Check out Pinnacle Performance as it delivers athletic development for recreational fitness enthusiasts

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Located at the 28th floor of Centuria Medical Makati, Pinnacle Performance delivers athletic development for professional and amateur athletes, and recreational fitness enthusiasts alike.

“It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver” says Mahatma Gandhi . I try to lead a healthy lifestyle ever since I encountered a coronary issue in 2004 due to my borderline obesity.

Pinnacle Performance

Thirteen years later, I achieved my weight loss goal but I discovered that hitting the gym and losing weight is not the ultimate goal. I sorely lack balance. See, fitness training balances five elements of good health. I have to make  sure my routine includes aerobic fitness, strength training, core exercises, balance training, flexibility and stretching.

Pinnacle Performance

When the opportunity to visit Pinnacle Performance came, I was excited to learn more.  Well, I am sure you want to know more about  athletic development for professional and amateur athletes, and recreational fitness enthusiasts like myself.  I am very impressed with the way Pinnacle Performance delivers an environment geared to empower clients to achieve every level of performance.

Pinnacle Performance

Pinnacle Performance

Led by owner and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Tom Summers, who holds vast experience carefully creating the complete athletic development of elite sports men and women, the members-only facility combines world-class facilities and instruction, with cutting edge technology and methodology, to ensure every member has all the tools required to reach their desired performance goals.

Pinnacle Performance

Using the unique Pinnacle Global Rating (PGR), a member’s speed, power are agility, strength, body composition, and energy system’s capacity, measured and tracked to provide an objective picture of progress.

Pinnacle Performance

Pinnacle also offers members access to physiotherapy services (ProHealth Sports & Spinal Philippines), such as treatment of spinal pain and dysfunction, running assessments, and injury prevention — ensuring all aspects of physical development are covered. The secret to Pinnacle’s success is in their 3-part customized mission:

1. PLAN – Whether to simply get back into shape, or to train for a triathlon, and everything in between, Pinnacle builds a program structured around a member’s goal. – The Pinnacle Global Rating (PGR) is used to profile and measure a member’s baseline.

2. PURSUE – Specific sessions are then designed for individual training, strength and power, metabolic loading, and mobility, among others. – A member’s PGR will be tracked per session in order to easily provide an objective picture of progress.

3. PERFORM – Pinnacle promises that at the end of every program, a member will be able to perform at the level initially targeted during the planning stage. – A member’s program changes every four weeks, with individual and complete reviews of every members’ previous month of training.

You might want to get the  Full memberships starting at P6,995, with Youth Memberships beginning at P4,995. Members are provided full access to Unique Program Tracking, and the facility’s Athletic Track, Performance Suite, Conditioning Equipment, and the Suspension and Body Weight Area.

ProHealth Sports & Spinal Philippines

Like I told you earlier, Pinnacle Performance also has physiotherapy services through ProHealth Sports & Spinal Philippines on the same floor.  Partnered with Pinnacle Performance, both high-level professional athletes and recreational fitness enthusiasts alike, can make use of the  physiotherapy clinic for injury recovery and prevention, for muscle function and flexibility improvement, and for spinal manipulation and rehabilitation.

ProHealth utilizes vast experience with professional and international sports teams to ensure cutting edge care is provided to all its clients, regardless whether engaged in high level competition or not.

The spacious facility on the 28th floor of Centuria Medical Makati is armed with physio gyms with reformers, seven physio rooms, shower areas, a pantry, and a lounge area. The clinic also boasts of real-time ultrasound to better assess and treat patients.  Owned and operated by Prohealth Asia Ltd objectively measured progress in its one-one-one sessions.

Physiotherapists are willing to conduct 45-minute assessments of new patients so check out if you need any of the specialization that  ProHealth Sports & Spinal offers.

  1. Manual Therapy
  2. Sports Physiotherapy
  3.  Muscle Therapy
  4. Spinal Manipulation
  5. Spinal Rehabilitation
  6. Post-Operative Rehabilitation
  7. Endurance Sports Injury
  8. Exercise Prescription
  9. Sports Physiotherapy
  10. Sports Medicine Management

I love how there is physiotherapy services within the same floor of the Pinnacle Performance. Sometimes after a rough workout, there are all these aches and pains which need to be checked on . One time, I think I used the weights at my gym wrongly and for months, I had a frozen arm. Therapy could have fixed it right away.

Do check it out especially those of you who live close to Pinnacle Performance at Centuria Medical Makati.

Contact information :

Pinnacle Performance
28th floor of Centuria Medical Makati, Century City
Kalayaan Ave. cor. Salamanca St.
Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City
website: www.PinnaclePerformance.ph.
email: info@pinnacleperformance.ph
Phone: 02-793-8763.

ProHealth Sports & Spinal Philippines
28th floor of Centuria Medical Makati, Century City
Kalayaan Ave. cor. Salamanca St.
Brgy. Poblacion, Makati City
website: www.sportsandspinal.ph
Phone: 02- 793-8762

Map:

The 3 health benefits of cat ownership

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pet cats
I don’t know about you but I just adore cats.I have four felines at home: Billy, Missy , Zoey and Nomi.  They are the most huggable pets ever and they keep me company now that the girls are living independently .  Having a pet can be so comforting especially if one gets stressed out. For sure techniques like meditation, yoga and blogging can be therapeutic. But owning these furry lovable felines can also have many stress relieving and health benefits.  Let’s see.

1. Cats can improve your mood– Never mind if certain online characters are serial attention-seekers breathing down your necks. It’s almost impossible to remain in a foul mood when a super-soft furry cat rubs up against your legs begging to sit beside you. Once my pet kitty cat starts purring at me, I feel the weariness of the day melting away. My cute and cuddly stress-busters calm my nerves, make me smile, help me sleep better and even push me to exercise more. There is evidence that just 15 to 30 minutes of quality time with a cat can calm your nerves and boost your mood.

When you spend time with a cat, your production of serotonin, a chemical that boosts feelings of well-being, goes up, and your cortisol levels go down. Cortisol, along with high blood pressure, is a result of stress, and can lead to high cholesterol and hypertension. This means that spending time with a cat can keep you healthier in the long run

Want to be healthier? Get a pet!

cats
2. Cats Stave Off Loneliness and Provide Unconditional Love Cats offer unconditional love and companionship. During the day, my family isn’t at home so I end up being alone in my corner of the world. I enjoy comfortable silences with them as they snuggle close to me.

A 2003 Swiss study “found that having a cat in the house is the emotional equivalent of having a romantic partner. As well as initiating contact much of the time, studies have shown cats will remember kindness shown to them and return the favor later.”

But cats really do have the upper hand in these relationships. After thousands of years of domestication, cats have learned how to make a half purr/half howl noise that sounds remarkably like a human baby’s cry. And since our brains are programmed to respond to our children’s distress, it is almost impossible to ignore what a cat wants when it demands it like that.

cuddling

Billy is so huggable.
3. Cats Can Reduce Stress, Sometimes More Than People Of all the reasons why cats (or pets in general) have great health benefits, it is this fact– “While we all know the power of talking about your problems with a good friend who’s also a good listener, recent research shows that spending time with a pet may be even better! Recent research shows that, when conducting a task that’s stressful, people actually experienced less stress when their pets were with them than when a supportive friend or even their spouse was present! ”  Missy, reminds me to stop working and relax.

missy and me
In fact, these cats don’t judge me; they just love me. You should check out my cat photo gallery.

Do you have pets?

Dissecting depression

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depression 1

I get many emails from readers after reading my Suicide Prevention page, saying they are depressed or feel hopeless. Sometimes I also get tweet mentions calling for help.

One should remember there is a difference between depression and sadness. Watch this video:

Depression in young kids may go unnoticed especially if one is hyperactive or acting out. Clinical depression is seen as deep sadness, loss of interest, trouble sleeping and eating — that gets worse. It pays to visit a psychiatrist who can detect to confirm that your teen is really suffering from clinical depression.

Here are some Signs and symptoms of depression in teens

  • Sadness or hopelessness
  • Irritability, anger, or hostility
  • Tearfulness or frequent crying
  • Withdrawal from friends and family
  • Loss of interest in activities
  • Changes in eating and sleeping habits
  • Restlessness and agitation
  • Feelings of worthlessness and guilt
  • Lack of enthusiasm and motivation
  • Fatigue or lack of energy
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Thoughts of death or suicide

You can also call 24/7 HOPELINE of The Natasha Goulbourn Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing depression to light through the use of educational lectures, confidential crisis lines and referrals to partner psychologists.

 

Information and Crisis Intervention Center

(02) 804-HOPE (4673)
0917-558-HOPE (4673) or (632) 211-4550
0917-852-HOPE (4673) or (632) 964-6876
0917-842-HOPE (4673) or (632) 964-4084

In Touch Crisis Lines:

0917-572-HOPE or (632) 211-1305
(02) 893-7606 (24/7)
(02) 893-7603 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm)
Globe (63917) 800.1123 or (632) 506.7314
Sun (63922) 893.8944 or (632) 346.8776

Check the infographic below for more information on depression.


Via: Canada Drug Center

2017 is the year of the Fire Rooster. That’s me.

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The year of the Fire Rooster begins January 28, 2017. It happens once every 60 years. The last time was in 1957.

Trustworthy, with a strong sense of timekeeping and responsibility at work 

Image via bjjheroes.com. Some rights reserved.

I was born on the Year of the Fire Rooster. I have always known that I was born on the Year of the Rooster and it is one reason, I collect a few rooster knick knacks . What I didn’t expect was that 2017 is the Year of the Fire Rooster. I don’t normally believe in Zodiac signs but hey, I don’t get to celebrate the Fire Rooster every decade. It takes 60 years and the next time it will occur, I will be 120 years old.

Let me list down the Fire Rooster characteristics that I think are so ME and those that are NOT me . This site says

Under the passionate influence of the Fire Element, the Fire Rooster becomes the most dramatic and energized of all the Rooster signs. The Fire Rooster lives life in enthusiastic, dynamic bursts, which explains why they are so comfortable taking risks. At times, the strong will of the Fire Rooster can make them seem dominating, but this is only a result of their genuine interest in doing the best for themselves and others. Nevertheless, the Fire Rooster can make a very successful leader in the right situation.

So far so good. I think I am a leader in some ways and other times, I just want to be a follower.

The Fire Rooster Personality 

Let me refer you to this gotohoroscope website.

Roosters are quick witted and have a great sense of humor, although it can be rather sharp and brutal at times.

I sometimes think I am funny but yes, I can be brutal and sharp especially when I was a mother to my young children.  The Fire Rooster personality further adds that “Friends of Rooster people have to get used to the fact that they do not hold back on anything, and that their brand of honesty can be unsettling. ” Yes, I tend to be tactless but I have learned to be more gentle. with my words.

I can afford to be offensive on social media when I deliver commentary on corrupt people or criticize the government. I know  such commentaries are offensive but the truth has to be told. They say “Roosters expect everyone to have the same blunt nature and become quite frustrated if you waste their time by talking around a subject (in order to avoid hurt feelings) when it would be faster to just say thing straight out. ” Yes, I hate beating around in circles. Go straight to the point please.

Most Roosters are meticulous people who never miss an appointment. Not only that, but they are never late!

Yes, this is so true . I hate being late so I tend to arrive early for an appointment. I also don’t  like it if people are habitually late. I agree that “To a Rooster, the deadliest insult is when you do not keep an appointment, so write down meetings with Roosters in red ink! ”

This part is not true for me about Roosters having  tremendous amount of mental and physical energy, and that they never sit still. I can sit still for hours when it comes to writing or engaging in social media.  The part on “Nor do they ever stop multi-tasking” is true though but I learned to take breaks by walking 10,000 steps a day.

While most Roosters prefer to work alone (believing no one can match their level of perfection or diligence) Fire Rooster make great team leaders.

This is so true. I  learned to be a team leader in my early twenties when I had to deal with projects. I don’t really know what my team members think of me because for me, a team’s

Image via crystalwind.ca. Some rights reserved.

success lies in bringing the deliverables.  The Fire Rooster personality adds that “they inspire others through their organization and work ethic, and use their sharp eye to discover what will most bring people together”.  I hope I did or I hope I continue to do so.

Of all the Roosters, the Fire Rooster is the most concerned about his appearance.

I admit I am vain but I think I got that from my mother. I tend to look at the mirror all the time to check on my hair, makeup and clothes.  They say the Fire Roosters will spend as much time as necessary to look their absolute best at all times. I only do so when I go out but at home, I just wear my house clothes and not bother with how I look.  My husband thinks I am too vain. I tell him, I like to look good in photos.  Perhaps this personality is true : “Friends and coworkers often feel that the Fire Rooster is too vain. He or she is preoccupied with clothing, accessories, and the perfect hair style. ”

Roosters always seem to have a notebook or scraps of paper with them, they are constantly writing notes and reminders.

Based on this fengshuiweb.co.uk , I found this characteristic so true but I use digital paper or One Note to take down notes or do checklists.

The Chinese sign of the Fire Rooster is also a bit bossy.

I definitely think I am bossy. Even my husband says so. The Fire Rooster Personality has an explanation : “Since Fire Roosters are very smart and talented, they assume that their way is always the best way, and that everyone else should follow their way exactly. Of course, Fire Roosters have the usual Rooster honesty, which means they have no problem telling people exactly what they are doing wrong and why they should be doing it the Fire Rooster way. If they are not careful, this can lose them friends. “

I often wonder what my high school classmates think. Most of us were born in 1957. Come to think of it, we all tend to be bossy during our reunions. In this situation, I just wither in the background so things can move smoothly.

I am certainly look forward to 2017.  I didn’t know it would be my year until I saw the Chinese Rooster images in the markets here in Singapore. Most of all, I didn’t know I am a Fire Rooster. There is much to be hopeful for, and the crowing of the rooster will soon be heard as the Chinese Lunar New Year’s Day takes place on January 28, 2017.

Cheers to health , love, prosperity this 2017.

‘Pag may time’: The Pinoy art of not doing something

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Time-Card-225x300I’m sure that most people reading this article has either been exasperated that someone is avoiding giving you time for something you want them to do, or have themselves avoided doing something for someone else, citing time issues. Among Filipinos, this habit can reach epic proportions, and may, in fact, be the root cause of many social issues today.

The inability to say “No”
The first facet of this habit of finding ways to avoid doing something is rooted in the Filipino inability to directly say “no.” That’s because for the Pinoy, that can be tantamount to admitting that they are lacking in some sort of skill. It’s so deeply ingrained that there isn’t really a true word for “no” in the Filipino language – “hindi” comes close, but it has so many shades and nuances that it usually has to be expounded on.

This sometimes works to the Pinoy’s advantage, in that if they don’t want to do something, it’s easy to come up with an ambiguous way of saying that there is no time, it can’t be done, or that it shouldn’t be done, even.

And yet, when a Pinoy wants to do something… you don’t even have to finish your sentence. “Sige” is great, “oo” even better, and if the person simply asks what the requirements and deadline is in an enthusiastic manner, you know that stuff will be done.

System and structure
When dealing with “can/can’t do” situations in the Philippines, you should also check if your request may actually have an issue with the overall situation.

On the most objective level, Pinoys don’t like rocking the boat. And if that means that your request may cause them to do things that may raise eyebrows, or at the very least isn’t what they normally do, there’s a good chance that they may put up excuses to the effect that it can’t be done, it needs clearance, or it needs much more time than your request requires. Depending on how strict or traditional the structure or system in place is, it shouldn’t come as a surprise if you have to go through some clearance hoops and formal letters of request (triple-approved, no doubt), before something will be done.

And if it’s on a personal level, the same thing applies: anything out of the comfort zone is usually met with some sort of excuse. If you’re thinking that this may in part be the “indolence of the Filipinos,” then you would be right. Pinoys aren’t necessarily lazy as they calculate if it’s worth doing something.

However, if you think that that is the dark side, then you would be very wrong.Money Hand

The dark side of system and structure issues is that Pinoys easily fall into corrupt practices, given this mindset. In other words: you want them to move? Then all you have to do is grease the wheels. Preferably with cash and gifts.

It all starts, again, with that Pinoy thing about not rocking the boat. However, some Pinoys, being, ahem, enterprising, will make it profitable for them to accede to certain requests. The sad part is, they probably won’t find a shortage of people wanting to take advantage of the shortcut they offer.

Of course, some people will ask: why not change the system? Well, the answer to that is that it’s a bit of a closed loop, in the sense that since the system or structure is traditional… cultural inertia makes changes difficult. And given that some (all right, many) people in the system are profiting from the use of shortcuts, it will be even more difficult to institute changes.

Avoidance
Another reason why Pinoys can and will find ways to not do something is the simple matter of avoiding responsibility. It is becoming more common in local culture that people who just keep their heads down will usually have reasonably quiet lives. So again, why rock the boat? This makes people strict about what they will do or not do. After all, there are many stories of people who stuck their neck out for someone, only to find themselves in more trouble, be it figurative in the sense of more administrative paperwork to do, or in a literal sense, as their jobs or even their lives may be at risk.

However, even if it sounds like Pinoys really just don’t want to do anything, there’s a flip side to the Filipino story of “pag may time.”

Asking too much
The problem, on the other hand, is that Pinoys do tend to ask rather big favors. On one hand, a misplaced sense of Pinoy pride will also prevent some people from asking help until the favor will become something that’s very big, and will entail a lot of issues on the side of the person being asked a favor from. On another point, it’s also about how Pinoys love to “lean” on people whom they know they can ask favors from, so much so that for many Pinoys, a request is a balance between authority of the one asking and the amount of work and hassle it will entail from the one to whom the request is directed.

Business is personal
In Filipino culture, there is no such thing as an impersonal request. All requests are, on some level, personal in nature. To request something implies that you either have authority over the other person, or that you know the person – and for Pinoys, authority is very much related to knowing the other person, if only on a perfunctory basis.

What to do
As you can see, the act of asking something from someone in the Philippines can become rather complicated. At the shallowest, a refusal can certainly be borne out of laziness and not wanting to do something that can raise eyebrows.

However, as the request becomes more important and larger in scope, it’s a good idea to look, also, at the situation as it relates to the person you are making a request to. If you can figure out how to phrase your request properly, then you should have minimal issues that you can negotiate or even handwave with what you are asking from someone else.

So if you get hit by the “pag may time” term while asking a favor from someone, all you have to do is find a way to make the request more acceptable – and if you really think that it’s all just about being lazy, then at least you know whom not to ask a favor from next time.

A fool and his money
Photos:
“Time Card,” by Matti Mattila, c/o Flickr.Com
“Money Hand,” by Neubie, c/o Flickr.Com
“A Fool and His Money.” by David Goehring, c/o Flickr.Com

 

By Richard Leo Ramos Philippine Online Chronicles.

 

A food tour at the farmers market with the US Ambassador Sung Kim

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“A food tour at the Farmers’ market in Cubao”?

“Resource person”?

My mind could not wrap itself to the idea of being a food tour guide. I was thinking, hmm…I rarely get invited  as a resource person when it comes to food. To think that I have a large and organic reach at my Pinoy Food Community on facebook.  I am usually invited as resource person for political commentaries, social media and digital parenting .  This was different.

Yes, food tour guide for the US embassy staff.

Oh no, I thought again. That means, I need to know the English translation for the Tagalog ingredients. Google is my savior.

Two days before the food tour, I received a call that the US embassy staff included the US Ambassador Sung Kim and Emma Nagy, the Deputy Press Attaché . How exciting , I thought.  I had wanted to meet the new ambassador two weeks ago when he addressed the YSEALI youth leaders but I couldn’t make it .

Sunday , the day at the Farmers’ market.  I arrived ahead of time to check out the market. It’s  been awhile since I last bought my ingredients in this wet market.  It is not as stinky as most public markets are  . Thank goodness .  I love the wide aisles, the variety of goods sold by the vendors and how organized each section was. The goods sold at the farmers’ market here are so much cheaper than the Sunday markets or at my local grocer.

What greets you by the entrance across the flower market are the fruit vendors.  You can source your  12 round fruits for New Year’s eve here. There is so much variety like the honeydew melons, watermelons, longgans, guava, orange varieties, grapes, apple varieties, chico, pears, and not so round fruits like papaya, pineapple, and mangoes.

A centralized weighing scale reassures me that I get the right weight for my purchases.

Shortly before 9:30 AM,the Deputy Press Attaché and  Ambassador Sung Kim arrived with his wife, two daughters and a friend. It’s great to see their enthusiasm.  The market is the best place to understand the culture of any country.

Everyone was eager to shop. First stop was the kakanin area where the suman, rice cakes, and leche flan were sold. The ambassador was convinced to buy the Leche flan when Emma told him that she also bought one.

I told the ambassador that leche flan is similar to the Crème brûlée . I explained that the ideal leche flan  has very little syneresis, that is, no weeping (or lots of holes in it!).

Then we  passed by the vegetable section. One of the daughters spotted the “sitaw” (string beans). She remembers eating adobong sitaw when she visited the Philippines. It happens to be the favorite veggie dish of my daughter.  The ambassador proudly announced that he plans to cook  adobong sitaw that night.

Mrs. Kim was amused at the fresh “suahe”(moderately sized shrimps) …so fresh that they literally jumped off the basin.  The ambassador shows off his purchase of a kilo of “Suahe”.

The next stop was the rice section. She wanted to buy Japanese rice ..The light, fluffy, and slightly sticky when cooked is ideal for rice toppings and even for Paella (if you like your rice to have some stickiness).

The we dropped by “Itlog ni Tikya” . The owner recognized the ambassador and wanted a photo op with him. She plans to put the photo in her facebook page. The ambassador bought the quail eggs. Great for side dishes. I usually add quail eggs on my sauteed veggies.

The last stop was the fruit stalls. I told the ambassador that we get a lot of fruit imports from China, and America.  I pointed him to the Sagada Oranges  which are in season from September-February . The best ones are picked fresh in December. What great timing! Sagada oranges cost 50 pesos per orange. These oranges are really sweet.

It was time to say our goodbyes . It was a pretty short food tour but I am glad I was able to talk to him about a universal theme : food.  Maybe we will meet again in a social media event.

What a productive day. I got to meet the friendly US ambassador and his family and I ended up shopping for my weekly menu. There are so  many reasons to love Farmers’ market in Cubao.   This mini food tour allowed me to rediscover the variety of produce at the Farmers’ market . I will buy the Curacha (red frog crab) from Zamboanga  and the ube (purple yam) so I could prepare Ube Halaya.

Till my next visit.

 

 

Gift idea: This Journal Will Actually Change Someone’s Life 2017

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This planner became known among buyers and bloggers as The Change Journal.

2017 planner

If you are in the lookout for a 2017 planner, I highly recommend “This Journal Will Actually Change Someone’s Life 2017!” It will not only change someone’s life but yours as well.  Remember my 2016 Change Journal?

2017 planner

In 2008, FreeSpeech Publications started publishing a planner called “This Journal Will Actually Change Your Life.” They peppered it with interesting facts, unusual holidays, action blurbs, mood charts, reminders for quarterly check-ups, self-empowerment tips, expense trackers, life-changing coupons, bucket lists and a whole lot more—knowing that daily planners could actually help people keep track of their days, and their lives. They also published organizers that would keep you…well, organized. But their planner has a difference. It doesn’t just change your life by helping you, but, proceeds from the sales of this planner goes towards the education initiatives of Lifeline Foundation Support Team, Inc.

And CHANGE is exactly the theme of the 2017 Journal.

“Change is HERE, change is NOW. Life is HERE, life is NOW.”

From the back cover

“This year is your year to believe the truth that Life is in the here and now. 2017 is the year to stop waiting for circumstances to be perfect before you begin to LIVE the LIFE you choose. The 2017 Change Journal affirms that we human beings are far more powerful than we realize everyday. It will help you to begin living now, by changing the things that need to be changed, by starting the things that need starting—whether you take tiny steps or monumental leaps, the time is now. The operative, energy-filled, dynamic word is NOW. Life is now here. Believe in your own power.

This planner also changes other people’s lives. Proceeds from this journal go to Lifeline Foundation Support Team, Inc, whose initiatives include helping scholars get an excellent education, organizing medical missions to remote and underserved areas, and a whole lot more. Be part of the change! Visit them at www.ineedalifeline.org.

You can purchase the planner at Free Speech Publications,

Christmas gift idea: Flowers from Te Amo Floristeria

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Te  Amo Floristeria prides itself in being the pioneer luxury floral boutique in the Philippines. They have a flagship store in Bonifacio Global City (G/F Active Fun Bldg, 9th Ave, Bonifacio Global City) 

Running out of ideas on what to give a special someone? I got a wreath for my mother-in-law because I thought it would look good in her nice, cozy country home up in the mountains.

te-amo-floristeria-wreath

Handmade from scratch , this beautiful and festive wreath is made with traditional pinecones and snowy fragrant wax flowers . The wreath base is made from real and aromatic Evergreens. It’s going to remain  as charming even when dried. I love the idea of keeping the dried wreath , serving as a home decor for the rest of the year or just keeping it for the next Christmas season.

flowers-from-te-amo-floristeria-1

If you are in the lookout of charming gift ideas, I recommend flowers  that will surely touch the heart of  your loved one. Sending a delightful arrangement to complete a Christmas table or holiday display of your loved one’s home will surely warm their hearts.

The Te Amo Floristeria’s Holiday Collection is a good place to start.

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Dear Santa Naughty or nice, everybody deserves to be in the festive mood. Let Santa’s traditional outfit take you on a nostalgic path with this scarlet and white fresh arrangement. For an extra seasonal touch, we’ve also added some berries to go with the roses & calla lilies. You can opt to have this bouquet in a glass vase for a yuletide display in your home.

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Toast to the Holidays It’s the season to spoil those we love. Delight them with this lavish fresh flower box along with a fine bottle Grande Cuvée Sparkling Champagne. You may also customize your box with preserved blooms guaranteed to last up to three to five years. Now that’s an impressive gift

te-amo-floristeria-8-copy

Send your warm greetings with this bottle Grande Cuvée adorned with Te Amo’s signature luxe blooms- perfect to give for those yearly gatherings with family and friends. You can also bring in your bottle of choice and let us customize your blooms and send it out with a thoughtful message from you.

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All I Want Make your personal gifts exceptionally stand out. Let us spruce up your present by adorning it with fresh or preserved blooms of your choice. Simply bring your gift and leave it up to us to create an enchanting display that is sure to make a lasting impression.

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December to Remember This festive arrangement is the epitome of chic. Sumptuous reds, rich burgundy and deep green tones make this fresh bouquet a sophisticated gift for someone special.You may also opt to have this arrangement in a box, in a vase, or hand-tied with a ribbon for maximum simplicity

Give them the gift of elegance & simplicity of a dreamy white Christmas with this fresh ox of white Ecuadorian Roses, Carnations, and Berries accented with pinecones in your box of choice. Let this classic box add that holiday charm to their home.

Give them the gift of elegance & simplicity of a dreamy white Christmas with this fresh ox of white Ecuadorian Roses, Carnations, and Berries accented with pinecones in your box of choice. Let this classic box add that holiday charm to their home.

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Scarlet Snow: Handmade from scratch, impress your visitors with this beautiful and festive wreath of scarlet red Ecuadorian roses with traditional pinecones and snowy fragrant wax flowers. The wreath’s base is made from real and aromatic Evergreens and remains as charming even when dried. It’s the perfect way to extend a warm wel come this season.

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Our Christmas arrangements are lovingly created by our team of florists and personally delivered with your hand-written Christmas notes. Thank you for letting us be a part of your holidays.

So yeah, have a Blooming Christmas from Te Amo Floristeria with these flowers.

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Contact details:

Address: Ground Floor, Active Fun Building, 28th Avenue Corner 9th Avenue., Taguig, Global city, 1634 Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone: +63 2 886 6888

Christmas gift ideas: Find beautiful gift items from social enterprises

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Christmas gift ideas? Shop for Christmas Gifts with Purpose  at the BPI Sinag ng Pasko Christmas Bazaar on December 6 at the Glorietta Activity Center, Glorietta Mall, Makati City.

I love to give Christmas gifts that are locally crafted by small and medium scale enterprises. There is a lot of heart in it. If you are like me, you find beautiful gift items from social enterprises that help Filipino communities at the BPI Sinag ng Pasko Christmas Bazaar happening on December 6, 2016 at the Glorietta Activity Center, Glorietta Mall, Makati City.

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Many of these social enterprises have been part of BPI Foundation’s iconic BPI Sinag Business Challenge, a program that aims to support and scale-up businesses with the triple bottom line – people, planet, and profit. The Sinag ng Pasko Christmas bazaar, which is now on its second year, is one of the opportunities organized by BPI Foundation to help social enterprises reach out to new market.

With a wide range of goodies that include food and beverage, toys, personal care an home products, fashion and tech accessories, you will be sure to find something to give the important people in your life.

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Here is a list of social enterprises participating at the BPI Sinag ng Pasko Christmas Bazaar.

Food and Beverage

  1. Balangay’s Best – seafood snacks and other food items made by fisher folk communities from Bantayan, Cebu
  2. Bayani Brew – brewed iced teas made from all-natural, native ingredients — curiously yummy, ridiculously healthy, and proudly homegrown
  3. Dalareich Chocolates – native chocolate solids made from pure roasted cacao from Bohol
  4. First Harvest – a proudly-Filipino brand, that uses choice ingredients to whip up healthy and delicious food products such as peanut butters and coco jam
  5. GoldenducK – premium salted eggs that use an all natural turmeric dye to give their salted duck eggs a bright yellow hue, instead of the carcinogenic Sudan red dye used in others, and uses 50% less salt than traditional salted duck eggs. They also make duck patties and sisig
  6. Good Food Co. – brings fresh and ethically sourced organic produce from smallholder farmers to kitchens
  7. Hiraya Chocolates – single-origin chocolate bars and chocolate products from cacao beans sourced around the Philippines
  8. Kalsada Coffee – Philippine specialty coffee that aims to support Filipino coffee producers and their dedicated efforts to bring quality coffee to market.
  9. Kayumanggi Organics – wild ginger teas sourced from local farmers from Surigao del Sur and Aurora.
  10. KKK Coffee – coffee products and café that seeks to promote Philippine coffee, not only from bean origins, but also to recipes and to brand
  11. Nutri Delight Delicacies – innovative nutritious delicacies from all over the Philippines
  12. Obrano – hand stitched goods made from genuine leather and handwoven textiles
  13. Saka Brew – premium roasted rice and corn coffee
  14. STEEP Coffee – coffee blends without the need for anything more than boiling water
  15. Theo and Philo – chocolate bars made from cacao from Davao and sugar from Bacolod.
  16. Tsaa Laya – premium line of organic herbal teas

Toys and Games

  1. Karaw Craftventures – a design hub that upcycles scrap materials into artisanal products made by the inmates of the Naga City jail
  2. Plush and Play – safe, environmentally-friendly and educational toys
  3. Civil Defense Board Game – a simulation table top board game that introduces the basics of disaster risk reduction and humanitarian action to players with or without any background in disaster risk reduction or humanitarian work.

Bags

  1. Akaba – timeless, high quality and high value travel bags from handwoven textiles
  2. Bag 943 – for every purchase made of these backpacks, another bag is given to an impoverished school kid in the Philippines
  3. Gouache – stylish specialty waxed canvas bags for the active, artistic urbanites and the adventure lovers
  4. Gugu Bags – backpacks for adventurers, woven in Albay and Camarines Sur, and designed and sewn in Naga City by Filipino artisans
  5. Jacinto and Lirio – multi-functional, handcrafted, and stylish leather goods such as wallets, bags, journals, and laptop sleeves, sustainably made from water hyacinth

Clothes, Shoes, and Accessories

  1. Anthill Fabric Gallery – scarves, jackets, skirts, and other contemporary lifestyle products made from Philippine weaves
  2. Habi Footwear – environment-friendly, stylish and comfortable espadrilles and sandals
  3. Klowil – t’nalak woven by the T’boli weavers of South Cotabato
  4. La Herminia Weaving – handwoven cloth from indigenous fibers like piña, silk, abaca, and cotton
  5. Risque Designs – a Filipino lifestyle brand that brings forth modernity and luxury with its meticulously hand-crafted ready-to-wear and ready-for-runway footwear pieces

Personal Care and Home Products

  1. Messy Bessy – natural, biodegradable, non-toxic personal care and home products
  2. MNL Grow Kits – “agriculture in a box” products that lets you grow your own plants from the comfort of your home
  3. Solar Solutions – provider of renewable energy solutions products and services

Assorted Products

  1. Angie’s Yakan Cloth – handwoven yakan cloth, table runners, wall decors, coasters, placemats,pillow cases, bags
  2. Caritas Margins – a variety of fashion accessories, personal care, and food products made by Caritas Manila’s urban poor farmers
  3. Gifts and Graces – fair-trade bags, toys, and accessories
  4. GREAT Women – food items and spices, textiles and silk-based goods, and high-fashion jewelry and accessories
  5. Roots Katipunan – woven bags and artisanal products

Support our Filipino Artisans! Save the Date! December 6, 2016 at the Glorietta Activity Center, Glorietta Mall, Makati City.

Learn more about the BPI Sinag ng Pasko Christmas Bazaar by following BPI Foundation on Facebook .

UPSTART, a Filipino board game empowering entrepreneurs

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UPSTART, a Filipino board game is changing the way people learn business. As early adopters and backers, those who pledge through Kickstarter will get to own the game before its commercial release and below retail price. Back UPSTART today. Click here to preorder.

UPSTART Filipino board game

“Entrepreneurship is neither a science nor an art. It is a practice.” – Peter Drucker, management consultant, educator, and author.

Did you know that 8 out of 10 entrepreneurs who start businesses fail within the first 18 months? A whopping 80% crash and burn. When it comes to business, most people will tell you fail fast, and then learn. But the truth is… FAILING HURTS.

UPSTART Filipino board game

There is a new Pinoy board game that launched on October 15 on Kickstarter,  which is set to transform how people experience starting and sustaining a business without the risk. UPSTART, a table-top role playing game (RPG) by Richard Dacalos and Lorena Flores, was created to empower entrepreneurs and challenge the reality that 120,000 businesses fail every day. UPSTART is a board game that simulates the UPS and DOWNS of setting up and sustaining a business. It equips players with the tools & insights to have them take their business to the next level. Players learn lifelong lessons in an environment of fun, collaboration and play.

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“You can’t grow a business in a silo so there’s bound to be failure, and it’s from failure that the best entrepreneurs learn to be successful.” adds Flores , a senior marketing strategist and head of creatives for UPSTART. “One reason we created UPSTART was to practice failure… without really failing. We wanted a safe and fun environment where we can uncover our blind spots, our decision-making biases, our strengths and
weaknesses.”

At an event with bloggers, Flores showed us how to play the board game.  Jane, my partner in Prep2Prime Digital and I teamed up to simulate the game.

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Our character background is full-time entrepreneur. One round depicts weekly decisions and goals in real life . Each team was given 50 hours and 3000 cc (the currency in UPSTART).

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You then roll and navigate through the board and make choices or deal with chance. Chance is dictated by various cards like life, breakdowns and breaks (opportunities).

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The actions simulate real life : (1) Life and general actions, (2) General business conditions, (3) Revenue generation and (4) followers and reputation. Since Jane and I have followers and some reputation, we thought it best to focus on revenue generation and taking care of ourselves and family.

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This game is an eye opener to me even if I have masteral units in Business Administration and was once a consultant for small and medium enterprises.  I realized that our consultancy has a long way to go in revenue generation and that our strategy should focus on it.

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The UPSTART was initially a private board game played among colleagues, but it began getting noticed when players had success applying lessons they learned in the game to real life.
After two years of testing and product development, seven major game iterations, and more than four hundred players from different backgrounds – from aspiring entrepreneurs to business mavens, from students to corporate professionals, from the Philippines to South Africa – the game is ready to be shared with the world.

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“The Kickstarter campaign will give us the ability to scale-up our production and ship worldwide,” says Dacalos.  They need to raise $35,000 though. Based on their calculations and conversations with the multiple suppliers, this is the bare minimum needed to mass produce the game and deliver worldwide.

Dacalos and Flores hope to empower entrepreneurs all over the world to beat the status quo, and shorten their business learning curve.

As early adopters and backers, those who pledge through Kickstarter will get to own the game before its commercial release and below retail price. Back UPSTART today. Click here to preorder.