BISTRO SELERA, Raising the Bar of Dabawenyo Cuisine

(Bistro Selera's Central Management team.)

In 2009, Dabawenyo foodies were given a uniquely Davao treat: Kusina Selera, the popular Dabawenyo restaurant. But that was just the appetizer. Now, three years later, it’s time for the main course: Bistro Selera.

More Than Good Food

Owned and operated by food enthusiasts Marivi Laurel and Googie Sanga, Bistro Selera is guided by a simple principle: good food with good service. “Obviously, we want to serve food that people enjoy,” says Laurel, “but we take the idea further. We want to serve our food in a place that imbibes familiarity and comfort so our customers keep coming back for more.”  This kind of home-style dining is very popular among Bistro Selera’s patrons, and declares Sanga, “It’s not just about the food, the service is just as important - waiting time, the attentiveness and initiative of our colleagues, and the food presentation are all top priorities.” Adds Laurel with a smile,  “We want you to feel at home.”

Familiar and New

Spanning a comfortable area of 90 square meters, Bistro Selera can be found on the 2^nd Level of the Fountain Area of SM Lanang Premier. The location is no accident: here, in Davao’s grandest mall, Laurel and Sanga can cater to a broader market.

Regular Selera patrons will be delighted to find their favorite menu items at Bistro Selera: the succulent spare ribs, the flavorful paella, the delectable buchitaw (a unique combination of buchi and palitaw), and, of course, the famous Crispy Pata—arguably the best in town. But there are new offerings, as well: notably, the mouth-watering seafood curry soup, with its exotic spices and tantalizing hints of durian.

Dining and Drinking

Bistro Selera opened its doors on November 10, 2012, and already it has begun to make its mark on the Davao dining scene. But dining is only half the story. “We have a bar inside the restaurant,” shares Laurel. “That way you can have a good meal or a refreshing drink—or both.”  The bar’s cocktails and house mixes are already quite popular with the locals. “Try our Lychee Martini,” says Sanga with a smile in her eye. “It’s totally unique.”

Totally unique. Just like Bistro Selera.

Call 2852184 for reservations, catering services, and distinctive Davao dining. Only at Bistro Selera. Come visit us on the 2^nd Level of the Fountain Area of SM Lanang Premier.

Davao Hiring: Pinaccle Hotel

The Pinnacle Hotel and Suites is owned and managed by Central Parq Group of Companies, Inc. It is situated along Sta. Ana Avenue and has more that 200 guestrooms and 9 function rooms.

The company is currently looking for qualified individuals to fill-in the following positions:

MARCOM (Marketing Communications) SPECIALIST

Male/Female, not more than 30 years old
Graduate in Marketing, Advertising, or any related course or previous background in hotel marketing
Background in advertising, event planning and public relations in an advantage
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Dynamic, creative and innovative
Works well under pressure
Willing to do field work

Job Responsibilities: This would include development from initial planning, conceptualization and message crafting to production of collateral materials, such as publications, Web content and emails, video and audio spots, and positioning in earned media. Also includes event planning and direct marketing with clients.

FRONT DESK ATTENDANT

Male/Female, 21-26 years old
At least 5’4” in height for female and 5’6” for male
With excellent communication skills and works well with a team
Previous experience of the same position or any customer service job is a plus but not a required

ACCOUNTING STAFF

Male/Female, 21-26 years old
Graduate of Business Administration, Accountancy, or any business course
With good scholastic records
Excellent computer skills
Preferably a fresh graduate or with 1-2 years of accounting-related work experience

BELLMAN / DRIVER

Male, 25-30 years old
At least 5’7” in height
Licensed driver
Excellent driving skills and familiarity with the city
With pleasing personality
Previous experience of the same position is an advantage

F & B SERVERS (For manpower pooling)

Graduate of any HRM-related course
Male/Female
With pleasing personality
Experience as barista / bartender is an advantage

HOUSEKEEPING STAFF (For manpower pooling)

Graduate of any HRM-related course
Male/Female
With pleasing personality

KITCHEN STAFF (For manpower pooling)

With previous experience in a reputable hotel or restaurant
With excellent cooking skills and works well under pressure
Works well with a team

CAREGIVER

With previous experience
Preferably more than 30 years old
For referral to key officer

Please send your applications to pinnacledavao_hr@yahoo.com.

8th Mindanao Film Fest Movies and Categories

The 8th Mindanao Film Festival, happening this coming December 4-11, 2012, at the Gaisano Mall Cinemas is showing over 30 indie films made by Mindanaoan filmmakers. If you are planning to hit the theatres during this time, take a look at this menu:

Perspectives: The Mindanao Hollywood

A selection of films made by the more established regional filmmakers which are shot and produced in Mindanao; These films not just provide a window to the divergent stories and rich cultural tradition of the island but also provide the plausibility of creating a film industry in the region.

Crossfire by Arnel Mardoquio

Tambara by Orvil Bantayan

The Thank You Girls by Charliebebs Gohetia

As He Sleeps by Sheron Dayoc

Davao Films

Davao City one of the acknowledge filmmaking centers in Mindanao, annually the City produces a rich throve of films made by its burgeoning  independent filmmaking movement, the Davao Film selection for Mindanao Film Festival 2012 features short films from up and coming Dabawenyo filmmakers.

"Masaligan" by Gary Bautista

"Gugma ni Pilo" by Albert Egot

"Somnolence" by Aidx Paredes

"Migo Niño" by Sonny Campaner

"Traynta" by James Labrigas

“Bedtime” by Dawn Rufon

Films from Across the Island

Aside from Davao City, several cities and provinces like the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga counts the presence of a small but active community of filmmakers, the section features their works which highlights the growing diversity of the Mindanao film community.

"Pagsaha" by Kim Regulacion

"Sentimiento Del Maga Quieto" by Vincent Suarez

"Tsinelas ni Loloy"- by Dennis Coronel

"Ang Pagkamatay ni Wonder Woman" by Dennis Coronel

"Damgo" by Giojoe Amoguis

Documentario

The Mindanao Film Festival also presents some documentaries made by Mindanaoan.

“Under the Purple Sky” by Nef Luczon

“Sino” by Jemm de Leon

Escuela Cinema

The schools are a potential breeding ground for the future Mindanoan filmmakers, Some of the films selected represent various school-based film projects/programs created by the students.

PWCine ( films from the Philippine Womens College of Davao)

“Puzzle by Lew Andrew Avila”

“Art Room” by Paul Labang

“Gayuma” by Vannah Ang

“Labo-Labo” by Jeff Sabayle

“Me” by Alex Lara

“Paet” by Monique Patricia Azcona

“Coffee Shop” by Kethley Uy

 Batch 2 From other schools

“Salamin “ Lovely Dumagan

“Taraz” by Jaymark Fernan

Guerilla Cinema (Guerilla Filmmaking Category)

Started in 2003 and is considered as the forerunner of the Mindanao Film Festival, the Guerrilla Filmmaking Workshop and Festival was designed to share to interested individuals the basic tenets of guerrilla filmmaking. The workshop participants are required to produce short films as part of the course, it was also opened to non-workshop participants in which they have to race for a given amount of time to finish their films.

Guerilla Film Workshop

“Sintunado”  by GF9 Productions (Davao Guerilla)

“Ang Pagpadyak ni Elias” by Lalucky Productions (Davao Guerilla)

“Goyak” by Red Lines Productions (General Santos Guerilla)

“Nene” by Tambay Productions

“Stola” by Diangas Films

“Candelario” by Guerilla Icon Productions

“Medalyon” by Eyemazing Productions

“Pukot” by Stop and Stare Productions

Guerilla Open Category

“Flora Mae ang Biktima” by Bonnie Achacoso

“Bantay” by Gary Bautista

“El Pundido Luz de La Caza” by Aedrian Araojo

“Memo” by Ryan Paco

Special Exhibit Davao Pop Cinema

Smek’m shorts by Leo Jorge Bautista

Support local talents and tell all your friends! See you there! :-)

Davao Attractions Reviews: Davao Crocodile Park

(Photo from Clickthecity.com)

Undoubtedly the best zoo in Davao, despite it's size. (Of course, zoos in Manila are bigger.) However, their animal repertoire is still impressive, and you can really see that the animals are well taken cared of. 

What's more, booking and group reservations are convenient, and they even give discounts for package orders (the same company group owns a river rafting, beach and zipline facility too). 

Also, another thing-to-like about Crocodile park is that it's located in a complex where there's really good food (visit exotic resto Kaonanan), an art-full souvenir shop, a butterfly house nearby, a Zorb facility, and they even house the best ice cream shop in Davao city: Sweet Spot Ice Cream.

(Photo from Mark Maranga)

(Photo by Jojie Alcantara from angdabawenyo.com)

KAKAO KONEK Brings Exciting Events to Philippine Cocoa Industry

Kakao Konek, what could be the most attended and well-acclaimed convention of all the stakeholders in the Cocoa industry, brings together exciting side events for its entire duration. This milestone is slated to run from November 21, 2012 to November 23, 2012.

On the first day, CIDAMI (Cacao Industry Development Association of Mindanao, Inc.) will open the event with an opening address from President Charita Puentespina at the Apo View Hotel Business Function. A 3-day exhibit of Cocoa products, collaterals and sponsors will commence there.

All throughout the event, the organizers will hold several B2B matching mini-events, where various actors in the cocoa value chain can meet over a 2-day period. Dedicated locations for the B2B Matching will be provided and facilitators will get to interact with buyers, sellers, distributors and other key industry players.

On the second day, Kakao Konek launches “Kakao Kulinarya” and “Sikwatehan sa Barrio”. The former is a cocoa-based culinary competition and showcase aimed at challenging our local talent to riase the standards of culinary and hospitality service excellence. The chocolate carving contest and cocktail concoction competitions will serve as its main attractions. This will run from 10AM to 6PM in the Abreeza Mall activity center. “Sikwatehan sa Barrio”, on the other hand, is an engaging networking and gala night where delegates make the most of the opportunity to meet new people while expanding their business and social network. This special networking event will also commence at Abreeza Mall activity center, after Kakao Kulinarya.

Kakao Konek caps off this exciting 3-day affair with Kakao Farm Tours, an entertaining and adventure-filled way to learn and appreciate cocoa farming techniques.

BLIMS Furniture Opens Davao Branch

High-end furniture retailer BLIMS Fine Furniture just made its debut in Mindanao with the grand launch of its Davao outlet on October 26.   The Davao branch is located at the 3rd Floor of Abreeza Ayala Mall, along J.P. Laurel Avenue in Davao City.    

BLIMS Fine Furniture business development manager Sam Gregory Lim said the Davao branch is the first of several stores the company will put up in Mindanao starting this year.  

The premier source of top of the line furniture pieces and accessories designed to exude elegance, luxury and distinction, BLIMS has been in the furniture retail business for over 35 years. It takes pride in having a wide selection of  internationally- acclaimed products that perfectly complement a healthy and elegant lifestyle.

“We have the world's best-selling recliner - La-Z-Boy, the innovative designs of Cellini furniture, and the stylish pieces of Maestro sofa, and we continue to search for products to include in our ever-growing portfolio of global furniture brands that will be made available to Filipinos,” Lim emphasized.

Lim said the Abreeza branch, which is BLIMS’ 15th showroom in the Philippines, is strategic because of its high-end market, adding that with BLIMS bringing in luxury and high-end furniture to Davao, this will make it easier for customers in Mindanao  to secure superior,  high quality pieces for their homes or businesses.

“High-end furniture is hard to find, especially if you are not living in Metro Manila. To get your dream sofa or La-Z-Boy recliner, you really have to get a good designer who can customize it for you. Fortunately, Davao customers with exquisite tastes need not scour the entire Mindanao or import items from Metro Manila just to get luxurious furniture,”  Lim explained.

BLIMS has been the gold standard in fine ready-made furniture, rightfully so since the company began the ready-made furniture craze in 1977 when Blims opened its first showroom in Makati City.

“We are not just a furniture shop, we are defining and selling lifestyles, whether you are a bachelor or newly married or a family man, you’ll find something in BLIMS,” he enthused.

Before BLIMS, Lim explained, nobody really thought of selling ready-made quality furniture in the Philippines. Custom-made furniture was then the rage but BLIMS went against the tide.

To meet market demands, BLIMS focused on great design and quality in every piece. Lim said they fused functionality and aesthetics and then pushes the boundaries a step further in pieces that are sold in every BLIMS branch.

For inquiries, please call 470-9185 or 470-9170, or email info@blimsfurniture.com, or visit www.blimsfurniture.com.ph, or visit BLIMS showrooms in Metro Manila, Pampanga, Cebu and Davao. 

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Photos by Kenth O. Bajo

Animal Blessing at Davao Crocodile Park

Last Sunday, October 14, 2012, Davao Crocodile Park celebrated the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron of animals, with a fun-filled day for pets and pet-owners alike.

The event started at 8:00 with a mass officiated by Rev. Fr. Emmanuel M. Gonzaga, parish priest of St. Francis of Assisi, Maa. After that, Father Manny went around and blessed the pets brought by the park’s guests and then toured the park for the blessing of animals.

It was indeed a very memorable day. Over 30 pets were “christened”, cultural performers lit up the program with their dance numbers and a free flowing pica-pica affair capped off the morning. The best part? Entrance to the event was FREE! St. Francis would be very happy. Thank you Crocodile Park!

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4Sharing Meals: Max's Celebrates Filipino's Love for Food

Here are a few truths about Filipinos: we love to eat, we love to share our food and we are more frugal when it comes to spending for food. Max's, an all-Filipino resto, compliments all 3 truths by launching their new 4Sharing Meals.

The 4Sharing Meal is a lovely treat to families, barkadas or even workmates of 4. The "package" consists of 1 whole Max's Signature fried chicken, 1 Beef dish (your choice: beef adobo sa gata or beef caldereta), 4 cups of rice and 4 glasses of iced tea. The best part? It only costs for P899! That's only about P225 per person. For a full Max's meal, not bad, eh?

Max's is located at 2nd floor Abreeza Mall, JP Laurel st., Davao city. See you there! :)

SM CITY DAVAO'S 3 DAY SALE this Coming October 19-21, 2012

Don't miss SM CITY DAVAO’S 3 DAY-SALE. Enjoy big discounts up to 70% OFFon great choices mall wide.

Shop and get a chance to WIN one of the three (3) Yamaha Mio Fino Motorcycleduring the raffle draw on October 21.

For every Php 500 single or accumulated purchase from SM Department Store, SM Supermarket or from any participating mall establishment entitles shopper one raffle coupon.

Plus! Good news to all Global Pinoy Members. Get 3 additional coupons when you show your SM Supermalls Global Pinoy Card!

Extended mall hours on October 19 10AM-10PM and up to 12 midnight on October 20!

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Hurry! Don't miss out on other exciting activities:

Catch 1:43 mall show on October 19 Friday 4:30PM at The Annex. Watch out for the casts of Coffee Prince:Aljur Abrenica, Steven Silva, Benjamin Alves, Kim Komatsu, Max Collins and Kris Bernal on October 20 Saturday 4PM at The Annex.

Witness our very own Davaoeños showcase their talents on Davao Band Festival on October 21 Sunday 4PM at The Annex.

For more details and inquiries, please call Marketing Department at 297.6998 local 126.

Join the UPLB Loyalty Day this Coming October 11!

Are you a UPLB alumnus? If you are excited to see your friends and schoolmates again, you may attend the Loyalty Day tomorrow! 

The Alumni members of the University of the Philippines- Los Banos will be celebrating their Loyalty Day last October 11, 2012 at D’Leonor Hotel, JP Laurel Avenue, Davao city.

This memorable gathering of brilliant minds and energetic spirits will start off with an inspirational talk by Dr. Romulo G. Davaode, 2012 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee, also a proud UP-LB alumnus. After which, Dr. Vivencio L. Quinon will be given the re-echoing of the UPLBAA – Distinguished Alumni Award, and then the induction of the UPLBAA Davao chapter officers and members follows thereafter.

Another event highlight that you have to get yourself ready for is the presentation of the future projects of the alumni association and a flashback of previously mounted events and activities. Cheers to productive years!

The Loyalty Day will be punctuated with a fellowship round and a party filled with good memories, elating drinks and upbeat music! Tickets are sold on site and for P500 you get a free buffet dinner and unlimited drinks! :-)

SWISS ARTISTS PERFORM “SOUL GYMNASTICS” ON OCT. 12

Tuburan Institute, Inc. (TBI) the Steiner Waldorf inspired school in Blissful Village, Sitio Sagrada Familia, Brgy. Indangan, Davao City is proudly presenting ArteNova Institut Eurythmy Youth Ensemble’s eurythmy performance, “Transitions” to be held on Friday, October 12, 2012 at the Davao Convention and Trade Center, F. Torres St., Davao City. On that day, Davaoeños will have the opportunity to witness this expressive art movement twice 1) Matinee at 3:00 in the afternoon (P100/ticket) and, 2) Gala at 7:00 in the evening (P200/ticket and P400/ticket).

Moniela dela Cruz, a volunteer of TBI describes eurythmy as a beautiful or harmonious rhythm. “It’s a form of dance, speech, song, creative expression and body language combined,” she says. For the first time, Davaoenos can enjoy this performance of eurythmy with acrobatics, jazz, tango, and other styles. Katherine E. Estember, Head Teacher of TB says it’s not every day that ArteNova Institut Eurythmy Youth Ensemble from Switzerland is going on a Philippine tour and passing by Davao following their recent debut at the Goetheanum in Dornach, Switzerland.

Joining the excitement are schools, entrepreneurs, government workers, non-government organizations and people’s organizations engaged in green businesses, environment advocacies, children, conflict-mediation and concerned with total human development. The University of the Immaculate Conception (UIC), the Davao Doctor’s College (DDC), the Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU), the University of the Southeastern Philippines (USEP), South Point School Davao (SPSD), Tender Years Early Childhood Center (TYECC), and the Philippine Women’s College – Davao (PWCD) are all sending their faculty, staff, and students majoring in Education, Psychology, Sociology, Occupational Therapy, Liberal Arts, Physical Education, and so on, to learn and experience about eurythmy also known as “soul gymnastics.” “This is a once in a lifetime experience for Education Majors!”  explains Dr. Lyndon Devero, OSA Director of the PWC – Davao.

Eurythmy is widely used pedagogically in more than 1,000 Steiner Waldorf schools in over 65 countries to draw out students’ creativity. Athena Masilungan, mother, early childhood teacher, and dancer says, “In my experience with children, I’ve found that eurythmy helps them be attuned with their bodies and find connections and oneness with everything around them. I’ve seen them develop stronger physical bodies, better coordination and a deeper connection to nature.” The result for adults is the same according to Hindy Weber Tantoco – mother, wife, teacher, fashion designer, owner of Holy Carabao Holistic Farms. “I find most use for it in healing, cleansing, and strengthening. The curative aspect of eurythmy is what speaks to me more because of my needs,” she says. Joy Romualdez Kawpeng, mother, wife, teacher, classical pianist, and music educator will be joining the Swiss artists in Davao City and says, “Eurythmy is nothing short of magic for me. But it’s not for free. Like a skill we’ve taught ourselves to learn – as an athlete, artist, or musician – we have to put in effort to see results.”

The three women are part of the first Eurythmy Basics Training Group in Manila that has been training with Tanja Baumgarter, the star of “Transitions.” Ms. Baumgarter is a mother of three children who got her training from the Zuccoli Eurythmy School in Dornach. She is the founder of Eurythmy Massage that works on the living forces of the body and has been doing extensive eurythmy research on plants and water. She now travels abroad to give practical trainings in eurythmy. For this year’s celebration of 100 years of eurythmy, Ms. Baumgarter is going on a Philippine Tour with ArteNova Institut. Davaoenos interested to watch Transitions can contact these numbers 09228938370 (sun), 09177174668 (globe), and 09081535326 (smart) for tickets.

All proceeds of Transitions will help Tuburan Institute, Inc. get off the ground as it embarks on its first school year developing balanced willing, thinking, and feeling. Inspired by the international Steiner Waldorf movement spanning more than 1,000 schools in over 65 countries two (2) college educators, founded Tuburan Institute, Inc. in June 2011. Its doors opened to the first students last June 13, 2012. Each year one more level will be added until Class 12 on a proposed 10-hectare campus with children coming from families with different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. 

See Urbandub Live at Abreeza this Coming October 7 Sunday

Urbandub fans should really save their early evening this coming Sunday because the band is hitting Abreeza’s Activity Center and will be playing songs that will remind you of youth and summer all over again!

Want to see and hear them play live in the best area possible? Don’t worry, you won’t have to fight for the unruly corridor space. Just for you, Abreeza is arranging 500 seats to this exclusive rock show. If you want to secure your seat to this event, all you have to do is to buy P500 worth of merchandise in any Abreeza store and present your receipt at the concierge counter, ground floor. Take this: you can have as many passes as you can (maybe get some for your friends too!) as long as you comply with the minimum purchase requirement.

Now if you already have that coveted ticket in your  hands, just come to the Activity Area early this coming October 7, 2012 so you can pick the best spot available. Gates officially open at 5:30PM and the show will start at 6pm.

For more fun events at the Abreeza mall, like Abreeza’s Facebook Fan Page and stay tuned for more exciting announcement at the page’s wall. You may also pass by the concierge counter for upcoming event s’ posters. See you!

Abreeza Cinemas: One of a Kind Movie Experience

We all know how going to the movies has always been one of human being’s most celebrated pastimes. Somehow it has become one of the best ways to spend an hour or two. Now Abreeza takes this experience to a different level because of their one-of-a-kind features.

For one, you can now book your seats online simply by logging on to www.sureseats.com.  You may pay through your Mpass and/or your credit card and may even have the option to get notified for Abreeza Cinemas’ upcoming events through the same site. Moreover, if there’s a blockbuster movie that you’ve been waiting see to in advance, you can buy your tickets a few days before its first scheduled screening day. Now you don’t have to line up to make sure you get that coveted seat!

After you book your seats with first-of-its-kind convenience, the great experience continues when you actually walk through the cinema strip and get ready to watch your movie of choice. At the counter, you can already pay your tickets through credit and debit cards. On the side, digital posters (the first in the city!) will run the movie ratings, synopses and other mall promos. If you’re a munching moviegoer, you will love our snack trays and Tater’s cinema delivery feature. For your kids, booster seats are also available to refine their cinema experience.

As of this writing, Abreeza Mall has 2 digital cinemas (2D and 3D) and they are continually redefining the entire movie experience by adding better side-features. Stay tuned for fun blockbuster promos and don’t forget to visit Abreeza Mall’sFacebook Page to check out the movie schedule. See you at the Abreeza cinemas!

Davao Photo Contest Alert: Abreeza's Family Weekend Treats September 28-30, 2012

Good news to all our fun-loving, moment-capturing shutterbugs! Abreeza Mall officially announces its photography exhibit and competition with the theme “Abreeza’s Family Weekend Treats”. Want to know how to qualify? It’s this simple:

This coming September 28-30, 2012, Abreeza gives the center stage to the kids and the kids-at-heart for various interactive kiddie shows and activities happening all throughout the mall. Key spots are the following: GF Supermarket hallway, GF Abreeza Park Dining, 2F between Bambu and Gforce and 3F Roof Garden.  For your pictures to qualify, they have to depict uniquely captured moments from one of the activities held in these areas.

All entries must be printed in an 8x10in photo paper, submitted separately in a short sized brown envelope from October 1-3, 2012 from 9:00AM to 10:00PM at the Abreeza Admin Office, 2^nd floor, or in one of the Concierge counters at the ground floor. Indicate your name, contact number and title of the photograph at the back of your printed photo entry. Entries may be in vertical or horizontal orientation. All entries will be judged with the following criteria:

Composition/ Subject – 40%

Artistic Appeal – 40%

FB/ Twitter Vote – 20%

Every contestant can submit up to 3 entries. For the FB and Twitter vote, all pictures submitted will be uploaded to the official Abreeza Facebook Page so you can tell your friends to comment or tweet about the picture and you can earn points through that! One vote per comment per person on FB and one vote per tweet will be the counting for online voting. All comments and tweets made before October 3, 2012 will be included in the official point count.

After that, a closed-door judging will take place on October 4, 2012, facilitated by Abreeza’s selected group of professional photographers. The photo exhibit will run on October 4-7, 2012 at the 2F Robinsons Hallway.

This exciting contest will commence on October 9, 2012, where the first prize winner will get P15,000, P10,000 for the 2^nd prize and P5,000 for the 3^rd prize. Stay tuned for more exciting events for the entire family! Abreeza has a lot more up their sleeves!

Davao Bloggers Proudly Announce First-of-its-Kind Blogging Workshop

Davao Bloggers, the official blogging organization of the Davao region, announces Blog Weekend Bootcamp, an intensive 3-day blogging workshop. The workshop is scheduled on September 21-23, 2012, at Malagos Garden Resort, Calinan, Davao city.

This stay-in workshop will include 2 full days of lectures, forums and exercises and will be punctuated with a socials night on its final day. If you want to be a blogger and make the most out of what could be a very lucrative career, then this workshop is truly the right place to go. 

The Blog Weeekend Bootcamp boasts of rich coverage of the key issues in blogging today. Topics and speakers are as follows:

Keynote Speech – Janette Toral, Blogging Pioneer, Author, E-Commerce Consultant
State of Blogging and Social Media in the Philippines – Jay Frank de Jesus, Emerging Media Specialist, US Embassy
Blogging 101 (Blog Set-up) – Aileen de Jesus, Head of Outreach, Google Southeast Asia
Creative Writing – Rene Lizada, Writer, Columnist
Photo Blogging – Jojie Alcantara, Journalist, Award-winning Photographer
Blogging Ethics – Roy Geonzon, KBP President, Davao Chapter
Niche Blogging – Justin Cooke, Chief Idea Generator, Adsense Flippers
Video Blogging – Kring Elenzano, Director, Producer, Actress, Host and Vlogger

“It’s more than just one-of-a-kind, it’s truly the first of it’s kind here in Davao city. We wanted to raise the bar of blogging—in terms of content, ethics and maybe even monetization—in this side of the country. Did you know that Davao Bloggers was the first organized association of bloggers in the country? We felt that it’s time to launch a truly meaningful and educational event especially now that our members are growing exponentially….and the appreciation for blogging has now approached mainstream consciousness.” This is a statement by Dulce Rose Lada, President of the Davao Bloggers. Ms. Lada, along with the other Davao Bloggers officers, is spearheading the event planning and coordination of the Blog Weekend Bootcamp.

Registration for the Blog Weekend Bootcamp is only P1500 (and P1300 if you register on or before September 14, 2012!). For this, you can have your own event kit, 3 days and 2 nights accommodation at Malagos Garden Resort, full day’s meals, and a chance to win the exciting prizes Davao Bloggers, and the event sponsors, have prepared for you.

Aside from the walk-ins and the independent registrants, Davao Bloggers are also reaching out to schools and accepting 1 scholar per school. This is part of their advocacy to promote better use of social media and to better the quality of online publication. Truly, the blogging scene in Davao city is growing. Be a part of this and reserve a slot for this workshop! I hear seats are filling up! :-) See you!

Join the SM Eco Bag Design Contest!

Join the SM Eco Bag Design Contest!

SM City Davao is inviting all young designers to join the SM ECO BAG DESIGN contest and get a chance to have their own design featured in all SM Eco Bags Nationwide and win P25,000 plus THE NEW IPAD (16gb).

This contest is open to all high school and college students enrolled in the school year 2012-2013 in the Philippines only. It will run from July 13 to August 9, 2012. Judging of entries will be on August 13, 2012.

For more details and for the complete list of mechanics, visit this link: www.facebook.com/smcitydavao.

To fill up the registration form, CLICK THIS LINK as well. You're welcome and good luck! :)

BonChon, Now Open in Davao

BonChon Chicken Philippines opened their first store in November 2010. In just a little over a year with 20 branches in Metro Manila, BonChon may be considered one of the fastest-growing fried QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) in the country, apart from being the biggest Korean-style crispy friend chicken chain locally.

Reports say that the company is in an "aggressive expansion" mode, and more stores will be opened within the next few months, dotted all over Luzon and VisMin area. Just last week, they officially opened their first outside-Metro Manila branch, and it's here in Davao city. Another cool reason to visit Davao, ain't it?

BonChon Davao is located at the ground floor of SM City Davao Annex. If you haven't tasted their chicken yet, you are missing a huge chunk of your chicken eating life. They've got chicken so crispytastyjuicy it will put those P25 per slice meat to shame. Other must-tries include their KimChi coleslaw, Calamari, Fish and Fries and Banoffee pie.

For more info about BonChon, check out their website at www.bonchon.com.

Davao Celebrates Social Media Day this Coming June 30

Are you on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, Foursquare, Instagram, WordPress, Blogger, Tumblr, Flickr, Youtube or other Social Media? Great news, now you can celebrate your baptism to this social revolution.

On June 30th, for the third time, the Social Media Day will be celebrated globally and Davao city will take part in the celebration! This is our first time to celebrate Social Media Day.


What is Social Media Day?

Social Media Day is an annual international event on June 30 that recognizes the digital revolution happening around the world. This is a global celebration of the technological advancements that have given so much development to the connected generation. This holiday is founded by Mashable, the “largest independent news source dedicated to covering digital culture, social media and technology”. They have more than 20 million monthly unique visitors and 4 million social media followers. It has also been recognized as one of the most engaged online news communities, as some of their content are syndicated to top news outfits such as ABC News, CNN, Metro and Yahoo News.


For this day,  for Davao city, we will gather the city’s Social Media enthusiasts, bloggers and practitioners from the media, business owners, non-profit organizations and local government officials for a day of fun, community conversation, panel discussions and networking. Rounds of raffle contests are also expected! This will be held on June 30, 2012, 4PM, at MyFlexOffice, 3rd Floor KS Bldg. Sta. Ana Ave. (Infront of Penongs), Davao city.

And for this, we would like to thank our sponsors:


+ Smart Communications (https://www.facebook.com/SmartCommunications)
+ MyFlexOffice (https://www.facebook.com/myflexofficedavao)
+ Crea8tech Solutions, Inc. (https://www.facebook.com/crea8tech)
+ Trybpo Outsourcing (https://www.facebook.com/outsourced)
+ PREP (PR, Events & Promotions) (https://www.facebook.com/prepdavao)
+ Shirt Stop Enterprises
+ Bloom Facial and Spa (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bloom-Facial-and-Spa/175352611113)
+ KaiserWeb Solutions (https://www.facebook.com/KaiserWebs)


As of press time, Davao city is one of the 487 cities celebrating Social Media Day around the world!  Do you want to know how to join this event? All you have to do is show yourself at the venue and plop P100 for registration. This includes snacks, swag and entry for the raffle contests.

For the participants of Social Media Day, we are encouraging everyone to use #smday and #smdaydavao as the official hashtags for Twitter updates. Through these hashtags, we can get updates from our friends all over the world who are also celebrating the Social Media Day! Don’t forget to tell (and bring!) all your friends and let’s get social! :-)

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This event is organized by the Davao Bloggers.

The Royale Compound Along Claveria

In the 80s, The Royale House was a mere ancestral home and a receiving salon for the guests of the Nograleses. Today, it houses not just one but 5 establishments that downtown Davao seems to be thankful for.

For one, The Royale House Travel Inn and Suites just got a facelift. The old, broody inn is now a bright, high-ceiling area, with a cozy restaurant at the side and a classy bar on its second floor. It now houses more than 50 newly renovated rooms, all with television sets, hot and cold showers, and their own intercom phone. You’d be surprised to know that the cheapest room comes with free breakfast and a welcome drink at the bar…and is priced at less than P800.

Sitting beside The Royale House is Tapsi Boy, an all-day-breakfast joint that sells rice topping dishes for P50. With more than 20 choices at their menu, you’ll never get tired of eating rice toppings your entire life. I may be kidding but taste their selection first and you’ll find out I just might not.

Also, as you all know, at the shoulder of The Royale House sits Dormitoryana, a ladies dorm with a comfortable hotel feel. There are rooms for 2, 3, 4 and rooms for 6, and the cheapest bed space goes for P999 a month. They just opened up slots last year and reservations have not faltered. Not a bad deal, especially if you count convenience.

Speaking of convenience, a new convenience store just opened downstairs. It’s Jack En Poy. With a catchy Pinoy name, you can never go wrong with this one. Shoppers say everything is reasonably priced, and the hotel and dormgoers love the idea that they don’t have to travel one or two blocks just to make a run for their toothpaste or favorite softdrink. More good news: they’re open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Lastly, The Royale House compound starts summer right by adding another vital establishment in their small ecosystem: a laundry shop name La Vada Mi. With more rooms for the hotel (which means more sheets and towels) and more dormers coming in, surely all these guests appreciate a little help in their laundry. Bobby Nograles, the General Manager of The Royale House boasts of dirt cheap deals for hotel service laundry and a commercial rate of P15-18 per kilo for regular customers.

Take a swing by this lively joint along the old Claveria street. You’ll see how it made the place more interesting than the serious banks and financial institutions that dot its periphery.

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More pictures:

One10FM, the hotel's bar and music lounge.

Newly renovated deluxe room.

The Indoor Garden/ Aviary

The hotel hallway

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Visit this affordable Davao hotel's website at www.theroyalehouse.com.

SM Launches iButterfly

  

SM Supermalls has proudly released the SM iButterfly, an Augmented Reality Application on your IOS and Android mobile devices at selected SM Supermalls:  SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North EDSA, SM City Fairview, SM Southmall, SM City Baguio, SM City Davao and SM City Cebu.  Catching iButterflies at SM Supermalls is a fun and entertaining mobile information and couponing experience when you are at an SM Mall!  
 

It uses 3 technologies:  Augmented Reality, for seeing the iButterflies in the real world, Motion Sensors for catching iButterflies using your phone and your phone’s Global Positioning System or GPS for finding where the iButterflies are.  
It is definitely a unique way of enjoying promos from our tenant partners such as Starbucks, Krispy Kreme, David’s Salon, Jollibee, Mang Inasal, Chowking, Red Ribbon, Greenwich, Smart, BDO, Smart, SM Food Court, Baby Company, 
Our Home, SM Department Store, SM Cinema, Global Pinoy Center, Timex, Parfois, Yellow Cab and Mc Donald’s! 

Catching an iButterfly is easy.  First, download the application by connecting to the free SM WIFI or the SM_iButterfly SSID at the participating malls or you may also use your phone’s 3G connection or personal WIFI. Using your gadget, simply download the App via Google Play and App Store, just search for the iButterfly Asia App.  Once downloaded, launch the App and start catching iButterflies which turn into instant prizes.  Simply claim your prize at participating mall stores.
 


Join the iButterfly promo and win instant prizes!

For more information, visit our dedicated iButterfly website at: www.smibutterfly.com.
Download, catch and redeem now and tell your family & friends about it!

Experience the fun in catching iButterflies! 
Come to SM City Davao, where we all come together.