The Urban Food Collective Weekend Market goes South

I live a little bit outside Metro Manila, in a city that is semi-province so weekend market is seldom that we experience. What we have here is the usual wet and dry market and the famous ukay-ukays.

Therefore and en event something like this is kinda exciting for me even though I will still have to travel a few minutes of bus ride.

Everyone's invited to not just your ordinary weekend market happening beginning tomorrow October 18, 2014 till December at CommerCenter Alabang. It will be not a not so tedious shopping experience because the venue is airconditioned therefore cozy and you just have to shop till you drop with all the many selections that are available.

There will also be a Market Munch Eating Challenge wherein you and two of your friends can have the chance to win P5,000.00 in cash and Abenson Gift Certificates.

Registration starts at 10am. You may also email castillo.stan@yahoo.com to get a guaranteed slot on the challenge.

You may visit and like TUFC on Facebook and follow them on Twitter on more exciting updates on activities to happen.

October is Italianni’s WINEsday

There’s nothing more relaxing than knowing that at the end of the day, you can kick back and relax with great food with Italianni’s. Just when you think it can’t get any better than this, Italianni’s is extending their September WINESday promo until October but with a twist: your half off on wine is now available all day, everyday including weekends! You can choose over the featured wines including Frontera Sauvignon and Frontera Chardonnay, with the half off price of Php115 from the original price of PHP230 per glass and Php550 from the original Php1,100 per bottle. With prices like these, you can even pair it pasta dishes like Spaghetti and Meatballs or Chicken Italianni’s and steaks like T-Bone end your day in Italian perfection!

Take advantage of this promo now for all Italianni’s Manila stores. Not available for Cebu, CDO, and Davao branches.

You may visit and like Italliani's on Facebook for more promos and events updates.

Gymboree Sta.Rosa’s Pumpkin Patch Party at Greenfield City!

Inviting all mommies from South part of the Metro just like me. This is something interesting activities for you and your kids.

Greenfield City hosts Children’s Pumpkin Patch Craft, Parachute Event and Costume Parade. Featuring prizes for voted best costume!

Prior to its grand launching in November 2014, Gymboree Sta. Rosa will give children 1-5 years old a taste of how fun Gymboree Play & Music is!



On October 26 (Sunday), Gymboree Play & Music will offer a hands-on Pumpkin Patch Halloween project and costume parade for kids and parents at Laguna Central and at Paseo de Sta. Rosa. Guided by Gymboree Play & Music instructors, children will create crafts to take home, as well as sing songs and participate in a fun “Parachute Time activity.” 

Session times are at 3:30 p.m. (Laguna Central Atrium) and at 5 p.m. (Paseo de Sta. Rosa 4). These activities are FREE OF CHARGE, but slots are limited. Space is first come first served, and each child must be accompanied by an adult. 

Prizes will be given for kids with the best costumes! For further information about the event, please visit us online at www.gymboree-ph.com or call (049)576-0595. 

 See you there!!

STARE: The Howie Severino Photo Exhibit at SM City Calamba

I dropped-by at SM City Calamba this afternoon to have a personal glimpse of the Howie Severino Photo Exhibit.

 

  Mr. Howie Severino is a multi-awarded writer and documentarist of I-Witness, a documentary program of GMA Network (a TV network in the Philippines). His journalism career began in 1988 as a newspaper reporter wherein he himself took his own photographs. Later he became a TV journalist and shot his own video.

He is the former editor-in-chief of GMA News Online and presently he is the Vice President for Professional Development of GMA Network.

The photos below really caught my eyes, these are photos taken during the aftermath of the thypoon Yolanda. In one of the photos, it shows the names of three family generations and they were laid down in a single grave. Another was that of a child's grave along with her favorite toys.

STARE is his very first photo exhibit and currently on-going at SM City Calamba until October 19. Last week the exhibit was held at SM Sta Rosa. Next venue will be at SM San Pablo from Ocotober 20 to 26. Lastly at SM Center Muntinlupa from Ocotber 27 to November 2.

Jollibee’s Maaga ang Pasko South Luzon Launch

Jollibee, the Philippine’s leading fast-food chain is celebrating a much jollier and happier early Christmas celebration with the launch of its “Maaga ang Pasko”, annual toy and book drive, now on its 20th year.

The original Jolly Toy Scout Mr. Aga Muhlach, a local celebrity, treated the excited crowds at Jollibee Canlubang with a re-arranged version of the Maaga ang Pasko theme song. The song was made more upbeat and livelier, as he was joined by the Lumen Anima Chorale.

After the joyous caroling, Aga initiated the dropping of the toy and book donations in the Maaga ang Pasko collection box. There were also other Jolly Toy Scout members who went around the area to collect toys and books from customers and guests.

The Maaga ang Pasko donation drive was formally launched at Jollibee Greenmeadows in Quezon City. As an advance thank-you gesture to donors, Jollibee had The Voice Kids winners and new Jollibee Club endorses, Lyca Gairanod, Darlene Vibares and Juan Karlos Labajo, as they wow the crod with their singing prowess. The campaign also kicked-off in North Luzon with teen idol and Cheesy Bacon Mushroom Yum endorser Nadine Lustre.

‘2014 marks the 20th year of our Maaga ang Pasko campaign,” said Jollibee Vice President for Marketing Harvey Ong. “Sa patuloy na suporta n gating mga Jolly Toy Scouts sa lahat ng sulok ng Pilipinas at maging sa ibang bansa, sigurado kaming magiging tunay na pinakamaaga, pinakamahaba at pinakamali ang Pasko ng mas maraming batang Pilipino ngayong taon.”

As shared by Mr. Aga Muhlach, this campaign greatly touched his personal life because what was just a simple dream of sharing the blessings that he is getting,20 years ago, it became one of the longest and biggest advocacy campaign in the Philippines right now. And jokingly, he said maybe even I closed my eyes as I age, it will always remain, my name will remain no matter what because the name “AGA” in “Maaga ang Pasko” will always be there. Hopefully this is a legacy that he can even passed on to his kids, whom he is personally teaching the values of sharing and being humble in everything and about having a simple life. He said, until now my kids don’t have their own iPad, “they can borrow from us, but they don’t own it yet’. 

Personally, I am taking it as a good gesture, considering that they can afford to buy one and yet, they consider it not a necessity.

Marking the campaign’s 20th year, there will be 20 caravans across the country this December who will be distributing the collected toys and books from customers and Jollibee employees. To date, accordingly there are already 1.5 million units of books and toys collected and they are assuming, more and more are coming in.

Make this year’s Christmas season the jolliest ever for children across the nation by donating new or pre-loved toys and books to Maaga ang Pasko boxes which are located in all Jollibee stores nationwide. To make an online donation, visit www.jollibee.com.ph and click on the Maaga ang Pasko microsite.

My little boy Ivan bid good-bye to one of his pre-loved book and donated it, as I explained to him the book is now of less use to him therefore it will be of greater use if he will donate it and let another kid be able to enjoy it.

Superbook Season 2 Premiere

THE STORY OF JONAH FOR SUPERBOOK SEASON 2 PREMIERE

Good news to all Superbook lovers and fans! Finally, the long wait is over!

Superbook Season 2 will air on Philippine TV for the first time in ABS-CBN beginning October 11 at 9:30 a.m.

Packed with 13 all-new and exciting episodes, Superbook Season 2 is definitely the perfect bonding and learning time for the families.

Superbook lovers will surely enjoy watching their favorite Superbook characters Chris, Joy and Gizmo as Superbook surprises them to experience new adventures, meet new friends and new heroes, explore new places and discover new lessons based on the greatest story book ever written -The Bible.

For our first Superbook Season 2 episode, we will meet Jonah, a man who was tasked by God to do a very special mission. Will he do it? Find out this Satuday, October 11, 9:30 on ABS-CBN. Invite the whole family and your friends. Don't miss this amazing trip back in time!