FREE invites to Mang Inasal Bloggers Night

Do you love food and music and blogs about your adventures?

If you say yes, here's an invitation that is surely hard to resist: Mang Inasal Bloggers Night at Teatrino Promenade, Greenhills on August 1, 2011 (5pm to 9 pm).

We love Mang Inasal for providing us quality Filipino food at affordable prices. But now, you’ll have two new reasons to love Mang Inasal even more!

Mang Inasal will be launching two great campaigns:

I Love OPM: The Mang Inasal Mang Aawit Launch
I love the Asus Transformers Promo


What to expect that night:

a. Jamming/ Videoke Sessions with Artists/ Bloggers
b. Table Rotation (Interviews and Socialization)
c. Games, Trivia, and Raffles
d. Preview to the music of the Mang Inasal Mang Aawit

Now, aside from the great food that will be serve, you'll have a chance to meet and greet and witness the wonderful talents of up-and-coming and established OPM artists that will sure rock the house. 

If you're a blogger and is interested to join the fun, just leave a comment below with your name, URL and email address.  Our friends from Mang Insal will send invites any time soon. So sign up na, now na!

I am a Certified Foodie!

Believe it or not, Pizza is older than the Philippines.  That is if we will based such statement to the historical findings that this food has existed since time immemorial in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. By 997 the term had appeared in Medieval Latin, and in 16th century Naples a Galette flatbread was referred to as a pizza. A dish of the poor people, it was sold in the street and was not considered a kitchen recipe for a long time.

Today, this food treat "intended" for poor people is a favorite of people from all walks in like.  You live in a mansion or a high-end condominium and still crave for a bite of a slice of this mouth-watering dish, whatever the toppings are (My personal favorites are pineapples and/ or mushrooms).  Same goes with the masa who can get a slice or two for less than P50 from  fast food chains or stand alone stalls in their neighborhood.

I am a certified foodie. And on top of my fave hunger buster is pizza.  For one, it was the very first meal that I shared with my wife.  Now, it has always been a tradition that we eat pizza for special occasions for the sentimental reason or just simply because of it's unique and delicious taste and presence in almost all menus.



Join Certified Foodies’ First Anniversary Giveway where you can win gift certificates, food gift packs, cash prizes and even a food trip date with the foodie siblings! To join, click on the banner above. And we’d like to thank these generous sponsors…

Major Sponsors:

Secondary Sponsors:

Hot Fun Stuffs / Food and Fashion Blog / Baguio Girl / Mahlzeit / Ruthilicious / jared’s little corner / Stay at Home Blessings / Shy Girls Own / Travel Monologue / Delight My Appetite / Vector Dad / Pinoy Holistic Healthcare / {cherry} everyday / Jefrox News / The Misis Chronicles

General Sponsors:

The Cookie Jar / Familia Foodie / NomNom Club / Let’s Go Sago / Noob Foodie / Philippine Travel Promos / GEORYL: Welcome to Our World / Techie She / Wentot’s Thoughts / LEVYousa / Living Life to the Fullest! / Food and Happy Things / Impulsive Buyer Goes Organic / YipeeMedia / Filipino Blog / Kizuna / The Life Encounters / My bric-a-brac / The Food Encounters / The Geek Side of blankPixels / A Woman Remembers / Adventuring Foodie / Nash Goes Chenelyn / Deej Speaks / Certified Pinoy Reviewer / Kwento Ni Toto / MAG of My Life / Delectable Ideas / Joy’s Flair / Home Buddies / Mike Mamaril / Fedhz on the Go / Easy on Yz / Yz Little Steps / Samu’t Sari Online Store / Your Filipino Virtual Assistants / Filipino Virtual Assistant / Ken Avenue / Shop Pinay / Day Dreaming Mommy

Unilab Ideas Positive: A competition and advocacy in one

I am really quite amused and amazed of what kids can do this days.

Early this year, someone invented a double-headed broom to collect large debris and fine dust simultaneously. I was floored (no pun intended) when I found out from BBC that a 5-year old boy from UK named Sam Houghton invented it to help his father sweep leaves in their front yard.

Reminds of a remarkable feat accomplished last year by a group of students who called themselves Team Biggkas of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P). These smart and young advocates bagged the grand prize of the Unilab Ideas Positive program for its farm-in-the-city concept. Thre group introduced teaching hydroponics gardening to mothers in Barangay San Joaquin in Pasig City (my home town) so they have their own sustainable source of vegetables within the community. Mothers made their first harvest of lettuce and kangkong in April this year. The local government of Pasig City has expressed a desire to replicate the same program in other barangays.

Inspring, right?

Well, the good news is Unilab Ideas Positive, a social marketing competition for college/university students in Metro Manila and Calabarzon areas is again accepting entries this year.

The program encourages college students who want to make a difference to form a team, and think of a solution to a community's health and wellness problems. Just like in 2010, The winning team will get seed funding from Unilab of PhP100,000 so they can implement their social marketing plan. Two runner-ups will get PhP75,000 each for their own implementation. Of course, the winning groups will also receive cash prizes for themselves and trophy for the school.

Interested students can form a team of five and submit their idea through http://www.unilabideaspositive.com until July 18. Ten semi-finalists will be chosen to undergo a 3-day camp in August where social marketing thought-leaders led by 2009 CNN Hero of the Year Efren Penaflorida and social marketing guru Dr. Eduardo ‘Ned’ Roberto will help teams to firm up their social marketing plans.

Wow! This sounds exciting. If only I am 10 years younger and enrolled in college, I can brainstorm ideas with my buddies and join this worthwhile competition which is actually more of an advocacy of Unilab, a world-class company which has been known to promote the Bayanihan spirit, the Filipino trait of working together to achieve a common goal.

Five finalists teams will be chosen to defend their plans on Sept 18 before a multi-sector panel of judges that will pick the team that wins the seed money from Unilab.

Win a Date win your favorite Azkal

Image taken from soccercentral.ph

Oh how time really flies so fast.

It will be July by next week and the first half of 2011 will be officially over. Another June has passed and a friend failed again in her bid to become a June bride.

Well, here's a good news for her and all the single ladies looking for a man they can call their own. Although this contest that I'll about to reveal would give you a chance to own a hunk on a limited time only but the prize you'll get will definitely make other girls go like salivating bitches (female dogs for the conservatives) --- a date with you're favorite Azkal.

Check the clipping I got from Manila Bulletin today:

So take your pick among Neil Etheridge, Anton del Rosario and Simon Greatwich, and feel like a July bride for a day--- it may not be a for keeps relationship (but who knows?) but the experience would be a moment forever chiseled on your heart (sue me if found out someone died because of that cheesy part).

Bye Bye Bad Photos Say Hello to a Samsung 2View Camera

Just got my PC fixed last weekend and now I’ll have to re-install again some of the software that I frequently use. It was reformatted since the virus that my desktop caught was one hard-headed pest.

But you know what, I was actually having fun browsing to my “born again” PC which was delivered to me with only the recycle bin icon posted on my wallpaper. This gave me an opportunity to visit each of the folders saved in my back-up files and delete some unwanted clutter.

I found out that for more than three years, I’ve been keeping quite a handful of photos that are big in size but are a bit of a nonsense. Just to give you an idea, I have a 3mb photo of myself with only half of my face while eating in a restaurant. I remembered this was taken in Eastwood while waiting for my friends. I took photos of just about anything inside our meeting place which includes a bored fellow in office uniform--- that would be me.

If only I had a camera that has a dual screen feature found at the front side and back side so I can easily preview self-portraits, making sure that I am part of every frame I take. Actually the Samsung ST700, the latest model of Samsung’s 2View Camera Series offers such feature plus two other innovations: (1) built in “Child Mode” where you can download or create your own animation to keep your little ones smiling and entertained when you take their photos and (2) the “Jump Shot” feature which offers a visual count down in its front LCD screen, before taking three quick shots of you and you buddies jumping and smiling. This is fun, fun, fun!

The good news is Samsung Camera has an exciting Facebook promo that aims to put an end to bad photos. Join Samsung Camera’s Bye Bye Bad Photo and say hello to a Samsung ST700!

You can send up to three entries (Wrong Angle, Jump Shot Fail, Baby Gets Bored) in one registration for more chances of winning one (1) out of three (3) Samsung ST700! Well, this is one contest that a bad photo can bring good chances of winning a innovative cool gadget.

Btw, here's my entry. This is an unedited photo which my wife took on the morning of my son's 2nd birthday. We want to document my son's first activities as a just-turned-2- year-old toddler. He just woke up and my wife told me to put him on my lap and say cheese. My wife took time in getting a good angle and when she pressed the button on the camera, she captured this funny photo instead.

Hopefully, no more boring photo session with my son next time because I don't know if he'll be happy to see amusing photos like that when he grows up. If you wish to support my entry, just click HERE. One big thank you for every one who will vote :-)

If you want to join the contest or would like to know more information, just visit Samsung Cameras PH Fanpage.

Win X-Men Goodie Bags from Channel V

It's been a while since my wife and I watched a movie in the big screen.

Well, it has not been the same since our son Charles came. Nope, I am not complaining because I am loving every moment of fatherhood (even during tantrum moments)

Speaking of Charles, last Sunday was a blast for me and Leah since we got to witness arguably the best superhero movie in recent years. Professor Xavier and and the other young mutants was worth the money we spent for the tickets. Actually, we only paid Php 60 each since we redeemed a couple of Php 100 discount coupons courtesy of Smart Rewards plus a FREE large drink.

And since we seems can't get enough of X-Men: First Class, I want to get a simple memento of this group of powerful beings who I grew up with. It's like a reunion of sort watching this great film. Here's a good news for those who share my sentiments, Channel V is giving away X-Men goodie bags to lucky fans who will join there contest. Just click HERE if you want to join. Promo runs until June 19, 2011.

My Kind of Dad essay contest

Image was taken from zulva.com

Can you describe your dad in 300 words or less?

Well, make sure it's creative, heart-warming and touching because Philippine Star and Robinsons is giving away a P10,000 shopping spree to six lucky dads. What's great is that you can choose what your dad will win:

a. Pampering treat from Robinsons Department store
b. Tool kit from Handyman
c. Feast for the family man c/o Robinsons Supermarket
d. Techie dad showcase from Robinsons Appliances
e. Toy collection from Toys R Us
f. Gifts for dads from True Value

So here's what you need to do, write a 300-word essay explaining why your dad is the kind of guy who deserve any of the following prizes.  Send your entries to mykindofdad@philstar.com.ph on or before June 3, 2011 together with the following details:

- Name, age and address of sender
- Contact info of sender
- Name and address of your dad
- Prize preference

Winners must make themselves available on June 10, 2011 for the prize turnover and agree to publish his/ her story in the June 19 issue of Philippine Star.