Ballet Manila’s Sleeping Beauty world premiere: A modern retelling of a classic story

A beautiful princess who was cursed by an evil fairy so that she will fall on a sleep death after pricking her finger on a spindle of a spinning wheel, only to be awakened after a hundred years by true love’s kiss this is the story of Sleeping Beauty which has gained worldwide popularity through narrations in various media. 

Casts,Director and Choreographer of Ballet Manila's Sleeping Beauty

Ballet Manila, the Philippines’ most solidly trained classical ballet company, will bring this classic fairy tale to life with the world premiere of Sleeping Beauty featuring an original choreography by Ballet Manila CEO and artistic director Lisa Macuja Elizalde. As part of the ballet company’s 24th performance season, On Pointe’, this grand spectacle will also be the last installment of Macuja Elizalde’s Princess Tn'logy The shows are scheduled on January 18 at 6:00 PM and January 19 at 3:00 PM at the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Resorts World Manila 

Jasmine Pia Dames as Princess Aurora
Romeo Peralta as Prince Philip

Sleeping Beauty will be a modern retelling of the story of Aurora, Prince Philip, and Maleficent with new elements that were conceptualized by the prima ballerina herself with the help of Ballet Manila’s co-artistic director Osias Barroso, who is also the show’s choreography assistant and rehearsal master. 

L- R Director / choreography assistant/ rehearsal master Osias Barroso , Ballet Manila CEO and director Lisa Macuja Elizalde, Jasmine Pia Dames, Romeo Peralta during the Q&A

A production that reflects the company’s sophisticated talent and creativity, Ballet Manila’s Sleeping Beauty will be different from the classic ballet by Ivan Vsevolozhsky and Marius Petipa. It will explore the origins of the story and explain what urged Maleticent to cast the spell on Aurora.

New characters will also be introduced such as the Keeper of the Golden Plates, and the royal couples from the other installments of the Princess Trilogy. Moreover, Macuja Elizalde further modified the story by shortening the show and removing its divertissements. With these and more, Ballet Manila’s Sleeping Beauty will truly give a fresh and contemporary take on a story that has been around for centuries. 

However, Ballet Manila’s Sleeping Beauty is not only about new characters, interesting crossovers, and unexpected twists. With this show, Ballet Manila’s goal is to preserve traditional aspects of ballet. The production will stay true to the story’s central plot about first love, enchantment, and goodness prevailing over evil, as well as the ever-majestic music of Peter Tchaikovsky. 

All in all, Sleeping Beauty will showcase how Ballet Manila has always identified with the classics and the Russian Vaganova method, and will manifest the company’s classical ballet abilities. 

But more than a spectacular presentation, Sleeping Beauty is an apt offering to start 2020 as the company rises from the recent tragedy after its home, Aliw Theater was ravaged by fire. With Sleeping Beauty, Ballet Manila is all set to show Filipino ballet fans that they will continue to dance, beautifully. majestically. 

Leading the ensemble is principal dancer Jasmine Pia Dames who will take on the role of Aurora, while her fellow principal dancer Romeo Peralta will be her love interest, Prince Phillip. Other cast members include Mark Sumaylo, Rissa May Camaclang, Joan Sia, Gerardo Francisco, Rafael Perez, Alvin Dictado, Shaira Comeros, and Emma Harris. 

To buy tickets for the shows, visit any Ticketworld outlet, call 891 9999, or go to www.ticketworld.com.ph . 

For more information, visit 

https://balletmanila.com.ph/ or https://www.facebook.com/BalletManilaOfflcial/ .

Revisiting multiple intelligences at the National Week for the Gifted Annual Conference

(L-R): PCGE advisory board members Dr. Liezel Angeles, Dr. Elizabeth Vivien Magbata, Dr. Melanie Donkor and Prof. Mauricia Borromeo, Mikaela Samson, PCGE president Dr. Leticia Peñano-Ho, Ryan Tumbocon, and PCGE advisory board members Dr. Perry Esguerra, Prof. Hercules Calanta and Annabelle Sangalan.

The Philippine Center for Gift Education (PCGE), Inc. in partnership with PROMIL® FOUR spearheaded the annual National Week for the Gifted Conference, a 2-day seminar held at the Hive Hotel and Convention Place in Quezon City. With the aim of promoting discussion and learnings on giftedness, the seminar’s focal point was revisiting multiple intelligences, as discussed by experts and keynote speakers. 

THE ALL-NEW GRAND CHINA ACROBATIC CIRCUS at Smart Araneta Coliseum

Araneta City’s entertainment mecca, the Smart Araneta Coliseum, brings in to the country the multi-awarded performances of the China National Acrobatic Troupe in a Christmas Show titled  “The All-new Grand China Acrobatic Circus.”

The Grand China Acrobatic Circus presents the daring, the splendid, the bold and the spectacular. It features mind-blowing tricks, death-defying acts, graceful choreography loaded with color and excitement deftly presented by internationally renowned and multi-awarded Chinese acrobats.

The Circus themed performance is set to give Filipinos personal firsts experience of heart-stopping shows, daring and thrilling performances guaranteed to be a hit among audiences young and old. 

One never-to-missed act is the Rose Bud contortionist, a mythical fox in a trance of contortion and coquetry. Another jaw dropping act is the Peking Opera’s Huadan (heroines) in Diabolo, where performers in majestic suits intrinsically play the Chinese Yo-yo.

The All-new Grand China Acrobatic Circus will run from December 25, 2019 to January 4, 2020 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Enjoy a 25% discount on every purchase of ten (10) tickets by using a Mastercard Debit, Credit, and Prepad card in any Ticketnet outlets. The promo can also be availed via www.ticketnet.com.ph and the Araneta City Mobile app by using the promocode MCARANETA25. 

Interested buyers may also call 8911-5555. 

The Grand China Acrobatic Circus Mastercard Promo runs under DTI Fair Trade Permit No. FTEB-21402 Series of 2019.

Press Release: PH volleyball teams grateful for support that took them to the 2019 SEA Games

Despite challenges in the beginning, crucial support for the men’s and women’s volleyball teams came through.

 PH men and women’s volleyball team for the 30^th SEA Games

For the Philippine volleyball teams, their drought of medals at the SEA Games for over a decade is a huge challenge to overcome—especially after a long, storied history of victory and domination in the regional tournament back in the ‘80s and ‘90s.

While the mission was always to get Philippine volleyball back to its winning ways, the road to accomplishing that was not always easy. For various reasons, the sport was plagued by a lack of tangible support. If previous national teams were able to win, they had to do so in spite of all of these circumstances.

Sports enthusiasts and volleyball fans cheer for the Philippines’ finest athletes competing at the SEA Games in Manila

In 2019, however, things changed for both the Philippine indoor and beach volleyball teams. Larong Volleyball sa Pilipinas, Inc., the organization that helped form the Philippine volleyball teams, reached out to companies such as Rebisco for a partnership, allowing them to step up and provide everything the country’s volleyball delegates need in order to train and perform even better not only at this year’s SEA Games, but also in other tournaments around the world.

“Rebisco showed interest in helping the national team and initiated everything. With their help, as well as contributions from different organizations, we were able to train for the games earlier,” said men’s indoor volleyball team captain John Vic de Guzman. “We also received income and allowances every time we trained, as well as better training facilities and equipment such as the Arellano University gym which we were able to use thanks to Mr. Pete Cayco, and the Ronac Fitness Center, which we were able to use thanks to Ms. Peachy and Dindo Medina from Uratex.”

“Before, only 12 to 14 players could train, but with the support of different organizations and Rebisco, around 20 players can now join, allowing for bigger tune-ups and scrimmages,” said women’s indoor volleyball team captain Aby Maraño. “We also got more local exposure after featuring us on social media and commercials, as well as international exposure as they helped us participate in more tournaments and training camps outside the country.”

“Each athlete dreams of representing their country, there’s no better feeling. Now we’re more prepared because more corporations like Rebisco are helping our team,” said women’s beach volleyball representative Sisi Rondina.

Lahat lalaban, para sa bayan,” says Alyssa Valdez on the PH team’s campaign in the 30^th SEA Games. (Photo from Alyssa Valdez (@AlyssaValdez2) on Twitter)

With the crucial support Rebisco is giving the Philippine volleyball teams, the country’s delegates stand a stronger and better chance to win big at the 2019 SEA Games and reclaim the glory of years past. There’s still time to support all teams as the SEA Games indoor and beach volleyball tournaments are currently running at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig and the Subic Tennis Center, respectively, until December 10.

Aside from backing the Philippine volleyball teams, Rebisco also continues to do its part in advancing the local volleyball scene in the country. The company hosts the Rebisco Volleyball League, a grassroots tournament that showcases the Philippines’ up-and-coming players, and the Rebisco Beach Volleyball International Open with 20 teams from around the world; the company also fields two teams in the professional Premiere Volleyball League in the Creamline Cool Smashers and the Choco Mucho Flying Titans.

For more info and updates on the Philippine volleyball teams, follow Rebisco Pilipinas on Facebook (facebook.com/RebiscoSambansa/), and on Twitter and Instagram at @RebiscoSambansa. For updates on beach volleyball, follow @PHBeachVolley on Twitter.

OFW Guide: how to avoid illegal recruiters when finding job abroad

In hopes of landing great career opportunities and providing better lives for their families, aspiring Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) had to spend a hefty amount of money, do a lot of paperwork, and leave their loved ones back in the Philippines. 

However, not everyone is as lucky as they thought. With more and more Filipinos willing to secure a job outside the country, many of them were deceived by unauthorized recruitment agencies – false documents, assigned with a different job from what was promised, and robbed of their hard-earned money. Just like this guy in this video: 

https://bit.ly/2DqogWh 

You might think this is funny but being a victim of illegal recruitment is no joke. To make sure you or the people you know will not be a victim of illegal recruitment, WorkAbroad.ph, the Philippines' leading overseas job site, shares important reminders when looking for a job abroad. 

✔ Apply only at POEA-licensed recruitment agencies

First thing that a jobseeker has to check is if the agency they are dealing with is authorized by Philippine Overseas Employment Authority (POEA) to operate. Transact only with authorized representatives and agencies that have official job orders. The license number should be conspicuously displayed upon the entrance of the agency or you may visit poea.gov.ph to verify if an agency is indeed licensed.

Alternatively, WorkAbroad.ph also generates the data from POEA under the “Validate POEA License” tool where you can verify if a particular agency is authorized. 

✔ Transact only within the registered business address 

It is advised to not engage in any recruitment activities done in malls, residential areas, and restaurants outside their registered business address. If recruitment is conducted in the province or during a job fair, aspiring OFWs should check if the agency has a Special Recruitment Authority (SRA) or Job Fair Authority issued by POEA or ask the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) of the concerned LGU. 

✔  Be mindful of fees

Victims of illegal recruitments reportedly paid an exorbitant amount of money for placement and processing fees when they should not. WorkAbroad.ph reminds employees that a placement fee is only equivalent to one month’s salary, exclusive of documentation and processing costs. Employers should also shoulder all the payments for visa, airfare, and processing costs. Most importantly, do not pay without signing a valid employee contract and official receipt.     

✔  Accept job offers using work visa 

Many illegal recruitment agencies send Filipinos abroad only with a tourist visa. Keep away from possible legal conflicts in other countries by only accepting job offers that give you work visa. Beware of unclear and unspecific job orders as it can also be a sign of an unauthorized recruitment. 

✔ Report an illegal recruiter immediately 

Should an agency seem to be suspicious or fail to meet the standards mentioned above, immediately report them to POEA by calling 722-11-44 or emailing info@poea.gov.ph. 

Although a promising job offer abroad is pretty tempting, it is also one’s accountability to be on the lookout and be wary of unauthorized recruiters. 

To explore more career opportunities overseas through POEA-accredited recruitment agencies, visit www.workabroad.ph. 

#HappyBEARday : SM Bears of Joy unveiled the Joy Squad

SM supermalls nationwide celebrated its first ever #happyBEARday last December 1, 2019 at The Galeon Museum in Mall of Asia. A special day dedicated not only to the cuddly and cute SM Bears of Joy- a staple side of Christmas at SM for the past 8 years, but also to pay tribute to families and kiddie supporters who take part in SM Cares, Toy Kingdom, and SM Supermalls' annual Christmas charity project that aims to bring smiles to more kids during the holiday season.

The Joy Squad with SM Little Stars Achievers and the children from Tondo

Four new bears aka JOY SQUAD were introduced to delight and inspire kids to reach for their dreams. Representing some of the top dream jobs of kids worldwide, the Joy Squad is composed of AJ (Ariana Joy) The Star, FJ (Franco Joy) The Savior, PJ (Paul Joy) The Hero, and CJ (Carina Joy) The Achiever. SM shoppers can now collect and bring home the four bear characters for a joyous Christmas treat for their loved ones and children charities.

(L-R) CJ, AJ, PJ and FJ
Get a pair of these toy bears for P200  ̶  one to keep and the other for charity. 

SM Bears of Joy is an annual Christmas initiative by SM Supermalls, SM Cares, and Toy Kingdom and is available in SM malls until December 25.

For more information on the SM Bears of Joy campaign and SM’s other fun-filled holiday activities, visit www.smsupermalls.com.  

Make Brush Time Hapee Time

What's your favorite bonding moment with your kids? For us it's when we brush our teeth! We even sing that Barney song "Brushing My Teeth". 🎶Oh, I'm brushing my teeth on top

It's so much fun, I hate to stop

But while I'm brushing my teeth and having so much fun

I never let the water run, no I never let the water run ...🎶  we had fun and they learn at the same time to conserve water. This brushing time can be more exciting with Hapee Kiddie and its range of delicious flavours and colorful characters. 

Brushing our teeth is an important part of our dental care routine.  It's because our teeth are important in many ways. If we take care of them, they'll help take care of us. 

Strong, healthy teeth help us chew the right food to help us grow. They help us speak clearly. And yes, they help us look our best 😁. 

Today there are plenty of toothpaste choices: lots of colors and flavors to choose from, and some are made just for kids.  

Kapag kami pumipili ng toothpaste for our bagets dapat may right amount of flouride, just like Hapee Kiddie Toorthpaste. Because fluoride makes our teeth strong and protects them from cavities. And masarap ang lasa para ma encourage sila mag toothbrush kasi parang candy pa rin. Hehe.

Kayo din pwede niyo din gawing bonding time ang pagsisipilyo.  #MakeBrushTimeHapeeTime with Hapee Kiddie Toothpaste.

Mommy Bloggers PH Halloween Party 2019 at McDo BGC Forum and Kidzania Manila

Happy Mommies and Kiddos

We recently attended a Halloween Party by Mommy Bloggers Philippines (MBP). It was our second time to attend, the first time was three years ago. No scary costumes because MBP believes that Halloween should be enjoyed by kids and is not supposed to scare them. As a result, the kids who attended were so cute wearing their costumes! 

It was a wonderful event, the attendees enjoyed including the mommies because of McDo's hosts and the games they prepared. What they did was out of the ordinary, it was not your usual parlor games because everyone is involved. How I wish someone could've captured our laughter via video. Moms were obviously having fun, like taking a break from their usual routine as a parent.  We, for a moment, forgot our problems and worries. Of course, the kids loved the games,  giveaways and the program prepared by McDo especially when Grimace and Birdie arrived and danced for them! You can see the smiles of joy in their eyes. Princess Y wants her next birthday celeb done at McDo!  🙏🙏🙏

Basta #McDoParty, love ko 'to! 

Mommy Lanie, Admin and Founder of Mommy Bloggers PH with Grimace and Birdie

Congrats to Mommy Lanie, founder of MBP for another successful event for the whole family. As usual ang daming generous sponsors. Thank you!!!

SPONSORS: 

McDonald's - @Mcdo.ph #McDoParty

Kidzania Manila - @kidzaniamanila

Absolute Distilled Water - @absolutedistilledwater 
#AbsoluteLove #PureLove

Hygienix - 
@hygienix_ph #showerrangers

Hapee - @hapeetoothpaste

RealCaliforniaMilk - @realcaliforniamilkphl #RealCaliforniaMilk

Dazz Dishwashing - @DazzDishwashing

LiceAliz - @licealiz

MayaPancakes- @mayahotcakesandmore #MayaHappyMugs #HappyComesEasy 

But wait, there's more 😬 After the #McDoParty, attendees headed to Kidzania Manila for a Halloween Funfair experience. Again, everyone went home elated :) 

Thank you, MBP for inviting us.💛

Why GCash is planting trees at the Ipo Watershed

Earlier this year, Manila was gripped by a water crisis. At its peak, large parts of Metro Manila had zero water supply, prompting water rationing from local governments and concessionaires. There were viral videos of condominium dwellers fetching water from their pools and barangay residents fighting around water trucks. 

It was traced to the late onset of the rainy season, coupled with demand that has outgrown available infrastructure. Much was heard about the then declining water supply at the Angat Dam, Metro Manila’s main water source, and the La Mesa Dam, the emergency reservoir.

But there wasn’t much talk about the Ipo Watershed, the deforestation of which is believed to be one of the root causes of depleted water supply in the reservoirs. 

The Ipo watershed was declared a protected area by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) but forest cover in the watershed is now only at 40%, a drastic drop from 85% several years ago, according to WWF-Philippines. 

Metro Manila relies on the Angat-Umiray-Ipo watershed system for nearly all of its water supply (98 percent, to be exact). This makes it imperative to prevent the watershed’s further degradation, which has been blamed on human activities such as illegal logging and charcoal-making by illegal settlers in the area. 

The Philippines’ leading mobile wallet GCash has partnered with WWF-Philippines for the reforestation of the Ipo watershed, aiming to plant 365,000 trees in a year. The partnership launched GCash Forest in June, a feature in the GCash app that allows users to plant trees at the Ipo watershed using green energy points. 

Green energy points are earned through frequent use of the app in transactions such as scan to pay and bank transfers, among others. Green energy may also be earned through shifting to more environment-friendly everyday practices, including switching to reusable food containers and utensils in place of single-use plastics. 

On Oct. 12, GCash brought its first batch of tree-planters to the Ipo watershed to plant yakal trees within the 300 hectares that GCash has adopted for GCash Forest in Norzagaray, Bulacan. These were GCash users who had earned over 20,000 green energy points. 

WWF-Philippines will monitor the growth of trees planted by GCash and identify other native tree species suitable for planting in the watershed. 

Through GCash Forest, GCash users are able to do good by Mother Earth while at the same time helping ensure water supply for themselves and future generations.

J's Diamond Grand Launch at Ayala Malls Manila Bay

J's Diamond Grand Launch
at Ayala Malls, Manila Bay 

Grand Launch of J's Diamond Ayala Malls, Manila Bay Flagship branch (from left to right (Marion Uno, Noah, Samuel, J's Diamond Executives, Enzo, P.rinz, Sage Nathan and Andrej Euan.

Last October 17, 2019, J's Diamond a renowned jewelry brand that originated in Hong Kong and has established itself in the Philippines since 2012  held a grand opening of its fourth boutique, in one of the luxurious malls in the country, Ayala Malls Manila Bay.

The flagship store presented a sensational showcase of their latest captivating designs. Their new boutique possesses the unintimidating yet modish atmosphere, emanating the millennial vibe. It is designed to mirror the magnificence of their modern jewelry collection and to shine a light on their flawless creations that are well-crafted by professional artisans. 

J's Diamond Grand Launch at Ayala Malls, Manila Bay Ribbon Cutting by J's Diamond Executives.

J’s Diamond initially started with an exquisite collection of timeless pieces of rings tailored for engagement and wedding occasions. It has been patronized by customers for its specialty in bridal accessories and for the refined and sophisticated craftsmanship of its jewelry pieces.

J's Diamond Grand Launch
at Ayala Malls, Manila Bay 

The stylish and classy jewelry pieces are always fashioned to celebrate the gift of love. Each piece is purposely created to symbolize the different values – a love that lasts for a lifetime, a joy that is profound, an undying devotion, and steadfast loyalty and fidelity. 

Find a treasure trove of bedazzling pieces of jewelry that you will forever adore only in J’s Diamond.  

Visit Js Diamond branches at Lucky Chinatown, SM  Dasmarinas, LSM Southmall and  Ayala Malls, Manila Bay.

J's Diamond Grand Launch at Ayala Malls, Manila Bay