This year, I am bound to celebrate my birthday in another unconventional manner. Our chapter, JCI Davaoena Daba Daba has been appointed as the lead chapter for JCI Philippines in the 2012 implementation of the "Liter of Light" project. The "Liter of Light" project aims to provide a cost-effective, ecologically sustainable daytime light source for the urban and rural poor communities. Watch this video: The Liter of Light project helps communities save on electricity costs and also provides livelihood for those who have been trained to install the solar light bulbs. This is a project which gives citizens the opportunity to help out others in a simple and concrete way. It is a great way to live and celebrate the Bayanihan spirit. I have been appointed to spearhead the launch of "Liter of Light" on April 28, 2012, the day I turn 30. And while it will probably cost me a heart attack, I accepted the challenged with the confidence that all you people... relatives, friends, business clients, colleagues, and readers will be there to help me out. Here's where I ask you to help me make my 30th birthday extra-special. This year, I ask you to collect water and…
100 Days Project: A Unique Birthday
On April 28, 2012, I will turn 30 years old. To celebrate this milestone, I have decided to start a 100 Days Project. A challenge to blog each day for 100 days until my birthday. The blog post may be about anything but mostly magical memories from the past 30 years. And this is my first post. Last year, two months before I turned 29, I joined the Junior Chamber International (JCI). My chapter is JCI Davaoena Daba Daba. With this participation and the influence of my Mommy, I decided to celebrate my birthday in a different manner. My Mommy, you see, always takes time to celebrate her birthday with kids from the Waterlily Foundation. I, on the other hand, decided to celebrate my birthday with the kids of the DS Foundation, a non-stock, non-profit organization that provides education for kids with Down Syndrome. The DS Foundation is one of the partner organizations and beneficiaries of Daba Daba. About 2 months before my birthday, I picked a date to have a party at DS Foundation and called on all my relatives and friends to share their time and resources for the celebration. And I was very happy by the response.…
Re-Discovering Chinatown in Binondo
I have been to Manila countless times and I kinda lived there when I was in college. So every time I look for something different to do each time I go back for work or vacation. When I made my November 2011 Manila Checklist, a Binondo Tour was one of my priorities. Binondo is Manila's Chinatown, the oldest Chinatown in the world. It is where most Filipino-Chinese families settled during the Spanish era. It is located along Pasig River across the Manila's Walled City of Intramuros. The enterprising Chinese settlers made it into a bustling center for trade and commerce. Until now, a lot of Fil-Chinese families reside in Binondo and a lot of their businesses are still located in the vicinity. And of course, it is teeming with food establishments that specialize in various Chinese cuisines. I have been to Binondo only a couple of times. Both times, I enjoyed the tour despite the scorching heat of the sun. The combination of food and history was irresistible to me. I was happy that my friend, a Binondo resident (100% born and raised in Binondo) offered to be my tour guide. As a Chinese food lover with Chinese roots, I…
Wear Red this Saturday
This Saturday, Davao will sizzle as the ladies of JCI Davaoena Daba Daba host the Red Party at the Eagles Bar at the Marco Polo Hotel. From 7 pm - 2 pm on December 20, 1022, party guests will enjoy unlimited cocktail drinks. Trellis n Vines and Pixie's Sinugba will be serving some pica-pica to complement the cocktail drinks. Exciting games and raffle prizes await you from Envy Me Salon, Metro Home Massage, and Rancheros. The party is a fund-raising project for the Stop HIV and AIDS Campaign of Daba Daba. All proceeds will be used for educational forums, seminars and workshops to educate the youth about HIV and AIDS. M Magazine and the Riality Bites Show of the Mindanao Travel Channel are the event's media partners. We invite our guests to wear their hottest red outfit. If you don't have one yet, SOUL Lifestyle has a selection of sizzling hot red dresses you can choose from. Which one of the dresses do you think I should wear? ;) And yes, bring your best red accessories. Check out this red hot clutch bag from Ted Baker. Check them out at this link. So do you have a red hot attire…
Jar of Hearts
It's been several months and yet this song still comes to mind every now and then. The song is "Jar of Hearts" by Christina Perri. It talks about a former lover who goes around making girls fall in love with him only to break the girls' hearts. In the song, the guy is looking for the girl again but the girl won't have him back because she knows he'll only hurt her again. Yeah, yeah, yeah... I still love the guy. And though he does not want me back, I feel that this song speaks to me strongly right now. Not quite that bitter but I'm still a bit angry. So this is my song right now. Especially this line... "Who do you think you are? Runnin' 'round leaving scars Collecting your jar of hearts And tearing love apart" Sad, noh? Really sad. The song is very melancholic. And I've been listening to it a lot lately. Haaay... Hope to get over this phase soon.
Meeting the Miss Earth Candidates
Was still tired and sleepy when I got a phone call. One of my bosses asked me if I could attend the Miss Earth press con in around 2 hours. Errr... I agreed hesitantly. We waited awhile before the candidates arrived and when they entered the room, all I could see were legs, legs, and even more legsss. The candidates were lovely but two of them stood out for me, Miss Macau and Miss Japan. It was an interesting experience meeting the candidates. They're all so composed and it seemed like they didn't sweat at all even if it was very hoooot that day. And some of them didn't stop going to the buffet table and yet they were all so slim. Did I mention they're all so tall? I abandoned wearing heels to the press con coz I had a long day ahead. And I regretted making that decision. I looked like a midget beside them. The Miss Earth 2011 candidates are in the Philippines for the Miss Earth Pageant to be held this week in Manila. Some of them are visiting Davao (and other cities) to know and enjoy more of the country. It was such an interesting…