Swedish King visits Laguna Jamborette, says scouting can change the world

 Entertainment
Jan 292014
 
Swedish King visits Laguna Jamborette, says scouting can change the world

President Benigno S. Aquino III welcomes His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden, during the courtesy call at the Music Room of the Malacañan Palace on Friday (January 24). This is the first visit of a Swedish monarch and Head of State of Sweden to the Philippines. Sweden’s reigning monarch will visit the projects of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines in Tacloban in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), and other related projects of the Swedish Government implemented through the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. (Photo by Gil Nartea / Malacañang Photo Bureau) LOS BANOS, Laguna (Mabuhay) – Visiting Swedish monarch King Carl XVI Gustaf joined thousands of boy and girl scouts here participating in the 3rd One Regional Scout Jamborette saying scouting offers a lot of possibilities to change the world. The Southern Luzon scouting event started January 22 and will continue until January 26. During Saturday’s event, the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) National Court of Honor conferred on King Carl XVI Gustaf the Mt. Makiling Award. The awarding ceremony was spearheaded by Vice President Jejomar Binay, the president of the BSP. The king said he is deeply honored by the award conferred on him noting that what all scouts should do is to work together to change the world and make it better, he said. “I think what you are doing here in your country is fantastic. But what we can do together not only here but also around the Read More …

Bamboo looks back on his 20 years in the industry

 General
Jan 282014
 
Bamboo looks back on his 20 years in the industry

Bamboo Mañalac lines up surprise projects to celebrate his  20 years in the industry. – Eunice Blanco  MANILA, Philippines- It is Bamboo Mañalac’s 20th year in the industry and he would like this year to be something special. “I’m gonna be there until you get sick of me,” he replied with a laugh when asked about his plans this year in an interview Tuesday afternoon, January 28. “So I’d rather surprise them na lang. I mean, it’s my 20 years in the business, so I wanna be as busy as possible. So again it’s my 20th year and hence, I want to celebrate that.” First among his surprises is the regional tour of his concert with Yeng Constantino dubbed “By Request,” which was first  staged in August. It will be as interactive and fun as their first concert, Bamboo promised, only they would change the line up of songs they would perform in each concert that will held on  February 7 at Cebu City, March 8 at Davao City and on March 16 at Baguio. Bamboo has been through a lot in his 20 years in the industry: he’d been a member of the band Rivermaya for five years and formed his own band Bamboo which lasted for eight years until in 2011 when he decided to go solo. Entertainment ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Bamboo considers going solo as one of the highlights of his career. He recalls “when I went solo, I was playing in Toronto Read More …

Rush her not

 Sports
Jan 282014
 
Rush her not

Never rush a woman when she’s primping to go somewhere — never. You might be running a little late or even a lot late, but unless you want to meet your maker earlier than heaven has ordained, back off. I have witnessed a couple of epic fights between spouses and partners because the men at some point in their vigil made the cardinal sin of saying, “Let’s go!”  The first time I became aware of this phenomenon was when I was about seven, and my godparents were our houseguests. My parents were taking them to a party and my godmother let me watch her get ready. My godfather kept popping into the room saying, “Let’s go, we’re late,” and my godmother was getting frantic with each visit he paid her. The edgier she got, the more mistakes made, hence, more do-overs. It got to a point where, in frustration, she told me, “One more ‘Let’s go’ from your Ninong and he’ll see the devil himself come to life.” They ended up leaving extremely late, as the harder he pressed, the more my godmother took her sweet time just to get back at him. I learned from my parents the next day that they stayed away from each other at the party. Another time, in college, a good friend was getting ready with me in the room, while her boyfriend waited outside. He was taking her to dinner to meet his parents for the first time. She was a bundle of Read More …

My signature scent was created by Francis Kurkdjian

 Entertainment
Jan 282014
 
My signature scent was created by Francis Kurkdjian

The space between us: Aqua Vitae, the new bestselling fragrance of Maison Francis Kurkdjian, is all about the space between two people in love and what that would smell like, available only at Adora in Greenbelt 5. Revealing your signature scent is a bit like announcing you’re engaged: the general public becomes privy to your private tastes, and pegs you accordingly. “Oh, that’s her type.” “That’s what she looks for.” “That’s what turns her on.” In the arena of fragrance, however, I’m not afraid to pigeonhole myself. This former scent slut has finally found a fragrance she can wear every single day and not get tired of — a heavenly aroma she can proudly call her own. It’s the latest creation of Francis Kurkdjian, the master perfumer who created his first hit at age 24 (Jean-Paul Gaultier’s Le Male), followed by a string of classics: Kouros for Yves Saint Laurent, Armani Mania, and Rumeur for Lanvin are but a few. He won the fragrance equivalent of the Oscar for Perfumer of the Year in 2008, in addition to Coty’s lifetime achievement award. Oh, the French Ministry of Culture has also knighted him in the realm of arts and letters. Not surprisingly, Kurkdjian (who’s now 44) was enlisted to recreate Marie Antoinette’s perfume for the Chateau de Versailles, which is the only place you can buy it. Locally, however, Kurkdjian’s creations are readily accessible at Adora in Greenbelt 5. The line has become so popular and successful it now warrants its Read More …

Why do we love boots?

 General
Jan 282014
 
Why do we love boots?

 Parisian’s wide selection of boots will surely level up your style factor; available at all SM Stores. MANILA, Philippines – Boots rocked the 2013-2014 fashion runways as Calvin Klein paraded sleek knee-length ones, Chloe showed how mid-length could be marvelous, Elie Saab highlighted ankle boots, and Saint Laurent and Chanel got tough-luxe with moto boots. Why do we love boots?  Because they can be so versatile — they can have a rugged country look, an equestrian elegance, or a sleek urban air.  They also give polish to jeans and add a down-to-earth feel to more delicate pieces.  On chillier days, they make dresses and skirts wearable.  Surely, these boots are made for walking — in style. At SM, the iconic Parisian brand showcases a wide array of boots with its latest collection. Ranging from ankle-length to mid-calf to knee-length, from classic to edgy, these boots scale new fashion heights with perforations, studs, and buckles. Parisian’s boots are available at all SM Stores nationwide. 

Regulatory failure

 Economy
Jan 282014
 
Regulatory failure

Any which way I look, it is obvious that the power price surge is due to regulatory failure. Even if there is collusion among generators or among generators and the NGCP and Meralco, government is still to blame for failure to detect it and stop it. Deregulating such politically sensitive industries like oil and power is always fraught with danger of abuse by the industry participants. The tricky thing here is how to calibrate the proper regulatory environment to keep everyone in the straight and narrow. My watch with the energy bureaucracy was during a much different time. It was martial law and we had a very competent energy secretary and a bureaucracy inherited from ESSO and FilOil that knew what they were doing. The late Energy minister Ronnie Velasco had a degree in engineering and graduate studies in management. He was strategic in his thinking and knew how to get the results he wanted. He was at home with the technical stuff, had a way with numbers and knew how to get good staff and delegate to them. Velasco also had full control of both the oil side and the power side, being CEO of both PNOC and NPC. If he needed to get anything done, he had the resources and manpower to get it done. If, for instance, world oil prices have gone down substantially but the local multinationals refused to reflect the downturn quickly, Petron could, as indeed it often did, unilaterally put down the prices first Read More …

SM Prime to bring in more upscale global brands

 Economy
Jan 282014
 
SM Prime to bring in more upscale global brands

MANILA, Philippines – SM Prime Holdings Inc. is completing its retail portfolio as it introduces upscale global brands in its existing shopping malls. The consolidated property group of the SM mall and banking conglomerate is investing P36 billion this year, mostly to expand its shopping malls that will include more upscale brands, company officials said. The Mega Fashion Hall at SM Megamall opened yesterday its doors, offering a premier shopping, dining and lifestyle destination. “This is a new concept we are really trying to introduce, its the aspirational side,” said SM Prime president Hans T. Sy. “The market really asks for it. The market really demands it so we’re just answering,” Steven Tan, vice-president for SM Supermalls’ Premier Division, told reporters. The 86,000-square meter new wing of SM Megamall is home to flagship stores of the world’s most popular fashion brands Uniqlo and Zara. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Many new global brands will likewise be opening their first store’s in the Philippines at the new wing, including Switzerland’s H&M, Denmark’s Vero Moda, Spain’s Pull & Bear and Uno de 50, LA-based Joe’s Jeans, London’s Savile Row and Burton, French shoe brand Nao de Brasil and US skincare label Philosophy. SM Prime chief finance officer Jeffrey Lim said the company is investing P36 billion this year to expand its presence in the country’s shopping mall and residential sector. Several shopping malls will have a separate area for high-end shops, Sy said. Tan said H&M is also Read More …

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