Chuck Taylors And The Ladies

Slimmer silhouettes make for a more lady-like fashion and Converse understands your need for shoes that keeps you comfy and fashionable for your on-the-go lifestyle!

Beloved throughout the ages, Converse extracted the DNA of the classic Chuck Taylor All Star and transformed it specifically with the ladies in mind! Lighter in weight, slimmer in look, and available in various colors, all complemented together with the signature Converse Chuck Taylor All Star comfort.

Fashion plus comfort and timeless style, the Converse All Star Light has it all. Check out these awesome kicks at the selected Converse stores nationwide and make these a closet staple! Visit Converse Philippines on Facebook to get updates on the latest Converse releases!

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IBM Philippines Wins ANVIL Award For Centennial Celebration of Service

IBM Philippines won a coveted ANVIL Award for its entry -- Making Our Communities Work Better:  IBM’s Centennial Celebration of Service in the 47th Anvil Awards ‘Gabi ng Parangal’ held February 24, 2012, at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel, Mandaluyong City.  

The esteemed ANVIL recognition was given to IBM for its outstanding public relations program directed at employees, retirees and their families.
Commemorating its centennial in 2011, IBM embarked on the Centennial Celebration of Service initiative last year to enhance the company culture of mobilizing its employees to resolve societal issues through transfer of skills and volunteerism.
“The Centennial Celebration of Service was embraced and greatly supported by IBMers in the Philippines, delivering over 38,000 volunteer hours, equivalent to around 13 years of community services to several organizations in support of their causes," said Mariels Almeda Winhoffer, President and Country General Manager, IBM Philippines.  
In 2011, IBM Grants were awarded to Philippine Business for Social Progress for Mangrove Reforestation, CNN Hero: Efren Penaflorida’s Kariton Klasrum, Bantay Kalikasan of ABS CBN Foundation and Ayala Foundation, among others.

Considered the "Oscars" of the Public Relations (PR) industry, the Anvil Awards is an annual event organized by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines to recognize exceptional PR programs and tools implemented in the previous year.   It is the symbol of Excellence in the public relations practice in the Philippines.

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Kids Acts Philippines: Hansel And Gretel The Children's Musical

Hansel and Gretel, children's musical was a story of two young bother and sister threatened vy a cannibalistic witch living deep in the forest in a house constructed of cake and cpnfectionery. The two children save their lives by outwitting her.

The tale has been adapted to various media, most notably the Opera Hansel and Gretel in 1893 by Engelbert Hamoperdick and a stop-motion animated feature films made in 1950s based on the Opera. It is adapted of course from the book of Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, published in1812 and now being used for the launching of Kids Acts Philippines who celebrated its 10th year . As a presenter of Classic stories for children, they produce adaptations with a distinctively Filipino flair. Their Music and lyrics are original compositions and directorial nuances are bred in the finest of Philippine Theater.

KAP Theatre productions teach valuable life lessons to children that hopefully will build into their character now and into their later years, the ability to work together, to discover and expand their horizons and to love the arts as food for their soul.

Hansel and Gretel is proudly presented by Kids Acts Philippines Inc. (KAPI). Direction, Script and Lyrics by Luigi nacario and Music by Eugene Belbis. More infortantly, the musical play will feature the promising child actors who are scholars of the group's musical theater school called "The Camp Art".

Their show will re-run on October 12-14, 19-21, 2012 at the St. Cecilia's Hall St. Scholastica's College Manila.

KAPI has also The Camp Art Summer 2012 Musical Theater Workshops that incorporates and integrate the children's singing, dancinbg and acting abilities through intensive training and appropriate application on performing arts.

Classes will start on April 10 to May 20, 2012. You can ENROLL your children at Kids Acts Philippines, Unit 260, 2F Cityland Pasong Tamo Condominium 6264 Estacion St. Brgy. Pio Del Pilar. Makati City (behind Waltermart Makati infront of PNR Train Station) with Telephone Numbers: 750-1551, Mobile Number: 0915-4478959 / 0919-4338565.

You can also visit them in their websies www.kidsacts.com, email them at kidsactsphilippines@yahoo.com.ph. Like their facebook page at www.facebook.com/thecampartstudio

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Blush In Their New High Energy Track: Dance On

Since hitting the US music scene in the summer of 2011, international pop sensation BLUSH has been creating billboard history with their monumental rise up the charts.  Just recently BLUSH reached a new milestone as their new high-energy track “Dance On” hit #1 on Billboard’s Dance/Club Play charts. The unique, talented group of Asian girls now sits atop entries from Rihanna, David Guetta, Kelly Clarkson and other well-established pop artists. 

With this exciting news, “Dance On” has surpassed BLUSH’s widely popular debut single “Undivided” (feat. Snoop Dogg) which reached the #3 spot on the same chart. At that time BLUSH--Victoria, Natsuko, Angeli, Ji Hae and Alisha--became the first Asian artist to hit the Top 3 on a major U.S. chart with a debut single. They now stand alone as the only Asian artists ever to have their first two singles hit Top 10, let alone both hitting Top 3. “Dance On” shot up the Dance/Club Play chart from Top 20 all the way to #1 in one month. Both songs will be featured on the group’s upcoming debut EP, due out this spring.

BLUSH bridge the gap between pop, dance, and hip-hop as shown on “Dance On,” which features propulsive, thumping beats as the foreground for BLUSH’s powerfully seductive vocals. The infectious song showcases each girl’s strong singing prowess and individuality as well as their cohesive, tight harmonies. “Dance On” was recorded last year at This Music Studio in Hong Kong.  It was produced by Steve Schnur, Darrell Brown and Wolverine and was mixed by Wolverine.

The ladies recently filmed an official club mix video for “Dance On” on location at San Francisco’s famed nightclub The Crib with director Jeremy Manning. The video features BLUSH performing the electric WAWA remix of “Dance On” to a packed crowd. Check out the video here: http://youtu.be/ITDIwWsgjKg. This unique WAWA remix was produced by Wictor Mysliwiec and Michal Bojanowicz for Peace Bisquit (www.peacebisquit.com).

Before making their unforgettable mark on the U.S. music landscape, BLUSH was already blazing their own path. They are “5 Girls, 5 Countries, 5 Voices” representing 40% of the world’s population. This isn't simply the first group of its kind; it's the start of an international pop revolution.

Visit them here for more information;

http://www.blushband.com/

http://www.facebook.com/blushgroup

http://www.twitter.com/blushgroup

http://www.youtube.com/blushvideo



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Love and Laughter With Christian And Karylle

Asiansations Christian Bautista and Karylle will close the Valentine Season with their Love & Laughter concert this February 29, 8p.m., at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World. The concert is produced by Resorts World, in cooperation with Ultimate Entertainment and Stages Talents.

Christian and Karylle, who exhibited undeniable chemistry in the musical West Side Story and international series The Kitchen Musical, is set to bring their magic in the concert stage.

They will dish out memorable love songs of different themes in the show- from falling in love to heartbreak to reconciliation and moving on.

An elaborate The Kitchen Musical medley was also prepared for the show.
“Christian and I are so alike in so many ways,” admits Karylle. “We have always been good friends and I am excited to do this show with him and the other talented artists who will join us.”

Comedienne Nanette Inventor, known for her hilarious skits, will give this show a funny dimension.

“Leap year only happens once every four years,” says Nanette. “So the concept of this concert is also a rarity. With the immense talent of Christian and Karylle, I am sure viewers will fall in love and travel back in time with such beautiful love songs that they will perform.”

Opera Belles and Primo are also guests of the show.
Tickets are available at the Resorts World Manila Box Office and all TicketWorld outlets.


Call the Resorts World Manila Tourist/Visitor Hotline at 836-6333, 908-8833
or TicketWorld at 891-9999 for more information.

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Greatness Starts @Home

One of the greatness moment of achievements that my son was when he got the Top 1 of his class during his Kinder. I remember that during that time, I used to hands on him to everything he's been through. Being a full-time mom, I attended to everything he needs and supporting him to whatever he likes. 

I used to be hid first teacher because when he was 3 years old, I encourage him to read books that I brought from the Book Sale and in spite of gave him some paper and pencil.  I even read poems, books and tell the story of a classic children's story that timed.

As he grows, I am still proud of him because he's been a consistent honor student in their class.  It was really a Greatness starts when you know that your kid is on the right path. None the less, he's continuing his own craft in his love to dance and sing.  At home, there is no other greatness for a mom like me if we haven't seen our kids to be more confident as ever they grow old. 

Today, he played football, attend practices and even busy in school as he now trying to pass his National Achievement Test this coming March 2, 2012 (I know he can make it!).  I am planning to enroll him this summer to an acting class so that his summer will me productive and fruitful for him.  

All my time, love and care for him will be my weapon to fulfilling his dreams and getting to the final steps of his life goals. I work hard for him and willingly give everything to him, he's my inspiration and joy. One hundred and ten percent of love and support is what I can give for him, and it will never end until I die.

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Christian Bautista goes First Class

In celebration of Christian Bautista’s 10^th anniversary in showbiz, Universal Records is releasing his highly-anticipated First Class: Outbound Expanded Edition album. This CD, which has a limited edition coffee table book, includes nine new tracks, five hits from the original Outbound, and new recording of his earlier hits Hands To Heaven and The Way You Look At Me.

“This album is really special because it celebrates my 10 years in showbiz,” says Christian. “This is really an important project because this marks my return to doing originals. I am extremely happy also that I was given this chance to re-record two of my biggest hits. Recording those tracks brought so many memories.”

The album’s carrier single Beautiful To Me, a sweeping ballad, will be launched this February 26 on ASAP 2012.

Christian also expressed excitement over the chance to work with some of the most promising artists of this generation Angeline Quinto for In Love With You, originally recorded by Regine Velasquez and Asian superstar Jacky Cheung, and KC Concepcion for We Could Be In Love, first interpreted by Lea Salonga and Brad Kane.

Famed band Neocolours reunites to collaborate with Christian on the original Sasabihin.

As part of his celebration of 10 years in the business, Christian goes full circle by having a duet with Sam Concepcion for Rescue You, composed by Singapore-based Tat Tong. Christian and Sam were launched into showbiz via The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe almost a decade ago.

Japanese Pop singer Baby M also has a duet with Christian in the album – In My Arms.

The album includes impressive original tracks like Love You This Much, Let Go, and Whole. The theme of A Special Symphony, I’m Already King, is also included with Outbound tracks All That’s Left, Faith, What Can I Do, Unphotographable.

“This is a very important album, so I am really hoping everyone can support me,” admits Christian. “We have worked hard to make this album a fitting tribute to my 10 years in showbiz.”

TRACK LIST:

1. Beautiful To Me
2. In Love With You with Angeline Quinto
3. Love You This Much
4. We Could Be In Love with Kc Concepcion
5. Let Go
6. Rescue You with Sam Concepcion
7. Whole
8. I'm Already King
9. In My Arms with Baby M
10. Sasabihin with Neocolours
11. What Can I Do
12. Faith
13. Unphotographable
14. All That’s Left
15. Love Moves In Mysterious Ways
16. Hands To Heaven featuring Zia Quizon
17. The Way You Look At Me

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ASEAN CHIEF MARKETERS: UNPREPARED FOR COMPLEXITY OF THE DIGITAL ERA -- IBM STUDY

Press Release - Makati City, February 23, 2012:  IBM today announced to local clients the results and implications of a recent study of more than 1,700 chief marketing officers (CMOs) from 64 countries and 19 industries.  Around 70 chief marketers from the ASEAN region participated, of which 10% came from the Philippines.  The study revealed that the majority of the world’s top marketing executives recognize a critical and permanent shift occurring in the way they engage with their customers, but question whether their marketing organizations are prepared to manage the change.

At the same time, the research shows that the measures used to evaluate marketing are changing. While 59 percent of ASEAN CMOs (Global: 63 percent) think return on marketing investment (ROI) will be the primary measure of the marketing function’s effectiveness by 2015, even among the most successful enterprises, they feel insufficiently prepared to provide hard numbers.

And most of these executives – responsible for the integrated marketing of their organization’s products, services and brand reputations – say they lack significant influence in key areas such as product development, pricing and selection of sales channels.

“IBM has embarked on this study to understand how the marketing profession is responding to the dynamic forces changing business today.  Interestingly, the perspectives shared are in line with those across the executive suite.  IBM has conducted similar interviews with CEOs, CFOs, CIOs and CHROs over the past eight years and more importantly, over the last 100 years globally and 75 years in the Philippines, IBM has observed, responded to and transformed businesses in line with or ahead of global business and markets evolution,” said Mariels Almeda Winhoffer, Country General Manager, IBM Philippines.  
“From a company that sells, clocks, weighing scales, PCs, etc – IBM has transformed to become the premier Globally Integrated Company, harnessing the potential of its global presence and putting work where it can be done best based on the right talent, skills, economics and overall business environment.  As a result, IBM is now a higher-performing, more resilient business today than it was several years ago.”

Digital Revolution is Transforming the Marketplace

“Globalization has brought the world to everyone’s backyard. Today, everyone is a broadcaster, publisher and a critic – there is nowhere to hide, and transparency is the new price of entry. What all these translate to is that there are more data from more sources, but less clarity,” said Charles Njendu, Senior Engagement Manager, Global Business Services, IBM ASEAN.
Customers are sharing their experiences widely online, giving them more control and influence over brands.  This shift in the balance of power from organizations to their customers requires new marketing approaches, tools and skills in order to stay competitive. CMOs are aware of this changing landscape, but are struggling to respond.  

“The inflection point created by social media represents a permanent change in the nature of customer relationships.  Approximately 90 percent of all the real-time information being created today is unstructured data. CMOs who successfully harness this new source of insight will be in a strong position to increase revenues, reinvent their customer relationships and build new brand value,” added Njendu.

Unprepared for Complexity

The IBM study found that while 76 percent of ASEAN CMOs (Global: 79 percent) expect a high to very high level of complexity that their organizations will have to master over the next three to five years, compared to today, only 40 percent (Global: 48 percent) feels prepared for the expected complexity. This represents a complexity gap of 36 percent (Global: 31 percent).
Collectively, the study findings point to four key challenges that CMOs everywhere are confronting that will be pervasive, universal game changers for their marketing organizations over the next three to five years.

1. Explosion of data (ASEAN: 56 percent, Global: 71 percent)

2. Social media (ASEAN: 64 percent, Global: 68 percent)

3. Channel and device choices (ASEAN: 48 percent, Global: 65 percent)
4. Shifting demographics (ASEAN: 52 percent, Global: 63 percent)

To grapple with the first of the four challenges – data explosion – ASEAN CMOs are more likely to deploy tools and technologies over the next three to five years, including their use of social media (ASEAN: 93 percent, Global: 82 percent), customer analytics (ASEAN: 89 percent, Global: 81 percent), and customer relationship management (ASEAN: 85 percent, Global: 81 percent) tools.

Despite this urgency to change, CMOs cite cost (ASEAN: 63 percent, Global: 72 percent), a lack of ROI certainty (ASEAN: 61 percent, Global: 61 percent), and tool implementation issues (ASEAN: 36 percent, Global: 47 percent) as roadblocks that are preventing them from already adopting new tools and technologies available.

In order to deal with the broad level under preparedness, CMOs signal three key domains of improvements – deliver value to empowered customers, foster lasting connections, and capture value and measure results.

Delivering Value to Empowered Customers

One reason why most organizations struggle to get the customer insights they need is that they still focus on understanding markets rather than individuals. Although CMOs identify customer intimacy as a top priority, and recognize the impact of real-time data supplementing traditional methods of channel marketing and gathering market feedback, most say they remain mired in 20th century approaches.  

The majority of the CMOs surveyed are still focusing primarily on traditional sources of information such as market research (ASEAN: 84 percent, Global: 82 percent), competitive benchmarking (ASEAN: 83 percent, Global: 80 percent), and sales campaign analysis (ASEAN: 61 percent, Global: 68 percent) to make strategic decisions.

Traditional sources of information are important, of course.
 However, most of them have one big drawback – they can only show customers in aggregate, offering little insight into what individual customers need or desire.

Relatively few CMOs are exploiting the full power of the digital grapevine. Although nearly three-quarters of CMOs (ASEAN: 70 percent, Global: 74 percent) use customer analytics to mine data, only 29 percent of ASEAN CMOs (Global: 26 percent) are currently tracking blogs, 41 percent (Global: 42 percent) are tracking third-party reviews and 46 percent (Global: 48 percent) are tracking consumer reviews to help shape their marketing strategies. This is largely because the tools, processes and metrics they use are not designed to capture and evaluate the unstructured data produced by social platforms.
Njendu likened marketers who underestimate the impact of social media to those who were slow to view the Internet as a new and powerful platform for commerce. Like the rise of e-business more than a decade ago, the radical embrace of social media by all customer demographic categories represents an opportunity for marketers to drive increased revenue, brand value and to reinvent the nature of the relationship between enterprises and the buyers of their offerings. Marketers who establish a culture receptive to deriving insight from social media will be far better prepared to anticipate future shifts in markets and technology.

Fostering Lasting Connections

Proactive CMOs forge customer relationships that continue after the sale; and they fortify this bond by creating a corporate character that manifests itself in everything their employees do and say.

More so than their global peers (Global: 67 percent), 83 percent of ASEAN CMOs see enhancing customer loyalty and advocacy as the top priority for investing in digital technologies.

Despite this stated priority, most CMOs are, in fact, still focusing on the transaction, and less on the data required to build lasting relationships with the customer. 70 percent of ASEAN CMOs (Global: 61 percent) are using data primarily to segment and sell; not to generate awareness, stimulate interest, and build loyalty and advocacy.

Capturing Value, Measuring Results

Most CMOs have not traditionally been expected to provide hard financial evidence of their ROI. But given the current economic volatility and pressure to be profitable, organizations can no longer afford to write a blank check for their marketing initiatives. CMOs recognize they now need to quantify the value they bring to the business, be it from investing in advertising, new technologies or any other activity.

In fact, 59 percent of ASEAN CMOs (Global: 63 percent) believe ROI on marketing spend will be the most important measure of their success by 2015. While not all of them (ASEAN: 54 percent) feel fully prepared to be held accountable for marketing ROI, ASEAN CMOs (54 percent) appear to fare better than their global peers (44 percent). Other important measures to gauge marketing success are the positivity of customer experience (ASEAN: 56 percent, Global: 58 percent), the ability to convert and attract new customers (ASEAN: 54 percent, Global: 48 percent), and overall sales (ASEAN: 51 percent, Global: 45 percent).

If CMOs are to be held responsible for the marketing returns they deliver, they must also have significant influence over all “Four Ps”: promotion, products, place and price. The study found that this is often not the case.

CMOs say they exert a strong influence over promotional activities such as advertising (ASEAN: 85 percent, Global: 84 percent), external communications (ASEAN: 87 percent, Global: 82 percent) and social media initiatives (ASEAN: 70 percent, Global: 73 percent). But, in general, they play a smaller role in shaping the other three Ps – having less impact on new product development, and even lesser sway over key parts of the pricing process or channel selection.    

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A Fire in the Soul: A Cantata In The Stage Of DLSU

The history of  Lasallian mission in Southeast Asia will reveal the story in their crucial event in the stage play, A Fire in the Soul: A Cantata. It was February 12, 1945, when American forces bombarded the City of Manila, and the campus of De La Salle College in Taft Ave. was invade by the group of Japanese soldiers  and attacked the people who were living there. Twenty-four men, women, and children, and 16 La Salle brothers died in the massacre.

The war turns human beings into monsters.  This story is to honor their memory, their service to humanity, and to remember them eternally. It also forges heroes out of its flames. It was created by Gabby Fernandez and directed by Peque Gallaga, one of the highlights of the yearlong centennial celebration of De La Salle University (DLSU) in the Philippines is the Cantata. Vicente Garcia Groyon wrote the libretto and Von de Guzman composed the music.

It has two performances only: February 26 (Sunday - Matinee) at 3pm and February 27 (Monday - Gala Night) at 8pm. Both shows will be held at Teresa Yuchengco Auditorium at the 7th Floor of Don Enrique T. Yuchengco Hall of DLSU.

The cast includes the following;

Michael de Mesa (Br. Egbert)

Franco Laurel (Br. Antonius)

Al Gatmaitan (Br. Mutwald)

Jonel Mojica (Br. Friedbert)

Miguel Castro (Br. Arkadius)

Floyd Tena (Br. Athanasius)

Naomi Sison (Alma Mater)

Onyl Torres (Japanese Captain)

Nazer Salcedo (Japanese Soldier 1)\

Gary Fabricante (Japanese Soldier 2)

John Gilbert Arceo (Japanese Soldier 3).

Narrators are Jaime Fabregas, Ricky Gallaga, Conchita Castillo, Dado Jose, Tanya Lopez, and Louie Zabaljauregi.

The La Salle singing groups, namely: De La Salle Inner Soul, De La Salle-Zobel Chorale, La Salle Centennial Orchestra, La Salle Centennial Chorus is also featured in this production.  Some kids of La Salle-Greenhills are also part of the show.

Joining the Production and the Artistic Team are Mio Infante (Production Design), Dong Calingacion (Technical and Lighting Director), GA Fallarme (Projection Design), Br. Bernard S. Oca, FSC (Executive Producer), and Lore Reyes (Line Producer).

For the matinee performance on February 26, 2012 (3pm), regular tickets are at P200, while student rates are at P100. For the gala show on February 27, 2012 (8pm), orchestra seats are priced at P500 (regular)/ P250 (students) and balcony seats at P250 (regular)/ P200 (students).

For more information, please call the DLSU Centennial Office at (632) 524-4611 local 290 or email perla.garcia@dlsu.edu.ph. You may follow De La Salle University on;

Website: http://www.dlsu.edu.ph

Facebook: http://facebook.com/DLSU.Manila.100

Twitter: http://twitter.com/dlsumanila

Tumblr: http://dlsumanila.tumblr.com

YouTube: http://youtube.com/DLSU100

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AXN Asia New Series: The Firm

Mark our words, February is going to be epic on AXN as modern legal thriller The Firm will be simulcast across Sony Pictures Television’s global network of channels including AXN in Asia!  

The First AXN Original Series - The Firm

AXN viewers in Asia will be able to enjoy the two-hour premiere of The Firm on February 19 (Sunday) at 9.50PM, on the same day it airs across 126 million households on SPT channels globally in Asia, Latin America, Central Europe, Iberia, Italy, Africa, Russia and the Baltics.

An AXN original series based on John Grisham’s bestselling novel, the TV reincarnation picks up ten years after the movie of the same name starring Tom Cruise. Hot shot lawyer, Mitch McDeere, brought down a Memphis law firm fronting the Chicago mob. Mitch and his family attempt to reclaim their lives by moving to Washington DC to start their own firm after leaving the Federal Witness Protection Program. However, the past has a way of catching up with them.

The stellar cast includes Josh Lucas (The Lincoln Lawyer) and Juliette Lewis (Natural Born Killers). Lucas is cast as Mitch McDeere, the role originally made famous by Cruise, with Lewis playing McDeere’s receptionist, Tammy Hemphill (previously played by Holly Hunter in the film). Canadian cast members include Molly Parker (Deadwood) as McDeere’s wife, Abby, and Callum Keith Rennie (Battlestar Galactica) as his brother, Ray, and Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) as Alex Clark, the firm’s managing partner.

Showrunner Lukas Reiter, a former prosecutor who has worked on The Practice and Boston Legal, was the one who first sought out John Grisham in the hopes of scripting a sequel and eventually got him on board as executive producer. On what to expect from the new Mitch, Reiter teased, “What made Mitch Mcdeere so special is his ability to find the hidden solution long after the average person believes there is no way out…There’s a great amount of fun to be had watching Josh Lucas find those solutions.”

Shot on location in Canada, The Firm will keep viewers on the edge of their seats and fans of Grisham can anticipate the same kinds of drama and thriller feel that made the book and the 1993 film adaptation so original!

Catch the repeat timings of The Firm's Pilot Episode on Feb 23 at 10:55pm & Feb 26 at 10:20am. New episode every Sunday at 9:55pm, First and Exclusively on AXN.

Photo Courtesy Of: Sony Pictures Television/Frank Ockenfels

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Happy 5th Birthday, Nuffnang!

Oh My God! Nuffnang is turning five this year and I am excited to be part of the celebration, It's actually my first time. I wish they have mascots, magicians and lots of games like in the usual birthday party, hahaha (just kidding).

But no, because it's Nuffnang's 5th year Birthday on February 27. I will do my longest greetings to Nuffnang like "Happpppyyyyyyy Birthdayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy NUFFNANGggggggggggggggggggggggg..."

And my wish for you is to have more birthdays to come, more success and more promos and opportunity for us! God bless!

The Nuffnang Birthday celebration is sponsored by Churp Churp, Fitness Punch Out, Borough for the venue and Jack TV as Media partners.

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WD® DELIVERS NEW LINE OF NETWORK STORAGE SERVERS FOR SMALL TO MEDIUM BUSINESSES

MANILA, Philippines –Feb. 15, 2012 – Western Digital® (NYSE: WDC), the world’s leader in digital storage solutions, is introducing WD Sentinel™ DX4000 (photo), a complete network storage solution designed specifically to meet the demands of today's small-to-medium sized businesses (SMBs). WD Sentinel DX4000 includes the Windows® Storage Server 2008 R2 Essentials operating system software and the Intel® D525 Dual Core Atom CPU. The WD Sentinel DX4000 is centralized shared storage and automatic server-based backup and restore for up to 25 devices (PC and Mac®) in the network. It offers complete data protection with built-in hardware and software redundancy for all of the connected devices in the network. With capacities including 4 TB and 8 TB, WD Sentinel DX4000 lets small business owners expand small office server storage capacity as their business and storage demands grow. In addition, the WD Sentinel DX4000 small office storage server acts as the “on-premise cloud storage" for the SMB.

“The WD Sentinel small office storage server is the ideal storage, backup, and secure remote access solution for any SMB,” said Thomas Gallivan, vice president of marketing for WD’s SMB Solutions Group. “The ability to have centralized storage that is both on-premise and offers secure remote access provides a small business owner and employees the flexibility needed for today’s mobile lifestyle. WD is providing small business owners with a hands-free solution that offers complete data protection and unparalleled peace-of-mind.”

“The requirement for collaboration across multiple devices and locations necessitates the need for a centralized storage solution in today’s SMB environment”, said David Tuhy, General Manager, Intel Data Center and Connected Systems Group. “Intel is working closely with the industry and companies like Western Digital to provide the technology that is at the core of these storage solutions and provide SMBs a platform to manage, organize and secure their data to ensure business continuity.”

“Built on Windows Storage Server, WD Sentinel gives small business customers the storage and file services capabilities of Windows Server, as well as a solution aimed specifically at the SMB segment,” said Thomas Pfenning, general manager, Storage, at Microsoft. “We are pleased to see WD Sentinel serve our mutual customers.”

Whether they’re personal or professional, digital content and important files are invaluable and often irreplaceable if lost or compromised. WD Sentinel small office storage server provides several ways for businesses to protect their information without user intervention. WD Sentinel comes preconfigured with enterprise-class drives, RAID storage protection, built-in server based backup and recovery software, redundant networking ports and a redundant power option. In addition, WD Sentinel offers users the ability to connect to a “public cloud” storage provider, which offers small businesses an economical and integrated disaster recovery solution against earthquake, theft and fire or water damage.

Software included with WD Sentinel provides business owners and their employees the freedom and flexibility to remotely access files and share files with external employees, independent consultants and satellite offices anywhere in the world.

Five Levels of Data Protection

WD Sentinel DX4000 provides five levels of data protection for every device on the small office network and is supported by WD Guardian Services.

1. The Drives Inside: Pre-configured with WD’s award-winning enterprise-class drives for durability and reliability.

2. RAID: Featuring levels 1 and 5 for data protection and speed.

3. Daily Backup: Automatic backup and recovery software provides daily full system back ups for up to 25 devices on your network. Simply set it and forget it.

4. Redundant Network Connectivity: Dual Gigabit Ethernet configured in Adaptive Fault Tolerance (AFT) automatically switches to second network port in the event of a network failure.

5. Optional Disaster Recovery Protection:Connect to the small business cloud provided by optional disaster recovery software and store your data offsite for disaster recovery.

WD Sentinel is certified to be compatible with a variety of Operating Systems (OS) including Windows XP, Windows Vista®, and Windows 7. In addition, WD Sentinel is compatible with Mac OS X® Leopard® and Snow Leopard® for file sharing among Windows, Mac and Unix/Linux operating systems and allows businesses to share files with clients, consultants, and inter-office personnel regardless of the OS used.

WD Guardian™ Services for Small Business

WD Sentinel DX4000 is backed by WD’s world-class customer service and support. All WD Sentinel small business customers will receive free tech support for 30 days from the time of the first call. WD Sentinel customers may wish to upgrade their service plan to one of three options:

1. WD Guardian Express: Offers next-day parts replacement service including shipping and handling costs.

2. WD Guardian Pro: Offers a one year support agreement with WD service, express parts replacement and priority access to technical support.
3. Guardian Extended Care: Service that extends the product warranty from the standard three year warranty to five years.

Price and Availability

WD Sentinel DX4000 small office storage server isavailable at select retailers and is distributed by Iontech Technologies Inc. and EA Global Supply Chain Solutions, Inc. in the Philippines.MSRP is PhP 46,265.00for 4 TB and Php 70,482.00 for the 8 TB.

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WORLDBEX GEARS UP FOR 2012

As Worldbex capped off 2011 with the highly successful World Bazaar Festival,  over 700 booths and hitting a record high of more than 200,000 attendees - the event turned out to be an overwhelming success for the country’s top expo group. Supported by ABS CBN, Worldbex Services International (WSI) is the leading exhibition and event organizer in the Philippines.

This year, the group is back with their biggest event, the World Building and Construction Exposition 2012 (WORLDBEX). This trade show is hailed annually as Asia’s largest and most awaited construction event. It is scheduled to open its doors for exhibitors, professionals, traders, importers, exporters, associations, buyers and enthusiasts from March 14 to 18, 2012 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila, the WTCMM East Wing, and the Philippine Trade Training Center (PTTC).

This year’s theme, “Building the Future,” aims to highlight the importance of the construction industry’s role in terms of the country’s economic growth. In line with this, a vital part of this year’s trade show is the WORLDBEX seminar series. The seminars will take place from March 15 to 17, 2012 at the PTTC. Twelve prestigious local and foreign speakers will tackle a wide range of topics concerning entrepreneurial architecture, leadership and management, urban planning, furniture design, and advocacies in the fields of architecture and construction.

Various exhibits will be on display during WORLDBEX 2012. Among these include the Furniture Gallery, which will showcase the intricate works of movable art in the form of classical and modern furniture designs; The Architects’ and Interior Designers’ Gallery which will house works and concepts by the country’s top-notch architects and high-calibre interior designers whose works have been recognized not only in the Asia Pacific region, but around the world as well.

Meanwhile the Grand Embassy Pavilion will be top billed by various foreign embassies and will discuss the different products, services, technologies, and leads to encourage mutual support from the international community.

All these will solidify WORLDBEX 2012 as the show where one can get maximum leads and sale opportunities for any product and service in the industry.

With hundreds of thousands of visitors annually, WORLDBEX offers a diverse portfolio for sale optimization and business to business opportunities. The organizers take pride in being the only construction exposition in the country with a business matching service that aims to connect businesses to both buyers and sellers participating in the event.

WORLDBEX 2012, in partnership with Wilcon Depot and the Council of Interior Design Educators, also aims to support the up and coming talents through Obra Maestra: Disenio Ecologico, a competition where the most promising interior design students in the country showcase their works in the PTTC. The designs of these students will battle it out while working around the theme “Sanctuary: A Place of Refuge,” which features the idea that every part of the home can be transformed into a refuge and can serve as spaces that heal the mind, heart, and body in order to uplift the spirit.

With the world facing numerous environmental concerns, this year’s WORLDBEX definitely takes the expo to a higher notch as the show incorporates economic and environmental sustainability as core concepts for the industry’s future, showing the company’s commitment to the constant growth and development of the construction business in the long run.

For more information, call (+632) 5316350, 5343615. You may also email: info.worldbex@gmail.com or visit: www.worldbex.com. 

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IBM Ensures Uninterrupted Business Operations for Liberty Commercial Center (LCC)

IBM announced recently that it has deployed the needed business continuity and resilience services for Liberty Commercial Center, Inc. (LCC) to manage its information technology (IT) infrastructure more efficiently, lower the overall cost of IT operations, minimize business disruption and implement a superior disaster recovery strategy.  LCC is a leading commercial establishment in the Bicol Region engaged in retail business.

Bicol Region is one of the key growth regions outside of the capital city of Manila. Geographic expansion into these smaller cities is one of IBM’s core growth strategies in the Philippines and in ASEAN. IBM is committed to assisting local businesses that are experiencing significant growth such as LCC in these smaller provinces to develop skills and advance new and more efficient processes with the use of information technology.

Last year, LCC started a major expansion initiative to better serve their loyal customers.  With their short and long term growth plans, of 5 years and 10 years respectively, the Bicol-based retail giant which operates and manages several supermarkets, department stores, food outlets, malls and property developments needed to establish a robust and highly resilient infrastructure to ensure continued business operations.  With operations in multiple geographic locations, intermittent supply of power and telecom, typhoon, earthquake and the proximity to Mayon Volcano are major concerns for the company’s long term plans.

Leveraging on IBM Business Continuity and Resiliency Services (BCRS) solutions, all of LCC’s critical data would still be available and accessible if disaster strikes. The IBM solution allows the company to focus on their core business instead of worrying about its IT infrastructure.  
"Working with IBM will help us better manage our IT spending, comply with regulatory standards and focus on our key priorities," says Christian Tan, Chief Information Officer,  LCC. "We will operate with an enhanced security and protection from IBM’s reliable hardware and services solutions."
IBM brings more than 50 years of business continuity and disaster recover experience of managing successful customer recoveries and crisis management. IBM manages thousands of clients around the globe and has deep understanding of industry challenges and dynamics.  

The project will enable LCC to focus on their core business that will result in increased value for their customers and ultimately achieve their business objectives.  It also indicates that local businesses based outside capital cities are slowly realizing the great value in information technology (IT) adoption as a way to increase competitiveness and as a key enabler for growth.

The retail industry is experiencing significant growth in the Philippines, mainly due to rapid urbanization happening especially in growth areas like Bicol Region.  It is also an important contributor to the Philippine economy as it accounts for roughly 15% of the country’s total Gross National Product (GNP) and 33% of the entire services sector. It employs some 5.25 million people, representing a significant 18% of the country’s work force, which means roughly 2 out of every ten (10) workers is employed in the retail industry.

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Thinnest Fully Featured 14-inch Laptops: Dell Unveils the XPS 14z

Dell today unveiled its XPS 14z laptop, one of the thinnest fully featured 14-inch laptops featuring an internal optical drive and discrete graphics option. The latest in a series of thin-and-powerful solutions from Dell that include thin laptops, desktops and accessories, the XPS 14z delivers performance that impresses and design that inspires. Professionals now can power through their day at work and kick back at night to take advantage of the system’s HD screen to watch movies or video.

A performance laptop that includes all the powerful features professionals want – and helps them look good in the process – the XPS 14z is available with second-generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors, an HD WLED display for great entertainment experiences, a slot-load optical drive and NVIDIA graphics option. The XPS 14z is a sleek laptop with a compact design that measures in at less than an inch thin. The unique design also maximizes screen size, delivering a 14-inch screen in a 13-inch form factor. 

The XPS 14z is the latest member of Dell’s portfolio of thin-and-powerful solutions, and the second such solution in the XPS family, joining the successful XPS 15z laptop. Dell’s thin-and-powerful solutions now include the Inspiron 13z laptop, Inspiron 14z laptop, and the Inspiron One all-in-one computer that are ideal solutions for parents and students, as well as the Vostro V131 laptop for small businesses. All solutions are designed to deliver impressive performance in beautiful packages.

Get More: A 14-inch Display in a 13-inch Body

Well-designed and well-built, the XPS 14z is the classic example of style and substance. Customers will get more with this laptop: more screen size, and surprising portability for such a fully-loaded laptop.

The 14-inch HD display easily fits into a 13-inch laptop form factor –while offering 10 percent more viewing area than a 13.3” display. And starting at just 4.36 pounds, less than an inch thin, and up to six hours, 42 minutes of battery life, it also has the easy portability of a 13-inch laptop. The XPS 14z’s uncompromising performance helps busy professionals achieve their personal and professional pursuits – and look good while doing it. The XPS 14z is visually striking, with a slim, yet powerful form synonymous with innovation. Its anodized-aluminum finish is stylish and sophisticated, and the latch-less design is simple, yet elegant.

“The XPS 14z delivers what professionals want – raw power paired with a stunning, sophisticated design that signals ‘I’ve arrived’,” said Chris Papa, Country Manager, Consumer and Small Business, Dell Philippines. “The XPS 14z is specifically engineered to help our customers do more in their personal and professional lives – and it advances our industry-leading vision for thin-and-powerful solutions that deliver performance without compromise.”

“When Dell looks at innovation and product development, we start with the customer. For us, it’s about delivering the right feature-set and design to provide the best user experience for our customers,” said Sam Burd, vice president of Dell’s Consumer and Small/Medium Business product group. “With the XPS 14z, our challenge was to build a laptop that provided customers the performance and portability that they need, with the design and finish they desire.”

Dell XPS laptops also come with the Dell Stage user interface, which offers one-click access to favorite content including music, photos and video. SyncUP powered by Nero can keep content and personal information synched with other Stage-enabled Dell PCs and mobile devices within a home Wi-Fi network.

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Universal Records sweeps the MYX Music Awards

Universal Records dominated the 2012 MYX Music Awards with 23 nominations from 18 categories.

Parokya ni Edgar, enjoys seven nods for Favorite Music Video, Song (Pangarap Lang Kita), Artist, Group, Collaboration (One Hit Combo with Gloc9), and MYX Live Performance, plus Guest Appearance for JM De Guzman for Pangarap Lang Kita.

Christian Bautista, on the other hand, earned five nominations (Favorite Artist, Male Artist, Remake for Love Moves In Mysterious Ways, Media Soundtrack for I Am Already King, and Guest Appearance for Alodia Gosiengfiao for All That’s Left), while Sam Concepcion got 3 (Favorite Male Artist, Remake for Forever Young, and Celebrity VJ).

Sponge Cola (Favorite Group, Mellow Video) and Kamikazee (Favorite Collaboration and Rock Video) have two nominations each.

JayR is nominated for Favorite Urban Video for Connection with Chelo and Q-York.

Universal Records lords it over the Favorite K-Pop Video Category with 2NE1’s Lonely, Super Junior’s Mr. Simple, Big Bang’s Tonight.

There are 3 ways to vote: via MYXph, Facebook and Twitter.

HERE'S HOW:

On MYXph.com
Just click here http://www.myxph.com/mma2012/, select your favorites per category and click VOTE!

On FACEBOOK
Click on the MYX Music Awards app on the upper left side of the MYX Philippines official fan page https://www.facebook.com/MYX.Philippines. Select your favorites per category and click VOTE!

On TWITTER
Tweet your votes Follow the format "#mma2012 I am voting for <nominee> for <category> ."to cast your vote over Twitter.

Example:
#mma2012 I am voting for PANGARAP LANG KITA – PAROKYA NI EDGAR FT. HAPPEE SY for FAVORITE MUSIC VIDEO .

FOR MORE DETAILS: http://www.myxph.com/features/2534/voting-for-myx-music-awards-2012-starts-now/

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