are left in agony, Mitsuyo becomes increasingly entangled in her relationship with Yuichi. The film was based on the novel "Akunin" by Shuichi Yoshida published in April 2007.

"PLEASE BE CAREFUL WITH MY HEART" PREMIERES ON JULY 9 ON YOUR T V SCREEN

Watch out for the newest Prime-Tanghali entitled ”Be Careful With My Heart” that will invade your T V screen starting on Monday July 9 just before Showtime. The title of this drama-series was taken from the song with similar title ”Be Careful With My Heart” that was originally sang by Jose Mari Chan and now a T V series that you can watch that will stir the hearts of the viewers out there.

This is the first time Jodi will be starring in a T V series that is why she considers this; a very special one. Aside from that, this is also the first time Jodi will be pairing with Richard Yap who feels the same way as Jodi, since, this is also his first time to play a lead role in a T V series.

Be Careful With My Heart casts includes Jodi Sta. Maria who played the role of Maya De  La Rosa who grew up in a loving family in the province (na gagawin ang lahat upang makamit ang kanyang pangarap na maging stewardess at maiahon sa hirap ang kanyang pamilya)  whose life was changed when she met Richard who is the father of Mutya; the little girl that Maya is taking care of and serve as a yaya. 

Other cast includes Aiza Seguerra, Divina Valencia, Robert Ortega, Jerome Perez, Janella Salvador and Mutya Orquia. And its under the direction of Jeffrey Jeturian and Mervyn Brondial.